Chapter 1. The Meeting

The screeching of chairs echoed through the empty hall. The large hall which had only one main attraction to it- the long, white marble table surrounded by twelve seats. Three girls had been summoned there, and so they pulled their seats out from under the table and sat down, legs crossed in a notably feminine and respectful manner. The girl on the farthest seat to the left sported a type of honey blonde hair that was long and wavy, in a half up half down hairstyle pinned with a bow. Her facial features were perfectly symmetrical- one would find it extremely difficult when trying to find a fault on her face- for all three of them, as a matter of fact. Her eyes seemed cold, rather stand-offish, the type of eyes that would burn you alive if you wronged her in any way. She was Kang Hyewon, the second eldest of the sisters of Caelum, the Kingdom of the Heavens.

On the seat furthest to the right seated a cute character- her long, pink hair accentuated her large eyes, making them glisten even more. She looked like she had been plucked from a cartoon. Her prominent features were notorious in their land for being the most desirable. She was Miyawaki Sakura, the eldest daughter of Caelum.

Finally in the middle, was the daughter who stole the show; the daughter who would one day take the throne and rule the citizens of Caelum. The daughter whose beauty was so ethereal that even the strongest adjectives in the English language would fail to convey her presence. The youngest, whose eyes were of a narrow, yet large almond shape, had long, dark brown hair that structured the small jawline of her face. Like her older sisters, she too, had obtained the blessed gene of perfect structure and symmetry. Her name was Kim Minju.

They all wore a slim fit purple, velvet dress with a white long sleeved button up shirt inside. When walking around their kingdom it was necessary for them to parade their kingdom’s signature colour: a deep purple. 

A couple of minutes had passed since their arrival, and now their heads were beginning to scan around the room. Minju’s eyes landed upon the white tinted windows that were slightly covered by purple banners with a white crest in the middle. The symbol of their Kingdom was a white angel. 

“Why do you think father summoned us?” Minju raised an eyebrow.

“He might want to discuss tomorrow,” Hyewon replied.

“Tomorrow?” Sakura intervened, her tone confused.

“Yes Kkura,” Hyewon huffed, “we’re joining the Royal Academy tomorrow. You really must pay more attention.”

Minju gulped. Everything was becoming too real. Tomorrow they would be starting their new school with the three other kingdoms that made up the Isles. And she would be the one representing Caelum.

All of a sudden, the grand doors opened, revealing their father who hastily joined them at the table. He was a tall and handsome man (unsurprisingly, considering the natural beauty of their family line) who wore a dark purple blazer with white accents. His daughters stood up to bow to him, before being urged to sit down again by a bright smile. 

Their meal was brought to the table and Hyewon’s mouth began to water at the sight of her favourite dishes. 

“It is your last day in Caelum, after all,” their father smiled, “I made sure the chef cooked all of your favourite meals.”

The daughters beamed back at him with equally wide smiles and they tucked into their food. 

“I want the two of you to look after your youngest sister, alright?” He spoke up through a full mouth of food.

Sakura simply waved her hand in the air dismissively as she said, “ehh, don’t worry about Minju. We have it all under control.”

“I really can take care of myself, father,” Minju commented. 

It was true, to be fair. Between her sisters, Minju had always been the mature one despite their fluctuating s. Hyewon and Sakura tended to be more prone to things like pranks, while Minju immersed herself in her studies and took the matters of the kingdom more seriously. So when it came to choosing an heir, there was only one real answer for their father. 

“I also want you girls to be careful. I know that the whole aim of this academic year is to decide which kingdom shall be ruling the Isles, but we mustn’t worry too much. Caelum is doing fine the way it is, we do not need power or anything of the like. You mustn’t involve yourselves in the feud going on between the Kingdoms of Verendus and Lysandra, do you understand me?” He said firmly.

They all nodded in response. 

