A P H I A
The queen was about to let go of my hands when she noticed the bracelet on my wrist. She touched and looked at it intently, studying every part. "Is this from you, Prince Kalmin?" She looked at his son.
Prince Kalmin looks at the queen and nods. "Yes. I gave it to her, your majesty." He said in a straight face, and I looked at him in disbelief. Does he always talk to his parents in that kind of awful face?
The king and queen look at each other strangely for a few minutes and smile afterward. Did they understand each other by just looking directly into each other's eyes? Couples have a weird way of communicating with each other.
"Psst! What is going on?" I whispered to Prince Kalmin.
"Hmmm…" He places his finger on his chin as if he is thinking. "I think they realized that your face is funny." He said while smirking at me.
"What?!" I shouted, and he looked at me in shock. He looked around the area before motioning me to hush. "You always look at me like I am the most beautiful girl in your eyes, and now you are telling me that my face looks funny?!" I failed to control my anger in front of the king and queen. He actually did not do that. I just want to get even.
"When did I do that?!" Prince Kalmin roared at me.
"Oh, don't deny it. Look in the mirror to see it for yourself." I smirked at him, and his eyes widened in shock. He understood that I was just messing with him.
He shakes his head before letting out a deep sigh. "Please forgive her, your majesties. Aphia is incredibly annoying sometimes, but she's a good priestess." He said before bowing his head. He held my head and forced me to bow.
"I-I apologize, your majesties," I said while glaring at Prince Kalmin.
The king and queen laugh. "It's fine, Prince Kalmin. We want the priestess to show her true self to us. We want her to get comfortable around us."
We raised our heads, and I stuck my tongue out at him. I heard the twins laugh at us. "You two are really funny," Eeshaan said. I smiled at them widely as I sat in front of them.
"Happy birthday, Eeshaan and Esmeray!" I shouted as I hugged them both. They giggle before hugging me back.
"You are suffocating them, Aphia." I quickly shot him a death glare, and he immediately diverted his gaze away from me.
"Kalmin knows how to shut up, huh." Esmeray teased her brother, and Eeshaan giggled.
"Our brother knows how to shut up when Aphia gets mad," Eeshaan added. Prince Kalmin and I looked at them in confusion.
"What are you two talking about?" Prince Kalmin and I said at the same time. The twins cracked up, and we shook our heads in disbelief.
"So, my children love the priestess." We all looked at the queen. She is smiling at us. "I'm happy my twins found a new friend." She said.
"It's my pleasure to meet them, your majesty," I said while smiling at her, and she nodded.
The twins dragged me to their table, followed by Prince Kalmin. We are just four at the table. A group of dancers enter the great hall and perform at the center while the twins ask me what had happened to my first expedition. They performed an interpretive dance. It disappoints me. I was hoping for a clown or magic trick performer since this was a children's birthday party.
I suddenly remember Clovis. I look around the area to find him. "What are you doing?" Prince Kalmin asked.
"I am looking for Clovis. He was invited, right?"
He nods. "He is probably talking to our relatives." He said, and I looked at him.
"You are not sociable, are you?" I asked while smiling at him.
"I hate dealing with family affairs and meeting their standards. They find me strict and heartless, but I don't care." He said in a straight face.
"You are strict, but you are not heartless," I said, and the twins looked at us. "I can feel your heart beating for me," I said, and his eyes widened in shock. The twins and I laughed at his reaction.
"You are blushing, Kalmin!" Esmeray teased her brother while laughing.
"Your facial expression is hilarious!" Eeshaan added while laughing.
He quickly shoots me a death glare, and I instantly stop laughing. He is so cute! OMG! A blushing Prince Kalmin is so adorable! He sighs while shaking his head.
"Perhaps you should smile often. A person looks approachable if he smiles." I suggested.
"I will smile and laugh if I feel like doing it, not because I want to impress or please them." Wow! What a strong personality. I like a person with a strong personality.
I nod my head at him. "You are right. I agree with you this time."
"I love Kalmin the way he is," Esmeray said while looking at me.
"I love Kalmin the way he is," Eeshaan said the same thing while looking at me.
"W-Why are you looking at me like that?" I asked them in confusion, and they both laughed. I looked at Prince Kalmin. "What is going on with them?"
He shrugs his shoulder. "Sometimes, I don't have any idea what's going on with their minds." He said before letting out a deep sigh.
"Do you love Kalmin the way he is?" Esmeray asked me and my eyes widened in shock. Eeshaan is smiling while waiting for my answer. I feel pressure all of a sudden. What's with the question anyway?! Do I really have to answer it?! I slowly diverted my gaze to Prince Kalmin, and I regretted doing it when I found him smirking at me.
What a hideous prince!
"Do you love me that way I am, Aphia?" His smirk got wider while waiting for my answer. What a shameless human being! Does he really have to ask that?!
