As the crown was placed on top of Fred’s head, the crowd erupted into a big round of applause. Fred, who was currently declared as the youngest king of Hazel smiled back onto the crowd as he returned the scepter.
The princes and I couldn’t be more proud of him. After all, he deserves it. We have seen and witnessed what he could do and how responsible he can be. That is why I admire him. He’s kind and smart, and also talented.
He was the perfect king.
Maybe I should consider migrating to Hazel or buy some Fred action figures? Will I be charged with tax?
“Enjoy the party everyone.” Fred says before he went backstage, probably to sign a few more paperwork. I almost booed at this sudden disappearance because I have yet to marvel at the sight of the handsome new king of Hazel.
Nate saw what I was about to do and immediately covered my mouth with his hand. As soon as Fred was out of the picture, doors began to open. Floating long tables all filled with food arranged themselves accordingly in the area. Everyone marveled at the sight and we all respectfully moved back as the table arranged itself.
Music started to fill the room and soon everyone was comfortable as they started to mingle around.
I was dressed in a white tube mermaid dress with black sequences and gems lining at my waist and fading just at it was reaching the bottom. I haven’t realized it but maybe Gary picked this color after he saw Custard. After all, Custard is white and black.
“You’re suspiciously quiet considering you almost boo’d just now.” Nate came to my side and laughed. He was dressed in a dark gray suit with a white shirt and black vest. His ruffled gold necktie was the only thing that gave his look some color aside from his hair that he tied into a short ponytail. “What? Are you still thinking of something else? Like...somewhere from the balcony?”
I tried to hide my blush as I looked away. Memories of last night flooded my mind. Maybe he doesn’t know. I busied myself by picking up Custard and scratching his chin. “What about a balcony?”
Nate smirked evilly and drew his face closer to Custard. “I don’t know. Maybe it was my imagination, but I think I heard a couple of idiots outside about a confession. But maybe it’s my imagination. Isn’t that right, boy?” Nate cooed at Custard.
“You heard that?”
“Of course. You two were hilarious!” Nate chuckled.
“Who else knows?”
“Most of us, probably.”
I groaned and covered my face with my gloved hand.
“By the way, Rose. Saying thank you after a confession isn’t the right answer.” He teased and covered his lips as he began to laugh. “Oh, that poor werewolf boy. You should have seen the look on his twin when he heard it.”
I gritted my teeth and glared at Nate. “You are asking for it, Nate.” I dropped Custard. I grabbed Nate’s necktie and tighten it over his neck. But instead of choking, Nate hollered in laughter. “Princess, please. You are killing me. That necktie is pinned! It is not adjustable.” He snicked.
I huffed and pushed him back. “Why don’t you look for someone who you can bother, Nate?” I asked grumpily.
“But, Princess! That is exactly why you’re here. You know, it’s kind of unfair and I am very jealous. How come you never have that kind of reaction when I confessed to you?”
I raised an eyebrow at Nate. “Because you obviously don’t mean it.”
Nate shrugged and crossed his arms over his chest. Then he inched his face closer to mine. “What about now? What would you if I confess? Would you believe me?”
“I always believe in you, Nate. That will never change. And right now, I can see that you are doing this for your own amusement.”
“But I am serious when I say that you hold a very special place in my heart. Now that is a fact.” He grinned, then his eyes began to wander off to a spot behind me. His eyes widened and suddenly, all humor seemed to leave his eyes. He frowned.
I followed his gaze and saw Camille walking towards us. The fairy princess has her eyes focused on Nate that she either pretended or really didn’t mee me when she bumped my shoulder harshly, causing me to fall forward. If my dress wasn’t so constricting I would have been able to balance myself. Fortunately, Nate was able to grab a hold of my waist and helped me back on my feet.
I glared murderously at the fairy princess. If Nate wasn’t giving me a warning squeeze on the shoulder right now, I would have pulled out the rest of her purple hair off of her skull and feed it to her.
“Nate!” She beamed and drew closer to him. “I have been looking for you.”
“Yeah?” Nate responded while using his arm to push her back. “Well, I have been avoiding you.”
Camille’s eyes darted towards me and raised her brow. “Oh. You’re here too. Be a doll and get me a refill of this whine.” She says and handed me a half-empty champagne glass.
“You have two hands and two feet. Be a doll and go get it yourself.” I said through gritted teeth while offering her a very sweet smile.
Camille scoffed. “It seems like someone doesn’t know their place.” She says before pouring the rest of her wine over my head.
Nate immediately grabbed the glass and handed me a handkerchief to whip myself. “What the hell, Camille!” Nate yelled furiously at her, then his jaw dropped as soon as something huge appeared behind the fairy princess.
But I felt it before I saw it. Him. I felt his anger colliding with mine and he used it as fuel to morph himself. Custard stood behind Camille, towering over her and growling menacingly. His fur became jet black, unlike its original black and white. It was the same form that he took when he was possessed.
‘HOW DARE YOU DO THAT TO MASTER!’ Custard’s loud snarl and huge form immediately drew the crowd’s attention to our group.
Camille screamed. She dropped to the floor and backpedaled but Custard pinned her dress down with his claws. “Help! Someone help me.”
I was stunned as I watched Custard. His became a mixture of black and red. It was murderous.
‘You test my patience. You harass my master and prince Nate! You do not deserve your essence!’
“Custard, easy boy. You don’t want to hurt her and cause trouble for your master.” Nate cautiously moved to the front and attempted to calm him down.
‘She pushed my master and dumped whine over her! Move aside!’ Custard tried to maneuver over Nate, but the vampire prince would simply move in front of him.
“Rose, tell him to calm down before this causes panic!” Nate looked back at me with a sense of urgency.
