I woke to some people talking, they sounded aggravated. I put my pillow over my head and tried to ignore them. But then I shot up, my mind ringing with a silent !!!!!! as I remembered about the battle and my becoming a Spirit One. I groaned as I felt my tired and sore bones, then got up and went to a bathroom that connected to my bedroom. I looked at myself in the mirror. I looked healthy, just a little tired, and the worst thing was my hair. It was all frizzly. I looked for a brush and found one. I brushed my hair, getting out all the knots, then got a rag, wet it, and washed my face. After that, I looked at myself in the mirror, and was satisfied. I left the bathroom and bedroom, and followed the sound of voices down a hall. I turned the corner and saw a room with a large table and chairs around it. No one seemed to notice me.
“Excuse me,” I said, but the talking was too loud for anyone to hear me. I cleared my throat and spoke louder.
“Excuse me.” My voice came out clear and strong. Everyone went silent, all faces turned to me. Then to my surprise, the person closest to me bowed on his knee, putting his arm on his knee, and bowing his head. “Hail, the Queen,” the man said. Then all others did as he had bowed, and said in unison,
“All hail the Queen. May she prosper and live long.” They looked up at me, I was astonished. They stayed as they were, seeming to wait for something. Then it hit me.
“Rise, everyone.” They let out a breath of relief and rose. Everything was silent. Then, to my relief, I heard Justin’s voice call from down the hall, “Cori! There you are! I was looking for you.” He came running to my side, and then stopped as he saw the people there. He seemed confused, and said,
“What is the meaning of this?” The man that had been first to bow to me stepped forward.
“We have gathered the council. Your mother has agreed to step down from the throne, and we have gathered to choose the next queen.” I grew mad, Justin was the prince, shouldn’t he become king?
“What? No! Justin’s the prince, he should become king now,” I said. Justin looked at me.
“No, Cori. It is how it is supposed to be. My mother was single as Queen when she stepped down, so a Queen must be chosen first and then a King in respect of the last royal person.” I was confused, but I didn’t argue with Justin. He looked back at the man.
“So who is Queen now?” The man pointed at me.
“Her.” Justin looked at me in surprise, but there seemed to be sadness in his eyes. He looked back at the man.
“Who is King?” But the man did not answer, another guy did,
“I am.” He stood and walked toward us. He was wearing a maroon t-shirt, black jeans, and walked with a cocky expression. He looked about nineteen, one year older than me, like Justin. He stopped next to the man. Justin said in a hard voice.
“James.” The nineteen-year-old nodded back and said in a equal voice.
“Justin.” I couldn’t speak, because I was consumed in my thoughts, So if James is King, and I’m Queen... then wouldn’t that make us....? My thought was answered when Justin said,
“When is the wedding?”
“Two days from now.”
Two days later, everyone had been let out of the cages and brought back to normal. The castle and clearing were both looking much better. One of my advisors had explained to me that since I’d died, and came back as a Spirit One, the castle had changed back to how it had been, how I liked it, before Sean had changed it. Sean was also no where to be found. Some said he had died, others said that he’d fled. I personally didn’t care much, just didn’t want him here. The wedding was being held under some trees, woven with flowers, which bent into an upside down ‘u.’ There were many chairs, flowers, and decorations. I was in my bedroom, some other woman doing my hair, make-up, putting on my bride’s dress (which I hadn’t gotten to pick out), and anything else they could do to make me look prettier. Finally, they finished, and gave me my bouquet. They didn’t even let me look at myself in the mirror, just pulled me out of the bedroom and to the castle doors where I would walk out and down the isle to the altar where I would be married to a guy I didn’t even freaking know. As I waited for the music to start which would announce my arrival, I started breathing fast, sweating some, and once nearly crying. I could hear people talking beyond the castle doors, but didn’t pay much attention to them. Then I heard one word, one name, that caught my attention. A man was talking to someone.
“Justin said he was leaving right after the wedding. Don’t know if he’s even gonna be here. Said he didn’t have any purpose here any longer. Poor fella.” That almost did it for me, knowing that not only would I be forced into marriage with some random freak, but also I would lose and possibly never see the one I actually did love. Finally, the music started and the women grabbed the train of my dress behind me. The castle doors opened, and I started forward in tune with the music. My surroundings were beautiful, but they only made my heart sink. Then I saw James. He was dressed in a tux, and was looking at me. I nearly stopped in my tracks and turned around when I saw him. I wouldn’t even be doing this if it weren’t for all of the shapeshifters and my royal ancestry, which was the only reason I kept going forward. As I walked down the isle, I looked around for Justin, for his hair, for anything, but I saw nothing of him. To my dismay, I reached the altar and hadn’t see him at all. James let out his hand to me, and I took it hesitantly.
I stepped up the steps and onto the top. The ceremony began, and soon the priest was starting all of that long, boring crap that comes with it all. As I was waiting, I started thinking. The priest came to the part where we said our ‘I do’s, and James said his without hesitation. But when the priest asked me, I said nothing. A minute passed, two minutes. Someone coughed in the crowd, and I could feel the unease rising in the crowd. I looked in James eyes and saw anger starting in them as he whispered to me.
“Say I do.” But yet I still didn’t do anything. I then broke away, holding up my dress, and ran down the isle, back to the castle. I burst through, and smelt Justin’s scent, still fresh. Fear pulsed through me that I’d lost him, but I refused to give up. I ran forward, still holding my dress. Finally, I saw him about to leave the forest. He had a duffle bag swung over his shoulder, and wore a black t-shirt and blue jeans.
“Justin!” I yelled, and he turned. He saw me right as I flung myself upon him, wrapping my arms around him. He didn’t hug me back, and I let go.
“What’s wrong?” I said, my voice almost cracking in hurt.
“What are you doing here? I thought you were at your wedding,” he said, and that made my heart sink. Did he not want me anymore?
“I don’t want to marry James. I don’t even know him, and he’s not the one I want,” I said, my voice small. I saw hope flare in his eyes, and I continued, “I don’t want to be any place but where you’re at, Justin. You’re the one I want. I’d rather die than marry James.” Then we heard people coming, and Nathan spoke quickly.
“Then would you run away with me?” My eyes lit up, “Of course!” He grabbed my wrist, and we ran as fast as we could, breaching the forest, and entering the Clearing where his and other cars were. He threw his bag in the back, and we jumped in. Then he put the car in rear, backed up fast, and then turned and we burst through the bushes to the road right as I saw people enter the Clearing. It was exhilarating, running away. Justin and I smiled, and laughed a little as we drove. I didn’t know where we were going, but I didn’t care. I felt safe with Justin, and I trusted him. Then his phone rang, and he answered it.
“Yeah, I’m on my way.” I asked him who it was and he just smiled and said, “You’ll see tomorrow.”
