Skin as white as snow. Hair as dark as night. Lovely, elaborate kimono. They must be princesses! Kyoko's heart spun with joy, watching the beautiful young women perform onstage. Each carried a branch of sakura in one hand, a fan in the other, as they simultaneously swept into motion.
Saena looked at her daughter's euphoric expression in satisfaction before bending slightly to whisper in her ear. "Watch them Kyoko, don't be enthralled by their mere beauty. Look for the story that they tell us."
Briefly, the child's golden eyes stared into her own dark depths. Saena's gaze never wavered, never wandered from the face of her child, who now solemnly observed the proceedings.
"Oy, kid."
Kyoko blinked rapidly, then shook her head to remove her fantasies of dancing fairy princesses. She turned to find the owner of the voice in the side aisle of the theater. There, in a bright blue kimono reminiscent of the geisha performers' own costumes, stood an older female with a scowl on her face. Kyoko shrank back into her comfy seat. She looks like a scary princess.
The teen sighed after seeing the tiny child cower in fear, and put on a bright smile. Gently sweeping the hair from the girl's eyes, she murmured, "Ah, you're Kyoko-chan, right? My name's Mayu."
Relieved at seeing the beatific visage, Kyoko peeked up at her. "…Mayu hime-sama, where's my mother?"
"She's speaking to Masaru-san, the assistant director, backstage," calmly answered Mayu. What did she call me? Slightly perplexed, she glanced at Kyoko who was staring reverently at her. Might as well play along. "Actually, Kyoko-chan, you should call me 'ojou-sama' because I am the Queen's daughter."
"Uwah! Really?"
Mayu allowed herself a wide grin behind her hand. "Yes, my mother is Mametomi—the one leading the maiko geisha in today's preview." At the child's blank face, she continued, "The tiny, regal woman with the most graceful posture?"
At once, Kyoko's eyes lit up in recognition. "The Queen is the prettiest one!" Then, shyly, "…can I meet her?"
Tilting her head in a show of uncertainty, Mayu covered her smile once more. "I don't know, she might be busy right now. Instructing apprentices to properly dance takes time." The teen muttered under her breath, "Especially these maiko."
"Please, please, please!" The golden-eyed child continued pleading until Mayu responded positively. Both grinned happily, hand-in-hand, as they made their way backstage.