Summer Festival - Part 3

The bazaar was bustling with activity. There were numerous stalls selling fruits, freshly baked bread, kabobs, and miscellaneous trinkets. Fresh garlands of flowers adorned every street corner. People milled about in the numerous streets. Prince Thallios looked at all of this with wide-eyed wonder, as if he were a child in a cavernous chamber full of sweets.

Leiyu regarded the prince with bemusement. What a contrast in upbringing, he thought. I lived on the streets as a child. He looks upon them the same way I marveled at the palace.

Still, Leiyu found the prince’s joyfulness endearing, and the streets of Ishkhandar did impress him when the caravan first entered the city. Yunshan had plenty of festivals too, but there was something refreshing about celebrating revelries in a new land with unfamiliar people.

Prince Thallios walked gingerly, taking care not to step on the hem of the dress he was wearing. He turned his head and watched a street vendor prepare palov in a giant cast iron qozon. The scent of cumin wafted through the air, and the rice and carrots soaked in the bubbling mutton-infused oil. A crowd gathered around and the vendor started scooping the food into ceramic bowls.

“I’ve had this dish plenty of times but I’ve never seen anyone actually cook it before,” the prince remarked.

Leiyu raised an eyebrow. He had never seen the prince eat more than a single grape, much less a bowl of rice. Perhaps the prince only ate one spoonful at a time.

The crowd before the palov vendor was getting larger, and the taller people were blocking Prince Thallios’ view. The prince gathered the fabric of his dress and slowly stepped onto the cobblestone street. Leiyu started to follow him, but stopped when his ears suddenly detected a rattling sound.

“Make way!” someone shouted. Leiyu turned and saw a horse-drawn cart speeding towards them. Prince Thallios was in the cart’s direct path. Instinctively, Leiyu reached out and looped his arm around the prince’s back, pulling him back into the crowd. The cart zoomed by, barely missing them. A cloud of dust followed in its wake.

Leiyu looked downwards, and saw Prince Thallios looking back up at him with flushed cheeks. He realized that his arm was still around the prince’s back, and the prince was pressed against his chest.

Leiyu’s face turned red. He let go and quickly backed away. “My apologies!” he said, lowering his gaze and staring at his boots.

Prince Thallios stared at him for a long awkward moment, and then smiled. “No need to apologize. You were just trying to protect me. I knew I could count on you.”

Leiyu looked back up, and saw the prince approaching. The dangling gold pieces swayed before his eyes, and the hem of his headdress swept the dusty ground. When the prince was merely inches away, Leiyu felt tingles run down his spine.

“Is it hard for you to walk in that?” Leiyu asked. He felt foolish after saying it, since the answer seemed obvious.

The prince smiled. “It takes some getting used to. My mother looked so graceful in her dresses. She made walking around in them look so easy.” He sighed.

“Your H-, I mean, Amara, would you like to see anything else?” Leiyu asked.

“Hm…” the prince pondered for a bit. “How about we find the highest point in the city?”

Leiyu gave him a puzzled look.

“There will be fireworks in the evening,” the prince explained. “I usually watch them from the rooftop garden, but we’re out in the city now.”

“You wish to stay out here until it gets dark?” Leiyu asked.

“I would like to,” the prince replied. “The fireworks are spectacular, and it would be nice to celebrate them with others.”

Leiyu imagined the guards frantically searching around the palace for their missing prince and took a deep breath. “All right…”

***

They continued to walk around the city, trying to fulfill Prince Thallios’ request to find the highest point. Leiyu scanned the crowd, looking out for any other dangers along the way. The prince walked near him, the fabric of his headdress occasionally brushing against Leiyu’s cloak.

Most of the people in the crowd paid them no heed, although there were a few that cast hostile glares in Leiyu’s direction. Leiyu averted his eyes and continued walking. Ishkhandar is supposed to be a major trading hub with merchants from all the Four Regions, so I wouldn’t be the first Easterner they’ve seen, he thought.

He looked down at Prince Thallios. Or maybe they’re acting that way because they think I’m getting too close to a local woman. He sighed. Hopefully he wouldn’t have the wrath of all of Ishkhandar raining down upon him.

Things are turning out to be interesting, Leiyu thought. First I became the bodyguard of a trade caravan by accident, and now I am the bodyguard of this whimsical prince. Perhaps that is my fate in life, to be the protector of others. Shifu taught us how to fight so we could defend those in need.

The sun started to sink into the horizon and dusk settled in.

“The fireworks should be starting soon,” the prince said.

“Do you still want to look for the highest point?” Leiyu asked. “This city is huge, so I’m not sure we’ll be able to find it.”

“Maybe we can just watch from a rooftop.”

Leiyu looked up. There were many rooftops around them, but it seemed like they were in a residential area.

“Your H-, ahem, Amara, I think people might live in these buildings, so we probably wouldn’t be able to just walk in and take the stairs.”

The prince frowned. “Yes, that is probably true.”

Leiyu looked around and saw a relatively empty alley. “Actually, I have an idea.” He walked into the alley, and the prince slowly followed. There were some tiny vendor stalls there, but no one was attending to them. The merchants had probably left to see the upcoming fireworks.

