Chapter 17
Lia felt a little uncomfortable around Varithorn. There was something off about him. Aside from the fact she had never seen his face and the fact that he was very secretive, he was also not very talkative. For most of the boat ride and walk through the Blessing of Love he did not say anything, he just silently walked throughout most of the entertainment district. Luckily Fuju talked enough for Varithorn and even Lia.
"That is why if you are going to invent a magical device you have to make it interesting, it has to have personality. If you make the device boring then no one will remember you," Fuju said. He had been talking about why he created the ramble rock the way he did for the past 30 minutes they had been walking. Lia tuned in every once in a while to not be rude but was uninterested in Fuju's endless talking. Instead she was working on what she would say once they actually got to see the leader of the Blessing. It was no secret Lia was not a fan of the Blessing of Love, but that did not mean she could just go off. The Blessing of Life had made clear allies with the Blessing of Love, the trade they supplied especially situated as close to the river as they were. Since she was the soon to be leader of another Blessing she had to behave as such. Her brother had always behaved incredibly well in these situations, even though Adonis had his own feelings about the bureaucracy of the other Blessings, he never let his feeling affect his relations with the other countries; Lia was not adept in this skill.
The group walked all the way up to the main gates of the palace embedded in the great tree, Lia never got used to the sight. In the Blessing of Life, the Court of Sunflowers was on a hill overlooking the Blessing, her home and the tree were two ruling places over the Blessing but they were not intertwined in this way. The home of the ruling house, the Court of Cherry Blossoms, being intertwined with the tree was a disgrace to the goddess they served, but Lia couldn't make that feeling known.
Lia breathed deeply then let it out slowly, with it the frustration she felt also began to dissipate. She realized that if she wanted to, she could find a million different things to be frustrated with, but none of these thoughts were helpful. Alhayaa would not condone her thinking, nor would Adonis or anyone back home.
"But Alhayaa is not talking to me so why should I care," Lia said under her breath.
"Give it time," Fuju said quietly next to her. She didn't respond, she was embarrassed she said anything in the first place.
The gates to the palace were very large, they were decorated in one large ornate and colorful mural showing their deity, Althea, spreading love across the land and causing the Cherry Blossom's as well as everything else to grow. Standing before the gate was a group of ten druids, letting people in and out of smaller gates that were on the side of the main gate. Lia didn't understand why they needed a massive gate if they were just going to use the smaller gates, but she even knew that it was nitpicky of her. The four of them walked up to the gate, one of the druids looked at them with a smile and quickly knelt down. The other nine druids followed suit.
"Greetings," the druid said, not making eye contact with them, "we have been expecting you, your highnesses."
"Thank you it is ok you do not have to be so formal," Adonis said, gesturing for them to stand up. The druids all did in unison and stood staring and smiling at the group.
"Please come with me this way," the druid said. He led them through the small gate off to the side. As they entered through the side, there was a large gathering of people in the main courtyard of the castle. Dignitaries and nobles from many other blessings were gathered together in this area, all drinking and eating and being merry.
"Presenting the leaders of the Blessing of Life; Adonis and Lia of the court of Sunflowers!" The druid yelled. The entire gathering turned towards the gate and started to clap for them as they entered. The sound was roarious. Adonis immediately started waving and put on his big fake smile that he does to make him look more approachable. I was a step behind. I was so dazed by the sight it took me a moment to realize what I was looking at. People from all over the Penzamen had come here for this festival. Many of them knew the threat that was happening to the world and yet they decided to meet, drink, and laugh as if they did not have a care in the world. How was this happening? If Lia had been in the same meeting many of them were in and was told what she was told she would be doing something about it, even if she wasn't a member of the council. But here they were, partying as if they did not have a care in the world; which Lia was beginning to realize, they didn't.
Lia was not oblivious, she knew what other countries thought of Penzamen and she also understood where they came from. They were carefree, lazy, sometimes even lathargic. She had seen it in her own Blessing so she knew that it had to be even worse in the others. The deities' gift was kind and generous but it also made them weak, complacent, and people who were once grateful for their deities' blessing now saw it as a right. Generosity grew into entitlement, and this was the perfect example of it.
Lia could feel her anger growing, she knew that she wouldn't be able to handle her emotions for very long. Luckily Adonis was a master. "It is wonderful to see all of you here today! We wanted to join in on the merriment but alas it was not meant to be," he said in a charismatic way. The nobles and dignitaries have an obligatory 'aw' at the news.
"However, if we can conclude on business early, then you know that I will be one of the first to praise Althea all night long for this wonderous festival!" Adonis said. The crowd cheered, the loved it. Adonis fed their ego and their complacency, he took the attention, and in doing so he made sure no one batted an eye at Lia.
The group made their way through the crowd with Fuju and Adonis taking the brunt of the interactions. Varithorn and Lia found themselves nestled towards the back of the group, observing as they continued to move forward.
"Interesting," Varithorn said.
Lia looked towards him, "interesting?"
"In Niepe when we have gatherings they are usually horrid affairs. It usually is more about trying to prove that you are the smartest in the room rather than seeking enjoyment. It is weird to see such a large group of people living so…" Varithorn said.
"Carefree…" Lia interrupted, "with reckless abandon."
"You don't approve?" Varithorn asked.
Lia talked quietly to make sure no one could hear her, "I think everyone here cares more about revelry for themselves rather than the subjects of their blessings," Lia answered.
"Hm," Varithorn said, "I think we view things through different lenses."
"How so?" Lia asked.
"You see pointless merriment…I see coping," Varithorn answered. Lia looked around at the people and her own emotions wouldn't let her see things any other way, but Varithorn's words stuck with her