Kingdom of Silver and Starlight

Unwanted Guests

Seraphina's deceased mother had been the Ethereal King's soulmate, or so the stories went.

It had been a whirlwind romance, an affair worthy of the greatest playwrights, poets and dramatists. They'd met during the winter eclipse celebrations by the well in the Iris Sanctuary, a hallowed spot on the highest floating isle. Supposedly the well contained the tears of the god Zetmes who wept year round for his lost wife, the moon spirit Teheia, as she journeyed across the sky. According to the mythos, they were only allowed to meet during the hours of the solstice and their union gave rise to the fifteen major constellations that spanned the heavens.

The Iris Sanctuary was barred year round to all citizens of the domain, except during major celebrations when families and couples were allowed to visit the crystalline waters and exchange tokens of affection over the narrow mouth of the well. To do so was a declaration of devotion, not only in a romantic sense, but in all things. It meant patience, understanding, and adoration in all things. It tied two souls together with bonds that were as tight, or even tighter than a Soul Mark. Allegedly anyway.

Seraphina clenched her fists at her sides so that she wouldn't be tempted to touch her mark again. At any rate the tale ended there, and the rest was pure speculation. While nearly every version agreed that their courtship and subsequent union had been a happy one, the princess didn't know the specifics of how her father had wooed her mother, and neither did Otraena. The dwarf was the only other person who would have known but when asked, all the woman would do was chew her bottom lip and say her mother had been overjoyed when Seraphina had been born. Short of questioning the king, Seraphina was as in the dark as everyone else.

Caught up in her own thoughts, Seraphina let out a squeak when she felt the fabric of her dress catch between her shoes and the floor. It was only by the hand of the knight escorting her that she didn't slam face-first onto the ground in front of Skies knew how many people.

"Careful Your Highness," a gentle voice whispered by her side, and she found herself staring into Sangye's worried eyes. In spite of her nerves, Seraphina couldn't help relaxing at the sight of her closest friend. Although Sangye was a dryad, their family line derived from an ancient forest of oaks and sycamores that flourished on one of the lower isles, one of their ancestors had been from the coastal kingdoms and it showed if you knew where to look. 

Broad shoulders tapered into a narrow waist and then long, powerful legs common amongst the Seafolk who spent their lives pushing through the tides and currents. Moon white blossoms of star magnolias bloomed on either side of a scarred, oval-shaped face. They framed a pair of onyx black eyes set above a sharp jaw and frowning mouth.

At the mere mention of the title, Seraphina pulled a face and muttered, "Sangye, as your princess and best friend, I am begging you to please not call me that." She straightened back up and lifted the front of her dress higher so that she could actually see where she was putting her feet. "I asked you to escort me because you are the only person who wouldn't whinge like a sycophant, or make barbed remarks at my expense. Just use my name."

"Us beings friends doesn't mean that the rules suddenly go flying out the window," Sangye shot down her plea with a stern look. "We have to observe-"

"We have to observe propriety and protocol, yes I know," Seraphina exhaled longingly and let her shoulders droop. "Skies, if I'd known that you were planning on spending the whole night being so boring, I would have asked Evmir to come with me instead."

Sangye arched a sharp eyebrow, looking twice as condescending in their newly polished armour. "Oh please," they scoffed, "you wouldn't be able to stand Evmir. No one can stand Evmir."

"I could handle him!" Seraphina protested, dark eyes going wide as she affected an air of melodramatic determination. "As long as he didn't speak to me for the rest of the night."

The two giggled quietly amidst themselves. To an outsider who didn't know any better, it might have sounded meanspirited, but Evmir Wolfkasing had made something of a name for himself amongst the castle staff. Many citizens were staunchly loyal to the Ethereal crown, and as a result tended to hold feelings of mild superiority to all the other kingdoms, but Evmir's ideals ran far past simple patriotism. He sneered at those who weren't full-blooded Skyborns, and refused to let a single conversation pass without declaring his opinion on tightening the borders between the Clouded Domain and the rest of the realm.

Even Seraphina, avoidant and tucked away as she was, had heard of his rants - if only secondhand. She had no idea what he was talking about. The Clouded Domain was an impregnable mountain hundreds of miles high and surrounded by floating islands, all protected by a conjured storm of frost-white clouds that kept interlopers away. The only way to reach the castle was by either climbing the treacherous rocky face, or braving the icy winds to fly straight to the snowy peaks. If that wasn't secure, she didn't know what was.

The two turned a corner and the corridor delivered them into the massive ballroom. It was clear that no expense had been spared for the occasion. The fourteen basalt columns on each side of the hall were half enclosed by great golden braziers, the flames within them wrapping the room in an illuminating warmth. The layered ceiling had been scrubbed clean then polished to a mirror shine, and the fresco depicting scenes from Ethereal mythology gleamed in the firelight.

White pennant banners hung from the wall, and between them were coloured glass windows the same hue as a summer sky. Tables laden with drinks, cakes, and savoury dishes lined the walls, and Seraphina tempered her dismay at this wallflower preventative measure with her delight at the number of sugary treats available. Surely Sangye wouldn't mind a few nibbles here and there. This was supposed to be a party after all, and she refused to be both miserable and hungry.

