Chapter 1: Hidden Motives
"Give me my necklace back, Kirie!"
Said girl's musical laugh bounced off the castle walls of the long hallway around her as she kept running forward, her long dark hair flapping hazardously around her.
In mid stride, Kirie twisted her head around to see her older sister, by just a year, glaring angrily at her with dark blue eyes, running a couple feet behind her with only towel covering her body. Her white hair was secured tightly in a wet bun on top of her head with water droplets falling from it to trail behind her.
"You have a gazillion necklaces," Kirie shouted, looking back at her sister with teasing blue-gray eyes.
"Well I'm wearing that one!"
Coming up on an intersection of hallways, the two girls rushed passed almost knocking their brother and his friend over.
Brown eyes widened from shock and then a smiled stretch over his mouth at the sight of the two girls chasing each other and one almost completely naked. He put two fingers between his lips and catcalled down the hall after them.
The girls' brother, Sebastian, rolled his light blue eyes and put a hand over his friend's eyes.
"Put some clothes on, Aurora!" he shouted, knowing his sister was probably too busy to hear him.
The brown-eyed boy swatted Sebastian's hand away from his face.
"Common, lighten up," he demanded.
Sebastian reached up and ran one of his hands through his blue/black hair and sighed.
"That's sick, Jay."
"You only think so because your related," the boy named Jayden mumbled defensively.
Just down the hall, Kai Hiwatari emerged from his bedroom after having prepared himself for a brief meeting with the kingdom's council downstairs. He saw the two girls coming his way before they whizzed passed him, continuing their chasing down the length of the hall.
"Dad," a girl's voice shrieked angrily she passed, "control your daughter!"
Kai knew exactly whose scream that belonged too. His eldest, Aurora.
What could be the problem this time…he thought as he turned, ready to go after them.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Mr. H," warned a voice behind him, " last time Gabe tried to help he got his nose busted up."
Kai stopped and turned around to see his son and next to him and an almost spitting image of his childhood friend, Tyson Granger – but instead this boy had brown hair instead of black.
Kai stared back at the two 16 year old boys with his eyebrows raised questioningly.
Jayden shrugged at the king's expression.
"Just warning you –"
Suddenly a loud, frustrated screech pierced through the halls and the guys cringed.
"Jeez, Aurora has a pipe on her…" Sebastian muttered, rubbing his ears.
"What the hell is going on?"
Ana Hiwatari's black heels clicked angrily as she came stomping down the hall to the group of guys who had gathered in the middle of the walkway. She was glaring disapprovingly at Kai, like it was his fault, as she approached him and waited for an answer.
Sebastian answered his mom instead.
"Rory and Kirie are fighting again," he sighed casually.
Ana rolled her light blue eyes – the same color as her son – and groaned as she looked down the hallway as another scream echoed off the walls.
Suddenly her glare snapped to her husband again.
"I thought the manwas suppose to do the disciplining?"
Before Kai could retort something smart back, Ana had continued walking down the hallway, her heels clicking harder and angrier now. Her black, back-less dress swayed wildly behind her.
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"Alright you two, break it up."
Despite the many possibilities of rooms in the castle they could have been in, it hadn't been hard for Ana to find her daughters; with they way they were yelling the whole kingdom could have found them.
They had ended up in her and Kai's master bedroom actually, and were currently on the room's outside balcony that over looked the gardens below.
Her youngest, Kirie, was holding a shinning gem necklace over the balcony's railing, while fruitfully using the other side of her body has a shield preventing Ana's oldest, Aurora, from getting to her jewelry as she held up her towel with one hand and with the other tried to reach over her sister.
"But mom – "
"Kirie, give it back, whatever it was you took."
Kirie frowned and reluctantly lowered her arm with the necklace in it.
Aurora quickly snatched it back with a huff and stepped away from her sister.
"Common, mom. I was just messing with her…"
Ana reach up and pinched the bridge of her nose.
"How old are you guys?" she asked rhetorically and then sighed. "Look, you know I don't care if you have fun, but do we really need the screaming? I was in the gardens and I could still hear you two."
"She took the necklace I wanted to wear tonight," Aurora accused defensively as she glared at her younger sister, "No other necklace goes with my outfit."
Kirie rolled her eyes.
"Fine. Kirie, don't steal Aurora's things. Aurora, there's no need to scream," Ana replied sternly, and then frowned, "And for goodness sake, Aurora, put some cloths on."
"Yes mom," both sisters mumbled.
Ana couldn't help the loving smile that suddenly spread across her lips. Her daughters reminded her so much of herself at their age.
"You're still teenagers, I get it. But as princesses you have an image to maintain also. Have fun, be yourselves, but know when to act your age too."
Ana turned around and was about to leave the room when she remembered one more thing she wanted to say.
"If I see you dressed like that again, I'll ground you until your sixty," she said looking straight at her oldest.
Ana pinched the bridge of her nose again as she walked out of the room; already she heard the quiet threats that were being thrown back and forth through the doorway.
She was starting to feel bad about what a pain in the ass she must have been to her parents when she was a teenager.
Nineteen years of chiding her three children was starting to wear on her too.
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"Ah-ha. See perfect."
"What are you talking about? You have ten more necklaces exactly identical to that," Kirie argued from her place on her sister's bed. A book was in her hands but at the moment she was watching her white haired sister inspect herself in her large wall mirror across the room.
Aurora's room was one of the taller rooms in the castle on the third floor, having high ceilings with stone beams and archways decorating above and long windows. From where Kirie was lounging on the rich red sheets of her sister's king sized bed, a door leading to a large attached bathroom was to her right, a walkway to a balcony was adjacent to the bathroom, and across the room next to the large mirror was another door that lead to Kirie's adjoining bedroom.
Aurora spun once as she inspected herself in the mirror; a girl wearing a flowing gold strapless gown with her hair up in a wet bun, stilling needing to be done, reflected back at her. As she turned, her dark blue eyes caught the light reflecting off of the hazel gem necklace at her throat.
"I think you look gorgeous," Aurora's cousin, Rosaline complimented kindly from her place against the room's balcony doors.
Rosaline was already finished getting ready for the party with a plain, but still stunning on her small frame, dark blue dress that made her ocean blue eyes pop. Her blonde hair was held back in a neat ponytail at the crown of her head.
Aurora turned her head away from the mirror and smiled at her cousin.
"Thanks."
"Where'd Liv go?" Kirie asked as she put her attention back to her book.
