Hello everyone! Here is a new FT Story made by Revolutionarycleo and me!
Note: This story is not going to be set in Canon, but there will be mention of canon events. It's set in a Kingdom Cleo and I created. So, reading through the world info would help while making your OCs.
World Info: You can find the link to the Google Doc on my profile page (Let me know if you're having trouble with the Doc). Or you can join the server discord. Both have the same information. If you'd like the Discord server, just message me. Username is nox52.
You can find the SYOC Form on my profile page. Submissions are due on Sunday, May 11, 2025.
Episode 1. Meet the Family
Quantum Town, Eloheim Province, Aurae Kingdom
December 20, X790
A young woman with fair skin, thick wavy light pink hair in twin ponytails, and large, gleaming, bright blue eyes hummed happily as she worked in her workshop, her haven from the mess that was the outside world.
She was dressed in a white-and-dark brown dress, the sleeves were short and puffed, ruffled and dark brown at the edges, with golden buttons, while the skirt was white in the center and dark brown on the sides, the hem of the skirt stopping at her mid-calves. Over the dress, she had on a dark brown waist cincher with gold, hook-like buttons and gold accents. She also wore fingerless dark brown gloves with gold buckles and dark brown boots with a slight heel and buckles that matched her gloves. Lastly, she had a pair of mechanic goggles resting on her head, the frames of the goggles gold and the straps dark brown.
The machine she was working on was large and boxy, going up to her lower ribs. Four overly large and oval-shaped light bulbs were haphazardly attached to the end of the machine, buzzing and flickering with yellow light as she rummaged through the machine's insides. Half her body was inside the machine, waist balancing precariously on the side and her legs hanging off the floor, the skirt of her dress starting to slip up to her thighs; but she didn't notice, too focused on carefully moving the tangled wires out of her way, eyes searching for a certain component.
"Come on, come on, where is it?" she muttered. With one hand, she flicked on the mini flashlight attached to her goggles, turning it toward the right corner of the machine. Slowly, she swept the light from corner to corner until she saw a small metallic piece and grinned. "Got it!" Without thinking, she reached out and yanked on the wayward chunk of machinery, dislodging it and pulling it away from the larger machine.
She inspected the small, rectangular part. The metal was burnt black and misshapen on the end where it had been attached to the machine. "I guess I should have replaced you months ago…" she sighed. She had meant to, but another project had distracted her.
"That's not very ladylike, Stellan. I can see your underwear." A familiar female voice laughed.
"What?!" Immediately, Stellan's face burned red, and she jerked up, slamming the back of her head into the top of the machine with enough force to cause it to shake and for her to lose her balance, causing her to fall completely into the machine, her legs sticking out of the opening. "Caly! Help me!" She kicked around her legs, trying to wiggle enough to push herself back up, but all her wiggling did was get her arms caught in the already tangled wires, much to her frustration and embarrassment.
"Stop kicking," Caly chided, not even bothering to hide her laughter.
Stellan felt Caly grab onto her waist and easily tug her out, her eyes gleaming with amusement as she took in the younger girl. "You've got grease on your face."
Stellan sighed and quickly wiped her face before glancing at her companion, Calytrix Carlisle.
She was the only daughter of the Carlisle family. She had fair skin, thick, long blonde-orange hair that cascaded down her back in loose curls, and large, clear violet eyes framed by thick, dark lashes.
She had on a sleeveless deep red-and-white dress with detached bell sleeves, the skirt of her dress had slits on either side of her legs, revealing the smooth skin of her legs. She had partial fingerless dark brown gloves with gold accents and mid-calf high dark brown boots that had a slight heel. She had two thin dark brown belts crisscrossing around her waist with gold buckles and a soft leather cloth that was attached to the belts, flowing down her waist to her mid-calves along with her skirt. Lastly, she had on a red-and-gold headband.
"Anyways," Caly drawled, looking her over, "Shouldn't you be getting ready? We have to head to the Capital soon so that you can present yourself to your parents and siblings. It's your first official meeting, after all."
"Do we have to go?" Stellan asked, her shoulders slumping. Truth be told, she had never met her parents and siblings, and she had no desire to. Who cared if it was a tradition? Why would she want to meet people who had sent her away without even holding her?
For centuries, women in the royal family tended to give birth to sextuplets, a harrowing ordeal that lasted hours, and sometimes the mother passed during childbirth. After giving birth, as per royal tradition, the mother never got to hold her children, didn't get to name their children, they would only get to see their children once before they were whisked away from the Royal Province, Seraphil and given to the Warden families of the six other Provinces to be raised.
From then on, the King and Queen, as well as the Prince and Princesses, weren't allowed to contact each other in any way. That was, until the children were called back to Seraphil at the age of eighteen.
Her mother had followed that tradition, and Stellan had been given to the Carlisle family of the Eloheim Province to be raised since birth. Now, she was being called back with the rest of her siblings and couldn't help but dread it; she knew what was coming next and was less than thrilled.
