The Solstice party was Adam's favorite event of the year. While Eternia traditionally had observed Winter and Summer Solstices, the palace's current Winter celebration was the Queen's creature. She had told Adam that she was trying to recreate Fezziwig's party, whatever that meant, but from how she explained it, the Solstice party she'd evolved combined parts of Earth's Christmas and New Year's celebrations, with all palace staff and family invited for dinner, toasts, dancing, presents, and a challenge to stay up until dawn.
On the day of the party Adam tried to nap after lunch so he could stay up late. After half an hour, he was still wide awake, the buzz running throughout the palace invading even his room. He looked over at Cringer, contentedly napping on the floor next to Adam's bed, with a bit of envy before deciding to take a walk and perhaps prowl the kitchens.
"Adam!" Katrin called as he walked through a side door into one of the prep areas. She was a few workstations from the door, decorating a cake. Adam grinned and walked over to admire her work. Most of his childhood playmates were children of palace staff and had started their apprenticeships a few years ago; Katrin's was with the pastry chef, which meant that Adam – and his stomach – saw more of her than many of their other childhood friends. The two idly exchanged gossip while she piped purple flower petals and Adam pondered whether he'd be able to swipe a cookie from the next apprentice, who was carefully icing several dozen. Suddenly a heavy hand clamped down on his shoulder.
Adam yelped and turned to face Chef Allen, who gave Adam a knowing smile. "Here to test the food, Your Highness?" he asked with a jolly smile. "First you'll have to earn it!" He handed Adam an apron and picked up a bowl he'd set on a nearby counter. "I need someone to make mayonnaise!" Adam groaned but gamely peered into the bowl, wondering how long this was going to take and whether a cookie was worth it.
Adam left the kitchen a few hours later with aching arm and shoulder muscles (how did the cooks do that sort of thing all day, every day?) and made his way back to his room for a quick shower to get rid of the oil coating his hands and the egg splattered in his hair. When he emerged, he found his valet had left a freshly-pressed tunic and vest on his bed and he quickly dressed. "C'mon, Cringer, we don't want to miss any of it," he said, nudging the napping tiger. For once, Cringer didn't protest, as he knew they were on their way to some of the best food of the year.
The ballroom was decorated with greenery, and two giant evergreens, surrounded by brightly-colored packages, flanked the doors to the gardens. Every attendee received an ornament as they arrived for placement on the tree. Adam laughed as two boisterous young women each took a ladder and tried to see who could place theirs highest, with nearly disastrous results for them and the trees.
Adam scanned the room for Teela and saw her in a knot of teenagers. Adam strolled over in time to hear Trevan, one of the grooms, dare Silas, another groom, to kiss a newcomer named Meghan at midnight. Adam decided he did not want to be part of that conversation and veered away, ostensibly to help a child trying to tie its shoe, before he could get sucked in. Teela caught his eye and sardonically lifted a corner of her mouth when she saw his change of direction.
XXX
The feast, as usual, was bountiful and delicious, with soup, salad, cheese, fish, and meat courses. Adam could have eaten more, but didn't want to be weighed down too much, so after three helpings of Beef Wellington (one of many recipes his mother had introduced to Eternia), he set down his silverware and tried to make conversation with Man-at-Arms and the Guard Captain, who both were seated at his table, but he distractedly kept glancing at his father, who was seated at the next table.
At last the king pushed himself back from his dinner table. Others must have been waiting as well for the movement because the room quickly came to a hush as his father started clapping. Soon the whole room had joined in, clapping and stamping their feet and whistling, until the head cook, followed by his first assistant and all the other kitchen workers, entered the hall. The entire assembly stood up cheering and calls of "Bravo!" resounded throughout. Chef Allen bowed as the King and Queen came over to take his hands and congratulate him. As the King and Queen thanked the rest of the kitchen staff, the diners quickly stood and pushed the tables and chairs against the walls. As soon as the floor was clear, Marlena turned to the musicians and gave the signal. They launched into a polka as Marlena grabbed the head cook's hand and pulled him onto the center of the floor. Randor bowed to the first assistant, then took her hand and led her out as well. The rest of the kitchen crew followed, and soon everyone was exuberantly spinning around the floor.
Adam and Teela quickly found each other. This was their favorite dance and every year they tried to see whether they could go faster and execute more spins than any other couple. Adam usually loved how the rest of the world faded into a distant blur as they spun around and around. This year, though, he tried to notice the details – the way he could feel Teela's skirt when it swirled past his legs, the sound of the dancers' feet on the floor, the way they threaded through the crowd – in case this was his last time dancing with Teela. Which it wouldn't be, he told himself fiercely, because they would kiss at midnight and always be part of each other's lives.
