When I wake up, I am in a gigantic ballroom that I can only assume to be somewhere in the large stone building that all of my visions have been in so far. The area is large and rectangular, lined with hundreds of ornately carved arches all along the perimeter. Bountiful bouquets of lavender, lavish metal trays filled with delicious-smelling pastries, and fancy-dressed waiters pouring glass after glass of champagne all flood my senses. It's very overwhelming.
This is some party. It certainly puts Noelani's little gathering to shame.
A chorus of lively music floats over the dancing crowd, permeating my ears from the circular white stage located in the center of the room. Dancers feverishly swing by me, dressed in bright and colorful dancing gowns.
One of those dancing gowns catches my attention. It's bright red with gold detailing, and it is draped over a familiar figure.
Noelani.
I recognize her immediately, even though she's obviously much younger in this vision than my previous ones. She's practically a child, no older than sixteen.
I approach the young princess confidently, knowing that she won't be able to see me. She's dancing with another young girl. Her partner is beautiful– darked skinned and adorned in a yellow dancing gown.
The lively song morphs into a slower tune, and the princess draws the girl in close. She places a chaste kiss on her lips.
I blush and turn away, suddenly feeling like I'm intruding on the moment. None of my visions have been so intimate before. Usually I'm here to collect useful information, not watch two teenagers act all lovey-dovey with each other.
Suddenly, Noelani and her date run off towards one of the stone arches, catching me off guard. Should I follow them? I glance around the crowded ballroom and shrug. It's not like I know anyone else here.
Girlish giggles shower my ears as I step through the archway. I quickly realize that it's a balcony and that we are actually pretty high up. For the first time, I get a look at the outside of the stone building and almost smack myself at my ignorance.
It's a castle, duh.
The sound of kissing pulls me out of my thoughts. My nose wrinkles. Gross. I don't need to see this.
I'm about to step out of the balcony when I notice a figure approaching us. She's tall and thin, dressed in velvety black and silver robes. She strides smoothly towards her destination. I'm instantly mesmerized by the way the dancers naturally fade from her path. Through the crowd, her eyes remain locked on the couple on the balcony. She looks far from happy.
This should be interesting.
"There you are," the queen says evenly, poisoning the air with her foreboding presence.
I can't take my eyes off of her. Not her face, but her head.
A glistening silver crown sits on a pile of intricately braided onyx hair. The jewels on it are huge, easily the size of my palm, and as black as the furious look in the queen's eyes. The thing's so domineering– it makes me want to shrink into myself under the weight of its impenetrable stare.
The two girls jump apart. Noelani's date grabs the princess's arm out of fear.
"Noelani?" she mutters, confused by the intrusion.
The queen reels, pinning the girl with a sneer. "That is not how you address your princess, Lady Alnoa."
The young girl quivers in terror, dropping to her knees in a deep bow. "Please forgive me, Your Majesty."
YOU ARE READING
The Blood of Amietta
FantasyA loner with a bad attitude and a misplaced princess are forced to work together to free themselves from a hitchstone, a magical jail cell powerful enough to trap an entire town. Mila Wilde had no idea what she was getting herself into when she deci...
