"Is dad still here?" Derek asked.

"Yes." His sister answered.

Derek looked down at his outfit. It was black. He had black-red eyes, and a black jacket. He also has a bow and arrow on his back.

"Look at me! I need to get ready!" he cried.

"Do you want me to help you after you get your sword?"

Derek sighed and put his arms down.

"I've been ready for a while now. Now leave me alone."

All the Kirkby siblings clearly had unique traits. Adelaide's tail hair is long. Gifferd's nose is flat. Millicent's eye color has blueish blue. They both had long silky, white hair. They wore royal white armor with gold buttons and gold boots.

"You're not going to the ceremony are you?"

"No. I hate those formal, dull ceremonies. I think you know that I hate dressing up as well."

"But you look great in these clothes."

Derek grunted.

"I don't care!"

Adelaide sighed.

"You're always this angry…"

"Well... It is my personality."

Suddenly, Adelaide left the room.

Derek sighed.

"She always doesn't waste her breath on me."

Millicent walked up from the back of the room, holding a wrapped gift.

"She cares about you, you know."

"Where's Gifferd and Adelaide?"

"Gifferd's still getting ready."

"I thought about getting you something for your birthday."

"As much as I yearn for presents, I don't need anything."

"Do you want a mirror?"

"No. I don't care for mirrors."

"Why not?"

"I don't care for mirrors."

"I… understand.

"I don't know why I have to accept her gift of the mirror I do not want."

"I thought you were ice cold?"

"Well I guess I'm not."

"Are you always like that?"

"I am. I am what I am."

"What do you mean?"

"I am what I am..."

Millicent put her hand in her mouth. She then left to join everyone else in the main room.

Derek sighed. He walked left, then right. He stretched, then finally left out.

***

The halls are full of nobles' conversations. Everyone has so much to do. A few will be guarding while others fix up the castle itself. Almost everything was still completed. This will make the warmer season better especially with all the snow outside.

Derek saw his sister to the side. She looked marvelous, like she was holding back her emotions and will. There was something different about her. When Derek saw this, he immediately knew a few things.

"Adelaide, was the gift I received your last gift?"

Adelaide sighed.

"Yeah. Please don't bring this up."

Derek raised an eyebrow.

"Is one around?"

"No, Derek. I think you know that. Why are you asking?"

"Because, I had to bring it up with you."

Adelaide opened her mouth to reply but instead let out a small gasp.

"Adelaide are you okay?" Derek asked.

"I wasn't sure where your gift was. I was looking around and then spotted it."

Derek's eyes widened. He didn't know that the gift was well protected.

"I found it on my way from getting my last gift. I'm sorry, I didn't know you had to worry about it."

"No. That's okay. I am sorry I startled you."

"It's alright."

"You have to go now. I'm sure you must want to get to the ceremony."

"Where is this going?"

"To the fancy super-duper-royal thing I know you have to go."

"I'm sorry I'm not interested."

"Derek why won't you go?"

"Because. I hate formalities and boring things to do. It's the same thing every day."

"You can't stay here forever. You have to go get ready!"

"But I don't care about being formal and have to go to a stupid, formal ceremony. What do I do?"

"How hard is it to wear a suit?"

"When you make it sound easy, I feel that it's really hard to wear a suit and be formal."

"Look, we are wasting time and I must get to the ceremony."

"I don't want to. I'm sorry."

"Derek, you look so good in those clothes and your bow and arrow. Even that gun of yours looks so good on you."

Derek gave her a glare and walked off without saying a word.

***

Gifferd was running around the castle to see if anything is going on. He then heard a noise coming from the old room thật he used to hide. He walked in.

"I thought you were at the ceremony." Millicent said in her usual voice.

"Hey, Millicent. I wanted to see if everything was working properly." He said, giving her a hug.

Millicent's silky, silver hair swirled around. This was the only time she smiled; this was when her brother hugged her.

"I did what was needed to be done."

"I know you did."

"Just wanted to check." Gifferd said, letting her go.

Millicent raised an eyebrow but didn't say a word. She pulled herself out of the embrace.

"By the way did you know Derek left?"

"Yeah. I always thought that he really didn't want to come to the ceremony. It was obvious that he didn't come."

"Yeah I know! I guess he's not coming for the party and he'll probably be somewhere far, not caring if we're here or not. Big Bother."

"Millicent!" Gifferd said, giving her a small glare.

"I'm just saying what everyone else is thinking."

"Just don't start something. Anyway I'll see you later."

Millicent sighed.

"Gifferd."

"Yes?"

"Don't go. There's something I have to tell you."

Gifferd's eyes widened.

"What is it?"

"You know I care for you right? I really do. But, unlike some could say that I'm not that interested of your gender but I really am. I'm not physically attracted to you. I would care and love you just like the way that you are."

"I have to go to the party."

Gifferd sighed. He didn't want this to happen. He knew it would.

"Just stay here for a while."

"It's time for me to go."

"Do you want to go?"

