The four elements

    REMEMBRANCE.

      

      

               Aurora's P. O. V.

               (Eight years old Aurora at the mountain magic school)

    

    

    I stood behind the Jasmin plant, my fingers fidgeting around the hem of my dress. The fog around the mountain today is intense as the season had recently just changed from summer to winter.  

    

    From the distance I could see the spider web around the arm of a tree outlined with the help of the water droplets hanging all around it. 

    

    The plants are green and the mountains smelled different today. Everything about being here today was beautiful, but I didn't care about them. As long as I could watch Kael StarSeeker. 

    

    Kael StarSeeker was the only reason why I looked forward to coming up this mountain every single day. Even when we're both in the middle of a garden filled with numbers of beautiful flowers and butterflies, he still managed to steal all of my attention.

    

    Kael StarSeeker was the third and last brother of the StarSeeker family. He was my senior in magic school but we did have a couple of practices together. Kael had beautiful white hair that kept most of his face hidden, a ninja band signaturate of his kingdom tied around his forehead, his frontals covering most of the design engraved on the front. 

    

    Kael had icy blue eyes and he was known to walk alone and quietly. He was remarkably different from the rest of his brothers. Unlike his older brothers who were already ninjas, Kael was still learning, but even still, I found him to be the most powerful and coolest man that I knew. 

    

    Kael was way taller and older than me. But I found myself being pulled to him at all times. I didn't know what I felt for him but I knew I was highly attracted to him.

    

    I was completely lost watching him from behind the bushes when I felt a hard nudge on my shoulder, followed by May's voice. 

    

    "Snap out of it, princess! I look at Kael everyday and wonder what the hell you even like about him!"

    

    I turned around quickly to cover her loud mouth with my hands, hoping Kael didn't hear all that. But later will I know that Kael could hear voices from miles away and that he had indeed heard everything I and my friends talked about that day.

    

    Miusa, my second friend, continued to watch Kael dreamily, her cheeks going red. "Kael is so cool." She muttered. You would think she was losing her breath from some terrible panic attack.

    

    Miusa was the daughter of one of the Chiefs back in Eldrador and we pretty much grew up together. She was tall, her legs long and slim, a thing of beauty. Her black hair was always pulled into a straight shiny ponytail behind her, a few strands sticking out on either side of her face.

    

    May on the other hand was from another kingdom called Lazaroth. Unlike the rest of us from noble houses, May was the daughter of a blacksmith back in her village. But she was never phased by this. May was one of the strongest and fearless people I knew and she was a promising ninja already.

    

    May was intelligent as she she was beautiful. She has beautiful blond hair that looks a bit orange owning to season changes sometimes. She had beautiful green eyes and freckles around her nose and cheek. She wasn't exactly a skinny person, she was thicker on the body than the rest of us and we could always count on her to be more serious minded when we needed to be.

    

    "You ladies needs to get a grip on yourselves," May said uninterestedly "especially you miusa, Kael will never go for a girl like us..... Or like me actually. But you're a princess Aurora, you deserve to marry princes. Not some ninja dude."

    

    And then she turned around and left, Miusa following her reluctantly.

    

    "You're coming right?" May called as she walked off "I'm not planning on losing that magic fight to that wannabe girl, Kaila."

    

    At that moment, my heart was thorned between following my friends and watching Kael for the rest of the day. 

    

    As I looked back from my friends to Kael, I found his icy blue eyes watching me. My soul left my body at that instant. I found myself running off awkwardly, a short laughter escaping my lips as I went. My heart rejoiced strangely and I laughed quietly until I was nowhere in his sight anymore.

    

    

    

    

    END OF REMEMBRANCE.

    

    

    CURRENT TIME.

    

               

               

               I was escorted to see my parents' dead bodies but I didn't have the stomach to see them for long. I'm a Queen and cannot be seen breaking down. So I turned my grieve and pains into strength and made a vow to bring whoever did this to them to Justice. And I would only be able to do that if I leave my feelings behind and take on my responsibility as a queen.

               

               I went back to the throne room where the rest of the men waited for me. I was angry. I wasn't feeling these pains anymore. I wasn't weak anymore. I was just feeling this rush of energy coursing through my body.

               

               "Tell me what is next." I said fiercely.

              Everyone around me exchanged looks before Maric came forward to speak.

              

              "Right now, an event is being prepared. Tonight, people from other kingdoms will start trooping in. They will offer their condolences but you should keep your eyes out for the men that would come. We have prepared a list of noble men from four different kingdoms. But of course, it would be your picking not ours. Whoever you like most."

              

              I nod as Maric came forward with a scroll of names. Lilith takes it from him.

              

              "I will return to my chambers now to look into these names thank you." I said courtly before leaving the throne room.

