Back to Atlantis

Her dress was light red, almost hot pink, and she looked striking with her hair in a bun. She wore sports shoes, and didn’t seem impressed by the room at all.
The ballroom was one of the grandest rooms in the palace. With two floors, balconies, exits into the royal gardens, marble floors, and chandeliers everyone loved attending balls. The music was amazing—Apparently—and the whole room was made of marble, with a live band in the corner.
“Hey there! You must be Yasmin!”
Yasmin turned around, apparently alone, because Miriam was sneaking off to look for food.
The stranger was a gorgeous woman in her twenties with long black hair, very red lips, and a smile that took up half her face, outlined by very sharp and keen eyes. Her dress was deep red, almost purple, with a right shoulder strap, and a skirt stopping at the knees. Her hair was done up in a braid, wrapped around her head like a crown, and she wore a large ruby necklace.
She looked like a princess. Yasmin’s eyes widened. She felt like a little girl, dreaming about princes, princesses, and evil witches.
“Um…” Yasmin had so many questions she wanted to ask, but she could only say, “Who are you?”
“Oh, how impolite of me! Mother would have my head on a platter.” The woman made a face. “My name is Princess Amanda, but you can call me Amanda or Amy. It only seems fair, you being my brother’s girlfriend.”
“You’re David’s sister?!” Yasmin felt a thousand emotions at once.
Feeling surprised and amazed, she felt her face burn red, with shame and embarrassment. “I can’t be his girlfriend if he has a fiancée,” she said miserably.
Honestly, what she felt about David was so complicated, she didn’t even know where to start untangling her feelings.
“He can’t choose. That’s the price of being royalty.” Princess Amanda’s face held some sort of apology that Yasmin wasn’t accepting.
“Then why did he become my boyfriend?” she declared angrily, forgetting where she was.
The quiet talk of the ballroom stopped, and everyone turned to look at her.
Yasmin glared at them momentarily, then turned her gaze back to Princess Amanda.
“I don’t know,” Princess Amanda said sadly, treating Yasmin as an equal. “If I had to guess, I’d say he loves you, and that he wants to end the marriage alliance.”
“Then why doesn’t he stop the alliance?” she asked. “He’s not doing anything! Was I just an amusement?!” She was spilling all her feelings now, vibrating with hurt and anger. “What’s wrong with him!?”
“He can’t fight his mother.” That sentence simple and quiet, made Yasmin instantly hate the royal family.
“So that’s it?! He becomes a coward!”
Turning on her heel, Yasmin marched away, looking for Miriam, who she knew might help. She had finally located her, chatting with Daniella, who looked perfectly comfortable standing near Jon. Just as she stepped toward her, the music stopped and someone spoke.
“Dear guests, thank you for coming!” The voice was clear and high, most likely a female. “My returning son, Prince David, shall begin the first dance with his betrothed, and then we shall introduce the guest of honor!”
People started clapping politely. They made way for a circle in the middle of the dance floor, where an awkward young man with dark hair was taking the hand of a beautiful redhead.
No. Yasmin thought. David looked amazing, dressed in a light green suit and tie, but he looked unhappy, even smiling. Had she not been feeling so hurt, she would have charged in and stopped the dance, taken David away, and talked with him.
Violet looked positively glowing, in a dress the same shade as her eyes, with her straight hair done up in tumbles of curls, and a bright smile on her face. She looked like a carefree fairy, practically floating around the room. Yasmin had never seen anyone so happy. She started to smile in spite of herself and stopped.
Watching the dance and feeling unable to move, Yasmin had a war of emotions going on inside her. It was the same as always, though she hadn’t figured out where the voice came from.
‘You shall never be loved by him.’ A deep voice made Yasmin jump, interrupting her thoughts. Though she didn’t recognize the voice, she felt certain she had heard it before. Perhaps it was the beast? Yasmin frowned.
How could anyone enter her thoughts without permission? She had read books about mind possession, after last spring. And the person whose mind is entered always has to accept it. Otherwise, only a fleeting dream can be disturbed.
But out! Yasmin thought. It is hard enough arguing with myself, so stay away!
‘I can’t believe I ever believed what you said.’ A familiar voice that wasn’t hers—Again!?—entered her head. ‘It was the worst mistake I ever made.’
‘Watch out, Yasmin! The beast will do anything to get to you, and because of me, he has a way into your head!’
Am I going crazy? Yasmin thought. Or crazier? Do all mages have two voices that aren’t theirs arguing ins their head?
She didn’t have a lot of time to think about it though, because just then the first dance ended and the queen announced, “Now introducing the guest of honor. The person my son, David, personally trained for months to fight the rebellion, our secret—not anymore—weapon! Please welcome, the mage!”
Applause filled the ballroom as people searched for the mage. Yasmin wanted to hide. Something wasn’t right.
“My Son?” The queen’s voice sounded strained. “Where is this mage?”
Yasmin’s cheeks burned with anger. She was more than just ‘this mage!’ But she kept silent as David searched the room for her, his eyes dark, as if they had no light in them.
“There is the mage.” David pointed at her. There was no emotion in his voice, and Yasmin felt farther apart from him than she had ever felt.
The queen’s voice was light, though it had an undertone of warning. “Come forward, my dear. Why didn’t you tell me you were the mage?”
Yasmin walked forward, getting a good glimpse of the queen for the