Chapter Text
The carriage rolled along the road in steady rhythm, the two heavenly, cream horses huffing along a worn dirt road. In the west, the sun hovered just above the horizon, the warm sky painted itself. Hot yellow spread along the horizon, slowly fading into a bright orange. It was almost as if the heavens took a paint brush and faded the orange into an old pale red, then into pastel pink. Slowly, the colours faded into a baby blue, then a deep and royal blue. A dark and strong purple faded into the blackness of the night sky as a few stars started to peak their way through the layers of the painted sky.
Families of rodents and critters scurried off the path, into the lush brush and thick trees lining the road. Green leaves of early spring sheltered the life of the woods, keeping dry and warm. Air light and a small, fresh breeze flowed peacefully past each leaf. Within the deeps of the wood, stirring shook bushes. Eyes of larger predators began to awaken with the setting sun.
Inside the carriage sat a young woman, eighteen of age. Poise and alluring, she straightened the wrinkles on her long, wide, raspberry ball gown. The gown wrapped gently around her neck, leaving a bare back and shoulders. A strip of golden fabric swathed her waist, defining her figure elegantly. Folded pieces of raspberry fabric flowed below, down to her feet, hovering half an inch above the floor. The dress complimented her fair, smooth skin forign to blotches and spots. Light freckles peppered her nose and cheeks due to days of warm sun. Her hair, a light natural brown, was curled and pulled back into a big, loose bun. The bun was neat and put together but also had a youthful and messy approach to its assembly. A few curled pieces of the light brunette hair sat tucked behind her ear, but they kept falling forward to frame her face.
A rustle beside the woman caused her golden eyes to curiously look over to the other figure. A taller, older woman shifted in her seat, mumbling about being uncomfortable. Her eyes were sharp and strict, waiting to fix a slight error in anything. She donned a dark green, one shoulder gown. Her hair in a tight, slick bun atop her head. Perfect and prepared, she gazed over the younger girl.
“Amity, dear, you must sit straight. At this point your posture is as bad as a peasants.” She addressed the other, taking her hands and pushing her shoulders back so that she sat stiff.
“Yes, Mother.” Amity uttered uncomfortably from where she suffered. Once her mother’s gaze was back to the last figure in the carriage, an angular bearded man in a velvet black suit, she lowered her shoulder. Looking out the window, Amity noticed the trees becoming fewer.
Trees were slowly replaced by houses ranging in size, then a market, selling fresh breads and goods. The smells mixed together splendidly causing Amity to long for the taste of the fresh product. But the carriage continued on the hard stone path, not hesitating a moment.
Soon, the carriage approached a brilliant castle. As if the sun never set, bright, marble columns and glimmering gold accents donned the building. The sun's last rays, barely peeking over the horizon, blasted the building in light, making the expert carvings in the exterior wall visible. Along the ground, woven in circles, sat trees, conditioned to twist amongst the others. The swirls of trees created dazzling patterns depicting metaphors of history. Great wars, double twisted trees with many of the lower branches shaved bare, love tales, bound twigs bent at extraordinary angles, and more of the sort. Round the edges of the front garden, bound by ropes and hydrated constantly by gardeners, were new saplings, earning their story.
Pulling up to the grand doors, the horses yielded, snorting in response to the tugging. A few other carriages scatter around, depositing guests, royalty, and nobles alike. Amity recognized some familiar faces in the crowd of people entering the hall, most suitors her parents made her entertain.
Amity was finally of age to marry and ever since her birthday months ago, her parents dropped a prince in front of her to hopefully court. None of them worked. Not the handsome, nor the charming, or sweet, or smart, none of them hit it off with the Princess. She kept telling herself that she just hadn’t met her type or “the one” yet. One day, the perfect prince will sweep her off her feet and they’ll rule the kingdom Amity is the heir of. It will work out. Amity just has to be patient.
Shaking her head, Amity followed her parents. There, out in front of the castle, were two ponderous, massive golden doors. The doors looked to be constructed out of the strangest material to protect the people inside from unwanted guests. They shined and out glamoured every guest who strolled past the luxurious metal. Tugging at the edges of her dress in discomfort, Amity briskly walked past the doors and into the grand hall.
Along the walls of the hall hung rich paintings, all one of a kind, presenting their own stories. Ceramic pots and jars held water for the guests to wash their journey dirtied hands in. The room was filled to the brim with guests waiting for the doors of the ballroom to open. Amity shuffled to the side, scanning the room, accounting all the already drunken nobles and even some tipsy princes.
Rolling her eyes, she looked for something to entertain her, her eyes landed on a portrait to the side of the room, right next to a couple doors. On the portrait, carefully and precisely painted to every detail, was the Princess and Queen of the kingdom she was visiting.
