THE ROYAL PROCLAMATION
931 Words
A week passed.
To everyone else, life at Eldoria Royal University continued as usual.
Lectures filled the mornings.
Assignments filled the afternoons.
Laughter echoed through the courtyards.
Yet for Aurora...
Nothing was ordinary anymore.
She had learned to hide her fear behind a smile.
She no longer spoke about the strange visions that came without warning, afraid people would think she had lost her mind. Only Octavia knew the truth, and even she struggled to understand what was happening to her best friend.
"You're thinking again," Octavia said one afternoon as they left Professor Hawthorne's classroom.
Aurora looked up.
"Was it that obvious?"
Professor Hawthorne, who was arranging books on his desk, glanced at them with a warm smile.
"Miss Aurora, Miss Octavia."
The two girls turned.
"I hope neither of you is forgetting your assignment."
Aurora smiled sheepishly.
"I would never..."
Professor Hawthorne raised an eyebrow.
"...intentionally forget?"
The three of them laughed.
"I've become predictable, haven't I?" Aurora admitted.
"Just a little," the professor replied with a chuckle.
As the girls walked away, Professor Hawthorne watched them for a brief moment before returning to his books.
There was something different about Aurora lately.
He couldn't explain it.
But he hoped whatever burden she carried would soon pass.
---
The afternoon sun hung high above Eldoria when a loud trumpet suddenly echoed across the city.
BOOOOOOM!
Another trumpet answered from the eastern district.
Then another.
Within moments, drums began beating throughout every street.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Merchants stopped arranging their stalls.
Children stopped playing.
Students poured out of shops and cafés.
People looked around in confusion.
"What is happening?" Aurora asked.
"I don't know," Octavia replied.
More drums echoed through the kingdom.
Then royal messengers dressed in blue and gold rode magnificent white horses into the city squares.
One messenger unfurled a long scroll bearing the royal seal.
His powerful voice rang through the crowd.
"Hear ye! Hear ye!"
"By the command of His Majesty, King Alexza Nightfall..."
The entire street fell silent.
"...the Royal Ball shall be held this month!"
Gasps spread through the crowd.
"The Royal Ball?" someone whispered.
"It can't be..."
"I thought it only happened once in a lifetime!"
The messenger continued reading.
"Guests from kingdoms near and far have been invited to attend this historic celebration."
"Noble families..."
"Distinguished scholars..."
"Honoured guests..."
"And selected citizens of Eldoria shall gather beneath the roof of the Royal Palace for a night unlike any other."
Excited whispers erupted everywhere.
Aurora grabbed Octavia's arm.
"Did you hear that?"
Octavia nodded, speechless.
The messenger raised his voice again.
"By royal decree..."
"All schools and universities throughout the Kingdom of Eldoria shall close for seven days to allow preparations for the Royal Ball."
The students around them exploded with excitement.
"We have a holiday!"
"I can't believe it!"
"This is incredible!"
Aurora laughed so loudly that nearby students turned to look at her.
"Professor Hawthorne can't give us homework if the university is closed!"
"I think that's what excites you the most," Octavia teased.
"It absolutely is."
Even Octavia couldn't stop smiling.
This wasn't just another celebration.
It was history.
---
By sunset...
The entire city had transformed.
Colourful banners stretched across every street.
Golden lanterns hung from buildings.
Florists decorated squares with thousands of fresh roses, lilies, and lavender.
Musicians filled the air with cheerful melodies while craftsmen built magnificent stages for performers arriving from distant kingdoms.
Shops displayed elegant gowns, sparkling jewellery, polished shoes, and finely tailored suits.
Everywhere they looked...
People were preparing.
"I've never seen Eldoria like this," Octavia whispered.
"It feels magical," Aurora replied.
As they wandered through the crowded marketplace, they noticed people speaking many different languages.
Carriages bearing foreign crests rolled through the gates.
Travellers from distant lands had already begun arriving.
"The whole world is coming," Aurora said in amazement.
"It certainly feels that way."
---
That evening, the girls returned to their dormitory carrying small packages.
Aurora had insisted they begin shopping early.
She carefully placed a bundle on her bed.
"I'm not opening it until the ball."
Octavia laughed.
"You don't even remember what's inside."
"I know it's beautiful."
"That's enough."
The two friends laughed together.
A gentle knock sounded on the door.
It was Arina.
She smiled warmly.
"I heard the announcement."
Aurora threw her hands into the air dramatically.
"Heard it? The entire kingdom heard it!"
Arina laughed.
"I suppose that's true."
Octavia looked at her.
"Are you going?"
Arina paused for only a heartbeat before smiling.
"I'll... be there."
Neither Octavia nor Aurora noticed the hidden meaning behind her words.
---
Far above the city...
The Royal Palace glowed beneath the stars.
Servants hurried through magnificent halls.
Crystal chandeliers sparkled like constellations.
Long banquet tables were already being prepared.
Tailors carried elegant garments through marble corridors.
Musicians rehearsed for the grand evening.
The palace itself seemed alive with anticipation.
On a quiet balcony overlooking Eldoria, the young prince stood alone.
His eyes rested on the city below.
Soon...
The Royal Ball would begin.
Soon...
He would finally meet the young woman who had unknowingly captured his heart.
A gentle smile crossed his face.
Not because she knew who he was...
But because she didn't.
For the first time in many years...
Someone might look at him not as a prince...
But simply as a man.
Beneath the same starlit sky, Octavia stood by her dormitory window, gazing toward the distant palace glowing above the city.
She smiled softly.
"I wonder what it's like inside."
She had no idea...
That before long...
She would discover its beauty for herself.
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