I stared out through the window, furrowing my brows at the grey and black clouds that were slowly but surely making their way towards the capital.
It rarely rained in Agora, the clouds staying over District 2 where the water elementals resided instead, but as I took a deep breath, I felt absolutely sure. The air smelled wet, and it was loaded with electricity.
It was going to storm, and today, of all days.
My fingers were turning cold from leaning against the windowsill, and I stood back up, turning my back to the clouds as I brushed off my hands and smoothed down my dress.
Usually, the maids and dressers would have to force me into something like this, but today was a special day, and the dress was a part of it.
There was no discussion to be had, and I knew that. It was one hell of a dress, though, I thought to myself.
Soft, velvety fabric flowed smoothly from the waist and down into an elegant skirt, and the top was decorated with golden details, gems, and embroidery that glittered and shone as it caught the light from the chandeliers and candelabras, letting small patches of red and orange and red lights dance on the walls as I walked.
They looked like sparks, and I loved it. The chest was open, but not too revealing, and from the shoulders and up, a collar rose up the side of my neck, leading down to two long sleeves that fell all the way to the floor, matching the skirt and flowing almost cape-like behind me as I moved.
The deep red colour of the fabric was my favourite feature, though, as it matched my crimson eyes.
It was a symbol of my powers, my family, and my heritage.
Another reason why today was special.
A knock on the door made me turn around, and as one of the maids' heads poked through the slightly open door, I felt a surge of nervousness rush through my entire body.
"Your highness," she said, walking in and bowing at me before continuing, "It's time."
And so, with one last look back through the decorative glass panes of the window, showing the storm clouds that were now even closer than before, I followed her out of the room.
Walking through the palace was nerve-racking, and I couldn't help but squirm underneath the expectant and excited looks that the maids, servants, and guards sent my way as I passed them in the hallways.
I was going to have to get used to it but right now, on top of my already fragile nerves, I felt small and awkward.
It didn't help that it felt as if a heavy cloud of doom was hanging above me, either, my thoughts constantly going back to the storm I had seen in the distance.
I shook it off, though the feeling of wrongness still clung to me as I came to a halt in front of the old wooden doors that were now the only barrier between me and the Kingdom of Avalon.
When the doors of the throne room swung open, a hushed silence fell over the entire crowd that had gathered inside.
Townspeople and royals alike. Strangers as well as familiar faces.
I took a shaky breath, feeling a little reassured as the royal musicians began their fanfare, raising their trumpets and other wind musical instruments into the air and sending out beautiful melodies into the room.
I imagined the music winding its way in between and above the audience as I made my way towards the people at the other end of the room, trying to fall into step with it.
The king and queen were standing in front of the big windows that took up most of the wall behind the two golden thrones. My father had a certain glint in his eyes as he looked at me, a look of pride, I realized.
I raised my chin proudly and made sure to put a feeling of confidence into my step as I passed the curious eyes of the people around me, wanting to own up to that look.
I felt a spark of excitement in my chest.
As the music died down, the silence that followed seemed almost deafening.
We had gone over the details several times and yet, I felt incredibly nervous as I knelt down on the steps by my father's feet, bowing my head as a sign of respect.
"People of Avalon," my father's voice bellowed through the throne room, powerful and authoritative, "I have gathered you all here today for a very special occasion."
I could almost feel the suspense in the room, the tension, the confusion, but I tried my best to control my breathing, looking out through the colourful panes of glass that made up the window behind my parents.
Though the beautiful oranges, reds, and yellows had been dimmed by the sky outside, the sun nowhere to be seen.
I furrowed my brows as I studied the storm clouds that were now moving faster towards the palace than they had been earlier, rumbling dangerously as they swept across the trees and hills outside.
The shadows even dimming the light from The Great Willow and The Source of Iseda.
I felt a strange wave of uneasiness wash over me at the sight, but I kept my mouth shut, knowing that now was not the time to talk about the weather.
"Though I would like to deny it," my father continued, "I am getting older, and with age, I become weaker, which calls for a successor. Therefore, I, King Myeondae, and my lovely wife Queen Haeun, present our daughter for you today, the heir to the throne of Avalon, and the next ruler of Agora and The Eight Districts."
A series of gasps could be heard, and the shuffling of feet told me that people were probably stretching their necks to get a glimpse of me.
