Summer Festival

The next day, Leiyu walked around by himself in the palace. He strolled down the long outdoor corridor, passing through many gardens, which were resplendent with variegated flowers, manicured shrubs, and flowing fountains.

Prince Thallios said to meet in the main courtyard in the afternoon. He had not seen the prince since they parted after breakfast. Prince Thallios had said he was going to be busy preparing for the first day of the Summer Festival. Leiyu did not mind, as he had not explored the palace on his own that much since he arrived two days ago.

The palace was like a labyrinth and Leiyu was not sure whether he would be able to see everything before the caravan was scheduled to leave. He wondered whether the prince had already explored every nook and cranny. Further up ahead in the corridor, he saw a throng of people.

This must be the main courtyard, he thought. Prince Thallios had mentioned that there would be a performance. He walked towards the crowd.

“Leiyu!” someone called. It was one of the merchants from the caravan. He was standing near the courtyard entrance with the rest of the crowd.

“Hey!” Leiyu called back.

“Haven’t seen you in a while,” said the merchant.

“Mm, I’ve been exploring.”

“Tell me about it! This palace is huge! And there’s also the city. Have you seen it yet?”

“Not yet.”

“Well, if you haven’t been yet, you should definitely go today. It’s the first day of the Summer Festival, so it will be extra spectacular!”

***

In the middle of the main courtyard was a stage with a curtain held up by two columns in the back. Silk sashes fluttered from the top of these columns. Three musicians were seated beside the stage on an intricately patterned rug.

Leiyu and the merchant stood amongst the crowd that was gathered before the stage. The people in the crowd spoke amongst themselves, some in languages that Leiyu could not understand. They patiently awaited the start of the performance.

The musicians began to play. One of them tapped rhythmically on the doira drum, while the one in the center strummed the dutar, and the third one played the oboe-like surnay. The curtain pulled back and three female dancers glided out.

“I’ve heard that the palace dancers are exquisite!” the merchant said to Leiyu.

The dancers wore ornate doppi with circular gold pieces that jangled as they moved. They had long swaying dark braids, gracefully swaying arms, and colorful embroidered dresses that twirled as they spun.

The curtain opened again and a male dancer came out carrying a long silk banner. He ran around the female dancers until they were obscured from the audience. When he circled back to curtain, the silk banner pulled away, revealing a lone dancer at the stage’s center.

Leiyu strained his eyes to get a better view. The dancer had the left arm raised up high, hand held in a graceful pose. The hair was done up in a half bun with silk ribbons flowing from a hair ornament. Around the shoulders were thin gold cords with dangling gold pieces. Long silk tassels flowed from the dancer’s slender waist. The dancer’s raised hand moved slightly and tiny silver bells on the three bracelets jingled musically.

Leiyu’s eyes went wide.

The dancer smiled, lips tinted with faint rouge and amber eyes accentuated with black kohl liner. Thin gold chains decorated the familiar auburn hair.

It was Prince Thallios.

Leiyu was speechless.

“Oh, it’s the Summer Welcoming Dance,” the merchant explained, “It’s only done by a member of the royal family. Back when the queen was still alive, she did this dance. Many tales were told of her beauty and gracefulness.”

Prince Thallios closed his eyes. His bracelets jingled as he lowered his left hand. He held up one of his silk waist tassels with his right hand. His anklet jingled as he lifted a heel. With one foot flat and the other one pointed, he began to twirl, raising one hand upward while the other one swept out to the side. As he spun faster and faster, the silk tassels and the hem of his robe twirled with him.

It was a beautiful sight to behold. Leiyu thought the prince resembled one of the celestial beings he had seen in paintings back home.

Prince Thallios leapt into the air and bent his torso backwards. His arms were stretched outwards and his hair flowed gracefully. Leiyu’s eyes grew wide and he felt his heart stop for a moment. The prince landed softly, his arms in a pose. He glanced at the audience and looked directly at Leiyu.

Leiyu stood very still.

The audience erupted into applause.

Prince Thallios took a bow.

***

After the performance was over, Leiyu waited in the corridor. He leaned against a column as other people streamed past him, chattering away. When the crowd had mostly left, he saw a lone figure walking towards him.

There was Prince Thallios, beaming. Leiyu smiled and approached the prince, lowering himself into a kneeling position.

“Your Highness!”

“No need to be so formal,” Prince Thallios held out a hand. “Please stand.”

Leiyu stood up.

“Your performance was excellent!”

“Thank you!” The prince smiled, then paused. “Leiyu…”

“Hm?”

“Have you been out to see the city yet?”

“Not yet, Your Highness.”

Prince Thallios grinned. Leiyu was unsure what to make of it.

“Would you like to accompany me?” asked the prince.

Leiyu blinked. “Um…Your Highness, are you allowed to leave the palace? Don’t you need guards?”

“No need…”

Leiyu looked at him in confusion.

“You are the great bodyguard of the trade caravan, are you not?”

Leiyu was at a loss for words.

“Don’t worry, I’ll put in a good word for you if the palace guards catch us.”

He did not find that reassuring. “But…are you allowed to leave the palace just like that?”

Prince Thallios grinned again. “I won’t walk out just like this. I’ll disguise myself. Meet me outside the palace gates in half an hour.”

***

Leiyu stood with his back against a wall outside the palace gates, lost in thought. I have no idea what the prince is up to. How exactly was he going to get past all those palace guards anyway?

