Pearl and Gem had been friends since they met during a diplomatic meeting a few years ago. Back then, Gem was still learning magic, and Pearl was still the princess of Gilded Hellenathia.
Often, if they couldn’t see each other in person, the two would exchange letters. More often than not, they would simply be about going-ons in their empires, but one summer day, Gem was opening the latest letter she had received from Pearl, and a cream envelope slipped out, with a wax seal. Curiously, Gem picked it up, inspecting it.
“That’s new…maybe Pearl’s letter has some sorta clue about it” she wondered aloud, taking the other letter out of the envelope.
“Dear Countess Gemini Tay of Crystal Cliffs, future Headmistress of Crystal Cliffs Wizarding Academy….my parents have officially decided to step down, making me the new ruler of Gilded Hellenathia…you are, of course, invited automatically, but I insisted on sending your invitation along with my usual letter! I hope you can attend, I would love to see you in person again! Signed, Queen Pearl of Gilded Hellenathia” she read, a smile growing on her face as she pulled out the invitation.
The invitation was predictably much more formal than the letter, but it contained specific details for the coronation, listing the date, as well as where the ceremony would take place.
Gem and Pearl hadn’t seen each other since their parents had hosted a banquet to celebrate their newly founded alliance, over a year ago. With Gem working on founding a new magic school, and Pearl busy training to take over her parent's positions, they rarely had a chance to actually talk at all in the few years since their friendship began.
Safe to say, Gem was definitely going to the coronation. She could absolutely clear her calendar for the few days she’d be visiting Gilded Hellenathia, plus travel, and an advisor should be able to take care of the responsibilities she still held in Grimlands. As for the school, all that was left for her to take care of was hiring teachers, which couldn’t start until the school was constructed, so she was mostly waiting for that to happen. So, after taking a couple of days to make sure everything was arranged, and bringing gifts for her friend, she was ready to depart. Fwipp would join her for the actual coronation ceremony, having a couple things he needed to take care of before departing. Until then, Gem would be representing both the Grimlands and the Crystal Cliffs.
“Alright,” said Gem “Gandalf, I trust you to keep Crystal Cliffs while I’m gone, if anything happens then send a messenger to Gilded Helenathia immediately. The builders are still working on the school. If they need any more materials, we have a surplus of Amethyst we can use to trade.”
“Of course, Lady Gem” nodded Gandalf, “Please give my blessings to the new Queen”
“I’ll pass them along”
“Safe travels, Lady Gemini”
“Thank you, Gandalf. Stay safe” replied Gem
As Gandalf turned to leave, Gem stretched out her wings, preparing to take off. After double-checking to make sure she had her bag, she took to the sunny skies towards the capital of Gilded Hellenathia.
The journey was by no means long, only taking until late afternoon, when Gem landed in the city center before taking a short walk to the castle.
Smallholding was normally a bright city, filled with warmth, but even morso today. The kingdom’s banner lined the cobblestone streets, and many of the citizens wore woven flower crowns on their heads. Gem smiled at the festivities as she made her way to the castle, as the sun began its descent into golden hour.
After being led to a guest room, Gem set her bags down and pulled out her invitation to check the itinerary. There would be a banquet later that evening, to start off the celebrations, followed by the coronation ceremony at dawn the following day, and ending with a ball for the invited rulers.
A quick glance at the clock told Gem she had a couple hours to get ready, so she unpacked the rest of her bag, taking out a deep purple dress with flared sleeves and a flowing skirt. Holding it up, she examined it closely.
“So tonight, it's either this one or…” Gem paused, reaching into her bag to pull out a different dress, this one a lighter purple with draped fabric trailing into a skirt and a high collar.
She set both the dresses on the bed, going between the two before deciding on the second dress, since she wanted to wear her cloak overtop.
After showering, getting changed and putting her hair into a braid, it was time for the ball. She could probably find her way to the ballroom? Gem had only been inside Gilded Helenathia’s castle a handful of times, and the kingdom rarely hosted balls. She should be able to figure it out though right? Maybe if-
“Lady Gemini? The Queen has asked me to help you find your way to the ballroom this evening” said a guard knocking on the door and interrupting Gem’s looping thoughts “Are you ready?”
