Kalia is a modern day princess. Living with her parents and three sisters in their royal kingdom in London, she had convinced them to let her go to a normal school and live a normal teenage life. And apart from the occasional ball and family dinners...
The calm current bunched around her waist as Kalia adjusted to the water's temperature. The fresh smell of nature engaged her senses, the soft croak of crickets sounding from the distance. The breeze was light and cool against her wet skin, her arms at either side of her to keep her afloat. The lagoon water had been tinted with a midnight blue hue as the darkness donned the sky. There was no one there, yet she didn't feel alone.
Ripples sounded not far behind her, but she didn't feel scared. Rather, she was feeling incredibly calm.
The water crashed around her in waves as she turned to find the source, forming a domino-like effect. There he was, looking older compared to the last time she had seen him - about a month ago. His honey skin sparkled against the water as he stilled, the lower half of his strong, toned arms hidden from view beneath the gleaming surface. The moonlight hovered in the sky behind him like a backdrop, creating a shadow on his face and only allowed his eyes glow, illuminating them like two gems catching a modicum of light.
The corner of his mouth quirked up, and his eyes were no longer the only things that radiated in the dark. The dips in his cheeks were doing a number on her heart beat. Lagoon water dripped from his dark hair as he began to close in on her.
Kalia's eyes flashed and her ears perked up in alert upon hearing a familiar female voice in the distance, calling to her.
"Princess."
"Princess Kalia," the voice called again.
She spun around, trying to find the source to the voice, but there was no one in sight.
"Princess!"
Kalia's eyes flash open to focus on Tia hovering over her, a hand at her shoulder.
"I'm sorry, Princess, but I caught some girls trying to break into your room," she looked frantic and worn out. "They claimed to be your sisters."
The bedroom Celeste appointed Kalia blended into her vision, and she fell back into reality. Her head turned to the door, also the source of the excessive knocking, and breathed out a laugh. "It's okay. You can let them in."
Who needs an alarm when you have sisters?
As soon as Tia peeped open the door, the four of them jumped through all at once, still in their silk night gowns, a blonde-brunette fusion of energy hounding Kalia at her bed. Tia gave her one last look and she smiled back reassuringly before the small girl closed the door behind her.
"You're getting married!" Ophelia squeezed, and Tessa and Lena were smiling happily, but Tessa's looked forced. By the look Ophelia was giving her, it seemed like she had a little talk with Tessa before coming up here. Kalia tried to ignore it.
"You're going to be a real princess," Lena gushed, her hair covering her flushed cheeks and cascading over her shoulders.
"Oh, and I wasn't a real princess before?" Kalia laughed and pinched her cheeks.
"But now you have a prince!"
"A really cute one," Ophelia winked. She was trying to make her feel better, but Kalia could tell she really found no problem with the idea of her marrying off at her and his parents' expense. Where Kalia believed she was being forced into something she didn't want a part in, Ophelia saw it as an honour. Kalia didn't doubt in her mind that her sister wanted her to be happy; they just saw things differently. "Speaking of cute, have you met his brother?"
"Don't you mean brothers," Kalia corrected her sister, reluctantly reliving the memory of bumping into the two of them unexpectedly last night. She felt a flame burn at her cheeks, borne from anger and embarrassment at the recollection.
"I only have eyes for the older one. Emrys," she tested his name on her tongue, letting it linger with heart shaped eyes. "He was beautiful."
"The other one, however..." Tessa's face proved she was unimpressed with his... forward nature.
"Oh, he was all over you," Ophelia laughed, mirth in her eyes.
"Don't even talk about it," Tessa face-palmed.
"I'll marry him. He was so pretty," Lena gushed. Elijah clearly made a whole other impression on her.
"Be my guest," Tessa shrugged.
"We should probably get back before mother notices we're gone," Ophelia sighed, getting up off the bed. "She might slaughter us before we get a chance to see you walk down the isle."
I checked the time. Eleven o'clock, read the alarm on the side table. "I'll see you guys in about a half hour anyway. Brunch, right?" That's what Celeste had informed her last night.
"Good, I'm starving," Lena extended her speech on the last word dramatically.
Tessa got up last and Kalia took this as her opportunity to talk with her alone. "Tessa will catch up with you guys. I have to give her back a skirt I borrowed."
Kalia pulled Tessa by her hand to the walk in robe, which could be a whole other room on its own, and starts when the door closes in the distance.
She stops and turns to her sister.
"You didn't actually borrow one of my skirts, did you?" Tessa eyes her suspiciously.
"Tess, what's wrong?" Kalia questions, putting a palm to her arm.
"What's wrong?" Tess repeated in a different tone, "what isn't?" she countered. "I can tell you are unhappy. So why did you stay by and do nothing? Don't you want to be happy?"
Her words hit Kalia deep. "Tessa, of course I do. "
"Then why didn't you refuse the proposal?"
Technically she was allowed to, but she wasn't really given the option. Maybe her sister was right. Maybe she didn't fight hard enough for her own happily ever after. But then again, Tessa didn't know about the plan she curated to push away this arrangement. Tessa also didn't know that the king was sick, on the verge of death. She wouldn't understand the situation that Kalia was put in, and she hoped she never would.
Kalia sighed softly. "It's easier said than done. But I'm not unhappy."
Her sister shook her head. "You deserve better than this."
Kalia's face twisted in awe. "Come here," she pulled her into a hug. "I am happy, you know why?" she whispered, fighting back sadness that threatened to fall from her eyes. "I have you."
Tessa tightened her grip around her sister, afraid she might slip away too soon.
Little did she know, Kalia was terrified of the exact same thing.
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Thanks for bearing with me.. I know it's been about a week or so since I last updated. I hope you enjoyed it, and stay tuned to the next chapter. ❤
