A Throne Amongst the Stars

Subitis

[A/N: Hello my lovely readers! My apologies for the late upload! I wanted to spoil you all and give you a very long chapter in return. I love you all and hope you enjoy! -K 🖤]

[🌌This chapter is extremely long, contains brief swearing, and extreme angst.🌌]
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Never in my 24 years had I ever witnessed such a tenacious debacle as the one occurring today. The whole property of the castle, along with the entire planet of Interitus, had been alive and bustling with radiating energy for the entire past day and a half. Now that the day of the gala had finally arrived, it seemed as if the entire galaxy had traveled to my planet and was here to celebrate.

Ever since yesterday, or the fateful day where my mother and I had gotten into an argument over my whereabouts which resulted in her forbidding me to interact with Poe, the servants of the castle had been preparing for an extraordinary and extravagant ceremony, otherwise known as the gala.

Fresh and alluring flowers had been recently planted around the property, and perfectly trimmed hedges and trees elevated the face of the fortress. Every visible lawn had been manicured, and there was not one petal or leaf acting in disarray. The exterior of the castle was in pristine condition and would certainly be an impressive first glance at the location of where the gala was to be held.

The interior of the castle was just as immaculate. Every reflective surface had been waxed and polished. Normally, the castle was always spotless, but because of this special occasion, everything was exceptionally cleaned and perfected. Every gold or metallic facet was shined ethereally, and combined with the lit candelabras, the atmosphere of the castle was mysterious and undeniably elegant, some descriptors of Interitus itself.

The ballroom where the gala was to be held had been the focus of many servants' attention and dedication. Massive chandeliers hung from the gold-encrusted ceiling, illuminating the shimmering and tiled floor where the majority of the dancing would take place. The perimeter of the ballroom was nearly composed of entire floor-to-ceiling glass windows, offering an unbelievable view of Interitus and of the stars and nearby planets that could be observed from the position within the castle.

It seemed as if everything had perfectly aligned with the requirements of a faultless gala.

The same gala that wasn't of my own preference.

The planning and very existence of the situation was my mother and father's doing, and they were the entire reason that the gala existed in the first place. Because I continuously refused every suitor that approached within 100 feet of me for years, I had left them no choice but to invite the remaining bachelors of the galaxy to my 24th year celebration.

It was their hope that I would find one of the bachelors suitable enough for marriage and that I would finally decide who I would accept for a husband.

I wanted to marry someday, but not like this.

The gala felt as if it were an entrapment for me. By the end of the night, my parents would be expecting a decision, a name, that I deemed good enough.

I didn't want good enough.

"Verum," I sighed, turning over the elegant mask in my hands, "Why must I wear a mask if everyone will already know who I am?" I questioned, running my fingers down the delicate and small decorative chain links of the intricately designed half-mask that had been prepared just for me.

"Princess, the masquerade aspect was your idea." Verum responded, standing behind me as I sat on a cushioned stool before a large mirrored vanity. "You desired the masks because you disliked the idea of having handsome faces mislead your decision-making." She rested her hands onto my bare shoulders, then adjusted the off-the-shoulder material of my dress. "I believe you would feel quite uncomfortable if you were the only unmasked attendee." She chuckled, adding more decorative pins into my lengthy hair that she had been curling for an extended amount of time.