Chapter Four

The library was the biggest room I'd seen yet, almost double –maybe triple– the size of the others. It surprisingly reminded me of something out of the Harry Potter universe, massive high walls and bookshelves reaching close to the ceiling. I'd never felt smaller in my life. Sunlight poured in through the large windows on the outside wall, proving to be the only source of light. Part of me wondered if Stella had ever even been in this library. We'd always had to drag her into the one at Alfea during finals.

There was no sense of direction whatsoever; no magic catalog, no signs, no anything. How anyone found books in this place was beyond me.

Leaning back against the bookcase, I sighed running a hand through my hair. My mind went back to my embarrassing moment on the staircase not ten minutes earlier. I'd never seen that guy before in my life, but something inside me was just . . . drawn to him. I didn't know why, and I'm certain I wasn't supposed to like that I was, in fact, drawn to him.

Why was I thinking about him? I was dating Sky; I shouldn't be thinking about some guy I ran into. Although, my relationship with Sky was a whole other issue itself. What I had told Flora yesterday was only half of our problem.

I was still recovering from the Realix thing. I didn't want to admit it, but I was. And Sky wasn't thrilled with how I was 'taking my sweet time' with getting back to my old self. He constantly complained about how it was hard for him because I was shutting him out, and that he thought that in the future it might be good for us to separate for a while if I hadn't snapped out of it by then. Granted, I was shutting him out some, but, nowadays, I was shutting a lot of people out. The girls gave me the space I needed though. With Sky, he was constantly hovering, acting like I couldn't protect myself from anything. Who wouldn't need space from that?

Nothing was set in stone, but just to hear him say something like that was enough to sting.

It wasn't like I'd planned for it to take this long to get back to normal. Recovering from what I'd been through wasn't exactly the easiest trip in the world. If I had a choice in the matter, I would've kicked it the second I broke free from the curse and returned to normal.

But silly things like that only happened in cartoons.

A persistent ticking noise reverberated through the library. Turning my gaze to the far wall, I caught sight of a large grandfather clock reading the time of 10:57. I vaguely remembered Stella saying she would come meet me here around noon; I had plenty of time to find some kind of text on Sparx in this godforsaken library.

Or get hopelessly lost.

Either way.

Thinking of Stella and the Princess Ball that was only hours away, I felt a twinge of jealousy.

Don't get me wrong, I was ecstatic for Stella. The moment I saw her reaction to the news, her eyes shining with joy, I could tell that a Princess Ball was something she'd dreamed about all her life

But, I couldn't help but envy Stella. This was her life –full of royals, and parties, and fancy gowns. Essentially, it was a life that every princess had.

A life that I would most likely never have.

I was a princess, technically. I had royal blood, yes, but that was it. All I had to my name was a title and powers I could barely control. And with the limited possibility of me finding my birth parents, it seemed that that was all I would ever have.

I would never have a Princess Ball.

I would never officially be the Princess of Sparx.

I would never have this kind of life.

Shaking my head, I tried to rid myself of those thoughts. I wasn't here to wallow in self pity; I was here for answers.

And I was going to find some.


I found nothing.

I'd searched every nook and cranny of the library, and there was not a single book on Sparx anywhere.

"Sparx and Solaria were, like, strong allies!" I whisper-yelled to myself. "How could there not be anything here on its allied planet?"

I came to a sudden halt when a booming thud replied.

Cautious that I may not really be alone, I slowly turned around. On the floor a few yards away, was a massive book, dust particles floating off of its cover from its intense impact. Through the empty slots in the bookshelves around me, the sun shone directly onto the cover, revealing a title that instantly made me wary.

Sparx: a History

My eyes scanned the bookshelves around me. Slightly terrified, I peered around the corners behind me, making sure that no one was in the close vicinity. The air was dead; I was still alone.

Where did this come from?

My gaze fell to the fallen book again. Every logical part of my brain told me to forget about it and leave, but the other parts screamed to pick the book up.

Unable to restrain myself, I sat down next to it and grabbed it.

In spite of how massively thick the book was, it oddly didn't contain much; in fact, there was barely anything at all on the destruction of Sparx. The only information it gave me, I already knew from what I'd heard from Daphne or Faragonda.

So, yeah, not a lot.

The author had only listed the events that most people in the Dimension had known since the attack happened. It vaguely detailed the Ancestresses' plans to attack Sparx, the attack itself, and the eternal winter cast on the planet.

I was about to give up on the book entirely, and move on, but something stirred inside me. I wasn't sure what it was, but something wanted me to turn the page.

Flipping to the next chapter, my eyes flitted across the title.

The Ancestresses' Apprentice

My Fire sparked in my chest, feeling almost enraged. No one I'd ever talked to about Sparx ever mentioned anything like him. Just from the first page, I could gather that he played an essential part to Sparx's destruction.

