The Falling Kingdoms: The Hidden Coffins

Chapter Five: The Flying Angel

Didn't know if it was the one glass of scotch I drank when I came into the party or simply my weirdness, but I somehow felt inside of me that my life was going to change after whatever Adrian was about to tell me.
I was holding my dress with tight fists, my chest heaving up and down from my short breaths when we heard trumpets playing together in a rhythm that could only mean the start of the ball dance.

"Oh, the dance has started!" The words were out of my mouth before I could help myself.

"Yeah, guess we'll save this talk for later." Adrian gave out a silly smile and said, shrugging his shoulders.
Tiara let out a beam too, leaving me and Nick to our frowning expressions.

"Let's go, Aileen. Remember how excited you were for the dance?" Tiara held me by my arm and exclaimed, pulling me in the direction of the staircase again.

"I think she has waited enough," Nick announced. "I'll escort her to the dance and tell her all about it."

"If that's how we're gonna do it, I'll take the pleasure to tell her." Adrian held out his elbow for me, speaking to Nick.

Nick just glared at him and backed away from me.

I delicately clasped his arm and we both strolled down the stairs.
I could now hear the violins playing. My feet was itching to dance, so I hurried down the stairs in an unattractive manner. Adrian followed my lead silently but amusingly.

When we were finally in the ball room, I sighed and turned my body towards him, gazing him in the eyes.

God, I forgot how handsome he was!

We started the dance. Holding each other, we swayed on the floor following the harmony.

"You can start telling me your world saving secret now." Rolling my eyes, I sarcastically commented.

"You really don't have any idea what you're about to hear, Aileen. Don't make fun of it." Adrian's usual smile popped up on his face as he said that.

"All right, mister. Please enlighten me." I swirled in his arms, giggling now.

"In ancient times, when people used to believe in angels and demons, there was a kingdom - one gigantic kingdom called The Haldrins." He started, reciting it like an old true fairytale. "The Haldrins was ruled by the most powerful angels of all time, the queen of all the angels - Queen Alazea."

"Wait a minute, this is a true story?" I asked, my face in an urge to burst out laughing.

"Yes, it is, Aileen. Now, don't interrupt me until I'm finished." His face was as solemn as Uncle Gerald when cooking a meal.

That shut me up and I tried to at least believe a little part of the story he's trying so hard to tell me.

"One day, the Queen suddenly disappeared. The kingdom was devastated. They found out that the rivals, the demons took her."

The demons? Seriously?

"Those days, the Queen used to have four archangels at her side. One of them was kidnapped along with the Queen. After three months of rescue, the ministers found the archangel in an injured condition. What he informed us that day was the biggest loss of the angels. The Queen was killed."

His face dropped as he uttered the last words.

"What do you mean, us?" I asked him in disbelief, my heart pounding hard.

"Us means you, Nick, Tiara, Leonie and I. There are more like us, a whole kingdom. It's where you belong, Aileen," the calmness in his voice didn't do a great job in calming me down.