              

              As I returned to my room, all I could think about was the fact that by the fall of night today, I would be faced with men of different styles and valor and would need to pick four out of them in order for maintain the balance of the kingdom.

              

              I remembered Kael. Kael graduated from the mountain school two years ago, and I never got to see him. I never told him how I felt about him. 

              

              All these years, I'd had hopes that one day I would end up with him. Kael was probably off at some place being a powerful warrior like he has always dreamed of being.

              

              Now I have to go out there tonight and meet all those men and choose four of them to be my husbands. It shouldn't be that hard right?  

              

              I turned to see Lilith who still had the scroll in her hands. I take it from her and asked her to sit with me while I read through it. I sat down on the pillow and she sat across from me. 

              

              The first man on the scroll went by the name Lyrien. Lyrien was a brooding, loyal knight who according to what's stated here had some deep connections with Eldrador. I don't think that I have seen him before but he was selected to represent one of the four elements: Earth.

              

              The second man was Caspien, a calm and enigmatic healer with the power to control tides and he represented the water. He was from the Asttland kingdom far away from here.

              

              The third man was named Zephyr, a spiritual, otherworldly seer with the ability to communicate with the gods as it was typical of his people from far in the south.

              The last on the scroll was Thorne of the sword. Thorne was a passionate, intense sorcerer with a talent of pyromancy. 

              

              These were the four men I was expected to look out for. I have never met any of these men before my entire life, and I wondered what meeting them tonight would be. Would they agree to be with me because I'm a Queen or because they actually want to be with me?

              

              I'm just being ridiculous.

              

              As I set the scroll down, I felt a sting in my heart, my eyes quickly welling up with tears. Lilith quickly moves closer with concern.

              

              "Are you okay my queen?" She asks.

              

              Her voice seemed to pierce my heart further. I was merely hurting before but now I couldn't help crying furiously.

              

              Lilith quickly moves closer to me, pulling me into her arms.

              "Shhh, a queen never cries." She hushed me. 

              

              I started to hyperventilate as my tears choked me, knocking the air out of my lungs. I wanted badly to stop crying and say something but I couldn't. 

              

              "It .....hurts......" I managed to speak.

              

              Just then, my doors slid open and I hear a familiar voice.

              

              "Look who still cries like a baby and not like a queen." I looked up to find May standing in front of me, her eyes glistening under the dim lighting. Behind her stood Miusa whose eyes looked starry and teary, like she was going to start crying any moment from now. They looked well dressed, their faces and hair well made with colors and decorations respectively.

              

              My heart took a painful beat at the sight of them. I didn't think I would be seeing them again for a long time. 

              

              I didn't know why but I let out a sharp cry, pulling away from Lilith. May lowers herself to my level, kneeling in front of me to pull me in for a hug. Miusa moves in too and hugs me. But I just continued to cry.

              

             "Can you stop crying? Else I'm just gonna start crying too." Miusa said slowly, as if speaking any louder than that would prompt her tears.

             

             But May continued to press my back soothingly, "let it all out, Aurora." She muttered.

             

             Miusa starts crying.

              "Will you cut it out, Miusa?!" May scolded her.

             "I'm sorryyyy." She pleads amidst tears.

             

             As I cried, I laughed too. Because my two best friends were here with me on a day like this. 

             Miusa had left Eldrador two years ago to go be with an uncle in the far east in order to master her magic better. But I never heard from May after then. And I was always alone after then. 

             

             "What are you guys doing here?" I asked as soon as we let go of each other, Miusa gingerly rubbing at her eyes.

             

             "We heard you're a queen now, and was hoping we could make it on time for your coronation." May said with a light smile.

             

             "Actually, you made it on time for something even better." I replied with a small smile.

             

             "We heard about your parents, we're so sorry, Aurora." Miusa said.

             

             "It's fine. I'm just glad that you two are here now."

             

             "Tell us about this big thing we made it on time for!" Miusa exclaims, excitement wringing through her voice.

             

             "Don't you know?" May replied before I could speak "now that she is queen, it's tradition that she marry four noble men in order to make balance with Eldrador. You live here but I have to tell you your tradition." She added with an eye roll.

             

             "But.... I thought you were going to get married to Kael and live happily ever after." Miusa said innocently.

             

             I nodded before replying, "but I'm a Queen now, and I have more responsibilities to my people than getting married to Kael and living happily with him."

             

             May placed a hand on my arm and looked into my eyes, "we're always here for you, whatever you decide to do."

             

             I nod gently.

             

             A knock sounds on the door, followed by one of my maids' voice.

             

             "The Queen is requested to start getting ready for the event."

             

             Then my door slid open and the maids troops in with their gazes cast down to the floor, clothes on their arms.

             

             This was it. Tonight, I wasn't just going to be the Queen of Eldrador, I'm going to be married to four different men of my choosing. 

             

             And I hope that I make the right choices.