The Royal Concert

There was little pressure on Ui to perform in her inaugural concert. But that didn’t stop her feelings wandering from anxiety and slowly building up towards confidence.

Her performance had been squeezed in the middle of seasoned performers that already met the bar, and the crowd expected little from her.

But that didn’t stop her from doing her best. The moment she walked into that auditorium, the third time ever, she felt unstoppable and was determined to make the crowd feel her energy.

After all, she had sung while staring down an army. She had sung her loneliness away into a seemingly infinite sea reflecting the moon. She had sung for herself, and for a whole mountain, and for her people. A few nobles expecting evening entertainment were nothing to her.

It was the best performance of the Song of Unity that she’d ever done.

She received a thunderous applause. She bowed down on the stage of the Royal Auditorium and smiled proudly as she walked out dressed in a long, white, especially outfitted dress for her that trailed behind her, with a voluminous ponytail bouncing with her step as the curtains fell.

◆

The dining hall, however, was another story.

The room was packed with nobles, some foreign, but most were local to the island.

The Duke’s inner circle sat with him in the corner of the room. Ui noticed they were younger than the previous Duke’s.

Guarding the entrances and balconies were the Royal Mages. Cro was focused on his work, making sure the room was as safe as it should be. There was another Royal Mage who wasn’t.

Prishu tried to wave and bounced in place hoping Ui would look towards her. Her energy didn’t match the uniform, nor did it match any other Royal Mage’s. A quick glimpse was enough for Ui to feel embarrassed and hide her face in the middle of a crowded long table, being careful to not smudge her makeup as she leaned closer to the table.

She was the guest of honor, being sat down in the middle of a table full of nobles.

Despite the pressure, she appeared composed even through the typical flattery being thrown at her. Eventually, the food’s arrival finally took the table’s attention away from her. The meal was splendid, both in appearance and taste, even if she wished there were some Udari dishes, too.

The voices of the elegantly dressed nobles slowly blurred into the background as she tried to enjoy what little food she plated for herself. She tried to look at Cro for an escape, but it was clear he was not available that day.

“I just don’t think we should let things go like that.” A noble’s conversation snuck past Ui’s mental barriers.

“Darling, let’s not talk politics on the table tonight.” His wife tried to stop him, but was quickly ignored.

“They sent children to fight. Children! And those children hurt our sons and daughters.”

Ui started feeling uncomfortable, realizing they were talking about the Udari.

“The war is over. We can’t linger on such things. The Duke’s message has been clear.” Another nobleman tried to defuse the situation.

“And our children believe that too! They don’t want to fight anymore. Have they forgotten our past? Where do they think we got the magicore we use? Those people are sitting on a fortune, and they’re selling it to a foreign country?”

“Our negotiations are underway, we should trust the Duke...”

More nobles were raising their voices, but Ui tried to continue eating, even if she couldn’t taste the flavors anymore. Maybe she could’ve tried to keep eating and ignore them, but that one noble just couldn’t let it go.

“And why do we have to negotiate with those criminals? They hurt our children. And now nobody wants to fight? I say send the Royal Mages and the few of us who still want to fight. We’ll show the Udies—”

The conversation had grown increasingly unpleasant for Ui, who reflexively and brusquely stood up, sending a small shockwave down the whole table.

The nobles were awkwardly silent as Ui gripped her utensils strong enough to start hurting her hands. She then exhaled and walked towards the balcony with forceful, long steps that didn’t match her attire.

“Why would you spoil her big night talking petty politics.” She could hear someone defending her in the distance. She couldn’t tell who, nor cared.

She stood out on the balcony, with her white dress reflecting the moon as she breathed in and out in an agitated fashion. She managed to calm down and breathed in the fresh, night air that felt like winter was approaching.

“Not good at hiding your feelings, are you?” Ui, startled, looked back to see Miront, grinning behind her. “You really made a scene back there.”

She looked at him angrily. She didn’t need more provocations, or emotions, that night.

“Don’t worry, Ui. I don’t like him either.” He walked up next to her and looked at the moon. “To be honest, I don’t think the Duke does, either.”

“I just wanted to go to the restroom.” Ui lied poorly, refusing to give Miront any satisfaction.

“That urgently?”

The pair remained silent, leaning on the balcony.

“I knew this was a stupid idea.” Ui was finally composed enough to talk. But her initial anger and distaste had turned into disappointment instead. She wasn’t sure if it was towards herself for believing things could be different, or towards the nobles, which felt unchanged after all of her efforts.

“If you ask me, I think you did great. Both at the concert, and here,” said Miront. His eyes, looking towards Ui, glistened with the moonlight.

She couldn’t manage to keep looking at him, but part of Miront felt different than what she knew. “And… the Duke?”

“Who knows what the man thinks.”

Isn’t this the closest man to the Duke?

“Still, making a scene when you’re the guest of honor is very impressive.” Miront laughed loudly. “I’m sure appropriate punishment will be doled out.”

Ui remained silent and expressionless. Thinking back on the words said at the table—she didn’t care anymore.

“I’ll make sure you get a better table so it’s easier for you to go to the restroom next time. If there is a next time...” Miront excused himself with a smirk, as he himself headed to the restroom.

Ui looked inside the dinner hall. She felt the lively voices, full plates, elegant guards and happy nobles.

She looked back out towards the balcony, scanning the surrounding buildings and streets. The night sky had fully taken over, and the faint magic lights showed the blurry nocturnal glimmers of Novestr.

She remembered why she hated those rocky, ice-cold, grey streets. She remembered why she missed the colors. The nocturnal sky blended the colors of the flowers from the Royal Gardens into one single monochromatic scale. The dark purple flowers that the Duke had brought from the mainland no longer seemed different from hers.