Cedar

Chapter 9- Aurum

  When the color shifted to normal, Cedar and Carter had to jump out of the way of a moving carriage. With a yell, the driver of the horse-pulled carriage yanked on the reins, causing the horses to rear up.

Cedar and Carter shouted their apologies, waving the driver on. They got their first good look at their surroundings.

They appeared to be in another village, this one bustling with hundreds of people. Everyone wore fancy petticoats and gloves of silk; their hair was tied up in extravagant styles and adorned with jewels and flowers.

Everything seemed to emit a warm golden glow. The sky was gold, not blue; the dirt road was the color of rich honey. Carter warned Cedar not to trust anyone. She nodded, clutching her bag closer to her.

Everyone in the town seemed to judge them- for their clothing, their hair, and their obvious lack of riches. Cedar and Carter decided to follow the path down and see if they could find a place to stay.

They navigated through the town of judgmental people, finally finding another forest to look through. They saw a few woodland animals, but nothing dangerous. The two decided on spreading out a large blanket and sleeping in the woods. Before they could set up camp, they heard thundering footsteps and the sound of hooves hitting the ground in a rhythmic pattern.

  Through the trees appeared a fleet of horses. Atop the largest steed there perched a tall, attractive man. He wore a shirt similar to Carter's, and riding pants and boots. His hair was cropped a few inches away from his head; it was swept back and wavy in just the right places.

  His eyes were a charming brown, but weren't the same as Carter's piercing blue eyes.

  "Who might you be?" The man asked, looking down at them with a smile.

  "My name is Cedar, and this is Carter," Cedar introduced them. "Who are you?"

  Immediately all of the men surrounding them began to whisper and shake their heads in disapproval. The man in the middle laughed, waving everyone else down.

  "It's alright, men! If they don't know who I am, it isn't their fault!" He turned back to Cedar and Carter. "My name is Prince Castor, air to the throne of the kingdom of Aurum."

  Cedar and Carter quickly bowed low, showing their respects to the prince. He laughed again, waving them off with a small sigh.

  "No need for pleasantries, dear visitors. But please," Prince Castor said, sliding off the back of his horse and holding his hand out to Cedar, "Allow me to welcome you to our kingdom, beautiful lady."

  Castor kissed Cedar's hand with a flourish. Although Carter didn't want to, he felt annoyed at how the prince was clearly flirting with Cedar. And Cedar was buying it. She seemed to suppress a giggle.

  "Do the two of you have a place to stay?" Castor asked.

  Cedar shook her head. "We had plans to stay in the forest."

  The prince seemed taken aback. "No, no! The forest gets dangerous at night. It is no place for a fine, beautiful young lady like yourself. Allow me to escort you back to my castle, where you will stay and be treated like royalty!"

  Cedar began to protest, "Oh, no, we're alright, we don't need anything!"

  The prince cut her off, saying, "No, come with me. It would be rude to refuse a proposal of a prince!"

  After a few more polite exchanges, Carter and Cedar were escorted to the castle.

  It was massive; towering over everything else in the kingdom. The bricks were a honey-gold-brown color and shone in the light. The gates were the only dull thing in the kingdom; it was a dull silver color that was very off-putting compared to the golden sky.

Castor escorted the two inside the palace, calling forth servants to show them to their rooms. Before they separated, however, they asked for a private moment to speak with each other.

"Something seems wrong with this place," Carter said. "It seems too set up, too right, too perfect. It wouldn't be like this in real life."

"It is a bit weird," Cedar said. "I'm sure it'll be alright..."

"Just be careful. Trust no one. Not even that prince. He seems suspicious to me."

Cedar opened her mouth to respond, but Castor interrupted with a merry laugh. He had two maids take them to their rooms. "Tonight there is a ball. I do hope you'll attend. It is a very special night for me. I will be making a... very important decision."

Cedar followed the servant, not saying a word as she marveled at the huge palace, with its arching hallways and golden splendor. She thanked the servant as she arrived at the door of her room. Immediately upon entry, she gasped at the sight of the room. It was massive; the walls were spread out far, the bed was giant; there was a huge closet, larger than any she had ever seen, with dresses of silk and velvet, adorned with jewels and pearls and even fresh flower petals.

Cedar peeked through the door into a bathroom, with the largest claw-foot tub she had ever laid eyes on. Cedar couldn't help but giggle at the idea of how big everything was. She felt like a princess.

She looked through dresses, trying them on. Each was more extravagant than the last. She tried on a white dress with fresh rose petals sewn on the hem, falling off with every step she took.

She then put on a navy blue dress with sapphires adorning the corset. When the servant came in to let her know it was time for the ball, she finally decided on a deep violet dress without any gems or petals on it. It was ruffled and off-the-shoulder, but nothing too fancy. She could walk in it, at least.

The servant pulled her hair up into a fancy bun with a circlet on the top of her head. It wasn't quite a crown, but it emphasized her beauty nonetheless. Cedar felt like a princess. She felt beautiful.

She stepped out into the ball, eyes wide as she met up with Carter. The two were guided into the ball, immediately swept up with dancing people. Cedar couldn't find Castor, so she danced with Carter. The two swayed with the music, laughing and looking deeply into the other's eyes. They felt free and happy; glad to be in each other's arms.

The dances felt like an eternity all by themselves; Cedar and Carter couldn't look away from each other. Carter's white suit was adorned with purple trails, so they seemed to match. The perfect fit.

When all of the dancing had subsided, Castor finally gathered everyone around at a table longer than one hundred feet long. Carter, Cedar, and Castor sat closely together.

Castor began a toast. "Tonight was supposed to be the night I chose my bride. I could not decide on the one just yet. I have danced with far too many maidens. I hope you enjoy your dinner, of course!"

Dinner was served. Cedar ate more than she had eaten in days. She felt full and sustained, sipping the juice from her chalice, wondering why it tasted so different than anything she had ever tasted.

She looked to Castor, noticing the way his dimples made his cheeks look defined. She noticed the way his hair was pushed back; so perfect and ideal. She noticed the way his teeth sparkled like white pearls. She noticed the way he always made her smile.

Cedar couldn't believe it. After just one day of knowing someone, after having talked to them only a few times, she was in love.

Cedar was in love with Prince Castor. And she wanted to be his bride.

Note: I'm not done with this chapter, but I had to enter the Wattys. I'm going to edit it further in detail so it makes more sense. Thanks!