Forever Fae (Forever Fae #1)(8)
Xylia and Meliantha both burst out laughing. They are amazed with how I know my little sister so well. Xylia decides to answer me.
“Not only did she blow down a house, but she also blew one of the guardians across the court. Apparently, she asked him to dance with her after the ceremony and he politely refused. Your sister doesn’t take rejection very well, does she? Anyway, Elvena will be keeping a watch on her tonight.” That definitely sounds like my headstrong younger sister.
“No, she doesn’t take rejection very well and unfortunately she still has a lot to learn. That poor warrior was probably afraid of her. She needs to learn to control her temper or she’ll never find a guy that’ll be able to keep up with her. I hate that I’m not going to see her tonight, but maybe it will teach her a lesson.” I am hoping I’m not right about what she did, but my little sister is a feisty one. We all look at each other and smile. It’s perfectly clear from our faces that we know Ariella will never learn her lesson.
“The day she learns a lesson is the day the Summer Court freezes over,” Xylia jokes.
We laugh and cackle all the way out of my bedroom and down the long corridor to reach the winding staircase. It feels like I have butterflies in my stomach the whole way down to the Great Room. Once we reach the Great Room doors I pause to take a deep breath. Xylia is on one side, Meliantha is on the other and I grab both of their hands and squeeze. I feel deep down that a change is coming, and it is going to begin this night. I just wish I knew.
The Ceremony-Calista
The huge gold plated doors open and I stand motionless for what feels like hours. Xylia clears her throat while Meliantha gives my arm a little nudge.
Xylia whispers, “Calista, it’s time. We need to move forward. It’s time to see all of those cute warriors in action.” I look over at her and she winks while looking at the warriors positioned on the right side of the room. I turn my gaze to the warriors and they are all looking at me. I close my eyes and take a deep breath.
“I’m ready. Let’s hurry so you can get your fill for the night,” I whisper back.
We laugh softly and continue down the plush green carpet that lay on the aisle. The Great Room is vibrant yellow and has trees and flowers splayed about which makes it feel like I’m walking into a meadow. Except in this meadow, we have two thrones and a dais. The room is filled with gold plated chairs encrusted with crystals that glisten from the sunlight coming through the windows from both sides of the room. The roof also opens up to let the sunshine beam down and also makes the temperature a little hotter. Rainbows flitter along the walls and the floor from the reflection of the crystals and it makes the room look absolutely magnificent.
I make my way to the front where my father, King Oberon, and my mother, Queen Tatiana, are seated on their thrones. My father looks handsome with his bright red hair and eyes that match mine. He looks at me with pride written all over his face and it feels good to know I’m doing something right. I lift my chin and continue my way down. I look over at my mother and her smile is just as radiant. She has golden blonde hair just like me and her eyes are a brilliant shade of blue. She’s wearing a lovely yellow dress that makes her look angelic, but she is far from it. Her temper is known throughout the court.
I finally make it to my seat and my father greets me, “Good evening, sunshine.”
I give both my parents a warm smile and reply, “Good evening, Father, and to you, Mother.” My mother smiles and reaches over to take my hand. I squeeze hers in return.
“No need to be nervous, my daughter. Tonight is going to be a very special night,” she says tenderly.
I don’t respond. I just take a look across the room at the many guests. The entire room is filled with the cheerfulness and brightness of the Summer Court fae. On one side all of the warriors stand and in the middle are our guests from across the territories. On the left side of the Great Room are all the council members of the Summer Court and their families. I look at the warriors and I find my friend Merrick among them and smile at him. He smiles back with a cocky grin I have always known and have seen for so many years. He has grown up to be such a handsome man with his golden blonde hair and the brownest eyes I’ve ever seen. He keeps his hair short, but long enough to see that he has some curl to it. It always looks so soft and fluffy and I love to play with it. He stands six feet tall and has the body of a god. Many of the Summer fae women go crazy over him and are constantly following him around.
I turn to look at the council members and I see Xylia’s parents, Raisa and Foster, sitting there and they both give me a nod. I smile warmly at them and nod back. Taking the first seat of the council is Avery. He handles a lot of the court business and is my father’s most trusted counselor. I’ve never really liked him because I can sense some darkness in him somewhere and when I confronted my father about it he just laughed it off and considered it nonsense. Avery gives me a smirk and I pretend not to see it. He has hair the color of wheat and sharp facial features that almost make him look cruel. He’s a handsome man, but nothing about his personality appeals to me. I try not to pay much attention to him when he’s around. I take my thoughts away from him and I continue to look around at my guests. In the middle I see Aelfric and Rhoswen. I’m so glad they made it. I give them a huge smile and I receive one in return. They travelled all the way from the Elven Kingdom to see this next stage in my life and I couldn’t be more grateful.