“Oh! Uh, yes, I’ll join you in a minute!” Replied Gem
Gem took a moment to brush out her dress one last time, before opening the door and stepping out to greet the guard
“Hello, thank you for helping me” she offered, with a small curtsy
“Of course, Lady Gemini, it’s my pleasure! Now, if you’ll please follow me to the ballroom?”
Gem nodded, following the guard down to the front doors of the ballroom, where she waited behind a pair of nobles, wearing oceanic fashion so they could be introduced to the ball.
The nobles were soon introduced as The Ocean Queen, and the other as her brother, The Codfather. Meaning, Gem was up next.
She brushed of her skirt one last time, before the herald spoke again
“Countess Gemini Tay of Crystal Cliffs, Lady of Grimlands and Headmistress of the Crystal Cliffs Academy!” they called, Gem stepping through the doors, taking a curtsy before exiting on to the ballroom floor where the other guests mingled, chatting amongst themselves.The ballroom was stunning, with large windows allowing views of the sun setting over verdant fields, and oaken pillars arching into the ceiling. As the last nobles were announced, a fanfare of royal horns played from the other end of the ballroom.
“Please welcome,” called the herald “Their former majesties King Solace and Queen Hellia Esant!”
As the two entered, waving to the various guests as they went down the stairs, a warm round of applause greeted them, before the royal horn sounded again.
“And,” continued the herald, “introducing, her majesty, Queen Pearl Esant!”
Pearl was welcomed by a round of joyous applause, as she made her way onto the ballroom floor, grinning widely.
“Thank you all for being here!” She called, once she reached the floor “Please, let the dancing begin, and may you all feel the sun’s warm rays come morning”
A cheer went up through the crowd, as warm music filled the air, platters of food began to circle around the room and the ball began. Grabbing a bite to eat for herself, Gem navigated to the edge of the dance floor, occasionally stopping to chat with the other guests.
Gem hummed along to the music, tapping her foot to match the beat, when she spotted Pearl by a nearby pillar. Eagerly, she made her way over.
“Hello your majesty” she grinned, curtsying
“Lady Gem!“ greeted Pearl with a wide grin, spreading her arms out for a hug “I’m so glad you made it, how are you?”
Gem grinned, hugging the other and wrapping her wings around them before pulling away
“I’m good! The school is almost built, and it looks amazing!” she replied eagerly
“Already? That’s incredible! I’d love to see it sometime” said Pearl
“You’ll love it, I’ll show it to you next time I host a meeting for the Wither Alliance”
“That sounds lovely!”
“What about you?” Offered Gem “Any exciting updates? Ah, aside from you becoming queen, that’s obviously the most exciting thing to happen”
“Ah, not much! A Lot of farmwork now that summers begun, but not more then normal, I’d say”
“Oh that's great! Has everything gone well so far?”
“Yeah actually! We managed to get everything in the ground on time, and even had some extra space for some new plants! Oh, speaking of which, we’re growing some new flowers that I’ve heard are good for magic? They’re also pretty tasty, but I figured I’d see if you're interested.”
“Really” asked Gem, leaning forward “What are they called?”
Pearl paused for a moment, trying to remember.
“Ah ha! They’re called Glow Berries? I think they normally grow in caves, but we tried growing some on trellises, and they seem to be doing well!”
“Glow Berries? That’s incredible, I never wondered if they could be grown above ground…would you mind if I popped hy sometime to do a bit of research?“ asked Gem, flapping her wings slightly
“Oh not at all! Just let me know when! I was actually going to ask you if you’d like to work out a trade deal for them?”
“Oh I’d love to! I’ll figure out what we have in terms of resources to exchange them for”
“Well then, I look forward to doing business with you!” Said Pearl offering her hand
“And I, you” grinned Gem, shaking her hand.
