《Echoes of Divinity The Cursed Crown: Whispers of Betrayal in Ten Kingdoms》 Morning at the Palace ¡°Lady Misty, it¡¯s time to wake up.¡± A faint voice spoke. Her vision was blurry as she slowly opened her eyes and saw a short girl with short, fluffy, light blue hair that came to her chin and covered her eyes. Her white wolf ears stuck out, and her tail was low. She had a black and white maid dress on. Misty groaned tiredly, ¡°Five more minutes.¡± She said, she turned over so her back would face the voice. ¡°But lady Misty, the Chef, made eggs, pancakes, waffles, and bacon. He spent a lot of time making it for you, Wouldn''t want it to go to waste, would we now?¡± the maid said. Misty slowly sat up, ¡°I''m up-I¡¯m up,¡± Misty said tiredly, rubbing her eyes. ¡°Alright, then. I¡¯ll leave you to get ready. I already put your outfit out, and the other maids will help you put it on.¡± She paused. ¡°I think that¡¯s it. I¡¯ll be waiting outside your door,¡± the maid said with a small smile. ¡°Okay, thank you, Maggie,¡± Misty said, still tired. Maggie nodded, turning on her heels, walking out, and quietly closing the tall white doors. Misty slowly got out of her bed and looked around her room. Her room was big, with tall white walls and golden accents. Her bed had light blue sheets that were soft and silky. A little ways from her bed were two blue couches and a white coffee table with some tea that Maggie had probably brought in. To the left of the table, two tall doors led to the balcony. She walked over to the mannequin that was in front of a tall window; it had her dress on it. The dress was a white off-the-shoulder top with a light blue flowy skirt with golden accents. Misty looked at the manikin, sighing, ¡®I hate dresses.¡¯ She thought. She was about to sit down when she heard a knock at her door. She stood up, saying, ¡°Come in!¡± Three maids came in and bowed to Misty. ¡°We¡¯re here to help you put on your dress, Lady Misty.¡± The one in the front said with a slightly deeper voice. ¡°Hello, Ruby, Emerald, and Obsidian. No need to be so formal.¡± Misty said smiling, ¡°We¡¯re friends, after all,¡±The one in the front (Ruby) smiled and apologized, ¡°Sorry, my lad- I mean Misty,¡± she said, smiling. She had bright red hair that came to her lower back in a high ponytail and bangs that swooped to her right. Her eyes were bright, a pricing red. The one on the left (Emerald) went to the manikin. She had bright, long green hair in two pigtails and bangs that swooped to her left. Her eyes were bright green but soft and caring. The one on the right (Obsidian) went to grab a brush. She had long black hair that went to her feet. There was a purple bow at the bottom to hold her hair together. Her bangs went across her forehead. Her emotionless purple eyes were like a void. After getting the dress on, Misty walked to the mirror to see how she looked. She had short brown hair that went down to her shoulders. Her skin was a vanilla color, her eyes a bright hazel. There was a loud knock at the door, ¡°Emerald, can you get that, please?¡± Misty said, ¡°Of course, Lady Misty,¡± Emerald said as she stood up and opened the door to reveal Isa, Misty¡¯s guard. Isa had dark skin, long dark brown dreads in a high ponytail, dark brown eyes, and silver armor with dark blue fabric. ¡°I¡¯m here to escort Lady Misty to the dining room,¡± Isa said calmly. ¡°Good timing, Isa! She just finished getting ready.¡± Emerald said. ¡°Alright, are you ready, Misty?¡± Isa questioned. ¡°Yes, let''s go,¡± Misty replied. Isa held the door for Misty, letting her through, then saying bye to Ruby, Emerald, and Obsidian. Closing the door, Isa walked next to Misty through the long hallways as they talked. Soon later, they reached the entrance to the dining room. ¡°Wow, there are a lot of decorations for the ball tomorrow,¡± Misty said, looking at all the decorations. Ruby, Emerald, Obsidian, and Diamond stars were hanging from the ceiling, all different sizes. