July (Mizami) 20th( 20, Mizami, Dies Cesemitio, L.S.L 10041 )

Mavrick paced in his small sitting room in his converted apartment. He was dressed in traditional robes for his Rising. Loose woven beige pants and matching robes that flowed, laying open to bear his chest. A headdress covered his shoulder-length twist. Hung low on his waist was a braided belt of spun gold and silver with a token of onyx affixed through the center. Miza had rooms blocked off for Mavrick so he could remodel it into a small apartment within her residences so he would have privacy and safety.

Mavrick was so nervous that he had spent most of the day confined to the residence. Their father arrived early, and Mavrick wasn’t prepared, so he retreated and feigned illness. Mavrick and Miza had decided to bring back the tradition of allowing those who were sex-diverging or engaged in multisexual relations to determine their masculine and feminine alignment and thus choose when they would rise into adulthood. Mavrick finally had come to terms with the fact that he related more to his feminine balance and that he would rise with his sister on their birthday rather than wait until he was 16. Though Mavrick thought it would be nicer to pick an age that didn’t have to do with common bodily functions between sexes.

They had not told their father. However, the priest had reluctantly prepped for both of the royal children to rise at his sister's insistence. To her, if their tradition and history honored the authentic expression of individuals, then their royal ancestors had no right to prohibit these traditions that allowed a person to follow a path that aligned with them. He was panicking, but as Miza was receiving guests, she couldn’t be with him to calm his nerves. But he needed his sister more than anything right now.

There was a knock on the door. Mavrick turned as Lihte walked in. He felt his heart flutter, and the pit gnawing in his stomach changed to a different type of nervousness. He timidly smiled at the young man before him. Lihte was a few years older than him and had recently had a private Rising in the Celestial Temple with his foster mother. Only the royals and some of the aristocracy had public Rising as their rights of passage were explicitly connected to their title, and the people celebrated their titles.

“Good evening, Lihte,” Mavrick said softly, looking down at his bare feet with their pretty gold-painted nails and red markings adorning his feet.

“My Lord,” Lihte bowed low, then straightened, smirking at Mavrick’s blush. “ I came to check on you as you have been missing most of the day. It’s good to see that you are in good health. You do your ceremonial garb justice.” Lihte complimented Mavrick.

Mavrick’s blush spread further across his face. He couldn’t tell if Lihte knew how he affected him or not. They were great friends, and he enjoyed spending time with him. He made him laugh, and when Lihte helped him train in close combat, he also felt more confident even when he messed up. When Lihte was there, he felt different. The world was a little less scary. He didn’t fear every shadow or feel like a burden. Feel like a failure.

“Um, yes. I was just feeling a bit unwell. I thought I should rest to be in full form for the -” Mavrick stopped short as he realized Lihte had gotten closer. Very close.

“Yes, rest is good, Rick.” He was standing with only a few inches between them. Lihte’s hand was reaching out towards him. “ But you are missing a piece.” He had picked up the thin woven scarf in a pattern of vertical red, black, and tan shapes. “There.” He said, draping the stole around his neck. His fingers lingered at Mavrick’s collarbone, causing Mavrick’s blush to deepen. Their gazes met, Lihte’s filled with an intensity that the younger boy had never seen directed at him before. “You’re ready.”

⁓

The drums beat rhythmically, reverberating against the stones of the courtyard. Her body and spirit reacted to the ambiance created by the palace staff under the direction of the committee sent by the temple clergy. The music was designed to open her body to allow the Great Mother's spirit to emerge from within her and merge with her spirit. That would be if she and Leana were currently not one and the same being. This was all symbolic and for the people. She sat on her dias. Mavrick sat on the dias built below hers. She was dressed in robes similar to Mavrick. The difference was that her long beige robes were embroidered with red flowers, and an ornate and heavy necklace of beads was made from wood, stones, and precious gems that mostly covered her bare breast.

The music was stimulating and heady. Miza swayed as she watched the dancers on the outer edge of the circle as the High Priest and Priestess completed their symbolic step-down ritual. As Goddess incarnate, her rising was not just Miza crossing the veil into her adult life; she was now technically the head of the clergy. She was the Mother here on earth.

Despite the potent atmosphere around the dias designed to relax them with incense and burning herbs, she was aware of her father's displeasure as he sat across the atrium having a quiet but obviously heated discussion. She briefly caught Donte’s eye and noted his subtle nod, letting her know that her thoughts on their discussion were accurate. Her father was furious that she and Mavrick were rising together. He was angry that Mavrick was not a warrior like their elder brothers, and he was only driven further into his anger now that Rick was rising in his feminine aspect under the Goddess rather than under Liero.

“But this was welcomed and accepted by our ancestors, Father. The clergy agreed.” She thought to herself.

The music stopped, drawing her attention back to the ceremony as the man and woman exited the circle, no longer wearing their diadems. A priest approached her carrying the High Priestess’s diadem with a temple guide trailing behind them carrying two cups of anomie. The priest stopped before her and began speaking so that his voice reached all of the guests.

“On this day 13 years ago, the Great Mother blessed us with a daughter and vessel to carry on her spirit. Will you accept her calling and lead our people in accordance with Leana’s vision and hope for her children?”