So why was I never told about him?

A loud, booming noise made me jump a foot in the air, dragging me out of my thoughts.

I was prepared to beat someone with the book in my hands, until I realize that it was the large grandfather clock on the far wall, alerting the non-existent people that it was noon. Slumping against the bookcase, I tried to slow my heart before it burst from my chest.

Looking down at the large tome, I decided that I'd have to read up on this mysterious apprentice later. If I'd already wasted a couple hours in here, Stella was sure to track me down like a bloodhound sooner or later. Reaching up to shove the book back on the shelf, I paused in thought.

When I go back to meet up with Stella, there's no way that I'd ever have time to come back here. I'd be too caught up in the Princess Ball, I wouldn't have the chance. After tonight, I'd be on my way to Earth, never to see this book again.

I glanced over my shoulder, making certain that no one else was in the library with me. Then, ever so slowly, I pulled the book back down to my chest. I'm sure no one would miss one little book . . .

Quickly making my way back out of the library (and getting lost about twice), I tried to shut the huge door as quietly as I possibly could with one hand. I was golden, until the lock clicked loudly, echoing through the hall. I waited for a few minutes, hoping that it hadn't drawn any attention from the guards.

Sure that I was alone, I breathed a sigh of relief and started up the corridor, opening the book again. Turning to the chapter on the Ancestresses' Apprentice, my eyes devoured the page, wanting to know as much as I possibly could on this guy. He may have worked against my realm, but if he was alive, there was a chance that he knew what happened to my parents.

"Come on, give me a name," I muttered to myself. "What's his name?"

Scouring the words, my eyes came across a single, smudged word. From the damage that had been done to it, it was practically illegible. Someone definitely didn't want people finding this guy's name.

If the Ancestresses' names were still recorded, but his wasn't what did that mean?

Was the Apprentice really that much worse than them?

"Am I interrupting?"

I nearly jumped out of my skin at the voice behind me and sun around. The man from the staircase stood there, smirking at my reaction to his intrusion.

I glanced down at the old pages then back up at him, trying to hide the embarrassment on my face. "N-No, of course not," I stammered, not wanting to be insulting. "I was just distracted, that's all. We ran into each other earlier, didn't we? On the staircase?" I quickly changed the subject, closing the book and keeping the cover pressed into my stomach. I had gotten this far in taking it. I wasn't going to let this guy ruin it.

No matter how attractive he was.

"Briefly, yes." he said, moving towards me. He had the same smirk on his face that he'd had before, warning me he definitely remembered it. "I recall you running into me on the staircase about an hour ago."

My cheeks burned, furiously. "Yeah, that was my bad." I laughed, nervously. "I was born with two left feet." Casually looking around, I tried to see if there was anyone else in the hall, but we were completely alone, making me cautious.

"Cassandra said you're a friend of the Princess," he said, his eyes never leaving mine. I caught a curious glint in them, making me a little uneasy.

"Best friend," I elucidated with a nod. "I'm the official helper for her party."

"And yet here you are, on the other side of the castle."

I paused, suspicious. "I was just looking for something."

He nodded towards the book in my hand, making me tense. "The book, I suppose?"

I simply nodded, trying to keep a pleasant smile on my face. "Stella said I could come up here and look around."

"So you stole it."

My jaw dropped, stunned by his accusation. "I am not stealing the book!" I exclaimed. "I'm just borrowing it for some . . . light reading."

He snatched the book out of my grasp and examined it before I could react. His eyes widened slightly when he saw the title, but quickly re-composed himself. "Do you often read Sparx: a History for 'light reading?'"

I crossed my arms, defensively. "How do you know that's not mine?"

He flipped the book open to the back cover, displaying a brightly glowing symbol of the sun of Solaria. "If you want to be sneaky about stealing something, darling," he said, "don't make it apparent that the thing isn't yours."

I didn't speak for a moment, repeatedly opening and closing my mouth as I tried to find words. "Okay, it's not mine, exactly."

"So, you stole it." he smirked, shutting the book.

"Borrowed without permission."

"You're not a very good thief. You're almost as bad as one of those Trix girls I keep hearing about."

My face fell into an annoyed smile. "I don't think I'm as bad as a convicted criminal."

"And you would know this?"

Images of the Trix and Darkar popped into my head, but I quickly brushed them away. "Yes, I would. In fact, they're quite annoying, not unlike yourself." I said, grabbing my book back.

He feigned a hurt expression. "Annoying, princess? Might you know, most people find me to be charming."

"I'm not like most people." I told him, refusing to acknowledge how I actually did.

His familiar smirk returned. "So, I can see.

"I would assume you're attending the Ball tonight, then?" he continued after a minute or so of silence.

"Well, I am Stella's best friend, so I'm required to," I answered, tapping my thumb along the spine of the book. "I know nothing about princess balls, though."

