The Miracles Festival had always been a time of the year for me to gather customers and sell perfumes to work toward my goal of becoming one of the Head Perfumers. I hoped that the Gods were looking upon me in those very moments, that they could see my determination and the wish that caged my heart. I had given out small samples of perfumes and hand-written cards with details of how to contact me and where to find my work.
However, since our forest illusion had been approved and deemed safe for public use, this year was the first exception.
I had cleared my morning to prepare for the festival and decide how the perfume was going to be displayed, but Corvin had only dismissed me and told me not to worry about it. According to his judgement, he had everything under control. Those words were what worried me most.
As well as Corvin, I had put a lot of effort — even a trip to the Velux Emporium infirmary — into the perfume and I wanted to make sure it would be a smooth transition for the guests to be sprayed. Each attendee needed an even amount of the fragrance so that we didn't run out.
All day, I had paced back and forth in my shared workshop with Nalyn and Salris attempting to calm me down. Nothing could stop me from wearing holes into the soles of my shoes, not even the temptation of focusing on more work. When the evening finally rolled around, I was ready to storm into the Miracles Festival, find the Head Perfumer, and kick him until he couldn't stand.
Shrines to the Gods had been set up outside of the festival and rested against people's homes, ready for guests to make offerings in the hope of getting their wishes granted — for a miracle to happen. Banners of gold and silver were strung from building to building, symbols of various stars painted onto them. I followed the crowd of people down to the end of the street, curious as to where the perfume had been poised to spray people.
As I approached the gates that had been set up, I spied Corvin greeting people as they filtered in with a welcoming smile. He wore what appeared to be pieces of a suit. Both the tie and jacket had been forgotten and all that remained were the waistcoat with silver embellishments, a long-sleeved shirt with several buttons undone, and trousers. Everything was a shade of navy blue, matching the theme of the evening.
When he noticed I was next in line to enter, his grin grew tenfold. "What a wonderful surprise it is to see you here," he remarked.
I extended my hand, preparing my wrist for the perfume to be sprayed on. "With your terse words this morning, I was tempted to stop by and help with the setting up anyway."
Instead of spraying the perfume, he turned my hand over and kissed the back of it, causing my heart to thud rapidly in my chest. "And leave no surprises for the festival? Where's the fun in that?"
As Corvin placed a few drops of the fragrance onto my wrist for me to rub into my skin and sprayed more over my head, the forest illusion appeared around me. It stretched as far as I could see, houses and shops disappearing to be replaced with thick foliage. A hoard of fireflies floated above the entrance, marking the way for attendees. Further into the festival, I could see people enjoying the forest and marvelling at our creation. The fact that they loved our hard work pushed tears to the corners of my eyes.
Corvin squeezed my hand. "Go and enjoy the festivities. I'll join you soon."
I turned away before I truly started crying. "How long are you going to be stuck at the entrance?"
"Not for too much longer. I'm just waiting for someone to arrive and take my place." He ushered me away, shooing me since a queue was beginning to form behind me.
I complied, rushing into the festival, eager to see what was lurking deeper inside. Everywhere, people beamed with joy. Children ran through the forest, weaving between the trees to catch fireflies, and others strolled through the illusion, wondering how such magic was possible. It wasn't too busy just yet as guests were still entering and I could tell because the long table which held the grand feast of the evening was still mostly untouched. Foods from different kingdoms were scattered across the table, framing the centrepiece of a large, fried Manticore in the middle. Dishes of silver rain pancakes, molten storm cake, and jasmine delight caught my eye and made my stomach growl.
"Elvira!" Nalyn called, waving me over. Her blonde curls were pinned into a bun, revealing the lace-trimmed sleeves of her peach gown. "Have you seen the food? It's so good!"
"Not yet," I admitted. "I've seen it but I haven't had the chance to head over as I've just got here. You're here earlier than I thought you would be."
Salris nodded, her long, dark hair straightened to give it a silky appearance. She wore a simple suit jacket and trousers in a stunning shade of emerald, and a pale sage shirt to contrast underneath. "We came early so we could leave some offerings for the Gods instead of later tonight. Now we have all the time we want to enjoy the festival."
Corvin's laugh cut through the night like a blazing fire teasing a moth. With a quick glance around me, I couldn't tell where the sound came from. "I hope you two have a wonderful night. I've got a few things I need to do, but I might see you later!" After a brisk wave goodbye, I headed over to the source of the chuckle to find a heartwarming sight.
Corvin stood next to a short, plump woman with his arm around her shoulders. She had hair the shade of freshly cut onyx with streaks of grey beginning to show through the roots. While they laughed, grinning at the fireflies hovering around them, I noticed she had the same green eyes as the Head Perfumer as well as the same straight nose.
Was she his mother? If she was, I was glad she was able to attend the festival. I retreated into the growing crowd of people to give them their privacy, not wanting to interrupt their moment together.
A bird screeched high above me and an ivory feather fell to the ground as it circled my location. I would have almost mistaken the white raven for a dove if it hadn't been for the letter it carried in its clawed feet, a crimson logo stamped onto the side. A perched raven was the main focal point with two circles surrounding it. The words 'Ratha Raven Mail' were encased between them.
