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Fera and I took the long way to the stables, which for us meant we didn’t take the passages. It wasn’t as fun, but I reminded her that we couldn’t get dusty. The thought of looking like a mess in front of all those important guests was great for getting her to agree.
We went out one of the side doors and headed for the stables, keeping out of sight of the garden, where the whole celebration would be. Guests had already been arriving for days, though only a few stayed with us, and the garden had been decorated for over three, busy days.
The air outside the stables smelt of horses; I loved the smell, even though most hated it. Our family kept several horses – from drafts for pulling carriages, to pleasure mounts and breeding mares. Fera’s and I had a pair of fine riding mares, and mine was quite mean to just about everyone except me.
The stable boy, Ben was holding our mares in the freshly swept and scrubbed stable yard. Even though he was a year older than us, Ben had been working here for years and was easy to talk to and let us groom and tack our mares. He grinned and gave us a slight bow. “Ladies. You both look lovely.”
Even though he said both, Fera still blushed and looked flattered. “Why, thank you. You cleaned up well yourself. Hey girlie, were you well behaved for Ben?”
“Penny was fine. Tilly, not so much,” he said with a glance at me.
I nodded absently and took the reins from him. Her ears flicked into a more relaxed position and she lipped at my hand.
“So,” I heard Ben say, “may I interest you in dinner, Fera?”
“You know I would love to,” Fera said, with a slight sigh, “but with the ceremony tonight, and our departures to the tribes coming up – I’m swamped. Perhaps I could save you a dance.”
I could hear the smile in both their voices. “Of course,” he replied. “Then I think a moonlit stroll through the garden, so I can stare into your beautiful green eyes.” I realized with a start that the last part was directed at me.
“Oh – um –” Honestly, I stunk at this. Fera was the charming one. Ben laughed good naturedly, and I managed a strained smile.
A chime rang somewhere. “That’s the signal,” Ben said. “I’ll give you a hand up.”
I thanked him for that. I could mount up perfectly fine on my own, when the situation didn’t involve a full skirt and sitting side saddle.
“You know,” Fera said as she got settled on Penny’s back, “for someone who is so good at peopling, you really can’t flirt.”
I rolled my eyes. “Does it matter? It’s not like he’s actually going to take us on a date.”
“He might.”
“I’d like to, but your parents might fire me,” Ben said.
“There you go. We’re not getting Ben fired.”
I coaxed Tilly forward and we turned down the paved paths that would take us to the gardens. Faintly I could hear some music playing, a dulcian and kantele making a lovely harmony. The hooves clacked loudly against the cobblestones.
Helpers looked relieved at our slow and stately entrance – there was probably a betting pool on whether or not we’d come cantering in – and they signaled to our parents.
The sight of the garden was overwhelming – countless family friends, relations through marriage, business partners, and people visiting from the tribes had shown up to form a crowd several hundred strong. I saw Council members, and people from notable families like the Bendahs, Fenchs, and Mortans.
Our parents had definitely spared no expense for the night. Twinkling strings of light illuminated everything delicately, the garden beds and vases were full of blooming flowers, and the dinner smelt heavenly – I could see delicacies like plum-glazed duck and chocolate desserts. Fera and I adored chocolate.
A platform had been erected at one end of the garden, and a table for immediate family was there. It was festooned with floral arrangements and ribbons, and our family crest rose over it all, proudly on display. I could read our family’s motto from here. Warlan Lusia Morian. Keep the balance.
People moved aside to give us a path. Fera started waving to the crowd. I forced a smile and waved as well. The filaments and beads dangling from the floral-headed hair sticks clinked faintly with each step.
“I feel like I’m a queen or something,” Fera murmured.
“Don’t get used to it,” I reprimanded, readjusting my smile as it wavered.
We reached the platform and our father helped us down while some poor fellow had to take the horses. “You both look so grown up,” he murmured. “Though I do spy some changes your mother may not be so fond of.”
“Is it so wrong to want to be a little different?” Fera asked.
“I’m not disapproving, I’m just not getting between you two and your mother.” That wasn’t surprising; very rarely did our father contest against our mother, despite him being an earth elementalist.
The formalities to open the ceremony went smoothly – even if Fera did steal my speech and I had to make one up on the spot. It was all blessings and traditional steps and lots of stuffy things we’d rehearsed a hundred times that were the gods knew how many generations old. The smell of dinner made my stomach rumbled through it all.
Then it was time to eat and mingle. I chatted with my cousin down the table as the sky grew darker and the lights grew brighter. At some point the musicians struck up a tune, the slit drum and idakka pounding a playful rhythm, with the auloi’s twirling melody, and couples began to dance and laugh on the green.
“Mm, I’m gonna go find some of the Fire Tribe guests,” Fera said, licking off her spoon.
