Chapter 3: Some Unexpected Visitors
After breakfast, my sisters and I returned to Nova's room to work on different tasks. Aria and I were reading a book our father gave us when he returned from Ancelot. Ancelot is the neighboring kingdom to the south of Lunair-Sol Star. The two countries are almost the same size, with Lunair-Sol Star being the larger of the two. Ontradon is the largest country on the continent. Ontradon's borders span to the northern and southernmost reaches of the continent. Its eastern border is in the middle of the continent so it neighbors both Ancelot and Lunair-Sol Star.
When our father knew he was going to be away from the palace for an extended period of time, he would ask us if there was anything, we wanted from the place he was going. If he couldn't find what we wanted, he would buy the thing that was closest to the thing we wanted. Aria and I often asked for books we could read on our own without any help. He would always return with two books that we had to share. One was a book of the country's Fairy Tales, and the other one was of the country's Folk Tales.
While Aria and I were reading, Nova was sewing a tapestry of the four of us, while Nila was making progress on the embroidery projects she was making for Aria and me. Nila was exceptional at embroidery. The tutor wouldn't teach her everything she wanted to learn as quickly as she wanted. Nova gave her lessons on everything she wanted to learn. By the end of the week, Nila was asking her tutor for more elaborate projects, but the tutor refused. About three weeks ago Nila got bored with the work her tutor assigned for her to do so she asked Nova, Aria, and me if there was anything, we wanted to be embroidered. The conversation went something like this.
Looking for a challenge Nila asked Nova, Aria, and I what we wanted embroidered. Nova declined, Aria and I began jumping and running around Nova's chambers looking for things that could be embroidered
"No. No! You are not going to go around having my things embroidered! Go find something of your own!" After being told off by Nova, Aria and I zipped off to our chambers to find something that we wouldn't mind having embroidered. What we returned with couldn't have been more different. Aria came trotting in with a green and gold handkerchief. I proudly returned with a blue cloak that was the same color as my eyes. The cloak was hanging up in my wardrobe. It was a feat for me to get it down on my own with how small I was.
"No Kia! You cannot have that cloak embroidered! It is a ceremonial cloak and is only allowed to be worn on special occasions! Go put it back! You to Aria! Go put that handkerchief back where you got it and I let you both borrow a square of linen!" Nova's voice was appalled and exasperated. That was the second time that day which she told us off and it was only nine-thirty in the morning. When we returned Nova handed us the linen squares from her sewing box. Nila asked us what we wanted to be embroidered on the squares. Aria asked for a butterfly in a meadow. I asked for a white unicorn with a light pink mane and tail. I wanted the hooves and horn to be a darker pink, and for the background to be a forest. Upon hearing my request both of my elder sisters had wide eyes and concerned expressions. Nova was shocked speechless. Nila voiced her concerns.
"Um. That might be a bit difficult Kia. I mean your request broke Nova, she's in shock."
"Do you want me to choose something else?" I asked sadly
"You did ask for a challenge," Nova said regaining her composure.
"I'm not sure what I was expecting when I asked her what she wanted. This project of her's is going to be a pain." Nila said to Nova as they watched Aria and I chase each other around Nova's chamber.
Around noon, there was a knock on the door.
"Nova, Nila, Kia, and Aria, the King has called the four of you up for an audience with him." Someone called from the other side of the massive oak door. Nova and Nila were fed up with the King's shenanigans, Aria and I were 'too young,' to be told what the king had done to make them so mad.
"Really! Really Terrence?!" Nova exclaimed, tapping her fingertips to her temples.
"COME ON KING ANDREWS!!!" Nila yelled, throwing her hands in the air, and tossing her head back. Aria and I looked at each other with puzzled expressions, then we twisted our heads back to look at the talking door as though it was magic.
"Okay, I'm okay now." Nova muttered, "So, what does the King want with us?" She said a little louder as she let Terrence and Tory in. Terrence was a handsome young man a year older than Nova. Terrence's normally light skin was tan from being in the sun all day. His dirty blond hair was neatly combed back. His greenish-brown eyes stared intensely at Nova. Terrence was the eldest of four boys.
He and his brothers were born and raised in Lunair Sol-Star, but somehow ended up in Ontradon. There are speculations that they're the sons of the King and Queen of Lunair Sol-Star, but their last name is Wolf and the royal family's last name is Kelly. Terrence and his brothers are too old to be the King and Queen's missing sons. Those two facts make the brothers being the lost Princes of Lunair Sol-Star highly unlikely.
Tory was a year and a half older than Nila. He was the second eldest in relation to the rest of the four boys; and Terrence's younger brother. Terrence was in training to be a knight, as was Tory. He too, was tan from the sun. His black hair curled in ringlets around his shoulders and mischievous black eyes glinting in the sun from the opened window in Nova's room.
"Honestly, I'm not sure, sorry Nova." Terrence said apologetically,
"It's okay, I just wanted to know what we were getting ourselves into before we got there. You know how 'spontaneous' the King can be."
"He's a narcissist." Tory said mostly to himself, "And a huge pain in the ass." Terrence shot him a glare which Tory shrugged off.
"I guess we shouldn't keep him waiting then." Nila sighed and headed to the door
"Come on Kia and Aria." Nova said with her hands held out for us. Again, we looked at each other before quickly walking to Nova, who walked as fast as she could with us in tow. The castle was and still is, a tangled mess of rooms and corridors that lead to nowhere.
To get to the audience chamber from our rooms you would have to make a left out the door, then a right into the fifth corridor, after that the chamber was the first door you saw looking straight down the corridor. So, it didn't take long for us to reach the audience chamber.