It was a normal day in Avalor. Crown Princess Elena Castillo Flores woke up at 7:56 am, rolled over, looked at the clock, and remembered that she had a grand council meeting at 8:00. That was four minutes from now. Elena jumped out of bed desperately, sprinting. Since Elena had no time to fish around for an outfit, she put on the first dress she found. That dress just happened to be a silk, straight cut dress with a ruffley skirt and sleeves and a dark to light blue ombre, starting with a midnight blue, ending with a white that had the faintest hint of blue in it. She didn't have the time to do her hair, so she let it hang in long, loose waves past her waist. Elena grabbed gold heels with multiple criss cross straps that she hopped into while she ran. Down the hall, around the corner, down four levels of spiraling staircases, around three more corners, and through the ornate double doors halfway down the hall.
Her grandparents and Naomi were already seated. But Esteban wasn't. Which wouldn't have been that strange, except that he was NEVER late, and he was always the first one to the meetings.
"Where's Esteban?" asked Louisa. "I thought he was with you."
"No, I thought he was with you," Elena replied, brow furrowing. "I'll go find him," She said to her council.
She walked through the palace, calling her cousin's name. "Esteban?"
"Elena!" She turned to see Private Higgins chasing after her. "Have you seen the Chancellor?"
"You don't know where he is?" Asked Elena. Now she knew that something was wrong. Esteban was almost always being trailed by the redheaded guard. If he had evaded Higgins, something was really wrong.
"No. No one's seen him all morning, princesa," Higgins answered, confused.
"I'll go look for him," she addressed Higgins as she turned and ran.
Elena ran herself ragged running around town as she yelled his name repeatedly. She caught a glimpse of movement out of the corner of her eye. She saw a piece of red cloth caught on a tree. Esteban! She crept slowly towards the tree, when she caught a hint of a voice. She would recognize that thick accent anywhere. It was her cousin!
"I refuse to help you. You do not deserve it." Esteban insisted adamantly.
"Oh, but Esteban, you already have," a feminine voice replied. A voice Elena recognized. One that chilled her bones, and made her blood boil. Shuriki's voice.
"What are you…" Esteban began, but Shuriki cut him off.
"When you told Rita Perez about the entrance to the caverna magicai. She is Carla in disguise, and it is all I need to take over Avalor once more."
"Why did you bring me here? To boast?"
"No. For you to die."
"E-" a voice began behind her, hesitated and concerned.
Elena whirled around to face the newcomer. She clapped a hand over his mouth and jerked him down to her level. Mateo. She looked him in the eye and mouthed kill her.
Mateo looked lost. Elena bent down to his ear and whispered so quietly she was not entirely sure that there was a sound. "Mateo. Listen. Shuriki kidnapped Esteban to kill him. He told Rita, who is Carla Delgado is disguise, of the entrance to the caverna magicai. She relayed the information, and Shuriki used it to attempt to take over Avalor. Use your tamborita, Mr. Royal Wizard. I will use my scepter. On three, blaze, and Vetzi."
Mateo looked shocked (and slightly overwhelmed) but he understood. They rose to a crouch, sliding along and in between the dense rows of trees. They could hear the voices, Esteban begging Shuriki to have mercy, and she claiming it was only fair revenge. Then, Mateo flung out his arm, dead stopping Elena. She shifted to the right a little bit, courtesy of Mateo jerking his head to his right. Then she spotted them, Esteban crouched against a tree, hunched back in the mud, his jacket ripped. Shuriki stood over him, a wand pointing at him. Elena took aim with her scepter, Mateo with his tamborita.
One, Elena mouthed. Two. They locked eyes. THREE!
"Blaze," Elena screamed. At the same time, Mateo screamed "Vetzi," and Shurki screamed "Fathissima!" The yellow, green, and gold-with-hints-of-rainbow light collided in midair, and there was a mass explosion that sent all three magic-wielders flying backward.
Mateo landed on his back in the middle of the cobblestone road, leaves and weeds swirling around her and landing under, on, and around him, his tamborita several feet away, but still intact as he grabbed it and brandished it threateningly.
Elena landed next to Mateo, on her rear end, after bouncing several feet from her original landing in the grass by the roadside, her scepter still in her hand and glowing.
Shuriki slammed back into a tree, and her wand snapped from the force. She lay on the ground, in the mud by the roots, as her wand flew into the creek by the roadside where Mateo and Elena sat, sending a jet of water up over the two teenagers as they stood up. They looked at each other before they collided, their lips meeting, his hand in her hair, her hand in his, his arm on her back, her hand on the neck as they kissed, their heads turning, lips moving, the warmth from the kiss a shock, and a dream neither of them had ever dared to make a reality.