A Crown Made of Air

Part 1, Chapther 6

Sky

Sky was fuming. She could feel her nostrils flaring as if she was standing on hot coals.

The choking feeling that was locked on her throat moments ago no longer suffocated her. She had been interrupted by a messenger from the castle when she was still in Shoreline Coast. An urgent note had been delivered to her.

I need you in the castle right now. Come quickly. I'll explain everything once you get here.

Moonlight

Sky had left in a heartbeat, swapping the desolate shore for a new turmoil. Now, hours later she was waiting. Still waiting for someone to slam the door open. Sky spun around in her velvety chair, acknowledging the other gods who filled the meeting room. She tapped her nails on the long glass table, sensing Moonlight's chiding gaze, who was seated beside her. She could chuckle upon her sister's unspoken words: Please, behave.

Sky stared at the grand clock, daring its pendulum to move any more minute. Sky had come from a funeral, the saddest day she had ever lived and yet... How could she not show up?

The door burst open, and a wine-red hair strolled in, leisurely taking her time to get to her seat on the table. The other gods jolted up, bowing properly as tradition dictated. Sky was the only one who refused to rise. She would remain seated in her snug chair until the council meeting ended.

"You're late." She straightened her spine and smiled meekly, as if she hadn't been standing stiffly for one hour. If her aunt would be late to a meeting summoned by herself, Sky wasn't going to let it slip. Oh no, Acantha would apologize for it.

"Oh! Am I?" Her aunt heaved with great effort, straining to appear horrified at her delay. "Upending matters kept me occupied for the past hours and I only realised later I had never been to the meeting room before... This castle feels endless, there are too many twists and turns! But, no matter, the chamberlain helped me get my bearings. After all, I am still getting used to this castle, you know." Her deer eyes bore into Sky's green ones, enticing her to apologise for speaking her mind out.

Sky merely rolled her eyes. After Acantha took her place near her, the other gods returned to their chairs in one synchronized movement. Why they didn't see what lurked underneath her aunt's innocent exterior was beyond her. Couldn't they uncover her rotten core or were they to enchanted by her deceitful edges to even try?

"I am sure the important topics that ought to be discussed didn't mind being put on hold. Since your reacquaintance to your childish home is so important to you, I can gladly show you the castle from top to bottom. Should we leave, now?" Sky blinked, sweetly. Acantha gritted her teeth, her jaw to taut, Sky feared it would break. "It seems you ran out of things to say, dear aunt. So, I'll start. Our most pending problem is the sun's disappearance. This manifests in the well-being of our kingdom for it is our source of life. Without it, it is a matter of time before Cloudiness succumbs to darkness. We need to send patrols to search every inch of our clouds and the Highlands."

She could already see it, in the desolate climate. If in Sideline Coast there had been a downpour, now the air was very still. For with no sun, her kingdom would slowly crumble to pieces until it became nothing more than inhospitable clouds. Sky refused to let this happen. Besides, this explanation of the sudden climate change made far more sense than thinking her father had encountered some danger in the Big Void. This was not a cry for help, Sky assured herself. Just keep the bad thoughts at bay and focus on the ones you can solve.

"We could start there, my love. But I have some splendid news before all that!" Acantha beamed, delighted to have the council's full attention again. Sky sent her a seething look but her aunt remained unfazed. She stood up. "I am thrilled to announce that from now on you can all address me as Your Majesty!"