Eranric
2028 Words
Mara and Siya were walking down a long, high-ceilinged, and incredibly spacious corridor. Honestly, to Mara, calling this place just a "corridor" felt like an insult. The gold-trimmed walls were adorned with majestic paintings and the kind of wall torches she had only ever seen in movies. Every three meters, elegant crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, refracting the sunlight and casting perfect, intricate patterns across the roof. Mara was completely awestruck.
"Holy wow."
Siya smiled at Mara’s reaction. A few moments later, they were standing outside the room where Elina was staying. The grand door was made of thick, dark wood, embellished with three golden arches and intricate carvings embedded with colored gemstones.
Two guards stood rigid as statues, wearing deadpan expressions. Seeing Mara and Siya approach, one of them knocked. The door was opened from the inside by a polite, middle-aged woman.
"Welcome."
Mara practically bolted inside. The moment she set eyes on Elina, her jaw dropped. Elina was literally glowing like the moon. She was wearing a long, white gown; her blonde hair was perfectly brushed, and a delicate tiara was perched gracefully on her head.
For a second, Mara wanted to burst out laughing.
Was this seriously the same girl she used to have spit-distance contests with back at the dorm?
Looking at the tiara on Elina's head, Mara suddenly remembered the day Elina had shoved a laundry basket onto her own head and gone sprinting down the hallway years ago. If they were back home, they would be absolutely cracking up right now. The problem was, they weren't at home.
"Mara..."
"El..."
They ran into each other's arms, hugging tightly. When they finally pulled apart, Mara scanned Elina from head to toe. Mara's face flushed. She was smiling, but her teeth were clenched tight.
"Well, look at you, babe. Quite the promotion."
"Upgraded from waitress to princess, I see."
To anyone else in the room, it might have looked like Mara was just overjoyed, but Elina had spent more than enough time with her to know that Mara was actually seething with rage. Elina flashed a massive smile right back, speaking through her teeth just like Mara.
"I will explain everything." She let out a fake laugh, then whispered so only Mara could hear, "Just chill out."
Mara forced a laugh of her own.
"Let’s just get through this first."
Both of them kept their plastered smiles intact.
To the rest of the room, it looked like two best friends who hadn't seen each other in years pouring their hearts out. Mara subtly jerked her head and darted her eyes toward the people standing behind them.
"Get rid of them."
"I can't."
"Why not?"
"Because you are furious right now."
Mara let out another fake chuckle.
"I swear, I'll save all my rage for when we're home."
Elina studied Mara’s face. Mara widened her eyes in a silent threat, and Elina instantly got the message. Turning to the others, she said:
"Everyone, please step outside."
The people in the room exchanged glances. The middle-aged woman cleared her throat.
"Your Highness, your father—"
"We need to get ready for the ball, my father will understand."
They all bowed their heads.
"As you wish, Your Highness."
Mara raised her eyebrows, acting mock-impressed.
"Oh, wow."
Now that they were finally alone in the room, Mara started pacing back and forth. She ran her hands through her hair, muttering to herself.
"This has to be a dream."
"A wildly realistic dream."
Elina followed Mara with her eyes, giving her space to process the situation. A sudden thought struck Mara. She stopped dead in her tracks right in front of Elina.
"This is a cult."
Elina rolled her eyes.
Mara ran through the possibilities in her head, then looked back at Elina.
"Okay, then I've officially lost my mind."
"No, you haven't."
Mara started poking Elina’s arm aggressively.
"Are you even real?"
Elina grabbed Mara tightly by the arms and looked straight into her eyes. Mara’s gaze was completely blank.
SLAP!
The blow to her cheek made Mara stumble backward. She was utterly stunned. Clutching her throbbing cheek, she stared at Elina, her vision blurring with shock.
"You bi—"
"I thought you were losing it." Elina looked at Mara's cheek. Mara was opening and closing her mouth, testing her jaw.
"Did that hurt?"
"Of course it hurt!"
Elina looked at Mara affectionately and gently stroked her cheek. Mara looked back at her with the same tenderness, smiling.
But a split second later, she started screaming at Elina.
"I thought you were coming to rescue me!"
"I did! But you weren't there!"
Now Mara’s face was turning from bright red to a deep shade of purple.
"Oh, I am so sorry that an old lady knocked me unconscious!"
"There are guards at the door, stop screaming at me!"
"What are you gonna do? Have my head?"
Elina threw herself onto the bed, propping her legs up against the wall and kicking her feet.
"No, you i***t, I’m saying it for your own good."
"They'll throw you in a dungeon or something, don't make more work for me."
Mara walked over to the bed and gave Elina’s leg a light slap.
"Scoot over."
Elina complied, and Mara settled in right next to her, propping her own legs up against the wall and kicking them. Mara let out a long sigh.
"Spill."
"You called. I went to the edge of the pit. I called out to you, but you weren't there. I was worried sick about you. So, I climbed down using the rope. There was an old lady there. She brought me here."
Mara turned her head toward Elina.
