Behind Me

Mei, Part 1

A/N: this chapter and the next were really just written for fun. It doesn't affect or move the plot in anyway. If you don't want to read it, skip them.

Mei felt a slight breeze move her hair around. She glanced around her surroundings carefully taking in the view, she would have felt so much warmth seeing so many smiling faces but she herself hadn't found a reason to smile.

The night air was chilly as expected so she hugged herself for extra body heat. Whoever it was that declared the feast be at night would never end up in her good books.

It wasn't her first time at a feast. It was years ago before she enrolled at Maglovia. Everyone had at least three apples same as now yet she had just the one her father had given her and that wasn't as some form of special treatment as the love he had for her was one of the things she had been forced to share.

This, compared to back then, was a nightmare.

The grass tickled her toes as she walked, she stood behind her family and she heard her sisters laugh among themselves. She wondered if she would ever be in on this joke of theirs. Right now, she could stop in her tracks and no one would know she was gone.

There were lights. The gentle fireflies floating around the garden, the soft lights from the candles set atop each table And the moonlight bounced off a river the ran at a distance.

The gentle sound of music danced in the air from the stringed instruments played by the instrumentalists, along with the sound of soft murmur from the guests all around engaged in conversation or greeting long lost friends.

"well girls, do behave yourselves while you're here. I'm sure there's enough time for entertainment and socializing. " said her stepmother. The lady was very much attractive looking so much that age hadn't managed to catch up to her. This was a gift shared by all foxes and would take several decades for the aging process to begin to take place.

That air of arrogance that she carried around however, was not something Mei fancied. While her words had been directed to all the sisters, to Mei, it had been for her to minimize her activities enough that she did not stand out... Being the embarrassment of a half blooded fox that she was.

"it's also very important that you enjoy yourselves. " said her father. He held his wife as close to himself as the two halves of a peg. "it isn't very long before you have to return to the capital. "

Mei wasn't sure she could enjoy herself. She wasn't a very social person although she liked to meet new people and she'd spent years dissociating from white foxes that she wasn't sure she would fit in.

Her father moved towards her, finally letting go of his wife, and he placed a hand on her head to pet her gently. She winced a bit before looking back up at her father as he placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Mei, do have fun. I'm especially glad seeing as you changed your mind to join us for the feast tonight. "

That smile on his face was genuine. While Mei doubted such warmth, she was touched by it as well. She and her father had grown so distant... Or perhaps they were never close at all. Mei wasn't so sure anymore.

Everyone turned their attention to  the stage where Prince Minyu stood, a smile on his face, dressed in princely regalia as he tried to grab everyone's attention a bit too hard.

He was awkward.

"uhm... Good evening foxes and vixens. " he couldn't stop pressing his hands down on his robes as if to straighten out any nonexistent wrinkles. "I'm really pleased to have you all gathered here today. "

The crowd had gotten silent to acknowledge that he was addressing them. It wasn't a large audience. Anyone could spot and recognize a fox or two, su-ah as well, fawning over the prince like their lives depended on it if they looked hard enough. Mei couldn't care less though. She couldn't wrap her head around how such a cocky pest was so clueless before a crowd that recognized him with so much respect and admiration.