"Stellan." Caly snapped her fingers an inch from the younger woman's face, causing her to jolt and bringing her back to the present. "Now's not the time to zone out."
Stellan laughed, embarrassed. "Sorry," She played with one of her ponytails, twirling the end around her finger like she usually did when nervous. "How long do we have?"
"A bit more than an hour before we head out," Caly sighed. She looked past Stellan's shoulders, her brows furrowing before they shot up in alarm. "What did you do?"
"Wha-?" The Pinkette followed her gaze, eyes widening when she saw the light bulbs attached to the machine flickering erratically, sparks flying through the air as a buzzing sound started to fill the room.
Stellan raised the small part she had pulled out of the machine, looking it over. "I guess I should have pulled this out when the machine was off." She mused, more curious than worried.
Caly shot Stellan an annoyed look. "Stell-" That's all she got out before the machine exploded with a large resounding boom, shaking the foundations of the workshop and filling the room with thick black smoke.
Stellan coughed, fruitlessly trying to wave the smoke out of her face. "That was unexpected." She tried to laugh but accidentally inhaled more of the smoke, sending her into another coughing fit.
She heard an annoyed sigh before Caly grabbed her arm, dragging her out of the ruined workshop and into the fresh air.
Once out, Stellan took a deep breath, glad for the clean air, stretching out her back as she did so. She then glanced at Caly and laughed. The older woman was covered from head to toe in a layer of black soot, her once immaculate hair in disarray. "You should see yourself."
"You don't look any better." She scowled. "Stell, why would you pull a part out when the machine was on?"
"It was on so I could check what needed to be fixed." She defended, trying in vain to rub the soot off, but it just smeared across the skin.
"What on earth happened here?" Both jumped at the voice, turning in tandem to see a beautiful middle-aged woman with thick, blonde-orange hair pulled into an elegant chignon and orange eyes. She was dressed in a seamless green-and-gold dress, the hem of the skirt gently brushing against the ground as she walked. She didn't look too happy to see the two of them in their soot-covered state.
"Lady Elanor, I… uhh…" Stellan laughed nervously. "My machine exploded…?"
Lady Elanor Carlisle sighed in exasperation, pinching at her nose, "Again?" She shook her head, but when she looked at them again, there was no missing the look of endearment on her face. "Go get cleaned up, Stellan, and you too, Calytrix. You're running out of time."
"Yes, mom." Caly nodded, grabbing onto Stellan and ushering her into the house like the dutiful daughter she was.
Caly marched Stellan to her room, locking eyes with the maid who had been in the middle of setting out a dress for the pink-haired girl to wear. "All yours," She said, pushing Stellan into the room before spinning on her heels and making her way to her rooms to clean up.
Stellan looked sheepishly at her maid, Lois, a woman a few years older than her. She had creamy pale skin, her black hair pulled into a bun, and light gray eyes. She wore the typical maid uniform, and currently, she was staring at Stellan in horror. "Should we get started?"
Lois only sighed, also used to her antics, being her maid for years, so she knew how to run with the various states of disheveled Stellan appeared in. "Your bath is ready, your Highness. Once you're done, I'll help you dress."
Knowing Lois wouldn't take her refusal, Stellan simply nodded and hurried into her bathroom, the tub already filled with warm water, flower petals, and lavender-scented oils. It was overkill in her opinion, but Lois always insisted on adding the extra touches, telling her it was what a Princess deserved. She had only stopped trying to help Stellan clean herself when she insisted on getting Elanor and her husband involved in the issue.
Stellan quickly cleaned herself, scrubbing at her skin with the brush until her skin was rubbed raw, but she was satisfied with the results; there was no trace of soot anywhere on her. Once she was satisfied, she dried herself and made her way back into her bedroom where Lois was patiently waiting for her.
Lois scanned her from top to bottom, looking for any hint of remaining soot. When she was satisfied that she was clean, she nodded and promptly held up the dress for Stellan to slip into.
"Do I have to wear that?" She asked, scrunching up her face in distaste. The dress was a deep blue, complementing her eyes, accents of gold trimmed the collar, sleeves, and trim of the skirt, a gold ribbon would also be tied around her waist. It was pretty, but it wasn't her style. "Can't I wear what I usually wear?"
"You're meeting the King and Queen, as well as the other Prince and Princesses," Lois said sternly. "What you usually wear won't cut it."
Stellan tried to protest again, but Lois cut her off. "Lady Elanor picked this dress out specifically for today. She'd be disappointed if you wore something else."
The protest died on her lips, and Stellan gave in. Lady Elanor had treated her as if she was her daughter this entire time. If it was what she wanted, Stellan couldn't argue, not after everything she had done for her. "Fine." She muttered.
Lois helped her slip into the dress before expertly tying the silky ribbon into a bow on the back of her waist. That done, she sat Stellan down, brushing a comb through the light pink strands until no knots remained. She then gathered the top layer of hair and pulled it into a braided bun while carefully curling the lower strands into loose ringlets.
Lastly, she applied a thin layer of powder to Stellan's face, scolding the Pinkette when she wiggled in the seat due to the makeup brush tickling her. Lois then finished with glittery eyeshadow and rosy pink lipstick.
