• Dark black hair, cascading over cream colored shoulders met with royal blue and red. The dress was sleeveless with a plunging neckline, that was still somewhat modest. The red was a single strip down the middle of the dress and the bottom flared out with plenty of extra skirts. The dress was elegant and along the line that the red followed was a split, parting the dress from the knee down. The shoes were dark blue and flat; the girl was already tall enough.

    Chloe stared at herself in the mirror. Again. It was hard to see that the person staring back at her was herself...Gosh, how had she gotten here again?

    Shaking her head, Chloe lifted her hand to her face. There was make-up there, something she didn't even like. They had straightened her hair too, even though Chloe had almost cut someone when they made her take her bun down.

    Today was such a bad day. All the pomp and circumstance over their protection of the world was ridiculous. They were even trying to give her and her parents their title back. Chloe didn't even want it anymore...a title wasn't going to bring her mom and dad back to life.

    "C, it's not that bad. You know you like it!" Norma strolled up to Chloe and put her hands on the taller girl's shoulders. She smiled at both faces in the mirror, her own included. Norma's dress was long and yellow, almost dragging the floor. It was strapless and she wore long white gloves with it, as well as a silver and yellow necklace.

    "Norma..."

    "C! Cheer up!"

    "But..."

    "I know he's here. And I know you haven't seen him in a long time. I'm tellin' ya, you shoulda made your move before we came here. Now Shirl's prolly got him wrapped around her like-."

    "Norma, please. I know, ok? I know..." Chloe looked slightly depressed at her reflection, then forced a smile on her face. She gently moved Norma out of her way, and then smiled at her friend. "Can we get this over with now?"

    "Why the long face? It'll be fine!" Norma took Chloe's hand and led her out the door, giggling as the older girl got used to walking in her dress. C needed to learn to be sophisticated like her. (Overstatement of the year alert!)

    Chloe just sighed as Norma whisked her down the hall. This was getting crazy. "Norma, maybe-?"

    "Oh no you're not. You're going in there and everyone is gonna stare at you, and your gonna like it! Or I won't show you any mercy!"

    "Norma!"

    "Seriously C, get a grip. Everything will be ok, I'm sure of it. And maybe, just maybe...he'll see you and be surprised."

    Chloe glanced at Norma's face as they walked along, noticing something new there, "Norma, that almost sounded wistful."

    "What? What's that mean anyway?"

    "Norma, don't try to cover it up." Chloe giggled, watching as they got towards the main doors.

    "Cover it up? What are you talking about? Your crazy."

    "No, you're crazy, Norma. You know exactly what I'm talking about."

    "Shh, they're opening the doors for us." Norma said, as two guards pushed the white double doors open. Norma giggled again and grinned wide, while Chloe put a small smile on her face.

    She wanted to make this as painless as possible.

    As the doors spread wide, an entire ballroom opened in front of the two girls, and together they walked down the stairs arm in arm. The room had become silent, the only thing that moved was the two of them and the music gave them an entrance that left nothing to be desired. The two girls smiled at the familiar faces in the room, ignoring the ones they didn't know, and wondering how long the stairs actually were.

    "These are a lot of stairs," Norma whispered between her smile. Chloe giggled and felt her foot touch the last step and soon there was thunderous applause that left the girls slightly shocked.

    Was this all because they stopped Shirley from activating the Wings of Light and starting the Cataclysm?

    To Chloe, this was still crazy.

    "Ooh Chloe! You really should wear that more often." The first person to speak to the girls was Grune, who wore a mint green dress with an amazingly high side split. Her entire left leg was in view, and Chloe couldn't understand how she could do it. She simply smiled at Grune, before Norma hugged her tightly.

    "G-Girl! You look awesome! And sexy too. What's up?"

    "The sky?"

    "Good answer! Anyways, has this party been any good?"

    "Umm, maybe. A little. It's nothing like our picnic."

    "Bubbles, you look niace." Moses actually had on clothes today, a black suit with a maroon tie. It was weird to actually see Moses IN clothes, but Chloe watched as Norma's face got bright and happy.

    'Found him.'

    "Thanks, country bumpkin. I see you actually put a shirt on tonight."

    "Bubbles, why can't you ever jus take something I say niacely? Damn it."

    "Awww, don't be mad, Red. It's ok." Norma grinned at the dark skinned, red haired male, practically dancing around him. "To make it up to you, I'll let you have a dance. Come on!"

