HARUKA SMILED AT HER SISTER KYOUMI, who was wearing a scowl in her face as if there was dung under her feet. She was as if staring at herself.

 

Kyoumi saw Haruka smiling at her and scowled more. “Why do I have to wear this, again?” she asked sarcastically.

 

Haruka laughed at her twin. “Being with the Amazons for quite a while made a huge toll in your femininity. You’re also a princess, Kyou-chan. You must present yourself as one.”

 

“I could barely walk and move in here. I couldn’t even breathe!” Kyoumi exclaimed in frustration. She was staring herself in front of the mirror. She was wearing a red tube dress that hugged her chest well, too tight in the waist and ending in a big, heavy balloon in her feet. The long flowery trail, added more to her discomfort. It was as if she was wearing a ton. It was not even a heavy armor, and she felt too exposed in her half-top.

 

“That is actually its purpose.” Haruka said shrugging and also looking at herself in the mirror. She was wearing an identical dress except for the blue color and her long trail seemed to have tufts of cottons and feathers at the end, creating an illusion of the clouds.    

 

“We look like ‘The Devil’ and ‘The Angel.” Kyoumi commented. “You’re the angel, and I am the devil.” She sighed.

 

Haruka smiled at her sister’s sarcasm when they heard a knock in the door. “Come in.” Haruka said.

 

Two attendants came in. “Your highness,” they bowed to the girls waiting to be acknowledged. Haruka nodded. She was still wondering how the servants do it. They seemed to see whatever body language they are doing and yet the servants are not even looking at them. She laughed at the thought which earned confused stares from the attendants and a cocked eyebrow from Kyoumi.

 

“Nandemonai,” she said.

 

“The guests have already filed in the ballroom hall.” One of them announced.

 

“Ah, sou ka. Arigatou.” Haruka answered. “Tell, nii-tan, we are ready.” She said.

 

The servants bowed again and marched out leaving the door open to two guards.

 

“Smile, Kyoumi. This is our day.” She told her sister.

 

KYOUMI SIGHED IN DESPERATION and then plastered a smile in her face. It was obviously fake but then, Kyoumi was a trained loyalty though she spent most of her time in wild. She also smiled lovingly and her sister. Being royalty probably runs in the blood.

 

Haruka extended her hand to Kyoumi and her sister gladly took it. They elegantly held the sides of their dress with their free hands, straightened their back and marched ahead.

 

 The hall broke out in cheers and claps when Kyoumi and Haruka walked down the long spiral stairs leading down the hall. Each of them held on the baluster, they were still walking hand in hand. They looked ahead. There were a lot of people in the hall, people from far-away lands.

 

Kyoumi extended her fake smile. This kind of celebrations usually amuses her. There were very few recognizable faces in that crowd, and fewer of them were friendly. There were those whom, for sure, were only there due to curiosity. Their family had always been a center of many social issues so curiosity amongst this group of people was already anticipated.

 

They were almost at the foot of the stairs when a handsome young man stepped in front of them. He smiled warmly at the twins. Another guy stepped beside him. They both have a handsome air in them that was radiating in the hall.

 

The older guy was in his twenties, too young to run a country but not as naïve. He was a bit thin compared to the younger boy. His small face was so sweet. His eyes were regularly round but they turn to slits whenever he smiles. He might look shy whenever he smiles and draws his head down but he has an aura of authority whenever he speaks. His baby face was another factor, he could look very weak yet he could look very majestic.

 

The younger boy might have been the most handsome boy in the whole country. The twins grew up to adore his amazing looks and manly aura. The boy was every women’s dream. Kyoumi was even sure that most of the young girls in the ball came because of him. His sweet smile and warm manly attitude could drive any woman’s heart crazy.

 

The gentlemen offered their hands to the twins. Kyoumi took hold of the younger’s hand while Haruka took the older’s. They stood in between them, and escorted them in the middle of the crowd just below four thrones.

 

The men walked in front of them and bowed. The older one stepped forward. He eyed the guests. The cheers and claps slowly faded. He smiled at the crowd who stood quietly waiting for him to speak. He looked at the twins and the younger guy before turning his attention to the crowd.

 

“I am most pleased to welcome you into our humble abode,” he started. There was quite a murmur in the crowd. Some spectators’ eyebrows cocked up. Some sneered. The young man smiled at these reactions though he couldn’t care less.

 

“Tonight is an evening like no other. It is one of those evenings whom a person would still remember for the rest of his life. It is one of those evenings which remind us of the people whom we lost, and the people whom will be part of our lives.

 

“I am very thankful that all of you are able to spend this night with me… with us… I am so glad that I could share my happiness to all of you.

 

“We must have lost our parents so early that through the years, we still cannot move on with it, but because of your support, we still could handle every single struggle and problem that come to us.” He smiled again as the crowd clapped.

 

“Tonight, let me share with you the night not like many others. This is a very special night for me as a embrace the fact that the babies whom I had once enjoyed cradling on my own arms are already stepping into the edge of womanhood.” The guy stood back and let the crowd appraise the twins in front of them. “My sisters, Haruka and Kyoumi.” He looked at the twins. “Happy eighteenth to both of you.” He said and walked towards them.

 

Haruka and Kyoumi launched at him together and clung to him while he kissed their cheeks. “I love you, both.” He said.

 

“Arigatou, nii-tan.” Haruka said while she burrowed her head on his left shoulder. “I love you, too.”

 

“I love you, too.” Kyoumi said afterwards.

 

The crowd cheered while a solemn version of the birthday song played in the air.

 

“Ehem.” The younger boy cleared his throat behind them.

 

The girls saw him and clung to him just like how they clung to the older one.

 

“Happy birthday, twins.” He said.

 

“Arigatou, nii-chan!” they exclaimed together.

 

They felt flashes of camera clicking everywhere but they couldn’t care less.

 

A FORMAL PROGRAM FOLLOWED SHORTLY. There was a cotillion-de-honor and a serenade, eighteen roses, eighteen candles and gifts. They received the most amazing gifts, rare gems, jewelries, silk dresses, whatever that is worth thousands but Kyoumi loved what his oldest brother gave him the most. It was a bow and arrow made from bendable dragon blood tree root and dragon hide string. It made the crowd look at her and her brother like they were some kind of freaks. Her Ryosuke nii-chan gave her a twin-bladed knife –one edge was silver and the other was gold- in a diamond encrusted golden scabbard.

 

Haruka, on the other hand received a new set of art materials from her Kota and a set of hard-bound ‘Hunger Games’ books. She shrieked in happiness seeing her gifts.

 

“So let the party begin.” Kota announced afterwards.

 

Haruka’s friends grabbed and dragged her away. “We have a surprise to you. Come!” Shizuka pulled her away.

 

“Where are we going?” Haruka asked.

 

Oburi and Aoi smiled at her. They led her towards one of the farthest wing in one of the castle’s towers. The corridors were dimly-lighted but enough for the girls to see where they were going.