"Calista Juliet and Kaida Selena, you two are just as bad! Clean your selves up before dinner, NOW!" Nan, their grandmother, shrieked," And wear the greyhound dresses!"

Two hours later, the girls where pink skinned from bathing and dressed in matching green and yellow gowns.

"I look like an upside down chrysanthemum," Kaida muttered and straightened out her floor length sleeves.

"Let's just get this public dinner over with," Calista whispered as they walked down the grand staircase.

"May I now present their Highnesses, Aurora, Calista and Kaida," the messenger bellowed to the crowd. The three walked downstairs, heads held high. The girls were seated one seat apart.

"Duke Tristan, Count Shiloh, and Prince Drake have arrived," the messenger continued. Aurora held in a squeal and glanced at her sisters before the empty seats were filled.

"How have you been?" Shiloh asked Calista, grinning, as he took the seat beside her.

"Have you found any new pets lately?" Drake hinted before occupying the seat to the right of Kaida.

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming?" Aurora whispered.

"If I told you, it wouldn't have been a surprise, now would it?" Tristan teased. Four seats down, Kaida and Drake were whispering behind their food.

"I named her Storm and she hatched two days after I received her," Kaida exclaimed, her eyes sparkling.

"So nothing was wrong with her egg or anything?" Drake asked, worriedly. Shiloh nudged Calista's knee under the table,

"Have you written anymore poems? I think they are inspiring."

Calista flushed,

"Yes, they are in my room," she murmured.

"Could I see them some time?"

"But of course, Shiloh."

"I would like to announce the engagement of Princess Aurora to Duke Tristan of Aldenmor! Also, Princess Calista to Count Shiloh of the Fairy Realms, and Princess Kaida to Prince Drake of the Dragons," King Oliver exclaimed joyously from his gold-gilded side of the table. Kaida noticed Nan's thin lipped smile twist into an ugly frown. Nan leaned over to Owen, one of the goblin triplets, and whispered something, but for the life of her, Kaida couldn't hear what she said. The goblin triplets were orphans from the Fairy Realms, whom Nan took in. They are 25 years old and have served the old bat since 12. Each was different in his own gruesome way. Owen had green hair and skin, Blake had purple hair, skin, and clothes, and Ryder had bright pink hair and see through skin. Yeah, that's not a pretty picture. Owen and Blake might have been handsome, if it wasn't for the greedy gleam in their eyes. All three were 7 feet 4 inches tall with huge muscles. They can each carry five times his own body weight of 300 pounds.

The three nobles couldn't be much more different than the goblins. Tristan with blonde hair, blue eyes, and an athletic body build, was 6 feet 3 inches tall, ten inches taller than Aurora. Shiloh has messy black hair, gold eyes, and is 5 inches taller than Calista at 6 feet. Drake towers over Kaida, who at 4 feet 7 inches most people tower over her anyway. His curly brown hair and mischievous silver eyes give him a cheerful look. After dinner, the three couples headed back to the princess' chambers.

"I can't wait to dance with you at the ball," Shiloh whispered shyly and squeezed Calista's hand good-bye.

"Take care of Storm," Drake cautioned and hugged the short figure of Kaida.

"Look what I found in the forest," Tristan grinned and showed Aurora a sapphire in the shape of a heart strung on a chain. Aurora kissed Tristan on the cheek and rushed into her rooms. When all three girls had entered the room, Calista and Aurora turned on Kaida.

"Did Drake give you that dragon?" they both questioned in union. Kaida gave them a warning glance, pointed at the shadows, and set up a bubble around them.

"Yes, one day I was riding Rhea when a messenger told me this had been delivered for me. I unwrapped layers of paper to find this golden egg sitting in the middle. I rushed back and buried the egg under a bundle of hay. Two days later, it hatched in to this gorgeous creature," Kaida exclaimed, rubbing the knobs on Storm's bony back.

"Look what Tristan gave me," Aurora exclaimed and showed her sisters her gem.

"It's gorgeous, Aurora, I wonder where he got it," Calista squealed, causing Storm to twine her tail around Kaida's neck in distress. Kaida yawned.

"I dunno about you guys, but I'm going to sleep. The ball starts tomorrow at ten," Kaida said and tucked her self into her bed. The two eldest shrugged and followed suit.

"Lazybones! Get up," a shrill voice shrieked early that next morning.