The morning of the grand annual meeting dawned bright and clear over Titania. The sky was a perfect azure, unmarred by even a single cloud, as if nature itself wished to honor the occasion. Permeus guessed he owed that to Naia. It was not surprising for the benevolent Origin of Nature to drop a little generosity on them. She may not have been a member of the council but a good friend still.

  Throughout the realm, titans prepared for the day’s festivities, hanging colorful banners from buildings and strewing flower petals along the major thoroughfares of the city.

  In the royal castle, Permeus and his family made final preparations for their ceremonial ride to the citadel. Servants bustled about, polishing silver, arranging flowers, and attending to the thousands of details necessary for such an important occasion. It wasn’t very necessary to decorate the royal castle though, almost all the festivities in the coming days would take place at the citadel. The royal castle would only host Desia since Permeus’s sister did love the twins almost as much as they loved her.

  “Father, are there any new uncles and aunts coming this year?” Kara asked.

  Permeus gave a look back to his daughters on hearing the question, kneeling between them. Both their eyes were wide with excitement as Imara’s handmaidens adjusted the newly sewn ribbons in their hair.

  “I only know of one honestly little one,” Permeus answered

  “Aunt Dalia?” Amara replied

  “How did you know?” Permeus asked, genuinely surprised

  “I might have gone through your briefings,” she admitted guiltily

  “Do you always go through my briefings?” Permeus asked

  “Sometimes,” Amara confessed

  “Sweetie, that is wrong,” Imara said, putting her hands on the little girl’s shoulders

  “It’s not like father ever goes through them,” Amara replied.

  That little statement put a strained look on Imara’s face but a smile on Permeus’.

  “I guess that is fair,” he said while ruffling her hair

  “Hey, they just brushed this,” Amara protested.

  “Well then, they will have to brush it again,” Permeus replied

  Amara continued desperately trying to push her father’s hands out of her hair whilst giggling frantically. Throughout that time, Kara was struggling to keep still as another servant fastened tiny pearl buttons on her also new and matching ceremonial dress. Permeus exchanged a glance with Imara, who then moved to keep their daughter still and make the work easier for the titan. He himself finally released Amara, allowing her hair to be fixed.

  “Anyway,” Permeus began

  “Yes, Aunt Dalia will be coming,” Imara added.

  “This will be her first visit to our realm,” she continued

  “This will be her first time outside her own realm,” Permeus corrected

  “Anyway,” Imara said, ignoring Permeus’ remark

  “It is our job to make her feel especially welcome.” She added

  “Is she scary?” Kara asked.

  “What?” Imara said with a startle in her voice

  “Some servants say her realm is always dark.” Kara explained.

  “The whole underworld is always dark, my dear,” Permeus argued

  “But they say her realm is darker,” Kara argued further

  Permeus chuckled, tapping his daughter gently on the nose.

  “The Nightrealm is darker, but I assure you it isn’t scary,” he assured her

  “It is just different from the other realms,” he admitted

  “Because of the chasm,” Kara asked

  “Trust me,little one; there is nothing to fear about that chasm,” Permeus promised

  “So I should not fear Aunt Dalia,” the little girl asked

  “Exactly,” Permeus said

  Imara simply smiled down, resplendent in a gown of deep emerald. Tiny diamonds adorned her elaborate updo. Normally a million things would have been going through his head, but with how beautiful she looked at that moment, he couldn’t imagine anything else but being alone with her right now.

  “Come, girls,” she said, half giggling

  “Go off with Leta to fetch your cloaks,” she instructed gently.

  “But we don’t want to wear our cloaks,” Kara protested

  “Yes, we want everyone to see our new dresses,” Amara said, supporting her sister

  “But the morning air will be cool during our ride, and you will be cold.” Imara reminded them.

  “But..” Kara said, beginning to protest some more

  “Hey, everyone will see your new dresses at the citadel,” he reminded them

  “Now obey your mother,” he said, still kneeling

  “Okay,” they said in unison.

  As the twins scampered off with their nursemaid, Imara turned to Permeus, adjusting the golden circlet on his brow.

  “You look every inch the king today,” she murmured, her light green eyes searching his face.

  “Tell that to my siblings,” he jested

  Permeus then caught her hand and pressed a kiss to her palm.

  “And you outshine every queen that I know,” he replied with a smile that still held the power to make her heart race after years of marriage.

  “Even the ones that are your sisters” Imara asked

  “Especially them,” Permeus assured her with a smile.

  A knock at the door interrupted their moment. A page entered, bowing low.

  “Your Majesties, the royal carriage awaits, and Germaine reports the city is ready for your procession.”

  “Thank you,” Permeus replied with a nod. “Tell Germaine we shall join him shortly.”

