A young looking girl stood at the pavement with two large boxes at her feet.
"How long have you been there?" She asked the girl putting her sword in its scabbard.
The girl looked down. "The whole time."
"Why didn't you say anything?"
"You practice beautifully, I didn't want to interrupt."
Nimo smiled and drew closer.
"Thank you. Are you looking for someone?"
"Oh." She curtseyed before Nimo. " My lady, Princess Ummi instructed me to hand over this present to you."
Nimo opened the door to her candle lit room, inviting the girl in.
"She said that Lord Revel received a letter from His Majesty inviting him to his birthday banquet, Princess Ummi knew that you had nothing to wear so she sent you this dress." She bowed and lifted one of the boxes towards Nimo.
Nimo took the box and laid it on her bed. The box revealed a beautiful white lacy dress with ruffles.
"What a beautiful dress, Ummi never disappoints me." She exclaimed smiling.
"Wait, I'll write a letter of gratitude to her."
"My lady."
Nimo turned. "Anything esle?"
"She ordered me to serve you as your maid." The girl said.
"I don't need a maid." Nimo said offhandedly. The girl looked down in disappointment, she really liked her supposed mistress for she was strong, beautiful and nice.
Nimo felt bad when she saw her crestfallen face.
"What is your name?"
"My name is Habana."
"Tell me about yourself."
"I'm seventeen years old, my parents are both dead. Princess Ummi took pity on me and took me in." Habana had an unusual fresh beauty.
"I truely do not need a maid but you can stay with me as a helpmate."
"Thank you my Lady."
"And do not call me Your Highness, my Lady or whatever. I'm Nimo."
"My Lady."
Nimo sighed. "Help me pack up the dress, thank you."
•°•
The night of the birthday banquet, Nimo took a long luxurious bath. For some enigmatic reason she wanted look her best tonight, with the help of Habana she put her long slightly black hair out of its usual ponytail into a glamorous style. The dress fluttered around her appealingly.
"Wow, beautiful. My Lady you look so beautiful." Habana gushed out feeling a harmless kind of envy.
"No one will be able to take their eyes off you." She added, Nimo smiled.
"Alright, enough of the compliment. My head is about to fall off."
Habana laughed, the both of them had hit off well.
Sessa had cleaned up quite nicely, he stood at the entrance of Solitude Tower waiting for Nimo. She was taking more time than usual, he thought.
He heard footsteps behind him, he turned and halted. Nimo came towards him with her maid in tow, her hair shone like the moon and her dress moved along with her. Sessa could only admire.
"Your Highness." She greeted. He nodded, short of words. Nimo realized that they both wore white at the same time Sessa did, they looked like a couple.
"I always wear white." Sessa defended.
"This is the only suitable dress I have."
They both shrugged and ascended into the already waiting carriage. The hall was grand with fancy decorations, ladies were claded in flowing dresses and wore elaborate hairstyles. The men showed off their wealth, it was indeed no place for a common man. A group of professional instrumentalists played all sorts of instruments, the guest drank wine and ate quite pleased at the reception.
The king sat at the head seat with the queen, Yemin Tressor, seated beside him. King Tressor was delighted by the numerous valuable gifts he was receiving.
"Princess of Neo arrives!" The eunuch at the door announced.
Soon, the guests began to whisper in hushed tones at the beautiful lady who came in with a dozen maids with gifts in tow. Princess Milla Corllie as beautiful as a sweet dream, her hair was as black as ink and her dress trailed after her like spring out of a rock. The music died down at her entrance.
"Greetings Your Majesty." The princess curtseyed before King Sessa.
"Ah princess, rise up. I'm pleased that you could make it to my banquet."
"The pleasure is mine. My father asked me to wish you a happy birthday with this gift." She took the rectangular box from handmaid, Giti and stretched it forward. Leemack came down from his place beside the king and took the gift from her.
The box was was handed over to His Majesty. Inside the box was a medicine that the king had specially requested from King of State of Neo, the king was ill but kept it a secret. King Sessa nodded at the content in the box satisfied.
"Your Majesty, to celebrate your birthday I would like to perform a dance for you. The legendary dance of Neo."
Sessa III laughed impressed. "All right! Music!"
The maid stepped aside and the king's men received the gifts from them. Music started and the princess began her dance, she floated gracefully like a swan on the lake. She was amazing and the crowd cheered for her, even Nimo was impressed.
King Sessa drank from the golden cup in front of him, he was obviously in a good mood.
"Ah what a splendid night."
Lord Camin stepped forward to give His Majesty a toast.
"Your Majesty you have led Panirut well for the past years, may you and Panirut have peace continually."
"Thank you Grand Duke. You once told me that your daughter could give the most beautiful sword dance ever. Why don't she entertain us tonight?"
Nimo paused with a drumstick in her hand, halfway to her mouth. It wasn't her, right?
"Nimo come." The Lord called to his daughter, Nimo rose up with her fingers clasped tightly around Windcut. She was nervous for she had never performed in such a large crowd before.
A young man struck the chord of his harp releasing a shrilling sound, the melody drifted through the hall and Nimo unsheathed her sword and moved elegantly with it. Her wrist twisted flexibly and the sword danced along.
Her steps portrayed a bit of melancholy, everyone understood the dance. Fallen Heroes was a peculiar sword dance in Panirut, a long time agone, Panirut lived under the thumb of a terrifying, now extinct country. One day, they decided to rebel, Panirut's soldiers fought for forty days and night. All of their soldiers were wiped out before other countries began to intervene.
The dance was used to remember those soldiers who held the nation together. Nimo gave a perfect whorl and came to a stop.
"Your Majesty I hope I did not ruin the jubilant atmosphere of your banquet?" She inquired politely.
"Nonsense, no matter where we are, what we are doing. We should never forget those fallen heroes because without them we won't be here tonight. Here, let's drink to our ancestors."
While the banquet went on Princess Ruma saw General Rondor slip out of the hall, she held her dress up a little and went after him.
General Rondor looked up at the crescent shape of the moon with his mind wandering afar.
"She's beautiful, isn't she?"