We had been instructed to sleep in this morning and conserve our energy for the evening. Nobody had explained why or described the event we could expect to attend, which only aroused my morbid curiosity, making it that much harder to fall asleep.
It may have been a few hours of tossing and turning before I finally found proper rest, so I did not feel prepared when the curtains shielding me from the dim sun pushing through the dreary clouds were suddenly drawn back.
It had been a while since anyone had done that, so I forced my heavy eyes open in bewilderment and saw a familiar shadow standing by the windows.
"Faye?" I muttered, lifting my head from the feathery pillow I was hugging.
My body despised me for moving out of the heat, but Faye and I hadn't talked ever since our ridiculous argument, and I couldn't afford to waste another chance.
She would generally bring me the mandatory meals, but she refused to say more words than what was absolutely necessary and was usually gone before I could reach her. I had even been forced to ask Adriel to help me dress in the complicated attire we were required to wear because Faye wasn't there.
"Brunch is served in an hour," Faye announced before walking toward the door.
I knew I didn't have much time, so I forced my eyes open, only to see her arm disappear out of the door.
"Faye!" I yelled after her, but she obliviously closed the door behind her without responding to my call.
I exhaled and fell back onto the delicate pillow. Too late again.
Would I ever get my friend back, or was she going to act like a mindless messenger for the rest of this miserable competition?
After a few minutes of staring at the draperies of my bed, I decided to force my fatigued body up.
I rubbed my eyes to rid them of sleep. However, just as I was about to invite the cold air to coil around my naked legs, I noticed a silver dress by the foot of my bed with a small note attached to it.
It seemed that Faye hadn't only been here to wake me up.
Without hesitating, I eagerly reached for the note to read the words written in the darkest black I had seen.
Wear this tonight.
I lowered the note to look at the dress again. It was awfully formal — more than anything I had yet to wear.
Tonight would be the longest night of the year, and I was sure the royals had something planned for us.
The Rising Sun was a festive evening, but I hadn't expected it to be formal. I'd heard friends and family meeting around small bonfires and dancing until the Sun would rise the next morning; I'd just never attended one of those bonfires myself.
Then again, this was the Golden Castle. So why not host an official ball in conjunction with the Festival of the Rising Sun?
I shivered at the thought. I wasn't ready to participate in a royal ball, but perhaps I misinterpreted the dress' intended meaning. Perhaps it was much simpler and less formal than I made it out to be. Piper and Calla would probably know.
We didn't have any classes today, so Adriel would, unfortunately, not be here to help me dress. So, I grabbed a simple but suitable dress in my closet and spent at least ten minutes trying to put on the cursed thing before I ventured outside.
"Is Faye still not talking to you?" a voice said when I closed the door behind me, still trying to force the back of the problematic shoe over my heel.
"How'd you guess?" I said, sighing as my heel finally slipped into place.
Calla chuckled quietly as if she had a great joke in mind but was reluctant to say it aloud. "Are you ready for the Rising Sun Festival tonight?" she asked instead.
"A festival?" I asked, searching my memory for anything related to a festival around this time. However, nothing I'd ever heard of in the Bronze Region even resembled something as grand as a festival — not in this frigid weather, anyway. None of us had the money to heat a space large enough for a party, let alone a festival.
My eyes found Calla again, leaving my heart to skip a beat when I saw her staring at me with disbelief in her eyes. "Don't tell me you've never been to a Rising Sun Festival before," she said, stepping close enough for me to feel a little uncomfortable. "Like, never?"
I looked away from her before answering, avoiding her judging eyes as I admitted to my humble background. "We usually just celebrate the Sun with our families like most people in the Bronze Region do. We don't have access to the resources required to throw a party to fit the entire region — not even the closest area, but we manage with what we have," I explained, careful not to mention too much of my past.
Calla was already looking at me with the same pity in her eyes as I'd seen so many times before when I dared share a tiny fraction of my previous life. It didn't really feel like her pity was merited, either.
I cherished our traditions. I didn't need a grand party or a thousand people surrounding me; I didn't need more than my family and our closest friends, and I wouldn't trade those memories for the world's greatest treasure.
However, the time we spent waiting for the Sun to rise late at night was undoubtedly my favorite part of this tradition.
If I closed my eyes, I could easily imagine Mom sitting on our stained couch with Tristan and me on either side of her, narrating the revered tales of the everlasting love between the Sun and the Moon.
I loved that tale and knew every detail of their tragic yet beautiful story like the back of my hand — a story about two spirits in love and a jealous fox tricking them into being trapped in the sky, chasing each other for eternity. Today, they only live for the brief moments when they get to glimpse each other's stunning existences, creating what is now known as night and day.