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  As the page departed, Permeus turned back to Imara. “Are you ready for the spectacle, Ima?”

  Imara smiled, though a hint of worry shadowed her eyes.

  “I knew when I married you, there would always be spectacle. "

  “Glad I have not disappointed,” Permeus replied

  “Hopefully, there is no out of the gate tension between you and Darkeus,” she prayed, “you know, again.”

  “There will,” Permeus replied with a careless shrug. “There always is... but today is a celebration of fifty years of our union.”

  “I doubt even Darkeus can’t find fault with that in the air,” He continued

  “Can’t he?” Imara murmured, but said nothing more than the twins returned, wrapped in delicate cloaks of silver tissue.

  Together, the royal family made their way through the marble halls of the castle to the main courtyard, where an open carriage awaited them.

  Unlike the everyday conveyances used throughout the realm, this carriage was a masterpiece of artistry carved from pale wood and inlaid with mother-of-pearl and silver. Four magnificent white Pegasi were harnessed to it, and someone carefully groomed their feathered wings until they gleamed in the morning sun.

  Permeus helped his wife and daughters into the carriage before taking his own seat. At his signal, the Pegasi spread their wings, and the carriage rose a few feet off the ground, hovering steadily.

  “Forward,” Permeus commanded, and the procession began.

  As they passed through the castle gates and into the city proper, the citizens of Titania burst into cheers. Titans of all ages lined the streets, waving banners and throwing flowers in the path of the royal carriage.

  Children sat on their parents’ shoulders for a better view, their faces alight with wonder at the sight of their king and his family. The city was not always so animated when Permeus rode through. It, in fact, had not been so for a while, but on a day such as this, they always had to be glad.

  “Wave, my darlings,” Imara instructed the twins.

  Both enthusiastically obliged, their small hands fluttering like birds’ wings.

  Permeus surveyed the scene with satisfaction, basking in the slightly rare adoration of his people. He wore royal blue robes trimmed with gold, and he brushed his curly light-brown hair to a shine beneath his golden crown. His blue eyes, the same hue as the summer sky, reflected both pride and genuine affection for the titans who cheered his passage.

  The procession wound through the major streets of the city before climbing the gently sloping hill that led to the citadel. Admittedly, unlike the royal castle, the citadel was a structure of pure fantasy come to life, and that was saying something in the realm of Titania. It was a gleaming edifice of white crystal that seemed to capture and amplify the sunlight. Domes of gold and silver topped its towers, and everyone in the realm could see them soaring impossibly high.

  As they approached, the massive gates of the citadel swung open, revealing a grand courtyard within. The carriage came to a gentle stop before the main steps, where Germaine and Greta awaited them.

  Germaine stood tall and dignified, his silver skin gleaming like polished metal in the morning light. His short grey hair was neatly combed, and his light blue eyes were alert and watchful. He wore formal robes of deep blue, similar to but distinct from the royal attire, marking him as the king’s high steward.

  Beside him, Greta appeared equally regal in a gown of midnight blue that complemented her deep blue hair and silver skin.

  As Permeus descended from the carriage and helped his family down, Germaine stepped forward with a formal bow.

  “Your Majesties, the citadel is prepared, and by the looks of it, the first of your royal guests will arrive soon.” He informed them.

  “Excellent work as always, old friend,” Permeus replied with a nod of acknowledgment. “I trust all went smoothly with the preparations?”

  A flicker of something, perhaps frustration, crossed Germaine’s face briefly before his expression returned to its usual stoic professionalism.

  “Indeed, Your Majesty. We have tried to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the union appropriately.”

  “I would expect nothing less,” Permeus said, clapping Germaine on the shoulder before turning to face the gates.

  Beyond the citadel walls, the titans had gathered in their thousands, eager to witness the arrival of the other Origins. The atmosphere was electric with anticipation, a holiday mood that infected everyone from the youngest child to the most elderly titan.

  The royal family, accompanied by Germaine and Greta, took their positions on the grand steps of the citadel. The twins could barely contain their excitement, fidgeting in place despite their mother’s gentle reminders to stand still.

  “Look!” cried Kara suddenly, pointing skyward.

  A murmur ran through the crowd as all eyes turned upward. Approaching from the east was a spectacular flying carriage, borne not by Pegasi but by horses formed entirely of swirling wind. The carriage itself seemed to be crafted from solidified clouds, changing shape slightly as it moved through the air.

  “Uncle Aerus!” the twins exclaimed in unison as the carriage descended gracefully to land before the steps.

  From it emerged Aerus, the Origin of Wind, a tall, slender figure with hair the color of storm clouds and eyes that shifted between gray and silver like the sky before rain. His robes, pale gray and flowing, seemed to move even when he stood still, as if constantly caressed by invisible breezes.