“Oh, okay . . .” I watched her eagerly skip down the steps and start making her way through the crowd.
“You should go and introduce yourselves to people, too,” my mother said gently. It was only us and one of my aunts at the head table now. “It’ll be good to get to know someone in a familiar environment.”
“Mm, alright.” I pushed myself to my feet, feeling a little unsteady as my heart tapped out a nervous rhythm, and climbed down, giving the dance floor a wide berth. I did not dance.
I threaded my way through the groups of people scattered about the gardens. I half listened to a couple conversations, but none struck my interest and I didn’t feel up to starting any of my own. The way I figured to get along with people was to not be too forward. Fera was pretty much the opposite.
Periodically I would stop and watch people twirling about the dance floor. I saw my parents do a couple songs. Sometimes I’d see Fera on it with a partner, spinning about. I was happy she was enjoying herself, but a little sad too. I’d never tell her, but occasionally I was a little envious. She was the more confident one, and I would always be to the side.
Now, I liked being on the side. Observing was more my thing, anyways. It was just that I wished I would, every once in a while, be like Fera, and not care about a thing.
The evening continued on. I turned down several offers for dances – would-be suitors had yet to figure out that if they wanted into the family, Fera was their best and only bet. The stars gleamed overhead, as if our ancestors were smiling down on us. The musicians never seemed to tire.
I picked up a chocolate pastry and sat on the edge of a small fountain’s basin to nibble, watching Fera dance with someone she’d definitely paired with before. Her cheeks were flushed. The embroidered flowers on the ends of her stole looked so much like flames when she spun.
The pastry was good. A shadow fell over me. “Hello, Mira,” said a voice.
I jumped and looked up. “Oh – uh – hi.” The voice belonged a young man, only about a few years my senior. Fera would have gone on about his well-made features and tawny coloured hair that looked naturally mussed, judging by how his embroidered hat wasn’t sitting straight. Most men were quite fastidious about getting their hat to sit nicely, so it was nice to see someone a little more relaxed.
He offered me a smile, though his eyes were reserved. They were a hazely-gold colour, which looked striking against his fair skin. “Enjoying yourself?” he asked.
“Well, yes, I suppose so,” I said politely.
“Where’s your sister?” he asked.
I relaxed a little. “Oh, she’ll be dancing,” I said, “let me guess – it’s her you want to talk too. You’ll have to get the timing right to snag her. She’s quite popular.” I could tell by looking at him that Fera would probably say yes to a dance. I’d almost be tempted myself.
“Actually,” he said, “I wanted to speak to both of you.”
“Oh.” I set down my pastry and stood up slowly. I couldn’t think of why he wanted to speak to me. We didn’t even know each other and nothing about him said extended family or Water Tribe. “And, sorry, but who are you, exactly?”
He was about to reply, when hands clamped onto my arm and nearly pulled me over. “Come on,” Fera said pleadingly, “you’ve got to dance to at least one song.”
“What – hey!” I pulled my arm free. “You know I don’t!” I smoothed out a wrinkle in my stole.
Fera made a face, and then noticed the stranger I’d been talking to for the first time. “Oh, hello,” she greeted. “Sorry, was I interrupting something?” Judging by her face, she was hoping the answer was yes. As if.
“Hardly. He wants to talk to us,” I explained. Immediately Fera turned to him with an expectant expression. I, too, gave him a curious look.
He brought out two small, undecorated cases, each hardly larger than one’s palm. “I wanted to give you these.” He offered them to us.
Gifts weren’t unusual, there was a table piled with parcels, so we each took a case and opened them. Inside were necklaces – golden chains, and each pendant was a many-faceted clear crystal, almost circular in its uneven way, set in a ring of gold. They were quite lovely.
“Ooh . . .” Fera gushed, “Pretty.”
“Thank you,” I told him.
He smiled. “You’re welcome.”
“It was very nice of you.” I figured I should make more of an effort than words, since he came to deliver them personally, and took mine out of the box to put it on. It probably looked a little odd, next to the necklace set of chocker and chain I was already wearing, but what did that matter?
“It suits you,” he said, though I thought his voice was a little strained. Maybe he was tired. “Take good care of them. Goodbye, girls. Enjoy the rest of your evening.” He gave a polite little bow and walked off without another word. I watched him until he passed behind a person and vanished.
Fera was still admiring hers. “Any idea who that was?”
“No,” I admitted. “I asked before you barged up. He must be the kid of one of our parent’s friends.”
Fera put her own necklace on. “Well,” she said, “time to dance!” She gave an evil smile, grabbed my hand, and started dragging me through the crowd, laughing manically.
I gave a yelp. “What – no! No!”
Fera ignored me and dragged me onto the floor, shoving me at someone she’d clearly met at some point in the night. I figured I had about thirty seconds before someone fell flat on their face.