"Finally, this is over" , I overjoyed in my mind that I have survived this living hell in the boutique. Sure, this store was great, but who wanted to stay there for more than 4 hours only for dress changes (mostly my part). My exhausted face looked up to the sky and I saw the sun slowly setting down. " Oh, it seems that it already became late ?", I thought as I became aware of my surrounding now.
Less people wandered around the streets.
Children slowly returned to their homes.
The street lamps began to light up.
A few market stalls began to prepare for the night.
After I had absorbed everything around, I finally turned my head behind my back and looked at the huge group caring multiple bags filled with dresses which I previously wore for them. Their current expressions made me desperately want to scream,
" How could you be that satisfied for buying so many clothes which I wouldn't need or even want it in the first place ?"
Just as I eagerly wanted to speak up my mind, it was shortly interrupted by my mother's happy exclamation,
" Wow, finally it will slowly become evening, we can explore the night market later on. The people seemed preparing for it now, so they left for their homes .…Ah…This just remembered me when I was still a young fresh lady, I would always go on a date with your father to look through the night streets. Naturally, my parents didn't know that, so this became our little sweet secret. Ha ha ha… As a lady I wasn't allowed to stay that long throughout the night, since it was dangerous. How I wished he would be here with me now…." After she finished her reminiscing dazedly, I consequently couldn't bring myself to complain about this fashion show from before, so I just shut my mouth.
" Anyway I did do everything all of them requested for.", I inwardly convinced myself. Seeing her happy mood shining, I really believed that it was worth it. Never mind, I would have many chances to look through our library, since I came back shortly. " Just take your time, Rosie. Enjoy your time with your family for now", I lectured myself, as I remembered many missed opportunities and lost time without my family in the past. I unconsciously saddened with sinking eyebrows while I looked into the distance a bit dazedly. Soon I shook my head slightly and regained my old strength. Without a second thought, I enthusiastically called out to them:
" Let's go ! Don't you want to look around into other stores too ?"
My group first became startled , but soon laughed and joined my mood.
While we strolled through the market, we visited multiple stores such as small sweet shops, stationary shops, restaurants, cafes and more . We eagerly awaited for the evening event to happen. When it finally opened, we heard many laughter and noise outside the boutique we were visiting right now. I and my maid couldn't contain their excitement, so we went leaving behind the rest of the group. I took a short glimpse behind me before I reached the entrance. What I saw was a chuckling mom and shocked guards there. Naturally, I became a bit embarrassed at my own childish behaviour, but I somehow couldn't help it.
"It was their fault for inflicting me with their excitement", I believed strongly with pouted lips and slightly redden cheeks.
Before me stood many citizens clapping and laughing because of the performers who walked through the now free streets like a parade and filled the place with colourful shining laternes, sparkling small fireworks and beautiful magic. As I turned my head to my right and left, I saw a lot of people looking at the stores full of exquisites and special items such as jewellery, exotic dresses, design you could only see in different country, curial food from all around the world and much more. Dancers joined in this festive mood and began to take the people per hand one by one. The people danced enthusiastically.
"Whoah…", I awed at this view while walking through the streets. "Wait, isn't this rather a festival than a usual city night market ?" Not long I already saw the guards and mum arriving, so I straight asked my mother about my confusion. As her reaction she furrowed her brows and questioned me confusedly,
" Today is the peace festival. The celebration of the end of big war. Did you already forget ? Even in our small city we have it too."
I slowly averted her gaze to her question, since this kind of festival should be known for everyone around the globe.
" But here I am forgetting it. Blame my sudden memories flood a few days ago and my stress for it. How could I remember ? Also I have now many other serious problems. ", I inwardly complained.
Perhaps she misunderstood my sudden nervousness and now claimed, " This b*stard of a son I will go to the current archduke immediately. I can't take it anymore. How could you have to work so much to the point that you forget such an important event in history ?!"
I became bewildered and flustered at her reaction. I panic-stricken waved my hands and said that it was partly my fault too. I couldn't deny as she wasn't wrong saying this, but I did have some free time to enjoy the festival for a bit while sadly hiding under the mask. However I couldn't possible tell her, why I had that little time? Except for work, I was also feared and hated by the citizen in the city, so in the end it became uncomfortable to walk around the streets. Even if the citizens didn't talk to me directly, they still whispered behind my back and their cold ridiculous eyes followed me around. These were still things which made me hurt mentally. Although this happened many times already, who would become used to it ? Was it even normal to get accustomed to this ? Due to this, I became completely emotionless at some point. The emotionless facade I built to protect myself.
