Chapter 69: Mistral Dance (II).
Inside the church, we still held hands and saw the familiar place full of people. They all looked so excited to be blessed and to partake in the dance. I could hear so many people already settling their wishes with the light goddess.
"I wish for good health."
"Do you think our baby will be blessed by the light goddess? After all, a festival celebrated by the full moon would be something special."
"Oh I do hope, my dear. I believe the light goddess would have so many things in store for our baby."
It was overcrowded but I could see that there was a small seating place up top where the royal family was supposed to stay and watch.
"Is that-" I noticed that there was the third princess looking over to the stage and supposedly Rose's figure beside her. I blinked twice to make sure I wasn't seeing things- two Roses-
"That's one of your clones right?" I whisper and point at the Rose who was sitting on top of the chair looking distant.
"Yes, if father knew that I was back running wild amongst the commoners he would never let me out of the castle ever again so I've had some precautions." (Rose) smiles and I understand the reason why she was able to escape to play with us all this time. What a miracle that for all these years she hasn't been found out. "Don't worry Catherine will be my voice so that my little light clone won't be in trouble. I have already made several complaints of my voice being sore so there shouldn't be a problem."
I looked up again to see the King looking... intimidating while he stares at another seat amongst the light princesses that was empty. "That's Princess Cecilia's seat I presume."
"My elder sister... is not well." (Rose) tells me the tone of her voice is a little downhearted.
The few days before I visited I remember she still had a lot of fighting spirit in her to the point we had to talk about our strategies on beating the winshern kingdom in order to not start a war. "She's not well enough to come and watch the dance, I know she's been really looking forward to this and I was hoping I could watch it with her."
"Don't worry, next year you'll watch it together. You two could even perform the dance to the people on the stage, I would cheer you on and your sister's personal maid can sit beside me." I suggested trying to picture the two light princesses dancing onto the stage as Princess Cecilia's personal maid and I would be cheering on their dance.
"We'll both be your cheerleaders." I told her with a smile, successfully lifting her mood.
We held our hands together under the crowd of people, I felt safe.
Not even the king who was high up would be able to stop me from getting what I want.
I swore that I'll find a way to get everything in order.
Never underestimate reincarnated people who were killed over by a truck. The truck is much more scary than a king- in my opinion it is. It killed possibly hundreds of thousands back on earth and I wonder how many souls it has sent to other worlds like me.
"Wait- the King is standing!"
"Oh my by the light goddess he is!"
"The king looks so serious, do you think he's going to announce something important?"
The attention of the crowd was pulled towards the stage, where all of the people were seeing the King stand up from his chair clearing his throat.
"Welcome to a momentous festival, I have my daughters with me this year." He motions to show the two daughters he has over his side. I could see Catherine momentarily flinch before standing up as well as the clone, looking expressionless but nonetheless it would pass to be the princess because it's working to fool all the people inside the church.
"However- my eldest will not be attending due to her critical condition. I would like to ask for the people of my kingdom to add her to your prayers. To pray to the light goddess to let her be healed so that she will not join the Queen in heaven so quickly." The King appears to have closed his eyes looking down on all the people below him.
There were a few sobs and understanding nods from a lot of people who seemed to be so touched with his message.
"Oh the Queen... she was so young."
"Mana Deficiency is such a cruel thing."
"The first princess, I will be adding her into my prayers to the light goddess along with the safe return of my father."
Everyone put their hands together and prayed. I felt a little out of place, I wasn't one to pray to a deity I don't really believe in.
Rose was a believer though I could feel her desperate aura seeing all these people praying she clasped her hands quickly together and placed her forehead into the front of her hand, muttering her prayers possibly-
For Cecilia to get better.
I felt a pan of guilt when seeing all these people pray for the first princess, it made me feel a bit conscious so instinctively I clasped my hands together as well and closed my hands muttering a prayer for Cecilia to be well.
I guess just this once, I'll pray.
When a whole minute of silence was over, the king motioned for the priest to come forward. "Please, let us not delay then. May the priest go and start blessing the dancer for the mistral dance."
"Raise the blinds! Let the Mistral Dance commence!" The priest comes forward raising his staff, yelling for the blinds to be opened.
I could see several people pulling a rope for the stage and opening the blinds, letting us see a beautiful dancer with long light blue hair barefooted, bowing towards the people.
So many compliments followed, saying how beautiful the dancer was and it felt like it was someone they haven't met before.
"So beautiful..."
"Has this dancer always been in here?"
"I haven't seen this dancer in all my years of living but I do wish she did appear when I was at my prime."
The face of the dancer was hidden under a light transparent scarf, hands raising up and down as she walked around the front her feet pranced elegantly. The way that the shoulders were dropped, the sullen expression, the blue watery lights of the background.
I couldn't help but compare this version of the Mistral dance from Princess Cecilia's version.