Aurora turned back to her mirror, taking her hair out of its bun and let it fall over her shoulders and onto her back.
"Not sure where she was going, but she said she'd be up here soon."
"What do you guys think?" interrupted an excited voice coming from the open door to Aurora's closet next to the bathroom. A girl with short pink hair came out of Aurora's large closet, her hazel eyes shinning with confidence. She twirled once, showing off the peach colored dress she had found after discarding her usual maid's robes.
"It looks good, Porsh," Aurora nodded her approval.
"Thanks, you look pretty hot yourself," the pink hiared girl, Porsha, replied as she looked at her mistress and best friend up and down.
Kirie suddenly sighed loudly. She looked up from her book to give the two girls exasperated glares.
"You know, you guys used to be so cool," she whined dramatically, "it seems just like yesterday we were rolling around in the mud together and listening to our mothers scream at us. Then I just wake up one day to find that you've grown a guy and fashion obsession so intense that it transformed you from reasonable, sane people, into male-seeking, clothes hunting missiles."
"Amen," Rosaline agreed.
"Well excuse us if we don't have hot boyfriends like you two," Porsha teased.
"That reminds me, Kirie…here I got this out for you," Aurora walked away from the mirror to her dresser, grabbed a bracelet that was resting there, and walked over to her bed where her sister was lounging.
Kirie lifted her eyes up and blankly looked down at what Aurora was now offering her. It was a delicate looking diamond bracelet that had small, deep purple gems scattered around it.
"It doesn't really go with that I'm wearing," Kirie said simply.
"Well I was kind of hoping you'd change."
Kirie furrowed her eyebrows.
"Why? What's wrong with that I'm wearing?" she asked looking down at the plain, modest light blue dress that was currently covering her body.
"Tomorrow's my real birthday; tonight's just a greeting thing," she continued dismissively, beginning to look back down at her book, "I'll dress up then."
"I think Nate will like that sexy purple dress I picked out and set on your bed better…"
Kirie stiffened, and looked up in surprise.
"Nate? I thought he wasn't coming until tomorrow?"
Aurora shrugged, "Well, surprise, he is. But don't worry I already laid out shoes to go with that dress on your bed –"
Before Aurora could finish, Kirie hopped up from her sister's bed, dropping her book, and grabbed the bracelet still in Aurora's hand before racing across the room and into the door that led to her adjoining bedroom.
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"Can you please hurry up."
"Calm down sparky, Nate's not going anywhere."
"I know but I want to be ready and downstairs when he gets here so he won't have to wait with dad…" Kirie trailed off as she thought about what a disaster that would be. Kirie knew they're father was a complete push over with his girls, but with the boys they wanted to date, he was a total pain in the ass.
"Look, I feel for the guy, but I'm going as fast as I can," Aurora replied defensively as she pulled up another piece of her sister's dark hair, twisted it around her finger and pinned it to the back of her head. Even though she hadn't actually met Nate yet, Aurora still would feel bad if he had to wait even a second with her dad.
"You are a mess, woman," came Porsha's disapproving voice next to the two royal sisters. She was currently dusting another patch of flour from off the top of her friend's head of thick orange hair standing in front of another mirror.
"What exactly did you have to do?"
The girl in question, Livvy, put down the gray eyeliner she had been applying lightly around her icy blue eyes and moved onto a pale shade of lipstick.
"I had to help my mom with some last minute cooking," she answered before puckering her lips and dabbing color on them.
Aurora frowned as she listened, twisting another piece of dark hair into submission and pinning it down.
"That's not like Gemma to be rushing around at the last minute," she said.
Livvy shrugged.
"Some last second additions were put on the guest list and more food had to be made."
"Hey, what about this one?"
Following the muffled voice coming from inside Aurora's closet, Rosaline appeared holding a corset styled red dress out in front of her.
Both Aurora and Porsha looked up from their hair jobs and made a face.
"Next."
The blond turned back and disappeared inside the closet to hunt for another dress.
"That definitely would have clashed with your hair," Aurora told Livvy seriously like she needed to justify her choice.
Porsha nodded, then changed the subject to a topic she found a little more important then what her redheaded friend would wear to the party.
"So do you think you'll be able to get those drinks for tonight, Liv?"
Livvy grinned.
"My mom's tried to hide the stash, but I have to know where everything is in that kitchen to be able to help her cook, so unless she's changed the hiding spot in the last fifteen minutes, then I can get us some alcohol."
This time it was Kirie's turn to smirk.
"I know where my parents keep the alcohol in their room, just in case you can't find it."
"I'm not even going to ask how you know that," Aurora rolled her eyes.
"Don't we get to drink on special occasions anyway?" Rosaline called out from inside the deep closet. She came out holding a revealing deep purple dress this time.
"Where's the fun in that, Rose?" Porsha wanted to know.
Livvy caught sight of the dress Rosaline was carrying and made a face.
"God no, definitely not that thing," she said. She winced as Porsha snagged a knot of her hair between her fingers as she tried to get something sticky out of the mess of hair. "Where do you get these awful dress from, Rory?"
"A lot of them were gifts," Aurora shrugged, "but you know a girl's gotta have variety."
Aurora finally finished the last of Kirie's hair.
"Alright, you're done."
"Thanks."
Kirie hopped out of the chair and started for the door.
"Hey, no loitering with your boy toy tonight, Kir," Porsha quickly reminded her before she ran out the door.
"Sure, ok," came Kirie's faint reply from down the hall.
"You either, Rose," the pink haired girl added loudly toward the closet.
Rosaline came out the closet again with a pink dress and wearing a matching blush on her cheeks.
"He's not a boy toy if we've been going out for almost two years," she argued.
Aurora raised her eyebrows.
"You and Wes have been going out for that long already?" she asked.
Rosaline nodded proudly.
"I don't know what you see in my brother…"Livvy admitted incredulously.
"Well, if you must know, he's easy going, spontaneous, optimistic, upbeat –"
As the blonde continued, Livvy made teasing gagging gestures at Porsha through the mirror she was facing. Porsha giggled, starting to use a brush to comb through her friend's orange hair.
" –and not to mention his soft black hair and beautiful green eyes –
"Ok, please stop before a vomit for real," Livvy finally interrupted.
Rosaline shrugged with a careless grin on her face.
"Well you said you didn't understand why I liked him and I was just explaining myself," she said innocently. Rosaline was good with innocent with her big ocean blue eyes.
"I didn't want the gory details."
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Dark gray eyes bore menacingly into uncomfortable brown ones.
