The Crimson Night

Chapter 1

"Amelia, dear come in here and show your sisters your new dress!" My mother urged.

I walked shyly into her brightly lit sitting room. The room was draped in red with gold flecked decorations making the room sparkle like a rubey. My sisters, who were standing on either side of a full length mirror opposite me, looked with wonder. I had always been told that I was the prettiest of the three Nafari princesses; with golden curls that framed my round face cascading down my back which exaggerated my ocean blue eyes. I was still only ten, and yet everyone could see great potential in me.

I glanced at my older sister Gemma with her long auburn hair pulled back into an elegant bun, she greeted me with a smile as bright as her deep brown eyes. I was afraid to look at my elder sister, Jasmine; with her sharply angle features amplified by her charcoal black hair. I knew there would be no encouragement from her, there it wasn't. I quickly looked away to stare at the girl in the mirror; she stared back at me and was truly beautiful.

"Amelia, you look wonderful! Just like a princess!" Gemma exclaimed smiling at her own petty joke.

"Oh, I know, doesn't she look beautiful?" my mother mused as she fussed about making sure I looked perfect.

"Mother stop!" I said as she re-tide the cream sash around my waist, "My dress is fine just how it is." Her face appeared just above my shoulder her cheeks slightly pink as always, accompanied by her warm gaze that always made me feel safe.

"Alright I'll just wait by the stairs," she wrapped her arms around me, "just don't be late dear."

Tonight was the annual Winter Ball. It was an honor for anyone to be invited, nobles from all over the kingdom came to visit; even some of the commoners were included in the festivities. This year my mother told me I was finally old enough to attend. I got so excited that I ran right to the royal tailor and told her that I wanted a big puffy pink dress. It was beautiful: soft pink, with a tight waist that flared out until it just barely brushed the ground, finished off with a cream sash.

"Amelia! You're going to make us all late!" Jasmine yelled into the room.

Jumping I shouted back, "Jassie please don't scare me like that!"

She sighed scowling through the slightly cracked door, "What did I tell you about calling me that; just hurry and get out here before mother gets jumpy!"

The truth is I hadn't even realized that they had all left, I had been so busy admiring my dress. I could even feel my mothers arms still wrapped around me.

I grabbed the silky folds revealing my simple black shoes and rushed from the room. That is until I heard my mother's unmistakable chime echo down the hall, "Now, Amelia you know ladies do not run."

"Oh, sorry mother," I said stopping abruptly.

"Now we are expected soon," my mother explained as I smoothed out my now wrinkled dress, "so we should head to the grand staircase. Come now dears!"

Mother, Jasmine, Gemma and I made our way to the grand staircase just in time to hear our names called. My mother and Jasmine went down together, sense Jassie was the eldest. A few seconds after I heard Gemma's name call along with my own.

"Gemma," I asked tentatively as we made our way down arms linked.

"Yes, what is it Amelia? Is something wrong?"

"Well no," I swallowed nervously, "it's just there are so many people staring at us!" The grand hall sparkled its white marble floors barely visible underneath the hundreds of feet before me. The ceiling reached toward the sky and was topped with a glass dome. Pillars stood along the edges of the room casting eerie shadows in the fading sunlight.