Chapter 16

Ah, well better late than never.

I jump up to the top of the staircase, then when I turned back the person in the black robe suddenly disappeared.

'What!? Where did he go?' That was when I realized.

I was standing on top of the giant royal staircase crashing the arrival of the king, queen, and crown prince.

"Um, princess? Fancy seeing you here?" the king said both confused and embarrassing me purposely.

'Why... I will not forget this' I thought loathing him for this.

"Umm...Oh.....I..." I look around frantically looking for the suspect but failed to spot him.

My father looked terrified, and I could see why. My mother was emitting a very evil aura that could fill this whole ballroom.

'Oh, dear. I am so dead. But I can't just give up now I need to stall for more time up on this staircase.'

"Yes, I, uh--" I tried to lie but I couldn't think of anything.

'Tell them you want to do a special dance.' That was Flare's voice.

"I want to do a special dance that I wanted to share at my debut but I never got to!" I lied enthusiastically.

"I'm sorry, princess, but--" The prince was suddenly cut off by the king.

"I'll allow it." The king said smiling.

"But father--" The king shot the young prince a certain look as the young prince fell silent.

I felt a tap on my shoulder, when I looked behind me Flare was there, hand outstretched.

'What now, Flare?' I asked silently.

'Take my hand then you'll know.' I took his hand, as we walked down the staircase, music started playing.

When I looked over to the piano at the side of the room Drake and Rafael were there playing an American song that me and Zack were supposed to dance to before I died. We both practiced salsa together and competed together.

'Wait... Flare! I haven't practiced this dance thoroughly with Zack!' I said panicked.

'What was the thing that Zack always told you when you were nervous?' He asked kindly.

'Let the music take me.' I repeated nostalgic.

'Good, let's start.' We started off with basic back rocks. The melody wasn't the same on the piano but that was what I thought until I heard a beat drop.

'What--!? Was that!?!' I look around frantically.

'Calm down, follow my lead.' He twirled about three times as the music got faster.

He dipped me then I saw them. The people were all too distracted to notice Roxas at the back playing the drums. Glade was playing the trumpet, and Harley was using maracas.

Aeriel was using his magic to surround me and Flare with the sound of the music so that the others wouldn't draw the crowd's attention.

I heard snapping and I saw all my spirits scattered around and felt my confidence come to me.

Flare pulls me up abruptly then we start to really dance. I started having fun, and the feeling I got from dancing salsa for fun. I missed this feeling.

Because the song was so fast we needed more moves to fill in the gaps. But improvising was the best part. I suddenly felt something move, something furry? It was dancing between mine and Flare's legs.

Then I felt a puff of wind then I was wearing something completely different. I was wearing a tight-fit halter-neck tango style dress, the skirt was shortened to the mid-calf, and it was white and had big ruffles on the side.

My hairstyle also changed from a decorated ponytail to an intricately braided side bun decorated with white roses.

The choreography was perfect. Flare was the perfect partner to dance with.

Everyone was silent for a long time. I could hear my heart beating fast, tired from it all.

I then heard thunderous applause. I took a moment to enjoy the applause but I sensed the arrow going full speed towards the queen, I run up the stairs and jumped in front of the arrow and in front of the queen.

I almost caught the arrow but it ended up in my shoulder instead.

"A-ah, ouch" I tried to use magic but the arrowhead was made of a special metal that blocked mana flow, dipped in a herb that did the same.

So I had no choice, I forcefully took the arrow out while I screamed in pain.

Then shape-shifted quickly.

The assassin tried to get away but I caught up, and pinned him to the ground, my shoulder still bleeding.

I used my teeth to remove the hood, and it was the man that bumped into me earlier.

"Y-you?" I exclaimed in shock.

"Ah, so we meet again, princess," He smiled. 'I refuse to believe that he's the assassin.'I thought to myself.

"B-but, were you really trying to attack the queen?" I asked, still in shock.