"What do you think?" Lois asked excitedly once she finished, pleased with her work.
Stellan glanced at the mirror and forced a smile onto her face. Lois had done a wonderful job; she looked beautiful, makeup flawless, hair perfectly coiffed, and she wore a beautiful dress. She looked like a Princess, but the person who stared back at her was a stranger. She didn't look or feel like herself.
"It's great. Thank you, Lois." She said, her smile becoming just a bit more genuine when she met Lois' eyes. What else could she say?
Lois smiled back, understanding in her eyes. "It's just for today, Your Highness. Tomorrow, you can go back to wearing whatever you want."
"Tomorrow, everything will have changed," Stellan muttered.
Lois looked like she was going to say something, but before she could, there was a knock on her door. "Stellan, are you ready? We're running late." Caly's voice sounded through the door.
Lois nodded and helped Stellan to her feet before opening the door for Caly, who was now dressed in a high-low deep crimson and gold dress that hugged her figure nicely.
When she saw Stellan, she raised a brow, a smirk forming on her face. "You clean up nice, Stell."
She snorted, "Yeah, yeah. I know, I look like a Princess." She tossed her curls. "You can bow now." She said, taking on a snobby voice.
"You've always looked like a Princess," Caly said, meeting her eyes. "A pretty dress doesn't make you one."
Stellan blinked at her, stunned, soon though, a large smile broke across her face. "Thanks." She said goodbye to Lois and then stepped out of her room and started walking towards the main foyer with Caly at her side.
When they reached the front of the house, they saw Elanor and the Head of the family, Lord Sterling Carlisle, waiting for them.
Lord Sterling was a tall and lean man with fair skin, neatly combed dark brown hair, and intense violet eyes. He was dressed in a form-fitting three-piece suit composed of a white dress shirt under a dark gold vest and matching dark brown suit jacket and dress pants, he wore polished black dress shoes and black gloves.
When they saw Stellan, warm smiles broke out across both their faces. "Oh, Sweetie, look at you." Elanor looked Stellan over, eyes warm and bright.
Sterling also smiled, nodding approvingly, "You look beautiful, Your Highness. Are you ready to go?"
Stellan nodded, even though she was nervous. What would her family think? What would she think of her family? "I am." She nodded, trying to sound confident, but Sterling saw through her.
"I know you're nervous, Stellan." He said, smiling kindly, "But remember, no matter how this meeting goes, you'll always have a family. They may be your family by blood, but we're also your family. We'll be here for you."
"I know." She always knew that. Lord Sterling was her father in everything but blood, she knew she'd be able to rely on him. "I'm ready to meet the King and Queen."
Sterling nodded back and turned to Elanor, giving her a quick peck on the cheek. "We'll be back tonight."
Elanor beamed up at him, then turned to Stellan, hugging her tightly. It took Stellan by surprise for a moment before she hugged the woman back. "Just be yourself," Elanor said softly. "Don't think too deeply of what your parents or siblings think of you. If they can't respect you for who you are, then you don't need a relationship with them. Your real family will be here when you get back."
Stellan felt tears prick at her eyes at Elanor's words and nodded, "I'll be back soon." She pulled away and gave the woman a thankful smile.
She started to move towards the front door, but a low whistle stopped her. "Wow, Stellan, I almost didn't recognize you. I'm so used to seeing grease cover your face." A new voice said. "You look beautiful."
Stellan turned, almost losing her balance when the golden heels slipped on the polished marble floor. She would have face-planted if strong arms hadn't caught her, wrapping around her waist and pulling her back up.
Face red, Stellan glanced up and met amused eyes. Pollux Carlisle, Caly's older brother. He had tousled dark brown hair and gleaming orange eyes. He was dressed in a white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, a deep green vest, dark brown pants, and black boots.
Pollux laughed, "You may look prettier, but you're still as clumsy as before." He leaned in closer, face an inch from hers, "But that's fine, you're cuter the way you are." He saw her blush and winked, laughing when she became flustered at his closeness.
Her blush deepened, and without thinking, she pulled a wrench out from under her skirt and swung it towards Pollux's face, missing his smug face by an inch. She stumbled again and caught herself on the banister.
There was a moment of silence, and then both Caly and Pollux burst out laughing. "Where'd you even hide the wrench?" Caly asked.
Stellan clutched the wrench closely to her chest; it was her trusty wrench, and she didn't feel comfortable going around without it. "I have my ways." She had been able to hide it under her skirt when Lois had turned away from her while looking for something.
Sterling rubbed the bridge of his nose, and Elanor sighed, making her way toward Stellan and taking the wrench from her after a moment of struggle, the Pinkette refusing to let the wrench go until Elanor forcefully pulled it from her grip.
"No!" Stellan lunged for the wrench, trying to reclaim it, but Elanor shot her an icy glare, the warmth from before absent from her eyes, and Stellan recoiled, sheepish.
"You cannot bring a wrench to a meeting with the Queen," Eleanor said sternly. "What will she think?"