King Hiwatari crossed his arms over his chest, never taking his eyes off the younger, dirty blonde haired boy in front of him.
"So your Nathaniel, is that correct?"
The brown eyed boy nodded.
"Yes, your highness."
Kai stared some more as the boy named Nate kept glancing anxiously up the stairs that they were currently standing at the bottom of like he was expecting someone to come walking down them at any minute.
The awkward silence between the two men stretched on but with Kai looking like he couldn't feel more comfortable.
"Does Kirie know – "
"I already sent someone to get her."
"Oh, ok."
More silence.
"Look, sir – "
"Let's make a couple things clear since this is our first time being introduced: What you do to Kirie, I do to you. You touch her, I touch you. You hold her hand, I hold yours. You kiss her, I kiss you. You hurt her, and I break you into."
Nate stared at the King like he was crazy while Kai look right back in all seriousness.
"Nate!"
Kai and Nate both looked up to see Kirie, her dark hair elegantly pinned up, walking quickly down the stairs with a tight smile on her face.
The shape of her face was from her mother, Kai knew, and so was her build, but her hair and careless attitude she had gotten from him. Her eyes were a perfect mix of both Kai and Ana's. It always surprised Kai how much his two beautiful girls had gown up, and how much more they looked like his wife everyday. He couldn't help seeing a younger version of Ana walking down the stairs in that same purple holter dress Kirie was wearing.
The youngest daughter glared at her dad with that same tight smile when she passed him and threw her self into a hug with Nate.
Kai ignored Kirie's glare and frowned as she embraced this Nate boy. He then started to realize how much he disapproved of the dress she was wearing; the front showed too much bare skin and the back took a considerable plunge almost showing off all the way to her petite waist.
He started to clear his throat loudly; ready to unleash some discipline, smart-ass comments, and demand Kirie change into something along the lines of a bag that covered every inch of her body when his wife's voice suddenly interrupted him.
"Nate, so nice to see you again."
Kai frowned at Ana's sweet voice and the way she was smiling kindly at the blonde boy Kai was already starting to hate as she walked down the hallway towards them. How could she act like this boy wasn't practically feeling her youngest, half-naked daughter up right in front of her?
Much to Kai's relief, Kirie and Nate pulled their arms and bodies apart and looked at Ana. The Queen was coming from checking in on the kitchen staff, and she was smiling pleasantly at the dirty blonde haired boy. When she approached the group, she went to stand next to Kai, leaning into the natural curve of his side.
Nate bowed respectively.
"Pleasure to see you too, your majesty."
"I was just taking Nate to the gardens…"Kirie stated, impatiently starting to take his arm and lead him away from her prying parents.
Kai tensed at her sudden plans and his frowned deepened to a scowl.
Feeling his tension, Ana also moved to link her arm around his to calm him. She smiled at her daughter and her boyfriend.
"Ok, I get it," she smiled knowingly, "have fun. Just make sure your back before your guests start arriving, which means you have an hour."
"Ok mom," Kirie replied dismissively, starting to pull Nate away with her, "…common, Nate."
"Remember what I said, boy," Kai added after them, sour with the whole situation. He watched the kids leave before they disappeared around a corner out of sight. He could feel Ana's eyes on him and started to notice that it was oddly quiet. He turned and came face to face with annoyed blue eyes, the cocked hip, and the hand on the waist pose. It was Ana's 'your in trouble' stance.
"What?" he asked innocently.
"You know what."
Kai thought for a minute. What could he have possibly done wrong this time?
He wracked his brain for things he might have done within the passed week to deserve 'the stance'.
Ana sighed, aware that Kai probably wasn't going to answer.
"Why is it so hard for you to be civil to people you've never met before?"
Kai realized now what she was talking about and inwardly groaned.
"I don't like the guy," he stated bluntly.
"I'm not asking you to be best friends with him on your first introduction, but could you at least act decent and give him a chance?" Ana pleaded, "I mean, think of how much my father hated you at first and look where we are now."
Kai hesitated, thinking back. Reliving memories.
Ana watched as a slow smirk started to stretch his lips across his cheeks.
Her eyes moved over his expression, trying to read his face.
"What?" she asked, wary.
Kai turned his body to fully face her. He leaned over, took a strand of stray white hair and moved it back to its ponytail before kissing Ana's exposed neck.
"Just reliving some memories," he answered, his breath sensuously fanning over her skin, sending chills of pleasure up her spine.
"Care to share?"
"Or I could show you…"
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The throne room was alight with the noisy chatter of the party guests and music playing constantly, but quietly in the background.
King and Queen Hiwatari sit on their thrones over looking the guests with their three children beside them.
Sebastian tiredly starts to nod off to sleep from boredom at his father's right side.
In the throne next to Ana, Aurora distractedly scans over the crowd of people for potentially hot males to introduce herself to later, and beside her, Kirie absently inspects her fingernails while her thoughts drift to her blonde boyfriend and secret drinking parties.
Off to the side Skye and Max sit with their daughter Rosaline, who keeps stealing glances at her dark haired boyfriend as he mixes himself in with the crowd.
Approaching the steps to the royal family, an older, round man wearing a set of intricately designed and colored robes ascends a stair and bows before the family, presenting a small wrapped gift within his hands.
"Ithal, how are you?" Ana smiles politely, "Your trip was enjoyable, I hope?"
The plump man nods.
"Your majesty keeps a beautiful kingdom. And I'm very well, thank you."
Porsha, who was standing next to Kirie, leaves her place to take the gift from Ithal.
"A present for the birthday girl," he smiles, handing the package over. Porsha sets the box on a table off to the side subtracting more space from the already over flowing table.
Kirie puts her hand down from looking at her nails and places it gracefully over the other in her lap.
"Greatly appreciated," she thanks him mechanically.
Ithal bows again, replies that it was no problem and how honored he is for having been invited, and leaves.
This was how the last two hours had gone. Slowly.
Out in the middle of the crowd, with people dressed impressively around him, Wesley stands talking with Nate.
"Some party, huh?" Wesley asks sarcastically, his green eyes glancing toward Kirie sitting on her throne and picking at her nails. "The birthday girl looks absolutely thrilled."
Nate looks in the direction Wesley is until he spots his girlfriend.
"Why don't you ask her to dance?" Wesley suggests, giving Nate a sly grin.
"Her dad might kill me."
Up in his chair, Kai emotionlessly stares down into the large crowd of people.
"Mr. H can be a grouch, but he's really not all bad."