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“Yes, I will.”

“Do you accept the responsibility of being our Mother here on Earth and her representation in law and stewardship?”

“I do.”

“Then purify your body and prepare to rise.”

The guide knelt before her so that she could choose a cup, and then, she gave the remaining cup to Mavrick. Miza drank the bitter, earthy liquid as Valon climbed the step to the dais. She watched Valon approach her, handsome in his traditional robes. His medallion hung around his neck. Her handprints were visible on his chest, where she pressed the blood and clay mixture to his skin as a symbol of their bond for the rite. His sword hung low on his hip, and his boots shined so that the candlelights reflected on them. He was followed by Henri, a lower-level crew member, carrying a pillow with the coronet for the heir of the Lestanian throne. As Goddess Incarnate and daughter of the reigning Emperor, she was automatically named the heir, displacing her older brother. Valon knelt before Miza as the priest continued.

“Commit your vow.”

“ In body, mind, and soul, I give myself to the Great Mother to merge her ancestral essence with my spirit. As Goddess, I pray that the Great Mother will allow me to invoke her strength so that I will be a fair leader. I pray that as a Mother, I will demonstrate love and compassion. I commit myself to my children in love, respect, admiration, and promise to maintain an illuminated path in my stewardship of our wellbeing.” Miza confidently recited.

Valon stepped forward, taking the high priestess’s wreath in his hands as the priest continued.

“Then we proclaim your glory and bask in your light with our birthright as children of Leana. We acknowledge you as Mother and pray that your ears are attentive to your children's prayers.”

Valon placed the coronet on Miza’s head and then knelt in supplication and prayer.

The crowd's voices rang out as they chanted their prayer together.

“Blessed be our Mother. May she nurture me, teach me, and strengthen me. May your wisdom guide us.”

Valon stood before her and spoke.

“Will you honor our ancestors and protect the integrity of the imperial house?”

“I will.” Miza promised

“Will you honor our history and be an example in citizenship?” Valon said as worry passed through his awareness, knowing that this statement would be seen as a challenge.

“I will.” Miza affirmed.

“Will you promote peace and uphold justice, fighting inequity?” Valon asked

“I will.” It was a straightforward declaration for her.

“Will you follow and learn from the laws of nature and seek knowledge to increase the welfare of our isle?” Valon asked.

“I accept the opportunity to follow this path,” Miza answered with a slight smile.

“Then rise as our Crown Princess and Goddess.” Valon placed the coronet on her head. Then he knelt, bowing his head and raising his fist across his chest. Miza stood and took the celestial staff into her hands, a woman now, as the divine spirit within her shone forth in acknowledgment of her shared soul with Leana.

The ceremony was over. Miza and Mavrick had made it through the first half of the night. The ball honoring her and her brother was now beginning. Servants entered the atrium carrying trays of food, champagne, and wines. Valon had quickly directed the servants to rearrange the mezzanine back to the normal setup with tables and cushions below my dais for her den-mates. An assortment of fruits, cooked and raw vegetables, cheeses, breads, cakes, tea, and wines. Her den was enjoying themselves. She had been receiving guests for the last hour.

Miza was ready for the event to end. Still, this event was specifically designed to present the Goddess Incarnate to the nobility of Lestainia, business associates of the royal family, and the allies of the unveiling. Each individual needed to understand her place not only as the upcoming Imperial Empress but also as her people’s link to the celestial sphere in which the Great Mother and her children returned after the misdeeds of humanity. She was not just an imperial heir but a deity in their presence. It was time for people to understand that Lestiania was no longer simply a place for Leana’s descendants to build their families but that it needed to return to its rightful place as a celestial gate in the cosmos.

She could see the end of the line in sight. Ten more pairs to go. She took a deep breath. Trying to listen to the Master of Ceremony intently.

“ Mister Evan Wisdale and his wife Sophia, The Chairman of Wisdale International.” Miza inclined her head to the pair, scrutinizing them as they ceremoniously greeted her. Where did she remember that name from? She quickly sorted through the profiles she had reviewed in preparation for the events. He owned several development projects in the United States, including one near where her mother grew up. The receiving processional ended. Now, she could just have fun.

Miza took her seat next to her father and watched as the opening dance performance began. It was a ceremonial performance telling the story of the Blessed Mother's embrace of the first voiatoregeuses. The primordial culture was present in the costumes and use of ceremonial instruments. She was pleased to see movements from traditional stories being honored again. During her weekly meetings with the archpriest, she was told that a special troop had been formed to bring back ancient dances and storytelling.

She let her attention roam around the courtyard, taking in the scene. She made note of which factions seemed distracted. Noticeably, her elder brother, Marc Anthony's guard, who once was housed under the now defunct faction Venomous, was a raucous crowd. She had felt that her father was misguided in his reign, but her brother's ideals prior to being deposed were terrifying even to the Imperial Council. While Marc Anthony sat composed and observant, his men behaved as if they were attending a festival, not an Imperial Celebration.

The dancers finished and left the dance floor as an American Rock song rang from the speakers placed around the courtyard. She stood bending at the hip in a respectful bow.

"I ask to take my leave, your Majesty". With his permission, she settled to enjoy the ball with her mates and faction.