The cleaning blitz was done, the mistletoe boughs were hung, and the preparations for the big feast were complete.
“Now all that’s left is to wait for Flür National Day!”
“Have you forgotten about your predecessors’ arrival?”
“Oh, that’s right!”
Rohtas’s prompting reminded me: Mother and Father Fisalis were still on their way to Rohze. Silly me! That was the whole reason we’d bothered cleaning and decorating the cottage!
“Last we heard from them, they said they ought to be arriving around noon tomorrow.”
Tomorrow was the final day of the year. My in-laws were set to arrive at the absolute last minute before New Year’s.
“Should I assume they’ll be joining us for lunch, then?”
“That would be my guess.”
“Got it. Be sure to let Cartham know.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
With one last bow, Rohtas disappeared off to the kitchen.
“Once the in-laws are here, it’ll officially be time for New Year’s.”
“Indeed. It won’t be long before the cherry blossoms are in full bloom. That ought to make for a spectacular start to the new year,” said Stellaria, turning her head to look out over the garden. From here, we could see a big cherry tree in full bloom, its pale pink flowers coming to their peak.
This tree was unusual in that it sprouted petals rather than leaves, and it was when the cold season had come to an end—right around Flür National Day—that it would begin to flower. Since the timing of its bloom matched up almost perfectly with the holiday, our kingdom had adopted it as our national tree.
“It should be about ninety percent of the way there. Though that already looks like full bloom to my eyes,” the maid commented. “If the nice weather keeps up, it ought to have reached its peak by Flür Day.”
“I can’t wait. I’m sure it’s going to look as pretty as ever.”
Both the people of Flür and nature itself were getting ready to ring in the new year.
✦ ✦ ✦
Just as Rohtas had said, Mother and Father Fisalis ended up arriving just before noon the next day. They’d once again come bearing all sorts of souvenirs, including fruits and veggies from their home of Pied de la Montjuc, freshly mined gems, and even more toys and clothes for Violet.
“Look at that! She’s gotten even bigger and prettier since the last time we saw her!” said my father-in-law.
“Good to see you, grandpa.”
“And you’ve even learned how to greet us like a proper lady! I’m so proud.”
“Yeah! Gweetings to you too, grandma!”
“Very impressive, Lettie!”
My in-laws went ga-ga over the sight of Violet lifting the edges of her skirt and offering them a welcoming curtsey.
“We’ve brought you lots of tasty treats! Let’s eat them together later, shall we?”
“Hooray!”
Violet was ecstatic to hear the words “tasty treats.” All that decorum she’d shown mere seconds ago had gone right out the window; she really was still a kid, all right.
“All the mistletoe really puts you in the New Year’s mood.”
“We had a lot of nice boughs to choose from this year, so it looks even more stunning than usual.”
“I can see that. And as an added bonus, the cherry blossoms in Rohze are teetering near their peak! It’s warmer in Le Pied, so the petals have already fallen from the trees over there...but if you ask me, a flower is most beautiful in its prime!”
“I think so too.”
As pretty as it is to watch the petals fall, I’d rather look on the bright side of life and savor the moment of their bloom!
✦ ✦ ✦
“I’m home.”
“Welcome ba—whoa!”
Right when I went to greet my husband at the door, the breeze picked up. I sure hadn’t been expecting to get smacked with such a powerful gust of wind.
“Vi! Are you okay?” Mr. Fisalis cried, reaching out to catch me in his arms.
“Just got knocked around a little. I’m fine.”
“It’s gotten pretty windy tonight, huh?”
“What happened? It was so calm out earlier!”
When we glanced up at the sky, lamenting the weather’s turn for the worse, we were greeted with the sight of the clouds careening across the sky. The trees planted all across the grounds were swaying in the wind, scattering their leaves everywhere.
“The forecast didn’t say it was supposed to rain tomorrow...”
“I hate when it gets this gusty,” I complained.
It sucks because my hair gets all messed up! Wait, uh, I mean...
“I always end up getting bits of dust in my eyes. It’s such a pain.”
“I can imagine. You have such big, beautiful eyes that it must be easy for dirt to get in there.”
“Was that supposed to be a compliment?”
Maybe I should invest in a pair of glasses as an anti-dust measure.
“I’ve got a feeling that winds this strong are going to do a number on our gorgeous cherry blossom tree. And right when it was at peak bloom too!”
“You’re probably right. I mean, the flowers are known to be short-lived.”
“Exactly!”
So ephemeral were those blossoms that a slight breeze was all it took to send them flying right at their peak. It was one delicate flower.
Aww... It’s such a waste that we can’t enjoy these pretty blossoms for longer. Maybe we oughta wipe the whole species out of existence so I never have to feel this way again! No, don’t be silly, Viola—their fragility is part of what makes them so wonderful!
Even at the dinner table, Father Fisalis seemed concerned about the roaring gale. “It’s getting awfully windy out there.”
It was so loud that we could hear it inside the mansion.
“Yeah. It was blowing pretty hard when I came home.”
“I see. It’ll be tough to have the annual rite in the middle of a storm.”
“I’ll bet. The ladies’ hair will get all messed up, and debris will be flying everywhere,” Mr. Fisalis agreed.
My father-in-law wagged a finger at his son. “Think bigger. A while back, there was a nobleman whose hairpiece was carried off in the wind.”
“Pfft!”
Jeez, Father Fisalis—don’t spring knee-slappers like that on us! Mr. Fisalis and I nearly spat out our drinks! A wig soaring through the air right in the middle of the Rite of Audience... Oh man, I’m gonna crack up just imagining it.
The whole dining room erupted into laughter. Only Violet wore a blank look on her face, the joke whooshing right over her head.
“Goodness, yes! I remember that!” Mother Fisalis said.
“It took all my willpower not to crack a smile!”
“Our seats were front and center, after all.”
She made a good point. If they’d started laughing where the whole audience could see them, it would’ve been so embarrassing for that poor nobleman!
“I made it through by biting down on my lip, and I caught His Highness pinching his thigh.”
“I had to fake a sneeze to cover up my giggles. I don’t think anyone noticed. Her Highness managed to hide her mouth behind her fan, but I remember her shoulders were shaking the whole time. And that’s to say nothing of all the snickering from the people sitting towards the edges.”
“I’ve never been more jealous of their seating arrangements than in that moment.”
“You said it! My, I’m cracking up just thinking about it!”
Mother and Father Fisalis were laughing hard enough to make up for all the laughing they couldn’t do back then.
And they were right; the corner seats were far enough out of the spotlight that you could even get away with dozing off there. If you wanted to laugh, all you had to do was cover your mouth with your sleeve, turn your face to the side, and you were golden.
By contrast, in seats as conspicuous as the Fisalis family’s usual place—as in, right next to the king—you could expect all eyes to be on you. Nothing would go unnoticed. Boy, did I ever wish I could go back to those corner seats. Uh, not to get us off-track here!
Interesting. So that’s the sort of thing that can happen on a windy day.
“Guess we’ll have to head into this with an unshakable spirit,” said Mr. Fisalis.
“You know what? I’ll go ahead and sleep with my eyes open.”
“What?! No fair, Vi!”
“Too bad! It’s one of the skills I picked up during my bachelorette years.”
As we watched my parents-in-law laugh themselves to tears, Mr. Fisalis and I took what we’d learned about tomorrow’s Rite of Audience to heart.