"It's almost harvest time!"exclaimed Malwina. "You know what that means! Cerealia!"
"What's a Cerealia?"asked Fayruza.
"The festivities, you silly goose! I've never been to the festivities at court! The offerings they make the duchess are grand, they say! For the feast to be 'worthy of Ceres'. Only the best of the entire harvest. And the Games of Ceres'. That's what I thought life at court would be more like! Not the endless hours we've been spending in the schoolroom!"
Malwina and Fayruza stared at the jewels brought out for the event. The ducal crown was fashioned after sheaves of wheat and ears of corn with a red poppy, made of rubies. The Horn of Plenty headed the scepter. The earrings were also fashioned with sheaves of wheat with poppies coming out of the horn of plenty.
"It has acorns, too."said Ceres, when they brought them out on their cushions. "And Mama and Papa chose the acorns are my embelm. When Mama was Duchess of Ceres, hers was a sheaf of wheat, which she hated. Someone usually holds the crown over my head, and the earrings can only be worn by the wires going around the ear, not like regular earrings because it's so heavy. The scepter isn't so heavy to hold."
Minako and Kunzite returned to Ceres for Cerealia. Ceres was thrilled to see her parents. Her favorite part of the festivities for Cerealia was not so much the festivities, but the fact that her parents came, especially when they came weeks before the festivities began.
"Can we have a picnic, and can we go riding?"she asked in almost fluent Terran. "You see? My tutor says I learn very well!"
"And what else does she say?"asked Kunzite.
"That Malwina sometimes exasperates her! But sometimes Malwina comes up with more fun things. And she plays tennis better. But she doesn't do lessons well. She does worse than I do at arithmetic. She's not really much better at embroidery, either. And Malwina gets in more trouble, too. My music tutor says I've improved at the virginals, too. I can show you!"
Ceres played the virginals for her parents.
"That was very good."said Minako. "Who do you think plays the virginals better?"she asked Kunzite. "The Princess of Venus or the Duchess of Ceres?"
"That's a very difficult question."he said, looking from one to the other. "Do I have to answer it?"
"Obviously, no! I haven't played in ages! And as you've just heard, the one who plays better is the duchess!"Minako pointed out.
Ceres looked very happy.
"I've practiced dancing, too."
It was she who would be opening the dance. Her dance partner would be the most noble born boy her age.
"What about practicing other things?"asked Kunzite. "Has your arithmetic improved?"
Ceres looked at her hands.
"No!"exclaimed Minako, throwing her hands in the air. "Don't tell me you're going to be the fly in the ointment, Kunzite! Why bring it up now instead of waiting?"
Ceres looked at her mother gratefully.
"We'll forget about it for now, but your father is right, Shinju. When you return to your lessons after the holiday, we have found a new tutor for you."
"It's too hard, and I can't do it."
"You can and you will."Kunzite said, sternly.
While her parents were at there, lessons were canceled, something about which Malwina was overjoyed, since Ceres spent all her time with her parents. They would ride her favorite trails, go on picnics, or even just sit in her boudoir, Minako and Ceres sometimes working on tapestries, and Kunzite reading, or sometimes playing cards together, or planning for the festivities. And she loved to hear stories about when her father was courting her mother.
"When will I be courted?"she asked.
"Not until you're older."Minako told her.
She also loved to hear about the balls on the Moon, and about her father's court on Earth.
"We'll take you there soon enough."he promised.
"But I already speak good Terran, Papa."she pointed out.
"You're here to teach the Duchess of Ceres Terran, and instead you're gathering gambling debts!"Kunzite demanded of Fayruza.
Malwina had the brilliant idea of asking him to cover them, given that Launcekrona refused to do so any more. Fayruza had reluctantly agreed, although she knew he would be furious. What a brilliant time for Malwina to think she had any influence.
"There's no need to get so upset over it!"said the Princess of Venus, to Fayruza's surprise. "It's not such a great amount. I'll cover it."
"What a terrible example to set, Fayruza! I expect to hear the best of you, and this is what I'm told."
Fayruza was about to say that Malwina wasn't the best example, either, but thought better of it. A lot of it was her ideas, after all. And the princess wouldn't be happy to hear her criticize her friend's niece.
"Thank you, Your Highness."she said to the princess, instead.
Minako smiled.
"There's no need. I'll pay it, and we'll forget all about it."
"I'll be considering you returning to Earth."