All eyes are fixed on me. My graceful steps, elegant dress, and endearing smile. All the men adore me. All the woman envied me. Everybody tries having a dance, even if it’s just for a few seconds. As I glide from man to man, dancing to there hearts content, I see Rafael. I begin walking over to him until Vanessa spots me.

“Oh dear, you look absolutely stunning” she says.

I give her a transparent smile and say, “thank you, but I must go now”.

Her brows furrow and her hands clutch my arm as she begins escorting me to the top of the stairs.

“Your father sent me earlier today to tell you that you must give the final speech to close of the night. Not everybody will have the privilege again to lay eyes on the adored queen”.

“Fine, I’ll do it” I say.

I catch Rafaels eye and point to the hallway so he can meet me right after the speech.

“Attention, attention please” says Vanessa while clanking the spoon to the glass.

The whole ballroom falls silent and stare directly at me.

“Thank you for…that Vanessa” I say. “So as you all are well aware, the prophesy said that in my eighteenth birthday, my magic will slay the monsters lying outside the walls. My birthday is tomorrow, and the prophesy also says I might not make it back. If I don’t make it back, it’s been a privilege to serve everyone in Quorstia”.

Everybody young or old, girl or boy, rich or poor, begin clapping.

“To the queen, the greatest woman alive” says a voice from the crowd.

“To the queen!” The rest of the room shouts.

The chatter begins again and the music fills the room.

I rapidly and swiftly run down the stairs and go to Raphael.

“Did you do it?” I say.

“it’s all done”.

We walk over to my fathers bedroom where a knife is stuck to his chest.

“Thank you” I say while hugging him.

He wraps his arms around me as tears begin falling down my face to my red dress.

I loved my father when I was young. There’s still a part of me that still does. But no monsters besides himself exist. No prophesy exists. He was going to kill me for my magic on my eighteenth birthday.

But now, he can’t.

We take a shirt out of his closet to give to Raphael instead of his white suit, which has drops of blood.

When I get back to the ballroom, I continue dancing, and being adored.