(3) All Bow to the "King"

Everyone clapped as the king walked out from the corner, smiling at his sister before standing in front of the throne.

Elodie wanted to scoff, but she held it in. Her eyes glanced at the man beside her instead.

'It's been six years, yet he hasn't changed a bit.' She reminisced while staring at him. The man in the blue suit had his black hair gelled back and a few loose strands out that framed his forehead. Military posture, a focused gaze—and beautiful shimmering grey eyes.

"Greetings, my fellow..." The king started speaking. Elodie tuned out the rest of his speech. 

She couldn't care less about his prophecy of uniting the light and dark magic kingdoms. Whether it was true or false did not concern Elodie. Her eyes went back to the man beside her, staring at him as the "prince of peace" spoke. She placed her hand on his arm, smiling.

"What are-" The man stiffened up even more. 

"Don't turn to face me, good sir." Elodie requested. "Keep looking and just listen to my words."

"Is... something the matter?" The man questioned, but he didn't move at all, as per her request.

Elodie smiled, satisfied that he was listening so well. It was time for her little plan to begin. But she first had to have him leave the ballroom. She couldn't allow him to get involved.

"The truth is good sir," Elodie started talking in the most haughty and sultry voice she could manage. "I have been your admirer for quite some time. I even snuck into this ballroom once I found you were attending..."

He still didn't say anything. His lack of reaction caused Elodie to frown, worried her elaborate lie was too exaggerated. Her hand lowered from his arm to his wrist, her eyes flickering to his as she awaited his reaction.

"Miss." The man turned to face her. The girl took a step back, still smiling at him. "It seems I have greatly misjudged your... character."

On cue, Elodie frowned after hearing his words. "What do you mean?"

"I shall take my leave first." He bowed curtly but respectfully. Elodie made a weak attempt to stop him. He brushed her hand away, walking through the crowd as he put distance between them.

Elodie dropped her hand to her side, sighing before looking up at the king. Her displeased expression brightened to a smile. Her plan was going accordingly.

'It's better that he isn't here when things get messy.' She thought to herself. With a flick of her hand, all the lights and candles in the grand palace ballroom went off. 'Let the show begin.'

๏๏๏ꪉꪉꪉꪉꪉꪉꪉꪉꪉꪉꪉꪉꪉꪉꪉꪉꪉꪉꪉꪉꪉꪉꪉ๏๏๏

Everyone in the ballroom gasped, murmurs filling the room. 

Elodie didn't allow the gossip to continue for too long; flickering the lights back on with her magic, she revealed a towering figure in the very back of the room. It was a darkly cloaked shadow without any distinguishable features. It's eerie shillohete stuck fear in many of the nobles in the room.

The many guests began screaming. At the top of the stairs stood the king, whose hands tightened into fists; his entire speech was interrupted!

"Stay calm, nobles!" The king said his eyes were strong. "Guards! Take care of this person immediately!"

The guards quickly tried to do as told, but the silhouette of a cloaked person only disappeared, flickering back and forth every time they tried to grab it.

"A magic hologram?!?" One of the nobles exclaimed. Magical holograms were extremely expensive and hard to come by. They were only found in the highest-class parts of the Solaria kingdom. In a room flooded with rich noblemen, it was hard to tell who might have caused this.

Elodie smiled softly at their reactions, satisfied by the chaos that ensued as a result of her clever trick. She flicked her wrist once more.

"Royals and Nobel people." The hologram began speaking, causing everyone to gasp in horror once more.

"Guards! Hurry and find the source of this prank!!" The king said.

"This is far from a prank, Your Highness."

Everyone began whispering. "Is it not a recorded message?! How can they hear us?"

"Are they in the room right now?"

"They are among us?!" People began to panic.

"Now, royals and respected high officials." The deep, inhumane voice came back. "Please do not panic. I shall not harm anyone. I only wish to announce my return."

"Return?"

"Return of what? Who is this?"

"That is right! Show yourself!!"

They all began to yell in agreement. Elodie stifled a snicker. Watching them was like watching a chicken run around with its head cut off. However, the only person in the room who wasn't reacting just so happened to be the only reaction she cared for. Princess Isabella. Elodie decided to push further.

The voice spoke again.

"Oh? Is that what you truly want?" She asked. The royals and nobles yelled. Howls of wind filled the air, mimicking the sound of wicked laughter, quickly shutting up everyone in the room. "Even if I am Elodie the Evil Witch?"

The royals in the room froze, as if too scared to even say anything.

Elodie glanced around the room, amazed. Although she had an idea of how badly her reputation had gotten—she didn't know it was enough to horrify some of the wealthiest and strongest nobles in the region! This was the perfect time for Elodie to discover just how many lies had been spread about her.

On the other hand, The ballroom of decorated guests began to fear for their saftey. They were, in fact, standing in the same palace where this all began. Although it had been so long, what if Elodie really did return? It made everyone wonder if it truly was the Evil Witch, Elodie.

Having enough of the silence, Elodie waved her fingers a little more. The hologram laughed wickedly once more. "Goodness! Such entertaining reactions! C'mon royals! Will you not try and defeat me? Hmm?"