“Do you want to go to this rooftop?” Leiyu asked, pointing upwards.

“Sure,” the prince replied. “Are we…going to climb?” He looked at his dress. “I’m still having difficulties walking, so climbing will be nearly impossible.”

Leiyu smiled, and then took a deep breath. This might be a foolish idea, but might as well try, he thought. “No need for you to climb. I can take you straight up to the rooftop…if you hold on. Would that be all right?”

“Oh!” The prince’s eyes widened. “That’s fine…you’ll be the one climbing then?”

Leiyu smiled and looped his arm around the prince.

“Just hold on tightly,” Leiyu said gently.

The prince’s cheeks flushed. He smiled, leaned into Leiyu’s chest, and gripped his cloak. Leiyu felt another wave of tingles course through his veins.

Leiyu tightened his grip around the prince and leapt into the air. The prince gasped and squeezed his eyes shut, clutching Leiyu’s cloak even more tightly. Their clothes fluttered as they glided upwards, and they landed softly on the rooftop.

Prince Thallios opened his eyes. “You can fly? How?”

“I did the same thing when we were sparring yesterday,” Leiyu said.

“Oh yes, I remember. That was amazing too. Is it part of your wind magic?”

Leiyu smiled. “No, I learned how to do this long before I learned wind magic. It’s called qinggong.” The prince gave him an odd look. “It means…um…how do I translate it? ‘Lightness skill’? Shifu taught it to us.”

They were suddenly interrupted by a burst of light in the air. Prince Thallios turned toward the sky and beamed. “Oh, the fireworks are starting!”

***

The fireworks display went on for at least a quarter of a shichen. Leiyu and Prince Thallios sat on the rooftop and admired the sparkling starbursts, spinning pinwheels, and radiating rings illuminating the night sky. They could hear cheers from the crowd in the streets below. During a few moments, Leiyu felt the edge of the prince’s hand brush up against his. His cheeks heated up.

When the fireworks started to slow down, the prince turned to Leiyu. “How long will you stay in Ishkhandar?”

“Not sure,” Leiyu replied. “Depends on the caravan’s schedule.”

The prince looked at him silently, then cast his eyes downward.

Leiyu glanced at him. Did I say the wrong thing again?

The last of the fireworks went off. After that, there was nothing but a residual cloud of smoke. They sat in silence.

“We should go back to the palace,” Leiyu finally said. “Before they discover that you are missing.”

“I suppose…” the prince murmured.

“We might get kicked off this rooftop if people find us here,” Leiyu said.

The prince smiled wryly. “Yes, I suppose it is time to go home.” Then, his eyes lit up. “Hey, could you fly again and take us directly back to the palace?”

Leiyu was taken aback. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, I want to see what the city looks like from the air.”

Leiyu sighed. “Okay, but I need to be careful not to be seen. Since we’ll be traveling a long distance, it might be easier if I carry you on my back.”

“Oh…” the prince said, eyes widening and cheeks flushing. “All right…”

Leiyu shifted until he was in a kneeling position.

“Leiyu, what’s this circular thing on your back?” the prince asked.

“Oh, that’s my weimao,” Leiyu said. He turned his head and saw the prince’s perplexed expression. “It’s a veil hat. I’ll put it on so it’s not in the way.”

Leiyu donned his weimao and tightened the cord. The prince put his arms around Leiyu’s shoulders and clasped his hands together. Leiyu stood up. The prince was surprisingly light.

“Hold on tight, and don’t let go,” Leiyu said.

Leiyu ran toward the edge of the rooftop and leapt. The prince gasped and tightened his grip, burying his face into Leiyu’s back. They sailed through the air. The prince shifted and looked over Leiyu’s shoulder. His amber eyes widened as he saw the tops of buildings and the lantern lights from the streets below.

“Wow…” the prince murmured.

Leiyu jumped from rooftop to rooftop. He could feel the prince’s heartbeats pounding against his back. They sailed over clotheslines with fluttering robes, marble columns with flower garlands and ribbons, and the vendor stalls in the bazaars.

When they approached the palace, Leiyu made a huge leap. His boots connected with the wall, and he ran along the iridescent tiles. When he reached the top, he looked around to see if there were any guards. Then he launched himself toward the rooftop garden. They landed between the aisles of flowering trees, to the side of the divans and tabletop firepit.

Leiyu knelt and exhaled slowly. “We have returned, Your Highness.” He took off his weimao. His hair was damp, and beads of sweat rolled down the side of his head.

Prince Thallios loosened his grip and slowly stepped onto the ground. After catching his breath, he turned to Leiyu. “That was amazing! Thank you so much for taking me to see the city today!”

Leiyu smiled. “You’re welcome.”

They looked at each other as the evening breeze blew and rippled through the fabric of the prince’s headdress, neither of them saying a word.

“I’ll return to the guest quarters,” Leiyu finally said.

Prince Thallios blinked and looked at him solemnly. He had a faint smile that seemed to be concealing unspoken words. “Good night,” he whispered.

They parted ways.