Nate gives his new friend a doubtful stare.
Wesley shrugs.
"Well, you are dating his daughter, dude, what do you expect?" he laughs.
Suddenly being shoved roughly to the side, Wesley has to struggle not to drop the drink he has his hands.
"What the f – "
"Go up and ask Rose to dance already, her obvious boredom is pathetic and she's been giving you glances for the past hour if you haven't noticed," hisses an annoyed feminine voice.
Wesley straightens up and sees his sister, Livvy, glaring at him while holding a tray of small appetizers and wearing a silver dress with her usually wild orange hair tamed into a tight bun. He glances up at his beautiful Rose sitting to the side of her cousins with her father and mother. Guilt licks at his heart. She was waiting for him.
Wesley rakes a hand through his black hair, hair he had inherited from his mother. He turns to Nate and suddenly gives him a small smile.
"Just follow my lead…and don't worry about Kai." He starts maneuvering his way through the crowd toward where the music is coming from.
Confused at first, it takes a minute before Nate realizes Wesley was talking to him and follows as he gives his friend's backside a doubtful look.
"How can I not worry about a man that could have my head cut off and mounted within the hour…" he mumbles.
Livvy rolls her eyes at the boys.
"Finally," she sighs, walking off to serve more food.
Wesley breaks through the crowd of people and in front of him is the small orchestra of men and women and violins and cellos and flutes and trumpets. At the head of the musical group stands the conductor on top of a small raised platform in a clean, crisp black suit, with his short brown hair tidy when it's usually messily kept, waving his arms smoothly in patterns only the orchestra can interpret.
Wesley approaches the boy who is around his age of seventeen and lightly pokes him in the side.
The boy turns, surprised, and looks down at Wesley, never stopping the movement of his arms.
"Could you slow it down for just a couple songs for me, Gabe?" he asks, flashing him a smile.
Behind small rectangle shaped glasses, Gabriel's dark green eyes glance knowingly up toward the royals at the head of the room and nods, smiling warmly.
"I'll see what I can come up with."
"Thanks dude."
Nate watches the short conversation curiously and then continues to follow Wesley toward their girlfriends. Around him the once quiet, up beat music ceases playing and instead a soft hum of instruments starts playing slowly, creating a more hushed atmosphere. People mill around each other, trying to find dancing partners, and couples start to appear on the dance floor while others step back.
Nate watches Wesley confidently ascend the stairs to the thrones. He bows politely first to the King and Queen and then turns straight for the blonde girl Nate knew as Rosaline –who was cute, but was too naïve for his tastes – who has the brightest smile on her face as he holds out his hand to her.
"Dance with me?" he asks softly. An emotion Nate recognizes flickers across Wesley's green eyes as he stares at his girlfriend. Just by this look on Wesley's face, Nate knew that he would do anything the blonde would ask. Wesley was definitely whipped, and obviously didn't bother to hide it.
Rosaline looks to her dad, who nods his approval, and Wesley takes her hand and leads her down the steps, passed Nate, and to the dance floor.
Nate looks at Kirie, then Kai and gulps.
If only it were that easy.
Despite his nerves, he takes a deep breath, removes himself from the shelter of the crowd, and cautiously starts walking up the stairs. Before even daring to look at Kirie, Nate approaches the King and bows.
"It would honor me deeply if your majesty would allow me to have a dance with Princess Kirie," he says smoothly, all the politeness he's learned over the passed couple years surfacing.
A long silence passes as Kai contemplates, but Nate still doesn't dare to lift his brown eyes.
In her seat, Kirie glares hard at her father, while Aurora grins happily for her sister as she watches the scene play out.
The warm smile Ana had been holding, slowly starts to fade as Kai's silence stretches on until it becomes almost too awkward for her to bare. Without looking at her husband, she gives his arm a firm, sharp nudge with the point of her elbow.
Kai scowls down at the still lowered head of Nate like it was his fault.
"Yes, alright fine," he replies, the answer coming out in a hiss between his teeth at his attempt at decency.
Nate straightens his posture with a smile and holds out his hand to Kirie.
Now all smiles, the dark haired princess takes Nate's hand and lets him lead her down the couple of stairs from her throne to the dance floor.
Ana's smile is back as she lightly pats Kai's hand.
"That wasn't so hard."
Kai is so irritated with the dirty blonde teenager who is now placing his hands on his youngest daughter's waist that he doesn't respond.
From her place next to her mother, Aurora sighs sadly as she enviously watches first her cousin and now her sister get swept away by cute boys. All she needed was one to rescue her too. She looks over the crowd of people again. She spots Gage's head of thick black hair standing next to Jayden, Rosaline already twirling around with Wesley, and most importantly guys. A variety of guys too– short, tall, tan, pale, lean, muscular, foreign, you name it.
"Drool much?"
Aurora turns her head to the right with a roll of her eyes to see Porsha smirking teasingly at her. The princess turns her nose in the air.
"I never drool…but hello, I'm not blind."
Porsha can't help but agree even with the teasing smile on her face.
"Now I don't know about you, but I'm sick of sitting here watching everyone else have fun…" Aurora turns and smiles sweetly at her mother just to her left.
"Mom, may I please be excused?" she asks.
Ana smiles as her daughter.
"Sure, sweetheart."
Aurora triumphantly stands up to pick up the ends of her dress, motions for Porsha to follow, and descends the stairs into the crowd.
Sebastian enviously watches his sister leave and disappear between the group of people below him. Even Porsha got to leave.
His light blue eyes stare at his father expectantly.
"What?" Kai asks when he feels his son staring at him.
"I'd like to leave also."
Kai pauses.
"Alright, have fun," he allows.
Sebastian breaks out into a grateful smile and nearly jumps out of his throne and throws himself into the crowd.
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Kirie contently settled into the curve of Nate's body. A comfortable warmth engulfed her as they swayed back and forth to the rhythm of the soft music. One of his hands was covering hers, and the other was placed on her hip. Kirie almost started laughing as she pictured her dad watching them and the face he was most likely wearing.
His warmth was pulling her deeper. The lids over her blue-gray eyes started to droop. Kirie laid her head on his shoulder.
As they turned and swayed, she saw the back of Gabe's head of light brown hair through the crowd in front of his orchestra, and his arms appearing and disappearing over party goers heads as he gracefully directed the instruments. In a stunning silver dress, Livvy was helping her mom with the catering. She walked through the crowd with a friendly smile on her face and a tray of appetizers. Kirie caught sight of Rosaline just next to her dancing with Wesley. Just barely she could see her brother, Sebastian, lively talking with Gage and Jayden. Bright hazel eyes caught hers looking at them, and Kirie gave a small wave to Gage, who returned the gesture with a friendly smile.
