Welcome to the Mainland
Gisa
"Gisa," Emma gasped as they walked into their bedroom for the night.
"Emma please don't…"
"I can't help it!" Emma let out a squeal of delight as Gisa clapped her hands over her ears. "Gisa the room is so beautiful! I've never seen beds that were so fluffy! We have our own bathroom, look at the closet! And the decorations are so pristine!" She giggled, spinning in a circle.
"We're only going to be here for one night." Gisa said, but she couldn't help the smile as she kicked off her shoes and dove headfirst into one of the monstrous beds. She and Emma had asked to share a room when Charlotte tried to direct them separate ways. So a moment later, after another large bed was placed in Emma's room, the two were left alone to freshen up after the trip.
"Gisa!" Emma shouted as she opened the closet. "Look!" Inside were clothes of all colors, styles and sizes. "There are so many!" She gently went through them, pulling out a couple of shirts. "Gisa look!"
"I am looking." Gisa said, less interested in the clothes than Emma.
"Look!" Emma pulled out a midnight blue evening gown. "Gisa you have to wear it!"
"No way Em." Gisa said, turning to walk out of the closet.
"It looks just like Annabelle's but more elaborate. You would totally upstage her…" Emma said, lilting her voice to tease.
"Give it to me." Gisa said with a smirk. Nevermind. Now she was excited. "I wonder…" she crossed the room to the door, throwing it open. Charlotte was waiting for them. "Are we supposed to change clothes?" Gisa hid the dress behind the door.
"The clothes were provided for you to do just that but if you don't want to, of course you don't have to. There should be an array of sizes to choose from." She said with a smile.
"Okay thanks," Gisa shut the door and walked back to Emma who was still rifling through the clothes.
A minute later, Gisa spun in a circle for Emma to see. "You look… stunning." Emma said as she began to pin her hair up. "It's not too fancy, but still beautiful enough that you will make jaws drop. Besides, think about the look on her face when the two of us walk in."
Gisa laughed. "Okay, I know I said I hate dressing up, but this is going to be so much fun."
The girls laughed, helping each other with buttons and bobby pins until Charlotte came knocking at the door. "Dinner is to be served in a few minutes, are you quite ready yet?" she asked. The girls didn't say anything but walked out of the room.
Jamison and Ron stood behind Charlotte in the hall.
"Ron!" Emma squealed again. "You look so nice! I've never seen you in anything other than sweatpants and a hoodie!"
He grumbled but a blush crept onto his cheeks nonetheless. Gisa agreed. He did look rather nice. Dark wash jeans and a white and navy spotted button up shirt… "It's stuffy," he pulled at the collar.
Jamsion was positively livid, but his leather jacket was gone and replaced by a blazer. "I don't see what was wrong with the jacket I was wearing. It was interesting with all of its patches… this is weird."
"Weird is the best word you could come up with?" Ron asked, laughing.
"Say it again." Jamsion folded his arms. A threat.
"No, now just come along please," Charlotte said, hands on her hips. "No fighting in the hallway. I'd hate for these lovely guards to have to disarm you."
Jamison and Gisa shared a look. But Jamsion let Ron walk off before slouching behind the rest of them.
Charlotte walked confidently through the twisting halls. Everything looked so similar, Gisa could no longer tell where they were headed. How many times did Charlotte walk these halls to not be utterly lost? The walls were all a shade of beige, the floors made of a polished cherry wood. They turned corners and found tapestries on the walls that were nearly indistinguishable from each other. Even the potted plants looked the same. But as they turned another corner, it opened into a wide receiving room. Marble pillars encased by green flowering vines stood in a convex arch. And beyond that…
The nobles were chatting with one another, everyone milling around with a different drink in their hand. The patio was made of soapstone and the gardens and fountains within it and around it were a sight to behold. Nobody said anything as they entered the wonderland.
Prince Michael was the first to notice their arrival. "W—welcome…" He trailed off as he caught sight of them.
Jamison's injuries were still visible but with the suit on, he looked more like a knight than a backstreet pit fighter. His eyes landed on Gisa.
