Our Dark Hearts & Their Twisted Minds

Chapter 7

King Aspen

"Ugh, do I need to wear this?" Kijani huffed, "It's so uncomfortable."

"I told you" I gave a tug on the strings of Kijani's corset, "You have to look presentable." Kijani moved his head away, mumbling curses that I decided I'd rather not know the meaning of. I sighed, tying the strings off and stepping away.

Kijani wore a knee-length navy blue cape, matching with a tight corset. Under the corset, he had a lighter blue blouse. Dark dress pants matched with black dress boots. A pair of silver earrings hung from his wolf-like ears. He'd opted to wear his mask, despite me telling him not to. All in all, a lot of blue. But it suited him.

I wore much the same, only in green. I reached up to my head, adjusting my golden crown so it sat perfectly in front of my horns. My appearance tonight was important, I had to make a good impression on the other leaders. I had to seem respectable and smart, my reputation with them was more crucial than ever.

"The guests will be arriving now" I informed him, "We better head down."

It had been nearly two weeks since the datura nightshade incident, and we'd opted not to talk about it, which I was highly relieved about. I didn't doubt Kijani felt the same. Either way, it was time for the ball so there was no time to get distracted. I had to greet the other kingdoms, then stand there for hours nodding and pretending I cared.

I turned and headed out the door, closely followed by Kijani. Now I just had to find Bellatrix, my mother and Alani, wherever they were. It was tradition that the king entered followed by his Commander and any relatives or close friends. I'd told Ace and Kiran to go on ahead. I doubted either of them would enjoy being the centre of attention, especially Kiran.

I spotted someone at the end of the hallway walking towards us, two people actually. I recognised them as Bellatrix and Alani. I was admiring how nice Alani looked in his outfit, similar to myself when I saw Bellatrix. My jaw just about fell off with shock and amazement.

She wore an ankle-length emerald green gown with frills at the end. Small crystals and fake leaves decorated the skirt, sleeves, and torso area. The neck dipped down, slightly exposing her chest. Gold and emerald jewellery hung from her ears and around her neck. Gold makeup decorated her eyes, with jewels stuck on her cheeks. The green complemented her eyes and the gold matched with her flame-orange hair, which was loose and parted at the side.

"Wow" I heard Kijani whisper.

"You look... amazing" I greeted her, trying to contain my awe, "I genuinely thought you'd just wear your armour."

"I was going to, but Hadiya threatened me not to. Something about how she'd gut me and throw my entrails out the window if I didn't wear a dress" Bellatrix grumbled, "I feel utterly ridiculous." She gave an irritated tug at the waist of her skirt, flattening it out.

"You'll be fine" I laughed, "I think all eyes will be on you, I mean it when I say you look amazing."

"Just what I wanted," Bellatrix muttered, "And thanks."

"Where is my mother?" I peered over her shoulder.

"She already went in," Alani piped up, "She said she'll meet us there."

"Oh, okay" I nodded, feeling slightly sad, "Shall we go then?"

I offered my arm out to Alani, who took it. I instructed Kijani to link my other arm. Grudgingly, he then linked with Bellatrix. The four of us made our way towards the ballroom at a steady pace. When the door came into view, I saw Hadiya waiting out the front, flicking her black tail. Two burly-looking guards in heavy armour stood beside her.