Chapter 2

"Thanks for dessert, Mom. It was absolutely delicious." I smiled, quickly leaning over to place a kiss on her cheek just as she leaned over to meet me half way.

"You're welcome, Hon." She giggled, very happy to be appreciated and to have pleased our taste buds. Mom always prides herself with her food.

"Well, I'm gonna go to bed. I have an early morning tomorrow." I said, stretching my arms as a yawn slipped past my lips followed by a few tears that slightly clouded my vision.

"Yeah, you do. Go along, Sweetheart. I'll finish up here," Mom urged with a soft understanding smile. Another yawn involuntarily escaped my lips, telling me that it was definitely time to call it a night. With a slight wave to my mom, I walked in the direction of the kitchen exit." Goodnight, Baby Girl!"

"Goodnight Mom. I love you." I called back behind me.

"Not as much as I do." She said with a light chuckle that had me also releasing one.

By the time I dragged my once more tired limbs into my bedroom, I just wanted to flop onto my bed like a fish out of water and fall asleep but unfortunately I had to do my nightly rituals first. I quickly brushed my teeth, before slipping out of my daily wear and into my fluffy, comfy short pajamas which consisted of silk with a lacy seam, black short shorts with pink hearts with its matching spaghetti strapped, silky pajama top.

I trudged back to my bed and pulled my covers away before slipping in under the cold sheets and pulling the cover and sheet back up to my back. It was summer so it was still fairly hot so the coolness that enveloped my back was appreciated as the bed absorbed my body's warmth into it, making falling asleep a bit difficult. I found myself tossing and turning due to the agonising heat from my now hot bed until I drifted into a train of thought that only filled me with anxiety, guilt, fear and doubt.

I called Claire after dinner to give her an earful about the dating app she had installed without my permission, which ended up being embarrassing because she denied ever installing the dating app in my phone. After a good couple of minutes of us going back and forth, we ended up concluding that I must have installed it myself sometime by mistake. Maybe I was on G****e or something, but I ended up installing the app when I was unaware. Claire took that as her opportunity because she used every trick in the book to convince me even more, into signing into the app under my better judgement, I found myself filling in all the necessary simple details that were required for the matching process, now I just hope I don't regret it.

I don't know after how long, but my long train of thought disappeared as my mind went numb from exhaustion and allowed my body the sweet, relaxing and peaceful sleep that it so desired.

•°•°•°•°

Unknown POV

The weight of the tension that has built upon my shoulders in the past two centuries seemed to weigh less heavily than I had grown accustomed to, which is rather odd and unsettling. I of course cannot ignore the uneasiness that has been pestering my being for the past couple of hours either.

Placing my hand on the familiar, large, oak French doors of my bedroom, a very familiar tingling, almost throbbing sensation that threatened to numb my wrist began. My eyes nearly bulged out from their eye sockets at the only possible reason for this.

"No." Slipped out of my lips as I pushed open the doors to be met by my greatest fear.

I lifted my wrist at lightning speed to find the wretched thing teasing me. I instantly turned around with the door handle in hold and quietly closed the room. Before I knew it, I was charging back down the hallway in a fit of a ball of emotions, one of them being the feeling I had grown so used to...rage.

•°•°•°•°

Elise's POV

Soft whispering invaded my ears as I slowly woke up from my sleepy state. My bed felt more softer, more comfortable than usual. Was my body that tired? The soft whispering continued making me furrow my eyebrows in confusion, why would my parents be in my room?

I slowly opened my eyes to find curious, unfamiliar, twin, emerald green orbs staring at me in wonder. A scream slowly made its way to my throat, just for me to lock it there as I closed my eyes again. This must be a dream.

I slowly opened them to find a white ceiling with a gold chandelier hanging up above me instead of my normal, light bulb. I immediately bolted up the bed in panic and scanned my surroundings. The bright light of the sun illuminating brightly inside the unfamiliar, large room even though the grey, floor length curtains were closed shut. The room was very spacious and the bed I was on was just as large. There were two young children, a boy and a girl, no older than seven sitting on either side of me a few centimetres away from me, but the bed still had alot of vacant space left. If it wasn't for the panic rushing through my veins, I would be swooning at the beauty of the room.

"Where am I? Who are you two?" I shakily asked the two children as I tried to ease the panic and fear coursing at an immensely fast rate in my veins.

"I'm Everett and that's my twin sister, Evangeline." The boy enthusiastically chirped, seemingly ignoring my uncomfortable and fearful state and behaviour.

"Where am I?" I asked, feeling a bit more calm at the children's presence and of course the boy's kindness.

As the boy, Everett opened his mouth to reply, the sound of the large, wooden doors of the bedroom opening attracted all three of our attention as we found ourselves turning towards the opening doors. An overly gorgeous tall man clad in a black full suit appeared as the doors made way.

"Evangeline, Everett, I hope you weren't pestering our guest and you know your father will not be pleased to hear that you two were in his private chambers even when he told you not to be. Please go play in your play room." The man's calm voice, boomed with authority that brought the fear back tenfold.

His words came out controlled like they were rehearsed. His voice smooth like butter, not a single pitch too high, but they showed his sternness. They made shivers run down my spine as I instinctively moved back into the headboard to try and hide away from him as a whimper threatened to escape my lips in fear.

"Alright, Uncle," Everett smiled before smiling at me," Bye Miss." He leaned over and placed a soft kiss on my cheek, taking me completely off guard before smiling at me with a cliché boyish grin.

The girl shyly smiled at me too before they slipped off the bed and out of the bedroom leaving me and the unknown man alone.

The man's quiet sigh had me looking up to him to see a small smile lacing his lips.

"I'm sorry, I hope they weren't too much trouble." He apologetically smiled as he made his way in my direction.

The softness in his voice eased some of the tension including my raging nerves, atleast enough to keep my heart rate stable again instead of the frenzy it was in a few moments ago.

"N-no. They were fine." I nervously stuttered, before clearing my throat.

"That's good. Please, you don't have to fear me or anyone in the castle actually. No one will harm you, I give you my word," The man assured," Now, on to more pressing matters, my Lady. I'm Noah, King Theo's trusted advisor, Beta and Best friend. May I have your name?"

King Theo? Beta? My Lady? Where am I?

"My Lady?" The ma-, I mean, Noah's voice came through my foggy, confused mind.

"I'm sorry, I'm Elise. Elise Snow." I replied," Where am I?" I couldn't help but to ask once more even as fear of the man still lingered in every fibre of my being.

"Well, my Lady, you're in the kingdom of Astral. I take it you are unaware of how you arrived here, correct?" He smiled knowingly. I nodded to confirm his verdict." Well, you might find this hard to believe, but do you believe in magic, my Lady?"

His question took me completely off guard, making my eyes turn into saucers at his abnormal question.

"N-no. Not exactly." I found myself stuttering confusedly.

"Well, seeing as King Theo will not be doing his job, I'll take it upon myself to do it for him," He sighed with a hint of disappointment glimmering in his chocolate orbs," Well your Highness, prepare to be amazed or perhaps, to faint."