    Jay rolled his eyes and bowed low before Chloe, "Hey. Are those two idiots serious?"

    "Well, yes, I guess so."

    "Hm. They're so dumb." Jay looked almost mad and Chloe stared at him. What was his deal? Jay almost seemed...jealous.

    'Whoa'.

    "So where's Raynard and everyone else?" Chloe scanned the crowd for more faces that she recognized and saw Elsa. However, she was talking to a young blond haired gentlemen, probably a Ferines. That's what he looked like anyway.

    "Will and Harriet are over there," Jay pointed in the direction of the orchestra, where Harriet and her father stood to the side, both taping their feet and nodding their heads.

    'Best not to bother them then.'

    That only left...

    Speak of the devil and he shall appear, because without missing a beat, Chloe spotted a pure white head and BAM! she ran into him.

    "Ooh! Coolidge! Sorry."

    "Man, sorry Chloe! I didn't even-...Wow." Senel's bright green eyes scanned over the raven haired girl frame. He took in her dress, her hair, her...make-up?

    'Chloe is beautiful. Really, really beautiful.' Senel thought, looking over Chloe again.

    "Coolidge?"

    "H-hey." Senel realized he was almost staring and stopped immediately.

    'Damn, Chloe is pretty.' Senel allowed himself another glance at the girl before focusing on her face again. What was he doing?

    "How are you? Where's Shirley?"

    "Oh, she's...around." Senel didn't know why he was slowly losing his mind from Chloe talking to him. She was his best friend, what the hell was wrong with him? Shaking his head, Senel tried to keep up the conversation, "Anyways, I'm fine. How are you?"

    "Hm, besides slightly nervous? I'm ok." Chloe laughed a little bit.

    "What are you nervous for? These people don't know you or anything. They just want to up lift someone and it just happens to be us."

    Chloe stood thoughtful for a second, "That isn't an answer I expected from you."

    "Why not?"

    "Well, you always like to say how you don't deserve things and all that other stuff, even though you're the most deserving out of all of us..."

    "Are you kidding? You deserve as much, if not more, than I do."

    "How about you two just agree that neither of you deserve anything and stop being bothersome?" Jay smirked at the two, and watched them both blink at him for a moment.

    His family members were slow as ever, it seemed.

    "What?" Both said together, and all they got out of Jay was a laugh as he walked away from the two of them.

    "Oh Chloe! You look so pretty today! Doesn't she look pretty, Senel?" Shirley walked up to them, smiling brightly. She was wearing a bright pink dress that made her look extra sweet and innocent. Chloe smiled back and wondered how Shirley and Senel were actually doing.

    Until Shirley wrapped her arm around Senel's arm...

    'Well, there's the answer to that question, huh?' Chloe shook her head and watched as Senel spoke to her.

    "Y-Yeah, she does Shirley. Chloe looks very pretty, actually." Senel was looking at her as he said that. Chloe felt her cheeks warming because she could tell...he meant it.

    "Um, ahem, thank you Senel. You too, Shirley." Chloe looked down at her hands as she said this, glancing up to look them slowly. Shirley gave a happy giggle at Chloe's face and Senel just watched her.

    'Since when had Chloe gotten so beautiful and cute? That shy thing is just adorable...' Senel found himself thinking and he had a hard time censoring his thoughts.

    Senel shook his head slightly, and watched as Chloe had walked away. Shirley was talking to him about something, but he had missed what Chloe had said. Where was she going this quickly? He had barely talked to her.

    "Senel? Senel, did you hear me?"

    "I'm sorry, Shirley, what'd you say?" Senel asked, finally looking at the pouting girl in front of him.

    "I said, I want to dance."

    "Ok. Sure." Senel smiled at her and let Shirley take his hand to lead him out to the ballroom floor. She stopped when they got near Norma and Moses, and soon Senel was twirling Shirley around like a princess.

    The only problem was...he wasn't paying attention to the princess in front of him. His eyes were scanning for the Cinderella among them.

    So where had Chloe gone?

    With Chloe

    Chloe had gone to the stand by the wall, is where she was. She watched as Elsa chatted up the boy standing with her, wondering what on earth was that funny.

    "So you actually came. I was hoping to catch your beautiful face before this night was over."