Last year it was decided that, since the King and Queen who had been ruling Karrstad Isles as of late had died, there would be a sort of competition- a battle of the best, if you will, to see who would be the next Kingdom to obtain the throne to the entirety of the Isles. The daughters of each of the four kingdoms: Verendus, Asteria, Caelum and Lysandra, would attend an academy where their skills would be put to the test, to hopefully emerge with the heir most fit to rule the Isles. It was not unknown to the citizens of the Isles that there were only two kingdoms who were serious in fighting for the throne. Verendus and Lysandra had declared war on each other multiple times in the past in an attempt to seize power of the Isles. Their feud was certain to be carried into the Academy as well. To Minju, however, there was only one kingdom who she thought could really have the potential to rule well. And that was Verendus, the Kingdom of the Lost City. They were the kingdom that everybody feared- the kingdom who never lost a war and had the most suitable soldiers from across the Isles. They had the brute strength that the other kingdoms lacked. 

Minju stopped her thought process. There was a chance that she was being biased, considering her first love is the heir to the Verendus throne. She was being unfair to the chances of Lysandra, but that kingdom was such a mystery to everyone that nobody even knew who the daughters of the kingdom were! Being the Kingdom of the Sea, their population was believed to be miles underwater, a base so secure that attackers would have difficulty finding it. Minju and her sisters had never heard any tales of what Lysandra was like, or who would be ruling it in the future. 

“So, if we’re not even going to be a part of the race for the throne then why are we required to attend the Academy in the first place?” Hyewon questioned.

Their father sighed. 

“Verendus and Lysandra are said to be the best contenders. Verendus has a knack for war while Lysandra has powers associated with the sea which are perfect for developing the Isles’ naval bases. They both have attributes which would benefit Karrstad massively. Now you, my lovely girls,” he said in a happier tone while scanning the three of them, “will be attending because you are the daughters to one of the four kingdoms. This is an Isles matter, so each kingdom is required to attend.”

“Will there only be twelve of us attending the academy then, father?” Minju asked.

“No, Minju. The twelve heirs of the kingdoms will receive private tuition while in the academy, but there will also be other students there. Representatives, if you will, from each kingdom. It is a school, after all, so you won’t be the only students there.”

“So what exactly do you want us to achieve while we’re there, especially given the fact that you don’t even want us to fight for the throne?” Sakura questioned. 

“My dear daughter,” he focused on Sakura. “All I want you to do is attend your classes, make friends, study hard, and avoid any drama regarding the kingdoms who are actually planning on seizing the throne. And while you’re at it, you can shock the other students with the sheer beauty of our bloodline, how about that?” He chuckled.

“We’re not the only bloodline notorious for our looks, though,” Minju added. “I’m aware that the heir to the Asterian throne is rather pretty, too,” she said rather bitterly.

Hyewon and Sakura exchanged knowing glances at each other. 

“Oh forget about that sister! Nobody is matched for our looks,” Sakura exclaimed.

-

Their feast had ended and now Minju was travelling back to her bed chambers. The hallways of their castle were always tinted with the mellowest shade of yellow, courtesy of the fluffy white clouds and the sun rays that beamed through them. Thousands of thoughts filled her head as she walked through the halls, her white dress blowing around her thighs as she neared her room. Memories of her as a child, playing in these very halls, captured her mind. She was much happier back then, she reflects. 

Minju stops in her tracks by one of the stained glass windows that trailed along the wall. She looks out into the distance, at the endless rows of clouds that blanketed the skies of which their kingdom was built upon. She closes her eyes, feeling the heated rays of the sunset on her skin, as she is taken back to a time, not so far away, that she can’t seem to shake from her memory. 

She reminisces of a time, at an age that she can’t quite pinpoint, and she has the largest smile on her face. A smile so large that it would be impossible to replicate that exact feeling in the present. She is a young girl, being chased by another. They giggle as the shorter one between them catches the other, and they fall to the ground, innocent smiles plastered to their faces. Minju guarantees that she will never feel a love stronger than what she felt that day.

Arriving at her room, Minju sits down on a dark purple chair highlighted with gold accents. Her bedroom was certainly one that looked like it belonged to a royal heir, with its signature purple curtains and carpets, even the bedsheets were purple. She picked up a violin that lay on her bed, and she analysed it carefully before bringing it to her chin. This violin was always her favourite. Even though it was tattered from old age, Minju refused to let it go. Her father would always insist on having her get rid of the thing, with the excuse that he could afford one million violins as long as it wasn’t that one. Minju declined the offer every time, however. 

