Black silk flowed off my skin like water. The heavy gold necklace almost covered the light, gentle one that Alder had given me. I anxiously shifted from foot to foot, my thumb running over the polished silver of my flute. The large wooden stage was hidden with a thick, velvet curtain that barely muted the sounds of a crowd gathering. Alder and King Ilesh stood before me. Alder wrapped a thin veil around my eyes, the sheer fabric covering the world in a dark tint.

I frowned. “Is this necessary?”

”We must follow tradition, little blossom.”

“I don’t know why I’m so nervous,” I tried to weakly smile. “It feels like the whole kingdom is here.”

”Because they are.”

Ilesh grabbed my hand and brought me to his side. He had sat and watched yesterday while Adaiah made sure I had memorized everything I needed to. In fact, I had spent almost the whole entire day with him. It was hard for me to be nervous about the festival when I was nervous to be around a king. But now, it was impossible to avoid the anxiety that ran through me. It didn’t help that Adaiah said they’d be watching from the crowd. 

“You look gorgeous, Cahira,” Ilesh lifted my chin with his thumb and forefinger. “You sounded wonderful yesterday and you’ll sound wonderful today. Don’t fret.”

I looked over at Alder. He was taking slow deep breaths. I looked back at Ilesh. “I’ll try not to.”

”Are you ready to go up?”

”Ready as I’ll ever be.”

”Cahira-“ Alder grabbed my wrist.

”I apologize, Fairy King. We really can’t wait any longer.”

Ilesh still had a hold of my other hand. The gazes of the two kings met, sending an ice cold shiver down my spine. Alder let out a sigh and let go of my wrist. His head lowered and he looked away. Ilesh led me to the front of the stage and to the podium. He let go of my hand and cleared his throat. He motioned for the curtains to be opened. 

The applause was almost instant. People shouted out the king’s name in excitement. It did seem like the whole entire kingdom was in the main square that sat in front of the castle. Flags bearing the mark of Empyrism flew high next to the kingdom’s flag. Banners, necklaces, clothing… all eyes were on the stage. On me. My eyes scanned the crowd. I easily spotted Stolas holding Flops and waving her little paw. Malvolia was standing with the other Divine Brothers and Sisters, a wide smile as she raised her arms high. The Apostle smacked the back of her head. She lowered her arms, but didn’t stop smiling.

”I thank you all for coming here today.” The king’s voice seemed to project loudly over the cacophony of the crowd.

Everyone went silent. Ilesh continued his speech. “This week is a sacred time to all those who worship the Empyreans. It’s a time of thanks, it’s a time of love, and it’s a time of celebration. Each year is special. And this year, I am pleased to announce we have a special guest. The Fairy King!”

Gasps ran through the crowd like a wave. Alder, walked to the front of the stage and bowed deeply. Everyone’s applause mingled with words of surprise and glee. From what Stolas told me, the Fairy King hadn’t made a public appearance since the previous Fairy King. That was thousands of years ago. To the people, this was probably the rarest thing they’d ever see. It was also the closest they’d get to knowingly see a god.

”Let’s welcome him warmly and thank him for gracing us with his presence this Divination Week. And now…” The king looked over at me. “Here to commemorate the beginning of our celebrations is someone who is one of the most talented musicians in this nation. I am pleased to introduce Cahira.”

I bowed my head slightly as Ilesh motioned towards me. I stepped up towards the edge of the stage as a hush fell over the crowd. With a deep breath, I lifted the flute to my lips and began to play. Adaiah had insisted I used this song for the opening and played the others throughout the week. It started off slow. Each note was a dissonant of each other, an eery sound that contrasted the cheery atmosphere. I closed my eyes and felt my heart start to beat harder as the music picked up.

Magic started to buzz inside my soul and flowed to my fingers. It was like second nature, the way I could easily memorize any song and play it without making any mistakes. This particular song was meant to signify The Great Divine creating the world we live in now. As the Great Divine gave the world life, the music was given life as well. What started off as a somber and empty song, had shifted into an upbeat, jovial song. I opened my eyes. Shimmering purple orbs, staves, and notes floated throughout the crowd. 

The energy was palpable, people dancing and spinning around, others trying to touch my magic. The music kept getting faster and faster as I danced across the stage. I moved between Ilesh and Alder, winking at them playfully. All anxiety had dissipated as I let myself feel the music. It ended with me in the middle of the stage. The final note rang out and I lowered my flute, breathing heavily. The crowd was silent.

”Th-Thank you.” I bowed deeply.

The crowd erupted into a raucous applause. It was so loud, the stage shook from the noise. I slowly straightened. This… they loved the song that much?  I reached behind me and took off the blindfold. The crowd only got louder as they saw my full face. I had gotten applause from my shows, but this was completely different. I had just performed for the whole kingdom and they loved it. People were shouting for more. They wanted more.

”What a wonderful performance!!” Ilesh clapped his hands. “Give it up for Cahira, everyone!”

I bowed several more times. “Thank you! Thank you all, so much!”

The crowd slowly quieted once again. Ilesh smiled. “What an amazing way to start off Divination Week. I thank you all for coming to the opening ceremony and I hope you all enjoy the festival!”

Everyone began to disperse. Merchants hurried to their stalls, parents tried to corral their kids, and some bard had begun to play music. I let out a sigh and followed Alder and Ilesh off the stage. My whole body was shaking from adrenaline. As soon as we were out of sight from the kingdom, Alder grabbed me and spun me around.

”Amazing!! You did absolutely amazing!”

I giggled and hugged him tightly. “I was so nervous!! I thought the crowd was going to hate it!”

”They could not take their eyes off you,” Alder set me down and then patted my head. “I am so proud of you, Cahira.”

Ilesh cleared his throat and walked over to us. “As am I.”

I bowed my head. “I truly thank you for this opportunity, your majesty.”

“Please, please. No formalities, Cahira,” His gaze fell to Alder. “Why don’t you go enjoy the festival? Alder and I have some things to talk about.”

I nodded and waved to both of them. “I’ll go find Stolas, then. Thank you both for supporting me. I’ll see you later!”

As the adrenaline waned, exhaustion seeped through my bones from using magic. I ignored it and pushed through. The gratitude and compliments I received as I looked for Stolas gave me all the energy I needed. Alder’s pure joy after my performance gave me all the energy I needed. Despite my initial anxiety, everything had turned out perfectly.

I was going to enjoy Divination Week.