~DANIEL~

I stared at those vivid turquoise eyes as I came out of a trance like state. I could feel the magic flowing through me, glazing down my arm, revealing a line of goosebumps. My heart was racing, my body feeling, a mixture of emotions from adoration to fear.

I admired the woman before me, who had sealed our fates. The realization that our roles as knights were set in stone, but I also felt afraid. I feared, I wasn’t strong enough to protect someone so important to the gods, to our galaxy.

I followed the others, remaining in our kneeled position, long after the oath was complete. I allowed my angel to seep into my mind, using a small dose of his power to check if she was okay. Her pale complexion had simply worsened and her wide eyes displayed a sense of shock.

“I’m royalty?” She whispered.

We all nodded. I could feel the other’s emotions surge through our mental bond, their minds just as frantic and confused as I was. I sensed their anxiety and concerns as well as their renewed compassion and love for the woman before us.

I felt my eyes go wide as I noticed her blood pressure drop dramatically, her eyes glazing over before her knees buckled. SHIT!

I was up and moving forward before the others realized what was happening, catching her in my arms before she hit the ground. I cradled her gently, making sure she was aligned properly on the floor before placing my hand over her chest, allowing my angel to take full control. He was just as concerned as I was and I could feel his panic mixing with my own until we were both reassured that she was fine.

I felt the others crowd around me, their faces filled with worry. After a minute, my angel retreated, giving me control of my body again.

“She will be fine. It’s the shock, as well as the bond she created that contributed to the drop in her blood pressure. It took a significant amount of energy out of her. She simply needs to rest and consume food for energy.” He encouraged. I breathed a sigh of relief, silently thanking him before noticing the newly formed mark on my left hand, its gold eccentric swirls spread across the back of my hand, reminding me of the similar Celtic knot work that resided on my shoulder blades.

“Is she okay, Daniel?” Elias questioned, his usual indifferent voice replaced with panic. It was unusual to see him with such an expression on his face. He usually appeared emotionless or tried his best to be; especially to those he wasn’t close too. Complete opposite of EliaseAnne. She was full of emotions, settling mostly on smiling or laughing. Polar opposites of each other.

“She just fainted. The bond drained her significantly. The revelation we just dropped on her didn’t help either.” I commented, before lifting her up as I rose to my feet. She needs rest and maybe a scan to make sure she’ll recover properly.

“Let’s take her to Karen.” Ryder insisted as he jumped to his feet, Marcus and Elias following his lead. I could sense their urgency which made me feel just as compelled to rush her over to Karen, Minato’s best healer. She needed to be seen by a professional to make sure her body was recovering accordingly and Karen was one of the few I trusted. I knew my angel’s abilities were stronger, but her vast knowledge and skills were greater than my twenty-five cycle life experience. In Mako’s case, I wouldn’t be careless. I wasn’t planning on losing her.

“Let’s go.” I ordered, walking towards the door.

I couldn’t believe we found her, our princess and soon to be salvation.

***

 

~MAKO~

I let out a moan as the pain of my pounding head continued. Did my brain turn into a fucking drum? Goodness gracious, this must stop.

I felt Hope, nudge into my mind, but I was exhausted, far too weak to try and heal myself. What the hell happened to me?

“Long story short, you found out our Owner was an evil mastermind, kidnapped us as an act of revenge against the King. Those boys who saved you from your demise became your badass star knight protectors, who the Starlight gods bestowed upon you. Oh, and you’re the lost Princess of Heila…did I miss anything?” Rose explained, without a speck of emotion.

“I think you summarized it well.” Lexi agreed.

“I don’t think we’re helping here.” Hope pointed out, concern flowing from her angelic voice.

“Mako, are you okay love?” Lily asked. I groaned.

“My head feels like I smashed it one-hundred times. Do I have a bloody concussion? Dammit, Rose! You never told me it would hurt this much.” I complained, squeezing my eyes even harder, wishing for sleep to whisk me away from this agonizing torture.

