A Dream's Reality

I was entering through the balcony doors when I saw the room. It was gorgeous. Lights lined the dark railings that ran along the balcony. The ceiling was simple and colored a dark blue, but had a beautiful chandelier hanging from the middle. The stairs and walls were ivory, with intricate designs carved into them. The floors were extremely shiny and wooden-like. There were round tables at the entrance across from me, with white cloths and chairs; each adorned with a blue and white flower arrangement. Tables of food and drinks lined the sides of the room. There was a piano near the wall next to the open space that I would assume is the dance floor. How in the hell did they set this up so fast?!

I took a deep breath. There was a lot of people in here, all dressed in formal clothes. Woah. Noticing my nerves, Naida puts her hand softly on my shoulder. "It'll be alright Queen Celeste. I am here with you if you need me. I will walk you in and introduce you to a few people, then I will let you roam on your own so you can meet the princes." All I could do was nod, my body feeling stiff. "Relax."

"I'll try." I tried to smile, but I'm sure I failed. I was nervous. The room seemed to go silent as Naida walked me down the stairs. I was guided to an older couple who looked a lot like Naida. The woman had the same eyes but her extremely long hair was almost silver. The man had a look of wisdom in his dark grey eyes; his dark blue smooth hair and short beard matched the color of Naida's hair. They both smiled warmly as we approached them.

"Hello Queen Celeste, I'm Azura and this is my husband, Rio. We are Naida's parents." She spoke with an airy and sweet voice. She gave me a warm smile and a hug. It felt nice having a motherly hug, so I hugged back. Rio shook my hand firmly, with only a hint of a smile.

"Hello, it's very nice to meet you, Queen Celeste." His voice was rough but quiet, befitting of his look.
"My parents, or rather my family, has been ruling Ishior as we wait for the Divine Elemental to be summoned. Since the first Divine Elemental, my family has served yours." Naida spoke with a smile.
"Oh wow. Um...Thank you, Mrs. Azura and Mr. Rio." I bowed gratefully. It must be a lot of work serving the 'Divine Elementals and ruling in their place. Azura laughed, her dark blue eyes glistening.

"Oh please. It's the least we can do. And please just call us by our first names Queen Celeste. You don't need to have any formalities with us." I blushed.

"Okay. Um, then please just call me Celeste too." They both laughed and nodded. Naida began steering me away after her parents told me to come to them for anything. I felt a bit more relaxed knowing I have so much help in this new place. It's still unbelievable to me, and I haven't quite stomached it all down. I'm trying not to let it show, as I don't want to ruin this ceremony that Naida prepared for me. I'll overthink later and maybe even get more explanations.

Naida escorted me throughout the ballroom, introducing me to various people. So many people were overjoyed to see me, I felt embarrassed at the attention. Some of the men shook my hand so hard I thought it would fall off. There were people with red eyes and others with ears like Cade. I wonder if those have to do with the different races of each kingdom. Then I saw a familiar face. Braeden.

"Queen Celeste!" He waved over at me before walking closer, smiling the whole way. Naida patted my back, telling me she had to speak to some people and now I can talk to people on my own.

"Hi, Braeden. The ceremony is pretty lively, isn't it? Not something I can get used to...." I laughed in spite of myself. Braeden gave me an apologetic smile.

"Wow. Q-queen, you look beautiful..." Braeden spoke so low it was almost a whisper. My face immediately flushed at the compliment. "Well, come with me, Queen Celeste. It looks like everyone is here." He holds out his hand and I sheepishly take it. Everyone? We walk towards an open area where Elion, Cade, and two other guys I've never seen before stand. Elion walks over smoothly, a smirk on his tanned face and a glint in his crystal blue eyes.

I didn't notice before, but he was also dressed very formal. His suit consisted of a long-sleeved green top that had a white piece covering his chest, it was lined with gold trim and buttons, and tan slacks. On his shoulders were gold armor-like pieces that were ornamented and held together with three gold ropes. He had thick brown gloves that ended just below his elbows. He also changed from the black piercings to gold ones that matched his attire. Wow...

"Why hello Celeste." He grasped my hand in his and kissed the back of it. "It's a pleasure seeing you again." He smiled handsomely. I pulled my hand away slowly, staring at his crystal eyes.

"Yes. Hello Elion." I gave a slight smile before stepping away to greet Cade who had just walked over.
He looked uncomfortable in his all-white suit, although it looks perfect on him. It was embroidered in all gold, highlighting his orange eyes. His messy, light pink hair was covering his eyes. His cat-like ears twitched when he was in front of me and I had the urge to reach up and touch them. No..don't just touch him like that!

"Hello, Cade. Good to see you again." I gave him a smile and his ears twitched again. He just nodded silently. Um okay... He drifts back behind the rest of the guys quickly, not saying a word to me. Is he shy?