She placed her chin upon the cushion of the instrument and closed her eyes, running her fingers along the strings until she felt her finger fall into a slight indentation at the back of the wood. She extended the instrument out in front of her and rubbed her thumb along the indentation which was carved into small letters. 

‘KCW’

A fleeting bittersweet smile swept across her face momentarily before it disappeared again. She brought the violin back to her chin and began to play with more fervour than previously. Her eyebrows were furrowed as she let her entire being and emotions pour into the beautifully heartbreaking piece at her fingertips. All the memories, the emotions she once felt, the emotions she still feels, became an outburst at that very moment. 

This would often happen to Minju. She’d been playing the violin since before she could even remember, so the instrument had become a comfort to her. While being extremely talented like no other, it was an opportunity for her to express herself. When she felt connected to nobody else- when she felt alone, she could pick up her violin, this special violin, and feel every single note as they hit deeply into her chest. 

And once the piece had finished, she looked around the room and felt painfully empty once more. Part of her was grateful that she’d be attending the academy the following day, with the means of having a distraction from her usually depressing lifestyle. But Minju certainly wasn’t prepared to see her again. 

-

Minju woke up the next day feeling surprisingly more upbeat than normal. In reality, she was somewhat excited to be away from this dreaded routine that she had been into; that being doing absolutely nothing all day, and laying in bed with tears rolling down her eyes. This was a chance to finally get away from it all. 

“Minju-ya,” a voice echoed as it made its way into Minju’s room.

“Does this uniform make me look fat?” Sakura said, staring into the mirror as she adjusted her skirt.

Minju chuckled, “of course not, unnie.”

Minju actually thought the uniform was rather dashing. It was a navy blue blazer and skirt, with a white shirt on the inside. It looked like one from those animes she’d watched with her sisters. 

Sakura turned around, shocked.

“Ya Kim Minju, why are you still not in your uniform? We leave in half an hour.”

Minju hastily put on her uniform, not forgetting to check herself out before exiting the room. 

The journey to the Academy was a lot longer than expected. With Caelum being located above the clouds, the majority of the journey was spent travelling down to the grounds on earth. Karrstad was at the heart of the earth, and Minju had only been there a handful of times; one of them being to confirm her sovereignty to the throne of Caelum. The capital was certainly how she remembered it- grey, and modern and utterly ugly. Ever since the King and Queen died a few years ago, the temporary government had created a lifeless capital- demolishing all kinds of nature in the area in order to build new construction sites. 

The citizens of the capital are known as ‘Vadums’ by the Imperiums; the name ‘Imperium,’ meaning all those with magical power, and ‘Vadum,’ Latin for shallow. And yes, while the name ‘Vadum’ can sound quite degrading at times, there is a reason why they are called this. Throughout the years, there has always been an unspoken disagreement between the Vadums and the magical folk of the four kingdoms. On the side of the Vadums, is a lack of power, a lack of magic. They are simple people leading simple lives, while the Imperiums live far away from such people, be it in the highest points of the sky or below the earth. And with this jealousy on behalf of the non-magic folk living in the capital, these people are swayed by their desire for power. If they cannot have magic then they yearn for control. 

Only, their goals are unachievable. The previous King and Queen of Karrstad Isles were Imperiums themselves, and so the crown is supposed to be passed down to a fellow Imperium. But since they birthed no heirs, the Isles was left in a whirlpool of uncertainty. Not only were there clashes between the Vadums and Imperiums, but there was also a divide among the Imperiums themselves. Verendus believe that they are the most deserving of the crown since they are the Isles’ soldiers, a kingdom full of the military if you will, dedicated to protecting the Isles at all costs against enemies. Lysandra disagree, however, as their people have become adapted to living underwater, thus believing that they will have the most secure rule, their bases unreachable by outsiders. 

