Ya'll gonna hate me...
Solaria used to be what the other kingdoms considered the shining beacon of Magix. A kingdom ruled by the iron fist of King Radius, Solaria led the coalition in the name of peace and freedom. It was the centre of the kingdom alliances, much like the universe.
A kingdom abundant in resources, weapons and people, Solaria's fall marked the ruin of every other kingdom that followed it, succumbing to the rule of the wicked.
"Princess Stella! Put that down, you know a princess mustn't be indulging in sweets before her coronation!" Governess Griselda chided. Princess Stella of Solaria, donned in her floor-length golden dress sighed in annoyance and lowered the piece of pastry she had so eloquently stolen from the royal baker. "And heavens child is that another blade cut on your arm!?"
Griselda's cold hands grabbed the 16-year-old princess's free hand and yanked her closer, inspecting the graze she had tried to cover up with her lace gloves. "Were you training on the morning of your coronation?!" She demanded and the princess rolled her eyes.
"Yes, it's not a big deal – I still can't use the Sun Sceptre to fight properly anyway," She sighed, as the royal governess gasped again. "It won't listen to my spells,"
"Princesses do not fight!" She hissed through gritted teeth.
"What good is a magic sceptre if I can't use it to defend my people?" Stella shot back defiantly. Of all the things she was taught when preparing to be queen, fighting to protect the people she loved was not one of them.
"Royalty does not fight! They merely command and lead – verbally!" Griselda fumbled for words in her fit of frustration and the young princess took her window of chance to shove the pastry into her mouth in one bite, "And they most certainly do not indulge in GLUTTONY!"
Falling on deaf ears as they usually do, Griselda's bellow was ignored with a giggle as Stella stepped around her in her long golden dress. Her long blonde hair had been done up in a bun, setting the mount of the glorious golden sun-like headpiece that erupted between her tresses.
Stella had been eager to ascend the throne since her mother's passing 3 years ago and finally, after years of being tutored and learning everything there is to know about her kingdom, she was finally ready to be crowned.
Stella leaned her forearms over the stone ledge of the castle that overlooked the kingdom square in the distance. The sun was slowly setting over the horizon as the courtyard buzzed with guests making their way over the drawbridge for the coronation tonight.
Solaria was a mighty kingdom, at the helm of the Magix Alliance it set a leading example to the other kingdoms for peace. Being the queen of Solaria meant she would not only rule as a fair queen over her people but be the pillar of light to other kingdoms as well.
Just like her father was as the current king.
It was a daunting role but even as a 16-year-old, she was more than eager.
"Please have a seat, princess, you already got crumbs on your dress!" Griselda's words interrupted her daydream as the governess brushed some pastry flakes off the shimmering fabric. Her motions were swiftly interrupted by a presence that entered the balcony in the princess's quarters.
"Your majesty!" Griselda wheezed, bowing down as King Radius's figure graced the room, flanked by two royal Solarian guards.
"Dad!" Stella grinned, watching the smile split the king's lips as she approached his presence eagerly.
The governess had taken her exit out of the princess's chambers with the guards, letting the royals have a moment.
"Stella, you look radiant as ever," The king breathed in with a grin as his eyes fell over Stella's royal attire. All she was missing was the royal cape sporting the glorious golden Solarian emblem. "Just like your mother on her coronation day,"
The princess smiled endearingly at the mention of her late mother. Despite not being present for it, she knew exactly how beautiful her mother looked on the day of her crowning. The first painting of her mother hung in Stella's bedroom, clad in the most alluring cream dress with the regal cape cascading from her shoulders as she held the orb and sceptre.
Stella hoped to be half as good of a queen as her mother had been.
"I hope I can live up to her legacy," Stella pursed her lips and Radius let out a soft chuckle.
"Your mother would be so proud to know how hard you've worked for this," He replied sincerely.
"If only she was here to see it today,"
"She will always be with us," Radius added softly, opening his arms as Stella ran into his warm embrace. She was to be queen, every day was going to be filled with happiness and bliss, for her family and her kingdom, she would see to it that her mother's wishes lived through her for her kingdom's future.
The father-daughter embrace was cut off by the sound of jet propulsion being spooled in the courtyard. Stella didn't need a formal RSVP to know who had arrived as she bounded out of her father's arms and to the balcony.
The ship had cut its engine and landed in the courtyard, bearing the Silver emblem that made her heart race. "High Commander Silver is here?"
Radius chortled, "Yes, and his son is back from training," The king was well aware of the ways in which to send his teenage daughter into a squealing fit. Princess Stella of Solaria wasn't one to dabble in sword fighting or learning magic to fight, there was only one man in the entire realm who sparked those unruly notions.
Brandon Silver.
Son of the high commander of the Solarian military.
Her childhood crush had come back from his 3-year training regime in Eraklyeon. Brandon turned 18 not too long ago, marking the end of his training to take over as High Commander. He was to return home two weeks after Stella's coronation, but by the king's nifty word, he was able to come back earlier.
