Before the chapter, I'd like to show you all a couple of hilarious memes by Dragon_Writer993 featuring one of this series' proudest moments...Teren on the chandelier!

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"What?"

The Queen's face seemed to turn even paler than it had been before, if that was even possible, as she stared at Ilsa in disbelief. Her expression was one that I had never expected to see on her. She was neither angry nor scared. No, she looked...sad. As hard as it was to believe, she appeared genuinely hurt by the news regarding the Lekhone. 

"Is it...gone forever?" she whispered. "Nothing salvageable?" 

"I'm afraid not, My Queen," Ilsa shook her head. "Interestingly enough, the bombs were not strategically placed. In fact the blasts seemed to have popped up out of nowhere. They only managed to do real damage by a whole lot of sheer luck. The good news is, it's only the Lekhone. There wasn't much out there to begin with, and repairs shouldn't cost us more than about two and a half million duvats. Now, here is the news that Your Majesty would be very keen to hear. Less than five minutes after the first blast, Eleanna Myers was discovered and captured in the Populati. The Ice Guards should have her here just about..." 

Ilsa glanced at the door, registering the sound of heavy footsteps outside it. "Now."

Two Ice Guards entered the Sanctum, with a Lessaenite woman between them. However, she shared almost none of Lady Myers' features. Confused, I took a closer look, noticing the Aural Illusions that covered her face and hands. 

"Her Illusions were very skillfully made," Ilsa explained. "It's a good thing Sam was there. If we had deployed a patrolman with any less Aurology experience, we would've missed her." 

"It's a shame that such a talented Aurologist remains at the rank of patrolman," the Queen shook her head with obviously feigned sympathy. The Ice Guard, as Ice Guards often did, took the bait. Sam's eyes widened with greed at her statement. 

"Someone ought to change that, then." 

"Find my daughter and return her to the palace before any of my Icehearts notice the disturbance," my mother ordered. "And you will be a captain the very second you walk through these doors." 

"Yes, Your Majesty," the Ice Guard grinned, rushing through the door along with his Supreme Commander and fellow patrolmen. 

Now, my mother, Eleanna, Thorel, and I were the only ones in the room. 

"Remove..." my mother began. But, before she could finish her sentence, Eleanna's Aural Illusions had disappeared. 

"I have no reason to hide from you," the rebel leader stated simply. 

"It's been over twenty years since you left us," the Queen chuckled. "And you're not even going to say 'hello'?" 

"There is no need. What do you want with me?" Eleanna asked. 

"Why did you bomb the Lekhone? Last time I checked, you weren't very fond of killing innocent people to get back at your enemies." 

Eleanna let out a deep sigh, before beginning to laugh. "Those blasts looked like they had been planned by a blind goat. And they were about as far as possible from the core of the city, where everything worth bombing is. Is this really your opinion of me, Saralee? What a shame." 

"You are the last person I can trust in this Empire," the Queen frowned. 

"You grew up with me. You know me as well as I know myself. You know that I hold you in the highest regard, and would never lie to you. Especially for a purpose as low as saving my own skin," Eleanna replied. 

"That is a fair point," the Queen nodded. "However, if you didn't bomb the Lekhone, then who did?" 

Like an answer to her question, the door opened, revealing a different set of Ice Guards. They transported a very familiar pair between them. 

"Holly!" Lady Myers shrieked. 

"Teren," Thorel scowled. 

"Who are they?" the Queen inquired. 

"Leftovers of the materials used to make the bombs that caused the Lekhone explosions were discovered outside the ruins of an abandoned hut. We have proof that these two have illegally inhabited that hut in the recent past. The boy also wears a White Hot Flame tattoo, which he has, quite interestingly, crossed out in red. His fingerprints match those that were collected from the stem of the main hall's chandelier on the night of the Pre-Festival banquet four days ago." One of the Ice Guards spewed these words breathlessly while everyone else gaped at him in complete shock. 

"Do you mean to say that a third of my beautiful city was destroyed by a boy?" the Queen fumed. 

"Not just any boy, Your Highness," Teren grinned. "I am Terennel Faerlen, future King of Lessaenes and Rewriter of History!" 

The Ice Queen crossed her arms. "Don't make me want to stick a million scalding hot needles in your skull any more than I already do, Faerlen. Faerlen...you must be related to that crazy Radical lady, what's her name, Teritiana!" 

"She was my mother," Teren grinned. "And guess what she gave me?" he winked, reaching for something around his neck. Having finally retrieved the object, he held it up to the light. It was a small, unimpressive vial filled to the brim with slightly fluorescent, red liquid. 

No! How stupid did this guy get? He was about to reveal the Flameheart Serum!

The Queen's eyes widened. "Is that what I think it is?" 

"Yes, and I'm going to kill you with it and marry Holly and be King!" Teren announced, raising it proudly in the air. 

"Give me that!" the Ice Queen yelled, grabbing the vial out of his hand. She gritted her teeth in pain as soon as it came in contact with her skin. Eager to get rid of it, she threw it at the nearest wall, watching with satisfaction as the glass shattered against the hard granite and the priceless liquid that had been held within it flowed down into the tiny cracks in the floor.

Gone. It was gone. 

The Icehearts were immortal. Forever. 

"Alright," the Queen smiled. "Now, Eleanna, where is my daughter?" 

"Oh, Saralee, you're too smart for your own good," Eleanna laughed. "Open your eyes! She's in this palace!" 

"What?" the Queen gasped. "But...where?" 

"That's for me to know, and for you to find out." 

"Stop playing games with me. This is perhaps the most important day of my life!" the Queen fumed. 

"I truly wish it didn't have to be this way, I really do," Eleanna pursed her lips. "Yet, fate has chosen to pit us against each other, and, as you know, there is no greater power in this world than fate. I apologize in advance for what I have done." 

"What have you...oh," the Queen involuntarily stepped back in shock as her eye rose above the window. I, too, gasped at the sight of the mayhem outside. Flames blazed on nearly every rooftop of the Elitia. Any bit of foliage that had existed at ground level was long gone. Terrified aristocrats ran from their burning homes, fleeing desperately to their hovercrafts. Those whose hangars had been destroyed rushed to the Populati, the only part of Glaisse still left intact. 

The Queen opened her mouth to say something, but her words refused to leave her throat. She stood at the window, rooted to the spot as she stared, mortified, at the destruction below her. 

Taking advantage of the Ice Queen's rare moment of distraction, Eleanna broke open her handcuffs with a single burst of Aura. She reached forward, beckoning Thorel out of his seat, before shoving me toward the colossal double doors that led out of the Sanctum and into the maze that constituted the inner hallways of the palace. 

"Go, Viviana, go!" she commanded. 

I didn't need to be told twice.