Chapter 1
Council of Royalty
Council of Royalty
For those in the kingdom of Polarus, there is one being whom everyone in their kingdom idolizes and worships. She is their goddess, their divine light. She brings them hope and faith and heals their wounds. Her name is Princess Serenity Aurora, daughter of their king, Damien Aurora. Just like her mother, Serenity had been born for the people. She is their symbol of peace and harmony and they believe she will be the one to save them from the evil that plagues their world. Little did her people know as well as Serenity, was that an adventure was about to be laid before her filled with danger, adventure, new friends, and a forbidden romance that could possibly bring about the end of their peaceful but tortured world. Serenity's amazing story starts here.
Serenity sighed as she stared up at her ceiling, staring almost blankly at the white washed stone roof. Today was a day she always dreaded. A day when everyone in the kingdom gathered eagerly under her solitary balcony and waited to hear her melodious voice and see her exceptionally beautiful porcelain face. To hear her prediction of the year and have them cheer her for her predictions were always right. Today was her eighteenth birthday, the day her father deemed the beginning of the New Year, which he really didn't need to because it was the beginning of the year, January first had finally arrived.
Suddenly there was a knock at her door and she jumped up rushing to her wardrobe to at least make it look like she'd gotten up after the first servant come in to wake her. "Serenity, your father has sent me to give you your dress for this day. May I come in?" came the calm, soft pitched voice of her best and only allowed friend, Amber. Serenity smiled warmly to herself before lifting her head to gaze at the door. "Yes." she called simply and immediately Amber entered the room. She fit her name well considering her long waist-length amber brown hair and her honey colored eyes. She walked in carrying an elegant blue white dress that swayed as she moved. Amber smiled at her happily and set the beautiful celestial looking dress on Serenity's bed and then turned to look at her. "Happy Birthday Serenity!" She announced brightly and then held out a small box to her. Serenity's eyes widened and she hesitated in taking it.
"Amber...I don't..." Serenity started but Amber silenced her with a forceful "Take it." and she quickly reached for it. Amber smiled at her anxiously, unable to await Serenity's reaction. Sensing that Amber would not be patient with her for much longer, she tore at the parchment wrapping to reveal a small locket in the shape of a heart, an etching of a star, their kingdom's symbol, right in the center. Serenity's gazed shot up at Amber and her friend was already holding up her hands to silence any question or protest the princess might have. "You deserve it." Amber said simply and gave her a loving smile. Serenity grabbed her and pulled her into a tight hug. "Thank you." she said and slowly let go. She reached up behind her head and clasped the locket together and lifted her hair so that the locket hung loosely at the top of her bosom.
"Lovely. Now get dressed, your father will be up any minute to ask you what you saw in your dreams last night." Amber said a bit sarcastically. Serenity smiled at her. The reason she liked Amber so much didn't buy into Serenity's "holy" divinity that her father had circulated. Amber had never treated her any different than she would have a stranger or a friend on the street. Serenity truly believed that Amber was the only person in this kingdom that didn't worship her as if she were the holy goddess of life itself. "Alright." she answered simply and Amber turned so that she could get dressed.
She had only just fitted the dress right to her body when a knock came at her door. "Serenity, darling, are you dressed?" came her father's voice. Serenity sighed softly and looked towards the door. Amber opened her eyes and giggled, giving Serenity an "I told you so" look, she walked to the door and let Serenity's father inside. Damien entered the room and upon seeing his daughter dressed in that beautiful dress, he couldn't help but think how much she looked like her mother. He opened his arms with a warm smile for her. "You look beautiful, my darling little girl. Serenity giggled and approached her father. She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his shoulder. "Thank you father, but I'm hardly a little girl anymore." she giggled. King Damien laughed as well and nodded. "Yes, I guess not. So are you ready to tell the people their fortune for the year?" he asked of her. Serenity stared her father and for a brief second, a frown graced her lips. She didn't like to lie but it seemed this time to keep everyone happy, she was going to have to. "Yes." She said simply and then turned to face her balcony.
Else where in the world a council was being held to determine what might be the poor princess Serenity's future.
A taller old man had just arrived at what seemed to be a castle in ruins. The bricks were covered in a carpet of thick green moss and chunks of the wall were strewn about the grassy ground. The man was accompanied by two guards clad in black leather and a little steel armor. Both earned swords at their hips and there chest plate bore the seal of King Bradley, ruler of Centralium and leader of the council of Royalty. The old man turned to his two faithful body guards and motioned for one of them to come with him. He then walked around to the opposite wall and pushed a slight shift in the ground and the guard jumped in shock to reveal a set of stairs leading below the castle. "Come." said the old man softly and started down the stairs. From there the stairs led to a room well lit with torches. There was a large, long table, centered in the middle of the room and seated at the table were three kings and one queen. They all stood at the arrival of the older gentleman and bowed to him. "Welcome High King Bradley. We have been waiting for you." said the woman at his right.
