Chapter Twelve: A Public Face

The summer festival of Korvethis was one of Rylla’s least favorite festivals. For one, everyone fussed more than they normally would. She and all her siblings were put onto a balcony, just two or three stories taller than their subjects on the cobblestone. All morning servants picked and pulled at her and her dress. Her normal dark dresses were discarded and a vibrant blue was put on her. All her siblings wore bright colors, all looked uncomfortable, even Elora, though she always looked uncomfortable these days. 

The summer festival was the first day the outdoor market was open for the summer. Most of the year the cobblestone roads were clear for walking, or horse riding or the wagon pulling, but during the summer the entire middle of the city was turned into a colorful marketplace where anything and everything was sold. Merchants from all over Korvethis came to the city to sell their wares. And every year the royal family would stand above it all and commence the beginning of the summer market. 

Rylla would need to stand right in between Elora and Cedoric and look out on the crowd and…hope she didn’t have any crust in her nose. She would need to smile, but all she wanted to do was leave. She watched as the servants ran around her and her siblings, making sure they were pristine. As Rylla got her hair pulled for the hundredth time she looked to see how her other siblings were taking it. Walric was excited, not even able to keep still at the other end of the time. Wrena looked as composed as she ever did. Orther had one of the servants hands sandwiched between both of his eyes intent on hers as she blushed and lingered around him. Her two neighbors weren’t much better. Elora had her hands clasped in front of her, looking to the ground. Since her disappearance at the dinner table she always had a guard with her, like he would be able to keep her from disappearing out of thin air. Cedoric was bending back to a tray left on a table that had leftovers from a hurried lunch. He bent backward a little too far, but grabbed the carrots that were left and then started eating them one by one. 

As the music grew louder behind the thick curtain and everyone took their places, a sickening feeling settled in Rylla’s stomach. She hated being looked at so publicly. For the most part being the youngest daughter meant she rarely had to show off for anyone, but there were some that she just couldn’t escape. 

Her mother and father stood in front of them, waiting for the curtain to fall. They held hands, sort of. It was more her father holding onto a walking staff and her mother placing her hand on top of his.

The city’s pulse stopped. It was a practiced, efficient silence, honed by years of anticipation. When the High King and Queen emerged, they were masked by their own composure. A public face as smooth and unyielding as the palace walls. They walked the length of the dais with measured, identical strides. They didn't speak a word; they didn't have to. The city saw what it had been taught to see: an unshakeable monarchy. But Rylla, watching from the shadows, noticed the way the Queen’s eyes flicked to the rooftops, and the way the King’s grip on his staff whitened his knuckles. They weren't welcoming the city; they were assessing a battlefield.

Then, after the booming voice said something else that Rylla could not understand, the nine heirs stepped out behind the curtains. Unlike the silent wonder that their parents got when they came out, their welcome was loud and overwhelming. Green and gray banners flew everywhere with the serpent. There was music playing with multiple instruments, and the cheering. 

Rylla could not believe how many people stood in front of her, all looking at her. Some hands were waving, some people looked mad, a lot of people had a white handkerchief around their wrist, too many for it to be a coincidence. She couldn’t focus on one person, couldn’t hone in on one conversation. All it was was just noise…chaos and noise. 

Her father and mother shouted something over the balcony that she couldn’t interpret but somehow the crowd did. The crowds began to turn and disperse into the city center and enjoy the festival. Large chairs were brought out, first for the High King and Queen right at the front, and then behind them nine chairs were being placed out when Queen Lioraen held out her hand. Everyone froze. 

“My dear children, it is customary for the royal children to involve themselves in the festivities of the summer festival.” Lioraen informed them. 

“I do believe the scrolls say they have the option.” Nokon stated. “Not the requirement.” 

“Nonsense, Nokon. You will earn your place sitting being your father and I. First, you will go out and enjoy.”Lioraen had said her peace and even Nokon knew there was no swaying her. 

“Of course, your majesty, we will enjoy our time out with the people of Korvethis.” Walric said with a small grin and bow. Lioraen nodded in approval. “Come siblings, time to make an impression.” 

Rylla watched Walric leave the dias to the right and merge himself in with the common people. One of the knights on standby followed a few feet away. As he greeted those around him, she could hear the thunderous applause he got from the crowd. Little children shouted his name, young men looked awestruck and cheered as he got close. Even the soldiers he got close to grinned with a bow. 

If Walric had any nerves about being out with the commoners, it didn’t show. He naturally fit in as their prince, their future king. He waved to people, he laughed with people. He shook hands and looked people in the eye when speaking. Rylla began to realize that this is where her eldest brother thrives. He looked as comfortable in the crowd as Ash looked in a stable. 

But as Walric walked father away from the dias, Rylla could also see something else. Not everyone was cheering. There were faces in the crowd that remained hard. A few people rolled their eyes and looked away. She even heard one man shout at Walric about taxes, but Walric never heard him. 

Surprisingly the second of her siblings to leave the dais was Elora. Her handmaiden Lyris was with her, holding her hand as she stepped down the stairs and then found her place beside her. Elora mingling in the commoner crowd was much different than Walric. No one really talked to or made themselves the center of Elora’s attention. They stared as she walked by, they whispered and watched. One woman crossed herself in the Veilbound gesture. A child pointed to her and his mother swatted his finger away. An older man bowed as she crossed his path. Everyone was so hesitant around her, like nobody really knew what to do with her. 

