People brought several offerings for Ceres. Different bread, black bread, desert bread such as banana bread, and scones, flat bread, rice bread, sheaves of wheat, barley, rye, oats, maize and other crops, squash, peaches, pears, and especially apples and huge jars of honey. It was known throughout the duchy how much the duchess loved apples, especially with honey. They also brought baskets of walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts and especially acorns. Soon it seemed there were more nuts, fruit, bread and honey than there were people. Ceres then led everyone to a grand podium, where she sat in the royal box with Minako and Kunzite.
The day after, everyone sat the podium, to watch what Malwina said were the Games of Ceres.
"I have never seen such giant squash before!"exclaimed Fayruza.
"Me neither!"
People began to bring out huge pumpkins, some so huge that they had to be brought out in carts.
"How did they get them to grow so big?"asked Fayruza.
"Think of all the pumpkin pie! Which one do you think will win? They weigh them."she explained to Fayruza. "The biggest one gets a prize and is given to the duchess. She rides it in the pumpkin race, and keeps the seeds from it, to be planted among her own pumpkin gardens. I will bet you this ring that number twelve will win."
"They race pumpkins?"
"They float. You take all the pulp out, and you sit in it in the water, as if it were a boat. And the person who gets to the finish line wins."
Several valets stepped up, and one by one, and it seemed, began to weigh the pumpkins.
"Which pumpkin do you think will be my pumpkin?"Ceres asked Minako.
"Hmmm…the one with the number four, I'm thinking."
It turned out they were right. The pumpkin was entered by a couple of girls. They were led to the royal box. Minako handed Ceres a golden trophy shaped like a horn of plenty. In it were several gold coins. They also shook hands with Minako and Kunzite.
The next day, everyone sat in the same seats. This time several women dressed in white stepped out, Minako among them. They were all dressed in white and carried lighted torches.
"How come I wasn't chosen to play the part of Persephone? For all my aunt is the duchess's governess, she couldn't get me a part in the games?"demanded Malwina.
"Because the princess would not recognize you."said one of the other girls.
"I would be carrying the poppies! That would be enough!"
It seemed as though they were desperately searching for something among what was a barren field. Finally, among some bales of straw, one of them found what appeared they had been looking for. A young girl, about Ceres's own age emerged from the straw. Fayruza recognized her as one of the younger girls at court. The girl was dressed in bright yellow, and carried a bouquet of poppies.
"You didn't get to find Persephone, Mama!"said Ceres.
"I'd never have thought to look among the straw."
"Next year, I will be Persephone."
"No. You know you can't. How? Everyone would know it was you."Minako pointed out.
"Someone else can sit in place."
"That would be fun."Minako admitted.
The festivities lasted eight days. They included a procession in which Ceres rode in an open carriage surrounded by fruits and nuts. The people would throw rice, almonds, walnuts, and kernels of corn at her.
Fayruza had seen many jousts back on Earth. That was one of the things Ceres loved to hear about.
"My father is never unseated."Ceres said.
"In every joust I've seen, I've never seen Lord Kunzite unseated."Fayruza confirmed. "Or heard of."
"And you've seen many?"
Fayruza nodded.
"My papa is also the best swordsman in the galaxy."
"I didn't know the Games of Ceres involved anything like that, Your Grace."said Malwina. "I had always thought it was mostly games."
Ceres frowned.
"My father participating in a joust is not a game!"
"It isn't. I haven't seen a joust for a while."agreed Fayruza. "You know, he-"
She was about to say that he would wear her mother's colors, when she remembered that he probably wore the princess's colors since he married her.
"He is a knight, you know. How could he have earned his spurs, or be a shittenou, if he wasn't but the best?"Ceres pointed out.