Princess Cecilia's version was telling me a story about someone who wanted to dance her heart out to fulfill her duty but this dancer- who is this?!
"May the light guide you to where it might lead." The priest chants raising his staff higher, the gem on the middle part seemed to be absorbing all the moonlight glow by the moon.
I couldn't seem to remove my gaze towards the mysterious dancer.
"Huh? This is-"
My hands- they're itching for me to draw right now?! Of all the times- what's wrong with this dancer? There's only been a few people who made my hand move and itch for a brush to paint.
"Rose, just a question the dancer here do you feel like-"
Rose seemed to be watching the mysterious dancer as well, the music never stopping. Everyone's eyes were given to the dancer's attention; it felt like I was the only one broken out of this spell.
"It's a different kind of Mistral dance... It feels a bit more sad and distant than usual. Whenever I practiced I was told to give it my all and always wear a smiling expression so that may the light be welcomed by our presence." (Rose) mutters looking wistfully into the stage.
"The dancer's moves seemed like she's in pain, I caught a glimpse of the expression on her face. It was not a smile, it seemed like she was swaying for help, the dance- it's so beautiful. I can't seem to stop watching."
"Me too... I wonder who it could be. It's been a while since my hands itched to draw something." I took out a sketchbook as well as a pencil from my [Storage Ring] and decided to sketch the mysterious dancer with her long blue hair and quickly made a sketch of all her features.
I could hear the sound of my pencil scratch the surface of the paper drawing several shapes to be the base of the dancer.
A pose of a saddened girl, dancing at the eyes of many people to be seen, asking for aid, everyone could feel what the dance was all about but no one would move. They all wanted to admire the dancer who wore the expression of pain, yet she could dance like there was nothing hurting her physically but surely inside there was.
"You're drawing the dancer?" (Rose) sees what I was doing and I leaned in closer to her to let her see my current progress on the sketch. "It's been a while since I last saw you draw."
"I couldn't help myself, there's something familiar about that dancer that I just can't seem to put my finger on." I told Rose who looked up at the dancer inspecting her every move and agreed with me soon after.
"Now that you say it... there's something I can't put my finger on it as well-" We both looked up at the dancer, I feel like I've seen that dancer before but there's something preventing me from remembering.
I saw someone else's hand hold onto my sketchbook and our faces were almost a few inches apart. I dropped my pencil due to the sudden surprise, I couldn't even feel anyone's presence coming behind me- who in the hell would even-
"Natasha believes the mysterious dancer is your noble friend."
Natasha?!
Oh my heart almost stopped!
I held my chest to show how shocked I was but Rose was excited to see an old face. "Natasha! It's good to see you! I see you're also here to watch the dance?"
Natasha looked at the princess with a serious expression at first but slowly gave a faint smile. "Yes, your highness." she whispers the last part before continuing. "Natasha was bored and Natasha was given this- flier with a girl with church clothing, you see. Natasha was curious about this year's festival, and what it would be."
Natasha shows us her evidence of coming, the same flier that was given to me before. "Here it is. Natasha was not expecting for a man to dance and wear girlish clothing however, this is new."
Rose and I looked at each other questioningly before tilting our head at the same time towards Natasha.
"I-Is there something wrong with Natasha's face?" (Natasha) worriedly wipes half of her face with her hand and I shake my head, telling her it's not her face that's got our attention.
"Did you just say that- well- a man is dancing on that stage?" I broke my voice into a low whisper and Natasha replied back into a whisper as well.
"Yes, Natasha is confused why a man is dancing on that stage. Natasha thought it was for girls only in this kingdom. After all this is considered to be a woman's duty- right?" She innocently asked, the more she asked the more her figure became smaller, being unsure.
"Church girl duty? Is Natasha wrong? If so Natasha didn't mean to offend- it is only what I heard in this kingdom when it came to dancing." She explained to us thoroughly and we listened intently. "The same with Winshern, women dance when it comes to public shows, never the men."
Natasha frowns looking over at the stage.
"Are men dancing here a bad thing?"
"Oh heavens no!" Rose quickly diminishes the thought. Natasha is like a scary gorilla at times but there were cute times like these where she would act like a baby fawn trying her best to learn Puronian culture.
"There's nothing wrong with a man dancing on stage- it's just- well it's the first time I'm hearing of it in the Mistral dance.The dancer up there whoever he is- he's a good dancer." (Rose)
I nodded in agreement looking at the sketched drawing I made, such a talented dancer- I wonder who he is?
"Wait Natasha, you told us it was our noble friend- can we know who it is?"
Natasha blinks for a moment before answering in the most serious voice.
"The noble friend, the one who was beside you riding on a pretty pegasus."
Riding on the pretty pegasus- there's only one person who rides a pegasus and who was usually beside me the needed times.
"It's Lord Vincent." I answered hitting right on the money because Natasha quickly agreed with me while Rose looked so confused.
"How did he even get up there?" (Rose)
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