A/N: Wow, I'm finally getting around to updating this! I kick myself everyday for neglecting my stories, so I'm hoping to be updating them much more frequently.

The Rightful Heir

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Lauren stood in front of her mirror, inspecting herself with great scrutiny. She was clad in a brand new dress, the same shade of icy blue as her eyes. It clung to her slightly curvy body perfectly, and showed off her long, pale limbs. Her long blonde hair was pinned up in a messy bun atop her head. She was satisfied with how she looked, but she couldn't tear herself away from her reflection. She could hear the party below in full swing, but she couldn't go down just yet. There was something... different about herself, just what she wasn't sure. It was an odd feeling that had welled up in her overnight. Whatever it was, she didn't much like it.

A knock on her bedroom door brought her out of her daze. "Come in," she said, plopping down into a chair. The door opened, and her twelve year old brother Noah poked his shaggy dark head in. His green eyes were hard, and he looked annoyed.

"Mom says if you don't come downstairs right now, she's going to tell all the guests to go home," he said.

Lauren sighed, but got to her feet. "All right, all right, I'm coming," she said. Noah's head disappeared, and she could hear him running down the stairs. She spared herself one more glance in the mirror before following him.

At the bottom of the stairs, she was grabbed by her best friend Allison. "Lor, this greatest party ever!" she squealed. Lauren nodded as she looked around at the crowded living room.

"Yeah, Mom really out did herself."

"Well, come on. Let's go say hello. There's someone here who's dying to see you!" Allison said, seizing Lauren's wrist, and dragging her through the house, and out onto the patio. The DJ was set up out there, and several of her classmates were dancing by the pool. Allison pulled her along towards the speakers, where a good looking red headed boy stood, obviously waiting for someone.

"Hey Nick! Here's the birthday girl," Allison squealed, shoving Lauren towards him. He smiled, and Lauren blushed. He stepped towards her, running a hand through his hair. "I'll just leave you two alone," Allison said, side stepping away.

"Hi Nick," Lauren said. "I'm glad you could make it."

"Yeah, wouldn't have missed it," he said, looking away. Ages seemed to pass as the two stood in awkward silence. Lauren couldn't help but feel annoyed at her best friend for setting up this uncomfortable moment. She liked Nick, and she could tell that he liked her, but there was never any spark between them. It felt... just... empty.

The song changed from an upbeat, techno song to a soft love tune. Suspisious, Lauren looked at the DJ stand. Sure enough, Allison stood there, grinning and giving her a thumbs up. Lauren stifled a groan.

"Do you want to dance?" Nick asked. She nodded, and allowed him to pull her into a sloppy dance position. They stood there, revolving slowly, the awkward silence still lingering. She prayed for a distraction, something to get her out of this moment.

"May I cut in?" a strange voice said from behind her. She smiled, and thanked every god she could think of. She turned around to see her angel of mercy. She was surprised to see that it wasn't one of the boys from school like she thought it would be. Instead, it was a much older gentleman, roughly her mother's age. He was tall, with striking mismatched eyes, and long blonde hair that was pulled into a ponytail. She nervously took the strangers hand. Nick was standing there staring at the two. Lauren noticed her friend Dana standing by the screen door. She knew that Dana had a huge crush on Nick, so she grinned and said to him, "Why not see if Dana wants to dance? She's standing over there." He nodded and walked away.

Lauren stared up at the stranger who held her in his arms. There was something so familiar about him. His smile, his eyes, his face, she recognized it all from somewhere. "Have we met before, sir?" she asked.

"No, but I've heard a lot about you." he said. Lauren liked his voice, soft, yet sharp. Clipped, and carrying a slight accent. "I'm an old friend of your mother's."

"Oh. Well it's very nice to meet you Mr..."

"King."

"Mr. King," she said with a nod. The song ended, and he drew away from her. "Happy birthday, Lauren," he said, reaching into his pocket, and drawing out a small package. She took it, and turned to take it inside, When a camera flash blinded her.

"Happy birthday!" a bright, cheerful voice said.

"Grandma Karen!" she groaned. She turned around to thank the stranger, but he was gone. She searched the crowd, but there was no sign of him. He had vanished. She walked inside, and tossed the small gift onto the table with the rest of them, and went to find her friends again.

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A/N: DUH DUH DUH! The plot thickens. What does our beloved Goblin King want with Lauren? What is his gift?

Do you want to know? Do you really want to know? Then just leave a quick review...