The next day, thankfully, had cleared up. The gloomy and ominous overcast sky had parted to reveal the land's characteristic summery blue skies and bright sunny rays. Because the contrast was so jarring, perhaps, there were almost twice as many people buzzing on and about in the marketplace square.
Or perhaps it was because already, there was a rumor floating around that the renowned hero Jeanne, the shining star of Riviera, the girl blessed by both crown and god with a heart of shining gold, wanted to announce something of particular importance.
Li stood a fair bit away from the square, by a tavern where barrels of ale were piled up. He did not want to get himself involved in the thick of the crowd, and his vision and height could easily zoom in on the square. Sylvie sat atop the barrels next to him, needing them to boost her height to see over the crowd.
"This is a pretty good crowd," said Li. "Almost as big as it was back when Jeanne got her medal."