I was too busy trying to close the magic that might have leaked out to morph him, but there was none. Custard morph on his own. But Nate is right. I don’t want to ruin this event. And I sure don’t want people to fear Custard either. “Custard, stand down.” I commanded.
‘Master, that girl was disrespectful! At least let me take her essence so she’ll know her place!’ Custard’s offer was too tempting, but I don’t want to abuse that ability of ours.
“Stand down, Custard. Don’t make me repeat myself.” I ordered him again. Thankfully, Custard complied this time. With a loud and distasteful snort, he shrank back to his smaller form. Nate picked him up to hand him over to me, but Custard was still glaring and growling at Camille.
“That was a close call. Why did you morph him?” He asked.
“I didn’t. He did it all on his own.” I replied as we both looked down on Custard. Could it be? Did Custard retain some energy from when he was possessed?
I checked Custard’s fur. He was back to his white and black form.
“You dare make a fool out of me?” Camille screamed. Her hands turning into flame. “I’ll burn you and that disgusting creature of yours!” She moved her hand back as if she was about to fire at us. Nate quickly moved in front of Custard and I.
“I wouldn’t do this if I were you.” Ren grabbed Camille’s hand that was lit in flame to stop her from firing at us. His red military coat almost got singed when Camille attempted to burn him as well. The chain decoration on Ren’s chest rattled at the movement.
“What’s going on here?” All our heads turned towards Fred. As he walked, nobles bowed their heads at him. His long white cape with black and gray furlines around his neck fluttered as he marched towards us. His cape parted a bit at the movement and allowed me to see that he was wearing a white polo shirt with a navy blue vest inside. Fred’s eyes fell on me and his eyes widened. “Rose.” He breathed and directed his gaze to Camille suspiciously. “How did this happen?” He demanded and gestured for Ren to release her hand.
Ren begrudgingly complied. “It was all an accident, your majesty!” She claimed and ran over to me and had the audacity to pull me into a hug. “Oh, princess. I am sorry for being such a klutz. You suffered because of it.” She says and then whispered. “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll shut up. A princess without a kingdom should know her place, don’t you think?”
When she pulled back, she smiled sweetly at me. I returned the gesture. Then it was my turn to whisper in her ear. “Unfortunately for you, I never know what’s good for me so I always get myself into trouble.” When I moved back, I got the satisfaction to see the look of disbelief on her face. “And just so you know? I think you should be the one to know your place. Summer Fairy.” I winked at her before looking at Fred. “It was her! She started it. She dumped whine all over me that angered my familiar.” I pointed at Camille. “Prince Nathaniel can vouch for it.”
Ren and Dan covered their laughs with their fist while Camille gapped at me. She probably couldn’t believe that I just ratted her out. Custard and I stuck our tongue out at her and I even showed her my middle finger.
Fred fought the amused look on his face. As a king, it shouldn’t show on his face that he was keeping favoritism. “Prince Nathaniel, is this true?”
“Every word of it. I might even add more.”
“But your highness! You can’t just believe a princess like her without a background!” Camille still kept ongoing. “She’s just a nobody. For all you know-” She was interrupted when Ace came behind her and whispered something in her ear. Camille gasped and looked at him fearfully.
“You still want to keep on going?” He challenged her. His navy blue coat would have been menacing if it weren’t for the white exposed triangular fold, which I assume is a part of its design. One of his shoulders has a golden shoulder pad with braids of golden swaying at his every movement.
“Your Grace!” It was a white-haired winter fairy. Chace Cleaveland. Camille’s younger brother. “Apologies for my sister. I will escort her back.” He says.
I leaned in towards Nate. “Wasn’t his hair jet black before?” I whispered.
“Must be his winter magic. It must be getting stronger.” Came his reply.
Fred nodded at him. Chase took that opportunity as he escorted his shaking sister away from the crowd.
Fred stepped in front of me and studied my now ruined hair. “I’m sorry this happened. I shouldn’t have invited her over.”
“Don’t worry, Prince Fred. No one blames you on this.” Nate says.
“Yeah.” I agreed and jerked my thumb towards Nate. “I blame him actually.” I laughed when I saw Nate giving me a disapproving look. “What?” I questioned him. “That crazy chick is obsessed with you. She was just trying to get rid of me because she thinks I am a part of her competition.”
Nate’s face brightens. “Are you?”
“No.”
Nate pouted.
Fred laughed at our exchange. “Hold still, Rose.” He says and placed his palm on top of my head. Then he began to speak in a different language. Suddenly, all the stains on my hair and dress vanished. My hair was fixed and my dress was clean once again. “There. As if nothing happened.”
I touched my braided bun. It was all dry and carefully fixed again. I looked at Fred. “Are you my fairy godfather?”
Fred chuckled. “I hope not if that is all that I will ever be.” He says and offered me his hand. “Care to dance?” He says and then said the words low enough so that only I could hear. “Do you think we can break the awkward tension in the room?”
I grinned. “Only if you remember the waltz I taught you.”
***************[KINGDOM OF TEREAU]*******************
Viex was slowly fading. Even though he managed to get a little rest, he lost a lot of magic healing Stella. If he doesn’t form a bit of a connection with his master soon, he will disappear.
And he cannot disappear now. Not when he still has to deliver this letter to his master.
That stupid spirit just had to summon him all the way to Tereau. Viex doubts that Rose and the princes would still be in Hazel by the time that he arrives.
Thalia. He will intersect their route to Thalia.
Viex’s legs were shaking but he kept on moving. One of his tails was already becoming shear. This is what happens to contracted spirits that are too far away from their masters. They need their master’s magic so that they could remain in solid form.
If Viex loses this battle, he won’t be able to deliver the letter.
A little more push. He has to. He encouraged himself and kept moving faster.
But deep down, he wonders if he can actually make it.