She didn’t know if she hated or preferred that, after she told her story, they continued like nothing had happened. They knew her past, though perhaps not all the depths of it. Yet they didn’t see her as who she was, just like when they’d first met her. It didn’t matter to them.
In fact, the next morning, Regind poked her head into Lynette’s room and asked, “Would you be interested in going to the festival today?”
“There’s a festival..?” she mumbled in her half-asleep state. She slowly got up and prepared to go, anyway. She wanted to spend more time with them.
“Well, every day’s got something to celebrate, right?” Regind responded with a wide smile. “I think you’ll like this one. A lot of people from town gave it their all to make it a festival none of us will forget. I’ll tell you a little more about it when you’re ready, alright? I’ve got to help Nana get breakfast ready.”
By the time Lynette could nod, Regind had already left again. Lynette simply got ready—hoping Qizarn festivals didn’t require a strict dress code, given her lack of options—and walked to the kitchen.
“Tried to get that son of mine to come and visit,” Papa was remarking as she walked in. “The only thing his letter said was ‘I don’t have a daughter.’ I swear, one of these days, I’m going to march back over there and drag the boy back here.” Despite the annoyance in his tone, though, he immediately smiled and gestured beside him when he noticed Lynette.
“Oh, that’s, uh… a shame. I guess. N-no dragging necessary. It’s just… Dad. Being Dad.” Regind sounded the most nervous Lynette had ever seen her and, when she realized the opportunity to change the subject, she jumped on it. “Lynette, perfect timing! I mean, uh—excited for the festival? It’s going to be nonstop fun from the moment we step outside ‘til late in the evening! Well, an hour or two after sunset, because the stalls have to close and the kids have curfews, but you get what I mean.”
Lynette nodded and managed a small smile. “I think I will. Are Loraena and Ragnis going to be there, too?”
“Mhm! Practically everyone in Yllvamel—and then some!—are going to be there. I know both of them were supposed to help out with parts of the planning, but that should all be done by now. It’s not really fun for everyone if they’re too busy to enjoy it, right?” Regind smirked as she sat their breakfast on the table. “That’s what I’m here for! No one’s going to be left out on a festival on my watch!”
Nana grew a grin of her own as she not-so-subtly whispered to Lynette, “It’s practically the only thing she leaves her lab for nowadays.”
“N-Nana!” Regind blushed.
Lynette couldn’t muffle her laugh.
…
“Oh, hey! Regind! Lynette! We’re both over here!” Ragnis called, waving his arms around even though he was already pretty obvious. Loraena was standing beside him, waving in a much more subtle manner.
“Have you done anything fun yet?” Regind asked.
“We waited for you,” Loraena responded, shaking her head.
Lynette looked around at all the stalls; everyone had smiles and, while it was still early in the morning, the streets were already getting busy. It looked like there were so many things to do, surprising her that most of the preparation must’ve been done the night before.
Immediately, knowing that everyone was eventually going to prompt her about it, she declared, “I have no idea where to go. Please don’t make me decide.”
Ragnis laughed. “Fair enough! It’s probably pretty unfamiliar to you, huh?”
“Actually, none of this is familiar…” Lynette mumbled.
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
“Do they do festivals differently in Seothia?” Regind asked, tilting her head.
Lynette, after a moment’s consideration, shook her head. “It’s more like there’s no festivals to do anything for. I mean, we celebrate the Lantern Festival, of course. But that’s pretty much it. We would rarely go this far for one of those, let alone any other kind of celebration…”
They all looked at her, and blinked, as if they simply couldn’t process the thought of it.
“No festivals?” Ragnis repeated, disbelieving. “Like, at all? Not even a few smaller holidays?”
“No festivals,” Lynette confirmed. “We have some smaller holidays but they’re… more of an excuse for nobles to hold parties or families to have reunions. You’d be hard-pressed to find any town decorating for it. The next closest thing after the Lantern Festival for something like this is Spirit’s Coming, and that’s only in northern Seothia…”
“So what do you do to connect with one another?” Loraena asked.
“We don’t. Seothia definitely isn’t like Qizar. There, it doesn’t matter if you’re neighbors or from different parts of the kingdom—you’re still cared about just as much as a stranger. You’d be hard-pressed to find anything that even vaguely resembles the kind of hospitality Qizar gives.”
“Well, one thing’s for sure,” Regind decided. “We’ve got a lot of time to make up for! Come on, no time to waste! You haven’t lived until you’re able to experience these festivals.”
She held her hand out and Lynette took it. They walked through town together, Regind pointing out each and every interesting thing there.
“What’s this festival for?” Lynette eventually asked. If there were clear signs from the decorations, she couldn’t distinguish them from anything else. “That… isn’t rude to ask, is it?”
Loraena shook her head. “You’re not going to know, so it’s actually good that you ask. It means that you’re willing to learn.”
“This is the Music Festival,” Ragnis went on to explain. “We honor two things here: the death of Holy Queen Norah and our Patroness of the Arts, Natasa.”
“That seems more like two completely different things…” Lynette mumbled. “Honoring the death of your first queen and one of your gods on the same day..?”
Regind explained this part. “Qizar’s always been a very artsy place, you know. Music’s pretty tied in to our services and a lot of other mundane and religious stuff. Holy Queen Norah was no exception to it! So, while we remember her death by song and dance, we hold up Natasa, too, as the one who allowed us to do it in the first place.” She gestured around her. “As you can see, though, it’s more than just music. Games are pretty standard for festivals, but I heard that they’re holding a couple of plays, too. We should watch one of them together!”
“I’m guessing they’re more related to your Commandments?”
“Mhm. But who knows, there might be some stories you recognize! Even if you don’t, it could give you a good idea of some of them. And, hey, if you ever have questions about them? Loraena’s your gal. I think she has the Commandments memorized front to back!”
Loraena seemed partially opposed to the thought, blushing. “I wouldn’t say that…”
Lynette smiled, despite it. “Thank you. I’ll be sure to take you up on that offer sometime.”
They continued wandering around, checking out the stalls and playing the games. Eventually, as the sun was beginning to set, they passed by a stage. They’d stopped to watch the performance—something Lynette hadn’t done for a long time. She had always been up there, but rarely ever a part of the crowd enjoying it.
It was a familiar tale, actually—in the way one might call half of an overheard tune “familiar.” It followed a story that she knew; a budding town needed a leader and two volunteered themselves. One offered navigational prowess, promises of teaching the people how to get to any destination they desired. The people were impressed, though not completely—they had no interest in traveling far from their new home. Understanding their desires, the other offered her agricultural knowledge. The people chose her, knowing that they would never go hungry under her. Now, the story Lynette knew was several hours long and lent itself more into a political drama, but… there was something charming about this shorter, more straightforward performance.
This was the original story, she knew—before it was tainted by the expectations of Seothian drama. And she liked it. She couldn’t help but wonder, in fact, what other stories were taken from these myths. Honestly, she might not have been too interested in the comparison before; she’d had nothing to relate it to, no reason other than the fact she had nothing but time.
But now, she had a connection. So, with the performance over, she spoke even before Regind could.
“I think I’m definitely up for that offer, Loraena,” Lynette remarked. “When will you have some free time?”
“I’m not sure,” she responded, happy at the question if not a little surprised by it. “But I’ll definitely let you know when I do.”
“Does that mean you liked it?” Regind asked excitedly.
Lynette nodded. “I’ll be honest, I… didn’t think I’d be as willing to learn your ways as you’re willing to accept me. But I’m ready to try now. I want to hear your stories—both the familiar and the unfamiliar.”