The Search

After her maids pulled her royal blue gown over her head, Princess Cornelia looked at herself in the mirror. It fell to the ground, covering her expensive white and gold shoes, made by the elves of Venti, the air nation. Sparkling accents along the sweet heart neckline and the waist and bottom of the dress completed the look. One of her maids pulled out a box and opened the lid, revealing Cornelia’s beautiful gold crown, and placed it on her head.

“Thank you,” she smiled at the maid.

She then took a seat in front of her white marble vanity, and maids rushed around, applying makeup, and fixing her dark brown perfectly curly hair up.

There was a light knock at the door.

“Come in!” She commanded.

An awkward, lanky boy, about sixteen years of age with little muscle mass, dirty blonde hair, and stunning blue green eyes entered the majestic room, his black cloak billowing out behind him. Cornelia turned her head and a huge smile appeared on her face instantly.

“Alasdair!” She stood up quickly, several of the maids whimpering as they got some makeup on her beautiful dress. Cornelia could care less. She ran over and hugged her good friend. “I can’t believe you made it! So you will be coming to the ceremony this evening?”

Alasdair scratched his head and, with sorry eyes, muttered, “Not tonight…”

“Why not?” Cornelia put her white gloves hands on her hips.

He sighed. “I feel something in the air. Something isn’t right. I came because I think the ceremony should be canceled…or postponed at least.”

She frowned. “After all this planning and preparation and now you tell me? My parents aren’t calling this off Alasdair. It’s too late. Besides, everyone is already on the way here.”

“I mean it,” Alasdair grabbed Cornelia’s arm. “I can feel it. I know it sounds crazy, but I sense that something terrible is going to happen tonight.”

Cornelia pulled away and turned around, looking at the floor. Could Alasdair be right? He was a loyal friend and very perceptive, but he was only a boy. Gifted and smart when it came to war strategy, but, other than that, he was only her age. He never talked of sensing things…

“How could you sense such things?”

“I - I’m not sure. I just feel it.”

Cornelia turned around. “Only a few people could do things like that.”

Alasdair shrugged. “Can’t you trust me?”

“I trust you feel it, but that doesn’t mean it is real. You are just overreacting.”

He crossed his arms. “I’m not.”

“Well, if you don’t want to come, then don’t. But it is happening no matter what.”

“I’m begging you. Please, call it off.”

“If you’re so worried, why not ask my parents?”

“Because they are even more stubborn than you.”

Cornelia rolled her brown eyes.

“Please don’t do this.”

“Alasdair, shut up! Tonight, I finally get to become who I was always meant to be! The actual princess of Elementi Del Mondo. It is what everyone has been waiting for since I was found out to be the next in my bloodline to possess all four powers. And the necklace being given to me will strengthen those powers to solidify my identity. I’ve been waiting my whole life for this. It’s meant to happen. There is no turning back now.”

Alasdair didn’t know what to say to change her mind. And he definitely couldn’t explain his feeling. He had never felt something tug in his gut quite like this. Sure, he had had psychic bursts a few times, but he had never told anyone about them. Those psychic bursts were the main reason he was made the lead war strategist for the king, even only as a teenager. He never told anyone because he didn’t know what they meant. But now, this terrible feeling was rising up in him. He had never been wrong with any of his predictions. He knew that something completely life-altering and awful was going to happen at the ceremony. And stopping the event from happening was the only thing he could do to prevent it. All he could do now was be there himself to take matters into his own hands when whatever was going to happen happened.

“Okay, fine. Don’t do anything. But please be careful. Don’t trust anyone.”

She crossed her arms. “Alright. Have you changed your mind about coming?”

“I’ll be there.”

He sighed and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him softly. He made his way down the hall, around the corner, down a few flights of stairs and past the main hall where servants were putting up decorations and sweeping the shiny wooden floors and red carpet. He then walked into another hallway to the left and eventually made it to the king and queen’s quarters. He knocked on their door.

“Who is it?” King Peter bellowed.

“Alasdair, your majesty,” Alasdair replied softly.

“Enter.”

Alasdair opened the door to see the king and his servants pulling on his navy blue robe with silver detailing and white and navy blue striped puffy sleeves.

“Ah, glad to see you can make it to tonight’s ceremony son!” After letting Alasdair join his war-planning committee, he had started to develop a liking for the boy and became sort of a father figure to him.

“Yes, um, about that sir… I think you may want to - um…”

“Spit it out!”

“You should cancel it,” Alasdair stammered, feeling hot in his cloak.

“WHAT?!” The servants jumped back. “Why would I do that?”

“I’m sorry, I just think… I feel like something bad is going to happen.”

“Yeah, something bad is going to happen if you don’t stop telling me to cancel this event that has been planned for over 10 years!”

“I can’t explain it. I sense it, your majesty. Look, I never told anyone this because I always found it a bit odd and I know you may get angry but -“

“I’m already angry! Finish what you are telling me!”

“Ever since I was a kid, I’ve had these psychic outbursts. Where I know what needs to be done to prevent bad outcomes. That’s why I have always been good with war strategy. Because I know what the other side’s plans are before they even make the plans. This time, it’s a more subtle feeling, but I’ve never been wrong.”

“You’re saying I’ve been working with a wizard on war strategy?”

“I -“

“Is this black magic?!”

“I -“

“Oh no, not anymore. I will not work with a wizard any longer.”

“Wait! I am on your side. I’ve helped you this long! And I’m not a wizard. I don’t think so anyway.”

“We will have you tested within the next few days to see if your magic is black or not. But, either way, you’ve been lying this entire time and that is unacceptable. Besides, I can’t stand wizards. All of them are the same - know-it-all’s and cheats. Servants, lock this thing in the dungeon. I can’t see him tonight.”