She would tell that story repeatedly until the Sun started peeking on the horizon, and we all walked outside to see as the Sun returned from his slumber, ready for another chase.
However, I don't think it would have mattered to Calla. The pity of me never having attended one of the notorious Rising Sun Festivals would probably make her blind to the fact that I didn't need all this glamor to be happy.
"Then you've got a night to look forward to!" Calla suddenly exclaimed, extending a contagious smile. "But I can't reveal it to you. Then the surprise will be spoiled!"
I chuckled and grabbed her arm, dragging her toward the dining room, where Piper was waiting for us.
"Ready for tonight?" Piper asked with a smile when she saw us approaching her. "I've never been to a royal Rising Sun, but I bet it'll be—"
Calla immediately shushed Piper before she could reveal too much of the secretive evenings they'd attended before. "It's her first time, Piper! Don't spoil it," she quickly added and gestured for Piper to stop talking.
Piper fluttered her perplexed eyes as if she needed a few moments to understand what Calla was saying. Then she pushed her chair back to grab my shoulders.
"Have you never been to a Rising Sun Festival before?" Piper whispered, her eyebrows raised and lips parted in hushed surprise.
I sighed, too tired to explain my past again. A complicated answer wouldn't make a difference anyway, so I shifted my eyes to the floor and shook my head.
"What?"
Her scream of disbelief nearly made everyone think we'd started an unchecked fire.
"Piper!" I hissed, begging her to shut up and the curious eyes to return to their food. "Do you have to be so loud?"
I gasped as Piper pulled Calla and me down to sit beside her. "Sorry, but seriously? No Rising Sun? Like ever?" she added, wrapping her hands around mine.
"I've seen a sunrise before, if that's what you're asking me," I said, chuckling but completely aware that the answer I gave her wasn't the one she was searching for.
Piper nudged my shoulder lightly, expressing that she didn't find me funny. "You know what I mean, Will," she chuckled. "But really? No festival. Not even once?"
"No," I sighed, yielding to her questions. "As I explained to Calla, the Bronze Region doesn't celebrate the Sun like you're used to. We have— We have our own ways."
Piper obviously wasn't satisfied with my answers, her fingers itching to reveal every detail of the festival she apparently loved so much. However, Calla made sure to shush her before her lips spilled over.
I chuckled as Calla's patience finally boiled over, and she smacked the palm of her hand against Piper's blabbing mouth. "Shut it, Piper! You'll spoil it."
I suppose I'd have to wait until tonight to get my answers.
***
The chair creaked beneath my weight as I rocked back and forth on its sturdy legs, awaiting Faye coming through that door at any moment.
I was sitting in the silk robe we'd been instructed to wear before the big dress-up, but I'd been sitting like this for half an hour and was starting to get impatient. So, I stood up and started walking back and forth on the giant open floor in front of my bed.
My thumbnail was tugged between my teeth, enticing me to bite down like I'd done many times before in various stressful situations. However, Adriel would kill me if he saw my nails bitten to their roots, so I left the undying satisfaction of the lingering delight under my control by firmly restraining myself.
Then I heard the door being unlocked, and I turned around, hopeful to see Faye's gloomy face, but it wasn't Faye who came through the door. Instead, I saw Adriel's calm eyes search the room before he noticed me in the middle of the room, standing with my arms crossed and probably looking more disappointed to see him than I intended.
"I have an unfortunate feeling that you were expecting someone else," Adriel said as he placed his tools on the desk beside the vanity table.
I avoided his gaze and chose not to respond to him, embarrassed about the cold greeting I'd given him. "Don't worry, Willow. I know I'm not Faye, and I don't know what has happened between the two of you, but she'll be back eventually."
"You really think so?" I whispered, rubbing my arm as if an invisible hand had left a bruise.
Adriel smiled and approached me to wrap his arm around my shoulder. "I know so," he said before guiding me toward the table while continuing to assure me that this word would eventually come to pass.
He was a good friend — a great friend even. But he wasn't Faye, and he knew that.
We didn't talk much as he decorated my face with makeup inspired by the Sun. Yellow and red — a specialty of his.
The dress was not only very different from what I usually wore but also revealed a lot more than I thought necessary.
Circles of thin metal had been sewn neatly into the spaghetti straps weighing down on my shoulders, creating the illusion of scales continuing along the edges that reached all the way to the small of my back before they connected. The front, on the contrary, was high, barely even revealing my prominent collarbone.
"Isn't this a little cold for a Winter Celebration?" I asked as Adriel took care of the layered skirt, unfolding the entangled fabric.
"Don't worry," he said, his eyes glinting with a slight glimmer of mischief, making me more curious than nervous. "A light cape is included."
