Lolirock: Ephedia - Sequel to Lolirock: A New Beginning

Ephedia: The Spell

-Iris' POV: Ten Minutes before Lyna and Carissa escaped Ephedia-

My wand was glowing furiously, and the light was getting bigger and brighter. 

"Argh!" I shrieked, as a giant bolt of pink blasted from the center. A large ringing noise sounded in my ears, and I covered them, cowering in fear. 

I heard screams, and others wailed. I winced, and continued to practice the spell. 

"Oh." I muttered, "I accidentally said Proximinta instead of Froximinta." 

Reciting the spell, I chanted the words again, tapping the stick to the floor. The floor was immediately coated in crystallic ice, and as I slid across the floor, I laughed delightedly. 

"Yes!" 

It, however, was different. There was no reprimands for getting it wrong from Talia, and there were no yells of cheers from Auriana. I sagged, missing my friends. 

The Queen entered, her face bright and her smile wide. 

"Iris, dear!" she called, rather enthusiastically. Taking the spell away, I walked towards her, the heels of my shoes clicking. 

"Mother, Father." I nodded at them, and my mother gave me a silly curtsy. I giggled, and my Father shook his head, devilishly smiling at Mother. She laughed, but quickly gathered herself together. 

"Iris, we have a variety of men waiting for you at the front gates!" she shrieked, almost too excitedly. 

"Oh." I mumbled. I would miss my time alone, and Lev was gone, so I had no people to hang with. My mother laughed, waving a hand rather extravagantly. 

My father was a little different, and there was a special look in his eye, one of excitement. 

"Iris, don't worry. They're all wearing hoods so you won't recognize them." my Mother reassured me. For some reason, that made me even more nervous. Pushing me into her room, she decorated my hair with pearls, and my dress was covered with small crystals. 

There were a few slight trembles that occurred throughout my body. 

"Mother, I'm not sure I'm ready for this." 

"Iris, don't worry. It would be the same to any other princess," she reassured me again. 

In my head, I thought about Nathaniel. But with a fading certainty, I kept telling myself that I didn't love him. Most of all, I mourned. Never being able to tell them that I had loved someone. A rumble of fear caressed through me. 

"Please!" I pleaded to Mother, clasping my hands together in plea. She chuckled, and then she twisted my hair up. Sighing, she left it down and shook her head. 

"Iris, stay calm," her advice rang throughout my ears, "these boys have much more to worry about than you." 

I nodded, but my body was still shaking. 

She pushed me into a room, my father trailing her every step. 

"By-" I was only able to get out half the word, before my mother slammed the door in my face. 

"Was I too harsh?" my mother whispered, panicked. I heard my father reassure her, and they walked away from the door. 

I faced the door, which seemed millions of miles away. 

The first boy was kind, and gentlemanly, but he was also slightly panting, as if he had run all the way here. 

The second boy was rude, asking me whether or not I was the princess, since he described me not looking  like one. 

The third one was brash and bold, while also being gentlemanly, a combination of the first two. 

I interviewed 21 more boys, and the list kept getting longer, until the guards cut off all the rest, until only two were remaining. 

"Your Highness," one bowed, before going to sit in a corner waiting for his turn. The other bowed, but said nothing, and trailed me as I walked over to the plush seats. He kept his head down. 

"Hello." he said mysteriously. 

"Hi." I responded nervously. My heart started beating immensely, and the world started to churn. I gulped, waiting for his response. He lowered his hood. 

"Iris." 

I gasped, and the world stilled.