Suddenly I was broken out from my thoughts by my angry mother saying, " I won't disagree that it was partly your fault too, as you could have at least argued with him. … But how could you do this if you was just a new archduchess and on top of that you also had to get used to your new work. However he should at least let you free on this particular day, right ? I really want to complain to him personally. "
I tried to stop my mom from further going the wrong path, so I convinced her,
" Don't mind that. I had just too many things to do that I forgot it. Also I had a lot of stress at the moment, so I could easily forget. Please let us enjoy this. I wasn't with you for such a long time ."
I practically pleaded my mum by using my cuteness. As expected my mother soon surrendered due to my power and I finally relaxed. Not wasting any more time than necessary I walked away again. My companions became surprised and tried to catch up with me now.
We walked.
We talked.
We awed.
We were surprised.
We even bought stuff such as food and clothes.
We enjoyed many artists and performers along the way.
I would love telling my father and brother about our little adventure, but what I saw right now, felt at the moment and did today couldn't be described with pure words.
The festival for celebrating was full of warmness and happiness.
For the perfect ending of the day I now desired for my old book store I once visited some day. I really wished to go to a book store with the intention to relieve my stress which had been accumulated over the past few days. My mom knew me enough to see my wish for reading, thus she allowed me this small greed and we soon went to my desired place. Before I knew it, I stood in front of a little book store consisted of old wooden. Modest, but warm. Old, but mysterious.
This nostalgic feeling returned to me again, as I went into my favourite store I always reserved many books from there when I was younger. Naturally, we had a big library in our mansion, so shouldn't I rather enjoy my time at home instead ? But there weren't enough novels to read for me. Whenever I was sad or frustrated I would always take a chance to travel into my fantasy by reading different novels. This also included my time as the archduchess. This was practically my life saviour.
I greeted the owner on the counter and first walked to the shelves where the romance novel and such were while ignoring my friends and mom. Feeling each book cover on my fingers, my curiosity soon brought me to the book shelve on the last row. I searched around until I found my perfect one for me. This required lots of time me. Why ?
Lots of books here were rather too cliché . No… You couldn't actually call them cliché, but rather the books written in this world weren't very creative as they mostly surrounded the life of the royals and possible love between a commoner and noble like in these fairy tales. I did like them, however the way the story was written made me sometimes puke. It felt like you had to wait on your prince to be saved and had to look like weak damsel. In some cases I was okay with reading them, but some were too extreme like the main characters died because of the heroine slow reaction in a dangerous situation since she couldn't decide what she had to do and in the process the leads were killed while protecting her.
After examining some good titles, so I could buy them for my free time at home, I now collected all of these "jewels" and was about to pay, then I suddenly got struck by an unknown person in front of me, which made me fall down in the process.
"Ouch what was that for …" , I murmured. I immediately wanted to complain and looked up to the culprit, but soon quieted down. I squinted my eyes and wanted to come closer to him.
Before me lay a little boy with dirty clothes covering his body on the floor. He looked rather 7 -8 years old from his appearance. His face wasn't visible to me as he hid it behind his hood. However this wasn't the reason why I wanted to see him more closely now. It was rather his neck which showed a bit of his bare skin that magnetised me.
His neck had many hand bruises looking like someone had struggled him to death.
"What happened to him ?", I asked myself. But this wasn't important now, so I stood up from my position and tried to help this young boy. I hold out my hand to him, however instead of even looking up to me he just slapped my hand away and stood on his own, while looking down not showing his face. Surprised by this reaction, I stayed still. In my state of confusion, he proceed to walk past me. I immediately took his left hand and asked him concerned:
" Are you okay ? Your neck doesn't look okay. I think we should go to a doctor?" He was startled because of my question and finally move his head up at me. The hood was very big, thus it became a challenge for me to see more of his face. Still I could find small cheery lips and small nose. Was he really a boy ? Didn't I rather mistaken it ? Isn't he or she too pretty for a boy ? I only saw this part of this child, but one would see its beauty immediately.
Not long I already saw my guard and the woman on the counter walking towards me. As this little child saw me distracted, he took this chance to ran away. I shortly followed suit trying to get him.
As he ran around the book store, I saw him getting out from the window between the shelves in the end of the store which led to a dark alley. When he jumped over the window frame, his hood fell off and I saw silver short hair. He took one glimpse at me before vanishing into the darkness. I could see a bit of his eyes. I was bewildered at first, but soon tried to catch up him. Who was I not to follow him ? I was strong enough to do this. Besides I had my weapons under skirt, so if something would happen, I was prepared. As I tried to get him, I screamed to him :
"Who are you ? "
Amethyst Eyes, silver hair and pale skin. These were characteristics of royals from Neon kingdom, the one who started the war. In the past their royals should be considerably reduced to the point, that only one family branch survived, but their appearance didn't have the same colours as them. However this child possessed these traits, so it meant that he was one of king's direct descendant.