Chapter 16: The School Festival and the Northern Princess
PREPARATIONS for the annual school festival began as soon as summer vacation ended. The festival marked the arrival of fall and the end of the social season. And much like the New Year’s sword dance, it was held at the coliseum. The event served as an opportunity both to demonstrate the fruits of our training and for the locals to mingle with the knights. The school festival always brought in massive crowds because it was the only time the townspeople could interact with us.
The first day of the festival consisted of social activities: exhibitions, public training drills, and the like. On the second day we’d show off our skills, such as martial arts and horseback riding, to name a few, after which a ball would be held at the royal palace, officially closing the social season.
Each class at the academy had to put on some kind of performance as part of the first day’s festivities, and because class sizes averaged twenty or so, choirs, concerts, and skits were the usual picks. We were presently discussing plans for our own.
“How about a dance performance?” Stern proposed.
“Us guys, dancing?” a classmate asked doubtfully. His reaction was about what you’d expect. I myself was of a similar opinion.
Stern nodded. “You do know that the northern princess is going to be watching, right? I asked Marlena what she thought a princess would enjoy, and, well, there’s your answer.”
My chest tightened at Stern’s mention of the northern princess. The two had once been in engagement talks. Ultimately, Stern had rejected her offer, but not without meeting significant resistance. For whatever reason, the thought of her coming made me anxious. I wanted to see what the northern princess—famed for her stunning looks—was like but also didn’t. And I didn’t want her to see Stern in his knight uniform.
Stern continued, oblivious to my feelings. “I think us all dancing the tango would make for quite the spectacle.”
“Who’d wanna watch a bunch of guys tangoing?”
“Bern!” Stern called out all of the sudden.
I walked over to him, confused. He put out his hand, which I reflexively grabbed. He pulled me toward him and dipped me, my hair swinging through the air.
“Doesn’t look too lame now, does it? The tango was originally a male dance for a reason.” Stern grinned. Amid our classmates’ excited cheers, he lifted me back up. “Sorry if I startled you,” he whispered, my ear catching fire.
“Sounds good to me. Now we just need to decide on pairs.”
“Dibs on Bern!” Stern declared.
Laughter ensued. “Stern’s Bern infatuation is acting up again.”
“No, I call dibs on Bern,” Felzen snarled.
More laughter: “There they go again.”
“As always.”
“Toss Stern a bone, man. You and Bern’ll be dancing for New Year’s anyway.”
Felzen fell silent, his face twisting.
“What do you think, Bern?” Stern shot a playful gaze at me. He’s testing me.
I knew that I might never get such a chance again, so the answer seemed clear.
But before that, some payback. I took Stern’s hand like a gentleman inviting a lady for a dance. “May I have this dance?” I winked. Stern’s face turned pink, the other students’ whistles going off in the background. How do you like them apples?
“Not fair! How can I resist your prince-like charm!” Stern protested.
“Says the prince,” sniggered Felzen.
“Take him to pound town already, Bern!” a classmate jeered.
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DAILY dance practices followed. The sessions were rather intense, because we—soldiers, all—were determined to be perfectly in step with our respective partners. All those side stripes on our pants moving perfectly to the beat were beautiful to behold.
I was so happy to be able to dance with Stern under the guise of practice. Without such a convenient excuse, I never would’ve gotten the chance. And when our bodies touched as we rehearsed, I didn’t even feel guilt. All I felt was joy.
And so came the inaugural day of the festival. Masses of people had gathered in the coliseum underneath the vast autumn sky. The class performances were about to begin. We would be the last to go.
When our turn finally came, we tangoed atop the stage in seven pairs. Stern and I stood in the center. Behind us were three knights: one playing the bandoneon, one the violin, and the third a guitar. Felzen crooned a love song in a lilting tenor.
What first started as a comical dance routine soon turned into a series of acrobatic turns. My and Stern’s long legs intertwined as we stepped lightly across the stage. He embraced me a little roughly, I wrapped my legs around his waist, he did a half-turn, lowering me on the opposite side. I swiveled, pushing him away, only to be pulled back more forcefully. I met his provocative stare with one of my own.
Felzen’s melancholic voice resounded through the coliseum: “My heart burns only for you.”
We held each other in abrazo cerrado. The dance steps were no different from what we’d practiced, yet there was a certain passion behind them. We gazed into each other’s eyes, his hand on my cheek, our lips within kissing distance. I snatched his wrist, shoving it away. I could have almost lost myself in it all as our breaths blended together.
Our first and last time dancing together. A wave of loneliness washed over me. I gripped his hand, and he squeezed right back. I love you too, Stern. Sorry for being a liar.
We finished with a dip just as the music stopped. Stern pressed his lips against the base of my throat, noiselessly whispering, “I love you.”
A whirlwind of grief welled up within me, driving me to the brink of tears. I cursed the selfish part of myself that was okay with lying just to remain by Stern’s side.
A brief moment of silence followed the end of the dance before the stadium erupted. We turned toward the stands, bowing.
Afterward, I helped out at a frozen yogurt stall. Using my ice magic, I froze cups of yogurt topped with a garnish of the customers’ choosing then handed them out. Due to the high temperature of the early autumn day, an enormous line of people had formed to try the treat.
Many of them had seen our class’s performance. It was nice to hear their thoughts and impressions, although one pushy lady insisted that I tango with her, at which point I diverted the conversation.
Felzen, meanwhile, was grilling meat at a kiosk nearby. His beautiful singing voice, previously unknown to the public, had attracted an even larger crowd than usual.
Elsewhere, Stern ran archery drills. Public training sessions always drew in a ton of kids excited to learn techniques directly from the knights.
“Bern!” I was in the middle of a short break when Kraut came traipsing toward me with some more of the jam that the yogurt stall had sourced from his territory. The pleasing colors of the Wurzels’ flower- and olive-based jams made them a popular topping among female customers. “Your dancing was phenomenal!”
“Thanks.”
“If it’s not too much to ask, maybe you and I could—”
“No!”
“Sorry?”
“I know what you’re about to ask, and the answer is no. I’ve had enough of everyone and their mother inviting me to tango,” I replied, fatigue seeping into my voice.
“Everyone and their mother…” Kraut repeated with a pitiful grin.
“Like, at least get to know me first before making ‘humorous’ passes.”
“Sounds rough.”
“Though I’m happy they seemed to like my performance, at least.”
“Like it? Everyone loved it.”
“Really? Maybe all that practice wasn’t for nothing after all,” I said, smiling in relief.
Kraut smiled back. “I can make you some Wurzel tea later, if you’d like.”
“Would I! Do you have mallow?” I asked.
“Of course! I’ll come over to your place once we’re done for the day,” Kraut said, returning to his post.
“Can’t wait!” I called after him.