“You don’t have a concussion.” Rose insisted.

I let out another groan, having no tolerance to argue with her. The pounding was nauseating and made me feel like I was spinning, even with my eyes closed. I felt a hand brush against my forehead.

“Mako, what hurts? Let me help.”

I heard Daniel’s plea through the pounding, his voice was low, as to not add to the drumline marching in my head. He at least understood talking loud doesn’t help anyone with a headache.

“My head won’t stop pounding.” I whined, keeping my eyes shut.

I knew any type of light would just overstimulate my senses, making this bloody headache even more lethal than it already was. If headaches could kill…this would do the job rather nicely.

“Thank goodness they don’t kill because I’d personally miss your talkative nature. Give me a second.” He reassured me.

I wanted to groan at my spoken thoughts, but at this point, I couldn’t care less. I just wanted this headache to be gone, though, my heart did swell with happiness at his comment.

I felt a warm sensation surround my body. It started from where Daniel placed his hand on my forehead, descending downward. I could feel the pounding gradually decrease. I sighed in relief as it eventually ceased. I took the opportunity to open my eyes slowly. When my eyes focused to the bright light, Daniel appeared before me with a soft smile.

Well, it was Daniel, but clearly from the way his eyes shimmered a glamorous gold, I realized his angel was in control. I felt Hope rush forward, still giving me control, but watching from behind the scenes. It was our first time seeing another angel spirit so we couldn’t help but be intrigued.

“Thank you.” I whispered, hoping the gratitude in my voice was enough to show how truly thankful I was for his assistance. His smile widened, revealing his perfect white teeth. Now, he really looked like he was radiating immaculate perfection. Oh, Starlight gods, you outdid yourselves with the angel race. Their beauty has no ends.

He chuckled, his voice flowing out like a hymn.

“You are truly amusing Princess. I’m honoured to be at your service. If you ever require my assistance, I’m only a call away.” He hummed, bowing his head as he pressed his hand against his chest.

“Till we meet again.” He concluded, his eyes returned to their original golden appearance. I watched as Daniel blinked a few times before relief filled his face.

“Hi.” I whispered, a smile forming on my dry lips. I still felt exhausted but much better than before. He gently placed his hand against my cheek.

“Hey…headache gone?” He asked, raising an eyebrow. I nodded, slowly.

“Besides the fact I feel like I got tackled by a bear shifter, my head feels wonderful. Thank you.” I replied, causing him to laugh, the sound so rich with affection, it made my ears crave for more.

“I better tell the others you’re awake before they plan my execution. I really don’t want to deal with Ryder’s demon. I think we’ve had enough surprises for today. I’ll be right back.” Daniel reassured me. He gave me a gentle pat on my head before turning around, walking out of the room.

This gave me a moment alone, to look around my new environment. It looked similar to the health centre back at the facility; same white curtains, monitors, equipment and machinery. Beside the black table at the end of my bed, the computer chair with a white lab coat neatly placed on top, and the white board against the wall, everything was the same, just in a different arrangement.

I decided to continue taking advantage of my alone time to ponder about the revelation that I had just received before passing out. I’m a princess; a stolen princess may I remind you, of some Realm called Heila and now have four loyal star knights who will protect and serve me while we’re guided by the Starlight gods to fight this darkness and retrieve salvation for all shifters. Anything else I’m missing?

“You being a princess also means we’re not orphans anymore.” Rose hinted.

“Well, technically speaking, we weren’t orphans to begin with.” Hope pointed out.

“I’m curious as to what your siblings are like.” Lily wondered.

“If this Goddess of Destruction, Nightmare blessed us and said she would guide our path, why have we been held captive with that sinister jerk for all these cycles?” Lexi explained, anger seeping through her calm toned voice.

I sighed, taking their comments into consideration. Now that I had family, would they even like me and Lexi had a point. Nightmare did say she would guide me, but I’ve never met her. Maybe I wasn’t to her liking and she decided to abandon me? That’s depressing; being rejected by a Goddess.

