The sun rose lazily casting a warm shadow across the hills and the grass. Xandria and her little sister Elara is seen sitting on their front porch of their father's house with a basket of freshly cut vegetables between them.
The air smelt like warm lavender and damp earth. The warm air wrapped around the two sisters like a warm blanket.
"Are we still going for the festival today?" Elara asked as she braided her hair into a ponytail.
Xandria smiled softly looking at the morning sky, "I thought we decided to skip the festival this year."
"But why? Everyone in the kingdom is going to be there"
" We have more important things to do than worry about a festival. Besides we went last year" Xandria said as she helped her sister finish braiding her hair.
" Important things like what?" Janet Greystone, Xandria and Elara's mother said, stepping out from the front door.
" Mama, don't tell me you were listening to our conversation again?" Xandria huffed, crossing her arms as she shot her mother and exasperated look.
"If you did not want me to hear you, then you should have whispered" her mother laughed.
"But mama, talk to Xandria, she doesn't want to go to the festival tonight" Elara complained. She had been looking forward to the festival for a really long time.
"Why don't you want to go Xandria?"
"No reason mama, it's just underrated."
Xandria smiles softly but it didn't reach her eyes. Ever since the rumors began spreading about the King being present at the festival her fears resonated.
She has never told anyone, but for the past few years her dreams have become vivid and it looked so real.
Every little or significant event that she had ever dreamt off always became real one way or another.
She has been having the same dream for the past month now. How going to the festival could result in her life changing forever. She did not want to read meaning into it but she just decided to skip this year's festival just to be safe.
"What do you mean no reason Xandria? You were excited about the festival a few months ago. You even bought a new dress just for the festival." Her mother sounded worried.
"Let's just go Xandria, I promise it's going to be fun" Elara tried convincing her.
Xandria looked conflicted. She really did not want to go the festival but she could not turn her Little sister down. She knew how long she had waited just for the festival.
" What's the worst that can happen." She shrugged her shoulders.
" Now that's the spirit." Elara looked excited as she beamed from ear to ear.
" There was no way you were going to miss the festival, the king will be appearing for the first time." Their mother sounded excited.
Xandria's heart skipped a beat the moment she heard the king's name. Why this year?
" But he did not come last year mama" Elara said curiously.
"No one really knows the reason Elara. I heard rumors that he is coming out in search of a bride." Their mother said, lifting up the basket of vegetables that was between the girls.
" I can't wait to go for the festival." Elara sounded excited as she stood up from her chair to follow her mother back into the house.
Xandria sat still staring into the thin air.
'why this year' she asked herself quietly.
The thought that something was going to happen began dreading her mind.
Evening arrived too soon, and it was finally the time for the festival.
"Xandria, Elara, aren't you girls ready?" Their mother shouted from the kitchen.
"We are almost done mama" Elara shouted back.
Elara stepped into Xandria's room, the familiar scent of polished wood and dried lavender barely registering in the rush. The room was lit up by the little candles lit up at almost every corner of the room. The moonlight streamed through the arched windows, glinting off the carved details of the oak furniture.—too refined to be simple, too modest to be truly grand. The silk coverlet on her bed was slightly rumpled from where Xandria had sat earlier, but there was no time to fix it now.
"Do you have a hair clip?" Elara's voice came breathless from the door, urgency threading through the words.
Their mother had already called for them twice. No time to linger. No time for careful choices. She yanked open the vanity drawer, fingers brushing over combs and pins until she found the carved mother-of-pearl clip. "Here,"she said, pressing it into her Elara's waiting hands.
Elara barely paused to thank her, sweeping her hair up as she turned toward the door. Xandria took one last glance at the room-her room- and then followed, the soft click of the door behind her leaving it in stillness once more.
"I was about to come upstairs and get the two of you down here" their mother sounded angry, seeing them come down from the stairs in their dresses.
"No need to worry mama we are all set" Elara spinned around showcasing her dark red gown made out of soft silk and designed with golden lace on the edges.
Xandria who stood behind her simply shook her head. She on the other hand decided not to wear the dress she has originally bought for the festival. She had to ensure she wont draw attention towards herself. She wore a dark purple gown with buttons in the chest area and long sleeved laced hands. It flowed from her waist down to the ground. It had no significant design on it, but the material was made of soft silk.
"Xandria, why aren't you wearing the peach dress you bought for the festival?" Her mother asked, noticing the different dress she had worn.
"That's the same thing i asked her mama" Elara added.
"I feel more comfortable in this one mama. Don't worry about me okay" Xandria assured.
"If you say so. Your father is not yet back from the King's court but Simon is outside with the other carriage." Simon was the other Coachman.
" No problem mama we will be back before midnight." Xandria stated grabbing her coat from the coat stand.
"But that's when the festival becomes lively and interesting." Elara whined, grabbing her own coat from the stand too.
"No problem girls you can spend as much time as you want. I'm sure you father won't mind." Their mother said closing the door behind them.
The carriage pulled up across the road from where the festival was taking place.
The place was already packed with people and floating lanterns covered the night sky.
Is it just me or does the festival seem more enchanted this year?" Elara asked, looking at the scene with so much interest.
" It isn't just you. I feel there is some kind of spell in the air." Xandria commented as they both stepped down from the carriage.
"That's not what I'm talking about silly. I'm saying that it seems more enchanted. Like it's fascinating. The king banned sorcerers years ago so I'm sure there is no such thing as magic." Elara chuckled lightly as she walked side by side with Xandria into the festival.
"Ohh" Xandria simply said. Deciding to brush off the initial feeling she had.