A Throne of Death & Dreams

Chapter 4

The security meeting with Riggs had gone exceptionally well. He carefully mapped out the routes that visitors from outside our empire should take, and which parts of the castle we needed to shield from prying eyes. It was a rare occasion for us to host balls and invite kingdoms beyond our walls, so this event carried great significance for everyone involved, especially me. As one of the oldest inhabitants of this castle, I hadn't ventured into the outside world in centuries. My only excursions were occasional visits to my sisters' kingdoms.

With just two days until the ball, Luna had already chosen my attire: a stunning off-the-shoulder black dress that hugged my curves and accentuated my figure with its corseted bodice. Even my crown had been altered from silver to match the dress in a simple yet powerful spell. Standing before the mirror in my dressing room, I took in every detail of the dress as if seeing it for the first time. Delicate lace adorned every inch, and I ran my hands down the sides, reveling in the soft texture beneath my fingertips. Though Luna had suggested brighter colors, black, gray, and silver were always my preferred shades - simple yet elegant, just like this dress

Luna's voice purred like a contented cat as she gazed at me in my new dress. Her eyes sparkled with admiration and I couldn't help but feel a surge of pride. "I think you look absolutely gorgeous in this dress," she said, her words dripping with sincerity.

"Thank you," I replied, returning her gaze. "You always do such a great job picking out dresses for me."

Her expression turned slightly harsher as she said, "I wish you would have gone with brighter colors for once in your life. You've never done it before."

Suppressing a laugh, I rolled my eyes playfully and giggled. Luna always made a comment about my choices whenever I tasked her with picking out a dress for events like this.

"Come on," she continued, taking my hand. "Let's get you undressed and into another dress for your meeting with the sisters."

I had almost forgotten about the sister meeting. so consumed was I with paranoid thoughts. Lately, I had been scheduling two to three meetings a day with the sisters, constantly worried that the monster from the book would cause trouble.

But each time I met with all of them, they reassured me that they had not seen or heard anything unusual. Celeste would simply mumble about how silly it was to keep having meetings and how paranoid I was, before dismissing us and requesting to be left alone until our next scheduled meeting in two days' time.

Excitement buzzed through the court as preparations for the long-awaited Kingdom ball were in full swing. It had been years since we had hosted one, opting instead for other lavish and extravagant balls, but none quite as grand as a Kingdom ball with outsiders. The last king to rule over these lands was King Neuron; my real father, his legacy still lingering in the minds of our people.

My sister Aspen's territory lay's just next to the sea of Lavelle, a constant reminder of our neighboring kingdoms.

With Luna's help, I donned my finest attire and she meticulously styled my hair into an intricate updo. As I made my way down the hallway, the sound of my heels clicking against the stone floor echoed throughout the castle. Everyone knew when I was coming, anticipation building as I approached the throne room.

As I entered, all of my sisters were already gathered and waiting for me. "Hello sisters," I said, taking in their familiar faces.

Celeste replied back quickly, her impatience evident. "Can we go now? We haven't seen anything yet."

I looked at her with a hint of annoyance. "What's the rush?"

She retorted, "I saw you this morning more than I have in months. Can't we just get this over with?"