I allowed my eyes to wander around the room, anything to distract me from my inner thoughts. The room was small, just enough to fit two beds, curtains dividing the space. In front of my bed was a black table, a stack of folders on one end, a computer on the other.

I lifted my left hand, noticing the probe on my index finger. I had a general idea of what was considered normal vital signs from the numerous experiments I was forced to indulge in back at the facility. They always had to make sure we were ranked healthy before they tortured us with their various methods of testing.

Oxygen saturation-100%, heart rate-103bpm, blood pressure- 86/60. Damn, my blood pressure was low! No wonder I felt dizzy and had fainted, ignoring the fact I got bombarded with the shocking truth of my birthright and have been blessed with four sexy men. Yup, no biggie.

I noticed a small mirror on the desk on my right. I sat up slowly, knowing from experience sitting straight up after being unconscious for a while wouldn’t do me any favours, and I would likely find myself falling back into the darkness of unconsciousness, especially with how low my blood pressure was. I reached out and grabbed it, taking the chance to see the collateral damage.

Geez, I looked horrendous. My hair was a tangled fiasco, like it just survived a tornado. My skin was paler than my norm, even for my usual colourless like complexion. My blue eyes usual vibrant glow was now dulled from exhaustion, and my lips were dry and severely cracked. Overall, I seriously looked like shit. I frowned as a sigh escaped me, allowing myself to lay back down.

I really need a long bath…in luxurious hot water…and bubbles. I like bubbles.

“That can be arranged once we get back if you’re not exhausted.” A voice announced.

I turned my head to the doorway on my right to see Daniel had returned with the others, as well as the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. I felt my jaw drop as my eyes descended, taking as much time to look at the glorious being before me.

She had bountiful gold hair, curls that were full and bounced as she walked. She was six-foot tall, her green heels contributing to her glorious height. She was slim with a small chest, and a nice hourglass figure. She had brilliant emerald eyes, wearing gold rimmed glasses that sat perfectly on her long-pointed nose, complimenting her rosy pink cheeks.

Her legs were covered in amazing Celtic markings, from her thigh to ankle, making her intentions in displaying her power and knowledge, clear. The more markings you had on your body, the stronger you were.

Markings were like tattoos. They appeared on your body for a number of reasons. Some appeared right at birth, becoming the shifters birthmark and can reveal a shifter’s main attributes or elements. Others receive markings during their lifespan, through training or enhancing one’s abilities in both physical and mental growth.

What in Starlight’s grace is she? Is she an angel? She must be an angel…if I’m wrong, I’ll take another first-class tick –

“No more first-class tickets to hell! Just because someone is utterly gorgeous, doesn’t mean they’re an angel. As much as I hate your moments of stupidity, I wouldn’t wish you to rot in those endless flames due to your cluelessness on other races besides from the four you know.” Rose huffed, angrily.

“But…what other race could she possibly be looking like a runway model that descended from Starlight heaven to grace us with her appearance?” I blurted out, followed by slamming my hand over my mouth, as I realized I said my remark out loud, again.

The woman laughed, and even that was an amazingly beautiful sound. She approached my bed.

“The boys gave me a brief understanding of what you are like and they warned me you had the tendency to talk out loud. I have to admit, it's adorable.” She beamed. Maybe I should pray for that death inducing headache so I can avoid this moment of embarrassment. I felt my cheeks flush as I put my head in my hands.

“Kill me now.” I groaned.

“Don’t be silly. I think that’s a simple coping mechanism for your brain. I only assume it can be very crowded with four different spirits. I’m impressed by your level of stability. Many succumb to their spirit’s dissimilarities, resulting in serious mental trauma and disorders. Your spirits must love you immensely to coexist with one another.” She explained as she smiled innocently.

Thus, I’m not a crazy lunatic and wow you guys love me? Aw, you should say it more often.

