As the Council was scheduled to meet tomorrow and Calathis was the first to arrive, multiple kingdoms were expected throughout the day. Tonight they were to host the welcoming gala to introduce the visiting kingdoms to Oceria ahead of the Council meeting, which would then be held in the underwater kingdom, the most protected and sacred place in both Oceria and the Continent. No non-water magic folk had ever been given the temporary pass into the underwater kingdom, and thus the council meeting was set to be truly legendary.
The night before, the trio had made friends with Darya and her sister Naida, two Ocerian women at dinner. Darya had made plans for the afternoon to grab drinks in the town square and go to the beach, insisting they see Oceria in its best while they were here.
Aurelia was looking forward to it – there was nothing like the peace and quiet one found underwater, a blissful moment of solitude amongst the chaos.
“Do you know which kingdom?” Calandra asked as they made their way to the throne room after hurrying to put on the dresses from the day before, their hair curled in loose, effortless waves, the Ocerian fashion.
“They didn’t say,” Aurelia answered half-heartedly, her thoughts a million miles away.
It had been days since she last had a moment to herself and she felt strange waking up having nothing to rush to. Aurelia had filled the missing pieces of herself with her rigorous training and magic practice and now without it, she felt herself fading away into the background. She was itching to get her body moving to distract her from everything – her fear of losing Nonna, of the future to come, of completely losing herself. It was how she had coped for the past month, and now without it, she felt herself slipping, as if she were only half of herself.
Though they were having a marvelous time in Oceria, her thoughts kept returning to what would be happening after the Council meeting had concluded. She was afraid if she stopped practicing, even just for a moment, she would lose all of her progress and return to the empty, sad girl that she had been when everything started. The risks were too great to not worry.
They arrived at the throne room as a carriage pulled up in front of the castle, the gold, towering doors opening upon their arrival.
Aurelia quickly took her place next to Elowyn, deeply bowing to Queen Sereia and King Zaffre before turning towards the entrance, her eyes wide in expectation. There were only three options, as Damaris would not be attending – Ardwen, Weylin, or Navar.
The carriage doors opened to reveal two tall figures, both dressed in forest green attire. A woman with snow white hair stepped out first, a golden diadem resting upon her forehead and pointed ears stuck sharply out of her hair. Her long-sleeved gown was embroidered with gold that made trees up the train of her skirt.
The Elves.
A man stepped out next with matching pointed ears, his dark hair contrasting beautifully with their porcelain skin and crown upon his head.
“Queen Amadrya and King Xanth of Ardwen,” One of the guards presented as they walked into the throne room, and everyone bowed at their arrival.
Sereia stood, smiling widely. “Welcome to Oceria. I wish it could have been under better circumstances.”
Amadrya and Xanth bowed to the king and queen of Oceria, Amadrya speaking first of the pair. “It is a pleasure to see you after all this time,” She said to Sereia, her voice soft and captivating.
Sereia came down the steps to give her a hug just as she did with Elowyn and they embraced tightly. It had been rumored that Elowyn, Sereia, and Amadrya had been close friends as children before they were forced to take the throne, each thrust into separate roles, their responsibilities too important to maintain the friendship they had once had.
Sereia stepped back and gestured for them to follow her to their corridors. Aurelia could’ve sworn she just briefly caught the gaze of Amadrya before they were led away.
“Shall we?” Calandra nudged as the crowd began to dissipate.
“The beach?” Aurelia asked, raising her eyebrows.
“The beach,” Calandra confirmed, and as if they were children again, they rushed off to play in the sand.
Aurelia, Calandra, and Brina had a glorious time out in the sun along the water and spent their free part of the day being introduced to all sorts of Ocerians by Darya, the fiery redhead, and her sister Naida. They spent hours along the coast picking up shells and swimming, Darya bringing them to a secret cave where they were able to meet some of the kinder sea creatures Oceria was known for. Afterwards, they both made it their mission to show them all throughout the village and the hidden gems of Oceria.
“How marvelous,” Calandra said for the hundredth time that day as they walked along Painter’s Row, where hundreds of painters gathered to paint either on canvases or the buildings themselves. After their time spent along the water, they wandered into the main city, walking street after street, their eyes uncertain on where to look next. Darya grinned, passing them another stick of delicious goodness they had picked up at a seafront vendor.
“Darya,” Aurelia began. “How come there weren’t any...mermaids?”
Darya tilted her head. “Only the strongest of those who practice water magic are able to transition fully into mermaids or mermen. They all live in the underwater kingdom, and if they so wish, can permanently transition to stay there and build a life beneath the sea.” She shrugged. “There’s a whole new world down there. All of the strongest magic.”
Aurelia’s mind reeled as she took in the information, so much left yet to discover. She was sure that was only a sliver of what else lay beneath the sea.
Brina glanced at the clocktower. “We should probably get heading back for the ball this evening.”
Aurelia nodded and turned to Darya and Naida. “Will we see you tonight?”
Naida winked. “We would never miss an Ocerian party.”
Calandra chuckled and they made the trek back to the castle, passing once more the golden fountains and statues. The town square was bustling with activity and vendors were all over advertising items from necklaces and clothes to rare gems found in the deep sea. Brina and Aurelia had to pull Calandra away from trying to buy more of such treasures, citing the need to return to the castle.
They finally arrived at the castle at the same time as a rickety, small carriage made of steel and worn down wood. The wheels squeaked as it moved and it abruptly stopped in front of the castle doors.
The carriage door slammed open to reveal a short, stout man with a beard almost as long as his entire body. A few men of the same height also hopped out, dressed for much colder weather than the heat Oceria offered, their displeasure evident on their faces.
“Well, we got here.” The first one said grouchily. “Only took a damn near two weeks.”
