"WAKE THE HELL UP, ARA!"

Ugh, that'd be Lydia. Couldn't she let me sleep for like... 5 more minutes? Not everyone can power through the night on some cheap coffee and a dream. Though... to be honest, if I didn't get up now, there'd be hell to pay later.

I managed to shrug off my blankets, really a cheap rag found in the rubbish, and got up to face this wretched world. Honestly, I wonder if Lydia knows how well she has it. Being blind and all, she didn't have to be a slave for some rich snob with a bunch more magic (and money) than us. I've honestly considered poking my eyes out so I can avoid my fate in two months.

I turned and looked at my Big Sis; she seemed to practically be bouncing off the walls. So she was in a good mood I guess.

Her red-almost-purple hair flew around her face as she spun around, humming a tune.

"What's with you? There's never really much to be happy about around here, so spit it out."

"My dear, grumpy, but cute Ara, the king's coming to town today!"

Well, that's a surprise, but why's she so happy? The king's come before. We do live in the capital of low-ranks.

"And?"

"Oh, Ara, he's bringing the prince with him!"

"Aaaaaandddd.....?????"

"Ugh, Ara! He's your age!"

"AAAAAAAANNNNNNDDDDD???"

"Ara, you're insufferable. What if he spots you in the crowd and falls in love? You'll be whisked away to the castle like in a story, and you'll become a princess!"

Like hell that'd happen, but I can't deny, I'd love to be a princess.

"How would he pick me out among the tens of thousands of other miserable mugs cramming to see him?"

"With this!"

I saw a dress floating towards me. Lydia's magic. At least she could do that; I couldn't even make a spoon turn over. That was kinda normal for a seventeen-year-old around here, though, but that could all change when I turned eighteen.

I looked at the dress. I raised an eyebrow, it was pretty, for some low-rank nobodies. It was a pretty standard white dress, with some blue smooth fabric stitched on the side.

"I don't think this is gonna do much for me."

"Oh, stop moping. There's a bucket out back with some water in it. Wash yourself and go put on the dress."

"Whatever you say, Big Sis."

She stopped and studied me, then sighed.

"What?"

"You talk like anyone else around here, but when you go out you try and talk like you're an educated noble or something."

"Is that an insult?"

"No... but... maybe it's time to stop pretending."

"Whatever, I've got a bath to take."

After washing myself, I ran to our makeshift kitchen for some sort of breakfast.

"Hiiiii, Ara!"

My ten-year-old brother, Damian, attacked me from behind and gave me a hug that nearly toppled me over.

"Morning, Damian."

"What's with the dress?"

"Ah, well, you know Lydia, the king and prince will be here, and she thinks if I wear this, I might catch the prince's eye somehow."

"What? No way! As the man of the house, I'd never let some lousy prince come and steal you away!"

I sighed and rolled my eyes. It was our dad who had drilled all this... "masculinity" into him. When Mom died eight years ago, he kind of became obsessed with sculpting him into a "manly man." Maybe it was some weird side effect of the alcohol? Nah, I doubt it, but anyway, he's out there somewhere serving someone, but I don't really care who.

As long as he's away from us.

"How long have you been down here?"

"Since you fell asleep!"

He beamed up at me. Such an innocent and cute kid, this world didn't deserve him.

"Ok... doing what exactly?"

"Look behind you!"

Somehow I missed the big breakfast of eggs and bread on the table, as well as the pot of honey sitting next to it.

Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

"Hold on... where'd you get the money for this?"

"Oh well, I uh..."

"Damian, I swear, show me your wrists!"

I grabbed the little sucker and pulled up his sleeves.

One.

Two.

Three.

There were three marks on both of his wrists. I knew what this was from.

"Damian, I told you not to get involved with those guys."

"But..."

"No buts! Those people are just sadists; they get off bullying others."

Damian stopped and stared at me.

"What?"

"Wow, you know a lot of words, Ara."

I just sighed and rolled my eyes.

"I heard you guys talking."

Lydia strolled over to us and the food.

"You know you really shouldn't have done that, right, Damian? But... on the bright side, we seem to have a feast on our hands!"

"Lydia, don't encourage this kind of behavior!"

"Oh, loosen up, Ara, I swear!"

She hit me on the back, much to my annoyance.

"Tuck in, guys, we're off to see the king!"

We marched into the town square with everyone else, just a number among thousands. Damian was sitting in Lydia's arms; it was way easier to keep an eye on him this way. I silently studied other people's dresses while whispering to myself.

Lydia frowned.

"What is it with you?"

"From the way you're mumbling, there's like a million other people here with nice dresses. How's the prince gonna see you now?"

"Lydia, he was never really going to see me in the first place."

"Gods, shut up, Ara, I'm not in the mood for this right now."

Hard to please a delusional woman. I started to observe the square. There were many men trying to sell chairs, which was typical as even us who lived in Aries could lift a chair. It was technically illegal to sell things in this specific area of the square, but the enforcers didn't care. If people bought chairs and floated above others, it created more space for everyone else to stand, which made catching pickpockets and such a whole lot easier.

