-Prince Isaac's P.O.V.-
"Listen Isaac," one of the voices said to me, sticking out above all of the others, "something is going to happen tonight that will change everything, that will alter your perception of what the universe is. You need to be strong for her, for her kingdom and the relationship that is blossoming again between you. Her parents need not die in vain, they know that their time has come, and they are willing to sacrifice themselves to better protect Amermoon's existence- it's life source- it's power. Things will get very hard for you in the coming weeks so live tonight while you can and fall in love with the small moments in life, the little things. Fall in love with the things the voices in your mind tell you to notice. We are not all, as you think, of a bad breed." the voice finished before it faded into just another dull whisper.
"Prince Isaac, the first guests have arrived for the ball and your parents have requested you to meet them by the front of the Grand Ballroom Entrance so you arrive together" a servant told me, startling me so that the whispers in my head diluted down into a gentle, roaring hum. I stood up, gathering my legs underneath me and fixing the medals on my coat once more before turning to face the short man at the door. He smiled graciously, much more earnest than the servants I usually met.
"Thank you very much" I said, wishing internally that I could always have someone to distract me from my thoughts. There was something I did learn from them for once, though: not everything my brain decides to tell me is something worth shutting down my senses for. On that note, there is something else important to know- something bad is going to happen tonight, and my mind had admittedly told me that more than once since I've been here. My dream of Amaya had warned me that her parents were going to be killed, and now my consciousness is telling me that I should expect nothing less. I am going to be ready for whatever happens.
"I presume you are now well fed?" my father asked as I approached him and I nodded my head. He gave me a smile and clapped my shoulder underneath his bear-like paw.
"Yes, very much so. Amermoon's food filled me up rather quickly" I replied as the doors to our right opened and the man standing there announced our arrival as the "most esteemed royalty of Suneuro". Resisting the urge to roll my eyes, I walked with my mother and father flanking either side of me, descending the great marble staircase. There were many people surrounding us as we reached the bottom- too many faces to count- but my eyes could only be bothered to search for one.
Where was she? I could see her parents standing with the Neptaustran Royalty, most likely avidly discussing war plans to kill even more soldiers to 'celebrate'... but Amaya was nowhere to be found. Maybe she was trying to avoid the ball, maybe she knew the same thing that the voices had told-
"Amermoon would now like you to raise your heads in welcome of our beautiful princess, Miss Amaya Paige Morpheus" the man announced gruffly as my head turned to look up at her. That man had lied viciously, beautiful was an understatement- a word that fell so undeniably and terribly short of how Amaya looked tonight.
A puffy deep blue underskirt was subdued by a charcoal gray lace that connected with a bodice of the same hue. Small cerulean and silver gems were plastered at the top: edging her chest in a waterfall design. She was not beautiful. She was beyond that, she was... breathtaking, I realized as my breath again hitched in my throat and I suddenly found myself wishing that my fingers were worthy of brushing that stray strand of hair that fell in her face.
I couldn't dream of taking my eyes off of her, and it wasn't even like I wanted to. Her eyes met mine and her lips stretched into a wide grin as the crowd parted for her and she made her way to me.
"Hello again, Prince Isaac" she said lightly as she gave me a curtsy and my body automatically replied with a bow.
"You look.. well, to be completely honest, I don't think my vocabulary is expansive enough to even begin to define a word to describe how wonderful you look tonight." I told her easily. Her cheeks tinted a soft, rosy pink and I smiled, "How about a dance?" I asked as I offered her my hand and she took it slowly, cautiously.
"I don't know if I should ruin my reputation to dance with someone who is known for stepping on little girls' toes" she replied to me as I let out a laugh, my muscles relaxing, and shook my head. I pulled her body close to mine, forcing myself to remember to breathe as the scent of her enveloped me. Life around us probably continued on without a second thought- breezy music orchestrating this entire charade of existence- but my head seemed to get a little fuzzy. To me, the universe seemed to stop.
Amaya was enticingly close to me, closer then I think she's ever been, and I found even more to admire about her; without her having to open her mouth. I admire the way her lips curved up at the sight of me, and how her smile has yet to falter. I admire how her eyes gleamed with knowing of the past and unsuspecting of the future. I admire how, even though she is intent on hating me, she edges closer still. Most importantly, though, I admire the fact that she doesn't have to talk to get me to forget everything.
"I've improved in dancing since I was twelve May and, besides, I'm a prince. They train us in dancing and even proper etiquette. " I replied as she wrinkled her adorable nose and placed her free hand on my shoulder, taking the familiar stance of ready to dance.
"Okay, first; did you just call me 'May'? And, second; they make you take those classes too? Those were the most agonizing and imprisoning afternoons of my childhood" she told me as I smiled, slipping my free arm around her waist as I slowly spun us around. My fingers gripped her waist, falling to the comfort of the familiarity of her cloth-covered skin beneath my touch.
"Do you not like your new nickname, May?" I asked with a soft smirk as her eyes met mine and she laughed lightly.