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°A little to the left, up more. THERE, LEAVE IT!¡± a guy said with short light brown hair in a low ponytail, he had on a long blue coat with gold accents. Misty looked up to see a hanging poster that said ¡ä694 years.¡¯ There was a guy who was about 6 feet tall; he had a dark green cloak and a cone-colored mask, with two black eyeholes and one horn. He looked down at the brown-haired guy and nodded. ¡°Yes. Perfecto.¡± he turned around to see Isa and Misty. ¡°Princesa! Look at all the decorations I put up! I had some help from Minx, of course¡­¡± Misty looked over at Minx and waved; he stared down at her. ¡°He¡¯s my new worker.¡± ¡°Well, the decorations look wonderful, Elijah,¡± Misty said. Then she saw a guy walking to the ballroom carrying three boxes on top of each other. The boxes started leaning left and right. ¡°?OH NO! ?NO, NO NO! ?ESOS TIENEN TAZAS Y PLATOS CAROS! ?TONTO! ¡° Elijah ran off to help the guy carry the boxes. Misty giggled and looked back over at Minx; he just stared down at her. All the surrounding sound faded away; blackness covered her vision. The only thing she could see was him. It was as if she had fallen into a void she couldn''t escape. Misty blinked as her vision went back to normal. She looked around the hallway and then looked back to where Minx was standing but saw no one. ¡°Lady Misty, we need to go, Breakfast is almost ready,¡± Isa said, grabbing her arm and lightly tugging it. ¡°A-Aright¡­¡± Misty said, fear in her voice as she spoke. ¡°Are you alright? You look like you just saw a ghost,¡± Isa said, worry in her voice. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Let¡¯s go, shall we?¡± Misty said with a smile. They started walking towards the dining room. Her mind kept going back to him. Her thoughts were racing with questions. After a while, they got to the dining room. Misty went to her seat as she sat down, Isa stayed by the door guarding it. ¡°Misty, did you sleep in again?¡± The Queen asks, ¡°yes, I¡¯m sorry, Mother. I didn¡¯t get much sleep last night,¡± Misty apologized, ¡°You should be more like your sister. She always gets up on time.¡± She said, rolling her eyes, ¡°Don''t let it happen again.¡± Misty nodded. Her mom had always been hard on her, she¡¯s been hard on all of them. The queen had long black hair with blue eyes. She was about 5,9 and Misty was up to her eyes. She was wearing a long black dress that was tight at the waist with black see-through sleeves¡ªand had on a white crown with black gems. Misty looked around the long table to see her Stepdad and siblings. ¡°HEY! GIVE HIM BACK!¡± Alice shouted at Blake, reaching over the table to get her teddy bear. ¡°HA! You can¡¯t even reach over the table short stack!¡± Blake laughed at his younger sister. ¡°DAD!¡± Alice yelled. ¡°Blake, give your sister her bare back,¡± Seth stated sternly. ¡°Why should I listen to you old man?!¡± Blake yelled, ¡°Blake, respect your father! And give Alice her toy back!¡± The queen ordered. Blake rolled his eyes glaring at Seth. He threw the bear in Alice¡¯s face and hunched over in his seat, arms crossed. Alice grabbed her bear, sticking her tongue out at Blake. ¡°Are you okay Blake?¡± Dylan asked quietly. He was sitting next to him, worrying about his brother. Blake never liked his stepdad. He hated the fact his mom remarried after their father was killed. ¡°Yeah I¡¯m fine,¡± Blake huffed angrily. There was this awkward silence at the table. The doors to the kitchen opened showing the chef. He and the others brought the food out, placing it on the table. ¡°Here is the food, my Queen,¡± the chef said with a booming voice. He was a bigger guy with a goatee and wore the standard chef outfit with a chef hat. ¡°Thank you, Kai. You may leave,¡± The King said sternly. Kai nodded, hurrying out of the room. Everyone started to grab the food, putting it on their plates. Misty reached for the eggs, putting two on her plate along with some bacon. ¡°Hey sis,¡± Misty looked over to her right seeing her twin, Mac. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s up?¡± She asked, looking back to her plate. ¡°Guess who¡¯s coming to the ball tomorrow,¡± Mac said, giving a devious smirk. ¡°Who?¡± Misty asked, taking her fork and cutting the egg up into small bites. ¡°Your boyfriend,¡± she said, extending the boy in boyfriend. Misty¡¯s face was red as she almost choked on her egg. She started to cough as she reached for her water. ¡°Are you alright?¡± the guy in front of her asked, looking concerned. ¡°She¡¯s fine James, I just mentioned Aiden,¡± Mac said looking at James and giving him the ¡®look¡¯. ¡°Ooh, her boyfriend,¡± He smiled. ¡°He is not my boyfriend!¡± Misty said, her face still red from embarrassment. ¡°Yeah right,¡± Blake burst into the conversation. Blake started making kissy faces at her. Dylan covered his mouth trying his best not to laugh. ¡°Guys, leave her alone,¡± The girl next to James said with a small giggle. ¡°Oh come on, you know it¡¯s true Alex,¡± James smiled at her. ¡°It is, but you don''t have to bully her for it,¡± She smiled, taking a bite of her food. Misty sighed, rolling her eyes. ¡°Fine. What about Dylan and that water princess?¡± Misty said, smirking. I saw the way they looked at each other at the last meeting.¡± ¡°Oh yeah, what''s up with that?¡± Blake asked, looking over at him. Dylan instantly went quiet, looking down at his plate. ¡°Nothing, absolutely nothing,¡± He replied quickly. ¡°Alright, everyone. Finish your food, we have a lot of work to do today.¡± Janet said, ¡°Yes Mother,¡± They all said in unison. Whispers in the Moonlit Garden An orange hue was in the sky as the sun slowly set. A calm chilly breeze flew through Misty¡¯s hair as she sat on the fountain¡¯s ledge, looking at the flowers in the palace garden. There were Tulips, Lilies, Roses, and Irises, all planted by Maggie and the other maids. Misty let out a long sigh as she rested her head in her hands. She looked into the forest ahead of her, seeing the light slowly fade into the darkness. An eerie echo emerged from the depths of the woods. It was hard to understand; it sounded like they were talking behind a closed door. It was soft and muffled. Misty looked towards the tall trees, using her hands to push herself off the ledge, and took small steps toward the woods. ¡°Hello? Who¡¯s there?¡± Misty paused, ¡°you know this is royal ground. You can¡¯t be here,¡± she said softly The whispering continued as Misty took one step after another. The voice guided each step, which moved her closer to the garden''s edge. The voice echoed her name, and every other sound faded away. All Misty heard was the voice. She couldn¡¯t hear the steps approaching her from behind. ¡°Misty?¡± A soft voice said. She felt a light tugging on her dress as she slowly looked away from the voice. She looked down at her little sister Lolo. ¡°Lolo? Why are you out here? It¡¯s cold, you could get sick!¡± Misty said, kneeling to meet her eyes. ¡°I wanted to see if you could play with me and Lilly¡­ What were you staring at?¡± She asked, her voice just above a whisper. ¡°I was just¡­¡± she paused, looking back at the woods, ¡°it¡¯s nothing. Yeah, I¡¯ll come and play with you two!¡± She smiled, standing back up. Lolo grabbed Misty¡¯s hand and lightly pulled her along. ¡°So, what are we playing?¡± Shuffling feet echoed through the palace hall as people rushed to get things ready for the annual ball. The sound of Misty''s heels clacking against the floor along with the clanking of Isa¡¯s armor rang through the hall. Misty spoke up. ¡°Isa? What time is the ball tonight?¡± She questioned. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°6 pm, but you have to be ready by 5:00,¡± Isa answered, looking over at her. They continued walking down the hall towards the ballroom. The hall walls were tall and white, they had gold trims and blue fabric hanging from the ceiling. The baby blue carpet on the floor was soft and silky to the touch, it was like touching the back of a Jumping Lou. (Jumping Lous are like a spider pom pom, their fur is soft and fluffy) Misty and Isa reached the ballroom as the tall white door towered over them. With a loud creak, the door opened and revealed a big room with walls that had baby blue patterns on it, and big silver chandeliers hung from the ceiling. On each side were doors that led to eating areas. In the back were about 10 thrones, each with different colors for the royal family. As Misty''s heels clicked on the hard floor, she heard her mom and stepfather talk. ¡°How many of the Kingdoms are coming?¡± Janet asked, ¡°6 Kingdoms are coming. Akimien, Terraqin, Novka, Bayulen, Floreaki, and Solanai.¡± Elijah paused, looking up at the queen, ¡°Eirajae said they couldn¡¯t attend because their boats couldn¡¯t get past the ice.¡± ¡°What? They should know how to get past it. Their whole thing is ICE!¡± She yelled, slamming her fist on the arms of her throne. ¡°Sweetheart, please. It¡¯s alright,¡± The king said, rubbing her arm lightly. ¡°Valencia said they couldn¡¯t come for unknown reasons. Lollyen said they had too many ¡®concerts¡¯ to perform. And lastly, Dakui said they won''t come because Akimien is attending¡± Elijah said. ¡°That''s just great,¡± She sighed, putting her head in her palm. ¡°It¡¯s okay love, most of them are coming. That¡¯s good,¡± Seth said, trying his best to calm her. ¡°Yes, but we need all of them to discuss important matters,¡± Misty and Isa walked up behind Elijah. Seth was the first to notice them. ¡°Oh, Misty. Is there something you need?¡± He asked, looking at her with a small smile. ¡°Oh um, I just wanted to know what I¡¯m doing today. You know for the party,¡± She said looking at both of them. Elijah stepped aside, letting Misty stand in front of them. ¡°Ah. Yes, you will have to say at least one thing,¡± her mother replied. ¡°Do I have to?¡± Misty asked. ¡°Yes, you do-¡± She started before Seth interrupted. ¡°No, you don¡¯t. Not if you don''t want to,¡± He said looking Janet in her eyes. Janet stared at him sternly. ¡°Love, we can¡¯t force her if she doesn¡¯t want to. We need to respect her wishes,¡± He said, looking at her and then to Misty. Misty mouthed the words ¡®Thank you¡¯ as she bowed leaving the room, Isa following close behind. ¡°Ugh, can you believe her?!¡± She said angrily, looking over at Isa. ¡°Misty. You''re going to have to learn to speak in front of crowds.¡± Isa paused, ¡°You''re going to be Queen one day. You know, if everything works out with Aiden¡­¡± She said looking ahead of her, with a small grin. Misty¡¯s face went red with embarrassment. ¡°So¡­¡± she looked at Misty with a smirk. ¡°Are you excited to see him, Princess?¡± she asked, raising her eyebrow. Misty sighed ¡°Of course I am¡­¡± Misty avoided eye contact with her as they continued to walk down the long brightly lit hallway. A Dance with the Twin Angels ¡°Ow..¡± Misty yelped as Maggie pulled the strings of her corset. ¡°Sorry. Too tight?¡± Maggie looked at her apologetically. ¡°A little¡­ But that''s fine,¡± She said looking back at her. ¡°Alright, let''s get this dress on,¡± Maggie said, going to get Ruby to assist her. Misty walked up to a large mirror and saw her reflection. She was wearing a light blue ball gown with an off-the-shoulder style, white accents, and butterflies at the hem. ¡°Wow¡­¡± Misty looked in the mirror amazed. ¡°So? Does it look good? Your sister designed it just for you,¡± Ruby said, smiling widely. ¡°I love it¡­¡± she looked at herself smiling, ¡°Wait, which sister?¡± ¡°Alex. She designed most of the dresses,¡± Maggie replied. ¡°Well, she did amazing.¡± She turned around, looking at the two of them. ¡°I¡¯m going to step into the garden for a little while; I won¡¯t be long,¡± she said. ¡°Alright, you better not get dirty,¡± Maggie looked at her sternly. ¡°I won''t,¡± Misty smiled as she left the dressing room. Her white heels clicked against the floor as she stepped outside. She took a long breath as she walked to the fountain taking a seat on its ledge. ¡°Misty~¡± Misty''s head shot up, looking to the depths of the forest. ¡°Hello?