“Thorin,” A voice called, and Aurelia looked towards the castle to see Sereia walking down the steps to greet them. “How wonderful it is to see you.”
The man named Thorin frowned at the remark. “Had to travel to the other side of the damn world to see you, Ser.” He responded gruffly, giving her a short bow.
“We are pleased to have you nonetheless.” Sereia turned and motioned for Aurelia to come forward. “And I have someone I’m sure you’ve been wanting to meet.” She pushed Aurelia forward, salty hair and all.
“Princess Aurelia, sir,” Aurelia said gently as she bowed before him.
“Oh, get up, get up,” Thorin said with a chuckle. “I’m just the leader of the dwarves up in no man’s land Navar, no need for fancy whatnot.”
He held out his hand, his entire body coming up to about her chest and she shook it gently. “Elowyn’s granddaughter. Sure to be a spitfire, if you’re anything like her. You know, you’re the talk of the Continent. You put Damaris in a chokehold. They’ve been wanting Calathis for as long as I can remember, the one thing they weren’t expecting, well...was you.” He chuckled as if it were the funniest thing he had ever heard.
They wanted Calathis? But why?
Sereia smiled and gestured him up the marble stairs. “Come, Thorin. Let’s get you and your entourage settled in.”
Brina and Calandra came forward as Thorin and Sereia disappeared around the corner and pulled Aurelia off to their room, her mind reeling. There was something her grandmother wasn’t telling her.
They bathed and were dressed in gowns similar to the night before for the welcoming gaka, vibrant colors of silk adorning their bodies.
Aurelia found herself unable to focus on anything other than the words Thorin had carelessly mentioned upon his arrival. No longer having patience with her grandmother’s secrecy, she slipped out of their room while Calandra and Brina were distracted and walked towards her grandmother’s in hope of an answer. It was exhausting to always feel as if she were missing a part of the conversation, and now more than ever, she deserved to know the true danger Calathis was in.
She arrived at her grandmother’s enormous suite to find her gone, the only sign of her grandmother her lingering perfume in the air. Aurelia’s fists clenched at her sides as she swept around the room, finding no clues to her grandmother’s whereabouts.
“Aurelia?” A voice behind her called. She turned to find Rehema standing in the doorway, already dressed for the ball, bedecked in jewels.
“Where is my grandmother?” Aurelia asked impatiently.
Rehema’s smile faltered at the determined look upon Aurelia’s face. “She’s meeting with Sereia and Amadrya ahead of the ball. Can I perhaps help you with something?”
“As it happens, yes,” Aurelia said shortly. “Why exactly is Damaris attacking Calathis? What is he so desperately seeking that he cannot find anywhere else?”
Rehema paused, assessing her answer for a long moment before she spoke. “Aurelia—“
“Tell me.”
“What have they always been after? Power.” Rehema said gently, avoiding the question.
“But what about Calathis makes it so special? What are you not telling me?” Aurelia persisted, placing her hands on her hips.
Rehema sighed and she moved to sit in one of the armchairs, her voice heavy. “There was a prophecy, centuries ago. It foretold of a magic born that would unite the light and darkness, and would be the only one to hold the power to rule the Continent.”
Aurelia scoffed. Of course, the man who killed his father for a crown would stop at nothing for the chance of more power.
“It was centuries ago,” Rehema added. “We thought Damaris had long given up on such ideas, but our two kingdoms have never been on good terms,” Rehema explained. “Others believe it is because of the prophecy that we are being targeted, but one cannot be sure. Things have not been stable for decades.”
Aurelia shook her head, giving Rehema a dark look. “No more secrets.”
Rehema’s lips tightened. “It’s not up to me.”
“Then tell her,” Aurelia answered shortly and stalked out of the room before Rehema could make another excuse.
“There you are,” Brina called down the hallway, standing outside of their bedroom on the far end.
“Are you ready for the ball? Dinner’s first, then dancing.” Calandra grinned and they strode toward Aurelia.
“Yes,” Aurelia responded distantly, linking arms with the pair and joining them on their way to the welcoming gala. Her mind was a million miles away as they arrived at the ball, not even the vibrant blue decorations, flowers, nor crowds of dwarves and Elves able to distract her from Rehema’s revelation. Now, Damaris had a motive: rule over the Continent. She shuddered at the thought as they settled into their seats.
“I would like to formally welcome you all to Oceria – it is truly a pleasure to host you here.” Sereia announced, standing at the head table overlooking the hundreds that had attended. “May you drink our fine wine and enjoy—“
She suddenly stopped as she was interrupted by the grand castle doors opening.
The doors widened to reveal what could only be the Fae king and queen, the king a mere shadow in comparison to the extravagance of the woman beside him.
Her deep purple ballgown was lavish with lace long sleeves and a choker covered in diamonds wrapped around her neck. Her black hair hung loosely on her shoulders, hiding her pointed ears, but her purple eyes were poignant. A fur cloak adorned her shoulders and she grinned at the hundreds before her.
Aurelia wasn’t sure what she was expecting from the queen of the Fae, but it wasn’t this. She almost looked…familiar, but Aurelia couldn’t quite place her.
Sereia smiled. “King Calder and Queen Melantha. What lovely timing.” She gestured to the far table designated to their party. “Please, have a seat. Enjoy the dancing and a fresh meal. Welcome to Oceria.”
The queen of the Fae smiled and leaned forward in a bow before standing back up. “Darling Sereia,” She said sweetly. “Thank you for hosting us. Our journey has been long and arduous. We are looking forward to such delicacies.” She walked to their table, the king and their party trailing behind her.
Sereia smiled and leaned over to grab her champagne glass, bringing everyone’s attention to the head table once more.
“We shall toast – to old friends gathering together once again. To the things that bring us joy.” She paused. “And to what we must do to ensure the freedom of them.”
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