The aerial bridge expanded to the ground as the ship's entrance opened and Stella felt her heart leap to her throat at the sight of him. Taller, and more muscular than she had last seen him when he was 15. His brunette hair was slicked back and instead of the usual blue and white combat suit he usually wore, he had on a black tuxedo to match that handsome face of his.
She wanted to call out to him, like a princess on her tower looking down at her knight in shining armour, but the royal fanfare erupted throughout the castle, cutting her off.
It was time for the coronation.
"You can see him after the coronation at the banquet," King Radius took her hand gently, guiding her back off the balcony.
"He's really here, dad!" Stella could barely contain her excitement as she squeezed her father's hand. "How long is he here for?" If she wanted to capture his heart with her newfound teenage charm, she had to do it quickly before he went away on another mission across the galaxy.
The king pursed his lips thoughtfully before a grin broke out across his lips, "Well, considering he is to become your high commander, I'd say as long as you need,"
Her high commander. Brandon Silver was going to be her high commander!
Ecstatic was an understatement for the soon-to-be queen as she made her way down to the great hall. The king had given her one last squeeze before making his way inside to the royal perch in preparation for the crowning.
As the Solarian officials sat crowding the hall, the high elder of the Solarian council stood at the end of the hall as the fanfare announced the princess's entrance. The doors opened and an immense amount of pressure gripped her throat as Stella forced herself to walk.
She had waited years for this day, read every book, dined with the knowledge of every cutlery and memorised every spell that was required by royalty. Her transformation had become near perfect and someday she would be able to fill the shoes her mother left for her.
That someday was going to start today.
At least, that's what she had hoped.
The high elder placed the crown on her head, donning her title. "May I present, her Highness, the Sun Queen, Stella Solaria," Clapping erupted in the halls as Stella's grin split her lips.
She rejoiced in the celebration as her father stood up to make his way towards her. "I'm so proud of you Stella," Radius whispered, squeezing her hand as she grinned back at him at the end of the hall. His lips parted and Stella waited for his next word of praise, but it never came.
The king's eyes widened as his gaze travelled down to his chest. Over the royal sash, a pool of red quickly spread as the former king fell to his knees.
Stella felt her world fall silent. Everything fell silent.
It was eerily serene. People's mouths were wide open in a screaming fashion as their bodies began splattering with blood. Men with high-powered artillery burst into the great hall, and glowing red bullets lit up the air as magic swords swung as defenceless people ran for their lives.
Bodies were hitting the floor one after the other with not a drop of mercy whether it was man, woman or child.
But Stella didn't hear a single scream as she sat on her knees, cradling her father's hand to her chest, the hand she never let go of from the moment the light left his eyes. She could hear herself screaming, begging her father to come back as he lay still on her lap, but everything was muffled and drowned.
Her eyes travelled from her father's face to the pool of blood behind his body. A pair of sleek black shoes stood next to them, turned to the side and unmoving. Stella's gaze travelled up the figure's body, stopping for a moment at the glowing green blade that hung in their grip, dripping with her father's blood.
She felt the sound that was momentarily drowned in her ears suddenly come rushing back at the sight of the identity behind her father's murderer.
He stood in stark contrast to the blood bath of the once pristine great hall. His sword, stained crimson, hung loosely at his side, a silent testament to the violence that had unfolded moments ago. Dark, emotionless eyes, the colour of rich mahogany, bore into the former princess with a gaze devoid of the warmth or remorse she had hoped to see.
His eyes were filled with a type of seething hatred that made her heart shatter. It couldn't be. Why him? Anyone but him.
"Brandon," She whispered, her throat raw and unrecognisable from her earlier screams and pleas.
Brandon Silver turned, the green energy blade slicing the blood-smelling air as he faced her from his former gaze on the plunder that was taking place. Stella gazed desperately at the men donned in the Silver Army emblem standing in front of her, weapons engaged and covered in the blood of the people. Her people.
Stella's gaze flickered back to him, disgust, hatred and above all hurt melding in her glare. But his cold gaze seemed to take no effect on the emotion brimming her hazel eyes.
He leaned down mockingly, a sinister grin split at his lips before he spoke, his deep voice sending a chill down her spine, "Happy coronation day, princess,"
MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH I WAS SO BORED I WROTE THIS ON MY DAY OFF AND THEN I LET SOMEONE READ IT AND NOW I'M BEING FORCED TO PUBLISH IT.
Anyway, I'll probably randomly update this story depending on how much people actually enjoy dark romances idk. I'm not a psycho (borderline) so you aren't getting BOOKTOK level of dark but something kinda twisted for your twisted little minds my little lovelies.
You guys are going to hate this Brandon more than DeCaro LOL, I will personally make sure of it hehheheheheh.
Lots of love,
Sunshine.