They were ruthless when it came to everything else, though.

"Ara!" someone called out to me.

I turned to find that it was my best friend, Cyrus, who, I guess, had the title of best friend by default, seeing as he was the only friend I had. Everyone else found me too "stuck up" for them.

Bumbling idiots.

"You're here to see the king, right?"

"Well, what else would I be here for?"

"Oh, I don't know, I'm just trying to make conversation."

"That was a bad attempt."

He groaned.

"No offense, Ara, but this is why I'm your only friend."

His dirty blond hair got in his grass-green eyes when he spoke. He really should cut it.

"Anywho, how about we rent a chair? I could make us do tricks in the air!"

"That's not allowed, and you know it. Don't use your talent to land us all in jail."

Cyrus was exceptional at magic for a low-rank. He could apply to become a mid-rank if he wanted. Well, the whole reason he was a low-rank in the first place was because he was a migrant from Cetus, and I still don't really know why. It seems to be a better country than ours, to say the least.

"Oh, hi, Cyrus. I knew I recognized that voice!" Lydia greeted Cyrus from behind me.

"Oh, heya, Lydia, I was just talking with Ara."

"Oh, you were..."

A smirk I didn't like spread across Lydia's face. For some strange reason, she wanted me to marry Cyrus if the prince thing didn't work out, which, sadly for her, was not happening.

"Yeah, we were talking about renting a chair."

"Oh, what good luck! I just rented a whole sofa with some money I saved!"

I gaped at this girl in shock.

"Lydia. Why on earth did you spend our money on a SOFA!"

"Calm down, Ara, Gods..., remember our conversation this morning? I want the prince to get a good look at you!"

I am exhausted, to say the least.

We managed to all squeeze onto the sofa, but we had to stop Damian from dropping some random rocks he found on the ground onto people's heads below us.

"If they pass out, it's their own fault for not being strong enough to stand it!" Damian declared.

I sighed for the hundredth time today and noticed a gleam from underneath us; it was starting.

"Shush, I think it's going to begin."

You know, I haven't actually considered what it's about. The thought made me curious.

Trumpets blared and rang through the air as they announced the royal family. One tall figure emerged onto the stage, followed by two others, King Nikolas II, his son, Prince Lukas, and his wife, Queen Ariana.

The king definitely had the air of a ruler; he seemed to make any who came across him compelled to bow. You could tell how important he was by his clothes, which were a rich blue, perfectly symmetrical, dressed with many badges and freely flowed around his body. Maybe the point was to make him seem like a God.

His son, the prince, was dressed to match his dad, but without the badges. He had brown hair like his father and deep blue eyes that reminded me of the sea.

The queen wore a blue lavish dress to match her family, and her hair was as black as the night. She also had blue eyes she had given to her son, but

the queen herself was an anomaly; she was always kind of... there, and I've never heard her say a word.

Together, they all wore crowns that were worth far more than us, a representation of how far my dreams truly were.

I sat back on the sofa. I wanted to have what they had. Scratch that. I wanted to be who they were.

It's not fair.

Before my thoughts could reach out and consume me, I heard a strong voice ring throughout the stadium.

"Citizens of Calypso! I thank you all for coming here today. We, the royal family, are so glad to meet our citizens and be among the general public!

Lies.

"We have gathered here to discuss a very serious matter, many of you would not be unfamiliar with it."

Oh? Wonder what it is.

"The topic of today's announcement is The Children of Aster."

Now I'm completely hooked. The Children of Aster is a common fairytale. I've only read it about a hundred times.

"Many of you will know the story from various children's books, but for those unfamiliar, I will retell the tale. The Children of Aster are twelve children of the Gods, the stars themselves, who would be sent down to help our country. They could repair the sky, heal the mind, and take down nations."

Something's coming.

"That is the general tale, and I am glad to announce... that The Children of Aster are very real and living among us, but they themselves do not know of their true identity."

A murmur traveled through the crowd.

"No way!" Lydia exclaimed next to me.

"That's so cool!" Damian added.

Cyrus just looked... shocked, maybe? I get it, I'm shocked too. I'd kill to be a child of Aster.

"The information that we received from The Royal Oracle shows that The Children of Aster would have been born about eighteen years ago. We do not know the exact date, but keep in mind that they would all have been born on the same day."

About eighteen years ago? I'm going to be eighteen in two months... could I be... a child of Aster?

"Upon finding a child of Aster, they will be escorted to the capital of Calypso, Altair, where they will stay in the royal palace and join my court as an extended member of the royal family."

No way. My heart raced. That's everything I've ever wanted. I have to be a child of Aster. If not I... if not.

"A child of Aster could be anyone, even citizens like you, who are not so... blessed with magic ability. So as your king, I ask one thing of you: please, if you find yourself to be a child of Aster, turn yourself in, and serve your kingdom. That is all."

After he dropped that bombshell, the king turned to leave, escorted by his personal guard. The square was unusually quiet. It was understandable; many were questioning if they could be a child of Aster, including me.

I had to be a child of Aster.

I am going to be a child of Aster.