Lunaria is divided into two distinct areas, the Aurelias and the Imperium Lands. The Aurelias consist of bustling towns and cities, with crystal buildings providing shelter to many Lunarians. The main city, Penumbra, is a vast land serving as the house of the crown. In the middle of it is the Great Icy Lake, whose cold waters supply the majority of the nourishment needed by the crystal trees in the city. At the center of the lake lies the Crystal Palace, making an impressive view for all of those who seek to visit it. The cities of Silencia and Mirea were given to the main houses that supported Lunaria during the Reckoning of the Moon: Aireas and Saphiro respectively.
The Saphiro bloodline is known as the Lords of the Sea, with their ultimate control over water and ice. They are the only family brave enough to sail over the 4 Seas of Oblivion and return without a scratch or missing soul. The bright blue eyes and black blue hair and tanned skin from spending all of their time at the sea. Aireas on the other hand were known as the Royal Advisors of Lunaria. Their gray eyes and white hair make them stand out from the rest. Their control over the air is outstanding, with some rumors that they can even steal a person's breath if the Airea is strong enough. Masters of the skies, they can control the weather if they have enough grasp of their nature. A small group of families coming from Verdant and Ardeat also claim Lunaria as their home.
Selene was fast asleep on her bed when she was woken up by her brother Mikael.
"Wake up sleepyhead, it's time to go." He whispered.
"Can we say goodbye to father first?" Selene asked as she wiped the sleep from her eyes.
"Father visited the Crypts of Ice last night and has not come back yet." Her brother replied sadly.
"Oh, okay," Selene said. "Let me wash up for a bit and get ready. Let's meet at the castle gates in an hour"
"Okay. Don't forget to pack some food. I am not sharing with you what I have" her brother slyly said.
After her brother left, Selene got up and went to her bathing suite. Inside is a pool filled with water from the Great Icy Lake. A big window showing the full view of the moon serves as the backdrop. Along the pool, lines are small black candles with magical flames serving as additional light. Selene slowly undressed and submerged herself under the cold water to wake herself up. She took her time preparing herself since she knew these luxuries will be out of reach once she leaves the palace.
Selene dressed simply; a cotton shirt, black pants, and sensible shoes. She tied her hair into a braid and then put on her cloak, checking her reflection again to ensure that when she wears the hood, it would hide her features. At her desk she left a note to her father, telling him that she was off and will be back before the wedding and that her brother is with her. 'it's now or never she thought. She picked up her bag, and went to the palace gates, never looking back.
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Mikael was already at the gates by the time Selene showed up. He was leaning against one of the pillars at the gates and was staring at the sunrise mindlessly.
"I'm here," Selene said as she went to her brother's side.
"You're late" Mikael replied sternly. Mikael was wearing the same simple clothes Selene wore, with his black cloak on top. He was already wearing his hood, which hides his hair and features except for his icy blue eyes. Selene rummaged inside her bag and handed out a potion to him.
"Drink this," she says to her brother. "Your eyes are too distracting and they might identify you there. There are only a few people with eyes as blue as yours in Solaria" she reasoned.
"Good call," Mikael said. He drank the potion in one gulp, grimacing at the taste. "Next time, make your potions a bit tastier."
"Noted on that. It's kind of hard to make the potions taste better without affecting their quality and effectiveness" Selene reasoned as she passed her brother more potions. "The effect will wear off after a day so drink these tomorrow and on succeeding days"
Mikael's eyes slowly went from icy blue to the blackest of black, complementing his already dark hair. "Good thing you're prepared. I kind of forgot that we need to be a bit more incognito than before. What about you?"
"No need. I already look like any other Airea except for my hair, but it's not as defining as your eyes. The Moon Kiss markings are on my back so It won't be seen by anyone."
Mikael nodded at her response and looked at the sunrise again. "We better get going if we want to reach the borders early. The kings already relaxed some of the regulations due to your upcoming wedding and I don't want to be stuck in a very long line at the entrance of Solaria" Mikael started to walk when Selene stopped him.
"Wait!" Selene said "Kai's not here yet"
"You invited her?!" Mikael asked incredulously. "Why on earth did you invite her? I thought this was supposed to be a secret visit to the other kingdom"
"She was interested in what Solaria looks like as well" Selene replied sheepishly. "She hasn't been outside Lunaria too"
Mikael started to rub his temples while his sister explained. He can feel the headache coming.
"Sola is coming too" she quietly said
"Oh my gods, kill me" Mikael groaned. It's bad enough that he has to take care of his sister, but he has to babysit her friends too. "Kill me now please" he pleaded. This will not be a relaxing adventure for him.
"Oh relax, we can take care of ourselves," Selene replied.
"Really? The three of you can take care of yourselves outside Lunaria?" Mikael asked his sister.
"Well… Kai has good skills in controlling water while Sola will surely be at home with all the heat there, so yes, yes we can take care of ourselves." She replied. "And if we can't, you're there to help," She said to her brother shamelessly.
Mikael can do nothing but grovel and groan while waiting for his sister's best friends to arrive, mumbling curses now and then. "Fuck me" he whispered to himself in frustration, when he realizes that the sun has already risen and her friends are still not there.