The person easiest to spot was her sister, with the only head of white hair – aside from their mother – in the room. Aurora confidently strolled through the crowd, shamelessly sizing up the young men as she went, and all of them seemed to be going the same.
Aurora had a kind of beauty that brought things to her. And of course Kirie had the same physical attraction as her sister in a sense, but Aurora had the more open beauty. Even when she was little Aurora took the spotlight and fed off the attention that came with it. She knew how to play people with her charm to get what she wanted, but that was just Rory, and Kirie loved her sister no matter how much of an attention whore she was, and even if it did get pretty annoying sometimes.
Kirie inhaled Nate's scent of some kind of expensive cologne, trying to remember that she was the one with the boyfriend this time. She pressed a chaste kiss to the side of his neck before laying her head back down and letting him lead their dance.
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Ever since loosing her first kiss to Gage when she was nine, Aurora found that she loved guys. She loved the way they smelled. She loved the feeling of their lips on hers. Loved the way they looked like they would do anything to keep kissing her once she pulled away. She considered herself a bit of a player – if her parents knew, they'd kill her – but once the initial rush of the first kiss wore off she tended to become bored. What could she do? She liked variety. Different clothes, different shoes, different jewelry…different guys.
Always had, always will.
She was aware that she probably thought more like a guy when it came to the opposite sex then most of the guys she knew, and definitely went through a lot more.
Almost like a radar that had been permanently built into her brain, Aurora spotted a group of guys –about five – in the crowd talking together. There was one in particular that caught her eye though. Dark, curly brown hair. Her age, maybe older. Tanned skin. Possibly foreign. Hershey colored eyes. Medium height. Broad shoulders.
Yum.
"I got dibs on the foreign," she whispered to her maid, Porsha, who was at her side.
"As long as I get the blonde," came the excited response.
Aurora scanned over the group of guys to see who Porsha had her eyes on. Bright blonde hair. Tall. Lanky. Deep green eyes.
Nice.
Porsha and Aurora confidently strolled over and boldly planted themselves right next to the men.
"I hope you are enjoying yourselves?" Aurora inquired politely.
The guys immediately stopped talking, and upon recognizing one of the princesses, bowed.
A round of 'yes, thank you' came muttering up from their lips as they slyly straightened back up to get a good look at the girls talking to them.
Aurora was aware of the other eyes on her, but she could only focus on the dark eyes of the foreign hottie. As soon as his gaze fluttered from her lean elegant figured wrapped in a gold dress, to her daring dark blue eyes, Aurora knew that he wanted to touch her. She took complete advantage of his reaction by moistening her lips with her tongue and ever-so-casually tucking a strand of loose white hair behind her diamond clad ear while arching her back. And if doing so thrust her breasts out, well, that was ok too.
"Aurora Hiwatari," she said, holding out her hand and introducing herself. She was vaguely aware of Porsha chatting up the other guys in the background. Her pink haired maid could be seductive when she wanted to be.
Foreign hottie smiled slyly and took the princess's hand to his lips to leave a whisper of a kiss on her knuckles.
"Kaloyan. Nice to finally meet you, princess," he replied in a smooth, slightly accented voice – a totally hot voice.
Around her, Aurora heard the current song that was playing coming to an end, and slowly a new one started to take its place.
Kaloyan's hershey eyes twinkled as he straightened up and held out his hand.
"May I have this dance, your highness?"
Aurora broke into a broad smile.
"I'd love –"
"Rory! Come here!" someone suddenly started grabbing her arm and pulling her rudely away from Kaloyan.
Aurora turned to see Kirie excitedly tugging on her.
"I want you to properly meet Nate," she explained.
Aurora looked over her sister's head and saw the dirty blonde boy known as Nathaniel waiting across the room. He was curiously looking her way with his hands lazily hooked in his pockets.
"But I'm busy…" she started to whine through gritted teeth as she looked back, motioning to her sister the tanned cutie behind her.
"He'll wait."
Next thing Aurora knew she was being pulled away anyway, through the crowd of people and over to Nate.
"Nate, this is my sister. Aurora this is Nate," Kirie introduced cheerfully.
Aurora lazily held out her hand – grumpy that she was separated from her chances with Kaloyan – and looked up to see her sister's boyfriend.
"Pleasure to meet you, princess," Nate replied, flashing a grin.
Aurora took in a breath to steady herself. Her sister's boy love was gorgeous! His hazel eyes stayed glued to her as he took her hand and leaned down to kiss it. She admired the way his lean, boyish body looked in his black suit and the nice way he kept his blonde hair. The way that he kept himself and even the way he stood practically screamed nobility and rank. Aurora could appreciate that also.
The oldest princess had seen Nate before, but not up close and straight on, and this was the first time she had met him having been away with her dad last time he was here. But now she could officially say that Kirie had good taste after all.
Aurora suddenly realized she was admiring way too much and that Nate's kiss was lingering way to long. She awkwardly pulled her hand away and cleared her throat, because, duh, this was Kirie's boyfriend.
Nate straightened up and shamelessly stared her down. Aurora looked to Kirie who either didn't seem bothered at all, or just didn't notice. Her younger sister just looked happy to see that they were getting along fine. Never had Aurora seen her usually careless sister so happy. It was refreshing.
"Ok, well, it was nice to finally meet you, Nate," Aurora smiled politely, then turned to Kirie," but I'm afraid I have some business to take care of so if you'll excuse me…" and with that said she turned and walked away, leaving Kirie still smiling and feeling Nate's gaze burn a hole into her backside.
A bit awkward but it could have been worse. Aurora felt uncomfortable with the way Nate was looking at her though. In the pit of her stomach, she had a weird feeling about him.
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Kai had never been one of parties. There were too many people, too much noise, too much small talk, and way too many hassles. Even after almost twenty years of being married to the Queen, he never got used to them.
Instead of mingling, Kai usually just entertained himself by watching his kids. Something that usually calmed him, this time was making him more irritated then the party itself.
And it wasn't watching his son that made him so upset, it was watching his daughters. Aurora, as always, was chatting it up with some of the slightly older men from the other kingdoms. And then there was Kirie. And Nate.