Pollux laughed, wrapping an arm around Stellan's shoulders and pulling her in for a hug. "I'm sure Queen Meissa is fully aware of Stellan's relationship with the wrench. The whole kingdom knows Stellan never goes anywhere without it."
"I think she loves that wrench more than us," Caly agreed, shooting Stellan a teasing look.
Sterling saw Stellan's blush and sighed. "We're running late," He said, taking pity on his ward. "We'll be late to meet the Queen at this rate."
Elanor nodded in agreement. "Safe travels," she said, giving each of the traveling members one more hug before stepping back.
"Good luck, Stell!" Pollux hugged her quickly. "I'll see you when you get back."
Stellan nodded, and with that, she followed Sterling and Caly to the carriage. She was uncharacteristically serious and silent the entire ride to the train station and remained silent the entire ride to the palace despite Caly's attempt to get her to talk; she wasn't ignoring her foster sister; she just needed the time to compose herself.
Seraphil Province, Aurae Kingdom
Royal Court
Stellan was pulled out of her thoughts when the train pulled to a complete stop at the royal station. She looked up and around, meeting Sterling and Caly's expectant gazes. "Ready, Stell?" Caly asked.
"Of course." Stellan stood up and tried to take a step out of the carriage, only to trip on the hem of her skirt. "Ah!" She fumbled forward, catching herself on the frame of the compartment door at the last second with a relieved sigh.
Trying to keep the blush off her face, Stellan straightened up and turned to look at Sterling and Caly, who wore matching looks of exasperation. "Let's go!"
She led the way out of the train station, eyes scanning the busy streets filled with colorful tents and vendors eager to sell their merchandise to passing citizens; some were strolling, enjoying their day, while others rushed through the streets, determined to get to their destination.
Her eyes soaked in the brilliant capital streets; it was livelier and more colorful than she would have expected. She didn't know what she had been expecting, but it certainly wasn't this.
She took a step towards the carriage that she believed was there to pick them up; it had the Carlisle family banner hanging off the side after all, but before she could reach it, a sudden bright flash caused her to flinch and stumble back; she would have tripped if Sterling hadn't steadied her.
That's when she noticed the reporters who were on the edge of the sidewalk, cameras and notepads ready, eager to get a glimpse of the Prince and Princesses of the Aurae Kingdom returning home for the first time after birth.
"Your Highness! How do you feel about being back?" One reporter asked, trying to catch her attention as another flash from a camera nearly blinded her. "Are you ready to form your guild?!"
"I... uh..." Stellan looked around nervously, pressing closer against Sterling's chest, the questions from the reporters having drawn the interest of others who stopped what they were doing to look at her.
"Come on," Sterling said sternly, ushering her towards the carriage and helping her and Caly in before closing the door firmly after him. He knocked firmly on the roof of the carriage, and before Stellan knew it, the carriage jerked forward, starting the journey towards the royal palace.
"I wasn't expecting any reporters..." Stellan said nervously, pulling at the collar of her dress; it suddenly felt too tight.
"How can you be surprised? Everyone has been waiting for this day. The day the royal family reunites." Caly said. She pulled out a bag of sugar candies from out of nowhere and held them out towards Stellan. "Want some?"
Stellan nodded and popped some candies into her mouth, cherishing the sweet taste before glancing at Sterling. "What should I expect?"
Sterling sighed, "You and your siblings will meet your parents and be given your tasks to form your guilds. The tournament will be explained, and then you'll be on your way back to your Provinces to start recruiting mages."
Stellan blinked at him, blue eyes wide. "... that's it?" She had expected at least one family dinner with all of them. Everyone had put so much stress on this first meeting, she had been dressed up like a doll for it... But all that was going to happen was for them to get their tasks and be dismissed?
"That's it." Sterling nodded. "If anything further happens, it will depend on your parents and siblings."
"Seems like a waste of time to come all the way here for just that," Caly mused, sticking a lollipop into her mouth.
"Yeah! We could have done this over a communication lacrima." Stellan agreed. She had been forced to look like a proper Princess so that she could meet her parents and siblings for what? An hour? She could have been in her workshop, tinkering away to her heart's content... after she cleaned up the destroyed pieces of her machine that exploded.
"Tradition is tradition," Sterling said, unbothered, glancing out the window when the carriage jolted to a halt. He was out the moment the driver opened the door, making sure that Stellan got out of the carriage properly and didn't fall over.
Once Stellan was out of the carriage, she glanced up at the towering palace in front of her. It was four stories high and made of flawless white stone that almost gleamed in the sunlight, its towers casting shadows over the courtyard, marble pillars with gold accents framing the large, polished wooden doors.
"It's..." Caly glanced at the palace, a contemplative look on her face.
"Gaudy." Stellan finished for her. The richness of the place was off-putting to her. It didn't need to scream stinking rich.
Sterling chuckled softly as he led the way towards the palace. "Not that I don't agree," He smiled briefly at them, "But don't say that in front of the Queen."
