The next day, she had a lot of activities to complete as part of her duties as an heir, which she enjoyed very much. First, she had to greet her parents at the east wing before starting her day.
She walked steadily with a mischievous smile on her face, rushing into her parents' palace.
"Mother, Father, good morning," she said with an easy smile.
"Lunneta, darling," her father's deep voice called out.
Her dad was very handsome and looked like a human in his late twenties, but he was much older, even a thousand years older. Lunneta always loved it when he called her name. Lunneta moved to his side, acting all cute towards him.
"This child must have come with a request," Alexander said with a huge smile as he reclined on his chair.
His wife smiled, looking at their daughter's adorable expression.
"Tell us, what do you want?" Heidi asked her daughter, pushing her work aside.
"Nothing, Mother. I come here every morning as usual."
Years passed, and Lunneta grew into what we would call the perfect lady, perhaps partly due to the constant jabs she received from Kai.
At 17 years old, turning 18 in a few days, a grand ball was to be held in her honor. She was eagerly anticipating that things would change on that day, like finally meeting her soulmate. Although she had resigned herself to the fact that her mate might not even be on the same planet as her. For three years, she hadn't seen Kai and desperately hoped he wouldn't be available for her birthday ceremony. This was just wishful thinking.
She reminisced about when she was ten years old and went to her mountain, or the mountain she shared with him, as she was unable to reclaim it after discovering Kai meditating there. He had playfully thrown her into muddy water, claiming it was his perfect gift to her. It didn't sit well with her, leading to a fight between them that she lost. It was a sad but real memory. He truly got on her nerves.
"My lady, it is time to try on your dress," her maid Opie said, bringing her back from her trip down memory lane.
The dress was laid out in front of her, and she gasped at its beauty. It had a plunging neckline, and she couldn't help but imagine her father's reaction when he saw it. It was made of ivory material.
Lunneta put on the dress, swaying side to side with a huge smile on her face. If only Kai could see her in this dress. She stood still at the thought, shaking her head at why she would have such a thought. Walking to her full-length mirror, she took in her red cheeks and coy smile on her lips, shaking her head vigorously.
"This is so beautiful," her mom said softly, touching the dress. Heidi sighed softly, feeling nostalgic about her baby girl growing into an adult. It felt like just yesterday when her mischievous baby was running around the palace with a twinkle in her eyes. She sighed once more.
"Well, your dad will be so angry with this neckline."
"I can just imagine his face." They both burst into laughter at the thought of Alexander's facial expression.
"Thank you so much, Mom," Lunneta said, hugging her mom tightly, the dress between them.
"Now, we don't want to wrinkle the dress."
"Go change into it, my darling," Heidi encouraged, seeing how much her daughter loved the gown.
"Okay," Lunneta responded, nodding her head.
A few minutes later, she emerged, looking breathtaking in the gown that fit her perfectly. The plunging neckline was just enough to captivate but not too revealing. The dress swayed as she walked to her mother, her white snowy wings fluttering behind her. Her white hair was styled in a bun updo with a few strands framing her face.
"You look so beautiful, my baby," Heidi said, tears welling up in her eyes as she saw how well her baby girl had grown.
Lunneta hugged her mom, feeling beautiful herself. She couldn't wait for her birthday party.
"Opie, come help your mistress out of this gown," Heidi gestured, sitting on a sofa.
"Your father and I are considering your marriage," Heidi suddenly mentioned, causing Lunneta to breathe slowly in shock as her mind tried to process her mother's words.
"I haven't found my soulmate," Lunneta said quietly.
"We know this, which is why we will wait until your birthday before making a decision," her mother comforted her.
"Who do you intend to engage me to?" Lunneta inquired.
"Jordan, the son of the High Ambassador to the western region. You have been friends for decades. He will support you when you ascend to the throne."
"Friends..." Lunneta scoffed, recalling the scrawny boy who used to follow her and Lino around.
"I'm friends with his sister. He just loves tagging along with us," Lunneta didn't want to marry someone like him. Defiance shone in her eyes.
"Then you better hope your mate arrives soon," Heidi said, noticing the look in her daughter's eyes.
"Well, I'm not the one holding him back. He just doesn't seem to appear," Lunneta felt frustrated about this.
"That's why we are hosting the ball. We have invited guests from the Northern to the Western region and even the Dark Crescent clan."