"No, I don't go. I don't have to. It's alright, I'll just take a walk around the castle for a while."

"Alright I'm leaving."

***

A bunch of guards walked in the main hall. It is clearly the sign that the king of Ellissy come in.

Derek was sitting there, alone, looking through a book. He sighed when he saw his father.

"Derek, your mother will be here soon. Do you need anything help you?"

"No, I am fine, father."

"I guess you have been trying to hide your gift, huh?"

"Yeah. I didn't know what to do about it."

"Did you would like a mirror?"

"No. I don't need something as special."

"So why are you hiding? Why are you being so pushy about this?"

"I thought you didn't want to know the truth."

"You are being disrespectful Derek. I am your father!"

"I am sorry, father. Did you want me to go to your party?"

"Yes, I do. I wanted to know your schedule. You are very popular like everyone else. We are expecting a lot of them to come."

"Why, what is going on?"

"Calm down and I'll tell you when they get here."

"How long is it going to be?"

"You know a lot of people are coming. It'll be over in a few hours."

"I see."

"Derek, I'm glad you are available."

Just then, the doors opened and his sister walked in.

"Hi."

"Hi. Are you okay, Millie?"

"Yeah I'm fine. It seems there are a lot of people here. What are you doing?"

Millicent knew her brother very well. He really didn't like people. Only a few people had been able to calm him down. There were more than enough to know that he wasn't making an effort to be happy.

"I'm reading in here. Why are you here?"

"Some business. I forgot my book in here."

"Why are you always studying? Don't you have friends?"

"Friends?"

"I mean, all your book have a lot of pages of writing. You have written a lot of things. Are you writing to someone?"

"Yes."

"What for? Why would you write to someone that you can't see or talk to?"

"It's not like that. I have friends and people I care for."

"I don't think I understand."

"I have to go." Millicent said, walking away quickly.

Derek sighed. He was glad that she could leave without asking him a whole bunch of question like Adelaide always do. He knew she never was into talking. She always give simple answers for people's questions and her answers are never long.He knew that she cared for him, though. But she is cold. He needed a hug every now and then to calm him down or to know that he wasn't the only one there. He wished his siblings could have help him, but he knew that they didn't have the patience to wait for him to talk to them.

"He is looking for you, Derek. He wanted you to come out and talk to him."

"Why? I didn't do anything."

"You know that he doesn't like to make a fuss out about this. I'll send him in."

"Alright then."

"Hold on, Derek. This will be only for a second."

Derek was curious. What will his father say to him?

"Derek, what are you reading."

"It's this book called The Seven Wonders."

"How can you read? You've been reading this for ages. You've already finished a lot of the chapters I gave to you."

"I just read this one chapter. It is very interesting."

"Yeah, I see that."

"I'm glad you came."

Derek just shrugged, "Whatever."

"I'm sorry. You are only fifteen. I'm too busy. I usually have everything under control. I really wanted to talk you about the ceremony. I don't know why you didn't want to tell me that you are the one hosting the ceremony. I didn't want to tell you this but I do. Stop doing this to yourself. I've seen the long hours you put on studying anything on those many books."

"You are the king of this place. Don't you have someone else to do this?"

"I am the king of this place and the only person I trust is you."

"Why? You should trust someone else."

"I don't trust anyone else. You are the only one that can help. I know you have been going all around and preparing for this. You think that I don't know but I do."

"There are guards and servants doing that. There's no need for me."

"Actually, it is not like that."

"What do you mean?"

"You are taking a rest for a long time Derek. You need your rest."

"No, I'm fine."

"Derek you are not."

"I..."

"I know about it. You are hiding something from everyone. Everyone thinks that you are hiding something but I know you care for others. You are always trying to do something different to this town. We know that you are doing a lot better than me. We don't need you to waste your time and energy on annoying the town. You are famous. You are the youngest hosting this festival. We do not need to force you to come down. Instead of punishing you more, why don't you take a little break? You should enjoy your time. I know you are doing a lot of things to the place and it's nice to have a break."

"No, it's not like that."

"Yes it is. Stop fighting and be happy with yourself. Who are you trying to impress?"

"I'm trying to do what I have to do."

"Well... Good for you then. We don't need to talk long."

"I am going to activate your gift later. Do you know what it is?"

"It's the royal gift. I know I can't take something like that from you. I'm afraid that I will be used."

"And if you're used, don't you want to know everything about it so that you will be prepared if the worse happens."

"I know. I won't tell you because I know how you are about this."

"I'm just worried. You are going to be the one hosting this festival. I don't want anything bad to happen to you, Derek."

"I'm going to be fine. There is nothing bad that will happen."

"But we don't know that by now."

"The only thing that I want to say is that I am very tired. But I'm fine. I don't need your money, father."

"Well I know you're tired. What do you mean by that?"

"I mean you don't have to give me money. I have my own. I am able to host this festival by myself."

"I know that, Derek. You know what to do."

"Yes, I do."

"Good. And if you need anything, I'm here for you."

"Thank you, father."