Rainbow Crown Novels & Stories

The robot looked up at me with one remaining fake eye. “Princess,” it repeated mechanically. I shoved the shotgun directly into its mouth. “You should have picked a less creepy nickname.” BOOM. Its entire head exploded apart. Silence. Heavy breathing filled the destroyed restaurant while smoke drifted through the air slowly. Bodies everywhere. Blood everywhere. Broken glass. Bullet holes. Absolute chaos. And in the middle of it… Rico was gone. That coward escaped during the madness. I lowered the shotgun slowly, my chest rising heavily while adrenaline still burned through my body.

The commotion in the crowd was reaching a fever pitch. Some were even gearing up to storm the stage to stop me when suddenly, the banquet hall doors slammed open. The screech of brakes violently cut through the downpour. It was not just one car that had arrived, but an entire motorcade of six black armored Hummers that crashed right through the glass walls of the banquet hall, sending shards flying everywhere. The car doors swung open in unison, and a stream of figures in black poured into the banquet hall.

I said. Sebastian turned, his eyes cautious. "Anna has been by my side for years, as close as a sister. Now that she's about to walk down the aisle, it's up to me, her big sis, to hook her up with the most epic wedding gift ever, so she can make her exit in style," I said, my voice steady and clear enough for everyone up front to catch every single word. "And now that Anna's expecting, she needs extra care and protection. All the prenatal vitamins, baby clothes–nothing's going to be missing from the Caruso household."

Sanctioned means no one touches you—unless someone higher says they can. Caelric steps closer. “Where is the token.” The attacker’s eyes flick down, terrified. Soryn’s grip tightens, and the man whimpers. “Pocket—inside—” Caelric reaches in and pulls out something small. Metal. A coin-sized medallion. Even from across the room I can see the etching—too clean, too official. A crown shape. A vertical line through it like a blade. My blood turns cold. Caelric’s face doesn’t change, but his eyes harden into something I’ve only seen right before people disappear.

Wade, seated in a wheelchair, was wheeled out. I stood by him, clad in black with lips painted a fierce red. My high heels crushed rose petals beneath, like a harbinger of doom. "Elena…" Rosa went ghostly white, gripping Marco's sleeve, shaking like a leaf. Marco tried to keep his cool, bellowing. "Elena! This is my wedding day! Are you trying to stage a coup right now?" I let out a soft laugh and clapped my hands. Four guards hoisted a massive golden broadsword into view.

“I know.” A small, breathless smile curved his mouth. “And I love you too,” she whispered. Below them, the lake caught the light and held it, and the forest around it carried that warmth inward—through root and stone, through corridor and heart—until it reached the quieter halls of the palace, where another choice waited with equal patience. Corren stood alone in the Hall of Roots, the Verdant Crown resting upon its living pedestal. It was not forged by fire but shaped by time—wood veined with gold, leaves eternally green along its arch. The chamber smelled of earth and rain, ancient and steady.

All I hear is, "By the power vested upon me, you will become the queen of Evergreen, from today until forever!" A maid removes my crown and my father stands up. He walks next to the high priest. The priest takes a few steps back and my father takes the queen's crown. Gently, he crowns me with it and says, "I am so proud of you!" I force a smile and curtsy as father nods and goes back into his place. I face the crowd once and for all. The high priest announces, "Ladies and Gentlemen, Children, world-- help me welcome the new Queen of Evergreen, Aurora Wintershade!"

Us girls were introduced one by one as we entered the hall. This was the first time that the princess was present during an event. She had dark brown hair that flowed over her shoulders to her lower back and wore a gold and diamond dress. The most peculiar thing about her though was that her eyes were two different colours. Her left eye was a vivid shade of blue, while her left was dark brown. She did not look as outgoing as her brothers, but rather more reserved and shy.

"That crappy orchard your brother bought. It’s got quite a bit of rosemary in it. Ha! Not only has that dump never made a single dime, we still have to pay a crew to maintain it every year." A thought flickered in my mind. I knew that place. The orchard sat on a ruined silver mine, its trees drawing on the soil and the breath of silver for years, gaining a power to ward off evil. The Haunts came with the wind, but silver tamed the wind. Those trees were worth far more than my mother and brother could ever imagine. If my infant spirits had wielded weapons made from that wood, they would have been unstoppable.

Her crown fell to the marble floor with a clear clang, there seems also to be a clanging sound of someone's sword falling to the ground outside the palace gates. The deep red gem on the crown shattered and scattered. Warm blood down the steps on the cold ground, slowly spreading, reminiscent of the shallow creek she used to play in barefoot as a child. This golden hall of Avalon became her grave, swallowing her bones, burying her life. Outside, the sun shone on the snow, melting it bit by bit…