Was this letter for me? And now of all times?
The bird dropped the letter in front of me and I raced ahead to catch it before it hit the ground. "Thank you!" I called back up to it before it flew away back to its station somewhere in Yuris.
The letter was heavy and lumpy, a bulge protruding from inside the envelope. I wasn't only being sent a letter tonight. I pulled out the paper first, leaving the item inside a mystery for later.
Dear Elvira,
I hope this finds you swift as I made you a promise I do not intend to break. A few days ago, I informed you that you would be the first to hear of another opening for the position of Head Perfumer, and so, here I am.
Sade has had an emergency back in her home kingdom which has required her to leave immediately. These troubling times have made her come to the decision to move back to the kingdom entirely. Her workshop is already empty and ready for you to claim whenever you desire. Please find the keys inside this letter (if those pesky birds haven't lost them on the way). The Head Perfumer title will take a few days and some paperwork before it can be officially transferred over, if you would still like it of course.
Yours sincerely,
Dorros Reydi.
My eyes scanned the letter several times to make sure it was real, taking in the words that I was sure were an illusion from the perfume we had crafted. I felt a tear slip down my cheek as my jaw hung open in pure shock and joy. It was happening. There was another Head Perfumer position opening up and it was already going to me. There weren't any tricks this time, no Royal Perfumers to steal the opportunity from me — my dream had finally come true.
Carefully, I pried the keys from the envelope and weighed the keys in my hand, the metallic smell bringing me to my senses. It still didn't feel real, as if it were a dream and I would wake to the real Miracles Festival. The Gods had really favoured me this year.
I tucked them away into my pocket before I lost them.
Sade was such a kind and caring woman and I hoped everything was okay with her family. From what I knew, she was originally from the frozen Kingdom of Vaetis which had been facing hardships for several years. The former Head Perfumer made the most fun magic with bright colours and strong scents. Children were often fond of her work.
Darkness surrounded me as two hands covered my eyes from behind. "Guess who." Corvin's voice whispered into my ear, sending a shiver down my spine.
I hummed in feigned thought. "Is it someone who comes up with the wildest perfume ideas possible?" Ducking out of his hold, I spun around to face him. My glee was uncontrollable, stretching the corners of my lips higher than they had ever gone before.
"You forgot to add 'and dreams so big that he can never finish his projects on time or by himself'," he chuckled.
"Was that your mother I saw you with earlier?" I questioned. The woman was nowhere in sight now, making me wonder where she had gone.
"Yes, she's here! She absolutely loves the forest and she's currently with the food while I came to find you. I told her I had some help with the magic for this illusion and now she's dying to meet you." Before he clasped my hands to drag me toward the feast, he stopped himself and dug into his pocket. "Oh, and before I forget, I owe you these for helping me." He placed a set of keys in my palms, the metal warm from where they had been resting against his leg. "I never could have finished this without you and this year's Miracles Festival would have been downright boring. You're a real asset to the Velux Emporium."
In the midst of all of the preparations for the festival and the panic that had consumed me about every detail of the perfume being perfect, I had completely forgotten about the workshop he had promised me. Now, I had no need for it as my own set was hidden away in my trousers.
Holding his hand, I curled his fingers over so they clasped the keys tighter. "Keep them. How about we be neighbours instead?"
Finally, after hours of ruthless decorating and furniture moving, my workshop was perfectly organised exactly how I had been dreaming for years. Bright colours with some muted variations spanned the room, pulling your attention in every direction. A desk sat front and centre which I kept for paperwork, my requests from clients already piling high. More tables spanned the left side for perfume experiments, ingredients already littering the surfaces, and two couches faced each other on the right for when I needed to invite clients to talk to me. Fluffy rugs, fake potted plants, and small paintings decorated the empty space, making the room feel like home. Flattened boxes still leaned against the wall, but I was officially unpacked.
The paperwork had been signed earlier that morning and now I was an official Head Perfumer alongside the others. Now that I had settled in, the only thing left to do was sort through the masses of perfume orders I had delayed working on.
Sitting at my desk with a cosy pillow on my chair and my stationery organised into different pots, I picked up the first few requests. Selecting a notebook to write the necessary information down, I didn't notice someone standing in the doorway, his voice scaring me and almost causing me to jump out of my seat.
"I like what you've done with the place." Corvin leaned against the doorframe, admiring the decor. "Though, I recommend maybe adding a few insects for display."
I inwardly cringed at the thought of dead bugs having a place inside my workshop, even if they were in glass boxes. "There's this thing called knocking, you know."
Corvin reached out to the open door to knock on it. "Is that better?"
With a roll of my eyes, I returned to my work. "Better late than never, I guess."
He wandered over to my desk to place some sheets of paper on top of the ones I was reading. The handwriting was still illegible, but there was a sketch below it that I admired. This one depicted a ballroom with floating golden streamers and small flying fairies.
"What's this?" I questioned with a raised brow.
Corvin smirked. "Would you like to work on another perfume with me?"
Chapter Word Count: 2,274
Total Word Count: 21,122