A Scarlet Crown (Scarlet #1)

19. "Apple Swirvels"

Ella Henderson - Empire

Anna, Mila, Hadley, and I are in my room, getting ready for tonight's ball, I put on my dress after finishing my hair and make-up.

The dress really is perfect.

Mila is dressed in a baby blue off-shoulder ball gown, Anna is in a powder pink gown with elbow-length netted sleeves, and Hadley is in a simple black gown.

I answer the door when I hear a knock, Raphael stands outside with an antique-looking box in his hand "Hey" I smile at him and he smiles back, but it does not reach his eyes "Hi"

He looks at me, his eyes trailing all over me, I feel uncomfortable, but push it back "Did you want something?" I ask and he hands me the box "I was told to give this to you" he says, I take the box and ask "From who?"

"Caelum" he responds and I chuckle "I didn't know you took orders from him" I joke and his face twists "Oh, I could never disobey his majesty" he sneers and leaves.

Okay then. I knew they don't like each other, but this seemed like hatred in a way. I close the door and set the box on one of the tables "Who was at the door?" Hadley asks "Raphael"

"What did he want?" This time Mila asks and I show her the box "He said Caelum told him to give me this"

Anna opens the box and inside is a crown, It's beautiful, the crown is gold with a droplet-shaped ruby in the middle, tiny white diamonds are placed almost all over the crown.

I reach to pick it up, but when my hand makes contact with the crown, a gush of wind swirls around me, the crown is placed on my head and I look at the girls.

Mila shows a wide smile, Anna looks shocked and Hadley doesn't make eye contact with me.

"Why do I all of a sudden want to bow," Anna asks.

"When Farren touched the crown, it immediately gave an aura of a royal, the crowns are the Kingdom's most prized possession, they hold a certain type of power which is why they're only worn on special occasions like this ball" Mila explains.

"The crowns?" I ask and she nods "One for you and one for Caelum"

I nod and look at myself in the mirror, I really do look like a Queen, never in a million years, I thought I would be here. Mates to a heartless king, Queen of a Kingdom.

~~~~~

The girls have gone out with their dates, and I'm still in my room, on my bed, unable to leave, while his words play in my mind.

"Out there we will be a King and a Queen, out there we will be an Alpha and a Luna, we will be mates out there. But in here we are nothing! You are nothing but a weak human girl"

Before getting up, I sigh and take one more look in the mirror, the ball began about a half-hour ago. I walk out of my room and down the corridor until I reach two doors leading to the ballroom; the guards look at me and I smile, indicating that they should open the doors.

I take a deep breath and raise my head as the doors open. As I walk in, my shoes click on the floor, everything falls silent when I come into view, there are so many people here, and they're all staring at me.

I look around the room and my eye catches Caelum's, as I descend the staircase, he approaches me and I meet him at the bottom of the stairs.

He's dressed in his usual black suit, black shirt, and black tie, but a golden crown sits atop his head this time. When he extends his hand for me to take, I look at it and slowly place mine on top of it; sparks fly up my arm as we make contact, we walk to the center of the room, and everyone stares at us in awe.