The carriage reached the pathway to the entrance of the palace courtyard at around an hour before midnight. The traditional Festival Ball happening at the massive palace garden is still in full swing, with the guests and Festival participants feasting, dancing and busily talking to one another. The noise of the music from the Royal Orchestra filled the air like fireworks.
King Rigor and Queen Saurora enthusiastically greeted Theo and Marina as they stepped out of their carriage with their daughter.
"Oh heavens, this is your daughter Nicomaine? Marina, how did you raise up such a beauty?!" Saurora gushed as she kissed Nicomaine on the cheeks and warmly embraced her. Nicomaine inhaled her lovely scent: vanilla roses. She loved her instantly.
"My queen, you look like a dream!" Nicomaine exclaimed out loud, unable to control her admiration. The king and the queen laughed heartily together.
"Marina's charm and Theo's honesty mixed together, oh dear. This girl will break too many hearts." The king smiled in fascination. And then it was Nicomaine's parents' turn to laugh.
"Forgive our tardiness, your majesty," Theo politely shook the king's hands.
"Theo, how many times shall I reprimand you to just call me Rigor? Do I need to have you arrested for directly disobeying my orders?" King Rigor joked. Theo lightened up and playfully smacked the king on his back.
"You old boot." Nicomaine heard her father whispered to the King and all four of them laughed. Since when did her parents became such close friends of royals? She can feel her migraine intensifying with the confusion of this shocking discovery.
"And besides, the party has just started. You should come and have dinner, I'm sure your voyage had been exhausting. Nicomaine can join her fellow festival peers and make some acquaintances if she wants," The king told them as they were welcomed inside the palace.
"We would love for you to meet our son Richard, Nicomaine, but he's coming home late from his training shift at the Warfare and Defense Sector. You know he's friends with your brother Leon, right?" The queen inquired, still holding her hand. Nicomaine clutched her chest at the mention of her brother's name. She's gonna see him very soon, she realized. How she waited for this day!
"Your kindness is overwhelming as always, Saurora. I'm sure Nicomaine feels absolutely honored for this invitation, but we beg your forgiveness, your majesty, for she is feeling extremely unwell ever since this morning. She's been dizzy and vomiting and she even fainted earlier from nausea before our ship even reached the Broadway port." Marina apologized.
"It must be your anxiety over the prophecy awaiting you, isn't?" The king addressed Nicomaine directly. She nodded self-consciously.
"I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were feeling so sick, my dear girl. That's why your skin is radiating too much heat, I suppose." The queen touched her forehead to feel her temperature.
"She loves the ocean too much but now it's made her sick. And yet, I swear, this girl must already be missing the sea by now. She's crazy over every body of water, I'm telling you." Theo fondly mocked his daughter.
"Dad, you raised us in a home by the sea. I have no choice but to fall in love with it." Nicomaine defended herself, grinning. Again, all the four adults laughed aloud.
"Theo, Marina, you are doing parenthood right," The king complimented them.
As their luggage are being taken by the palace servants, the queen suddenly took the king aside and briefly whispered something in his ear. And then they both exchanged an amused glance.