The palace guards pushed the doors open, revealing a grand entrance hall with polished marble floors and walls, gleaming crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, and seamless white stone statues standing in each corner of the room.
"Sterling." A deep male voice caught Stellan's attention, causing her to look towards the foot of the stairs, where a man in a suit stood, hands tucked neatly behind his back.
Stellan immediately knew who he was: Lord Julius Roshel, Head of the Warden family of the Seraphil Province. He was a tall and broad-shouldered man around Sterling's age with deeply tanned skin, neatly styled black hair with hints of gray, and piercing steel gray eyes. He was dressed in a form-fitting black suit with a gray vest.
"You're cutting it close," Julius said. "Everyone else is already here and waiting."
Stellan spoke before Sterling could, not wanting him to take the blame, "It's not his fault! I made a mess and caused us to fall behind." She was in such a rush to speak that she spoke louder than she meant to, her voice echoing through the room.
Julius stared at her, brows furrowed, judgement in his steely gaze. "That matches what I've heard about you. Mess of a Princess." He muttered under his breath, but everyone still heard.
She flinched at that. She wondered what rumors the people of Seraphil had heard about her. What had her parents heard? They weren't allowed to reach out to their children, but the Heads of the Warden families were supposed to send quarterly reports to the Queen while they grew up. And, of course, there was no helping the rumors that her parents may have heard about her; gossip always spread, no matter how hard you tried to stop it.
"Julius," Sterling's voice turned cold as he looked at the older man. "If you would, will you take us to where the other heirs are waiting?" It was an order more than a request, and they all knew it.
Julius's jaw tightened, but he nodded, turning sharply and leading them down a long hallway without a word.
As they walked, Sterling fell into step with Julius, and Caly walked next to Stellan, glaring at the man's back. "That guy sure has some nerve," She muttered darkly.
"He's not wrong," Stellan said, her confidence plummeting with each step towards the throne room where she'd be meeting the Queen, King, and her siblings. "Just this morning, I caused another explosion."
"You wouldn't be you if you didn't cause some sort of explosion once a week." Caly shrugged, shooting Stellan a smile. "It keeps everyone on their toes."
Stellan laughed softly. "Thanks, Caly."
They stopped in front of a pair of polished double doors made of thick, polished oak wood and accented in gold. A page stood at attention by the doors, eyes alert, his hand going to the gold handle to pull the doors open.
"Princess Stellan," Julius turned back towards her, eyes neutral, "From this point onward, you'll be going on alone. The other Prince and Princesses are already waiting in the parlor. When it's time, you'll be called into the throne room to meet the Queen and King. Are there any questions I can answer for you?" So, you don't embarrass yourself? Was the unsaid question.
She swallowed thickly, shaking her head. "I'm prepared." She said quietly. She turned to face Caly and Sterling, uncertainty in her blue eyes. "I'll see you after?"
Sterling smiled at her reassuringly. "Of course, Stellan, we'll see you after."
"Remember to be yourself." Caly hugged her, carefully, trying not to mess up her hair. "You'll have to tell me how it goes."
Stellan smiled at her briefly, turning to face the door again. She took a deep breath and nodded decisively at the page.
He took the cue and pulled the heavy doors open, allowing her entrance. She took the first few steps into the parlor, freezing when the page announced her to the residents of the room. "Introducing Princess Stellan Caelis, first Princess of the Aurae Kingdom. Ward of the Carlisle Family of the Eloheim province."
Five curious and judgmental eyes immediately settled on Stellan's face, and she immediately wanted to turn around and run away. Before she could even try, the doors closed with a resounding click, and she was trapped, forced to face five siblings she had never met.
"Well," one of her sisters stepped forward, hips swaying with each step, her eyes raking over Stellan from head to toe, an unimpressed look on her face. "You're certainly cleaner than I thought you'd be."
Her sister had smooth, flawless, fair skin, thick waves of golden blonde hair that flowed down her back, and matching golden eyes. She was dressed in a low-cut, off-shoulder white dress with gold trimmings. The dress itself was form-fitting, accenting her curves, the hem of her dress having slits on either side of her legs, revealing the smooth skin. She also had on three-inch gold heels and gold bangles around her wrist that matched the necklaces around her neck.
"Princess Alsephina Caelis of Erelim province, ward of the Yaisien family. The pleasure is all yours." She said, her voice silky smooth and sweet. "It's your pleasure to meet me, sister."
"Y-yeah?" Stellan blinked, taken aback by how forward she was.
"Of course," She sniffed. "Someone like you is lucky to even be in the same room as me. You're lucky our mother wants to meet you."
"I am her daughter too," Stellan said. "Of course I'd be called back like you. It's tradition."
"But you're a screw up." A new voice spoke, and Stellan turned to see one of her brothers make his way toward them, but any hope of being saved from Alsephina was dashed when she saw an equally judgmental look on his face.