"You've never been to one before?"

I furrowed my brow, confused by his puzzled glance. "No, I haven't. Why are you so surprised?"

He slightly shrugged. "You're about eighteen, aren't you? I figured you would have had one by now."

I felt a sting in my guy, the small flare of jealousy that I had been keeping down all morning sparking again. "No," I muttered, averting my eyes to the floor. "I'm technically not a princess, so I won't be getting one any time soon."

"Trouble in familial paradise?"

Despite how unrealistically accurate his statement was, I laughed. "You have no idea."

He paused, coming to a stop a few feet away from me. "I wouldn't want to pry," he said, making me tense, "but how does one become a technical princess?"

"Long story," I replied. "It's very boring."

"The Ball doesn't start for a few hours." He leaned in close to my face. "And I am incredibly intrigued."

My heart fluttered in my chest at his proximity. Something was definitely off about this guy, but part of me couldn't deny how I was dangerously attracted to it.

Tucking a strand of hair behind my ear, I felt my cheeks heat up. "I need to get going," I murmured. "I may not be fond of going to the party, but I need to start getting ready before Stella hunts me down."

"You know, it'd be much easier to leave if you weren't constantly flirting with me."

My eyes widened. "I'm flirting with you? I am not flirting with you!"

"Then why haven't you pushed me away?"

Noticing how close we actually were, I quickly took a step back. Heat rose to my cheeks, frustrated that I'd let my emotions get the best of me.

"I am not flirting with you." I reiterated, averting my gaze, and tucking a chunk of hair behind my ear.

The man had a triumphant smirk on his face, glad to know he'd affected me that much. "If you insist, Princess." he relented.

"I'm not a princess."

"I have no other name to call you by."

"Well, aren't you being Mr. Subtle." I remarked, an idea sparking in my head. "But, I'll make you a deal. I'll tell you my name whenever you tell me yours. And since you've been sneaking around the palace, I don't think you'll be fulfilling your end of that bargain any time soon."

He remained quiet, silently taken aback by my insinuation.

Giving him a triumphant smirk of my own, I waved my fingers at him before stepping around him and heading back to my room.


"How much longer is this going to take?" I asked, flinching as Stella pulled the strings tighter.

"Don't be such a wimp." she chided. "It's just a couple of strings."

"Pain-inducing strings!"

I couldn't see her face, but I knew she was rolling her eyes.

"You had to wear these on a daily basis when you were a kid?"

"Yep. Every single day." she confirmed. "Corsets aren't really that bad once you get used to them."

"You mean after you pass out?"

Stella jerked on the strings again, the heat of her glare burning into the back of my head.

When I'd returned to my room and quickly hidden the book in one of my suitcases, Stella surprised me with an impromptu visit.

As well as her entire formal wardrobe.

I was immediately dragged into Stella's bizarre world of fashion, forced to try on every dress she deemed 'perfect' for me. Unfortunately, the one we'd compromised on was a size too small for me thanks to Stella's microscopic waist (Damn you, Stella!). I suggested another dress, while she had a much more medieval form of getting her way.

"There!" she announced with one final tug. "All done! Now that wasn't so bad, was it?"

"I'm pretty sure my intestines are being forced up my throat." I told her, releasing my death grip on the bedpost.

"Can you not be so crude all the time? You've been spending too much time with Musa."

"It's not like I'm here to impress anyone."

"In spite of being in a relationship, you still have to look desirable." she said, helping me get the enormous dress on. "I have a reputation to keep up, and if you don't make me look good, I swear to Arcadia, I will end you."

It was my turn to roll my eyes, holding up the dress's bodice while Stella finished lacing up the back. "You'll have to find Flora and the others on your own." Stella reminded me. "I'm trusting that you can at least find the front doors to reach the ship landing?"

"I know where the front doors are, Stel!"

"Okay, okay! Calm your 'tude before you set my masterpiece on fire!"

I laughed in disbelief. "I'm your masterpiece?"

"Tonight –yes." Pushing me to the center of the room, she began to circle me like a vulture, searching for any flaws. "I told all of you that it's required that you all must look almost as hot as me."

"But I'm the only one here for you to torture." I pointed out as she rearranged my skirt. "You don't exactly have control over what they show up in."

"Au contraire, my redheaded friend," Stella laughed, evilly. "I sent them hand-picked dresses yesterday, along with notes threatening them to wear them."

"That's a bit excessive." I remarked. "You do realize Musa most likely ripped that note to shreds, right?"

She audibly sighed. "I know. She's such a tomboy; it's annoying!"

"Not everyone can be as girly as you." I responded, laughing quietly.

"But it's so much easier when they are!"

Taking a step back, Stella looked me up and down, admiring her work. She tapped her finger on her chin, squinting her eyes. "Something's missing."

My eyes widened. "There's not enough already?"

She shook her head.

