The Second Generation: Journey to the Golden Kingdom

Chapter Four

"Who are you?" I ask nothing in particular. "And what are you doing here?"

"Oh, how silly you sound. Do the humans tell you anything?"

I charge up an attack, my power emitting a strong glow around me.

"No, no." A pair of golden eyes appear in front of me. Something wraps around my wrists, extinguishing my power. I gasp. "Not today, sweetie. Not while you're dressed for your pretty ball."

I bite back tears. "Just tell me who you are!"

Suddenly, the lights hum back on, bathing the room in a blinding white light. I close my eyes against the stinging.

Slowly, I blink open my watery eyes to see the woman, finally fully formed. She stands smugly with one hand on her hip, the other elegantly swirling a glass of wine. A silver gown hugs her waist and hips while the rest of the fabric falls loosely to the floor. Her shoulders are broad and the muscles in her arms are well-defined, as revealed by the strapless gown. Light, ashy hair falls down to her waist in jagged, layered waves while her sharp eyes peer behind her bangs before she quickly brushes them to the side.

"It is amazing what I, Queen Juniper Bastien of Valon, can get around here just by feeding your men a few shallow compliments." Her laughter is low and rumbling. "For example, I was able to waltz into your kitchen, lean forward onto the counter, smile, and ask 'Darling, may I have a glass of your finest wine?'" She smiles, revealing stunningly white teeth as she presents to me the aforementioned glass of wine. "And they just handed it over."

I swallow. "I would hope so," I say shakily. "That is their job."

Her eyes widen, along with her grin. "Why, you really do know nothing!" She saunters closer to me, her head swiveling as she examines the room. "Tell me, Renée, is your kingdom that well isolated? Or do the humans care that little for you?" She takes a sip of her wine. "I am assuming it is the latter. It took me close to eighteen years to find you, after all."

"Both are somewhat accurate," I answer, hating the sound of my dull voice compared to her strong, yet elegant, accent.

She pouts her wine-stained lips. "How sad." She sets her glass on a rickety box. When her focus returns to me, she is smiling. "Don't let them fool you. They act just like them." She points toward the door.

I'm afraid I don't follow. "They act like who?"

"The Elementals and humans are all the same." She scoffs. "Why else do you think we're having this conversation in this dusty... musty..." She scowls as she scans the room. "Is this a storage closet?"

"Were you not invited?"

"Oh, no, no," she says. "Me? Never."

"If you only wanted an invitation, I can bring you to–"

"No!" I jump back as she blasts magic at the boxes around her. The wine glass shatters. The liquid runs toward my shoes.

A guard calls for me from outside the door. "Your Majesty?!"

"I'm alright!" I shout to the door. When I turn around, Princess Juniper is hunched over a box, holding her head as if she had just acquired a headache. "If you are not coming to the ball, I am going to have to ask you to leave."

"Trust me, I will leave on my own accord," she says to the box, her hair covering her face in a stringy, frazzled mess. "But my trip to your sad, secluded, little kingdom will not be wasted."

Walking up to me, she swipes her hand across her face, smearing her lipstick across her cheek. I cower back into the doorway.

"No need to fear me," she assures, her voice lightening. "You aren't like the others." I gasp as she snatches my amulet from my chest. Her golden eyes glisten as she stares longingly into the glowing crystal. "That's a good thing."