“This fairy shouldn’t sputter nonsense. I don’t care if they can read emotions. Such a hindrance.” Rose muttered, returning to her designated space in my mind with a huff.

“Oh C’mon. The truth shall set you free.” I poked at Rose.

“Oh, Rose doesn’t agree with you.” I exclaimed to the newcomer. Wait a minute…

“YOU’RE A FAIRY! Like…those mythical creatures with transparent glittering wings!” I beamed, sitting straight up, which was a stupid move on my part as the blood rushed to my head, making everything spin. A pair of hands pressed against my arms, steadying me.

“Easy there, Firefly. I swear, where does all that energy come from? You’re not in any position to be so enthusiastic.” Marcus emphasized, lowering me back down on the bed. Firefly…I like it.

“But…she’s a fairy…a pretty one.” I complained. I wonder if Unicorn shifters exist.

“Yes, I’m a fairy shifter. We’re extremely rare race, so you have every right to get excited. We usually have green eyes, but others can have pink.” She gestured, her finger pointing to her green eyes as an example.

I turned my head to Elias, who was leaning against the white board. He sure loves to lean on everything…

He noticed my stare, rolling his eyes.

“Just because I have green eyes, doesn’t mean shit. Don’t listen to her.” He muttered. I frowned.

“You're too grumpy to be a fairy. What fairy mopes all the time? You’re like the Grinch from that storybook during Christmas… but you’re a Grinch all cycle on.” I uttered, side glancing to look at the floor.

Marcus smiled, walking over to Elias and patting his shoulder lightly.

“Our princess has appointed you as too inadequate to be a fairy! In all my cycles, I’ve never enjoyed such female company. Are all girls like this?” He inquired.

I smiled triumphantly, feeling overjoyed. It had been so long since anyone had been so complimentary to me, and when I say anyone, I mean the Owner, that I was enjoying being complimented by these men.

“Sorry to be the one to tell you this, but, I’m one of a kind.” I gleamed.

The others groaned, Marcus unable to stop himself from laughing.

“Now, I should introduce myself. My name is Karen Knightly. I’m the daughter of the headmaster of Knightwood. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Princess Rosalina.” She bowed deeply.

“Who’s Rosalina?” I asked, confused.

“Ah, we didn’t get to tell her.” Daniel confessed to Karen.

“Your real name isn’t Makoto. I honestly don’t know how you got that name. Your real birth name is Rosalina Makenzie Heart. Maybe King Aspen decided Makoto would be close to your middle name or something.” Ryder offered, allowing his hand to brush through his messy hair.

I took a minute to contemplate the new information, frowning at the thought of changing my name. Sure, Rosalina was indeed nice, but I liked Makoto better, at least for now. I felt a hand caress my cheek, bringing me out of my thoughts.

“You don’t need to change your name if you don’t want to. We’ll call you whatever name you like. I also think it would be good to keep your Royal status on the down low here. Not everyone has good intentions when it comes to us.” Ryder insisted. I felt my body relax at his touch, soothing my anxiety instantly. He must have some type of magic that does that.

“I think that’s enough information for one day, don’t you all agree? I best believe Makoto should get some rest. I’ve already informed the headmaster of her enrollment here at Knightwood, and Professor Oxwell will contact Heila and inform them of your successful mission. He insisted we take the slower route for insurance of secrecy, so one of our agents will head to Heila and inform Kai to tell the King and Queen.” Karen revealed, clapping her hands together.

“Enrollment…enroll in what?” I asked, fighting a yawn.

“Knightwood – Minato’s unrivaled Knight Academy, top ranked in all the realms. We were established to train the best of the best, morphing average qualifying shifters into elite Knights across the realms, to protect and serve. Seeing as the boys are already enrolled and it’s the middle of the semester, you might as well join them. You’d be a good attribute with your knowledge and magic skills. I personally think it’s better than staying home all day long, waiting for our messenger to return, which could take weeks.” Karen elaborated, calmly.

“Well then…guess I’m going to school.” I concluded.

Now this should be interesting.