Luz.
Luz, princess and heir to the kingdom of Solis. A little flame keeping fire to her kingdom while her mother struggles with keeping her subjects quality of life to its best. Without her, the kingdom will be in shambles. So much work for someone who just turned eighteen. The ball being held at the palace that night was celebratory for her ascent to adulthood. Neighboring regions have sent their representative kingdoms to attend as far as to the North Sea, miles and miles away from their region of Vizier.
Amity was lucky to have a shorter trip to Solis. Her kingdom, Selene, was only a two days trip by carriage. Solis, Selene, and Nepua shared a region in the South Adways. Some spent weeks of horse riding just to attend this one in a lifetime ball.
Since childhood, the three kingdoms of Vizier would hold meetings at the centre of Vizier, a separate, neutral plot of land that belonged to the region as a whole. Every two years, when the biyearly meeting would take place at the safe holding, Amity and Luz would play in its luscious gardens, spending every waking second basking in someone their age, someone who understood what it felt like to be the heir to a kingdom. Even with two older siblings, Amity was the heir, she was more promising and easier to mold to the perfect princess. But, those meetings they weren’t permitted to listen in for, they talked, played, rambled, and confided in each other. Amity missed those moments, just wondering around the brush, talking mindlessly and having someone to laugh and listen to.
Last year, the meeting was different.
The two princesses were asked to attend the meetings, to learn the basis. Throughout the meeting, the two stole glances at each other, eager to catch up and take their usual walk. Do their ritual.
Once the meeting called a recess, they quickly left, both separately walking to the gardens. They met halfway, though, some tension held between them. One would want to speak of a topic but the other would start up a new one. This went on till they got the the farthest most garden, where Luz picked a white lily, handing it to Amity. At the moment, Amity thought it was a nice gesture, something to make them open up and make them bothe more comfortable. It worked, too. They went back to joking and catching up on the past two years like they always did. Luz would look to Amity’s flower every once in a while, as if waiting for something.
Only a couple days after, once the flower began to wilt, had Amity realised what the gift meant.
Snapping back to the present, Amity shook her head once more, fanning her face to cool the heat rising in her cheeks. Luz was a close friend that she has no further feelings on. That would go against her beliefs if the gift really meant-
Trumpets cut her worrying short, the smaller, but still magnificent, ballroom doors swung open, revealing a ginormous room, built like a dome with smooth edges. One side of the dome was a long table spanning the ballroom, filled to the brim with appetizers and drinks of all kinds. Most of the princes and higher nobles made a B-line to the beer and wine, consuming the refreshers as fast as they could chug.
A royal band started an upbeat tune to the right centre of the elegant room. Other guests went straight to dancing, showing off their skill and trying to one up each other in divine moves.
Amity stuck close to the snacks, tasting and picking at the various foods. A sponge cake layered between strawberry jam, sausage rolls dipped in lemon and sugar, sharp, spicy cheeses. Everything to expect of one of the most built up balls. Beside her, other guests dug into exquisites.
Scanning her surroundings, she noticed the band still going strong with their lively music. More drunk fellow occupied the dance centre, swaying and talking mindlessly, flirting with lower nobles. The queens and kings of the kingdoms stood to one corner of the ball room, drinking wine and laughing, discussing boring old people topics. Like politics, and life.
One important thing was missing.
The band stopped their playing abruptly, the trumpet playing the royal entrance tune of Solis. Others caught the cue, looking towards the door, though it didn’t open. Instead, to the far left of the ballroom, a staircase, grand as it should, lit up. Amity gasped at the sight.
A latina woman with messy brown, short cut hair stood at the top. She wore a sky blue, small strapped dress that flowed to the floor. Gold accents were seen stitched onto the sides accompanied with pearls and copper beads. Her face bore natural makeup, smoothing out her skin. Eyes, brown, but soothing like chocolate, sparkled in the spotlight. Smiling wide, her energy was spread to the whole ballroom. Guests clapped for her as she stepped down a few steps, waving. On her head, a thin ring of gold with three sections sticking straight up. Two smaller rods and one longer rod in the middle, balanced atop her head. She looked… spectacular.
Amity couldn’t help herself from blushing. She watched Luz go down each step, taking in every detail of her, as if she would disappear or Amity might forget what she looked like. But no one could ever forget something so beautiful- in a platonic way of course! One can admire another lady to the miniscule detail. Friends did that all the time. Her and Boscha would compliment each other from time to time in the castle. Whether that was because Amity was a princess and Boscha was her right hand, her personal knight, or if it was genuine was anyone's guess but it was still something that she did with a friend.
Then Luz looked right at Amity.