Chapter 6

It was the day before Halloween. Today, our families would arrive. Roy had the day off, in which Mom was here. She would arrive here this afternoon at the Palace together with Barry. So Roy and I took a walk through the palace garden and enjoyed the peace while it was still present. We just rounded a group of trees when we heard loud shrieks. Roy fell straight into the role of guard of the princess and sprinted across the lawn away. I was close to him on the heel. But then he stopped abruptly. I could stop with great difficulty. I just wanted to complain to him that he should kindly give a warning on its own, when I saw the situation before us. Thea and Sara stood on one side, Oliver on the other. Everyone had piled up mountains of leaves around them.

"You're going to perish, Oliver."

Thea shouted.

"We'll see, Thea"

Oliver replied, grabbed a handful of leaves and slowly walked toward her before he started to run. Thea ran screaming and giggling away, Sara threw herself between them. And the moment when Oliver grabbed Sara and tickled her, several things became aware to me simultaneously: 1) I wanted to stay here, the people who lived here had become my family, 2) And I saw my future with Oliver clear as day before my eyes. I could imagine this same scene with our children and 3) I began to fall in love with him or I was already in love with him? But this question I could not debate in detail because Roy and I were drawn into the fight. Thea demanded that Roy had to be as her personal guardian on her team. Oliver replied that he would invincible with me anyway.

We returned to the castle back after an hour. Roy had Sara on his shoulders, she chatted animatedly with Thea who walked beside them. Oliver and I were walking behind them. Oliver had placed his hand on my back. I became warm all over at his gesture.

"Oh my babies"

Someone tore me from Oliver and I only saw blonde hair.

"Oh my little girl"

"Mum"

I croaked because breathing became difficult.

"Oh sorry" My mother turned to Roy and pulled him tightly in her arms. I scanned the hall for Barry, but saw him nowhere.

"Mom, where's Barry?"

My mother looked around, confused.

"He was right behind me. He wouldn't have gotten lost, would he?"

"He probably discovered something interested"

Roy muttered and he was right. However, it was not something that had delayed Barry, but someone. Because minutes later Barry stepped through the door, Iris at his side and my eyes nearly popped out of my head. Iris flirted with Barry and he kinda flirted awkwardly back. Mama had introduced herself to Oliver and Thea, while I was distracted and started to tell them old stories about Roy and me. I exchanged glances with Roy and prayed: Let us survive the next few days without serious trauma.

Mom would stay in my room, so I pulled her away from the royal siblings, ensuring that she will not embarrass me any further. When we arrived at my room, I let myself fall on the bed, while my mother thoroughly studied the room.

"Oliver seems nice"

I looked at her expectantly, because I sensed that was not all she wanted to say.

"And he could not take his eyes of you. He seems to be very fond of you."

I blushed.

"Do you really think so, Mom?"

"I could read it in his eyes. Just as with you. You're in love with him."

I nodded. My mother smiled warmly at me.

"I'm so happy for you."

She squeezed me gently.

"So do you have a costume already?"

Mom, Roy and I entered the ballroom. Barry, dressed as a mad scientist, had disappeared in the crowd, probably in search of Iris. Sara came running towards us, followed closely by her parents. My mother cooed. "How sweet," Sara leaped joyfully up and down in front of me.

"Look, Lizzy, I'm Anna from 'Frozen' and Daddy's Kristoff and Mommy is Sven."

She chattered, but then she looked at me questioningly.

"And what are you?"

She pointed at my costume.

"I'm an owl."

I wore a white dress whose hem consisted of brown feathers. Two brown panels looked like wings as they ran from my back to rings on my finger. I pointed to my mother.

"My mommy is a peacock."

She wore a short black dress, too short for my taste. It was decorated with peacock feathers, of which she also wore a crown in her hair.

"And Roy was here wearing the typical costume for boys. Namely being a gladiator."

Thea said this while coming closer. "And I'm a Panda" She told the little one. Mom cleared her throat and threw a meaningful look at Roy. "Roy, why don't you ask the young lady for a dance?" Roy looked like a deer caught in the headlights, but did as he was told and asked Thea. "Would you like to dance?" But he could not even finish his question, since Thea dragged him onto the dance floor.

"I'm going to mingle with the crowd."

My mother said before she disappeared. I turned to Lyla.

"So, Sven?"

Lyla laughed at her reindeer costume.

Tommy walked me after our dance back to Sara and Nyssa. I apologized again to the mighty Wizard of Oz; that I had repeatedly stepped on his toes while dancing. But Tommy took it easy and kidnapped the honeybee Laurel on the dance floor.

"I can't stand them."

Sara hissed. Her look at Isabel and Helena fixated, both in cabaret costumes.

"We had agreed we all come in animal costumes."

Sara fumed. But she was right. Shado was dressed as fox, Kendra as leopard, Sara as wolf, and Nyssa as raccoon even Thea had joined us in our theme. I searched for a way to distract Sara and found it in a figure in assassin creed costume.

"Who do you think is that?"

I asked, pointing to the figure. Sara glanced over.

"That's just my father. But who is the woman with whom he speaks?"

I looked closer and with horror I realized my own mother.

"Is that not your mother?"

I nodded sullenly.

"Just wait! How these two are looking at each other, we could be sisters soon."

I was looking for Oliver. I had seen him dance with everyone else except me. Slowly, I wondered whether I had just me imagined this familiarity between us. I sighed. Someone tapped me on the shoulder. I whirled around and before me stood Oliver in his Robin Hood costume.

"Hey"

He beamed at me. I crossed my arms. His smile slipped away.

"Would you kindly tell me, why have you spent time with everyone else except me?"

He shuffled his feet nervously.

"I wanted first to fulfill my obligations, so I have the rest of the evening free and can dedicate it to you."

I was melting away at his soul-stirring words.

"Okay, so as you have the rest of the evening free, what do you want to do?"

I smiled at him flirtatiously.

"So I'm forgiven?"

He asked just to be sure.

"You're forgiven."

He grinned mischievously.

"If that's the case, how it would be with a dance?"

"I am a bad dancer. You can ask Tommy."

"I'll take my chances."

He led me to the dance floor and pulled me into his arms. We danced for a while as I noticed something.

"Oliver?"

"Yes?"

"Can you promise me something?"

"Anything for you, Felicity?"

"Can you try to abolish the caste system? There are so many grievances caused by the castes. Take, for example, Barry. His biggest dream is to invent things and to help people. But because of his caste, he can't do that."

I looked into his eyes.

"Promise me you'll do everything to help such people regardless whom you choose. I know I'm not in the position to demand that. But when you see the misery of the lower castes who are struggling, you'll understand." He grabbed my hand and placed it on his heart. Then he looked me seriously in the eyes.

"I promise it with all my heart."

Relieved, I let myself fall back into his arms. I felt him kissing my hairline. And so I spent the rest of the evening: in his arms.

The next morning it was announced that Sara, Nyssa, Kendra and Shado were eliminated and that the elite consisted of Isabel, Helena Laurel and me. I stood in the entrance hall, saying goodbye to the girls when chaos broke out.