As they continued their conversation, the song changed to something a bit more upbeat, as dancing pairs began to twirl around in the center of the ballroom.
“Oh, this is a lovely song” smiled Pearl
“Should we join them?” Offered Gem with a bright smile
“Why I would love to” replied Pearl, dramatically, taking Gem’s hand.
The two made their way to the dance floor, twirling and laughing along with the music. The ballroom was filled with life and joy, as Gem and Pearl spun across the dance floor.
“You’re a good dancer” grinned Pearl, as the two stood on the outskirts of the dance floor
“Same goes for you!” replied Gem, her wings matching her tone “Queen Pearl Esant, the queen of dancing!”
“Well, thank you very much, Lady Gem!”
“Of course!”
The two giggled, watching the other guests twirl around the floor, content to spend the rest of the night chatting, occasionally breaking away to chat with another noble, or visiting guests.
Soon enough, the night had to come to a close, as the night sky grew darker, revealing more and more twinkling constellations. As guests made their way back to their rooms, Gem pulled Pearl into one last hug.
“I can’t wait to see you tomorrow” she grinned, curtsying as she stepped back “Sleep well!”
“And you!” Smiled Pearl returning the gesture “May the sun brighten your days”
The next morning, Gem woke up early, to get dressed for the ceremony. Rubbing the last traces of sleep from her eyes, she showered, carefully drying her hair and weaving a mix of flowers into a braided updo, before stepping into her dress. It flowed nicely, settling just above her ankles so as to not drag against the ground. Before leaving, she grabbed her staff, and was helped by a guard to a grand room, fit with stained glass windows, and an arching ceiling, reminiscent of an atrium.
Gem took her place between Lord Sausage and her brother, Count Fwipp up on the stage with their former majesties and the rest of Gilded Helenathia’s allies, and waited for the ceremony to begin. Sure enough, trumpets started playing, and Pearl made her entrance down the aisle, wearing a flowing dress with trailing sleeves like a burst of sunlight, and a skirt trailing with flowers. Pearl slowly made her way to the stage, as the room went quiet.
“Queen Pearl Esant, do you swear to be a just ruler, for as long as the sun rises each day, and set’s at night?” Asked her former majesty, as Pearl reached the stage
“I swear” replied Pearl
“Then take this drink, as a testament to your strength and to your honour.” replied the other handing Pearl a chalice, from which the new queen drank “And now, rise as the new Queen of Gilded Helenathia”
Pearl rose, and her former majesty took her crown to place it onto her daughter's head.
“To my kingdom’s allies,” said Pearl, voice strong “I hope that you will chose to stay in good nature with Gilded Helenathia”
“The Kingdom of Rivendell will again ally with Gilded Helenathia” replied the elven lord, with a nod to Pearl, handing her a bundle of fabric
“Thank you, Lord Scott SMajor of Rivendell” nodded Pearl
“Codlands will be staying allies with Gilded Helenathia as well announced the Codfather, gifting Pearl a trident
“Thank you, Codfather”
“Mythland would also like to continue their alliance with Gilded Helenathia” said Lord Sausage, stepping forward to present Pearl with a beautifully sheathed iron sword, decorated with black flowers
“My thanks to you, Lord Mythical J. Sausage of Mythlands” smiled Pearl
“The Grimlands will be continuing it’s alliance with Gilded Helenathia as well” said Fwipp, firmly, handing the Queen a flowering potato plant
“Thank you, Lord Fwipp Tay of The Grimlands” nodded Pearl, setting the plant down beside her
“Crystal Cliffs would like to continue their alliance as well” grinned Gem, stepping forward to hand Pearl a wrapped vial, containing a potion of luck
“I thank you, Lady Gemini Tay” grinned Pearl
“Citizens, and honored guests, please welcome the new Queen of Gilded Helenathia!” Called her former majesty, as a resounding cheer went up around the crowd.
The rest of the day was spent in celebration, a whir of festivities and music. And, best of all, Pearl and Gem could, and would definitely be spending more time together in the coming years.
