Their kingdom had no king. And their castle had no servants.
Nine girls, all orphans, were adopted by the king of Runa, one from each of the nine kingdoms ravaged by Red Fever. They grew up as sisters, and as royal princesses, with a loving king and...
"Princess Coralina, you dance like a fairy!" Prince Luxley said. He had spent the entire evening as Coralina's partner.
"Thank you!" Coralina flashed a grin at her favorite prince. A stunning man with a bright smile and sparkling sapphire eyes. He came from Bella Reino, the tropical kingdom where Coralina had been born. Sharing the same dark hair and gently-tanned complexion, they made an eye-catching couple, and Coralina was enjoying the covetous glares cast by other ladies.
Though perhaps the envy was over her gown. Smooth layers of lilac silk embroidered with pink butterflies. Her slippers were also lilac, with a butterfly of pink glass mounted on each toe. Luxley, on seeing her, had gone back and changed his clothes to a suit of midnight blue. He was perfect in every way.
Luxley offered his arm. "Come! Even a peerless beauty must tire from such exertion. Care for a drink?"
"Love one." Coralina took his arm and they sauntered across the ballroom.
The late-spring ball flourished around them. Wooden rings of candles hung above their heads, the small flames glittering in the floor's polished tiles, in the darkening windows, in the crowns and jewels of the guests. Four men on lutes and fiddles played spritely melodies, their feet tapping in tempo. Strings of dancers twirled to the music: lords and ladies of the realm, princes and princesses of other realms, and even a few peasants who had snuck in.
Coralina and Luxley reached a narrow table crowded with sweets. Heidel never failed to serve her finest: warm honey cakes, dense loaves of nut bread, marinated pears and apples, gooseberry tarts, almond candy, and tall pitchers of cider and mulberry wine.
Luxley filled two goblets with cider. The dark window above the table mirrored the sparkling ballroom and swirling dancers. Coralina patted her curls, knowing Luxley would admire them if she did.
"Your hair is divine, Princess Coralina!" Luxley said. "Black as crows yet lustrous as moonlight on a frozen sea."
Coralina smiled and accepted her goblet. Luxley was scrumptious tonight. Time for a little stroll out of doors. She'd take him to Love Lake and, after feigning reluctance, let him kiss her. An offer of marriage was sure to follow.
She turned away with a sorrowful sigh.
"Whatever is wrong, my beauty?" Luxley asked, right on cue. Coralina looked down at her goblet, tracing the rim with her finger. "Oh... it's nothing."
"Dear lady, you must tell me." Luxley set down his drink to clasp her hand in both of his. Coralina blinked away tears she didn't have. "I - I was thinking... how lovely it would be to walk in the moonlight."
"Why don't we?" Luxley cried joyously.
Coralina shook her head. "It's too perilous. There are rumors of dangerous bandits in the kingdom. Maelyn forbade going out after dark."
"But my precious princess, I will come with you!" said Luxley. "And all the world's villains shall not touch you while I am near."
Coralina lifted large eyes to his face. "Well... if you promise to keep very close to me."
"Oh hogs, Coco." That was Heidel, adding a platter of tarts to the table and rolling her eyes. Coralina wanted to poke her tongue at Heidel but Luxley was watching. She needed to maintain her character as fragile female.
"I'll keep as close as a king to his gold." Luxley curled his arm around Coralina and coaxed her to a slender door in the corner.
They slid out of the clamorous ballroom into the gentle night. "Oh! It was hot in there!" Coralina closed her eyes, enjoying the cool rush of breeze on her skin. Luxley sucked in the air with relish. "Ah, a perfect night! Where shall we wander, my lovely? That forest is most enticing." He gestured to the black wall of trees that ringed the meadow surrounding the castle.
Coralina shuddered. Her old nursemaid had once told her that goblins lived inside the Lumen trees, emerging to bite the toes of children who stayed out after dark. Though Coralina knew the story was meant to scare her into bed, the image of goblins inside the trees stuck with her. And to be honest, the bandit story was bothering her a little.
"Not the forest. This way." She tugged Luxley's arm but he faced the trees, frowning. "I think... someone's in there."
"Don't be silly," said Coralina.
"I saw something. It moved backwards into the forest."
"Then it was a deer, now come, Luxley!" Coralina seized her skirt and stalked away, hoping anger would squelch her fear. It had to be a deer. The forest fairly simmered with deer.
"Forgive me, my jewel!" Luxley dashed to her side. "I'd rather suspect every leaf that rustles and every creature that scurries than risk your safety."
Coralina smiled forgiveness. "Never mind. I want to show you something."
Hand in hand, they followed the south wall to the corner of the castle. About thirty yards out from the corner was a lake, small and roughly heart-shaped. A massive willow, hunched with age, clung to the bank, its dangling branches stirring the water.
"Exquisite!" Luxley said. "See how the moon shivers on the surface!"
Coralina nodded. "As a child I would look down at this lake from my chamber. It looked like a heart to me and so I called it Love Lake."
"Enchanting!" Luxley said.
"Father thought so too and made it the official name. But Maelyn doesn't like it."
Luxley shook his head. "Sadly, Princess Maelyn lacks your fine sensitivity." His hands settled on Coralina's shoulders, his voice hushed with tenderness. "And how fitting, Coralina, that you and I should come here tonight. By the shores of Love Lake."
He was about to kiss her. She wanted the kiss but the moment was not yet right. Giggling, she broke away and ran up to the willow tree. "You haven't seen the swing!"
"The swing?" Luxley looked bewildered.
"Here!" Coralina pointed. Shadowed by drooping branches, a plank swing on heavy ropes hung beside the tree, mere inches from the lake. "Father made it for us years ago. Isn't it charming?" She tucked herself into the swing and smiled over her shoulder. Luxley stepped behind her and pushed gently.
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The swing glided over grass, then water. Coralina smiled, remembering long-ago summers when she and her sisters would swing high as they could before dropping into the lake. They challenged each other to make the biggest splash, or tear leaves off the branches with their toes before hitting the water.
The breeze lifted her curls as she swung. She enjoyed the pressure of Luxley's hands pushing her forward. The moment was right. She decided to hop off the swing and wobble at the water's edge. Luxley would rush to catch her in his arms. She'd clutch his shoulders, letting her eyes speak her gratitude. Then he would kiss her, and beg for her hand.
She loosened her grip on the ropes.
Her swing drifted backward. But instead of Luxley's gentle nudge, she felt a hard shove. Air rushed across her ears as she swung fast and high above the lake.
"Yaaah!" Shocked by the sudden thrust, Coralina looked back and became dizzy. Her head spun, her fingers couldn't find the ropes, and somehow the plank slipped away. One wild moment of midair flailing. Then she dropped into the lake like a stone.