It was no wonder; he looked like Alsephina, so maybe she shouldn't be surprised he had her attitude. He had fair skin, long golden blonde hair that was twisted into a thick braid that fell down his back, and strange reddish eyes. He was dressed in an expensive black doublet with intricate gold designs sewn into the dark fabric, fitted black pants, and black polished boots that reached his knees. The most interesting thing? He had what looked like expensive gemstones sewn into the collar of his doublet, the jewels gleaming in the light of the room.
"We may have never met, but we've all heard stories about each other. And the ones about you... have always been interesting. A Princess always covered in soot and grease, head half buried in some sort of machine, doing commoners' work." He scowled at her, disgust in his eyes. "Have you no shame?"
"I was just doing what I love," Stellan argued back, glaring at him. "What's wrong with that?"
She hadn't known what to expect when she stepped into the room, but being verbally attacked by two of her siblings hadn't been a scenario. Why was she even being attacked?
"It's below you," Alsephina said, looking at her as if she were an idiot. "Umbriel is right, you're a screw up. We also heard that you've caused a lot of property damage to the Carlisle mansion with your experiments. Are you not embarrassed?"
"If Mother has any sense, she'll exile you before the tournament begins," Umbriel added. "Why take the chance of a disgraced heir ascending to the throne?"
"No one would accept you as Queen. No one would consider joining a guild run by you, so there's no point in you trying." Alsephina took up berating her, circling her as if she was prey, gold eyes gleaming cruelly.
Stellan bit her lip, fiddling with the ribbon around her waist, her gaze set on the floor. They weren't exactly wrong; she knew better than anyone else that she was a mess, but she didn't think she was that bad. She thought she was at least better than these two.
She had just met them, but already, she could tell that they were rather self-centered, not that they were hiding it. Were these her siblings? Were the rest of them like this? Oh please, no, she'd rather be exiled than have to deal with them in any way.
"Leave her alone," A stern voice said, and Stellan peered past Umbriel and Alsephina's shoulders to meet the eyes of her true savior, her second sister.
She had the same fair skin as the rest of them, but her hair was dark pink and layered, just brushing past her shoulders, her dark gold eyes intense and intimidating as she glared at the two blonde heirs. She had on a sleeveless black dress with a fur-rimmed collar and silver accents. She wore silver metallic bracers, and instead of heels, she had on polished combat boots with a slight heel.
"We're just having fun, Bella," Alsephina said, shooting her a sickeningly sweet smile, but there was no hiding the anger in her eyes at being interrupted.
"Don't call me Bella." The dark pink-haired princess said, her voice hard. "Instead of trying to shame our sister, why don't you find a way to cover up? Unless looking like a courtesan is your goal?"
Alsephina made an enraged sound but stormed away to a different corner of the parlor, Umbriel trailing after her after one final glare in their direction.
With them gone, Bella turned to Stellan, her dark gold eyes softening a fraction. "Don't let them get to you, Stellan. You can't expect better from heirs raised by the Yaisien and Kolesar families."
"They did have a few points," She said sheepishly. "But thank you for helping...?" She asked uncertainly.
"Bellatrix," Her sister said sternly. "Nicknames should be reserved for close comrades to use."
"I understand," Stellan nodded.
Bellatrix nodded back and looked like she was about to leave, but she stopped and turned back to face Stellan. "Why'd you let them talk to you like that?"
"Well, I wasn't expecting them to verbally attack me... and like I said, they did have a few points. Out of the six of us, I think I'm the least-favorite to win." She said, unable to meet Bellatrix's eyes.
"With that attitude, you may be right." Bellatrix said, "No one will believe in you if you don't believe in yourself. Stellan. Don't listen to what those two say, hold your head high, and face this challenge head-on, because as of right now, you are a Princess of the Aurae Kingdom and have an equal chance to the throne." With that, Bellatrix turned and left, heading for an unoccupied corner of the room to be by herself.
Stellan stood around the room awkwardly, uncertain of what to do. How long were they supposed to wait to be summoned? She was about to make her way to a free couch when an arm suddenly wrapped around her shoulders, and warm laughter filled her ear.
"Bellatrix is right; you should have more confidence in yourself, Sis." She glanced up to see her second brother. He had fair but tanned skin, long dark red hair in a low ponytail, and laughing teal eyes. He was dressed in a loose, flowing dark teal and white tunic with gold embroidery, flowing white pants, and golden-brown sandals.
"I like hearing the stories about you," He continued, leading her to the couch and pushing her down. "It sounds like you know how to live a fun life."
"It is pretty fun," Stellan agreed, despite the accidents, she truly enjoyed working on her machines or mixing some chemicals. She never felt bored when she was in her workshop.
"As long as you like it, that's all that matters." He nodded, "If it wasn't clear, I'm Tarak, the good-looking brother." He joked.
"I've heard stories about you, too. If anything, you're the one who knows how to have fun." Stellan laughed, remembering the stories she had heard about him; one that particularly stood out was when he had supposedly partied on a beach from sunset to sunrise. It was well known that the Nikolaous family strongly disapproved of his partying.
"So, what's your favorite way to explode things?" He asked, startling a laugh out of her.
"I don't explode on purpose," She smiled. "It's always by accident."
