~.✧ Austora ✧.~ [COMPLETE]

~.✧ fourteen ✧.~

The next couple weeks went by in a blur and preparations for the Descendants Festival emerged all around the castle and city. Besides New Years, Descendants Week was the biggest holiday in Austora and every man, woman, and child was abuzz with excitement.

I had mixed feelings about it. For one, I was excited for all the flowers, food, and even the dancing. Ezalie had accepted Braz's offer—unsurprisingly—and I'd never seen Braz glow so much, which added to my excitement. But when the elated rattle around the holiday calmed and everyone went to sleep at night, my mind swirled with fear and grief. I dreaded being Ibrin's bryik because there was someone I wanted to spend the holiday with much more. But this discomfort was dwarfed by the amount of anguish that plagued my heart when I thought of celebrating without my sister. While she never particularly loved the excessive celebrations, she always did them with me and enjoyed spending the time with her family. And I enjoyed the time with her too. But she wasn't here and I found that maybe I hadn't appreciated it enough while she was.

I chastised myself for acting like she was dead. I couldn't give up hope yet. I had to believe that there would be many more years of celebration with her. Because we were going to find her.

As for now, I just needed to smile for my people and do what the festival was designed to do; make people happy and celebrate our kingdom and those who have gone before us. Though I let this happy mask slip around Larklind, who was a much bigger comfort to me than he knew.

The parade around the city was always in the morning. This part of the festival was done without our bryiks, which was a relief to me. But in the evening, when the meal and the ball were to be held, was when you were to celebrate with your date. I sat in my room, Gentry helping me get ready, with nerves and anxiety shaking my body.

"Saidy," Gentry was finally brave enough to venture. Over the past couple weeks, she finally seemed to get used to calling me by my nickname as I'd told her to. "Is everything alright?"

I swallowed and nodded. But then Larklind's words about not doing life alone flooded my mind and I shook my head instead. "I'm just nervous."

"About what?"

Before I could respond, someone knocked on my door. I let out a breath and called, "Enter."

A servant stepped in, saying, "Presenting Lady Ezalie Corzavan of the Corzavan Estate."

Ezalie stepped in behind him, looking radiant in a navy blue dress that flowed down her legs. Sapphire jewelry complimented her outfit and her hair was done up in an elaborate design. She even wore a dusting of powder around her eyes and pink paint on her lips.

When the servant left, I stood, giving her a small smile. "You look stunning, Ezalie."

She looked down at her dress, fanning out the skirt. "You think? Do you think Braz will like it?"

"He'll swoon."

Ezalie's smile only grew bigger and then a happy little squeal came out, almost involuntarily. "I still can't believe he asked me!"