Blowing a Kiss to the Stars

Sipping Tea

Lumine lifted her white, lacy dress and curtsied. Her future husband was holding a gift she had personally picked for him. "Your Grace, if you turn the goblet around, there are words engraved upon it."

The Chalk Prince rotated the jeweled goblet— about the size of a fruit bowl— in his hands. Indeed, there were words engraved upon the gold. It said:

I'm not depressed; I'm a genius.

Lumine grinned from ear-to-ear, dipping into another curtsy to hide her expression. If she was going to get out of this marriage, she would do it in style.

~~~

Three kingdoms. Three love triangles.

The triad of domains was home to royal families and their subjects. Each nation embraced an ideal and stood for centuries.

The nation of freedom, Libertas, was ruled by Monarch Jean and her dear husband, Diluc. Their kingdom's prosperity had been growing, thanks to Princess Barbara's concerts.

Barbara loved to host concerts near Asterism, a bordering empire ruled by Prince Aether. Asterism was in a state of isolation, but that did not stop people from admiring their eternal night sky. The speckled cluster of stars formed a gigantic four-point star shape. The stars never moved and were central above Asterism's capitol, a ruin castle high above the wildlife.

Asterism had stood for centuries, but there was little known about them. The people kept to themselves and did little to record their history. Even the size of the land was kept a secret from the rest of the world. Their kingdom had not experienced camaraderie until their princess' marriage was announced. Though many minds were suspicious at first, Monarch Jean had done her best to welcome Asterians and give them the benefit of the doubt.

She reasoned to her citizens that Asterism has no sunlight. Therefore, it made it impossible to grow any crops. She deduced that their population must have been declining because hunting for meat on a daily basis posed many dangers.

Jean felt that the Asterians must feel embarrassed or ashamed to admit that their kingdom could no longer fend for itself. Though public criticism may delay the newcomers from arriving, their fears could potentially stir a grim reality. Her words were able to convince many to accept their new neighbors and business partners. However, she was wrong about Asterism's motives.

The only kingdom that stood in the way now was the gold nation. Halcyon, ruled by Rhinedottir and her heir, Albedo, were now awaiting Asterism's messengers.