    Chloe blinked, who was this guy? He was a man most definitely, probably in his twenties, and he. was. gorgeous. The man in front of Chloe was so cute, it should've been against the law. He had long dark brown hair tied back in a loose ponytail that stopped at the top of his back and the most shocking gray eyes. He was built too, not over the top, but Chloe could tell he was a fighter. His tuxedo was a simple black, but it seemed to suit him so well, and fit him so nicely...Chloe resisted the urge to sigh.

    "Um..Hi?" Chloe managed to get out, after her voice failed her one time.

    The man in front of her smiled and bowed low, reaching out for her hand, "May I have this dance, Lady Valens?"

    "How do you know my name?"

    "If you dance with me, I'll tell you." Those gray eyes lit up in amusement and Chloe nodded numbly. She was still trying to get over how drop-dead gorgeous this man was. He smiled wider and helped her out of her chair and then lead her to the floor. Chloe heard a few sighs as she walked by with this man, and watched the girls fawning about him in the corner.

    Who was he?

    Chloe realized that they had stopped walking and were on the dance floor when he fit his arm around her waist. Chloe wondered if she had honestly shivered from the man touching her or from the fact that she felt like this was a dream. She looked up at the man that was currently spinning her around the floor like she was a pro dancer, and found the questions burning in her mind.

    He looked down at her face and gave her a warm smile that made his gray eyes bright, "Don't you remember me? We used to play together all the time, Chloe."

    Chloe almost gaped at him. What was he talking about? Chloe knew she would remember someone this cute in her lifetime. She'd never forget a face like his.

    "You still don't remember? Chloe...if you dream with all it takes-" The man began to say and he looked down at Chloe waiting for her to finish the phrase.

    Chloe knew that poem, "And see all the love the world makes."

    "You'll know that anything can tip the scales..." The man kept going, knowing Chloe knew the rest.

    "But no matter what, the heart tells no tales...Alec?"

    "So now you know me." Alec grinned wide, and chuckled lightly at Chloe. She looked so surprised and shocked.

    Was this really the boy she played with when she was little? Chloe found herself blushing...Alec had called her beautiful.

    "I meant what I said too. You have grown into a lovely woman, Chloe."

    "Hmmm, well, thank you, Alec. I would like to say...You don't look that bad yourself." Chloe gave an embarrassed blush and looked away from Alec's handsome face. This was really Alec. They had been inseparable when she was about ten, he was twelve at the time.

    "Do you know how hard I looked for you in Gadoria? It was impossible to find you."

    "Well, that'd be true, since I was on the Legacy."

    "I'd ask why, but I already know why." Alec gave Chloe a solemn look before dipping her low and brining her back up. "So I won't. But my, how lovely you have become. I have a hard time getting over it, Chloe."

    "What are you talking about? I still look the same." Chloe pouted slightly, and Alec laughed at her as he spun her again.

    "Oh no. You look nothing like the violent ten year old I knew."

    "I wasn't violent!" Chloe pouted again, and hit Alec on the back with the hand she had around his neck. Alec laughed this time, and Chloe blushed even more. It wouldn't be so bad if he wasn't so handsome.

    "That was proof, Ms. Chloe. So tell me, where is your husband? Surely you're married by now?"

    "Idiot. No, I'm not."

    "Oh really?" Alec lifted an eyebrow and then a smirk crossed his face. "You know what that means, right? ...We're still betrothed."

    "We're what?! Since when? That was a long time ago, Alec, that doesn't-! Mmph!"

    Alec shut Chloe up by kissing her, right there in the middle of the ballroom, with half of the kingdoms of Gadoria and the Legacy present. Chloe felt like crying...

    Why was Alec so damn impulsive?

    When he released her Chloe could feel so many eyes on her...So very many eyes, and it felt so...embarrassing.

    Until Alec spoke.

    "I, Alec Verwan, hereby announce my betrothal to the heroine, Chloe Valens! This betrothal was made by our deceased parents and thus we honor their wishes by joining their legacies! Please, I ask that you celebrate with me on this happiest of days!"

    The crowd cheered widely, since all had gone silent when Alec had first kissed Chloe. Chloe felt ready to die, and caught eyes with her adopted family before she found herself swooning. Norma, Grune, and Shirley looked happy, Moses, Jay, and Will looked shocked, and Senel...Chloe couldn't read the look on his face. Before Chloe knew it, everything was dark, and Chloe felt like she was about to pass out.

    What was she going to do now?

    End Chapter 1