Ashkyla was so excited. It was Summer Festival, the first day of summer. This meant a picnic. Picnics were always fun, because it meant going through the city and then the meadow. It meant watching the summer dancers in the bright dresses leap around with ribbons, and it meant seeing everyone smiling in a real way. Not the fake way people did in the palace, but in a real way. The sun was shining, and even though she had to sit under a tree the whole time, it was wonderful not to have walls everywhere. Today she could run around and leap like the dancers after they had finished their traditional dances, when everyone was invited to dance with them. Even though she had to wear the gold circlet with the diamond on it, she did get to wear a light dress, un-encumbered by petticoats, lace, and velvet.
Ashkyla grinned out at the people outside the carriage window, and none of them could help but smile back. She wanted to wave, but her mother had told her not to because her arm would get tired and then some people would think she didn't like them when she didn't wave. Ashkyla asked if everyone would think she didn't like them if she didn't wave at all, but Mother said that she would wave to everyone instead and it would be okay.
Ashkyla looked forward and managed to smile even wider. Off in the distance was something green, and her tree. The blankets were already there and servants were holding food, ready to serve it to everyone. Ashkyla would have run out of the carriage if her mother hadn't been holding her hand, but she hurried over to the tree, just barely refraining from dragging her mother along like a normal little girl. She had to be a princess. The blankets were all in a circle, but to her the line started at her tree, where she always was during the festival. First, they would eat, and then the storytelling of the beginning of Summer Festival, then the dancers, then the dancing and the singing.
Ashkyla bounced into her spot and smiled radiantly around at the other nobles, using all the restraint she'd learned so far as a princess to keep herself from fairly grabbing at the food in an effort to move as quickly as she could through the most boring part of the ceremony. The food was wonderful, all raspberry cream pies and chilled apple cider, but there was nothing to do while she was eating except smile at the occasional well-wisher who was allowed to come see her.
She finished quickly and began watching Lord Elbert out of the corner of her eye. He was an enormous man who always seemed to eat 3 times as much food as everyone else 3 times as slowly. And, for some reason, it wasn't proper etiquette to start the festivities until everyone had eaten, according to Ashkyla's tutor. The lord, however, should have been made an exception. He always finished last, and today they nearly had to tear his plate away from him so everyone could get on with the festival.
The storyteller entered the circle, and bowed to the royalty, then began.
"A long time ago, when the Earth was barely wise yet, the summer never came. First came winter, bitter and cold. Then was spring, and everything bloomed, then came fall and everything began to die once more. The plants never had time to grow. Our ancient ancestors were hungry, with no fruits or vegetables or bread. The animals they ate were growing thin and transparent with so little to eat, and dying. It was a very dreary time. Our ancestors prayed to the Earth to help them, to see their plight. The Earth heard from the slumber of winter and saw their problem. However, she didn't know what to do. She thought for almost the whole spring, and called to her friend, the Goddess Summer, for advice. Summer saw all that was happening to the people and the plants, and came up with a plan. She instructed Earth to make the cycle of the year longer, leaving a pause between spring and fall, for the plants to grow and become plentiful. Earth did so, and at this time asked Sun to shine brighter upon her, to make up for years before. She told the people to call this time "Summer", in honor of her friend. So every year we eat the food we would not have without summer, and dance for her pleasure in a festival in her honor. We also wear no hats or head covering so the sun may shine upon us and so we may all grow within."
The story was already familiar to Ashkyla, but what came after made up for it. The dancing! Everyone moved back to their blankets, as the dancers entered the circle, bowed to her mother and father, and took up their stances around the circle. The women wore long, light, billowing dresses made of dyed grasses and cotton, plants which grew due to summer. The men wore leggings and a simple shirt, died in brilliant colors. They carried long, thin batons with at least 3 or 4 feet of ribbon flowing out form the end. The ribbons had flowers, suns, and long grasses embroidered on them in a summer meadow motif. One dancer, alone, could have entered any dark, desolate room and brightened it to sunshine. The group of twenty standing in a meadow similar to the ones on the ribbons with the sun out and smiles on everyone's faces could barely be described through even a six-year-old's eyes.
They began to jump about, acting out the story in dance. Two dancers arose from the middle of the circle as if they were Summer and Earth, and the others danced about them in mock plight. The dance ended with everyone bowing to them, their ribbons extended and pointing toward them in an image of the sun's rays. Their next dance praised the sun, for shining so brightly down upon everyone. Finally it was time for them to invite the children to dance as well.
Ashkyla smiled broadly at the head dancer who came to lead her onto the field. He bowed to her, and reached for her hand to pull her up, but the Queen intervened.
"Ashkyla will not be dancing, but thank you for your invitation."
Ashkyla glanced over, shocked. She waited until the dancer had moved away, to help teach the simple twirling dance to everyone else, before speaking as calmly as possible. "Mother, why can't I dance this year? I have been good all day, and this is my favorite part."
Her mother looked at her compassionately. "Ashkyla, darling, you are a princess and you are getting too old to be twirling around with the rest of the children. You outrank them, and must always know that."
"But mother, if I'm the princess, why can't I do what I want to? And I'm not getting too old. Elizara is out there, and she is eight!" Ashkyla was practically whining, causing her mother's gaze to sharpen slightly.
"I know dear, but being royalty you have responsibilities. You will find it much easier to ascend to the throne if the nobles around you respect you as the authority." The queen smiled down on her forlorn face and squeezed her hand as if to sympathize with her, then turning to watch the children dance.
Ashkyla nearly cried out that she didn't want to be royalty, that she wanted to be normal, but instead tried to look calm and turned back to the dancers, wishing she was one of them. It was the first time Ashkyla had ever resented being a princess, the first time she wished she would be someone else. The first time of many.
Kady
The figure came closer, panting. As it came nearer, I could see a page's uniform, and strangely enough, long dark hair. Then I could see the odd, nearly spotless, crumpled look of the clothing and… her face. The deep blue eyes and fair skin that marked her as her father's child. The princess's face, downcast and red with tears.
She tripped and fell onto the tree, rolling up to lean on it. Then she began to sob. A small cat crept up and lay down in her lap, but she seemed not to notice. I lay frozen above her, unsure as to what I should do. Slowly the sobs faded, and when I looked down again she seemed to be asleep. I got down and looked at her. She looked awful. There were scratches in her cheeks, and her hair was tangled. The clothes she wore were too big, and now she was covered in crumbly summer dirt. She was a real sight, and a real mystery. I longed to wake her up, but the cat in her lap looked up at me, as if to tell me to leave her alone. I moved around so I was leaning on the trunk next to her, and let my shoulders fall from their high, stressed out position. My eyes began to droop, and the last thought in my mind was how strange this would look if anyone came here and found us asleep.