"What..." Lunneta gasped in shock, receiving another surprise.
"We have no choice but to invite them. Both clans have maintained peace for years. We can't risk disrupting that peace," Heidi explained.
Lunneta grumbled, knowing there was a high chance she would encounter that individual from the Dark Crescent clan.
"The prince of the Dark Crescent clan. I heard he went on a voyage around the world with his father," she casually asked, feigning disinterest.
"Yes... Why do you ask?" Her mother was genuinely concerned, knowing her daughter too well.
"Nothing... I wish I could travel with my father too," she quickly changed the subject.
Heidi sighed in relief, "Your father wishes the same. Maybe before your coronation, we could travel the world as a family." She approached her daughter, kissing her forehead.
"One more thing. I hope you remember the consequences of associating with someone from the Dark Crescent clan," Heidi reminded her with a slight smile before leaving the room.
Lunneta finally exhaled loudly, slumping on the sofa. It had been a day of shocking revelations. She regretted sharing her thoughts with her mother.
"Do you think Mother knows?" Lunneta asked Opie, her maid.
"I don't think so, my lady. Don't worry your head about it," Opie tried to reassure her.
"Help me change my clothes. I'm going out," Lunneta's eyes turned cold.
In a white trouser and suit-like top, Lunneta stepped outside, taking flight into the sky, her wings unfurling with Opie beside her trying to keep up. Laughter filled the air.
Soon, she landed and walked steadily to a group of youths gathered under an oak tree
"Lunneta, thank the Gods you're here," Lino said, embracing her best friend.
"Look who finally decided to show up, the little pampered princess," Orion said with jealousy in her eyes.
"With the amount of hate and jealousy I see in your eyes, you should belong to the Dark Crescent clan," Lunneta remarked, causing a tense silence to fall.
Orion was taken aback by her words and couldn't respond. Their clan preached love over hate and humility over pride.
"I've ignored you for so long that you think it's acceptable to insult your princess," Lunneta's voice cut through the air like a whip.
"Yes, you are my princess just because you were born into the royal family," Orion refused to back down.
"Respect must be earned," Orion sneered.
Sensing the escalating tension, Lino intervened. "That's enough, Lunneta. Let's go; the teacher would be here soon," hoping to defuse the situation.
"You want to run away. That's what you always do," Orion mocked, charging towards her with a whip.
Lunneta didn't want to engage in a fight, but she knew a lesson had to be taught. She unsheathed her sword slightly, sent waves of her power towards Orion, pushing her back. Surprised by Lunneta's strength, Orion attempted to strike her with the whip, only for Lunneta to break it in two with her sword.
Orion stumbled back, blood trickling from her mouth. She stared at her broken whip in disbelief. The ropes used for the whip were unbreakable and could only be found in the deepest part of a volcano in the barren lands of the Northern region. She had received it as a gift from her father.
Lunneta glared at Orion with cold eyes and anger, adjusting her sleeves and walked away with Lino and Opie.
Whispers and murmurs filled the air as onlookers wondered if the confrontation was over. Orion was helped up by her friends, who were equally embarrassed by the turn of events.
"You were lucky this time. Next time, not so much," Orion warned Lunneta, tears welling in her eyes as she flew home.
"What happened?" Lino asked, confusion evident on her face.
"I'm not in a good mood, and I still have to deal with Orion and her words," Lunneta's white hair swayed.
"Cheer up, birthday girl. Your birthday is in a few days. What do you want as a gift?"
"I don't want anything. You can help me tell your parents I don't want to marry your brother," Lunneta rubbed her temples, feeling a headache coming on.
"Now I'm hurt. We could be sisters ," Lino tried to lighten the mood, earning a smile from Lunneta.
"I hope you're not still thinking about him," Lino asked in a hushed tone.
Lunneta quickly covered her mouth, saying, "Lino, we're outside. You never know who might be listening."
Lino raised her eyebrows, waiting for an answer, but Lunneta only turned her face away with her head lowered.
Lino sighed in disbelief. They both understood the risks involved. The consequences were severe, and couples involved in such relationships never lived to see the next day.
"Do you think he'll come to my birthday party?" Lunneta couldn't resist asking once more.
"I don't know. I hope he doesn't," Lino replied with a pointed look.
"My ladies, the teacher is here," Opie announced, and classes began.