He and Emperor Jiide Jeugol were supposed to sign a peace treaty to end the conflicts between them. The people of Aedor were powerful and admired, but nothing like the winged ones. However, their numerous confrontations were creating minor incidents on many levels, upsetting the balance of the system, so the sovereigns of the two nations, in their great wisdom and with the insistence of their advisors and the incessant demands of the other peoples, decided on this signing, which was to represent a new beginning for all. Alas, certain people living in darkness had decided otherwise and made sure that the signing never took place, and worse, stopped it in blood, provoking fierce hatred especially on the side of the kingdom of Aedor.
Aidine was particularly marked by that fateful day. She remembered wearing a dress with a candy-pink veil, and having her hair lifted and spiked with crystal flowers. Before going out to join her father, she decided to take a little detour. She left her apartments, She went down the stairs, and again down a long corridor with a confidence that showed she knew exactly where she was going.
And her goal was none other than the candy room. She pushed open the large double door made of sugar and caramel, and entered one of her favorite places, a place that would have made any normal child happy anyway.
It was a large, brightly colored room, with heavy curtains hanging from the windows in the shape of a candy bar made of marshmallows. The pillars that supported the high ceiling, made of wafer and chocolate covered cookie, were made of marbled sugar, encrusted with chocolate balls and jewel-like shiny candies.
Her faithful creature, Roune, a winged beast about her size with water-green fur that almost never left her side, accompanied her. Together with him, she chose the sweets in the room, so she didn't immediately see that someone had followed her there, a being renowned for his deceit, wickedness and cowardice. Duke Cauldon Vreik. It is said that he had managed to hush up a repulsive affair in which one of his sons had killed a couple who had disrespected him, another in which his wife had embezzled a considerable sum intended for war victims, and yet another which affected her personally. Alon.
The family of this hideous and vulgar character was, alas, powerful at court.
He wore nothing but gaudy suits whose colors never matched, as they did right now. With long, purple hair and bluish eyes reflecting nothing but evil, he had come to speak to the princess with obvious ill intent.
"Oh, little princess. Have you come here to have your snack?"
"That's obvious, Duke," she replied with a twinkle in her eye.
He nodded.
"And I bet you didn't even ask permission before taking them. No, you just take what you want and that's it. You move on."
Aidine trembled with fear and anger as her faithful Roune, all bristles, showed his teeth to this foul being, for she was aware that she was at a disadvantage, and knowing the devious personality of this atrocious individual, he was capable of turning the situation to his advantage no matter what happened. However, she refused to be intimidated and straightened up.
"You may speak, Duke, given what you're capable of doing to save your good-for-nothing family whom everyone despises."
The Duke's false smile didn't disappear from his ungrateful face, however, Aidine and Roune felt it tense dangerously.
"You really do whatever you wish to do, your highness. The others, and especially your parents, have allowed you to do this. You believe it's your due. But," he added with deliberate silence, "let me tell you that's not true."
Aidine pressed her lips together, but she couldn't keep the retort to herself.
"Why is it that it's always the ones who hurt others who can't stand it when someone does it to them? You can say and pretend you think you're strong, Duke, but I can guess perfectly well that the contempt and disgust everyone else feels for you makes you suffer."
This time, the Duke held no more and wrapped himself in his magical aura, which was a sickening reddish-green. Roune stood in front of her mistress, ready to fight, but soon the Duke pulled himself together and calmed his magic. Then he took Aidine's hand and forcibly placed a sweet.
"For you, Your Highness. You may not understand now but you'll understand soon enough."
Aidine followed the Duke's gaze as he left the candy room, trembling with rage, fear, and a dark foreboding.
***
And he'd been right. For once. Aidine understood even more quickly than she would have liked. She understood that very day. She was there when it happened, on the platform placed in the middle of the city of Aedor. She was standing between Foyne, her private tutor, a yellow-skinned man with curly amaranth hair, always calm, strict and disciplined, with a keen intelligence, and her godmother, Tarias, the glowing Marquise because she wore only red, which highlighted her white skin and black hair.
The young princess admired Emperor Jiide Jeugol, Emperor of the Winged People, who wasn't handsome to say the least, but fascinating and dignified in his sumptuous imperial garb, all gold and white, and her father, the King of Aedor was even more formidable, though his preference was biased, with his sparkling blue outfit. Both wore sovereign cloaks, both drank the cup of peace, and one of them died in the sudden attack that occurred just as King Koroth was about to affix his signature alongside that of his fellow sovereign.
***
A few minutes later, having regained some semblance of calm, at least on the outside, Aidine in turn left the candy room, and a few seconds later was about to exit the main door when a voice stopped her. It was a tender but authoritative voice that she recognized immediately. Resigned, she turned around and saw her godmother, the Marquise Tarias rushing towards her, a tall woman with absinthe hair and white eyes, who loved the color red. Red like her most vivacious and perfectionist character, never leaving out any detail, as at this moment
"Here you are at last, my treasure. I've been looking for you everywhere. The event is about to begin."
"I'm sorry, godmother." apologized Aidine in a husky tone, still upset despite her efforts not to show it. "I didn't mean to disturb you. I was out getting candy. I didn't see the time go by. "
"I should have known better. " she shook her head, annoyed though she had expected it. "But hey... I mean please, Aidine, for today, do the right thing, in other words, behave yourself because this is a unique and historic day, and..."
"I promise to behave to the best of my ability." She interrupted her, raising both hands in surrender, and nodding her head in a way that would have fooled anyone... As it was, her godmother, who had been watching her for a while, no doubt to gauge the depth of her sincerity, finally nodded and let her know that she believed her, though she guessed the bitter shadow that clouded her young ward's mind.
