Calciana's Hope - naphnegirl (beach read book .TXT) 📗

of a golden elephant with an upturned trunk and a smaller silver elephant right beside it, also with its trunk turned up. Crystals embedded the edges of the ring and the elephants eyes. This, was no doubt, the elephants of legend. I looked up at Mama Cutzi, wondering what she wanted me to do with the ring, but she fell back asleep and she looked so peaceful that i didn't have the heart to wake her up again. So, slipping the ring on my thumb like grandmama wore it, i returned to packing my stuff.
Without turning around, i knew my dad has finally come back when i heard his familiar stomping of his boots on the straw mat outside, his quick habit of knocking twice on the wooden door and finally entering with a little shoulder shove he always does to open the door.
"Hi Papa!" I greet cheerfully.
Spotting me, Dad gave a weak, tired smile but his eyes reflected joy no matter the physical state he's in. "Hey Arian, you're still here?" Without waiting for my reply, he continued. "It's almost dark now, the Starry Festival is going to start any second now. I thought you would be with your mother by now."
I smiled. "How can i leave without saying goodbye to you?" And on that note, i slung my pack over my shoulder that held a supply of dinner and tomorrow's breakfast and lunch as well as my simple knife and my violet headscarf, i gave a kiss on grandmama's cheek, hugged my dad and started on the long, dangerous dirt path towards the castle. I was never one to shirk away from danger though. Dangerous, because many a night, bandits are sotted here looking for extra coin, hence the reason i took a knife. Looking ahead, i could see the black castle in the distance. Even in the distance, i could see the numerous dots that i knew were lit paper lanterns, lined on every terrace, tower and window that make the castle light up instead of blending in the night. To my left and right was the woods that already began its symphony of crickets and choir of frogs. Closer now, i can start to make out the festivities that are held at the base around the castle but still inside its protective walls.
I never quite understood why they called this festival "The Starry Night Festival". It happens only once a year and during a full moon. The same, never-failing moon that always makes traveling down this road at night, easier. And the very same moon, that not only brightens up all the gloom at night, but also obscures other stars from shining their brightest. The stars are probably the only jewels i could claim as my own as i stare at them every night. So why not the "Full Moon Festival"?
Arriving at the festival finally I took out my headscarf from my pack and while smoothing down my brown hair placed the scarf on my head and tightly knotted the ends under my chin. The headscarf is a very valuable item since the dye had to be extracted from lavender which was one of the few things that one of the very rare merchants beyond our borders sold and he had to get very far away from here, and the only colorful thing i owned. I have no idea why Mama Cutzi would trade one of her rings for something as useless as this since nobody wanted to trade any food for a headscarf, but at the time it was the most beautiful things i have ever seen and i promised grandmama that i would wear it on every Starry Festival, the only festival in the whole year.
Swerving among the many dirty mass of bodies, i tried to maneuver myself towards the castle's side entrance where the servants enter and where my mom should be waiting for me. Stall after stall of yelling, bargaining and cursing. FInally breaking free of the crowd, i entered my favorite place of the whole festival. A giant courtyard that is lighted by paper lanterns criss-crossing from post to post making a make-shift ceiling for the dancing area below where fiddlers and people playing all sorts of instruments are playing. Thre's music,laughter, rosy cheeks and drunks. Girls were twirling and flirting in their best skirts and i stood out in my trousers and a simle commoner shirt. Then the coup de grace is where the entrace of the castle is. Where the big double doors open up is a wooden deck that is elevated from the floor by one foot and is continued like a walk-way. It is the one and only time that citizens get to see the royal family where they are treated with the uptmost respect. Anybody who insults them in anyway, guards called "peacekeepers" are ordered to drag that person out of the festivities.
I have only saw the royal family once when i was nine. There's King Sadeth the seventh, the queen, Irene, who is known for having her way with the king, and Prince Derek. Derek's name is one of the few famous example if Queen Irene getting her way. The argument that the king and queen partook that night was one of their most heated discussions, whether to call their son Prince Sadeth the eight as of tradtion, or Derek. The ueen obviously won. I remember being hoisted up on Dad's shoulders to get a good view of the precedings. He was 10 years old at that time, exactly 7 months older than me. I remember feeling sorry for the prince in his indigo dyed suit which was starched and made him look pinched and pale in it. His black hair was violently pushed away from his eyes and he looked like he just got up from bed. As a child, i had the foolish notion that because of his black hair and my brown hair, that we had a lot in common and that maybe we both could be freinds. That was before i was educated in the ways of tyrannical rulers and learned all about the cruel royal family.
My mom's voice among the din of the festival is what shattered my thoughts. Without any curiosity to see the faces of the people who kept this kingdom in poverty while they lived in the lap of luxary, I ran into my mother's arms.
She hurried me to the side of a black wall and pushed down on one of the many looking square stones that the sinister building was made of. It was so well hidden that unless you were a servant that worked in the castle for at least 3 years, you wouldn't be able to find it.
My mom's tired eyes had a familiar mischievous glint to them that i haven't seen in a long while. I couldn't help but smile.
"Mom, what is it?" I asked.
All she did was put a finger to her lips and beckoned me to follow her. After traveling some distance inside the castle, we finally ended up in my mom's servant quarters. It wasn't much, if you outstretched your arms, you would barely graze the walls with your fingertips and being 5 foot 7, the ceiling tended to mess up the top of my hair. Imprint

Text: © Copyright story to naphnegirl
Publication Date: 09-11-2011

All Rights Reserved

Dedication:
To my mom who inspired me