CH. 6: The Seven Challenges

The parade starts with the beat of the drums and the sound of the cymbals and flutes being carried by uniformed men and women. Lush pink petals are floating everywhere, thrown by giggling children. Next are the people with moons atop their heads, made stable by the blue ribbons on the side of their faces and tied securely under their chin. They are doing a sort of synchronized weird dance that makes me dizzy just by watching them.

A grand float comes in the end, housing both Prince Gavin whose smile must be bigger than the moon and Prince Sorien whose gaze is fixed somewhere and his expression announcing how he would rather be somewhere else.

Prince Sorien moves his head and his eyes find mine. I jump back a little, startled at suddenly getting all of his attention. Even when the parade came to a standstill – the music halting, the people gathering closely to the float – his eyes is still fixed on me.

"Why is the Prince looking at me?" I ask under my breath. Hegar finally released his spell on me when the parade started and stood close to me throughout.

"He must find you fascinating."

I scoff, my eyes still on the Prince. We look like we're in a staring contest. "Fascinating? That's absurd."

"He likes pretty things."

"Pretty?" I look away at the Prince and stare at Hegar. Moving my hand from my forehead to my chin in an up and down gesture, I say, "This is pretty? How ridiculous."

The corner of Hegar's lips tilt up. "You don't think you're pretty?"

"Absolutely not! You should have seen my aunt. She's gorgeous."

"Does she look like me?"

My lips part at his tone. It's as if he's implying that he's not at all attractive. "Yeah. Kind of."

"Huh. Your aunt raised you well."

I grin up at him. "Thank you."

"But you should know that humans think the opposite."

I am about to respond when Prince Gavin steps to the end of the float and address the people. "People of Kavornos!" his voice booms through the crowd. "I am glad to see you here in our capital, Yakor, as we all celebrate the Lunar Parade. We are thankful for the Moon for continually giving us light in times of darkness. And for that we give this day, this celebration, as tribute to Her. May She continue to light our paths."

The people murmur their agreement.

"You may all be wondering," Prince Gavin continues. "why it is only me and my brother, Sorien, who are present here tonight."

"Where's Prince Farro?" a girl with hearts for eyes asks.

Prince Gavin chuckles. "I see my dear brother is still famous with the ladies."

A couple of women laughs with him. I roll my eyes. And then I see Prince Sorien still looking at me, his bored face now replaced with amusement, the corner of his lips slightly raised. I look away.

What's his deal?

"I have absolutely no idea where he is," Prince Gavin says. "I'm terribly sorry that he couldn't join us tonight." Prince Gavin's smile is now totally erased from his face, replaced by that of melancholy. It baffles me how easily he can change his expression. It's as if he has practiced it for how many times.

"But as you all must have noticed, my father, the King, will also not be able to grace us with his presence tonight. It breaks my heart to announce this but the King is sick and may no longer be able to attend future Lunar Parades."

The crowd gasps. I knit my brows together. I don'tunderstand the exaggeration of the people's reaction. So what if the King issick and then dies? Then one of the Princes will be the next King.

"You all know the law. Once the King is proclaimed dead, the Seven Challenges will begin. And the Prince who will conquer the challenges shall be the next King. We will have dark days ahead for there will be a period of an empty throne. Because of that, tonight's Lunar Parade is very special, for we have more to ask from Her. May She continue to light the Kingdom of Kavornos despite the blood that she will soon witness."

Prince Gavin gives the crowd a stern look after finishing his pretentious speech. His face and voice may hold great sorrow, but it doesn't fool me the least bit. I was still a child when Aunt Agitha last brought me in Yakor. Prince Gavin was still a teenager back then. I've seen him with his parents, the King and Queen, and I've always thought how his actions were ostentatious to begin with, completely lacking in sincerity. But the people seems to buy his sorrow, for the mood of the place instantly dampens.

Prince Gavin looks back at Prince Sorien. "Do you have something to add, brother?"

"You've said it all, brother," he responds.

"Very well," Prince Gavin slurs. For a fraction of a second, his mask comes down and I think he gave Sorien a look of disdain, but it was so fast that I doubt that I really saw it. Turning back to the crowd, he says, "Let us not make this agonizing news put a dampen to our celebration! My father is still alive and who knows, he may come out of this terrible sickness victorious and well. So let us all continue celebrating Her greatness! May the Moon love us all!"

"May the Moon love us all!" the crowd repeats.

And so it continues. The people pretends to disregard the news and act all happy. Humans. They're really interesting creatures.

"Come," Hegar motions, shaking me out of my reverie. I need to think how to get away from him and I need to think fast! The sun will rise soon and I will change back to my glorious self. But like Hegar says, humans think differently. If they see me, they will instantly associate me to wickedness and witchcraft. I have to go. I have to escape.

We make our way through the thick crowd until we are back to the makeshift tables. Prince Sorien is already there and mounted.

"We go back now," Prince Sorien says. "This place disgusts me."

"Yes, my Prince," Hegar responds.