"Fine, I'll trust you and leave it at that. But I'm still going to fix your beautiful hair so that you look artificially presentable."
They laughed together. Aidine raised her hand slightly and it was then that the Marchioness noticed the candy in her goddaughter's hand. At first surprised, she winced as she recognized the mark.
"Do you like this candy?" she exclaimed, revealing on her face what she thought of the treat.
"You didn't take it from the sweet room. There isn't any. "
Aidine's tremors resumed, but she finally replied with admiring calm.
"Not really, but since someone with very explicit intentions gave it to me, I didn't really have a choice."
"I see." was the only comment from the Marchioness, who did not insist, to the great relief of the young royalty who could not hide it in spite of her efforts, but was nevertheless certain of a darker incident and one that had something to do with the origin of this little sweetness, if it could be called that. "Come, my dear."
Tarias took Aidine by the hand and led her toward a door. Aidine discreetly tossed the candy behind a flowerpot, which didn't take long to liquefy with awful slowness.
***
Aidine admired the city again, but this time from a different perspective, as she was now sitting on the back of Roune whose only magic was its transparent wings, which were undoubtedly a great help to fly over Aedor's heart, which was plunged into fever and indescribable expectation.
"Everything is so bright Roune, so beautiful," exclaimed the young princess, radiant and beautiful, with her bright eyes and long hair that danced in the wind. "Never has Aedor been so joyful, so alive, so true. Today, one era will come to an end and another will begin in all its splendor, more beautiful than the previous one could have been. At least, I hope so, as does everyone else. It's like a dream."
"I'm glad to see you're enjoying yourself, Princess."
"And that's precisely why I brought us candy. See? You can have the green one, the one that matches your warm eyes. Take it!"
Aidine tossed the candy, and Roune shifted gears and positioned himself to catch it in his mouth. It was probably worth the greedy noises he kept making as he chewed his candy, adding more.
"Mmm! Yum!"
"And to think that my father is one of the two instigators of this unprecedented change." the young princess continued, in a dreamy tone, unconcerned with her friend's nonetheless annoying chewing noises. "I feel so proud."
"Wonderful. Then I hope you won't ruin it."
"Oh no, not you too!" Aidine protested, giving him a light punch.
The young heiress continued to look around when she saw her father, resplendent, chatting with some advisors near the imposing plaza.
"Father! Father! Look up, I'm here!"
Aidine jumped off Roune's back and ran to Erian, who lifted her in his arms and spun her around in the air while raining affectionate kisses on her.
"There you are at last, my baby!" exclaimed the ruler as he admired his daughter with infinite love.
"Yes! And look, I'm even presentable."
"Yes, like a real princess."
Erian stroked Aidine's glistening hair.
"Did Mimis do your hair?"
"No," she laughed as she shook her head to make her glittering hair twirl. "Mimis didn't have the time, I mean the opportunity to do it. It was Godmother Tarias who combed my hair until liquid fire seemed to flow from every strand."
"Oh, I see. But it was worth it." Her father continued, tenderly. "It's so beautiful. You look beautiful."
"As did Mom?"
Expecting anything but that question, the king stopped short and looked at his princess for a moment, downcast, not knowing what to say or think, before he hugged her to him, closing his eyes for a moment.
"Yes, for so many things. Or more."
At first worried about her father's silence, and the fear of having revived unhappy memories that only she had forgotten, Aidine smiled, reassured by her father's answer, and kissed his cheek before looking up and admiring his crown. Aedor's main crown. It was a splendid creation, perfectly carved, and adorned with a single, obviously magical and highly precious stone, shining with a thousand lights. But that's not what Aidine saw, no, rather it was the echo of a memory where she was in the presence of a rectangular azure blue stone with powerful magic that had pushed her to the point of blood. Aidine flinched and blinked. Her father, concerned, stared at her.
"What is it, my princess?"
But the princess shook her head, violently pushing away this strange and disturbing vision, then smiled at her father as she wrapped her delicate arms around his neck.
"Nothing, or rather yes," she corrected, deciding to reveal her thoughts to the king. "The blue stone in your crown vaguely reminds me of something. But it must be my imagination. Or simply a dream."
"A good dream or a bad one, dear?"
"I don't know. In fact, I'm not even sure it's really a memory." she replied with a shrug, trying to convince herself of the unimportance of the vision. "But I think if it was going to be one, because it brought me warmth. Yes, I'm sure it did." She added, however, with a sincerity that surprised her.
Erian Koroth remained silent for a few seconds, his gaze becoming distant, then he kissed his daughter's forehead and laid her back on the floor.
"Well, that's good then."
Then he lifted his proud face and exclaimed,
"Our guests are coming."
Dozens of massive ships appeared in Aedor's space and landed on a huge platform engraved with the royal symbol of Koroth.
"I'm going to go do my duty, dear." The king announced to his daughter. "You stay here by Roune's side. Do you promise me to be good?"
Aidine nodded sagely, and Erian looked at his daughter with solemnity and tenderness.
"We are on the threshold of a great change. Many people have worked hard to make it possible. But, Aidine, never forget that the most important thing is to do your best. And when, in spite of everything, success or failure comes, it will be with honor and without regret."
Hearing these words, Aidine felt, in spite of her will, a change, an inexplicable foreboding of fall, of fatality, so she nodded her head with a deeper seriousness than she had thought.
"Yes, Father."
***
Erian and his subjects greeted Jiide and his retinue, all clad in brilliant and lavish finery. Emperor Jeugolk wore a green, white, and gold ensemble, adorned with abstract pattern, embroidered with glittering threads, all complemented by a long black and white sovereign cloak. His haughty head was adorned with an emblematic tiara that emphasized his sovereignty.
$Chapter