The morning sun stretched across Eldoria, painting the stone streets in gold as the town slowly stirred to life. Merchants arranged their goods in the marketplace, the scent of freshly baked bread and roasted almonds filling the air. Horses trotted along the cobbled roads, their hooves echoing between the buildings.
In a small stone house on the quieter side of town, Ausriela Elarion sat near the window, her silver-white hair falling like a curtain around her shoulders as she stared outside. A book lay open in her lap, but she hadn't turned a page in several minutes.
Unlike most girls in Eldoria, Ausriela had never cared for the idea of royal life. She was content with simplicity—the hush of a library, the wind against her skin as she wandered through the forests outside town, the quiet hum of the river at night. While others dreamed of castles and crowns, she longed for freedom.
A sharp knock at the door shattered the morning stillness.
Her mother, Lady Seria, straightened from where she stood by the hearth, her expression immediately sharpening. "Ausriela, answer the door."
Ausriela sighed, placing her book aside as she rose to her feet. She pulled open the heavy wooden door, expecting to see a neighbor or a messenger from the marketplace.
Instead, she was met with the sight of a tall man clad in crimson and gold, his posture rigid with authority. A royal messenger.
He looked down at her with a firm expression and lifted a parchment sealed with the royal crest.
"By order of His Majesty, King Davan Valtheris, all noble maidens of Eldoria are hereby summoned to the royal palace," he announced, his voice carrying through the home. "A grand ball shall be held in three days' time, where the king shall choose his bride."
Silence followed.
Then—
"A ball?" Armani Elarion, Ausriela's sister, rushed into the room, her golden curls bouncing as excitement lit up her eyes. "The king's ball?"
The messenger barely acknowledged her, instead extending the parchment toward Ausriela. She hesitated before taking it, the wax seal smooth beneath her fingertips.
"Attendance is mandatory," the messenger added. "Present this upon your arrival."
With that, he turned and strode away, his red cloak billowing behind him as he disappeared down the street.
Armani let out an excited squeal as soon as the door shut. "This is it," she breathed. "This is our chance."
Ausriela frowned. "Our chance for what, exactly?"
Armani spun to face her, disbelief flashing across her face. "To be chosen, of course! To become queen."
Ausriela let out a short laugh. "You think the king will choose a queen based on a single night?"
"Yes," Armani said without hesitation. "He needs a wife, and he'll pick the best one. Which means me."
Seria stepped forward, snatching the parchment from Ausriela's hands and scanning its contents. A satisfied smile curled at her lips. "You will both attend."
Ausriela's amusement faded. "What?"
Seria didn't look up. "You heard me."
"I don't want to be queen."
Seria finally met her gaze, her expression unreadable. "I don't care what you want."
Ausriela stiffened, but Armani only smirked.
"This is an opportunity of a lifetime," Seria continued. "A chance for our family to rise in status. You will both go to the ball."
Ausriela shook her head. "I have no interest in—"
Seria's hand slammed against the table, silencing her.
"You will go," her mother snapped. "I will not have my daughters waste away in this town when a future far greater awaits them."
Ausriela clenched her jaw, forcing down the words burning on her tongue.
Armani folded her arms, tilting her head. "Not that it matters. The king will take one look at us and know who belongs by his side." Her gaze flickered to Ausriela's unusual white hair, her smirk widening. "You've never exactly fit in."
Ausriela turned away. She had heard it before—whispers in the market, murmurs from strangers who glanced too long at her silver hair and striking blue eyes. She wasn't like the others. She never had been.
"I don't care about fitting in," Ausriela muttered.
Armani's smirk didn't fade. "Then it won't matter when the king overlooks you."
Seria ignored the exchange, already focused on preparations. "We'll visit the dressmaker tomorrow. You must both look your best."
Armani clapped her hands together. "I'll need the finest silk. The richest colors."
Ausriela barely heard them. Her mind was still stuck on the parchment, the words etched into its surface.
A grand ball.
A king choosing his queen.
It all felt distant, unreal.
Yet, deep in her chest, something stirred.
A feeling she couldn't quite name.
---
Later That Night
Moonlight spilled through Ausriela's bedroom window, casting silver shadows across the stone walls. She sat on the edge of her bed, the invitation still clutched in her hands.
The parchment felt heavier than it should.
She turned it over, rereading the words she had already memorized:
By royal decree, King Davan Valtheris invites the noble maidens of Eldoria to attend a grand ball at the palace. From among them, he shall choose his queen.
Ausriela scoffed. A king selecting his bride in a single night? It was ridiculous.
And yet…
Her fingers traced the royal seal, her mind drifting to the mysterious king himself. She had never seen him up close, only heard the rumors whispered in the streets.
Some claimed he was the most powerful ruler Eldoria had ever known—a man of war and wisdom, feared and respected in equal measure. Others spoke in hushed voices of his unnatural presence, the way his eyes seemed to pierce through the soul.
Ausriela didn't believe in fairy tales, but something about him unsettled her.
What kind of man was King Davan?
A cold breeze rustled the curtains, and she shivered.
She had no desire to be queen. No desire for the life Armani dreamed of.
And yet, for reasons she couldn't explain, she had the strangest feeling…
That this ball would change everything.