5. The Coming-of-Age Ceremony
BEFORE the graduation ceremony at Grail Academy, a ball is held. It’s meant to be the final practice before the students enter society as adults. In the run-up to the ball, talk turned toward who’d be going with whom and what kind of dresses we’d wear. The female students were all aflutter.
“Bel, have you picked out your dress already?”
As we made our way from the music room to our regular classroom between classes, Oliphia quizzed me on my dress choice.
“Oh, yes. I already ordered it. It’s being tailored for me right now at the Laura Adams atelier.”
“Laura Adams! Wow, that’s so fancy! I can’t wait to see it.”
Oliphia started spinning around as we walked down the corridor, practicing her dance steps.
Laura Adams was the premier clothing label in Najir and had been for twenty years. It was extremely popular but, being a royal princess, I’d no trouble getting priority when it came to ordering a dress. Members of the aristocracy usually had to go on a six-month waiting list.
“What about you, Phia?” I asked. “Have you made your choice yet?”
“Er, well, mine’s not a Laura Adams or anything. It’s a Castin Lula. And I didn’t actually choose it myself…”
Oliphia was being very coy indeed. And from the way she was blushing, I had to conclude…
“Is it a present from Claude, perchance?”
“Huh?!”
Oliphia’s eyes widened in a “How did you know?” kind of way. I couldn’t keep myself from giggling.
I’d already heard that Claude was Oliphia’s partner for the ball. And in my old timeline, Claude and Oliphia had ended up engaged.
Castin Lula was another well-known Najir clothing label, just like Laura Adams. They tended to use more bows and ribbons in their clothes, and they had a very feminine look. Oliphia would look great in one of their dresses.
Incidentally, my partner was already decided too. The Captain of the Royal Armed Guard had a second-born son in the year below me, so it was arranged that he would escort me to the ball. Due to his social standing, no one would misconstrue it as anything more, so I’d be able to enjoy the ball while avoiding all sorts of speculation and gossip.
“Actually, I still haven’t told you about this, Bel. But…my father and Marquis Judeon have actually been in talks recently…” Oliphia stopped blushing and mumbling and looked me right in the eyes. “We’re…we’re getting engaged!”
Her cheeks were bright pink.
She looked so happy, I couldn’t stop smiling. Claude was a lucky fellow to have snapped Oliphia up for himself right before she made her official debut into society.
“Well, I’m not surprised! But congratulations! You’ll make a wonderful couple.”
✦ ✦ ✦
“Thank you.” Oliphia nodded bashfully, her smile filling her whole face. “Bel, you must be excited about your coming-of-age ceremony! Princes and princesses will be coming from all over the land, that’s what Claude said. And he said that your future fiancé will probably be one of those princes…”
I felt my smile stiffen as Oliphia looked at me, innocently intrigued by the concept of my future husband.
Claude was the first-born son of the Judeon family, who had long ties to international politics. After graduation, he’d go into government work. He was probably already assisting with the arrangements for my coming-of-age ceremony.
In my old timeline, I’d met Prince Daniel for the first time at my coming-of-age ceremony. We were very quickly engaged after that.
I hadn’t even been aware it was happening. I was worried that engagement plans were being put into place behind the scenes without my knowledge this time, too. In other words, if I didn’t do something drastic, I might find myself engaged to Daniel before I even knew it.
I have to do something…
But what?
I was my country’s only princess. I wasn’t free to choose my own husband.
In this timeline, Ed wanted to marry me. But a commoner marrying a princess…the chances of that were zero in any timeline.
Even if I didn’t end up Daniel’s wife, it was highly likely that I’d be married off to the prince of some other kingdom. And then Ed and I could never be together.
We were physically close enough to fall into each other’s arms at a moment’s notice, yet too far apart in status to ever be able to do so.
I gazed out the hallway windows at the sky. I could see a pair of birds flying high above.
If only Ed and I could forget it all and fly away free into the open sky together… What a blessing it would be if we could. But to really do that, we’d have to give up everything and live as poor commoners in the countryside somewhere.
I shook my head.
The future I was trying to change…wasn’t just my future.
It belonged to all the people of Najir. I had to protect them.
So there’d be no running away. Not for me.
If only there was someone I could tell and bring in on what I was trying to do…
If I talked to Ed about it, maybe we could come up with a solution together.
But no…it just isn’t feasible.
I couldn’t tell Ed that I’d witnessed such a terrible future. Even he wouldn’t be able to believe something like that.
But while I was hesitating, time was marching on.
There were only a few months left now until my coming-of-age ceremony, where my fate had been sealed once before.
✦ ✦ ✦
I could smell a sweet, gentle scent.
The morning was still crisp, but the last of the cold weather was behind us. I always hated waking up from a cozy sleep. But it wasn’t so bad with this wonderful fragrance in the air.
I opened my eyes to brightness all around me.
Through the thin material surrounding my four-poster canopy bed, I could see the room filled with flowers.
“Good morning, Ellie,” I called out to Ellie, who was bustling busily around my room. At the sound of my voice, she stopped and came over with a smile.
“Good morning, Princess Annabel. And happy birthday! I can hardly believe you’re sixteen years old!”
“Thanks, Ellie.”
I blushed a little.
Sixteen.
At sixteen, every Najirian comes of age.
“You’ve received so many birthday flowers from everyone.”
Ellie gestured to the flowers on display around the room. The maids must’ve brought in the ones from the Najirian aristocracy while I was sleeping. They were all so beautiful. And there were message cards too.
“Ah…”
I reached for a nearby bouquet’s message card. The La Boulacherie family crest was on it.
“For the Princess, on the occasion of her coming-of-age.
-Edoile Licht La Boulacherie.”
It was nothing more than a polite adherence to social protocol, and it made my heart sink a little. But as I gazed at it, I gasped. The letters grew faint and faded away, to be replaced by a completely different message.
“Happy Birthday. I’ll pay you a birthday visit after school today.
Always, Your Ed.”
It was just one line, but I was thrilled. Only a Royal Magician could come up with such a magical message swap. I was sure that the second line wouldn’t appear if the card envelope was opened by anyone but me.
He’s going to pay me a visit! I wonder how we’ll celebrate…
The letter was enough of a surprise already. But knowing Ed, he must’ve been planning something even more special.
Just imagining the possibilities was so much fun. I couldn’t help smiling to myself.
“You look very happy! What does the message say?”
“What? Oh…just happy birthday. But Ed’s coming by after school.”
“I see. That sounds very nice, Princess.” Ellie smiled at me.