"I'm afraid so, I'm very sorry for deceiving you, princess," He seemed sorrowful.

Then royal guards came, with king Lennon, and got the assassin. While being dragged away the assassin looked at me and smiled sadly again.

"Are you okay, princess?" king Lennon asked concerned while kneeling.

'I just got hit by an arrow, I'm still bleeding, and can't heal myself... Do I look okay?'I asked myself sarcastically.

"Yes I'm fine," I said covering my shoulder.

"No you're not fine why are you still bleeding!? You're not healing either!" I started to feel dizzy from blood loss.

"T-the arrow blocked, mana f-flow..." I heard my parents running towards me that's when I fainted.

'Snow?' I heard a familiar voice call me.

'Ugh, Harley?' I open my eyes, and I was in an open field full of lilies of the valley and saw a small cozy-looking cottage behind me and a beautiful sakura tree on a hill in the distance.

'W-where am I?' I look around confused.

'We're in your mind scape' Replied Glade gently.

'Why am I here?'I asked calmly.

'You're unconscious at the moment, so until your physical body recovers your consciousness will stay here' Explained Flare.

'But I don't think you'll have to wait long look at your hand' Roxas pointed to my hand, and it looked like it was fading.

'You're smart I'm guessing you know what that means right?' He said harshly.

'Yeah, whatever, rock-for-brains'

'Why you little-' He tried to tackle me but was stopped by Sylar, and Aerial.

'She's got a point you know?' Said Sylar while rolling his eyes, then Aerial nodded in agreement.

Then we all started laughing.

'Well, it was nice to see you all again.' They all waved goodbye, except Roxas, while I faded completely.

I open my eyes to see I was in a very, very, very over-decorated room with literal gold, and silver linings.

And a very, very loud shouting father.

"Ugh," I touch my shoulder, and it was treated with bandages.

'I guess they couldn't heal it yet.' The herb probably had lingering effects, normally a beast man's regeneration speed is really fast. Even if you were to stab a beast multiple times it wouldn't matter that much, because the past wound would've already healed completely by then.

This is how they killed the queen everyone knows that anyone of the royal family is almost immortal.

Queen Claudia was actually a very powerful assassin she's from the same assassin guild that mother came from, Claudia was always second best compared to my mother but that didn't stop them from being friends.

My mother met my father while my father was walking around in a forest at night they were both suspicious of each other and fought until father found out he was battling a woman.

Mother won that battle, then it was love at first fight. When mother became queen of kingdom Sterling her best friend happened to be visiting the castle while king Lennon was there.

From there King Lennon fell in love at first sight but Claudia refused over, and over again.

She, and mom are both stubborn but in the end, she ended up with him anyway.

"Snowflake!" My father suddenly jumped up and hugged me suffocating me in the process.

"D-dad... y...your s..suffocating M-me" He immediately got off and apologized.

"Princess Snow," I realized that I was still wearing my mask.

'At least they're courteous enough to leave It on.'

"We want to thank you very much for saving my wife," then he got on one knee and bowed his head in appreciation.

"It's okay, there's no need to kneel," I tried to go down but instead hit by an overwhelming pain in my shoulder.

"I owe you my life, please rest here until you recover, and don't be afraid to ask if you want anything," I nodded my head.

"If you want we can even give our son to you!" the couple said in unison.

"Out!!!" my father suddenly got up and ushered the couple out.

While I sweatdrop.

"We'll just let you rest, honey, love you!" then the door was closed shut while I think I heard playful screaming and running.

I shake my head and wonder if those people are actually fit to run kingdoms I am very concerned for the future of our people.

Then I started to think of the assassin

'But, why? he doesn't look like a threat, he even apologized, I can't help but feel like he was innocent, but he confessed, so he's definitely being controlled by someone, maybe someone special to him was taken hostage.'

I need to confirm it so it's decided that I'm going to sneak into the dungeon later.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°and cut!°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°