Bradley and his body guard bowed to them as the old king took his seat at the head of the table. His body guard stood beside him keeping his hood up as he watched the council begin. "This council is now in session. The subject being discussed in this secret meeting is the fate of our world. Lord Xephrayel is starting to build his army further and he's growing stronger even as we speak."
"We need to speak to King Damien again!" called the king closest to Bradley's seat.
"King Hemephis is right! We all know that the daughter of Celeste Aurora is the only one who can defeat Lord Xephrayel. We must convince him this is the only way." said the other king sitting across from Bradley.
"Believe me my friends we've tried. I personally visited King Damien last night and begged him to escort Serenity to Xephrayel's castle but he refused. We must think of another way or our world will be destroyed. Any suggestions?"
The one closest to him on his right stood up and looked around at the people at the table before he spoke. "I say we send someone to escort her for him." said the man. This caused a slight commotion at the table before Bradley hushed them with a hand and spoke. "What are you proposing King Thetus?"
The noble man raised his bearded chin high and looked at them all with a dead serious look. "Kidnap her." he announced to them. Once again a commotion arose and he looked at the king. "I know this is a very bold move your highness but it seems we have run out of time and options." he said firmly. However King Bradley gazed remained to the ground as he clasped his hands together in thought. The woman at the table stood and with her nose high in the air she said with dignity "I second his proposal. We are indeed without other options." Bradley sighed and turned his gaze to the other two kings at the table. "And what is your opinions, King Hemephis and King Rubiar?" the two kings looked at each other before nodding simultaneously and looking back at King Bradley. "Aye!" they both said at once and Bradley sighed.
"Then all that's left is to decide who we send," he said softly. The kings and queen discussed this amongst themselves but soon arguments broke out and they all focused on Bradley. "My daughter should be the one to go! No one would ever suspect a woman of kidnapping!" called Queen Amina. King Hemephis laughed heartily at the queen and shook his head. "A woman cannot protect and guide a woman. That's just ludicrous." Queen Amina stood abruptly with furious anger and glared down at the man with hatred. "How dare you! I'll bet my entire fortune that my daughter could do a better job than your fat lazy pig of a son!" she exclaimed.
"You are treading on thin ice Queen Amina!" announced Hemephis. At this King Rubiar stood and smashed his hand down on the table for silence. The other three looked between each other in shock. Out of all the royalty at this table, and of all the kings, Rubiar was the peaceful jolly giant. His kingdom always lived in peace despite the attacks by Xephrayel. Their attention then focused on him, though Bradley had kept his calm, cool gaze neutral.
"There is no need for petty squabbling my dear friends. We are here to resolve a bigger problem than your ego's." He said firmly, but was slowly returning to his jolly nature as the minutes passed. Queen Amina stared blankly at Rubiar for the time he spoke, as if she didn't want to hear what the gentle giant had to say. Then King Hemephis spoke up.
"Then who would you suggest Rubiar? You have no children to speak of so what could you possibly contribute to this conversation?" He asked, intending to wound the poor man's pride. Rubiar, though hurt by Hemephis' comment, didn't speak against it, instead, he followed High King Bradley's example and played it cool.
"I propose we send King Bradley's son, Kyane, to kidnap the princess." He said simply and his eyes glanced at Bradley for his reaction. His guard in the corner stirred but didn't speak and the other three people at the table all gasped in shock at his proposal. They looked at each other and whispered about it amongst themselves before Rubiar spoke again, this time, his suggestion directed at Bradley, "So King Bradley, what is your answer?" Rubiar asked in his usual collected and peaceful baritone.
At this question Bradley stirred in his seat for a more comfortable position as he thought. He pressed his mouth to his jointed hands on the table and stared blankly at the opposite wall for a numerous amount of time. After several moments his gaze turned to look back at the single guard he had brought with him down in the crypt and beckoned him forward. Immediately, the guard stepped forward into the light that shone down from a whole in the roof and revealed to the council that it was Bradley's youngest son Kyane, the very boy they had been talking about. Bradley opened his mouth to ask Kyane his opinion, but the boy was already waiting to burst out and give him the answer, "I will go. I can guard her and keep her safe from Xephrayel father." He said firmly and his voice streaming with unbound confidence. Bradley looked up into his son's eyes and then sighed sadly as if it pained him to agree. Though it wasn't like he shouldn't be sad, he had already lost one son and if he lost the other, their kingdom would be lost without an heir. The other kings and the queen sitting at the table beamed with pride at the young prince and then their gaze fell upon Bradley.
After a moment, he spoke, "Then it is decided. My son will go and kidnap Princess Serenity Aurora tonight. I have no doubt that if Xephrayel became aware of her powers and our plan, she would be in grave danger anyway and nothing would stop the evil Lord from obtaining her." He then banged the gavel on the large wooden table twice and adjured the meeting.
