The Shadow's Star

Chapter 11

(AUTHOR NOTE: If you're following the story I'd love to hear your theories about how it's going to end:))

By the next morning preparations for the sun festival were already underway. Queen Meira and Nuri were bound to take this year to another level with having the Dark royals in attendance. I sat at my vanity writing out personal invitations to be sent to my friends. I haven't seen them in weeks; our friendship has been strained ever since the death of Zia last year. Nash took it the hardest, since attending that party was apparently his idea. I do hope they attend the sun festival if not for me then for themselves. They deserve some fun after the events of last year and this is the only time they get to attend a palace party without having to sneak in. I enclosed each letter with the royal seal, dipping the light realm's sun symbol into the melted golden wax before stamping the envelopes. I decided to take a walk into the city to post the letters myself rather than have someone else do it for me. Of course, I was escorted by my newly appointed guards Ivan and Andrias, courtesy of Xander. By the way they avoided eye contact with me I suspected Xander has also warned them not to get too close. Did he really think I would try my luck with any of the other guards? Callahan was an exception and even I didn't predict that ever happening. I scoffed at the thought. After I posted my letters I turned to Ivan and Andrias

"Well boys, this has been fun, but I have somewhere I need to be," I glimpsed their shocked faces right before I used my magic to jump back to my bedroom at the palace. I giggled at the thought of them both freaking out over my current whereabouts, I wonder how long it would be before they returned to the palace to find me safe and sound. That will teach them not to ignore me just because my brother orders them to. It's bad enough I'm cooped up in here most days with only Yetta for company. The least they can do is engage in a little friendly conversation. I slumped on my bed staring up at the ceiling and then I felt something...odd. The air around me stirred, like it does whenever magic is being used, except this time it felt different. I looked to my bedside table to see a folded piece of paper appear out of thin air. I sat up quickly "What the hell" I snatched the paper and unfolded it.

'Hello trouble' I read and my stomached dropped. How on earth did he send a letter by magic here inside the palace? The light realm's borders should have prevented any kind of dark magic from entering the realm. I brushed away any theories I had as to how exactly he managed it, knowing I most probably will never find out. I continued reading

'I'm hosting a party tonight at my home. If you are in the mood to sneak out of your boring palace to spend your evening with a handsome prince"

I felt his stupid smirk through the paper.

'Then I will meet you at sundown, at the place I left you last year – A.'

I sat staring at the piece of paper. He was inviting me to a party? He hasn't given me much notice but how much time do I need? I have plenty of dresses I can wear to a palace party and Yetta did my hair this morning. I bit down on my lower lip, was I actually considering this? I can't enter the dark realm without telling my father, can I? And I definitely can't go unprotected. My head turned to the bedside table, to where I had stashed the stardust necklace Azra gave me. No, this is absurd; I absolutely cannot go to the dark realm. I ripped the note in two and incinerated it with a wave of my hand.

I made myself busy, cleaning every inch of my room; I sorted through my mother's belongings and took a few of my favourite pieces back to my room. I even offered to help Nuri chose what dress she was going to wear for the sun festival. After she had tried on around fifty dresses I couldn't take it anymore so I returned to my room just before sundown to see my personal guards Ivan and Andrias posted outside my room. They found out I was back at the palace then.