When Aelin had told his maids of the proposal, the maids couldn't help but comply to the boy's wishes. After all, the young master barely asked for anything, he was always the one giving, as if he was reluctant to embrace the selfish nature of humans. Seeing the young master finally start to ask for more personal things made the maids rejoice at the request, although it was unexpected and certainly sounded a bit fishy. But after doing a thorough check with the dancing troupe, they had agreed that it would be alright for the young master to pursue this interest of his.
When Aelin had confirmed with the dancer, he was informed that they would have him stay at the place they were teaching him, for as long as they taught him. Upon receiving the news, he was given a small card with an address jotted down onto it in black ink. The next day when he arrived at the location, he was once again greeted by the dancer who had approached him, and learned that her name was Leila. There were a few other students at the residence, but the place was mainly a living area for the performers, so that they could rehearse together as well as keep track of their costumes better.
Throughout the span of 2 years, Aelin had already learned a lot, from his first performance experience, to getting the ropes of improvisation. The costumer and seamstress, Ms. Iris, had taken quite a liking to the young boy, his caring nature helping her out when she was too busy or sick, such as helping her distribute costumes or help fit costumes onto dancers, sometimes even helping her get fabric at the market. And speaking of clothing, of course living in a different province with cultural differences would make some changes, and that was heavily implemented in Aelin's dressing style. He now wore clothes that were more loose fitting and casual, usually with more sheer fabrics as well, and instead of gold laced boots and ornamental dress shoes, he now donned comfortable sandals without extra garments like stockings or socks.
Aelin now sat on a small bench, resting from practice. Although Siodonnan dancing was quite intriguing and enjoyable, the young boy had also learned different variations of the dance style, such as ones that were more heavily influenced by Obelian and Arlantan dance styles, such as ballroom and ballet. Depending on how you want to perform, the clothing could be influenced by the dance styles as well; Aelin had learned this in a not so pleasant 2 hours of being a stand in mannequin for Ms. Iris. Siodonna also seemed to have a more freeform society, as gender roles seemed to not be as heavily implemented, but of course there were its own problems that came with it, though it was much better than the judging noble society of high class provinces and empires such as the Obelian Empire and Arlanta.
Everything about this country seemed so fascinating, but Aelin knew he could only stay a few more years before his eventual departure back to the Obelian Empire. It was a requirement for him to attend the debutante ball of the crown princess, and he knew that Roger Alpheus would make him attend anyway since Jennette would also be 'debuting'. Shaking himself from his thoughts, Aelin stood up and went back to practicing, they were going to have a performance soon, but this performance in particular was special; it was going to be for the Rite of Spirit, an annual celebration held throughout the entirety of Siodonna, lasting 3 days and 3 nights. This means lanterns will be crafted and lit, flower petals showered from windows and scattered on the floor for blessings, streets will be crowded with people both of Siodonnan nationality and not, and most importantly, there would be a lot more public entertainments and attractions, one of them being the dance performance.
4 months quickly flew by, and Aelin was now preparing himself for the performance. It was his first time performing during the Rite of Spirit, since previously he was refrained from performing during the festival due to his lack of knowledge and preparation for both dance and the country, compared to the rest of the performers. They would dance around for fun out on the streets to entertain foreigners and children, but they had two main performances to focus on. The first on the last day, and the second on the last night. Aelin's stage outfit consisted of dark peacock-green loose pants that gathered at the ankles, made of thin, sheer fabric, and on top of it was a beautiful, long, emerald green skirt-like garment with waist high slits on both sides for mobility, as well as add fluidity during dance, so that whenever there was more vigorous movement, the fabric of the skirt-like piece would flow around and trail the dancer, giving it an air of mystique and gracefulness. Next would be a coin belt around the waist, to add that golden flare, as well as to give that magical shimmying sound of the coins that accompanied movement. Most of the male dancers chose not to wear tops, but Aelin, as a child who had grown up with the customs of stuffy and fancy clothes due to nobility, was too bashful to be bare chested in public, even if it was dancing, so he requested to have a top. The top sported the same dark green of the pants and stopping right above his stomach, with additional golden accents and coins adorning it. The sleeves were slightly puffy, loose and droopy, gathering at the wrists, and made of thin, sheer, see through fabric in the same emerald green of the skirt. And of course, final touches were additional golden anklets, and a face veil for modesty and to guide the audience so they know that the performance is not about the face, but the dance.
Aelin felt the adrenaline pumping in his veins, although he sported his usual stoic, expressionless face. It was still nights away from the big performances; the festival had just begun. Still, he needed a way to expend all the built up energy, so he headed out to entertain the festival visitors. After all, it was time to show everyone his 2, nearly 3 years of hard work.
◈❈◈
The professors of the prestigious Academy of Arlanta had prepared the students for a excursion to Siodonna, for cultural experience, as well to give them an assignment to take note of their discoveries in a different province. The students were to especially analyse the Rite of Spirits, and annual festival held in Siodonna, as a way to help them gain more cultural and political knowledge about the province.
Ijekiel looked out the window of his room in the reserved building the Academy had gotten for the students. The streets were crowded and bustling with life, shouts and music could be heard from left, right and center. Ijekiel stood up and left the room, deciding he should get a head start on the assignment, or at least try to enjoy the festival if he couldn't focus on taking notes. He strolled the streets, looking at fruits and delicacies, watching craftsmen help prepare decorations, and taking notes every now and then. As he turned a corner to a more playful area of the street, he could hear music softly playing in the distance. Accompanying the music was a mystical shimmering sounds akin to one lightly shaking a tambourine, and it drew the boy in. He saw a few children run towards the sound, and followed them to another street, one that was filled with entertainment and attractions, unlike the previous street which was more of a street market with it's abundant amount of vendors. As he walked closer to the source of the sound, he noticed it was coming from an area that had garnered quite an audience. Ijekiel entered the crowd and slowly made it to the front to get a better view, only to be met by shock and awe. His golden eyes widened as he watched the performer, a dancer, move in graceful motions, capturing his full attention. The dancer had seemed so familiar, but he couldn't put a finger on it. Delicate pale skin, golden blonde hair, it was so incredibly familiar, yet the veil was hiding the face.
But as closed eyes fluttered open, Ijikiel finally received the answer he was looking for. Emerald jeweled eyes that clashed yet complimented the blonde hair magnificently, a unique trait that the boy had only ever seen once before in his life.
Aelin.
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HELLO!!!! I DID IT!! I UPDATED KINDA QUICKLY TWO TIMES IN A ROW!!!
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
If the chapter seems a bit like I'm rushing the story too much, it's because I'm trying to get all my ideas out right now, and if I don't push it a little, this story would drag out for a LONG time(also my thoughts were all over the place for this chapter lmao)
but man, i feel ACCOMPLISHED
Anyways, next chapter in works, inspiration decided to hit me like a truck to here i am, thank you all for sticking with me, your comments are always a joy to read
(like actually yall are so funny wtf lmao)
ANYWAYS MAKE SURE TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELVES, STAY SAFE, AND HYDRATE!
YALL ARE ABSOLUTELY M A G N I F I C E N T, IF ANYONE TELLS U OTHERWISE I WILL PUNCH THEM, THESE FISTS ARE RATED E FOR EVERYONE
LOVE YALL, AND I'LL UPDATE SOON!!!
KIWII, OUT!
-🥝❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥
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Warmth (WMMAP fanfic)
FanfictionHe was in Lovely Princess. This "Lady Judith" was in fact Penelope Judith, ex-fiance of the Emperor. And the other baby next to him must be Jennette. He heard people rush into the room. He was too tired to check who they were, but he could hear the...