¡± Misty said getting up off the ledge. She looked around seeing if anyone was near. But all she saw was an empty garden. ¡°Maybe I should go inside,¡± She said under her breath. She turned around walking down the path to the garden doors. She froze as she heard the voice again. ¡°Misty~ Come here~¡± She snapped her head in the direction it came from. In fear, she tried to step back but she took a step forward, towards the voice. The voice guided her steps leading her to the forest. She continued walking as she faded into the dark depths of the forest. She walked for about 10 minutes, getting deeper and deeper into the forest. As she walked she saw a blue glow deep in the trees, she used it as a guide. As she got closer to the glow she saw blue flowers with mesmerizing eyes, its delicate petals seemingly transfixed, tracking her every step with an otherworldly gaze. She eventually reached the glow and realized it was a tree. There was a garden, and in the heart of a garden, stood a tree unlike any other, adorned with leaves aglow in ethereal blue hues, each leaf shimmering with an otherworldly radiance. At its center rests a luminous blue crystal, pulsating with ancient energy and casting a gentle, enchanting light upon its surroundings. From the tree''s branches, a serene blue liquid trickles down leading to a pond below. The iridescent pool reflects the tree''s brilliance, mirroring its beauty in shimmering ripples that dance across the water''s surface. Surrounding the tree, a multitude of flowers, the same ones she saw before, watched silently. Their petals open and close in a hypnotic rhythm as if in quiet contemplation of the enchanting scene before them. She walked closer climbing up the small gray brick steps that lead to the tree. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! ¡°Misty~ come closer¡­¡± The voice echoed. Drawn by the voice that seemed to call to her from within the depths of the tree''s shimmering crystal, she reached out and brushed her fingertips against the pulsating crystal, unaware of the consequences. In an instant, a surge of energy enveloped her, and she found herself transported to a realm beyond her wildest imagination. As the brilliant blue light faded, Misty found herself on the soft grass of a pocket dimension, her senses overwhelmed by the surreal beauty that surrounded her. The grass beneath her feet was a vibrant shade of blue, stretching out as far as the eye could see. Atop a gentle hill stood a majestic blossom tree, its delicate blue flowers swaying gently in the soft breeze. Small lakes dotted the landscape like scattered jewels, their cerulean waters reflecting the endless expanse of the sky above. Above her, birds soared gracefully through a pure white sky, their wings tracing elegant patterns against the boundless horizon. Intrigued, Misty slowly rose to her feet and began to explore this wondrous realm, her gaze drawn towards the two tall figures standing atop the hill. She made her way towards them, wanting answers, why was she there? What do they want with her of all people? ¡°You''re here! Welcome,¡± The one on the right said, ¡°Was the journey safe?¡± Misty walked up the hill, answering her question with a question. ¡°Who are you? Why am I here?¡± Misty asked, looking at the girl. She finally got to the top and was met with her chest, she took a step back looking up at her. She was about 7 foot 9 with long cyan-blue hair that covered her left eye. Her skin was a pale blue and seemed soft to the touch. Two large horns curled around each other, in the middle of the horns there was a floating globe. Her dress was cyan-blue and tight showing all her curves, it was a low V-cut that went to her belly button. There was a slit down her dress that showed her leg and her blue high heels. ¡°I¡¯m Blue, this is Bluey!