  “Aea!” Permeus called out, descending the steps to embrace him.

  “Welcome to Titania.”

  “Always a pleasure,” Aerus replied.

  “Look at that?” Aerus said slightly surprised

  “Look at what?” Permeus asked innocently

  “You actually look a king today,” he continued

  “And you look happy... for once,” Permeus shot back

  “Well, fifty years is no mere achievement, such a celebration calls for calm winds,” Aerus elaborated

  “Well then, let us hope for calm winds” Permeus said finally, releasing his brother from the embrace

  Next to arrive was a carriage unlike any other — a massive conveyance that seemed to be hewn from a single block of granite, pulled not by horses but by four stone giants whose every movement caused the ground to tremble slightly. The carriage rolled to a stop with a ponderous finality, and from it stepped Golobus, the Origin of Earth.

  Where Aerus was air and movement, Golobus was solidity incarnate — broad-shouldered and powerful, with skin the rich brown of fertile soil and eyes the deep green of forests. His beard, threaded with what appeared to be tiny flowers and gemstones, reached nearly to his waist, and his robes were the colors of autumn leaves.

  “Golo,” Permeus greeted him with a formal bow. “Your presence honors us.”

  “Permeus,” Golobus replied, his voice as deep and resonant as an earthquake.

  “Your realm is still standing.” Golobus said, feigning amazement.

  “And yours too. How is the giant-human conflict going, by the way,” Permeus asked.

  “I shall have that handled,” Golobus replied

  “Though I doubt you know what it means to handle anything,” he added.

  “Be cautious or I might handle you right here,” Permeus said before the two of them shared a hearty laugh.

  Permeus was no stranger to japes from his siblings, and he had instead grown immensely accustomed to them. For many of them, such as Aerus, Golobus, Desia and Imaia, he could simply answer back with similar smart remarks. It was only from Dephenus and Helus where he got serious criticism, and then his relations with Darkeus extra violent. He had gotten a knack for managing all seven of his siblings and had even made a game of it with four of them.

  He had only hoped Dalia would be closer to Aerus and Golobus rather than Darkeus. Another underworlder he had to argue with at these meetings would be the last straw.

  A hush fell over the crowd, disturbing his thoughts as the next carriage appeared, pulled by four pure white stallions whose hooves seemed to barely touch the ground as they trotted forward. The carriage itself was elegant in its simplicity, crafted from pale wood and decorated with intricate carvings that seemed to tell stories if one looked closely enough.

  From it emerged Desia, the Origin of Fate, her light brown hair arranged in an elaborate style adorned with tiny silver stars, her sky-blue eyes bright with intelligence and warmth. Her purple dress, more elegant than ever, shimmered with tiny threads of silver that caught the light as she moved.

  Unlike the formal greetings exchanged with the previous Origins, Desia’s arrival brought genuine warmth. She embraced, kissed Imara on both cheeks, and knelt to receive enthusiastic hugs from the twins, who adored their “Auntie Desia” for the stories she told them and the small prophecies she whispered in their ears and simple illusions she manifested before their eyes.

  “You both have grown at least an inch since I saw you last,” she declared, tweaking their noses playfully. “Soon you’ll be taller than me”

  “That’s not really saying much Dede!” Permeus added

  Desia simply shot him a deadly look meanwhile the twins giggled, delighted by her attention and his humor, before their mother gently ushered them back into position as another carriage approached.

  This one cast a palpable chill over the gathering. Pulled by horses formed of living shadow, their eyes glowing with an eerie red light, the carriage was a study in darkness: black wood inlaid with what appeared to be bones, and guarded by figures that seemed more absence of light than actual beings.

  Darkeus, the Origin of Death, stepped out with deliberate slowness, his long black hair falling like a curtain around his pale face. His black robes were trimmed with deep crimson that brought to mind nothing so much as freshly spilled blood.

  “Darkeus” Permeus said, his voice noticeably cooler than it had been with the others. “Welcome to Titania.”

  “Permeus,” Darkeus replied, his tone equally frigid. “Your realm is... bright, as always.”

  An uncomfortable silence stretched between them, broken only when Desia stepped forward, placing herself physically between the two Origins.

  “Darkeus,” she said warmly, embracing him without hesitation. “How wonderful to see you again.”

  The tension eased slightly as Darkeus returned Desia’s embrace with what appeared to be genuine affection.

  “It is always wonderful to see you too sweet sister,” he replied, his voice losing some of its edge.

  Before the moment could become more strained, another carriage appeared on the horizon — one that drew gasps even from the Origins themselves. It was formed entirely of water crystal, green as the sea. Permeus was already preparing his handshake for Dephenus and his clapback for Imaia. Though he nor anyone else would have expected who would come out.