A brave voice finally spoke up. "I do not fear you!"

Elodie and the other royals glanced at the voice. Soon, the Hologram spoke up again.

"Really? Is that the truth? General Mortum?" It said.

Everyone in the room slowly backed away from him, leaving him exposed to the view of the hologram. He was a short, bald man with a large mustache. Upon being called out so openly, he stared at the hologram, eyes as big as dinner plates. "I..."

The hologram continued to speak. "In the seven years I've been resting, regaining strength, you've only moved up one ranking? Why that's..."

"Enough!" The king yelled, interrupting Elodie's reign. "Whoever you are, you shall show yourself immediately!"

"Hmm? Is that you? Prince of peace...?" The hologram repeated his title with a playful voice, the last word rolling off the tongue as if there was an insult hiding behind it. The dark silhouette that remained in one place began slowly flickering forward in a linear line directly in front of the king's throne. All the royals quickly parted ways, fearful of what would happen if they were even an inch too close to the hologram that was the supposed resurrection of Elodie. "You truly believed that I would easily wallow away in a frozen abyss?"

The king's complexion dropped fifty shades. No one but his sister and himself knew where Elodie had been banished to. That would mean... this hologram was created by none other than the real deal! Elodie had returned!

It was at this reaction that Elodie's own face also grew grim. Although the king quickly covered his expression, it was clear that he was the one to blame for her suffering. 

"Stand down, Elodie." The princess suddenly spoke up. "You've terrified my people enough."

"Your... people?" The hologram stopped moving, and the shadow managed to turn towards the voice source, the princess of the crystal shard. Elodie herself also stared at Isabella. Her anger, which she felt upon coming back to life, was bubbling beneath her fingertips.

By this time, all the royals had scampered to the back of the room. Some who were brave enough to try and run only encountered locked doors.

"The doors are locked!" A woman yelled. "And the windows!"

"It is really Elodie!!!"

Elodie watched from the corner of the room, hidden behind the other royals, as her hologram did all the heavy lifting. She only remained in eye contact with her hologram, nimbly swirling a couple of fingers by her side to stabilize her connection to it.

"Princess of the Crystal Shard... it has been too long since we last spoke, hasn't it?" The hologram's voice sounded a little less calm than before. This voice alone stopped everyone from speaking, even the king himself seemed hesitant on what to do. What sounded like a scoff left the hologram. "How much you've grown but how little you've changed."

The princess clenched her jaw. The king drew his sword from its sheath, aiming it at the hologram.

"I am not asking anymore, Demon." The king's voice was hostile. "You will leave. Now." King Elicus clenched his sword tighter. "If not, I have no choice but to--"

The hologram deflated like a balloon, shocking the king and his sister. From its tall and imposing height, becoming just a little taller than the king himself. Cynical laughs that once echoed throughout the ballroom became the volume of a single person, the air becoming empty.

"I said I am not here to harm anyone, didn't I? Why, you royals cannot take any joke. However, I will be making my full return soon. By then, I do hope you will be able to properly defeat me, hmm? For your sake, Prince of Peace."

"It is king, to you, Elodie." The king said. The hologram's figure shifted, turning to the princess, who stood close by. "And if you dare harm any of my subjects-"

Elodie wanted to scoff from where she stood in the audience. They were the ones who locked her away for seven years. The entire story was backward!

Still, as a sign of surrenderance, the hologram raised its hands. "I look forward to your next plot. Princess Isabella."

A snap could be heard throughout the ballroom; all the lights went out. The minute they turned back on, the hologram was nowhere to be seen. 

Noblemen and women alike took off immediately. Taking it as her cue to leave, Elodie rushed to bury herself in the pack of nobles that scampered to leave the ballroom. The doors had unlocked themselves, as well as the windows. Everyone ran for their lives, scurrying into their gold-embroidered carriages and being taken away by their horsemen.

Elodie walked slowly once finally getting outside, towards the maze bush, a joyful pip in her step under the cloak of dark moonlight. Although tonight was an eventful night, Elodie learned something extremely valuable about her new reputation. Everyone, from royals and nobles to military prospects was terrified of Elodie the Evil Witch!

And if that was the case, Elodie would be able to live a quiet life after completing her mission: To kill the Queen. Whoever that Queen turned out to be, though.

Unbeknownst to her, the princess's eyes, however, followed everyone who flocked out of the ballroom. Her eyes landed on the back of a dark-skinned girl in a green dress. Her face paled as she looked at the familiar silhouette of a former friend. Elodie.

"Guards!" The Princess' voice was shrill. "Get that girl heading to the grass maze! Quickly! Hurry!"

The guards dressed in clanking metal all took off, ramming the doors open to chase behind Elodie. However, as she heard the rushed sounds of people chasing her, the girl turned around, gasping in horror.

"What is happening?" She said as she was surrounded, her hands in the air.

The princess appeared and pushed through her guards to look at the girl, her footsteps slowing once she got close enough to see her face.

It wasn't her. It wasn't Elodie.

Her heartbeat calmed, and she signaled the guards to release the women. "It must have been my imagination...you are free to leave."