Catherine smoothen the silver laced dress she wore for the wedding. Ria was standing beside her she looked lovely in her strapless silver dress. The wedding's theme her mother picked was white and silver but she duly noted that only the bride and groom will wear the white and the rest would be silver. Airis walked out of the changing room with her long sleeve beaded with diamonds sweetheart gown. It looked like the winter goddess just descended from the skies. She looked elegant and very much like a queen. The wedding would occur first before their coronation.

"You looked gorgeous," Catherine breathed and admire her sister-in-law for a second before she saw the blush crept into her face. 

"Stop it, you're embarrassing me," Airis laughed with her a hearty tone and clasped her hand, trying to hide her nervousness. Ria held her hand in hers and looked at her straight in the eyes. "You will do well, don't worry." 

The three ladies heard the bell and they all looked at each other, Airis looked more tensed than earlier. She was starting to pace back and forth. What-ifs easily filling her muddled mind, making her more nervous every minute.

"Wh-what if I fall? What if Kirin does not love me anymore? What if he changed his mind?"

"Calm down. I would bet that Kirin is also stating the same things as you are," Catherine said and tried to calm her friend which it did when she said her piece. Airis slightly giggled and started making her way to the door but stopped halfway. 

"Wh-" 

Catherine pulled her to the door, not making her finish her sentence. They started walking towards the venue and Airis could hear the people they invited cheering and the trees making their own sound, congratulating and welcoming the new member of the royal family. She felt her heart pound on her chest non-stop, she left like it would burst out any moment. Ria and Catherine first walked out the aisle and they saw Kirin standing in the end, fidgetting non-stop with their parents in the front. 

Catherine saw a familiar face in the crowd and waved at Josephine when she eyed her. She was so happy that this day finally came and all her worries about her brother, leaving alone vanished and she was also glad that she was a friend. She seated at her place and waited for Airis to come out. When the melody of the string instruments started, it was the cue for her to walk out. She emerged from the vines that Catherine created with the bouquet of white lilies that Catherine grew. Unlike the roses that were displayed in the aisle. Her bouquet illuminated a different kind of glow. It shined like the morning star, giving light to everything. 

Airis smiled at her beloved, not noticing the stares of the people in the crowd, she was worried about earlier. Before Catherine and her sister arrived, the queen told her that she would be able to walk in the aisle just fine, because she would not be able to notice the people around her except for her lover. True to her words, Airis felt like they were the only ones in the place. Just her and her groom looking at each other with their loving eyes, they could not take off their eyes with each other.

When Airis reached the end of the aisle, Kirin held her hand and gave it a light squeezed. "You look perfect, my queen," Kirin whispered that made Airis smiled and blushed with the word 'my'.

"Well, you look dashing yourself," she replied as she eyed the white clothing that matched hers. The king coughed at their little chit chat that made the crowd laughed. The king started his speech and the couple took quick glances with each other, whispering sweet nothings in each other's ear that made the crowd look at them lovingly. They really were just perfect for each other. 

The couple did their vows and the king pronounced them man and wife. The couple gave a small kiss and look at the crowd before giving them a bow. The king proceeded to the coronation in the throne room. With a scepter in his hand and a crown on the other, he gave the prince the scepter and placed the crown on his head.

"I give you your new king!" He announced and the crowd roared in agreement. The next one would be the queen, giving the crown princess her royal crown. After the ceremony that felt like ages, the two seated in the throne where everyone can see them. They all proceeded to the great hall where the new king and queen would have their first dance. The music played and the crowd watched as the couple made their way to the middle.

Kirin placed her hand carefully to her waist, pulling her closer to him with every inch. Airis placed her hands his shoulders, with her hands intertwining at his nape. She rested her head on his chest, hearing the heartbeats of his beloved. She sighed a relief breath, taking all that has happened to the two of them today. Not only they were made one but they were also the ruler of her cherished kingdom. She felt Kirin kissed her forehead that made her grin from ear to ear as the continue to dance in the slow pace of the music.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

Soon the people in the crowd also joined the couple who was clearly in their own little world. Kirin's parents watched them as they sway to the rhythm of the music. 

"I'm glad he found someone to spend the rest of his life with," The queen dowager commented as she wiped the tears in her eyes.

"I am too," The previous king replied. "Finally, we are done with all the heavy work." 

The previous king laughed when the queen dowager hit his chest for his ridiculous remark. They may have spent their time until they saw wrinkles from their faces and their hair turn to grey but their love was still fresh, like teenagers first start their relationship.

On the other side of the hall, Catherine and Ria kept on nibbling on the snacks that were on the table. They were laughing and giggling at something they saw in the crowd. One would be Lady Finnick, their etiquette teacher, who was struggling to hold his drunk husband.

