THE CORONATION brought vibrance and new life to the kingdom of Ecrin. Many people came to see Prince Zakariah be crowned.

We were greeted by the farmers when we first arrived in the Kingdom of Ecrin. People working out in the fields, with their goats, as well as people in their yards with their cattle and children. The people of Ecrin were friendly, but reserved. They were not used to the presence of so many strangers in their quiet kingdom.

The palace became more visible as we moved deeper into the community. The people who lived more fruitful lives than the rest lived on the outskirts of the castle walls. I noticed that the closer you lived to the castle, the more money you had. The families who lived on the farm lands had limited resources. Nonetheless, the King had made provisions for them, and they have never been overlooked. They weren't hungry or sick, and they all had what they needed.

Merchants greeted us within the castle walls. Behind the gates, all of the buying and selling took place. The King's men stood guard and kept an eye on the people. This was for the protection and security of both the merchants and their patrons. It discouraged the merchants from extorting the people and discouraged the people from stealing from the merchants.

We were greeted by gardens and lush vegetation with trees as we approached the entrance into the courtyard. Beauty and aromas. Things that would adorn the castle and make it appear majestic. My favorite garden is known as the forbidden garden, which was the one into which no one dared to venture. The garden was overrun with poisonous plants. Their beauty, taste, and touch were all lethal.

Two guards stood on either side of the 12 foot long wooden doors leading into the inner walls that the castle sat inside. The castle was constructed of sandstone. Its dark color drew your attention in and held it there like it helt the heat from the afternoon sun. The castle itself was enormous.

The coronation ceremony was followed by a celebratory ball. The men stayed in their clothes. They had all worn evening suits or their dress uniforms for the ceremony. However, all the ladies (including me) had to change into our formal gowns and told the boys we'd meet them there.

Queen Aria was dressed in a deep dark green gown. The green silk-like fabric slid gently across the floor as she glided across the room. Her dress was adorned with black lace that hung from her shoulders and ran down her arms. Her dark curly hair was slicked back into an elegant bun, and her edges were perfectly groomed. She wore just enough makeup to accentuate her sharp features and widen her eyes.

Princess Senara wore a pastel blue gown that made her grey eyes stand out and contrasted her dark skin, though it was lighter than most of her family. The top of the dress was embroidered with light pastel blue flowers that cascaded across the neckline and down the bodice. Her dress dangled from her shoulders. Senara, unlike her mother, let her hair down. Her full curls were on display, bouncing with her every move. The Princess appeared to be looking forward to attending the ball. When I asked her why, she mentioned that she had been promised to one of Ecrin's princes. She appeared ecstatic to see her future husband, Oislin.

My gown was black with a large slit on the side. The skirt was loose and flowy, but the bodice fit like a second skin. A single gauzy sleeve draped down my right arm and buttoned tightly around my wrist. The same fabric was used to create an extra layer of fabric on the bottom of my dress as well as the ruffles on my neckline. I had cut my long black hair up to my shoulders. I wanted to try something new with it and it got it out of my way during work.

Mèabh was dressed in a light yellow gown in a classic princess cut that made her rare purple eyes shine like stars. It puffed out at her waist and landed on the ground, forming a sea of gauze around her. The hem and neckline had gold decorations imprinted on them. Her dark brown hair hung silky and loose behind her, reaching all the way to her knees.

Kingsley, on the other hand, did not wear a gown. Her black pants flowed loosely around her legs, and her fitted black coat was embroidered with silver designs throughout. She was also dressed in black heels. Her inky black hair was swept up into a high ponytail, which was held in place by a silver ring and pin hair ornament and revealed her sharp features. Her skin was as clear as daylight and as white as ivory. Just like the day I met her, her dark eyes held a sharp expression that could pierce steel.

Blakely-Rose was dressed in a pale pink gown similar to Senara's. She has white, pale pink, and rose gold silk flowers that cluster at the neckline and spread out as they move down the bodice and skirt. The dress highlighted her paper-white skin, and her eyes, which were such a light shade of blue that they were almost white, glistened.

I slid my sword into a sheath along my spine, and strapped a pair of daggers to each thigh. Like me, Mèabh, Kingsley, and Blakely-Rose all hid their new weapons on them. Their outfits were all loose enough to conceal their tools underneath. Mèabh had strapped her bullwhip to the outer side of her right thigh. Blakely-Rose had looped her star case to her upper leg under her skirt. Kingsley strapped her Wakizashi along the lower half of her right leg and she had stashed her Katana in one of the tall flower vases in the ballroom.