"Hmmm, maybe you should try a controlled one in the future." Tarak hummed, leaning back against the couch like he had no care in the world.
"We do not need controlled property damage." The last sibling said, settling beside them, his eyes never leaving the book in his hand. He had chin-length reddish-blonde hair and bright blue eyes. He was dressed in simple dark blue scholar robes that covered a simple white tunic and black trousers with brown shoes.
"Hey, Antares, glad you could join us!" Tarak grinned welcomingly at him.
Antares rolled his eyes before they settled on Stellan. "What machines were you working on?" He asked curiously.
"Nothing too special: a generator, a machine that can create a barrier that runs on lacrima, a train engine that runs on recycled energy, anything that interests me in the moment." Stellan shrugged.
"Interesting." Antares murmured, "And who taught you? I doubt the Carlisle family did."
"Lord Sterling was the first one who taught me how to take apart a clock." Stellan smiled, remembering the day fondly. "After, as long as my studies didn't fall behind, he let me go to a Mechanics guild to learn."
Tarak whistled, "Man, you're lucky. I have to sneak out if I want to do anything I like."
"Partying doesn't benefit anyone." Antares said dismissively, "Lord Carlisle must appreciate that knowledge is key for one to grow. He raised you well."
"Can't argue that." She agreed. She was about to say something else when the door on the other end of the parlor was finally opened by another page, who looked at them all expectantly. "The Queen and King are ready for you." He announced, holding the door open wide.
"Finally." Alsephina hurried into the throne room, Umbriel at her heels. Bellatrix slowly followed after while Stellan entered the throne room with Antares and Tarak at her side.
The throne room was large, having the same polished marble floor and walls, with accents of bright gold and marble pillars framing the hall, and a large, brilliant chandelier hung from the ceiling. In the front of the grand room, there was an elevated stage where the twin thrones stood, and on them... her parents.
The Queen, her mother, had fair skin, dark pink hair pulled up into a no-nonsense bun, and bright gold eyes. She had on a simple but beautiful dark magenta color trimmed in gold. On her head, she had on an intertwining crown of gold and black metal, diamonds embedded into the metal. Meissa Caelis was truly an intimidating woman; her eyes seemed to burn into Stellan's soul when she met her gaze, and she quickly looked away.
The King, her father, had fair skin, long golden blonde hair that was tied into a low ponytail, and deep, bright blue eyes. He wore a royal blue doublet with black pants and polished shoes. He had on a simpler gold crown with emerald and ruby gems. Unlike her mother, Hydrus Koskinen de Caelis had warm eyes and a genuine smile on his lips when he got his first glimpse of his adult children. He had waited eighteen years to see his children face to face, and now he finally got to see them.
"Your Majesties," Tarak was the first to greet their parents. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you."
"You as well." Hydrus grinned, his eyes eagerly soaking up his children.
"You look even more beautiful in person, Mother," Alsephina gushed, and Stellan noticed their mother's lips twitch into a frown.
"Those jewels compliment you; the finest Ophani had to offer, I'm sure," Umbriel added smoothly.
Their Mother's eyes narrowed, taking in the children who had chosen to stay quiet, and Stellan looked down, unable to meet her eyes. Was she supposed to say something?
"Take a seat." Meissa finally said, voice strangely detached as she gestured to the couches that had been brought into the throne room. Once they were all settled, she continued, "I'm sure you all know why you've been summoned?"
"Of course," Antares said from his place beside Stellan. "We're here so you can explain the rules of the tournament we must participate in."
Meissa nodded, and Hydrus looked displeased. He leaned in close to his wife, eyes determined.
"Come now, Meissa. Surely, that can wait. This is our first time officially meeting our children. Don't you want to know them before you lay out the terms of the tournament?"
Meissa shot Hydrus an annoyed look, brows furrowing. "We have a meeting with the Council after this. There is no time to waste, Hydrus."
Stellan blinked in surprise. Her mother was being rather cold to her father; it hadn't been what she was expecting. She was so used to seeing Sterling and Elanor talk to each other with love, so she had assumed her parents would have a loving relationship too, even if it had been an arranged marriage.
She watched her parents engage in an intense staring contest, the seconds dragging on in the silent hall, the aura around Meissa becoming colder and colder before Hydrus sighed in dejection, slumping back in his seat.
Satisfied, Meissa turned towards her children, a calculating look in her eyes. "Yes, the tournament." She murmured. "You will have until now, December 20, X790, to January 1, X792, to establish your guilds from scratch. Starting in X792, the tournaments between your individual guilds will start. These tournaments will happen quarterly throughout the year. Your guilds will each gain points for each competition they win."
"May I ask when the tournaments will take place?" Antares asked, quickly writing in his notepad.
"January, April, July, and October," Hydrus answered grudgingly.
"What are the competitions?" Bellatrix spoke up, her eyes curious.
"That will be revealed on the day of the tournament for that quarter. These tournaments are made to determine who will be the next ruler of our Kingdom and should naturally highlight your leadership skills and your strength." Meissa answered calmly.