A lavish throne of mahogany sat atop an elevated platform, and was flanked by two smaller and far less grandiose seats for the chosen Queen and Royal Advisor. Though all three were currently empty, only two of those chairs had seen any use in recent years.

Seraphina had hoped to simply blend into the milling crowd of people before idling over to a table filled with what she hoped were glass apple cakes and using Sangye as a human shield for the rest of the night, but before she could even attempt to do so a loud and intrusive voice cut through the chattering voices.

"Princess Seraphina!" A slender man dressed in a suit of crimson feathers glided over the marble floor. "Oh, look how tall you've become! I swear you grow more beautiful every time I see you. How are you this wonderful evening?"

"Good evening, Lord Valentyne," she dipped a shallow curtsey and wondered if she was being teased. She hadn't grown at all. If not for her ability to float she wouldn't be able to reach the tops of most shelves. "Are you enjoying the festivities?"

Lord Lucent Valentyne was a relatively young phoenix noble and merchant from the Infernal Territories. Despite his comparatively low position, as one of the few phoenixes in existence he automatically held more political and social power than others within his class. He was a frequent visitor to the Clouded Domains, ostensibly to do trade, but mostly to try to convince Seraphina to accept him as her husband. 

Usually the Princess was quite good at dodging his attempts, but clearly she was off her game that night.

The phoenix wrinkled his hawkish nose though his molten-red eyes glittered with excitement. "Well I was until I heard the most unbelievable news! Is it true that the Voided Lands will actually be here tonight?"

Once again that name. Sangye placed a hand on my arm and began urging her charge away. "My apologies, Lord Valentyne," they said, "but we must greet the other guests. Please excuse us."

Not to be rebuffed, he only bobbed his head and attached himself to Seraphina's other side. "Oh, then allow me to accompany you Princess Seraphina," he tried to slide an arm around the princess's small waist, but was halted by the thick bicep placed deliberately in the way. The white-hot glare shot over Seraphina's head was more than enough to dissuade him and the phoenix swallowed, irritated at himself for being intimidated by a dryad of all things but unwilling to push his luck when said tree spirit carried a sword. "In the meantime, I'd love to tell you about the newest renovations to the garden of my manor. As an Ethereal I'm sure you would appreciate it."

The princess and her bodyguard exchanged pained looks but, seeing no way out, the princess settled in for an evening spent half-listening to Lord Valentyne's inane prattle interspersed with awkward innuendos and thinly veiled invitations for her to make a trip across the realm.

Seraphina mentally rolled her eyes and was about to let the lord's voice sink fully into the background when she felt the ground beneath her feet begin to shake. Plates rattled on the tables, and the glittering chandelier overhead began to sway to and fro. Awareness spread through the assembly, slowly at first, then in shrieks and panicked cries as those gathered demanded to know what was going on. Were they under attack? Had this all been some sort of ploy?

Then, just as quickly as they'd started, the rumbling ceased. For a long moment no one dared move. A scant while ago the room had been filled with music and laughter, and now Seraphina herself wasn't even certain she was breathing. Behind the heavy entrance doors she could hear the tread of heavy footsteps growing closer and closer, then there were voices.

Someone on the other side asked a question in gruff tones that she couldn't hope to parse through the oak, and the voice that replied was smooth and even-toned. Immediately the double doors flew open and slammed against the stone walls with a tremendous bang, causing guests to scream, panic, or draw their weapons in preparation for some unknown assault. Sangye pushed Seraphina behind them and unsheathed a large broadsword from the scabbard slung over their back.

From the entryway came a quiet chuckle. "Well, I can't say this is the first time I've had a sword drawn on me at a party," a deep voice drawled, "but usually it's because I've done something to earn my opponent's ire. I've barely stepped foot in this place and you're already up in arms?"

Nervous but nearly vibrating with sheer curiosity, Seraphina craned her head to peer over and around her friend's bulk.

The voice was attached to a tall man, almost as tall as Sangye if not similar in height, which meant that he absolutely towered over Seraphina. His skin was like the finest porcelain, and short raven locks had been messily brushed out of sharp golden eyes that glittered in the flames from the braziers. On either side of his head were two wickedly curved horns, and the corner of his mouth was tipped upwards in a little smirk, as though he was in on some cosmic joke and was perfectly willing to make you the punchline if you crossed him.

The man was dressed in a suit of velvety black, decorated with cording and a golden insignia embroidered across the front. The small group behind him were dressed in a similar style as well, though their outfits appeared far more utilitarian and more akin to military uniforms than evening attire. The one who had pushed open the door, a willowy woman wreathed in sulphur-blue miasma, lowered her outstretched hand and stepped back with a deferential dip of her head.

"Villain!" Some nameless aristocrat with more bravery than good sense called out from the nervous throng. "Who are you and how dare you disrupt us?"

"Disrupt?" The man's eyes widened in feigned dismay. "And here I was so certain that I'd been invited. Allow me to introduce myself..."

With that he took a single step into the throne hall, and it was as though his mere presence chased out the all the light. The shadows on the floor writhed and climbed the walls, contorting themselves into impossible shapes with too many eyes and razor-sharp teeth. They bubbled up from the floor, a mass of inky smoke and reaching limbs.

"I am Alios Caligo, the Demon King of the Voided Lands," he intoned, and his eyes were the only light in the spreading gloom. "Pleased to make your acquaintance."