They didn't find the time to dance or find someone to dance with. Some may have tried but they dismissed them saying they were tired and it all happened fast. Too fast to let them register what was happening.

The harmonic crowd dancing in the hall was now in chaos. They were running for the exit and the guards were shouting in the place to keep everyone safe while a group of masked men arrived with weapons they did not know of.

Catherine and Ria were now under the table from where they were sitting earlier. Panic and fear covered their eyes as they heard another loud bang from across the hall. The people were shrieking and screaming as the bangs continue to flood the place, ringing in everyone's ear.

Catherine searched the place with frantic eyes, looking for her parents and her brother when someone pulled the two ladies from where they were hiding. She was pulled to stand up and she saw that the white hall her mother decorated was now splattered with red liquid. The rusty smell lingered in her nose up to the throat making her feel like she needed to vomit to remove the stench. 

Ria looked dumbfounded with all the surroundings and yet another bang landed to their right side, making them tumble the ground along with the man who held them up. It was ringing in their ears but Catherine managed to slowly stand up when she saw the familiar figure in the ground that she saw growing up. She immediately ran towards the man, bumping with everyone, and saw that her father's silver coat was covered in the same ruby substance that was splattered on the ground.

Her father was hugging her mother as if to protect her from everything the world that could harm her, but their eyes were close and they looked lifeless, with their pale-looking skin they would pass as papers. Blood covered their body and five arrows were pierced in the back of her father but the force used to release the arrow may have been so great or the arrows were too long, that it went straight across her mother's stomach to her back.

"No," Her chest heaved bigger than the last from the sight she saw and tried to scan the room to find her brother but she only found people running from their lives. 

"We have to go!" A strong arm tried to pull her to the side, breaking her view from her parents to the other side of the hall when she saw a white attire among the bodies lying in the ground. Catherine knew that it was her brother's, from the long white coat with white lilies embroidered in it, that she personally chose for him, she couldn't be mistaken.

It was her brother.

Catherine removed the hand of the man who pulled her with her remaining strength and ran towards the body lying in the ground. Her knees fell to the ground, losing all the energy as her tears started coming down like rainfall in a storm. Her brain was starting to register what had happened. They were attacked in the middle of a celebration and almost all her kind were in the palace. 

Her brother and her sister-in-law were in the same position as her parents. Protecting each other with their arms, but this time a different instrument pierced their body. The sparkling chandelier that was supposed to be in the ceiling, was aggressively placed on the man's body, covering it in scarlet color. She heard a faint cough from the other side and saw that Airis were half awake. Catherine immediately moved to the side, hoping she could at least save one of them. Airis raised her blood-covered hand and with her trembling hands, Catherine reached for it and she felt the thick fluid touched her skin as the metallic smell reached her nose.

"T-take care o-of R-ria," Airis coughed a couple of times with garish red liquid that oozed from her mouth. "D-don't talk. I-I will help y-you." Catherine's trembling voice choked on the last words and she scanned the room full of bodies that were lifeless.

She saw Mrs. Finnick in the hall with her eyes wide open and her throat slit apart and bent that it almost seemed like it would fall off any moment. Her vision started to blurry when a black-masked man stood in front of her, looking at her down. Catherine eyed the black zirconium ring on his finger. She has already seen it somewhere. She looked back to meet its eye but her eyes stayed on the foul smirk the man formed in his lips. Catherine felt a cold and sharp shiver down her spine. The man before him was evil and he wants her dead.

She couldn't die, no she won't. Catherine clenched her fist, ready to strike, but the man turned his back and started walking towards the smoke.

A familiar and rushed man pulled her, tearing her away from her sister-in-law that only lasted for minutes. She screamed with all her might, looking at the body of her, now, soulless brother and sister-in-law, knowing that her troubled screams only created more attention to the attackers. The man in a black and yellow uniform carried her with force when she tried to let go. All she could do was scream, the man who carried her was ten times stronger than her, that her feeble attempt to escape was near to zero.

Catherine kicked and wiggled from her position, hoping this would allow her to be free from the grip. She felt the hot crimson liquid tickled her neck to her shoulders but she felt numb. Too numb to feel any pain aside from her aching and broken heart. Catherine never thought she could feel so many emotions at the same time. Fear, bitterness, loneliness, anger, but nothing could triumph the anguish she felt.

The place was smothered with guards and a couple of her kind, trembling in fear when they were able to get outside to see the palace in total chaos. They did not live to see their beloved kingdom in such ruins.

Catherine's screams died down along with her eyes.