Two servants took hold of Alasdair’s arms. “Wait! I’ve never steered you wrong! What are you doing? Please cancel the ceremony!”

“You clearly just want to cancel for your own personal benefit. Lock him up,” the king waved his hand.

As the servants pulled him away, Alasdair could’ve sworn he saw a female servant with a grin on her face moving her hand around as if performing a spell on King Peter. He had never acted that way. He was a sensible man, and, under different circumstances, he might’ve taken Alasdair’s advice to heart and at least think about the possibility that he might actually be right.

~ ~ ~

The servants threw him in a cell and he landed on his face, dirt all over him and in his mouth. He spit it out and sat up. They locked the door and walked back up

A wizard? Could I be one? Alasdair thought to himself. Being a wizard would definitely explain things… But, there were only two others in the whole world. And they had both become evil.

The ceremony was just beginning and Cornelia was anxious to come out, gown and all. Everyone was waiting for her. A maid smiled at her and took her hands. “It’s time,” she whispered.

As Cornelia made her way to the bottom of the staircase, all heads turned towards her and the room became silent. Everyone cheered as she met her parents at the bottom and all three walked to their thrones, two large ones made of gold and one smaller made of silver. They stood in front of the big crowd, the clapping continued.

~ ~ ~

Alasdair could hear all the ruckus coming from the main hall. Some guards overlooked the dungeon cells with keen eyes. He eyed them anxiously. I need to get up there…I’m running out of time.

“Excuse me sir,” Alasdair called out to one guard who was walking past him.

The guard peered over at him suspiciously. “What is it?” He growled with yellow teeth.

“Let me out of my cell this instant!” He tried to somehow control the man’s mind. Maybe wizards could do that?

The guard chuckled and kept walking.

“Please,” Alasdair reached between the rusty bars and grabbed the man’s shoulder. “The royal family is in danger! All of Elementi is!”

He turned to him. “Nice try, but you aren’t the first prisoner to try that one on me.”

Alasdair put a hand to his head in frustration. “I am not just any prisoner, you idiot! I am the king’s second hand man. His war strategist!”

“You are just a kid.”

“Yes, but -“

“Look, I’m not sure what got you in here and I don’t care, but I’m not allowed to let anyone out unless the king says so.” He continued walking away and Alasdair fell to the floor.

“This is it. This really is it,” he muttered.

“No it’s not,” the prisoner in the cell to his right spat.

“What?” He turned to a girl a few years older than him who was sitting cross-legged on the ground.

“You will be fine. These cells won’t hold us for too much longer.”

“What do you mean?”

She smiled in a way that made Alasdair uncomfortable. “A new era is beginning.”

“New era?”

“A coup de tat is happening as we speak.”

“By whom?!”

“Amethyst.”

That name didn’t sound familiar to Alasdair. “How do you know all this?”

“I was helping her. She is one of the maids in the household and one day when I was carrying out orders, I was caught and put in here.”

“What are you rebelling against?”

“The corrupt nature of this world. The social class differences between people with powers and people without is ridiculous. It’s time to put an end to that.”

Alasdair couldn’t believe it. How could he not have seen this coming? A rebellion? A coup de tat? The feeling was only a feeling. Very vague as opposed to his actual visions in the past. Why?

“Who is Amethyst?”

“The most powerful witch. She’s been building up her power for this moment.”

Maybe she created some shield to keep me from knowing about this.

“This is bad…” Alasdair felt faint.

“No, it’s not. It’s just the beginning. Can’t you feel it? The world is changing around us.”

I need to get out there. I need to get out there. I need to get out there. Alasdair’s head pounded. Suddenly, his eyes flashed light blue for a moment and his cell door swung open. He blinked a few times before figuring out what he had done. The girl next to him gasped with surprise. He hopped up and rushed up the stairs, guards bustling after him. He sprinted down the hallway took two lefts and one right, entering the main hall. He pushed between people to get out of view of the guards.

“And now my beloved daughter, Princess Cornelia, will receive her rightful gift.”

One of her maids pulled the necklace - a shiny multi-colored circular pendant with gold along the outer edges - out of a diamond jewelry box and began to put it around Cornelia’s neck.

“STOP!” A loud voice echoed around the hall. Alasdair searched for the source but was unable to locate it.

A gorgeous blonde-haired woman with hazel eyes appeared in a blast of smoke beside the servant. Alasdair pushed through the crowd of gasping people.

Princess Cornelia raised a brow. “Who are you?”

Amethyst smirked. “You’ll never know.” She put a hand on Cornelia’s head, and Cornelia fell to the ground. Her heart stopped.

“HEY!” The king and queen stood up.

Putting her hand up again, she yelled, “Stop right there.” They froze.

Guards started to come up behind her, but she froze them too.

“Everyone, I’m glad you could come out today,” Amethyst smiled smugly. “My name is Amethyst and I’ve come here to declare myself Queen of Elementi Del Mondo.”

She pulled the necklace from the maid’s hands and, just as she started to clasp it around her neck, Alasdair ran up to the stage. “No, I won’t let you get away with this!” He brought up his right hand and was surprised that he moved the necklace with his mind, urging it to the palm of his hand.

Amethyst tugged for it with her own powers and the two fought against each other. The tension of the magic between the two made the amulet shatter into a million tiny fragments. Colors flew into the air and dissipated within seconds.

After these unfortunate events, Alasdair managed to escape, but the number of people involved in the coup was much higher than he had thought it would be, and Amethyst did become the queen of Elementi Del Mondo, bringing chaos and genocide to the world. Alasdair went into hiding soon thereafter.