Kai wasn't too subtle with the fact that he disliked the boy. But really there wasn't anything not to like about Nate. He was polite, from a noble family, and made Kirie happy. He was – and Kai hated to admit it – a perfect suitor. The boy had never given Kai a legitimate reason to despise him so, except for the fact that he was dating his youngest.
Well, that was enough for Kai.
Breaking him out of his silent brooding was Ana's sudden sigh. He turned to his wife who was sitting next to him.
"What's wrong?"
"I hate seeing them grow up," she muttered sadly, not looking at him but out into the crowd of people below them.
Kai followed her gaze back to his children.
Anger flared inside him as Nate dipped Kirie in a dance. He watched with protective irritation as Aurora joined a conversation with a group of guys. His only son met up with a group of his guy friends at the refreshment table, from what he could see it was Tyson and Ray's sons.
Kai felt that strings of abandonment pull at his callous heart as his kids walked farther away. But the feeling wasn't new. It was something Kai had felt everyday for a long time as his two daughters and son grew older and the string tightened.
He could sympathize with his wife. Watching one's kids grow up and slowly break away from you was tough, but it was also necessary. A way of life.
Kai reached over and laced his fingers through Ana's petite ones; fingers that were starting to soften to a leathery feel with age.
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This was it. Their first kiss. In this dimly lit hallway right outside his guestroom. Voices waffling up from down stairs.
His hands were on her hip and cupping her neck, bringing her closer.
She leaned into his hand.
It seemed like an eternity before their lips were only inches apart.
The world around her moved antagonizingly slow.
Her heart beat fast within her chest and she was positive her cheeks were tingled with a blush. She looked down at his delicious lips, wondering what he was going to taste like.
Her lids drooped over her blue-gray irises until closing fully, only moments from kissing him.
"Your room is satisfactory?"
Kirie gasped, eyes snapping suddenly open, and sharply pulled away at her father's bitter voice.
Nate put is hands to his side and his eyes were wide as he turned to face the King.
Kai was leaning on one of the stone columns that helped hold the frame of the hallway just a couple paces down the hall. His arms were crossed and he was glaring at Nate, waiting for an answer.
"Dad!" Kirie hissed, eyes flashing and mortified. "What are you doing!"
"Making my rounds. Checking to make sure our overnight guests find their rooms comfortable," he answered, his dark eyes never leaving Nate.
"Very much, sire, thank you," came Nate's slightly uncomfortable response.
"Some of the men are staying for drinks downstairs. Your welcome to join."
Kirie had a feeling that tone in her father's voice was far from sincere. In fact, she knew it was only an invitation to get Nate as far away from her as possible for the night, somewhere he could be watched.
Nate bowed and answered much to Kirie's annoyance.
"I'd be honored."
Silence stretched over the group.
Kirie continued to glare at her father, waiting for him to leave, but the king showed no signs of moving.
Suddenly Nate cleared his throat, obviously not one to challenge Kai.
"Well I guess this is goodnight, princess," he said, bowing.
Disappointment pulled inside Kirie's stomach. She frowned and gave a slight nod.
"Goodnight to you too."
Nate turned and disappeared behind his room door.
Kirie pivoted on her heel and angrily stomped passed her father, choosing not to speak with him, while Kai struggled to keep a victorious smirk hidden. He followed her until she opened the door to Aurora's room and slammed the door shut behind her.
Still smug, Kai walked back downstairs to play host.
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"I can't believe my father."
Aurora barely looked over the nail file she was using to shape her nails.
"What did he do this time?" she asked, not surprised.
Already in their nightgowns, Livvy and Rosaline turned their attention to their dark haired friend in amusement as she angrily striped out of her purple dress. She threw the dress into the corner and snatched a nightgown from out of her sister's closet and slipped it over her head.
"Just when Nate was about to kiss me –"
Rosaline's eyes light up in excitement.
"Really?" she exclaimed.
"Yes," Kirie huffed, annoyed that she's been interrupted, "and –"
"How was it?"
Kirie glared at her sister who gave her a sweet curious smile in return.
"I said 'about to kiss me', now can I finish?"
"Go ahead, Kir, I'm listening," Livvy stated.
"Anyway, dad popped up outta now where and was like, 'is your room comfortable?' and 'come down and have a drink' like he wanted Nate around, but then he wouldn't leave and he just kept staring at Nate and it was mortifying and I wish he's mind his own business!" Kirie ranted, not even stopping to breathe.
She yanked the pins out of her hair, letting the dark curls fall onto her back, and then threw herself on Aurora's bed right beside said girl and sighed.
"Just hand me a drink."
"We're still waiting for Porsha," Rosaline reminded her.
"Besides we gotta save every drop for this heap," Livvy warned, motioning towards the large windows in the room. Kirie then noticed the huge pile of wrapped boxes expanding the length of the room and reached possibly her own height.
Oh, right. They always opened birthday presents together while Porsha wrote them down for thank you letters later. Kirie inwardly groaned at the sight of it. The people that always attended her parties never knew how to give practical gifts.
"So that would have been like what, your first kiss, right?"
Kirie looked at her sister.
"No…well, yeah I guess…"
"How adorable!" Rosaline exclaimed.
Kirie rolled her blue-gray eyes to the ceiling. "Why is it such a big deal?" she asked.
Aurora gave her sister a smug smile.
"You'll be the last one of us to get her first kiss."
Kirie's mouth fell open in disbelief
"No, Livvy hasn't…have you?"
"I kissed that boy from the village three years ago, remember? Wesley nearly kicked the poor boy's ass, he was so pissed," she answered, gradually pealing off the paper that was wrapped around the alcohol bottle she was holding.
"What about Porsh…sorry, stupid question."
"I got mine with Wes last year!" Rosaline reminded everyone happily.
"Yeah, it took you long enough too," Kirie mumbled, jealous that even the naïve one had been kissed before her.
Rosaline stuck her tongue out at her cousin and made a face. "Don't act so bitter," she said.
"I beat you all at nine years old with Gage," Aurora interrupted proudly.
"Ah-choo…slut…."
Aurora's head whipped around to glare at Livvy who looked innocently back at her.
"What?" Livvy shrugged, a smile playing on her lips, "I have no idea who said that." The redhead narrowly dodged a pillow that was thrown at her.
"You're like a kissing virgin!" Rosaline added, giggling.
Kirie groaned, pouting her lips at Livvy.
"Can I have a drink already?"
Rosaline crossed her arms stubbornly, "Not until Porsha gets here."
"Well, she taking an awful long time and I'm not in a patient mood."