Snapping her fingers suddenly, she ran across the room and grabbed something. She hid it behind her back when she came over to me again. "Turn around."

I looked at her suspiciously. "Why?"

She groaned in frustration. "Just bend your head down –slightly!" she immediately added.

Doing what she said, I felt something lightweight be placed in my hair, Stella's fingers quickly securing it before I lifted my head.

Taking me by the shoulders, she placed me in front of the nearest mirror. "Surprise!"

My jaw dropped.

Pinned in my hair was a dainty, glass crown. A dark red gem was planted in the center of its front, small, but large enough to catch an eye. Not a single scratch was on its surface, completely untouched from the damage it'd endured.

The Ember Tiara.

"Oh, my God . . ." I whispered, dumbstruck. "Stella, where do you get this? How did you even find it?"

It had been years since I'd seen it. During our trip to Sparx to search for the Dragon Fire a few years back, I remembered seeing it, even holding it in my hands. Daphne (or at least ethereal Daphne) had told me that it would've been mine if the Fates hadn't had something else in mind. I'd planned to take it with us on the trip back, but I'd dropped it somewhere in the palace while we were running (and flying) away from the ice crabs.

"Don't worry about how I got it. I just figured that you should wear your tiara to your first Princess Ball."

Tears unwillingly brimmed my eyes.

"Don't you dare cry!" she ordered, swatting my arm. "I worked too hard on your make-up for you to screw it up! And don't touch it either, because if you do, you'll screw up your hair and I will kill you. Your hair is the definition of a piece of work to straighten."

"I can't help it. This corset is squeezing the tears out of my eyes."

She promptly smacked my arm again, laughing at my pain. "But you look fabulous, so the pain is worth it!"

Despite my dislike for dresses, I had to admit that the one Stella had picked out was gorgeous. She'd tried to force me into something else, but I had told her that if the dress wasn't blue then I wasn't wearing it. And, since Stella wasn't a particular fan of blue ("It's depressing and it's sad! Why would I want to wear a color like that?"), she only had the one. It was the largest dress I'd ever worn in my life, and with the strapless corset top, I was beginning to feel self-conscious. The bodice was denim colored, and covered in ruffles, with a large bow that fell down the front of the skirt. The wide skirt was a stone blue made fuller with another, lightweight skirt beneath it that matched the top.

"Eh," I shrugged. "I don't think so."

"Uh huh, sure," she said, picking up a mask off the bed. "Turn around before I hit you again."

I didn't know if the dress and the mask were supposed to go together, but if they weren't, Stella had done one amazing job with her color coordination. The mask was in the shape of a butterfly (Whether it was meant to be a pun, I wasn't sure.) and made completely out of black lace that faded out to the same denim color on the dress when it reached the wings.

"Alright, you're good!" Stella proudly announced, looking me up and down to marvel her work. "You need to let me make you up every day."

"Hell no, I would die!" I protested, awkwardly stepping in the heels she'd forced me in. "My feet are already killing me!"

"Fine, be lame! But be lame outside, the others will be here soon!"

Walking over to the door, I lost my balance and fell against the door to catch myself. I shot a glare over to Stella, but she just shook her head at my clumsiness.

"If you don't see me at the party, it's because I snapped my ankle trying to walk down the stairs."

"Quit whining and go!"

Shutting the door behind me as I practically tripped into the hallway, I started to make my way to the front entrance. The longer I walked, though, the more uneasy I felt.

Things were going too well.

I should've been relieved to have some peace, but relief was anything but what I felt. I couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen tonight. And that, for once, that bad thing wasn't going to happen to me.


Ugh! Finally, it's done! I can't tell you how much of a relief it is to have this damn chapter out of the way! I struggled a lot with the beginning, and I am so glad that I managed to get it out of the way today despite all of the stress that's been on my shoulders this past week. As some of you know, this was supposed to go up this past Sunday, but things got a little out of control that Saturday that left me a bit emotionally unstable (there was a big rant I made about it on tumblr, things got really intense, but what's online is as far as I will go into it online because it's very personal) so I took Sunday to focus on me, so I could un-tense per se.

But that's in the past! Since I made you all wait so long for this chapter, the Christmas fairy is going to come early and leave you the lovely present of Chapter 5 this weekend! There are a few kinks left in it to work out, but other than that it is complete and ready to post, so merry early Christmas to you guys! It's one of my favorite chapters to date, and there's possibly a mini disaster that leads to shedding a little light on some darkness (hint, hint!).

I'd also like to give a shoutout to Saline Press who left a review in the last chapter, with the correct guess of what Stella's quote was from! The Walking Dead is one of my favorite shows, and all I have to say is RIP Beth!

And remember, reviews are much appreciated and are the lifeblood of authors, so please do type up some pretty little words in the box below, and I will see you in the next chapter!

~Bloom