After three polkas, the musicians changed to an Eternian folk dance and the polka dancers collapsed into chairs at the edge of the floor. Adam and Teela grinned at each other as they fanned themselves. Marlena, a light sheen of sweat on her forehead, walked over. "The two of you are a force to be reckoned with," she said with a smile. "Where did you learn those kicks?"
Teela smiled slyly. "One of those files from your spaceship showed some tango moves, with the kicking between the legs, so we thought it would be fun to incorporate those. Would people on Earth be offended?" Adam noticed that Teela hadn't mentioned that perfecting the polka was on their to-do list.
Marlena shook her head. "I hope not. But you two certainly are terrors on the dance floor." She left them with a smile.
Several dances later Randor thanked the musicians and asked them to take a well-deserved break. A group of older children gathered in front of the musicians' area and started singing a well-rehearsed rendition of "We Wish You a Merry Solstice" as Adam and his parents moved in front of the decorated trees and their artfully-arranged piles of presents. As soon as the royal family was in place, the young singers were replaced by a group of adults singing "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year" and the children lined up in front of Adam. With Teela, Trevan, and a few other helpers deftly pulling the presents, Adam handed them out with a few personal words to each child. He'd never admit it to anyone, but he spent a lot of the year watching the children and jotting down reminders of something special to say to each – whether praise for the child's helping someone find a lost button, or a minute discussing the child's talent for ball-throwing, or confiding a shared interest in cookies. He loved how their eyes lit up when they realized the Prince had taken notice of them.
As the line finally dwindled, Adam looked over at his parents, who were doing the same thing with the adults. His mother caught his glance and returned a smile that transmitted her pride in him. Adam turned for his next present and found Teela standing there with a look similar to his mother's, but she quickly schooled her expression as she handed him the present and hurried off for the next. This is the best time of the year, he thought.
After more dancing the music paused again in preparation for the midnight toast and everyone gathered around the king. As servants passed out glasses of sparkling wine, Adam frowned as he scanned the room for Teela. Finally he saw her at the room's far edge, working her way through the crowd in his direction. Adam decided to take the path of least resistance and moved to the outside of the group and started in her direction, snagging two glasses of wine on the way. He was several people behind her when he saw Teela crane her head to look at the place where he'd previously been standing and stop in consternation at seeing it empty. He quietly whistled and she turned and broke into a grin, then worked her way to the crowd's edge. Adam handed her a glass as she settled in next to him.
Randor's Solstice speeches tended to be long, and this year was no exception. The King reflected on their many fortunes that year, the weddings and the births, and remembered those in the household and on the planet who had passed. He spoke of Eternian history, the harvest, and the rebuilding of the palace's west wing. Finally Marlena, who with Man-at-Arms had been keeping close eye on a chronometer, put a hand on Randor's arm. "While I hate to interrupt, I'm afraid you might take us past the stroke of midnight," she told her husband with a smile, uttering the same sentence she used every year. "Ten, nine!"
The crowd boisterously responded. "Eight – seven – six – five – four – three – two - one! Happy New Year!" they roared as Adam and Teela drew back into the shadows at the room's edge and shyly turned to each other. They clinked glasses in a silent toast and set them down on a table, then Teela took a step towards Adam. Adam, who had been choreographing this moment in his head ever since the night on the North Terrace, carefully cupped Teela's face in his hands. They had an awkward moment deciding which way to tilt their heads, then their lips collided. Adam's light-headedness from the other night returned as Teela's arms wrapped around the back of his neck and he slowly slid his thumbs back along both sides of her jaw and brushed the hollows behind her ears. He felt her shiver and, his arms now around her, pulled her against him, suddenly wanting all of her, not just her lips. They breathlessly broke apart a moment later, Adam out of wonder and confusion for his unexpected emotional and physical reaction to the kiss and Teela – well, Teela gave him a look of bewilderment that reflected exactly how he was feeling.
"You can't tell anyone," she said, but the glare that normally would accompany such a statement wasn't there.
"I thought I'd at least get a thank you before the scolding," Adam responded after a beat, trying to lighten the mood. "After all, that was at your request."
Teela paused – she definitely was off her game – then harrumphed and headed to the dessert table. Adam shrugged to himself and went to find Cringer, who likely was hiding under that same dessert table hoping the tipsy revelers would drop some pie. Adam was tired and, sunrise be damned, he was ready to go back to his room to have some time to himself to reflect on that kiss.