Minju’s throat becomes dry the moment she steps out of her carriage. Hyewon and Sakura are standing either side of her, with their chins pushed up into the air. Even though Minju was chosen to be the heir to the Caelum throne, there was no denying that she still lacked confidence in comparison to her sisters. She gulped as she glanced around the city, full of workers wearing grey who had now stopped what they were doing to stare at her. They looked upon the sisters with disgusted looks on their faces, but Minju knew that this was all just an act. She knew deep down that they only hated Imperiums because they were jealous that they weren’t born into such a habitat. 

They journeyed deeper into the city until they finally came across the building where they would be studying for the next year. It was impressive, to say the least; it definitely seemed like magical folk had come down to the capital to build it themselves. It was a gigantic white building, with tall white pillars which reflected those from Ancient Greece, with green vines snaking across the walls here and there. The sisters from Caelum stepped into the courtyard at the front of the school and gloried in its magnificence. 

Upon entering the grand hall, Minju noticed that her kingdom was the first to arrive. As she walked down the aisle to the stage she waved at all of her fellow citizens who had joined her as students at the academy. With every stained glass window she passed, a banner rolled down with Caelum’s coat of arms on it. 

As she stood and smiled on the stage, her heart suddenly dropped. The white, cheery atmosphere of the room had diminished when the banners on the stained glass windows suddenly turned to a dark forest green, with a white hammer as its coat of arms. She knew immediately what was to come next.

“It’s Chaewon,” Hyewon nudged Minju. 

Minju stood deadly still. It was common for people to fear that particular banner as this banner belonged to Verendus, the lost kingdom, notorious for war. She felt her hands becoming clammy at the suddenly dark ambience, and she reached for Hyewon’s hand for comfort. 

Just then, the doors to the grand hall slammed open and trumpets were playing to mark the arrival of the heirs of a new kingdom. 

“Kwon Eunbi, and Choi Yena, the heirs of Verendus!” A guard at the door announced. 

They were to be feared indeed. If the mere sight of their coat of arms was enough to incite abundant amounts of fear among those who were present, then seeing them in person was much more terrifying. They were wearing long, grey fur coats which made them look untouchable, and even the way in which they walked down the aisle towards the stage was frightening. It wasn’t even a walk… It was a sort of power walk. 

Minju’s eyebrows furrowed slightly when she didn’t hear a specific name called.

“Where’s Chaewon? Isn’t she the chosen heir?” Sakura leaned forward and whispered into the sisters’ ears.

Hyewon shrugged in response. 

The trumpets played again and this time, golden banners unfolded from the windows. Minju unconsciously frowned at the sight of them. 

“Yabuki Nako and Jo Yuri of Asteria!” the guard announced once more. 

The hall was immediately brightened by a golden glow, as expected from the daughters of the kingdom of the stars. Minju hated to say it, but the mood was certainly lifted when they walked in. 

Over the past few years, there had been debate over who was the more charming kingdom between Caelum and Asteria. Caelum had always been known and regarded for its abnormally attractive bloodline, but in recent years Asteria were beginning to catch up. It was no doubt that the beauty of the Asterian daughters were, too, plausible; but this made Minju secretly dislike them even more. This debate wasn’t the only reason why she generally disliked their kingdom, though.

The golden banners were rolled back up, and to everyone’s confusion, the forest green banners of Verendus were rolled back down. Only this time, there was now golden lining along the forest green edges as well as around the white hammer. Minju poked her tongue into the side of in annoyance. She knew exactly what this meant.

And to her dismay, the doors were opened once more.

“Kim Chaewon and Jang Wonyoung! The future Queens of Verendus and Asteria!” 

The crowd of students from those particular kingdoms cheered in their seats, but Minju’s face only soured. The combination of both of their banners signified the union, the alliance between Verendus and Asteria- this alliance a result of the meticulous arrangement for the marriage of the chosen heirs. 

And there she was… Through the door, Minju was able to see the girl who had stolen her heart all those years ago. Her heart tightened in a gut wrenching silence as she watched Chaewon walk down the aisle, hand in hand, with Wonyoung. 

