King Elderon sat proudly on his throne, high on his pedestal. His blood-red eyes, as bright as rubies, scanned the room, taking in every detail of the aristocratic parents who now socialized with renewed vigor. They had all turned their attention to their returning daughters, taking up arms beside them in a show of support and a final farewell. They would soon be unable to see or speak to their daughters until a Prince had chosen a princess. They were not allowed to meddle, only to observe. His own Queen, Aurelia, sat beside him, looking proud and regal as she held his hand. Her hair, a deeper, richer red than the fire she commanded, cascaded over her shoulders, its waves so dark they were almost black in the dim light.
It had been so many years since they had been in the same position as these princes and princesses. Elderon was proud, but he held extremely high expectations for his son. He had reigned as king for the last nineteen years, and that reign would soon come to an end if his son could not win the affections of the strongest princess and then produce the strongest prince.
It was not well known to their realm, but the offspring of the king would decide the next ruler. If his son was fruitful, he would sit on the throne for another nineteen years. The only thing that could extend a king's time on the throne was if his offspring took a bit longer to produce a son. But the other kingdoms' Kings would not wait indefinitely.
At the foot of the steps leading to his ornate throne, the Kings of the various kingdoms stood, forced to bow to his omnipotence. It was a certain level of joy that came with being the ultimate King with the final say on all things. During these times, his kingdom had been most prosperous, every other kingdom having to pay tithes in a show of respect and love—though he knew any one of them would cut his throat given the opportunity.
As each princess entered the large ballroom, King Elderon waited for them to be situated with their families before he stood tall and proud. His profound height and his bulky, strong body made him just as formidable as he had been in his prime. Extending a hand, he helped his wife to her feet. She was still so beautiful, but far different from when they had first met. Gone were the fluffy ideals of youth; she was now cold, dark, and cruel—exactly as he wished her to be.
"Welcome!" His voice boomed around the hall, causing a hushed silence to fall over the room. Everyone clamored to hear his next words, eager for him to start the games. "As most of you know, I am King Elderon. But today, I stand before you not as the king of all kings," his blood-red eyes shifted to the Kings below him with a mocking smile, "but as a father, hopeful that my son will find his princess amongst you young ladies."
As he paused, the room erupted in a round of polite applause. The seven other kings and queens all looked at King Elderon with distaste, muttering to each other.
"Maybe his with will still burn him alive."
"How can he be so smug after so many years?"
"Filthy blood suckers."
"Let us all pray for the downfall of his family."
The cutting words of the various kings lit their faces with renewed vigor. It was their time. Soon, one of their kingdoms would take over as the new ultimate sovereign.
Raising a hand to silence the crowd, he continued, "I wish to give you some advice. Be brave, strong, and bold. Know what you want, and do not let anything or anyone get in your way." With those last few words, he turned to his wife.
Queen Aurelia stepped forward, her dark red hair shimmering as if lit from within by a deep, internal fire. She fixed her gaze on the young women. "You left your homes as ladies. Once through our humble gates, you are now princesses, every last one of you. And if you are fortunate and work hard enough, you will then leave a queen. I have stood exactly where you are." She paused, her eyes sweeping over each girl, trying to connect with them.
"She was an absolute force during her debut. Single-handedly killed thirty other girls," a princess whispered to the girl on her left, her voice a mixture of awe and fear.
Daniela, overhearing this, wondered what exactly was going on. Was this not some sort of marriage thing? Why would anyone die?
"Could you imagine that dragon lady as your mother-in-law?" another princess snickered, uncaring if anybody ratted her out. Her eyes were not on the King's son.
"It was scary to leave home, to be thrust into something completely new. This palace is now your home. Feel free to seek guidance and comfort in me at any time. I wish you all well." The queen finished, taking a step back to fall in line with her husband.
Once again, the crowd applauded as people whispered to each other, already trying to make plans on how they could sabotage or outwit their competition.
"Which Prince do you want?" her sister Kayla's voice whispered into her ear.
Daniela turned to face her sister, expecting to feel something—joy, regret, anger, anything.
But she felt numb. She had lived too many lives to be attached to familiar bonds anymore. They were frail and fragile. She did not forget the life where she had tried to redirect her terrible luck onto her sister. It hadn't worked, and she had been angry that it hadn't. In each lifetime, her sister's life was idyllic, so perfect it made her want to scream.
"I'm undecided," her voice was deadpan, lacking any joy. But she knew things wouldn't stay so peaceful, and she needed to prepare for when the other shoe dropped.
Kayla's playful smile slowly started to fall as she noticed her sister's withdrawn behavior. Daniela seemed so different, as if she wasn't herself. Her clothing was a disaster, her wheelchair was gone, and she didn't seem as happy and bubbly as she normally was. The Daniela she knew could hardly stop her smile for a second.
Daniela's eyes scanned the room, waiting for her disaster to arrive. They landed on a tall, statuesque man walking in their direction. He had large, broad wings on his back that looked like polished granite fused with skin, and two slight horns at the top of his head. His skin was the color of polished stone, a uniform, distant gray.
"Hector," the soft words slipped from her sister's lips. If Daniela hadn't been standing so close to Kayla, she would have missed it.
"Princess Kayla Valderas, I choose you as my wife." Hector had known for years that he would marry Kayla the second he was allowed. The king and queen had made their speeches, welcomed everyone, and opened the event, which meant he no longer had to hold back.
A flurry of whispers immediately erupted from the crowd, a mix of reactions rippling through the ballroom.
"Did you see that? He chose her before the ceremony even started!" a princess muttered, her eyes wide with a mix of awe and annoyance.
"Of course, he did. They're a perfect match. I mean, her power is legendary," another said dismissively.
"This is not going to make things any easier for us. His proposal will just intensify the competition now. The stakes are so high," a third princess said, her voice laced with worry, knowing that the most coveted prince was now off the table.
Hector was lucky enough to have fallen for the woman who was blessed with the most unique power in all their land, but who also happened to be the woman that he most loved. They had grown up together. He knew that this might not have been the best moment, that it would make things harder on him, but he wanted his princess. His queen!
Here we go again. Daniela couldn't help but roll her eyes. In every life, a handsome man would always be engaged to her sister, and she would be there to watch. It was the start of the end for her. She wanted to pummel Hector. Could he not have given her a few days of peace before disaster? She refused to believe she was so lucky that she had avoided her fate in this new world of preposterousness.