Chapter 3: Angelina and the Barrel Organ
THE Lavender Star Flower Festival began on the ninth day of the ninth month. The festival celebrated the founding of Jinlong. Aster flowers resembling stars decorated the entire palace. Unlike the Crown Prince Ascension Ceremony, foreign dignitaries wouldn’t be invited to the Purple Forbidden Palace for an official event. Instead, the royal family would perform a ceremony in the Hall of Utmost Reverence, where all imperial rites were conducted.
In any case, it was a holiday—the spirit of merrymaking filled all of Jinlong. Traveling performers and merchants from various countries had gathered in the empire, causing quite a stir. The traveling performers from the ruined nation of Yule were a particularly hot topic. By all accounts, they used magic and barrel organs to put on shadow puppet shows.
After losing their country, the people of Yule had become nomadic. During their journeys, traveling performers collected legends from the places they visited. Afterward, they put on shadow puppet shows reenacting these tales using their innate magic.
In the three years since Empress Phaenna’s death, the trade of Yulan goods had ceased in Jinlong. That had been in deference to Feilong, who’d been desperate to erase all memories of his departed wife. Yet, since Angelina became the imperial princess, Yulan goods were reintroduced to Jinlong. Apparently, traveling Yulan performers would even be visiting the palace for the festival.
“Have you ever seen a Yulan shadow puppet show, Angelina?” Hisame asked.
“Nope,” Angelina replied. “Is that something Yulans do?”
“It is. I saw a performance in Anda, and it was really interesting.”
Angelina cocked her head. “There are Yulans in Anda?”
Yule stood on the southwest corner of Jinlong. In contrast, Anda stood to the empire’s east. Angelina had thought the countries were too far apart.
“When Jinlong destroyed Yule, its citizens fled to every surrounding country,” Hisame explained. “Some of them even sought refuge in Anda.”
That broke Angelina’s heart. After learning so much history at the Advancing Wisdom Academy, she understood the Yulan plight. Even so, they were a strong group of people. Despite losing their country, they survived while passing on their culture.
“Yulan performers know a lot of stories because they visit so many different countries,” Hisame said. “Their music is strange and fascinating as well. According to rumor, some Yulan performers are going to be visiting for the upcoming festival.”
“I want to see them too!” Angelina exclaimed. “Do you think we can?”
Ryuho grinned. “Yeah, I’ll take you!”
Hisame glared at Ryuho. “Don’t worry about it, Angelina. Since I told you about the performers, I should be the one to take you to a show!”
Sparks flew between Hisame and Ryuho.
“Lina obviously wants to go with me!” Ryuho shouted, looking in her direction. “Right, Lina?”
Hisame stared at Angelina as well. “Yes, but I’ll be able to provide detailed explanations about the performance.”
“Let’s all go together!” Angelina cried. “I’m sure it’ll be fun!”
Ryuho and Hisame slumped their shoulders.
“You don’t get it at all!” Ryuho grumbled.
Hisame nodded. Both he and Ryuho wanted to hog Angelina to themselves during the festival. However, Angelina didn’t realize that at all.
“But anyways, I’ll need to ask Fodder for permission first,” she said.
Ryuho and Hisame exchanged glances. The cruel Emperor Feilong was an excessively doting father. He wouldn’t allow her to go out alone with a boy.
“…We might have to give up,” Hisame said.
Ryuho nodded. “Yeah, Feilong’s one nasty guy, after all…”
Both of them heaved a sigh. They only ever agreed with each other on those kinds of subjects.
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AS Feilong finished his work at the Celestial Axe Tower, Angelina came dashing over to him.
“Fodder!” she cried.
“What is it, Lina?” he asked.
“May I play around the palace during the night of the festival?”
Feilong’s brow creased sullenly. His schedule for the festival was packed from morning to evening with ceremonies commemorating the empire’s founding. Even his breakfast and lunch were part of those ceremonies. As the emperor and the Son of God, he would have to consume ritual meals. Having a pleasant dinner with his family was the sole thing he’d been looking forward to on that hectic day. Now, his daughter had asked to go out that evening.
“Why do you want to go out?” Feilong asked.
Angelina grew flustered upon noticing her father’s displeasure. “Well, um, I wanted to watch a traveling Yulan performer’s shadow puppet show. Hisame told me about it…”
“…I see.”