He had only known Prince Thallios for two days, yet it felt like more than a week. Other than his martial brothers when he was training under Shifu, he had not spent so much time continuously around the same person.

His thoughts were interrupted by a tap on his arm. He turned and saw a petite figure wearing a woman’s headdress with flowing fabric that stretched all the way to the feet. Dangling gold pieces covered the eyes. The person also wore a loose tunic dress with trousers.

“Can I help you, miss?” he asked.

The stranger smiled and looked upwards, revealing a pair of familiar kohl-lined amber eyes. “Hi Leiyu!”

“Your Highness?!”

Prince Thallios put his index finger up to his lips. “Shh, not so loud.”

Leiyu was at a complete loss for words.

Smiling with joy, the prince declared, “Let’s go see the city!”

***

The bazaar was bustling with activity. There were numerous stalls selling fruit, freshly baked bread, flowers, and miscellaneous trinkets. People milled about in the numerous streets.

Prince Thallios looked at all of this with wide-eyed wonder. Leiyu regarded the prince with bemusement.

What a contrast in upbringing, he thought. I lived on the streets as a child.

Still, he found the prince’s joyfulness endearing.

“Your Highness…”

“Shh, don’t call me that out here.”

“Then, how should I address you?”

“Hmm,” the prince thought for a bit. “You can call me Amara.”

“Amara?”

“Yes, it is a common girl’s name.”

“...”

Suddenly, there was the whirring of wheels as a horse-drawn cart rapidly approached them.

“Make way!” the cart driver yelled.

Leiyu saw that the prince was in the direct path of the cart and gasped. Instinctively, he reached out and looped his arm around Prince Thallios’ back. The prince felt himself being pulled forward. The cart zoomed by, barely missing them.

Leiyu looked downwards.

Prince Thallios looked back up at him.

Leiyu realized that his arm was still around Prince Thallios’ back, and the prince was pressed against his chest. His face turned red and he quickly backed away.

“My apologies!”

Prince Thallios stared at him blankly and then smiled. “No need to apologize. You were just trying to protect me. I knew I could count on you.”

Once again, Leiyu was at a loss for words. The same went for Prince Thallios, as he also did not say anything.

Finally, Leiyu broke the awkward silence. “Your H-, I mean, Amara, would you like to see anything else?”

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

Leiyu was speechless yet again. “All right…”

***

Prince Thallios and Leiyu continued to walk around the city, trying to fulfill the prince’s request to find the highest point. Leiyu was not sure why Prince Thallios was so intent on this, but he accompanied him without a word, looking out for any other dangers along the way.

Leiyu was bemused by how things had turned out as of late, first becoming the bodyguard of a trade caravan by accident and now unexpectedly becoming the bodyguard of this whimsical prince. He wondered if it was his life’s role to become a protector of others. He did not mind really, since Shifu had taught him and his martial brothers how to fight so that they could defend those in need.

The sun descended into the horizon and dusk settled in.

“The fireworks should be starting soon,” said Prince Thallios.

Ah, is that the reason? Leiyu thought. “Do you still want to find the highest point in the city?”

“Sure, or at least a rooftop.”

Leiyu looked up. There were many rooftops around them, but they were mostly residential. They could not just simply walk into any building and take the stairs. He saw a relatively empty side street and suddenly had an idea.

“I know a shortcut,” he said.

Prince Thallios glanced back at him. Leiyu walked into the side street and the prince followed. There were some tiny vendor stalls, 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,” Prince Thallios replied. “Are we…going to climb?” Given the way he was dressed, it would be somewhat difficult.

“No need.”

“Oh?”

Leiyu took a deep breath. “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 Prince Thallios.

“Just hold on tightly,” he said gently. The prince felt his heart flutter a bit. He smiled and gripped Leiyu’s cloak.

Leiyu leapt into the air. Prince Thallios gasped. They landed softly on the rooftop.

“How…?” Prince Thallios breathed. Then he remembered that Leiyu had jumped very high when they sparred the other day.

Leiyu smiled. “Where I’m from, people can do that if they practice enough.”

Prince Thallios gave him an odd look but his attention was immediately diverted to the bright burst of light in the evening sky. Glittering specks rained downwards. They could hear people cheering in the streets below.

“Oh! The fireworks are starting!” the prince exclaimed.

***

The fireworks went on for quite a while. Prince Thallios and Leiyu sat on the rooftop and admired the sparkling starbursts, spinning pinwheels, and radiating rings illuminating the night sky. When the fireworks started to slow down, Prince Thallios turned to Leiyu.

“How long will you stay here before you travel again?”

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

Prince Thallios looked at him but said nothing and looked downward. Leiyu glanced at him.

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,” said Leiyu. “Before they discover that you are missing.”

“I suppose…” the prince murmured. 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.”

“Okay, but you’ll have to hold on tightly.”

***

Leiyu leapt from rooftop to rooftop, carrying Prince Thallios on his back. The prince had his arms around Leiyu’s shoulders and his hands gripped Leiyu’s cloak. His heart was pounding as Leiyu sailed effortlessly through the air. They approached the palace and Leiyu ran up the wall, being careful not to let the guards see them. Once they got over the wall, he leapt again, landing in the middle of the rooftop garden.

“We have returned, Your Highness.”

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 Prince Thallios’ headdress, neither of them saying a word.

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

Prince Thallios glanced at him, then smiled. “Good night!”

They parted ways.