They were all very fascinated, not because she was a royal princess, but because she was Elora, the girl who went to the unknown kingdom of Veeque and came back from that. As well as the siblings kept their word to not talk about what had happened with their last dinner together, there were plenty of other people there, and the rumors were seething. Rylla realized very quickly that the commonfolk cared more about Elora’s story than her title. 

The rest of the siblings made their way out to the festival and each got their own distinct way of being greeted by their people. When Rylla went out she stopped and waited for Cedoric. Perhaps she was being paranoid, but the thought of being out in a large crowd all by herself didn’t feel like the best move. So they walked together, stopped at merchant tables and commented on what people sold. Most would offer something of theirs for free. Rylla was unsure of what to do in that situation, but her younger brother already had a plan. With each vendor they went to, he handed them a five gold coins, said something very lovely about their items and wish them all the luck in the world. Nothing was taken, only given. Rylla knew she had to keep this idea in the back of her mind. 

“Ced!” An old man yelled. Rylla turned quickly to see a man, so old she didn’t understand how he could walk so fast. As he got closer she could see the muscles that make up his weak frame. By what he wore and his figure she realized he was someone who worked hard labor all his life. Perhaps in a field. 

When Cedoric saw him, his face changed to quiet and compassionate to down right giddy. “Tolman! My dead old friend!” Ced shouted back and gave the old man a hug. “I am so pleased to see you.” 

“How’s Ash doing?” Tolman asked him. 

“She’s doing just great. She loves her morning and evening rides, and she still does that silly little thing where she needs to run around in a large circle when she's led out to pasture before she can calm down!” 

Rylla saw a lot of these interactions with Cedoric in the market. They would make it a few feet and then someone else would know her brother, and he would know them. He would answer as a friend, not as a royal. He answered naturally, no performance, no royal act, just a conversation. One woman reached out and squeezed Cedoric’s arm as if he belonged to her family. Everyone who called to him did not call him Cedoric, but something shorter, more personable, “Ced”. People smiled and talked to her brother like they did with Walric, but in a different way. There was no admiration in these smiles, there was only affection. 

Something suddenly smashed onto the cobblestone and the crowd hushed itself. At first, Rylla thought it was an accident, with all these bodies around, it would be fairly easy to bump something off a table, but the hushed crowd warned her of something different. Heads turned towards the dais her mother and father were on. Instead of sitting in their seats, they now stood, both of them, with guards around them. 

“Maybe next year the crown can celebrate with cheaper grain!” A man shouted, fairly close to her parents. The crowd stayed quiet, the only sound she could hear was the jangle of the armor when the guards moved on top of him. Rylla expected someone to object, but nobody did. No one agreed either, they all just simply watched.As quickly as the man made his voice known, he was taken away. High King Malrik motioned to the band to begin playing, he didn’t sit again, only did the gesture his personal soldiers and family knew with his two middle fingers, a gesture that it was time to leave. 

Almost as quickly as Rylla read the message the two guards that were with Rylla and Cedoric quickly escorted them back to the dais. Rylla watched as all her siblings were being escorted out, but as they quickly passed so many people, she realized that there were more people there with the white handkerchief, wrapped around their wrist. 

As she got up to the dias and ushered behind the thick curtain and then into the cart that took her back up to the castle. As she rode back she replayed the scene in her head. The man looked so angry in the middle of the crowd. She wondered where the guards took him, was he heading to a cell? Did he have family that would miss him tonight? And the single burning question she had; why didn’t any other commoner speak against the man when he made those remarks to his royalty? 

Once the day was finished, their dinner finished and the castle quieted down as much as it ever did, Rylla found herself in her mother’s room once again. 

“What did you notice?’ Lioraen asked as she gestured her daughter over to the seat opposite her by the fireplace. 

“We were each treated differently.” Rylla spoke to her

“How so?” 

“When we went out into the crowd. Wrena had respect, Walric had cheers, Other had excitement and Nokon had intimidation. Leonah everyone was curious about like they wanted to get to know her. Elora had fascination, but in a magical way almost, like people were afraid to look at her too long. Elmara was greatly overlooked compared to the others and Cedoric…he had a surprisingly large amount of warmth with the common people.” 

“And what did you notice about you?” Lioraen asked. 

“I was great ignored.” Rylla said flatly. 

Lioraen gave a slight smile and went back to looking at the pile of documents in front of her on the sitting table. “Did you enjoy yourself?” 

Rylla shrugged. “It was interesting.” 

“What was?” 

“The people.” 

“What do you mean by that?” Lioraen looked back at her daughter. 

“Everyone thinks they were watching us today.” Rylla could feel the nervous pain in her belly. “But mostly, they were watching each other.” 

Lioraen sat up looking thoughtful. “And what did you see?” 

Rylla took a big breath before she listed off what she knew. She explained the white handkerchiefs, the merchants when they got coins from Cedoric. The quiet after the man said his peace. All of it.

Lioraen sat and thought with all the information quietly for a moment before she went back to looking at her daughter. “You impressed me today.” 

“I did?” Rylla asked, a little more positive than she was before. 

“Now, go put that impressive mind to rest, my dear. Tomorrow is a brand new day.” Lioraen ordered. 

Rylla got up, bowed and walked to the door. She said goodnight to her mother, but Lioraen remained silent. Most rulers watched kingdoms, most spies watched people, but Rylla, somehow, was already learning to do both.