“Ryuho and Mishter Knight will go with me. Is that okay?”
When Angelina looked at him anxiously, Feilong closed his eyes. He looked up at the ceiling and let forth a deep sigh, pinching the space between his brows.
“Fodder…” Angelina mumbled.
“I’ll invite the performers here,” Feilong decided in a few short words.
“Huh?”
“Yes. Watching a shadow puppet show after dinner doesn’t sound like a bad idea.”
“Um, what?” Angelina asked, growing flustered again. Her main goal was to see the shadow puppet show, but she still wanted to walk around the lower city with Ryuho and Hisame. “I’ll go watch a show at the festival, so there’s no need to—”
Feilong interrupted her by firing off an order to a courtier. “Bring the most skilled shadow puppeteer to North Star Sanctuary on the night of the festival!”
The courtier dashed away to fulfill his order.
“How’s that, Lina?” Feilong asked, picking her up with an expression of deep satisfaction. “Are you happy?” When Angelina puffed out her cheeks, Feilong’s eyebrows knitted together. “You wanted to see a shadow puppet show, right?”
“I did, but…”
Angelina struggled to contain her frustration. Feilong had already ordered a courtier to find a traveling performer. The North Star Sanctuary’s courtiers were fast and proficient at their jobs. Arrangements were most likely being made already. Revoking the order now would cause trouble for a lot of people. When Angelina considered that, she couldn’t tell her father to stop. At the same time, disappointment welled up from the bottom of her heart. Something she’d been looking forward to for a long time had just been stolen from her. Thus, she vented her frustrations on her father.
“I don’t even want to know you right now, Fodder!” she shouted, slapping him on the arm. “Let me down!”
“What’s going on?” Feilong asked, his eyes wide with confusion.
He then set Angelina down. Usually, he did whatever she asked, as he didn’t want his daughter to hate him.
Angelina ran out of the room on toddling feet, not looking back at Feilong. Now alone, Feilong stared blankly into empty space, unable to understand what had just occurred.
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NIGHT had fallen over the Lavender Star Flower Festival. Paper lanterns had been hung around the palace, vaguely illuminating the area. Small, purple flowers serving as decorations for the entire city swayed in the autumn wind.
A festival to commemorate the empire’s founding was being held inside and outside the palace. Boisterous crowds had gathered in the open area before the Celestial Axe Tower, where stalls and stages had been built. Traveling performers from many countries had arrived for the festival, hoping to make a name for themselves in Jinlong.
Two such performers were having a conversation with each other now.
“Is it just me, or has it been easier to perform in the palace lately?”
“I’ve noticed that too. The palace never accepted traveling performers until Princess Angelina appeared.”
For most of his life, Feilong had spent every waking moment at war, never showing an interest in cultural activities. Recently, however, he’d begun to display a certain understanding of the arts. By all accounts, he was desperate to please his beloved daughter.
“We’re never going to get a better opportunity than this,” one of the performers said. “I’m going to make a name for myself here!”
If entertainers gained popularity in the palace, they could become resident performers there. Then, if they caught the eye of royalty, performing in front of the emperor could become a very real possibility. Rumors were already circulating among the entertainers about Yulan traveling performers being summoned to the palace for the festival.
“Princess Angelina is apparently good friends with the Kalavinka,” one of the performers said. “Your gravelly voice probably won’t impress her.”
The other performer shrugged. “Yeah, but who’s a match compared to the current Kalavinka?”
Both men shared a laugh while walking together. The fragrant scent of meat, the popping of cooking sorghum, and festival music filled the air. Children allowed to enjoy an evening out dashed to and fro. Boisterous sounds of the festival and the scent of tea olives drifted towards the North Star Sanctuary.
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AFTER finishing the commemorative rituals, Feilong used his short breather to decorate Phaenna’s portrait with a branch of aster flowers. In the language of flowers, asters meant remembrance.
The Lavender Star Flower Festival was a ceremonial way to remember the founders of Jinlong and extol their achievements. Though Feilong performed the rituals as an official duty, his heart wasn’t in them. Respectively, his father and grandfather were called the foolish emperor and wise emperor. He had neither respect nor gratitude for either of them.
You are the only one I can dedicate these flowers to, Phaenna, Feilong thought.
He bowed to the flowers and then turned around to have dinner with the children she’d left behind.