"And you believe, Prince Isaac, that you are now on such a relationship level with me that you can call me nicknames?" she asked and I nodded with an arrogant raise of my eyebrows. I leaned in closer to her, dipping my head down so my lips brushed her ear as I spoke, she could hear my attempt at flirting.
"Do you not realize how close we are standing right now?" I asked in return before tilting my head up as she looked at me again, her cheeks tinting a darker crimson.
"Not until you just mentioned it-" she began before a loud crash erupted, ricocheting off of the rooms crystal-covered interior.
"How nice to finally see all of you celebrating! It's a shame you didn't invite me, and that war never takes breaks," Eskim- Antimars' king- announced boastfully, "I still had to show up to the party, though. I figured, why not create a little bit of havoc?" he finished as he sent streaks of fire flying from his fingertips, killing a few men. Amaya looked up at him in horror, her hand fumbling for mine as she stood by my side. I clutched her fingers tightly, moving so I stood in front of her, so I blocked her from Eskim.
"Run!" someone shouted from across the room as panic flew across the room and royalty were sent stumbling to the doors.
"I have to find my parents" Amaya whispered softly, "he's here for them, I just know it" she added as her eyes searched frantically for the faces of her parents.
"Ah, King Bane, alongside his precious Queen Sophie" Eskim said as he floated down from his ashy perch in the sky and landed nimbly in the King's throne.
"I knew you would come," Queen Sophia said strongly, taking a step towards him instead of making a move to run away, "I knew you would come, and I have prepared this little piece of information for you: you can tear this kingdom apart rock by rock, and you will still not obtain what you're looking for. You will never find it, and do you want to know why? Because the power is not yours, it never has been, and it never will be. You may defy the law of power, but you will not defy fate." she told him bravely, looking up at him with a proud gleam in her eyes.
"You forget that I always get what I want, no matter what 'fate' has to do with it." he replied as he trapped her feet in rock and Amaya gasped behind me. She made a move to go to her parents, but I held her hand firmly and stopped her.
"He'll kill you Amaya" I said as she shook her head and tears lined her eyes.
"If it stops him from killing my parents, then let him kill me" She replied easily as I watched her and frowned.
"That's not really a good strategy" I told her as she glared at me.
"If I save them I save kingdom. My life is a small price to pay for the security of my people" she said as she made another move to go, attempting to tear her hand from mine, but I stopped her and squeezed her hand.
"Arrow," I called out to my guard as he walked over and nodded, "take Miss Amaya to the ship please, and keep her safe" I told him as Amaya looked at me angrily and Arrow grabbed her arm forcefully.
"I don't need you to protect me Isaac. I am not that weak little girl that you remember, and I am most certainly not some fragile flower that can't take a beating. I need to help my parents, or they will die" she said softly, but bravely, her eyes watching me with tears swallowing their normally calm demeanor. I shook my head and looked away from her.
"I can't let you get hurt Amaya, especially not when Eskim is so unpredictable" I said as she growled softly, fighting against Arrow's tight grasp. She was taller than him by a few inches, and I could sense the strain that her struggle was putting on his muscles, but I still couldn't risk letting her get hurt. I vowed to protect her.
"I hate you, Isaac" she whispered as she struggled to break free of Arrow's clutch before he slung her over his shoulder. I shook it off, noting that it's not like she'd had any other feeling towards me recently and pulled my sword from its resting place at my hip.
"If it keeps you alive, then good" I replied as I walked around the towering marble pillars so I didn't draw attention to myself. I gripped the hilt of my blade tightly, situating myself behind the throne and drawing in a deep breath. I could either be killed, injured to the point of no probable return, or save her parents.
"Tell me where it is, or I'll kill you" Eskim said forcefully, so desperately wanting to believe his fallacy that the king and queen were week. His anger was obviously bubbling, growing beyond what I remember him capable of.
"I'm not as weak as you are. I do not bow in front of power" Queen Sophie said gently, not worried about the rock that was starting to spread up her legs, "I especially don't bow to powers that are not mine to take" she finished as he screamed out, throwing something across the room, metal clanging against the cold marble floor. I pushed myself up, stepping in between Eskim and Amaya's parents, letting out a grunt as I drove my blade deeply into Eskim's abdomen.
"Isaac!" King Bane called out gruffly as Eskim looked at me, his eyes flitting from pain to confusion, before resting on blood red animosity. He lifted his hand up to my throat, his fingers searing my skin as his anger boiled.
"I never did like you, pretty boy" he spat as his hands closed on my throat. They burned like fire on my skin, spreading heat racing across my entire body. Then I saw it- my reflection in his flaming pupils- and my skin was a charred black. I heard a scream in the back of my mind as Eskim threw me to the ground and the scream was cut abruptly short. I couldn't feel any of my limbs, and I didn't move for fear of turning completely to ash. My chest heaved once, my throat scratchy, as an image of Amaya flashed through my mind and everything faded into an empty, lifeless void of death.