"I'll go look for her," Aurora volunteered as she hopped off her bed and discarded her nail file. She grabbed her deep red robe that was hanging on her bedpost and covered her nightgown-clad body in it.
Even as Aurora left she still heard her friends arguing behind her.
Finding her maid was not as easy as she thought it was going to be. Aurora walked around on the second floor where her bedroom was at, but after coming up empty she walked downstairs and to the back of the castle to the maid's quarters.
Even though it was time for most people to turn in for the night, the large stone room of the maid chambers was far from quiet. Dozens of maids ranging from ages of ten to seventy-five bustled around carrying baskets of towels or sheets and buckets of water out the door.
Surprised, the maids that noticed Aurora's entry stopped what they were going and bowed.
"Has anyone seen my maid?" the princess asked, scanning over the many heads for pink hair.
Many of the girls shook their heads shyly.
"Porsha's been helping me. She's on the third floor and should be almost done."
Aurora looked away from the other girls and saw her mother's maid come around a corner of the room that led to the many beds for the girls. She had a large load of clean clothes in a basket at her hip.
With long hair the color of her daughter's, Aurora considered Mariah equivalent to another aunt, who used to watch her and Kirie when their mother was away on trips with their father.
Aurora smiled warmly.
"Thanks, Mariah."
"No problem," she returned the smile and winked, "have fun at your 'girls night in'."
Dark blue eyes followed Mariah as she disappeared around the corner again, wondering how that woman always knew everything. Shaking it off, she turned on her heel and quickly headed back upstairs, knowing her sister was probably having a tantrum by now with impatience.
Ever since Kirie had met this guy, Aurora noticed how much her sister's moods seemed to change.
When Nate was back at home, Kirie was her laid-back, careless self, always preferring to watch life play out in front of her then interrupt the flow of things. But when Nate was here, Aurora saw how much Kirie changed. She was brighter, seeming to glow more, smiling all the time. She was a bit quicker to temper, cared what she looked like, what she was wearing, and what Nate thought of her.
It was a Kirie that Aurora had never seen before and she couldn't decide which sister she liked better.
Aurora climbed up the next set of stairs to the second floor, headed to the third. Her bare feet made light patter sounds on the cold marble steps.
What was so great about Nate anyway? Sure, he was gorgeous, but there were plenty of gorgeous men in the world, take it from her. If you asked Aurora, she kind of thought Nate was a bit on the creepy side with the way that he stared at people.
Being so lost in her thoughts and defiantly not paying attention, the princess just about ran into a man coming down the stairs. She wobbled and shot her arms out to keep from loosing her balance to the steps behind her.
A strong grip reached out and firmly grabbed her upper arm.
"Careful, your highness."
Aurora's eyes snapped up.
Speak of the devil.
Nate.
Finally positive she wasn't going to fall, Aurora gently wiggled her arm from Nate's grip.
"Thank you," she replied, awkwardly clearing her throat after getting her arm free. He was staring at her again. She averted her eyes. If this had been a normal situation, Aurora would have flirted it up with this McHottie, but seeing as it defiantly was not a normal situation and this was her sister's boyfriend…who was still giving her that stare…Aurora slowly started backing away, her brain whirling for a good excuse to leave.
"So…" Aurora hummed distractedly as she tried to concentrate on excuses, "what are you still doing up?"
Nate smiled crookedly and for a second made Aurora forget what she was thinking about.
"I was just about to join some of the guys downstairs for drinks," he answered, and then looked at her curiously, "I could ask you the same."
"I was looking for Porsha…ah, there she is!"
Coming down the steps from the third floor was her maid looking exhausted but perked up when she saw Aurora. And so did the princess. Porsha was like her own personal white knight come to save her the awkwardness and creepy stares.
So as soon as the princess saw that flash of short pink hair out of the corner of her eye, she turned on her heel and left Nate in the dust looking confused. She intercepted Porsha's path, grabbing her by the arm and pulled her the rest of the way to the second floor.
"Good night!" Aurora called back to Nate, her last attempt not to seem rude.
"Been looking for you," she continued as they walked, trying to distract her pink haired maid. Aurora walked hastily beside Porsha; her arm still attached to the girl as she dragged her farther down the hall.
Porsha didn't seem to notice Aurora's impatience; instead she went straight into her explanation.
"I know! But you wouldn't believe some of these people!" Porsha cried defensively, "most of the crowd left but the ones who are staying over night are ridicules. Some of the men went down stairs for drinks; it's the older couples and the women that stayed to get ready for bed who are complete pain in the asses! 'I want this, I need that', 'I want more blankets', 'it's too hot', 'it's too cold', 'more towels', blah, blah, blah! God, I just wanted to punch some of them!"
To emphasize her frustration, Porsha threw a closed fist into the air across her body, but Aurora was barely listening. The princess stole a quick glance behind her to where Nate used to be standing, but he was gone. God, that guy gave her the creeps sometimes, and Aurora had met some creepy guys in her lifetime. It was his eyes; those beautiful brown eyes that stared right through you and held an air of…was it lust? Desire? Admiration? Aurora couldn't quiet put her finger on it. Maybe she should tell Kirie what she thought of her boyfriend. After all, the sister's opinion on the boyfriend was important, right?
"Finally!" Aurora heard Kirie sigh loudly once she had made it down the hall and escorted Porsha through her bedroom door.
"Sorry, sorry, I'm ready!" Porsha giggled at Kirie's impatience, running over to the bed, grabbing a pillow and taking a seat on it on the floor.
Before another complaint could come out of Kirie's mouth, Livvy started pouring the orange juice she'd brought into the champagne glasses that Aurora had smuggled to her room earlier. She then mixed in what was left of the clear liquid of vodka she had provided from the kitchen and then from the bottle that Kirie had hid in the room before the party from her parent's room.
It was quiet as the drinks were passed from girl to girl until everyone had their own.
"Lucky mom and dad never check their alcohol," Aurora said as she took her first sip, loving the burning warmth the drink had as it went down her throat.
"What makes you think they don't?" Kirie asked. "I always figured they knew we help ourselves, but they want to be the cool parents that let us do stuff like this sometimes."
Aurora scowled at her sister.
"That's strangely sick."
"But possibly true," Livvy pointed out and drained almost her whole glass in one gulp, cringing as it went down.
Aurora still looked disturbed while Kirie smirked in amusement at her sister's discomfort, and then followed Livvy's lead of draining her glass.