I swallow the lump in my throat before looking at him with a straight face. "You know I hate you, right?" His smirk became a genuine smile, and the twins laughed. "W-What is going on? You guys are making me crazy." I complained.
"I hate you too, Aphia." He said while flashing a bright smile, and I felt like there was something wrong with it. I don't understand what's going on.
"Am I making myself clear here?" I asked, and they all laughed at me. I groaned in frustration before eating the cake in front of me.
After eating the meal's main course, the king's attendant stands at the center of the aisle and announces the presentation of birthday gifts for the twins. The twins stood up and walked in front of the king and queen.
I quickly feel my hands get cold, and my feet freeze. I look at Prince Kalmin with worry. He understands my worry, and he sighs. "I want to give them a gift that the priestess can only give," I said.
"Then what can you do as a priestess?" He asked.
"All I can do is to heal and protect," I said while my eyebrows knitting together.
"That's it, Aphia. Give them protection." He said before smiling. I looked at him in confusion at first, and then slowly, a bright idea popped into my head.
"You are a genius!" I shouted at him before patting his shoulder.
"And awesome." He said before smirking at me. I looked at him in disgust and he laughed at me.
"Let's start with Prince Kalmin De Arcovia's gifts for Prince Eeshaan and Princess Esmeray." The attendant announced. Prince Kalmin confidently walked to the twins.
He brings out two navy blue jewelry boxes. He opens the first one, and he takes out the necklace and wears it to Eeshaan. A smile forms on my lips while looking at oval citrine and white topaz sun pendant in sterling silver with gold plate on Eeshaan. He looks at it and smiles widely at Kalmin. "Thank you, Kalmim." He said while caressing the pendant.
Prince Kalmin opens the second box and moves in front of Esmeray. He slowly wears the necklace to Esmeray. It's a crescent moon necklace in solid yellow gold with cubic zirconia. It's gorgeous on Esmeray. "Thank you, Kalmin." She smiled before kissing his brother on his cheek.
"Prince Kalmin's gifts are necklaces for Prince Eeshaan and Princess Esmeray." The attendant announced. The guests clap their hands.
"Those are gorgeous!" I shouted at him when he came back to our table. He smirked at me, and I rolled my eyes at him in annoyance.
"I have personally designed and picked the material used on those necklaces." He bragged, and I looked at him in amusement.
"I think you have a future in the jewelry industry," I said, and he shook his head in disbelief.
"Next is Priestess Aphia Gray." The attendant said, and I was startled. Prince Kalmin chuckled at my reaction. In my annoyance, I punched his arm lightly.
I breathed out before standing up confidently. A smile formed in my slips as I stared at the twins. I sat in front of them. "We know you did not prepare anything for us, Aphia," Esmeray said while smiling. "So, how about a hug?" She asked. She and Eeshaan spread their arms widely and waited for me to hug them.
I shake my head in disbelief, and I hug them. "You guys are so sweet," I said. I broke the hug and smiled at them. "However, I did prepare very special gifts for the both of you," I said, and they both looked at each other in excitement. "Are you two ready?" I asked, and they nodded at the same time.
I held and then covered Eeshaan's sun necklace using my palms before closing my eyes. "Divine Shield," I uttered, and I felt my palms get warmer. When I opened my eyes, gold dust scattered in the air, and the people around us gasped in amusement.
"Woah! Amazing!" Eeshaan exclaimed while looking at the gold dust around his necklace. "What happened?! What did you do?!" He shouted, and I chuckled.
"It was the divine shield that I infused on your necklace's white topaz gem. It will protect you from either magical or physical damage that you can get from an attack. Wear your necklace all the time, alright?" He looked at it with amusement before nodding his head.
"What about me?!" Esmeray shouted and I pulled her closer to me.
"I wouldn't dare to forget the special gift for the most beautiful princess I know." I winked at her, and she giggled. Her cheeks blushed in an instant.
I held and then covered Esmeray's crescent moon necklace using my palms. I did not close my eyes this time. "Divine Shield," I uttered, and I felt my palms get warmer. I witnessed another gold dust scattered in the air, and the people around us gasped again in amusement. Esmeray's eyes twinkle in amusement while looking at her necklace.
"It was also the divine shield that I infused on your necklace's cubic zirconia diamond. It will protect you from either magical or physical damage that you can get from an attack like what I gave to Eeshaan. Wear your necklace all the time as well, alright?" Her smile widened while nodding at me.
"So, what is your gift, Lady Aphia?" The attendant asked while looking at us in confusion.
"Divine Shield against magical and physical damage," I said.
"Lady Aphia's gift is Divine Shield that only the priestess can bestow!" He announced, and the guests clapped their hands.
"Thank you, Aphia." I was startled when the twins kissed my cheeks at the same time. I smiled at them, and I kissed them back.
I look at Prince Kalmin and smirk at him. He rolls his eyes at me before smiling. He has a strange mood swings.