Now a tall man with slick purple hair and glowing red eyes steps toward me. His wore a bemused smirk on his pale face. His suit was intriguing. His white shirt was covered by a grey vest that had gold embroidery with a flowy piece of fabric falling from his neck. Over that was a long black coat that had a very high collar and two pieces in the front pinned back with gold buttons. The insides of both the collar and the opened pieces were red; the open pieces had beautifully designed roses sewn on. He also had on black gloves that hid under the flowy white fabric from his top. His pants were just simply black, matching the coat.

"So this is...Hm. I just see an ordinary girl. Nothing queen-like about her." He gave me an appraising look and I was stunned.

"Wha?! How rude! We've only just met and that is the first thing you say?" I couldn't control my words as I shot back. I was already under a lot of stress from this crazy scenario and I don't think I am who they think I am. So I didn't need someone pointing that out.

"I'm Karayan." He smirks. "You haven't introduced yourself to me either." I gasped.

"Well, I'm Celeste!" I gave him a glare, but it didn't seem to affect him. His red eyes glowed in delight. I didn't notice before, but he has two rather sharp teeth; way too sharp for a normal person. Almost vampire-like. What is he?

"Well guess you two met." Braeden stood between us, probably done with our conversation. Or lack thereof... Karayan just laughed and stayed in place. "Okay Queen Celeste, let’s go meet the last prince." I nodded as he ignored Karayan and moved around him.

The last guy was tall and mature looking. His brown hair was pulled into a low ponytail that hung over his broad shoulders. His eyes were a pale blue but looked to be hiding a secret behind them; the black glasses he wore didn't help. He wore a deep blue top that had two pieces pinned back on his chest; they were gold with faint geometric designs. On his shoulders were gold pads with white string-like pieces dangling over the tops of his chest and arms. The bottoms of the sleeves were folded back and matched the open pieces on his chest. He wore white pants with a pale yellow sash hanging on his hips. All of these guys are so handsome...

"Um hello. My name is Celeste. Nice to meet you." I gave him a smile, trying to look up into his hidden blue eyes. When he finally looked at me his cheeks turned pink.

"Lyall. Call me Lyall. It's an honor meeting you, Queen Celeste." He bowed deeply and I couldn't help but giggle. Lyall looked up at me with wide eyes, his long hair swaying with his movement.

"No need to bow in front of me. You are royalty yourself, are you not?" I tried making him feel less stiff and uncomfortable. I could hear snickers from behind us, probably some of the other guys. Lyall's cheeks turned red.

"Y-yes. I just didn't know how to react upon finally meeting you." He hid his eyes again, speaking lowly. His voice was deep but he spoke so softly.

"Come on Lyall! Don't be so shy! We all know Celeste is beautiful." Elion patted Lyall on the back hard, laughing heartily. I blushed at his comment but before anything else could be said Naida cleared her throat and the group's attention was turned towards her.

"Alright, alright. There will be more than enough time to become acquainted later on. For now, I must talk to the 6 of you about what happens next before we can crown Queen Celeste." I gulped. "Since Queen Celeste is here and must undergo training, my family and I decided that the 5 princes will live in Ishior. Here in this palace." My eyes widened. All of them here?! Naida didn't allow anyone to speak. "It will make it easier on Queen Celeste to have you all here with her, she is not ready to be traveling through kingdoms just yet. But she will visit each one with time, as part of training is learning about the kingdoms of Efroria.

"Wait. All of them will be living with us?" I gave Naida a scared look. I wasn't ready to just live with these 5 princes. I'm still getting over living in a palace, away from home.

"Yes. They will have their own separate hall on the floor above your bedroom. Now, you guys will also undergo training. Just to sharpen your skills and maybe even learn some new ones. We must be prepared for when the Evil Lord comes with his reinforcements." The guys all had serious looks on their faces as they nodded. They're all prepared... "On a less gloomy note, let us crown Queen Celeste. I would like you guys to stand in front of the crowd with us as well please."

The 7 of us walked towards the front of the dance floor where Rio and Azura stood waiting. With just clearing his throat, Rio was able to silence the ballroom and grab everyone's attention. I knew the whole room was looking towards me, but I felt like I was being watched intently one person and I shivered.

"Good evening. On this lucky day, we have been blessed to have the Divine Elemental summoned here. From today onwards, we will have a new queen!" The room roared with applause and shouting. "Yes, yes. Settle down. I want to thank you all for coming together here on such short notice. This is Queen Celeste. I hope everyone will give her a warm welcome and help guide her through her studies." Rio gestured me to step forward, so I did and gave the best bow I could muster.

The crowd got excited again and I just smiled at the happy welcoming. Azura came up to me and placed a beautiful silver tiara on my head. The beauty of it left me breathless.

"To Queen Celeste! Let us dance in celebration!" Azura smiled at me and went hand in hand with Rio to the center of the dancefloor. I turned to the guys and Naida.

"Is the ceremony over now?" Cade asked impatiently.