Aurora looked to Porsha and then Rosaline for their opinions, but they were both contently sipping their drinks. She looked back to her own drink, frowning as she glanced down at it.
"Suddenly, this is less fun."
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"What color is that? Shit green?"
"No, I think it's olive."
"That's not olive. It looks like puke."
"Well I think it goes wonderfully with Livvy's hair."
Said redhead sarcastically rolled her eyes to Porsha.
"Now that we're done laughing at me, can I take this ugly thing off," she asked.
Aurora shrugged as she stretched her legs out on her bed. She leaned into Kirie's side to steady herself and put her glass to her lips for another gulp.
"You know the rules; you open it, you model it."
Livvy scowled at Aurora and swiped her glass off the floor that was sitting next to the pillow she had been sitting on. She trudged back into the bathroom to take off the olive green dress she was modeling, her glass still in hand.
"And who decided to gift Kirie with that lovely creation?" Porsha asked, trying to fight back a few giggles that escaped through her lips.
Rosaline, who was sitting closest to where Livvy had been sitting, leaned over and looked through the colorful wads of tissue paper that littered the box that the dress had come in. She found the cardboard lid and flipped it over to read who the sender was on the card attached.
"Lord and Lady Pe-tr-ary…Pee-try?" Rosaline broke into a loud fit of giggles as she tried to pronounce the name. Either that or she was a little too tipsy to read straight.
Porsha snorted from her seat at Aurora's dresser. She turned and scribbled the name on the 'thank you' list in front of her.
"If you ever wear that I will disown you," Aurora said in all seriousness as she looked up at her sister.
Kirie smirked down at her sister who was still using her side as a support to keep from falling sidewise on her bed and spilling her glass.
"In that case I'm wearing it tomorrow," she challenged.
Aurora's mouth dropped open and with her free hand she clenched at her heart feigning hurt.
"Ouch," she whined playfully.
"So whose turn it is to open a present," Livvy asked, coming out of the bathroom. The olive green dress was hanging from her arm. She threw it into the 'shit' pile, which not surprisingly was already a huge pile since rich people obviously didn't know how to give practical gifts. Didn't they know that Kirie's room was already overflowing with dresses and necklaces before they decided to give her this stuff?
"I will," Rosaline volunteered cheerfully. Rosaline was one of those people that if they had too much to drink they got extremely happy about every little thing, which is why she skipped over to the pile of wrapped presents that was getting reasonable small now, and practically leaped back to her pillow on the floor to open it.
She had grabbed a small box, most likely a jewelry box, and was wrapped in paper that had many interesting patterns across it in shades of burnt orange, brown and deep red.
Rosaline's face screwed up in concentration as she opened the little box. Inside something was wrapped up in black tissue paper, and on the tissue paper was a small card.
"Ithal," Rosaline read from the simple card.
Kirie's attention peaked as she heard the familiar sounding name.
Rosaline pulled the tissue paper away from the box's contents and lifted up a small bracelet from the mess.
Kirie curiously watched her blonde cousin pull the piece of jewelry closer to her face to better inspect it.
"Wow, this is unique."
"Let me see."
Rosaline wobbled a bit as she got up but made it over to the princess and handed her the gift.
Still leaning into Kirie's side, but almost asleep, Aurora saw the interesting bracelet her sister was holding. It was made of all braided leather and spaced throughout it were small red, orange, and brown wooden beads with white carvings etched into them.
Aurora leaned in closer, trying to make out what was carved into the bracelet. They were little carvings of animals. As Kirie turned it there was an elephant, a lion, a rabbit, a horse, and a dog.
Kirie wrapped it around her wrist and tied it, then held her arm out in front of her to inspect it.
"How pretty," Rosaline smiled.
Aurora raised an eyebrow at her cousin.
"It's so plain looking…and what are those animals for?"
By now Livvy and Porsha had closed in to see this bracelet too.
"They probably mean something," Livvy guessed, "Like good luck or something."
"I think it's kinda ugly, I mean, couldn't he have made it out of gems or something?" Porsha added. She was staring at it like it might jump off Kirie's wrist and bite her nose off.
"I think it's cool, I like it," Kirie answered, "it's different."
"Do you like it more then the horse I got for you?" Rosaline pressed.
Kirie looked down at her new bracelet then back up to the hopeful ocean blue eyes of her cousin.
"Of course not," she lied, "You've definitely had the best gift so far."
"Can I go to bed now?" Aurora's muffled, whining voice interrupted.
Kirie looked to her right and down. Obviously her sister had lost interest in her drink, which was sitting on the floor now, the unique bracelet, and the gift opening, because her face was buried deep into Kirie's lap and the rest of her body was sprawled out behind her on the bed.
Porsha looked over at the pile still needing to be opened.
"We still have a few more to open."
Kirie looked up and at Livvy who also looked tired, and so did Porsha.
"I can open the rest by myself later, you guys go to bed," she suggested.
"Great, everyone out of my room," came Aurora's voice again.
"I'm not tired!"
Everyone, except the oldest princess, looked to Rosaline and her wide blue eyes and energized face.
"Figures," Livvy rolled her eyes, "but you'll feel it in the morning."
The blondes shoulder's slumped.
Porsha sighed, standing up.
"Common, Rose, I'll tuck you in," she assured her blonde friend. Porsha took Rosaline by the arm and helped her up.
"More like make sure she even gets there…" Livvy snickered.
Rosaline was too busy pouting to hear her redheaded friend, while Porsha was too busy trying not to let Rosaline fall to add something to it.
Once the too girls were gone, Livvy also stood up.
"Can't wait to let Wes know what his girlfriend was doing all night," she smiled evilly, then added, "Do you want any help carrying some of this to your room?"
"Nah, I'll leave it in here, if that's ok with Aurora…"
Moaning was the only response to come from the 'graceful' princess.
"I think that mean yes," Livvy guessed, " 'Night," she added before walking out of the room and shutting the door behind her.
"Ok sunshine, everyone's gone."
Kirie poked the top of her sister's head.
Aurora moaned again, rolled over and drug herself to the top of her bed where she stopped moving again.
Kirie rolled her eyes and tried pulling the sheets out from under Aurora.
"Alright you moose, move so I can get your sheets out."
Aurora half -heartedly wiggled around, looking more like worm then helping at all.
Kirie sighed and grabbed a blanket out of the closet instead and laid it over her sister's body. Then, feeling suddenly exhausted herself, she crawled in next to Aurora, turned over on her side, and fell asleep.
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Review! Next chapter up soon!
---rayluva4