We made our way back to the Grand Hall where the ball was being held, and I couldn't help but feel nervous. I couldn't help but hope I looked nice in someone's emerald eyes, especially with my new haircut.

As we entered the Grand Hall we were greeted by the commotion of 250 partygoers milling around the room with plates of h'orderves and flutes of champagne. A 10 piece orchestra sat along the back wall playing background music, waiting for the real festivities to begin. Leland, Arius, Evander, August, Willow, Grey and two men I didn't know stood huddled around a small table that sat about at chest height chatting and killing time.

Queen Marianne noticed that we had entered and trotted over in her high heeled shoes. She swept Queen Aria and Senara up in warm embraces and gushed over their gowns. She turned her attention to me and my syndicate members as she held Senara's hands in hers. Queen Aria caught the direction of her gaze and stepped towards us, leading our hostess toward us.

The boys noticed our presence and made their way toward us as Queen Aria made introductions between us and our hostess. I watched their reactions as they saw the girls in their gowns.

Willow beamed down at his little sister, but seemed to be resisting the urge to remove his jacket and place it over her shoulders.

Grey was staring open-mouthed and was bouncing on the balls of his feet. It seemed like he couldn't wait to be away from the crowd and on the dance floor so he could hold the beautiful Blakely-Rose in his arms.

Arius had grabbed Augusts' arm and was using it to support himself. He had gone weak in the knees at the sight of Kingsley. Evander was clearly trying not to gape at Mèabh. His eyes had gone wide and he had stumbled for a second when he had met her gaze for a brief second. I searched the group of men for the only one who held an opinion I was beginning to value.

Leland pushed through between Willow and Evander and froze in his tracks. I felt his eyes widen as our gazes met. He took a step towards me. He reached out and rolled the ends of my hair between his fingers.

"Your hair is shorter than it was an hour ago." he said, breathlessly dumbstruck. I opened my mouth to respond, but no words would come out. His navy blue commander's uniform fit him like a glove and made his skin seem almost as pale as Kingsley's. A decorative saber hung from his belt, but I suspected it was just as sharp as a combat sword.

Leland jumped as a heavy hand landed on his shoulder. One of the men I didn't recognize had come up behind him and was leaning on the men beside him, resting either arm on a shoulder.

"Come on, Willow. This is my party! Aren't you going to introduce me to the pretty girls at my own party?" he complained loudly in Willow's ear. Willow rolled his eyes and I found myself looking at the ornately tiled floor.

"Allow me to make introductions. These are my friends Aislin, Kingsley, Mèabh, and my little sister Blakely-Rose." Willow stated.

"Little sister? Why haven't I met her before? Are you keeping secrets from me, Will?" The man questioned.

"We share the same mother. All the siblings you've met are my father's children." Willow explained.

"Ah." The man said, obviously regretting his smart remark. "Well any friends (or family) of Willow's are friends of mine." he continued. "I'm Zakariah." He offered me his hand for a handshake. I extended my own and gave his hand a firm shake.

"And I am Prince Oislin. It's a pleasure to meet you all." The other man I didn't recognise said, introducing himself.

I felt myself grin as Queen Aria pushed Senara toward him. "This is Princess Senara of Kavan, your fiance." she said, introducing her daughter.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Senara said, offering a curtsey.

Just then a ringing filled the room as a knife came into contact with a champagne chute. "If I could have everyone's attention please!" A man's voice echoed out. It was the former King of Ecrin, King Derry.

"Thank you all for coming to this happy day for our family. To start off this evening's festivities, I'd like to invite King Zakariah and Queen Marianna to share the first dance of the evening. This is a tradition that has been part of our culture for generations and we hope it will continue that way."

Zakariah took his mother's hand and led her to the center of the room. He spun her around and brought her close for their dance. The orchestra began playing a waltz and they were floating across the floor in circles to the music before you could say "Congratulations!"

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Author Note!

Hi everyone ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️Okay so at the end of this are the dresses I imagine the girls wearing, so be ready for a BUNCH OF PICTURES!

Thoughts >

Random >

How is your day today? Was it bad? Good? In between?

QOTD: Siblings?

I have four step siblings.

Queen Arias Dress



Princess Senara's Dress



Aislin's Dress



Mèabh's Dress



Kingsley's outfit



Blakey-rose's Dress



Elowens Dress



Love you all thank you for reading! Xoxox 💋💋

- Mickey ✨