Minju could hardly breathe now. Seeing her first love after all this time made her heart jump and deflate at the same time, especially with the knowledge that nothing would ever be the same between them. Her eyes landed upon Chaewon, who had cut her hair just below her chin and dyed it a light orange. So much had changed about the girl’s appearance, but something that hadn’t changed, was the glistening of her chestnut brown eyes. These eyes were the only thing Minju would think about in order to calm herself down. But not once during the time Chaewon was walking toward the stage did she even spare Minju a glance. 

“Oh my God,” Hyewon whispered to her sisters. “Is that Wonyoungie?”

Sakura exclaimed, “she was always pretty as a child but now she’s…” 

Minju glanced at Sakura who was now shaking her head in disbelief with shaped into a circle. 

“She’s… Wow,” Sakura finally finished, causing Minju to roll her eyes.

This is what made it worse. No matter how much Minju wanted to hate the couple, it was impossible. Wonyoung was so beautiful that people would easily fall to their feet. Even looking at her for too long made Minju forget why she even hated her in the first place. 

Her long, jet black hair which seemed to cascade effortlessly down her shoulders, her large, twinkly eyes which radiated as she smiled. Everything about her was perfect. Her chic beauty contrasted well with Chaewon’s cold demeanour, making them look like a picture perfect couple.

“Can I leave yet?” Minju blurted, turning to her sisters. 

“No, I think there’s one more-”

“Honda Hitomi, Lee Chaeyeon, and Ahn Yujin the future Queen of Lysandra!” The doors burst open once more. 

The hall was suddenly tinted a light shade of blue, and the banners had transformed into the same shade of blue. 

Everybody on the stage gasped at the sight of the heirs. Lysandra was such a distant kingdom, a kingdom so well protected that no one had ever seen what the heirs looked like. For the longest time, Minju actually believed that Lysandra was a fairytale land that her father joked about. But here they are, right now, in front of her. 

They were pretty impressive too, Minju had to admit. They looked confident in their strides and they didn’t turn to look at anyone. 

“Ooh, so that’s the heir of Lysandra,” Jo Yuri smirked from her position on the stage. She nudged her sister, Wonyoung’s back to emphasise her point. 

“Well she’s rather easy on the eyes isn’t she,” Nako commented as she watched the tallest between the three approach the stage. 

Chaewon narrowed her eyes at them, analysing each one very carefully. 

Minju felt a hand shaking her arm. 

“Ya, ya,” Hyewon exclaimed. “Nobody ever told me the heir of Lysandra was hot!”

“She looks like a true Prince!” Sakura continued the excited tone. 

Ahn Yujin. Perhaps her attractiveness was amplified by the fact that she is a mysterious girl, from a mysterious kingdom that people knew little about. That, or, the fact that she certainly had the most prominent facial features Minju had ever seen. The girl had attractive eyes; Minju didn’t quite know how to explain it but they looked rather… enticing? The kind of eyes that anyone would fall for. 

“I call dibs on her,” Yuri whispered.

“Ya Jo Yuri,” Yena said from beside her, pinching the girl’s arm.

Yuri acted in pain for a split second before clinging onto Yena’s arm.

“Unnie~~ You’re jealous?”

“You’re mine, of course I’m jealous. Now get off me,” Yena spat, shaking herself free from Yuri’s grasp.

But Yuri just clung back onto her, and Yena allowed it. 

Wonyoung could sense Chaewon’s growing discomfort as the heirs joined them on the stage. The two kingdoms were sworn enemies, after all.

Wonyoung moved her hand to hold onto Chaewon’s arm, massaging it softly as she leaned down to whisper into her ear. 

“You’re better than her unnie, you don’t need to worry about a thing.”

Chaewon placed her hand on top of Wonyoung’s and gave it a gentle squeeze, offering a small smile in the process.

Minju tried her best to shake the presence of Chaewon who was standing on the opposite side of the stage from her. She kept her eyes to the front, to the crowd of students, but just the knowledge that the older girl was in the same room as her made her anxious. They would have to interact at some point, surely, she thought. Minju dreaded yet enjoyed the prospect of that happening.