Chapter 3: Lapis' Sixteenth Birthday
Sixteen years went by, and Lapis grew into a beautiful young princess. She was kind, generous and beloved by her people. However, she was also rather curious, particularly when it involved strange behaviours that came from the castle staff. For Lapis to feel safe, the kingdom had made a quintessential oath, in that whenever Lapis was in the same room as them, they were forbidden to mention the curse. This led to many awkward situations where Lapis would hear staff members talking about something confidential, only for them to go quiet whenever they caught sight of her, leaving the princess feeling puzzled.
This didn't put her off though, as she was kept company by her fairy guardians, who played games with her and taught Lapis the many ways in which a princess like her should properly act. However, Lapis got on extremely well with Rose Quartz's young son Steven, who was born sometime after Lapis' celebration, and he would usually come along with the other fairies whenever he had the time. The two of them were the most inseparable of friends. Whenever one of them had a problem or was in trouble, the other would be by their side. However, it was their passion for singing and music respectively that made the two an unlikely pair, as their music entertained both the royal and fairy courts throughout the kingdom.
On the morning of Lapis' sixteenth birthday, everyone in the castle was preparing a grand party to celebrate her coming of age. Lapis was excited about the occasion, so much so that she had gotten herself out of bed quite early and immediately got herself ready for the day. Meanwhile, the fairies, who had been put in charge of the celebration, were each deciding the role they would take in preparing the party. Peridot chose to oversee the decorations, Garnet and Bismuth would help the kitchen staff prepare the party menu, and Amethyst, Pearl, and Steven were going to create the perfect birthday gift for Lapis, to which Pearl suggested a brand-new dress for her. They were so caught up in their conversations, that they didn't see Lapis come downstairs from her room, wearing her favourite dress. The dress itself was very beautiful, with a baby blue bodice that had puffy sleeves, a small, frilled collar and a short ruffle-style overskirt at the front. Below that was an azure underskirt that just reached Lapis' ankles and ended with a frilled trim at the bottom. All of this was topped off with a cute pair of dark blue pumps.
Interested in the fairies' conversation, Lapis decided to see what all the fuss was about. "Well, and what might you all be up to?" she asked.
The fairies were so taken aback by Lapis' appearance that they didn't know what to say. "Um, nothing my dear," said Pearl anxiously. "It is just something quite confidential."
"Oh," replied Lapis with a simple smile, as her attention turned towards Steven. "Steven, would you and the others happen to be planning a surprise for me?" Lapis questioned sweetly, knowing that her best friend would likely give her an answer.
"Well, you see Lapis," stammered Steven, who was trying his best to keep his friend's party a secret.
Luckily for him, Blue Diamond happened to be passing by. She knew that her daughter would be curious about her party and came up with an idea to keep Lapis occupied until the party was complete.
"Good morning, my beautiful little waterdrop," she said tenderly to her daughter, admiring her birthday look.
"Good morning, Mother," replied Lapis as she curtsied in the queen's presence.
"I see someone is curious today," joked the queen. "Considering how you woke up earlier than usual this morning."
Lapis began to feel a little guilty. "I'm sorry Mother," she replied worryingly. "But, I'm just so excited about my party, I bet it's going to be perfect".
The queen just smiled and told her daughter that there was nothing wrong in being curious about things, much to an onlooking Pearl's annoyance. "Curiosity will likely be the end of that girl if she's not careful," the ivory fairy thought as she looked over some dress sketches.
Once Lapis felt more composed, the queen asked her daughter if she could do a particular 'favour' for her.
"Lapis, would you be a dear for me and fetch some berries from the forest?" she requested before giving a slight wink to Steven.
Lapis, who enjoyed picking forest berries, eagerly agreed and began to make her way to the kitchen to pick out a basket. Once she entered, the cooks, waiters and especially Garnet and Bismuth greeted the princess with a cheerful "Good morning, Your Highness," to which Lapis thanked them in return.
"And where might the birthday girl be heading off to today?" asked Bismuth.
"Mother asked me to pick some berries," the princess responded as she picked out the best-looking basket she could find.
"Well then, make sure you get plenty of them," the periwinkle fairy laughed.
Garnet soon approached Lapis, looking a bit serious. "Remember Lapis, don't talk to anyone suspicious," the magenta fairy spoke before forming a smile. "Now go and make the most of your birthday."
Encouraged by Garnet's words, Lapis joyfully made her way back into the castle halls, bidding farewell to her two guardians. As she went through the halls, many more staff members bid her a "Good morning," and even complimented her dress. "Thank you," Lapis replied happily to every one of them.
Before she was ready to leave, the princess wanted to say goodbye to the other fairies and told every one of them to look after themselves whilst she was out.
"Take care Steven," she said to the fairy prince, as she playfully tousled his dark brown hair.
"Don't worry Lapis, I'll be fine," Steven replied confidently.
"Make sure you're back before this evening," spoke Peridot. "I want to ensure that the birthday girl attends her party on time."
"Don't worry Peridot, I'll be back before then," the blue girl replied.
"Goodbye Lapis," called the fairies as Lapis approached a nearby door, to which she waved and shouted goodbye back to them. Then, she quietly exited the hall and entered the castle garden, closing the door behind her.
"Now we can continue with our preparations," said Pearl as she went back to contemplate the design of Lapis' new dress, whilst Steven and Amethyst fetched the fabrics she wanted.
As Lapis walked through the garden, she came across her mother and the duchess, who were both enjoying a nice spot of morning tea. They both caught a glimpse of the young princess, and lightly waved to her as she passed by. Lapis waved back to them in return and began to make her way to the forest, humming a little tune as she strolled.
"She has grown up so fast," said Blue Diamond to the duchess. "It feels like only yesterday that she was just a baby."
"Indeed," replied Yellow Diamond, in a very sorrowful manner.
The queen took notice of this and asked the duchess what was wrong. "I feel that given your daughter's age, it is about time that we start picking the ideal partner for her," spoke Yellow Diamond, knowing full well that over the past few years, the queen had been reluctant to give her daughter away.
"I've said this at her initial celebration, and I'll say it again," argued the queen, keeping her composure. "Lapis herself should choose her partner and do so when she feels ready."
Little did either of them know, however, that Lapis had been dreaming of a 'true love' for quite a while. She thought about it endlessly throughout the day, and at night she would have dreams about meeting a special someone. However, Lapis didn't want to be with any particular prince, king, or duke, she wanted to be with someone who would love her for who she was, regardless of their position. She only told her fairy guardians about this, and most of them thought that her desire was too outlandish and impossible. However, Steven stood by and supported his friend and hoped that someday Lapis' dream would someday come true.