"She didn't knock you out?"
Elina shook her head.
"I'm a princess, remember?"
Through her teeth, Mara muttered, "Bitch."
Elina ignored her and kept going.
"Anyway, I got to the palace, turned out my dad is the king, he sent me to the outside world to protect me, blah blah blah..."
"What about your mom?"
"My mom... They say she died giving birth to me."
Mara gently touched Elina's arm. "El... I'm sorry."
"Don't be. You're the only family I have." Elina nudged Mara's arm with her elbow. "Now get up and get me some water."
"Consider yourself my personal slave."
Mara let out a low chuckle.
"You wish."
Mara then filled her in on everything that had happened to her. They killed some time hanging out on the bed until a young, pretty maid brought food to the room. After eating, Elina began getting ready for the ball.
She put on a voluminous, turquoise lace gown. The dress flared out from the waist, its train trailing elegantly behind her. The bodice was intricately embroidered with gold sequins. Mara brushed Elina’s hair, and when she was finished, they stood together in front of the mirror. Mara looked at Elina’s reflection in awe.
"You look like moonlight dancing on the sea. Absolutely stunning."
"And you smell like hot garbage."
Mara’s smile vanished. She let out a heavy, dramatic sigh.
Elina grabbed Mara by the arm and dragged her over to the wardrobe.
"Your turn."
Mara whined like a toddler. Elina had already pulled a long, burgundy velvet dress from the closet, holding it up in front of Mara with a massive grin.
Mara actually liked the dress. In fact, she loved it. But up until today, she had never worn a fancy dress in her life, except for prom. Unlike Elina, Mara prioritised comfort above all else.
"El... Don't be ridic—"
"I'm not taking no for an answer." Elina sidled up to Mara, giving her shoulders a playful, flirty wiggle. "Maybe you'll actually have some fun tonight, huh?"
Mara pressed her lips together to fight back a laugh. Elina bumped her shoulder against Mara’s.
"I can set you up with a guard if you want."
"Or two... Maybe three..."
Mara couldn't hide her laughter anymore.
"You are a psycho."
They were now standing before the colossal doors of the ballroom. Judging by the swell of noise filtering through, the hall was packed.
Elina stood a step ahead of Mara, with a line of servants filed behind them. They were waiting to be formally announced.
Mara’s palms were sweating, her heart hammering wildly against her ribs. Elina, on the other hand, looked perfectly composed. Mara leaned in close and whispered in Elina's ear.
"How are you staying so calm?"
Elina caught Mara’s hand.
"Shh, everything's fine."
If they had to wait even a minute longer, Mara was convinced she would have a heart attack.
From inside, a three-beat clap echoed, and all the chatter instantly died down.
Here we go.
"Presenting Her Royal Highness, Princess Elina of Mortalya."
And with that, the massive doors swung wide open.
As they stepped into the ballroom, a middle-aged, impeccably dressed man came forward to greet them. He had a very warm, sympathetic face. His arms were spread wide, a massive smile gracing his features, and an ornate golden crown sat atop his head.
"My beautiful daughter... Elina."
Elina curtsied with immense grace.
"Your Majesty."
Mara and the rest of the entourage bowed, paying their respects to King Valor.
The King kissed Elina on the forehead, took her hand, and began to lead her through the ballroom. Mara and the servants followed closely behind.
As they walked, the music resumed. The crowd watched Elina with sheer admiration. Women whispered to one another, scanning Elina from head to toe.
Mara couldn't even see where they were heading. While Elina wasn't exceptionally tall, the surrounding guards completely blocked Mara's field of vision. She simply trailed behind Elina like a lost duckling following its mother.
After walking a bit further, they stopped in front of a long banquet table. The King and Elina took their seats. Not knowing what else to do, Mara awkwardly hovered next to Elina's chair. The King looked up at Mara and offered a warm, genuine smile. He gestured toward the seat right next to Elina.
"Please, sit, Mara."
"You are family now. Do not be shy."
Mara quickly sank into the chair next to Elina.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
People soon began drifting to and from the table, offering their congratulations to King Valor and Elina.
"Your Majesty, the return of our princess is a true blessing for the kingdom."
"To see your dynasty whole again brings joy to us all."
At some point, Mara completely tuned them out.
Between the soft music and the dim lighting, she was fighting with everything she had not to yawn. Since Elina was entirely occupied with the guests, she couldn't talk to her either. Bored out of her mind, Mara began tracing a pattern on the tablecloth with her finger.
"Congratulations, Your Majesty."
First, Mara’s finger froze.
Then, her breath hitched.
Finally, her heart stopped entirely.
She kept her eyes locked dead on the pattern on the table.
No, no, no...
Elina reached over and squeezed Mara’s free hand.
But Mara refused to look up.
If this was just a cruel trick of her mind, if it wasn't real, it would break her.
And if it was real...
Mara was going to die all over again.
Then, King Valor’s booming laughter echoed through the air.
"Eranric."
"Welcome, my old friend."
- Writer
