"You found it!"exclaimed Malwina, as Fayruza found a large gold coin in her baked oatmeal.
"At least it's large enough I didn't eat it."she said, cleaning it before holding it up.
As people noticed, the hall burst into applause. Ceres left her table, where she sat with her parents, and eagerly walked to the edge of the dais. Fayruza was led towards the edge of the dais where Ceres stood.
One of the valets took a loaf of bread which had been sitting next to Ceres's plate, and handed it to Fayruza. She stood, uncertain of what she should do.
"And you get to throw the bread at me! You're taller than me, so over my head!"Ceres told her.
"I throw the cake over Your Grace?!"
"Yes!"
Fayruza looked uncertainly over to her father and the princess. The princess smiled, and her father nodded. She turned back to Ceres, who was waiting. It seemed the entire room was waiting. Taking a deep breath, Fayruza finally held up the cake dropped it over Ceres's head.
"You get an entire bottle of barley wine, too! From my very own distillery."Ceres told her, as she shook her head and patted her hair, trying to get some of the crumbs out of it. "Oh, and the coin is yours."
"After all that time and effort that must have gone into having your hair dressed to have it end up covered in breadcrumbs!"Fayruza said.
"Not just anyone can say that they have dropped a cake over the duchess's head. That's done for brides, but not for princesses or duchesses, for that matter. Unless they are the bride."Malwina couldn't stop laughing.
"You are to see Her Royal Highness and His Lordship before they leave. Now!"Launcekrona told Fayruza, impatiently. "You've been sent for."
"Between you and me, I kind of wish my aunt were leaving, too, sometimes."Malwina said to Fayruza just after Launcekrona left. "She's always giving instructions. She's determined that I receive and keep the duchess's favor. Hardly a day goes by when she doesn't remind me."
She curtsied before her father and the Princess of Venus. Malwina was right when she said it was good Launcekrona was not here. It certainly made one less nervous to not have her watching over her shoulder.
"We'll be leaving Ceres in a few days."Kunzite told her, after she stood.
"We have decided that , as you are half royal, you will also be schooled along with the duchess."the Princess of Venus told her. "You will have some of the same tutors, and be tutored in some of the same subjects that only she is taught."
"I want to hear you are performing your duties well and serving Her Grace well, Fayruza. You are the only one among my natural children who has the privilege of serving my heiress."
That's because I'm the only girl, she was about to say. She had two older half brothers. They would be serving the Crown Prince, just as her father did.
"And I will be keeping up with all your exercises."Kunzite added. "You are also assigned to teach her and oversee her education in our language and customs."
"In that, you already have a high position at the ducal court."the princess told her.
"If I didn't know Launcekrona, I'd be afraid she would give the girl a hard time. I know she sees her as competition for her niece, Malwina."Minako told Kunzite later. "She will do everything she can to push Malwina forward."
"Any position she holds at Shinju's court, Fayruza will have to earn for herself."Kunzite answered. "I don't want Shinju to give out free favors. Even those who can't be bought or bribed will be willing to do just about anything for a title or a piece of ribbon. One thing among others that Shinju must learn."
Minako nodded. People so valued titles more than they did other things, even money. Which was just the very reason why Launcekrona was not inclined to like Fayruza. She had wanted the position especially for her niece.
"You've had her raised to be competitive? Ambitious?"
"She'll have more options here than she would otherwise, for one. And she's an excellent choice to teach Shinju Terran. I am very proud to have named Shinju as my heiress to my kingdom of the Middle East."
Minako smiled. Their daughter was certainly a subject they both enjoyed talking about.
"I am very proud of her."she said. "It makes me very happy when we negotiated the marriage between the Crown Princess of the Moon and the Crown Prince of Earth that the Empress insisted their daughter also become heiress to his domains, as well as the Moon. If it had not been for that Small Lady Serenity will also be Queen of Earth, Earth and the Moon would not unite under one crown, and Shinju might not be eligible to the succession for the Middle East."
"Even if she had not been, my subjects would have to learn to accept her as their Lady. Prince Endymion agrees with me. Our daughter shall become Princess of Venus and Queen of the Middle East, as well as being the natural successoress as Guardian to the Crown Princesses and Prince's daughter."
Ceres was always sad when her parents had to leave.
"We stayed a little longer than we should have."Minako said to her. "The season will begin soon."
"Can we hold it here?"
"No. You know that is not possible. People will expect us to hold the season at Magellan."
"Artemis will probably be beside himself."Kunzite added.
He was certainly not looking forward to returning to Magellan. Usually they returned there for the social season. The balls and dinners were just not things he especially enjoyed. That was one thing he and Minako differed. She enjoyed the season. Not as much as she enjoyed spending time with her daughter. And advantage that made it seem go by fast for her.
"You could stay."Ceres suggested.
"We rather would."he admitted.
"See?"
"But that won't be possible. We have to return to Magellan. There is so much to be done. I really wish we could hold the entire social season here. But you know we can't."
"Meanwhile, you still stay here, continue your education, and learn."Kunzite told her.
Ceres nodded.
"Yes. I will very hard."
"We'll view often."Minako promised.
"And I'll get to view your dresses before you wear them?"Ceres asked excited.
"I'll ask the seamstresses that they make you identical ones. From the same material. It'll help you to learn to dress well."
"We must always dress well to please our subjects and impress others."Ceres remembered.
"We will be back around the time of the harvest, just before Cerealia. You don't think we'd ever miss that, do you?"Minako asked. "It'll be the first time I will ever come as simply a guest."
Finally, it was time for them to leave. Ceres hugged and kissed her parents good bye and accompanied them to the courtyard. When they left, she ran to one the windows in the tallest tower and waved until their entourage was out of sight.