Glowinx Club - We Shine On Our Own

16. Rise To a Challenge

She slung her bag over her shoulder and carefully looked around, finally finding a familiar face in the secret meeting area.

"Your Majesty, please follow me." A guard bowed and Minu nodded. "How...how's the situation?"

"I heard the king and queen have been keeping you updated – so nothing new really. However, king Damos is awaiting your arrival in the royal court room. A few royal guests are over to help find a solution, I'll get you to your room."

Minu smiled softly. "Thank you...who'll be in the court room?"

"Oh, no one you wouldn't know, no worries, princess." The young guard motioned her to follow him into an underground hideout tunnel. Minu sighed, hoping there'd be at least one unknown face she could show herself to.

The walk was long and quiet, but the guard cleared his throat. "I hope your Alfea stay is pleasant and that you're learning a lot." Minu nodded and folded her hands while walking slightly behind him. "Oh, it's very nice. I found great friends and we've been on some vacation to reach our Charmix by solving issues with ourselves and the group. I didn't reach it yet, there wasn't enough time. It started just three days ago..."

The young man guarding her nodded as well and opened the lock on the thick door in front of them, pushing it open for her to walk through. Minu thanked him and was met with another face she recognized, a kind servant who always helped her getting dressed – but she was also a very good friend of Minu.

She smiled at her and the servant bowed to Minu. "Princess Minu! We've missed you so much around here! Let's get you into something fancy, shall we?"

Minu chuckled and followed her through the big entrance hall and to the right wing of her castle. The young woman beamed at the royal fairy. "We have some exciting news, our chef Liana, she finally delivered her baby! She has some time off; we don't know when she'll be back but Liana said she really wants to be back. She's such a workaholic!"

Laughing Minu patted her shoulder. "I have a friend in Alfea who's just like her, her name is Alora. She reminds me a lot of Liana. But...Sephira, tell me...have you heard anything from Cyra?"

Sephira opened her room's big doors, waiting for Minu to step in before closing the doors. The two walked towards Minu's walk-in closet and her servant sighed as she picked out an expensive two-piece suit for Minu. "I finally found out that she's safe, so, thank Arcadia. But since she lives relatively close to the mining site, she has troubles swimming outside. That's why it's also hard to communicate with her."

Minu changed out of her clothes and into the new ones, groaning as she tried to fit into the tight and extravagant fit. She buttoned up the pastel pink blouse and watched Sephira put a big ribbon around her waist, tying it neatly behind her back.

"I just want to see her...I haven't seen her since I left for Alfea – and we're best friends." Minu's expression fell cold and she combed her hair, making it look neater. "I don't have too many friends..."

Sephira pulled on Minu's sleeves gently to correct them, squeezing her shoulders from behind afterwards. "You have me, and Liana, when she returns again, you have Cyra and everyone in the castle is behind you. And once your face is out to the public, you'll get in touch with so many great people, so many people to love you haven't met yet. Now, cheer up, you don't want your father to see you like this." Minu exhaled breathily while Sephira put Minu's hair into a soft braid. "You're right...he's pretty tense now 24/7."

Sephira nodded and led her out of the room once they were done dolling the princess up more, accompanying Minu to the royal court room. Minu thanked her and two guards opened the tall, heavy doors, she glanced into the room and greeted everyone respectively and politely.