"Yes!" Tarak pumped his fist in excitement. "I can't wait! I love a good surprise!"
Hydrus snorted at Tarak's enthusiasm, a flicker of amusement appearing in his eyes before they darkened.
"At the end of the year, the points your guilds have gathered will be tallied. The guild that has the most points will have won the right for their heir, one of you, to be the next ruler of Aurae." Meissa eyed all of them intensely, and Stellan started to feel sick; they all knew what their mother was going to say next.
"The other five who don't win... your guilds will be disbanded, and you will be exiled from the Aurae Kingdom, never to return."
There was a long silence in the room; they had all known, but hearing it from their mother made it more real. After today, the threat of exile was very much real, and Stellan doubted any of them wanted to be forced out of the Kingdom.
"... is there anything else we should know?" Stellan finally spoke up.
Meissa's eyes flew to her, thoughtful, "If you don't appear for the first round of tournaments with at least twenty members, you will start with negative points."
What?! That had to be a new rule. Or at least it was one Stellan had never heard of before. They had a year, but still, would anyone want to be part of her guild besides Caly?!
"Do we gain anything along with the points?" Alsephina asked eagerly. "Perhaps a trophy?"
"No." Meissa returned bluntly.
"Are the Warden families allowed to help us?" Bellatrix asked.
"Yes. They are your caretakers; they are allowed to assist you until the end of the tournaments." Hydrus nodded.
Silence took over the room, no one else having anything to say. "If that is all, you're all dismissed to return home." She stood from her throne, motioning for her children to stand. She took a long look at her children. Children she hadn't even gotten a chance to hold when they were born, she never got to name any of them. This would be one of the few times she got to see them in person before they either became her successor or were forced into exile. It was rather bittersweet.
"Good luck to you, and may the best heir win. Come, Hydrus, we have a meeting to attend to." With that, she swept out of the room, her husband reluctantly trailing behind her after one last longing look towards his children.
"That's it?" Umbriel asked in disbelief. "I was expecting something grander."
"Me too," Alsephina sniffed. "I was expecting a banquet at least. It's the one time we'll all eat together before you're all exiled."
"Don't you mean before you're exiled?" Umbriel demanded, glaring at her, their brief comaraderie fading when they realized they would be standing against each other.
Bellatrix watched the two start to bicker, unimpressed before huffing and making her way out of the throne room.
"It wouldn't be so bad to be exiled," Antares mused as he started to leave the room as well, Stellan making her way out beside him. Tarak was still lounging on the couches, amusement in his teal eyes as he watched his two blonde siblings argue.
"What?" Stellan looked at him, horrified. She didn't want to be Queen, but she couldn't imagine anything worse than exile; she didn't want to be forced away from everything she knew.
"Our borders aren't closed, but as the heirs, we've been restricted from the outside world. We can't experience it ourselves." Antares explained. "Don't you want to see it? The world outside our borders? Just think of all the knowledge we can gain!"
"Do you want to lose?" Stellan asked.
Antares looked thoughtful. "I haven't decided yet. But focusing on the negatives of being exiled will just bring undue stress, so I'd rather not dwell on it."
The two of them reentered the parlor, and Antares immediately saw his Warden family, the Kaschnitz, waiting for him. "Take care of yourself, Stellan. Hopefully, I'll see you soon."
Stellan waved as he left her side. "Take care, Antares. Stay safe on your travels!" They may be rivals for the crown, but he was still her brother, so it felt right to wish him a safe journey.
"Now where is- AH!!" Stellan had started to look for Caly and Sterling, but she stumbled when she felt an unexpected hug from behind.
Caly laughed and took a step back. "How'd it-?" She cut off, ducking the wrench that was aimed at her head. "Where'd you get a second one?!"
"I always have a spare!" Stellan snapped back, clutching the wrench tightly to her chest. She was determined not to let this one get taken away. "What are you doing?!"
"What? I can't be happy to see you?" The older woman asked. "How'd the meeting go? Is being exiled in the cards?" Her tone turned worried.
"Of course not! Just you watch, I'll definitely win." Stellan snapped, randomly determined. "I won't get exiled."
"Let's hope not," Caly muttered. "When we get back, we'll have to form a plan to get members right away."
"What? But I have a new project I want to get started. Can't finding members wait a week? We have a whole year to find them!" Stellan complained.
Caly's brow started to twitch, and she wanted to shake some sense into Stellan. The Pinkette had been so serious and alert coming to the palace, but now that the meeting was over, she was reverting to her usual self.
"You shouldn't slack in finding members," She chided. "What project can be so important that you'd wait?"
"... I forgot," Stellan admitted sheepishly, running a hand through her hair and ruining the once perfect curls.
Caly just groaned, burying her face in her hands. "Stellan."
The Pinkette just continued to laugh, unsure of how she'd get by these next few years, but she was determined to at least try. She just needed to form a guild that would have her back. It would be easy... Hopefully.
End of the first chapter! If you have any questions, let Cleo or I know!
As always, let me know what you think in the reviews!