Adriel let go of my skirt, pulled out a thin piece of fabric matching the metallic color of my dress, and buttoned it around my neck.
"There we go," he said, lowering his voice. "Now, it's up to you when you want to charm the crown prince."
I looked up to meet his eyes, not expecting to hear those words from him. That was a typical Faye comment, but I'd never heard anything like that from Adriel.
Adriel didn't know about the true purpose of my participation either, but it was still bizarre to see him making small contributions to ensure that I had a better chance of attracting Caiden's attention. Or, perhaps it wasn't as bizarre as I made it out to be.
I'd advanced so far in this wretched competition thanks to incredible luck that others mistook for skill, but the royals expected more from their future queen than merely a fierce warrior. Besides, I couldn't imagine Caiden choosing a wife with whom he couldn't imagine a comfortable future.
Heliac had been at peace ever since the dragons disappeared, so there was no reason for the golden descendants to impose such heavy burdens on their heir.
"We're running late, Willow," Adriel suddenly said, waking me from my daydream.
"Here."
He turned around to retrieve my lantern, still standing on the bedside table, hiding Pangea's mirror. "Now, let's get going before your friends start worrying for good."
Adriel handed me the elongated sphere, the paper crackling under my palm as I accepted the shaded lantern.
My relentless hair had been forced into nine knots, forming a cohesive bun on the top of my head. It had been styled using a plethora of different products, but a few stray strands were already tickling the back of my neck, and others had me fighting the urge to tuck them behind my ears, where they belonged. Instead, I focused on the path ahead, doing my best to keep up with Adriel's rapid steps without losing the lantern.
Finally, we came to a halt in front of an open door that, instead of leading to the cold outdoors, led to a hallway with glass walls and ceilings.
The Sun had set long ago, and it was dark enough outside to see the stars blinking in the night sky. I could vaguely sense another yellow light shining right around the corner of the massive building. I was curious but not curious enough to abandon Adriel, who still hadn't left my side.
"You're not far from the dome now; just follow the lights," he told me and carefully took the lantern from me before magically creating a small sphere of light that he placed in its center.
"Aren't you coming with me?" I asked, my hands trembling as I accepted the paper lamp from his fingers.
I was suddenly very aware of the heavy heart beating in my chest, loud enough for me to hear it pump the sky-colored blood through my veins. Adriel wouldn't just leave me here alone, would he?
A small surge of unease made my heart ache as a kind smile spread on Adriel's faint yellow lips. "Unfortunately, not. This is a private event for the royals and their guests. Employees are not invited."
"How about you be my guest then?" I asked in a desperate attempt to keep him by my side.
I knew it wouldn't work, but I had to at least try. It would be a huge relief if I didn't have to go there alone, especially when we were this late.
"Sorry, Will. Me and some of the Light Iridis are having a party of our own downtown so we won't be seeing each other for a few days, but I'll make sure you're taken good care of," he assured me before he lightly nudged my jawbone and smiled. I didn't even get to say goodbye before he backed away and disappeared between the shadows, leaving me alone to find my way to the lights.
I could've stayed here the entire evening or found my way back to my room, but nothing good would come of it. Piper and Calla were waiting for me. They had been so excited about this evening, and it would be selfish to disappoint them. So, I began walking until I reached the beginning of the glass hall, finally able to glimpse the source of the bright light.
It was the lanterns we'd spent the past week making. They had been placed along the dark path, illuminating the encapsulated hallway in small clusters.
I craned my neck to view further ahead, only to find more lanterns and more glass. Adriel had mentioned a dome, but I couldn't see anything even resembling one.
My fingers curled around the base of my lantern to secure a good grip, preparing myself to walk for however long this road would be, surrounded by lanterns looking like fallen stars.
I had been walking for a few minutes, and the endless clusters of lanterns seemed to continue. There were far too many of them for it only to be those we'd spent the past week making.
I rounded another corner, and the hall started widening with every step I took. Benches appeared sporadically, covered in evergreens and other winter decorations. Trees, like the ones inside, began occupying the empty spaces between the lanterns until I found myself in front of the dome Adriel must have been referring to.
Enormous amounts of light shone from the roof of the glass dome, but I couldn't yet see inside because of the arched door of solid deep blue wood and white, hexagon-shaped panels covering the walls around it.
Then, without warning, the door was pushed open by two guards I'd not seen before. "Welcome, my lady," one of them said and presented his hand, waiting for me to accept it.
I reluctantly slipped my pale fingers into his grip and let him guide the way inside the dome, where familiar faces were gathered around a cone-shaped figure of countless glowing orbs.
My body tensed, and I swallowed a gasp when I sensed a set of eyes observing me as I stepped into the heated celebration.