Cost of the Crown (UNREVISED VERSION)

Blue and Pink

The morning came on the east and it was time for the siblings to wake up.

"Cedric!!! Let's go to Madame Hopkins! I wanna see my gift already. Wake up!!!" Maria yelled on the other side of the door.

"I'm up..." Cedric groaned.

"Cedric!!!!" Maria continued.

"Have you taken a bath yet?!" Cedric asked as he put his pillows over his ears.

"I have been up since the sun rose, brother! Of course I have." Maria crossed her arms, still refusing to leave her brother alone.

"Give me 30 minutes... Meet me in the throne room." Cedric continued, groaning.

Maria smiled then happily skipped to the throne room where she will wait. Meanwhile, Cedric took a towel and his clothes then went straight to the bath that was prepared for him.

He sunk his body into the warm water as he felt relaxed. He let out a sigh at the scenario he saw. Again, he thought that it was inevitable. He closed his eyes then blue flashed before him.

"Blue?" He whispered to himself. He thought more about it as the colour showed a man in white wearing a crown. He was confused on what he saw, thus he went into it more.

"Cedric!!! You said thirty minutes!" Maria screamed at the door again.

He was startled when he heard his sister break the silence. When he opened his eyes, it came to him like lightning. "Brilliant!"

"What?!" Maria asked.

Cedric stood up from the tub then wrapped the towel around his waist. He opened the door as he was still drenched. His sister raised an eyebrow at him then he suddenly hugged her making her dress wet.

"Cedric!" Maria exclaimed.

"Maria, you are brilliant! That's it!" Cedric replied then he shut the door on his sister to continue wearing his clothes.

Maria groaned because she was now wet and she needed to change her dress. She threw a fit while she was going towards her room. She put on a new dress and by the time she was finished, finally, Cedric was too.

"Shall we go?" Cedric asked his sister.

"Finally!" Maria smiled.

The two royals walked again to Madame Cherie's boutique. Maria was jouyous as she was excited to see the design of her new gown for her brother's coronation. They arrived in the boutique and Madame Cherie was just finished designing the gown.

"Morning Madame." Cedric greeted.

"Ah, Prince Cedric. You have returned with the princess." Madame Cherie adjusted her glasses.

"May we see the design madame?" Maria asked.

"Ah! Surely, dear." Cherie said as she opened her book of designs.

"Ooh! I like this one." Maria pointed.

"It suits you and it is colour violet too!" Cherie told them.

The gown was a violet ball gown made of silk and lace that reaches the ankles. It also has ribbons and ruffles that show Maria's personality. It was flamboyant but in an aesthetic way.

"Okay then. I'll have it ready for you by the coronation." Cherie winked.

"How much will it be, Madame Cherie?" Cedric asked.

"Just ten bags of coins-" Cherie stopped mid-sentence because her niece whispered to her. "And a hug from Prince Cedric to my niece would do good."

A young woman aged same as the prince smiled. She was beautiful, though looking much like a gypsy.

"You could ask for a hug anytime, you know? We are friends anyway, got it, Cassandra?" Cedric told the young woman.

The young woman blushed as she saw the charming prince smile at her. Her green eyes sparkling as she was flustered.

"So?" Cedric asked.

Cassandra avoided Cedric's blue eyes. He chuckled to himself then took her hand, he pulled her close for a hug in which Cassandra enjoyed.

"I thought you'd never visit." Cassandra told the prince. She kissed his cheek.

"You're the one who never visted!" Cedric playfully told Cassandra.

"Ha, true... You should go back to the palace, my king." Cassandra teased.

"You pulled me into this mess anyway. Be sure to attend my coronation, Cass." Cedric handed her a white envelope with her name encrusted on it, then he winked.

"Cassandra, are you done flirting with the prince? I could use some help with the fabric over here." Cherie called for Cassandra.

"It seems your aunt is calling for you. Better go, you know her temper very well." Cedric smiled.

"Y-yeah... Bye then, Prince Cedric." Cassandra curtseyed.

Cedric rolled his eyes as he smirked. He kissed her on the forehead then said, "Since when did you call me Prince Cedric? Why not drop the formalities?"

"Okay then, Ced..." Cassandra waved at the prince as they opened the door.

"Nice to see you again, Cass." Cedric left the boutique then Maria looked at him in awe.

"Brother has a crush on her!" Maria nudged.

"You could say that before we visited them, I saw pink..." Cedric smiled.

"It's not even Valentine's." Maria giggled. "You know, sadly, she's a seamstress' appretice and not nobility... You can't marry her."

"I know... Sadly." Cedric said.

A pink cloud formed over Cedric and it rained hearts and roses. The young prince looked at his sister whose eyes were glowing red.

"Don't you want me supporting you?" Maria asked her brother.

"It's not that... It's something that I saw before pink... It was blue..." Cedric glared at his hands.

"I won't even question..." Maria told her brother.

"But I appreciate it." Cedric said. He carried his sister as hearts fell over their heads.

"Prince Cedric!" A herald came running towards them.

"Oh?" Cedric looked at the herald as he stopped walking.

"The spies found out that the kingdom of Madara are planning to attack!" The herald told the young prince.

Cedric glanced around to see if anyone else was listening to their conversation. He stopped a carriage then they proceeded to ride to the castle.

"Maria, stop your magic for now." Cedric ordered.

Maria snapped then the cloud vanished into thin air and her eyes reverted to brown. She felt the tension in her brother's eyes.

"Sire, they plan the attack on your coronation. If not, they will attack in that week." The herald continued.

"Okay, be ready. My coronation is an open ceremony as proposed by trdition, but I need guards camouflaged into the crowd so the attackers won't notice." Cedric ordered. "Thank you for warning me."

The carriage arrived at the castle then the three gor down. The herald ran straight towards the ace's chambers while Cedric sat down on his father's throne.

"Why did I not see this?" Cedric asked himself as he rubbed his forehead.

"Don't be too hard on yourself, brother. The war has only begun. We will be ready for them, won't we?" She smiled so innocently at her brother.