¡± She said pointing to the other girl next to her, ¡°We¡¯re twin angels,¡± ¡°Bluey and Blue? Wow, so creative¡­¡± Misty said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. Misty studied them, the two girls looked identical, but there were only 3 things different about them, it was their eyes, dress, and horns. The one on the left looked down at Misty. Her dress was almost the same as Blue¡¯s but it was more flowy and had a clear glittery blue cape that was tied to her wrists. Her hair was showing her left eye, it was as white as snow. Her horns shot out and up, they were sharp to the touch, and there was something at the end of each of them. On the left, there was a glowing book. On the right was a white feather ink pen. Blue had her right eye showing and it was as black as the night sky. Bluey looked at Misty and smiled lightly. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, princess,¡± she said, ¡°we need your help. We¡¯ve been trapped in this tree for hundreds of years and we want out.¡± ¡°How am I supposed to help? Your angels, can¡¯t you get yourself out?¡± Misty asked. ¡°Don''t you think we tried?¡± Blue asked, ¡°You''re dumber than I thought¡± Bluey slapped her on the head, ¡°OWW! What the hell?!¡± ¡°Be kind to our guest.¡± Blue rolled her eyes mumbling under breath. ¡°We need you. Well, your body.¡± ¡°My body?! What does that mean?!¡± Misty yelled looking up at her. ¡°Yes, your body. We¡¯re going to become one with you,¡± She said looking at Misty, ¡°You''re joking right?¡± Bluey and Blue glanced at each other and looked down at her, ¡°You¡¯re not¡­ Well, I¡¯m not doing it.¡± She said taking a few steps back away from them. ¡°We¡¯re not asking.¡± Blue said grabbing Misty''s arm, ¡°Bluey we need to hurry, she could die any second,¡± ¡°Die any second? What the hell do you mean?!¡± Misty yelled, trying her best to pull away from her. ¡°I know Blue, give me a second!¡± Bluey yelled back. The tension between them rose as Bluey stepped closer to Misty. Bluey held her hand out, hovering over her forehead. Her hand started to glow a bright blue and an eye opened on her forehead. She reached out to Blue, taking her hand in her own. Blue held her hand as her eyes glowed. At the same time, they started talking in a language Misty didn¡¯t understand. ¡°listen to our words, the sound of our voice.¡± ¡°What? What are you saying?!¡± Misty yelled, ¡°Let go of me!¡± ¡°In realms where hearts entwine, And spirits seek to combine, By the light of the moon and sun, Let three souls become one.¡± Misty¡¯s vision blurred as tears fell down her cheek. A bright blue light shined from their palms as Misty¡¯s vision went black. The Ballroom Disaster A loud ringing ran through my ears as my eyes slowly opened. I used my hands to push myself off the ground. ¡°Misty!?¡± A voice called. There were shuffling feet as Maggie appeared out of the darkness. ¡°There you are!¡± She looked down at my dress and gasped. ¡°I had one rule. Don''t get dirty!!¡± Maggie walked over to me and started to dust my dress off. She was mumbling under her breath about the queen. ¡°Why the hell are you out here?¡± She asked me. ¡°There was this tree-¡± I started but when I turned around to show her, the tree was gone. Maggie looked at me like I was crazy. ¡°Whatever. Let¡¯s go, the ball is about to start.¡± I walked into the ballroom and saw my whole family in their seats. I sat on my throne, on my left was Mac, and on my right was Blake. My throne was gold with light blue cushions, that were soft and bouncy. I looked over to Mac and gave a little wave. ¡°Misty. Why are you late?