MOST ENTERTAINING COMPETITOR OF THE DAY

Most people crammed along the veranda when they first entered to watch Azize’s progress through the line. But that quickly became dull and everyone broke into groups to talk. Nuru was with a few of Azize’s friends and two Spirit Dancers, Faizah and her brother Yenge. Nuru strongly disliked Yenge. He was nowhere near as talented as his younger sister, or really any of the other dancers, and he was rude. But he wasn’t leaving Faizah’s side tonight, so Nuru had to put up with him if she wanted to be near Faizah, which she did. Faizah was amazing!

There should have been entertainment. Were it not for the fact that she got to listen to Faizah talking about her favorite parts of dance Nuru would be bored out of her mind.

The vaashta were walking through the hall speaking to different mothers, as the three representatives of the great spirits. Nuru assumed they were hoping to make a bride selection among the lot to recommend to the prince. She wondered about that; were young men afforded any more choice than young women? By and large, it was parents who negotiated a marriage. At least a first marriage. Ayinde caught her eye and smiled.

He was in his apprentice robes. They were plain brown, no adornments or symbols of any kind, and covered from neck to ankle. It made him look quite a bit more grown. Nuru never thought of herself as being almost a woman, but just now, looking at him seeming very much a young man, she was struck by what an odd age she was. What odd ages they both were, and what odd beings they were among their generation. Young women of Nuru’s age tended to only be thinking about marriage, and the young men of Ayinde’s age thought only of building a home so they could marry. But both she and her friend were drawn instead to vocations, neither would prevent them marrying, but it was not their focus.

Ayinde spoke quietly to Vaasht Bakari. The man glanced Nuru’s way and nodded. Ayinde broke away from the vaashta and came over. Nuru backed out of her little group.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were apprenticing with the vaashta?” Nuru asked as Ayinde stopped before her.

He looked down shyly. “I didn’t think it was likely to come to pass. The voices of the gods rarely take apprentices.”

“But you are rare among the other men of Jaccada, so they have chosen well,” Nuru said brightly, proud of her friend.

Ayinde’s eyes flared and he seemed momentarily at a loss for words. He had to clear his throat twice before he could get words out. “Where is Arya?”

“The slipper didn’t fit her or your mother, lucky.” Nuru rolled her eyes. She wished her friend were in here with her. Even Neema was much further back in line and might take hours to get in.

Ayinde’s eyes darted to Nuru’s feet and back to the vaashta. “It fit you then? When does the prince propose?” He said it like it was a joke, but his voice was a little too serious to be playful.

“That isn’t funny,” Nuru said. Her eyes drifted across the room to where Hadhi and Mzaa were speaking with the three vaashta now.

And you think I want to marry him?

Why hadn’t she thought about that? Hadhi just...never seemed to mind what she was doing.

“Nuru,” Ayinde tried to get her attention. But Nuru was absorbed.

What if Hadhi was as opposed to marrying the prince as Nuru was? What if she felt trapped?

“Nuru,” Ayinde said again. “Did the prince say anything to you when the shoe fit?”

“She never gave him a chance.” Masahiro stepped out of the group to join Nuru and Ayinde. He didn’t touch Nuru, but he had a charged personality that pulled Nuru back into the moment. “She barely gave him time to try the slipper on her foot before declaring it did not fit.”

Ayinde laughed, as did Omar and Faizah behind them, drawing the whole group to them.

“Most entertaining competitor of the day by far,” Omar saluted her.

“Then why are you inside?” Ayinde asked sounding...happy Nuru was slightly unnerved by that. Had he been pressing her for answers because he was interested in her? Was she not entirely right about them being the same?

“Hadhi fit. And Mzaa Sabra, and Asha, so I wait.” Nuru answered, exasperated.

“Hadhi is the talk of the evening,” Faizah said with a pleasant smile and soft voice. Everything she did was graceful. Nuru could watch her all day, dancing or no. One day she hoped to be half as captivating. “Prince Azize seemed quite taken with her.”

“For a moment,” Yenge scoffed. He either missed Nuru’s glare or was unimpressed with it, as he kept right on saying stupid things. “As soon as he saw Asha, he forgot Hadhi existed.”

Faizah gave her brother a look, then smiled at Nuru. “He does try to focus on one woman at a time.”

“It has been known to be a more effective courtship practice,” Omar commented dryly.

“It was a different sort of attention entirely,” Yenge pressed. “Hadhi entertained him, but he was attracted to Asha.”

“I wouldn’t underestimate being entertained,” Masahiro remarked. Then as with the night before, he redirected conversation away from the uncomfortable. “I had a chance to examine the reliefs as you suggested. They are truly amazing, such passion! But I was told about a god or spirit you did not mention; Zifva, I believe they said. I am told the palace was built to honor him.”

“Her.” Faizah corrected with a little smile. “Gzifa, is the creator spirit.”

“She appears in our creation story, but never again, so she is not worshiped like the others,” Ayinde informed them.

“Ohhhh, I would not express it so,” Faizah argued. “She is marked in every story, chairs are left vacant for her at every feast, our calendars and temples were all built around her fazes. She simply has not interfered again —yet.”

Nuru liked that and smiled broadly. The idea that Gzifa would return was more a part of the Ga’ogo tradition than any other, but all felt her presence.

“Gzifa and Nur battling over the heavens is one of my favorite stories to dance,” Nuru said brightly. “I love the mingling of opposites within it and that each dancer has a moment when they are the driving focus of the dance.”

Faizah smiled softly. “Which is your favorite character to dance?”

Nuru’s cheeks heated and her breathing grew erratic. Was Faizah offering to dance with Nuru? Nuru had wanted that for years. Ever since the first time she saw her dance. It was at the festival of balance two years ago and Faizah was merely one among many swaying around the alter at Ether, but Faizah was magnetic; the light of the moon was drawn only to her. The music spoke through her. Nuru could barely breathe watching her.

Nuru stumbled over her words. “Both are lovely..but when I saw you dance as Gzifa I...thought I saw the great spirit herself.”

Faizah took Nuru’s hand and bowed over it. “You honor me, my friend. Please, dance your namesake.”

“But she—“ Yenge began, but Faizah took charge.

“Thank you for dancing Maltuba for us, Yenge. Ayinde, would you speak the story for our guests? If you would like to see, of course?” She smiled up at the foreigners.

“Oh yes!” Masahiro exclaimed.

“Please,” Omar agreed.

Faizah had that effect. The men backed away to give the dancers room. Nuru’s heart was racing; she couldn’t believe this was happening. She’d danced with her family and with her neighbors and friends. She’d danced with everyone at the festivals, but this was different. She was being invited to perform by the best dancer in the world.

This was everything!