"My daughter," my father said, bringing my focus back to him and my mother.
"This crown may be your birthright, but I hope that you will come to show us all that you have earned it as well," he said, placing the crown gently on top of my head with a warm smile.
It was a beautiful thing, the crown, I thought, feeling honoured to be able to call it mine.
Made from pure gold, it had been carved with intricate designs, swirling in and out of each other, and decorated with rubies, the gemstone of fire.
The symbol of my element. The symbol of my family's element.
I got up from the steps, standing up straight as I turned around to face the crowd. "I present to you, crown princess y/n, heir to the Kingdom of Avalon," my father exclaimed.
I felt a surge of pride as I looked out over my people, but then the window behind us exploded and the throne room erupted in chaos and screams.
Glass shards flew everywhere, and as I was tackled to the floor by one of the guards trying to cover me from potential harm, I glanced over at the panicked crowd of people that were running around the room in a frenzy of fear and panic.
The smell of electricity I had recognized earlier seemed to be everywhere around me, making the air heavy and uncomfortable, and then, lightning struck.
I felt my stomach drop as I watched the lightning hit the ancient tree over the source like a javelin, hitting The Great Willow with a blast so strong that it lit up the entire throne room for a couple of seconds.
When my sight came back, the old tree was nothing but a charred trunk, and the lights that had been floating around The Source of Iseda since the beginning of time were nowhere to be seen.
A column of smoke rose from the source, and I winced as I felt a sharp jab of pain at the back of my head.
I stumbled up from the ground, pushing past people and following along one of the walls as I tried to shake the feeling of shock off me.
I needed to get ahead of myself, I thought, stumbling back and forth between the tall columns at the edge of the room.
All of the chaos seemed to come to an abrupt halt, though, as the doors once again swung open, and a man clad in all-black walked in.
I took a couple of steps back, pulling the crown off my head as I stared at him walking down the aisle. The crowd fell into complete silence as everyone's eyes seemed to fix on him.
His footsteps echoed through the room, and the air around him crackled with purple sparks as if small explosions were left in his wake.
My father moved to stand in front of my mother, pushing her behind him and motioning for the guards to stay back. He looked livid, his hands shaking with rage as he took in the man in black.
I couldn't see his eyes, or his features for that matter, as his face was covered by the shade of his hat and a black mask. "Myeongdae," he greeted, nodding his head at my father who growled at him as a response.
I took another step back, unable to shake the feeling of uneasiness off. This was bad. Really bad, I thought to myself. Something here wasn't right.
"People of Avalon," the man in black said, "Let me introduce myself. I am Daios, Gift of God, if you may, and I would like to oppose this coronation," he continued, spreading his arms in an inviting gesture, though the sense of dread at the pit of my stomach only kept growing as I backed away.
"This is the BEGINNING OF THE END," he announced, and as the words slipped past his lips, the pressure inside of the throne room dropped dangerously, and then lightning struck again, blinding me completely for a couple of seconds.
People were running everywhere, yelling, screaming, pushing, and making their way towards the doors as more men in black appeared, blocking the exit and dragging shackles and chains with them.
They couldn't hold all of them, though, and with a panicked look in my parents' direction, catching my mother's eyes as she mouthed the word "Run," at me, I joined the crowd and pushed past the rebels in the doorway.
This was so wrong, I thought, feeling small and vulnerable despite being surrounded by people who were all charging through the palace.
Storms, lightning, in particular, were a product of nature and nature only, I thought to myself as I took a turn down a hallway, heading for one of the secret stairways that I hoped the rebels hadn't found yet.
No one could control lightning. No one could control electricity.
It was unnatural, impossible, I thought, skipping down the steps with my heart all the way up in my throat.
Or so we thought, I told myself, gritting my teeth as I tried to control my breathing, right up until the man in black strode right on into the palace and threw everyone in shackles.
I felt a surge of anger flare up in my stomach as the fire inside me awakened and the adrenaline was let loose. My eyes burned, and I knew that they were probably more red than usual.
Stumbling out through a small door onto the cobbled roads outside, I threw one last look up at the palace, glaring at the violent storm clouds that swirled around the towers.
They rumbled and thundered as flashes of purple and white swirled inside their grey exteriors.
And then I ran.
A/N:
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