¡± My mother said, looking down at me. Before I replied Maggie spoke. ¡°That¡¯s my fault, my Queen. It was hard getting the dress on,¡± She said bowing to her. My mother looked at her with an eyebrow raised as she sighed. ¡°You''re dismissed. I think they need you in the kitchen,¡± She said, shooing her away with her hand. Maggie bowed again and left the room. My mother looked over at Elijah nodding her head. ¡°Let the guest in,¡± She said. Elijah nodded walking over to the ballroom entrance, he pulled the handles letting in a soft glow of the lights as the doors opened. There were sounds of people chatting as Elijah cleared his throat. The sound faded and they all looked at him. ¡°Welcome everyone, Please be careful as you enter the room,¡± He said, stepping aside to let them in. Mac looked at me and motioned for me to smile with her hands. Looking back at the crowd, I nodded and gave my best smile. There were echoing sounds of voices and shuffling feet. My mother smiled and stood from her throne. ¡°Hello everyone!¡± she said as the voices slowly went quiet. ¡°I am so happy that you all made it!¡± I started to tune her out, as my eyes scanned the room, looking for one redhead. I looked all over until my eyes landed on him. His emerald eyes locked with mine, and my smile grew wide. My heart started pounding so loudly that I swear my family could hear it. He gave a small wave as his fox tail wagged behind him. I looked over next to him, seeing his father. His father was a short man. He had bright curly orange hair, green eyes, and a beard that came to his lower neck. He was on the bigger side and wore a blue suit with golden accents. On his right shoulder, there was a blue cape that went to the floor. He had on his golden crown with green gems. The golden accents on the suit looked like small roses with thorns. Aiden had on a similar suit, minus the cape. He had fluffy orange hair and bright emerald green eyes. He was a couple of inches taller than me. What stuck out the most was his orange fox tail and ears. Most of the people of Floreaki are hybrids, like foxes, wolves, deer, bears, and many more. My mother continued talking as her speech came to an end. ¡°Again, thank you all for attending. Kingdoms from afar, welcome to Bakari! Please enjoy the music and the wonderful food the cooks have prepared for you all today!¡± She curtsied with a soft smile. The crowd dispersed, separating into groups. My mother sat back down on her throne as she glanced at us. ¡°You all are dismissed,¡± She said. With a wave of her hand, we all stood. I walked up to Mac with a smile as I examined her dress. Mac was one of four quadruplets, the other two being Blake and Dylan. Mac looked exactly like me. It was like looking in a mirror. She had on a pastel pink, puffy dress with an off-the-shoulder style. It had different shades of pink flowers at the hem. ¡°Hey! You look so pretty! That dress suits you sis,¡± I said brightly. Mac giggled as she spoke, Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°Thank you, you look beautiful as well,¡± she said softly, ¡°So, are you going to see Aiden? I think he¡¯s looking for you,¡± She said with a smile. A light pink color crept onto my face as I glanced around the room. ¡°He is? Where?¡± I said, trying to find him. Mac giggled as she pointed across the ballroom. I followed where she was pointing and saw him. He was with his father, talking to my older brother James. I smiled, giving a small thanks to Mac as I headed his way. My heels clicked against the floor as I passed by all the guesses. I was stopped in my tracks as someone stood in front of me. ¡°Princess Misty! A pleasure to see you,¡± A guy said as he took a sip of his wine. ¡°Oh, King Rocco. The pleasure is all mine!¡± I said with a smile, ¡°How is Terraqin doing? I haven¡¯t visited in a while,¡± I asked. Terraqin is the Rock kingdom, there are not a lot of plants there, they are only around the palace. King Rocco started to talk to me about how the kingdom was doing. I glanced past his shoulder looking at Aiden. I tried my best to listen to the King but all I could focus on was him. It¡¯s been a year since I¡¯ve seen him and I miss him more than anything. ¡°Please excuse me, but I need to talk to someone,¡± I said, pausing Rocco mid-sentence. I walked away from him, my eyes locked on Aiden. His emerald eyes met my hazel eyes, and it felt like time stopped. My heart started beating faster in my chest as I walked up to him. I smiled looking up at him, ¡°Aiden, hi,¡± I said softly. Aiden gave me a big smile as his tail wagged behind him, ¡°My lady,¡± He said as he took my hand, kissing it. My cheeks flushed a light shade of pink as I giggled. ¡°You look absolutely stunning, Misty,¡± He said, looking into my eyes. ¡°Thank you, Aiden. You don''t look too bad yourself,¡± I smiled. Aiden chuckled as he let go of my hand. ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll leave you two to it,¡± I looked over, seeing my brother James who was standing there the whole time. He smiled at me as he looked over at Aiden. He winked at him and gave him a small nudge on his shoulder. ¡°Do it,¡± James said as he walked away. Aiden nodded as he looked back at me with a smile. I looked back and forth between them, confused. Aiden noticed and spoke. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Do you want a drink?¡± He asked as we walked over to a table with food, snacks, and drinks. ¡°Sure!¡± I said with a smile as I watched him pour me a glass of blue punch. I took the glass from his hands, taking a sip. ¡°So, I heard that you were late. How come?¡± Aiden asked me. I paused as I recalled the events that happened an hour ago. ¡°Oh, um. I was just in the garden. Lost track of time!¡± I said with a smile. I was scared to tell him what had happened. Honestly, it felt like a dream, I¡¯m not even sure if it happened. ¡°Of course you did,¡± He chuckled, ¡°You tend to do that,¡± ¡°Hey! You do that to Aiden!¡± I said, giggling. ¡°Remember that time when I came over to the palace? And we went to our secret hide-out?¡± I asked with a smile. Aiden smiled brightly as he looked at me. ¡°I do. We talked for hours that night. It wasn¡¯t until my father came that we realized it was past midnight,¡± He said laughing. I started to laugh as well. After a couple of seconds, the laughing stopped. ¡°You know¡­¡± Aiden paused, ¡°I missed you a lot. All I could think about was you,¡± He said looking at me. My face went red as I looked at the ground, not being able to make eye contact with him. ¡°Yeah, I missed you too,¡± I said, stuttering. I looked up and smiled at him. All of a sudden, the ground started shaking. Dust and bits of the palace fell from the Roof. All the guests started to panic, grabbing onto each other for balance. Aiden grabbed onto my waist, holding me closer to him. I grabbed onto him tightly as I looked around with fear. Then all the windows shattered as the guests screamed and cried out for help. My vision started to blur as tears fell down my face. ¡°Misty! We need to go!¡± Aiden said as he held on to me. I looked up at him as black smoke poured through the broken windows. ¡°What¡¯s happening?!¡± I screamed as I held onto him. The ballroom floor was filled with the dark smoke. Everyone started to run as the guards tried their best to calm everyone. I looked down at my feet, seeing the smoke slowly crawl up my legs. ¡°What the hell?¡± I said under my breath. Aiden looked at me and followed my gaze. ¡°Misty, we need to go now!¡± He said as he grabbed my arm, trying to pull me to the ballroom door. He tugged on my arm as he looked back at me. ¡°Misty?¡± He said, looking worried. ¡°I can¡¯t move!¡± I said looking at the smoke. I looked around the room. My eyes landed on my sister Alice, I saw how she couldn¡¯t move either. Next to her was Alex and Lolo. I noticed all my siblings were trapped in place. It was like someone was holding us down. The smoke started to climb higher up my body until it reached my face. It covered my mouth as I tried to scream, but no sound came out. I looked over at Aiden in horror, begging for help. ¡°Misty!¡± He screamed as he went to grab me. But then I was lifted into the air. I looked down scared as the smoke entered my mouth and into my lungs. I struggled to breathe as tears covered my vision. Soon after, everything went black.