Her power was mostly contained but she'd learned that releasing it a little made her positively glow in comparison to everyone. She felt it within her mind and she couldn't help but caress the sleeping power, letting her glow flare a little. She met his eyes and let out a smile. Small, but perhaps shy and inviting. Something that would make a certain someone—
"Michael!" Annabelle's high voice cut through the trance like a blade. She pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes at Gisa before turning to her betrothed. A giggle, "Babe, why didn't you tell me they were here." She looked Gisa up and down a moment, her frown deepening.
Gisa made eye contact with Annabelle before smiling innocently. Sweetly even. "Nice to see you too Annabelle." Gisa said. Oh this girl was too easy. "I love your dress. Ours actually look very similar don't you think? Maybe the same designer even. Though Emma told me that mine looked newer. The stitching on your hems are becoming a little worn. And the gold trim against the blue fits better than on pink. Though, since this dress was loaned to me, I'm sure it can be loaned to you." Annabelle opened her mouth to retort but Gisa continued. "Though, they might need to lengthen the waistline a little bit." Gisa pretended to wince as she glanced at Annabelle's waistline. In all truth, Annabelle had the pinnacle of a feminine body. She was gorgeous. But Annabelle seemed like the type who didn't think perfect was enough.
"Did you just call me fat?" Annabelle laughed incredulously. "I have a workout routine and diet guide as well as an athletic clothing line selling in not only the United Continent, but in the other provinces and nations around the entire globe!" Her voice began to get louder, drawing the attention of some of the nearby nobles.
Michael clasped her hand in his and whispered something into her ear. "Don't tell me to calm down!" she hissed. "Come back to me when you have some sense in you." She stormed off as Michael's cheeks heated.
"Tough break." Jamison smirked. "Is the food out yet?"
"Don't be insensitive," Emma said with a look in his direction. "She's not very nice prince." Emma said blankly.
Michael coughed. "Sorry, I think she's just hangry that's all." he forced a laugh. "I promise she isn't normally like this. And to answer your question Jamison," he gestured to the entrance where the chefs were bringing out platters heaped with food. "Dinner is being served now."
The King stood up at the raised platform on the end of the patio. "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome. Thank you all for coming to dinner tonight. The chefs have been working very hard all day to prepare a meal for all of your palettes. We have everything from traditional soups and salads to rare delicacies to old fashioned burgers and fries!" Everyone laughed a little.
"Will they have real meat?" Ron whispered to nobody in particular.
"They're freaking millionaires who run the country, of course it's real." Emma whispered back.
"...Now I know you all want to eat already as we have delayed dinner nearly three hours from its traditional consumption at noon, I would like to introduce you all to a few people." The King said as Michael motioned for the four to walk to the front with him. "Please welcome my son, Prince Michael." Michael walked up to the stage with a wave before his father continued. "Also please welcome Cameron the Son of Lady Anwir, Jamsion, son of Fahad-Khaled the Genie, And Emma and Gisa, the daughters of Audenzitios!"
The applause was sparse, but Gisa hadn't expected anything different. The four followed Michael awkwardly as the King continued his speech. Gisa tried not to shuffle or shift, but the pairs of eyes all staring at them were unnerving. Even with the tremendous power stirring inside her, it almost made her feel weak. She realized what she was thinking before pulling back her shoulders and lifting her chin. Her mother would be ashamed of her. She'd taught her better. Who was Gisa to be cowed by these nobles? They were going to stare anyway, so let them. Instead she stared down some of the members of the audience herself, watching as their eyes widened when she let her eyes glow. Experimenting a little, she prodded at their mind with her magic using the power like a long arm. Tired as it made her, she almost couldn't hold the laugh inside.
The king finished his speech, releasing the audience to walk down the line and serve themselves food. Gisa waited until everyone else seemed to form a somewhat visible line before jumping in the back with the other three.
"Listen, I have something I need to tell you three when nobody else is watching or listening. It's very important so don't give me that look, Jamison." He rolled his eyes exaggeratedly. "My mother charged me with a blood oath. You will all be part of it, so stop laughing." Jamsion listened for once. Emma paled. Ron scuffed his toes at the ground. "You'll feel it lock into place as soon as I tell you."
"Guys, hey!" Michael said. "I want you to meet someone very special." A middle aged woman with her hair dyed brown, silver at the roots walked over with a smile. She was a little plump, dressed in blue. "Meet the Mother Guardian."