"Yes, the crowning is done. But there is still food and dancing." Cade just nodded at Naida's words before heading for the door. Thinking about it, I never thanked Cade for catching me when I first got here... I decided to go thank him, so I followed him quickly. Once I see him out in the corridor I call out to him.

"Cade!" When he sees me, his orange eyes widen in surprise. He stops in his tracks, standing stiff. "I never thanked you...Thank you for catching me when I was falling." I breathed quickly. Cade's light pink ears, which matched his hair, twitched.

"What? You followed me just to say that...?" He gave me an incredulous look.

"Um. Yes. I would like to return your kindness." He raises his eyebrow, brushing his pink hair out of his slightly tanned face. I feel someone behind me.

"Naida." I turn around to see an upset Naida standing behind me. Uh-oh...

"Queen Celeste. You cannot just walk out of your own ceremony without a word!" Her words were upset but dark blue eyes were filled with worry. "Are you going somewhere with Prince Cade?" She questioned.

"Of course she isn’t...” Cade spoke quietly and turns around. What was that about? Why did he sound so sad? Naida shook me out of my thoughts.

"Let’s go back inside Queen Celeste, just for a little bit." I nodded. "Don't worry about Prince Cade, he's a little rough around the edges but he's a good guy. He just doesn't like crowds very much." I nodded, understanding how he felt. We walked back into the ball when Rio and Azura called for Naida. She put her hand on my shoulder. "I'll be back." I smiled and nodded.

Just then I saw a large man walking toward me, his waist-length silver hair swaying with his smooth moves. I looked up to see golden eyes and a handsome smile. Wait! He comes to me and grabs my hand, staring at me intently.

"Good evening my Queen. It is a pleasure to have finally met the Divine Elemental. You are just as beautiful as I thought, if not more." His eyes and smile were alluring. It didn't take me much longer to realize he looked just like the man I had in my dreams since I was 16. Every night. H-him?! My face contorted in fear, his stare too strong. I quickly pulled away, wondering if this was the end of my dream. I couldn't control my strong reaction to his presence, it was as if he was pulling me. I screamed and before I knew it everything went black.

~~~~~~~~~~

Braeden
The crowning of Queen Celeste had just happened, and now the dancing and feasting would begin. She looked so beautiful, the tiara could do nothing but enhance her beauty. I stared in awe. I’m glad we will be staying here in Ishior to help Queen Celeste train. I can’t wait to teach her!
I was about to ask Queen Celeste to dance with me when I saw her rush after Cade. Hm? I was about to go after her when I already saw Naida trailing her. I know Naida wouldn’t let Queen Celeste skip out on her own ceremony. So I decided to wait for her to come back. It wasn’t too long before the two girls came walking back into the ballroom. Naida was pulled away by her parents so I thought this was the perfect time to ask Queen Celeste to dance.

I was wrong. Before I could get near Queen Celeste, someone had already blocked her path. Father?! To my surprise, it was my dad. I watched warily, not sure why he personally went up to Queen Celeste. Usually, he sends Mother or my brother Cerin to talk to other royals. I guess it’s because she’s special. Just then I heard a scream. Celeste!!

“Queen Celeste! Are you alright?! Can you hear me??” I made it to her first as he guys all rushed to her side when she screamed. She had collapsed on the ground; the crowd had made room around her. Why was HE talking to her? He never shows interest in others… I didn’t have time to ask him what he wanted with Queen Celeste, as he quickly left. I was more worried about her anyway, she wasn't responding. I gave the guys a nod of reassurance that I would take care of her. Even Cade had rushed back in. I'm surprised! I softly lifted her into my arms and walked out of the ballroom, Naida hot on my tail.

“What happened?!” Naida asked worriedly as we walked quickly to what would be Queen Celeste’s new room. I shook my head, not understanding myself.

“I don’t know. She was talking to Sitheis when she suddenly screamed and fell.” I was racking my brain trying to figure out what he could’ve done or what happened to make her scream. As we walked down the halls, I could feel Queen Celeste’s heartbeat very faintly. She’s so light… We finally made it to her room and Naida threw the door open quickly.

“Sitheis? Well. We can figure out what happened later, let’s get her into bed first.” I nodded, placing Queen Celeste gently on the bed and pulling the covers over her body. "Hold on. Let me remove her dress and shoes so that she can be comfortable." I nodded. "Don't look, Prince Braeden!" My eyes widened.

"Ah! I'm sorry!" My face burned red as I quickly turned around and covered my eyes. Oh man... I heard Naida pulling over the covers and removed my hands without turning around.

“Go back to the ceremony Naida, you should help your parents explain that Queen Celeste is just overwhelmed and needs some rest. I can watch over her.” Naida gave me a smile and left the room, closing the door quietly. I sighed and brought a chair next to Queen Celeste’s bed. I took the tiara off her head and placed it on to the nightstand. I watched as she breathed softly and decided to brush the hair out of her face. So soft…