new year
That was Bertram. Mi stiffly turned around again and hugged the wall as she joined the group of girls. An angry girl who had caught up with her grabbed a black-haired girl and glared at her fiercely, saying, "Don't even think about standing in the front row tomorrow. Only I can stand in the spot behind Prince Ryan."
The girls stopped in their tracks. Some frowned at the girl who had come later, while others looked at Petrus with mockery. The black-haired girl curtsied and said, "Haina, this is not something I can decide."
The angry young woman was about to speak when the door to the next room opened, and a court lady in uniform came out and said, "Ladies, please come in and try on your dresses."
The girls quieted down and entered the hall one by one. It was a huge fitting room, with several tailors waiting nearby, needles and thread in hand. A row of red velvet dresses hung on racks against the wall, each labeled with a different number: 13, 16, 17, 26, 40, and so on. The girls quickly took their dresses and went into the fitting room. Soon, a group of young women in red evening gowns stood in the center of the hall. Haina was very dissatisfied with the uniform styles of the dresses; she kept pointing out to the tailors to make her waist smaller and to add pleats below the bust to better accentuate her curves. The girls quickly left after trying on their dresses. Mi saw Haina stop, looking at Petrus's dress while holding the number 17. The tailor finally altered Haina's dress according to her requests. Haina tugged hard at the number 17, and a lady-in-waiting came and took the dress from her hands.
Hena glared angrily at the lady-in-waiting and left the hall. Mi followed behind her. The corridor was empty of the girls. Hena rolled her eyes and opened the door to another room, quietly slipping inside. Mi followed Hena into the room. In the center of the room hung a white cloak on a clothes rack. Hena reached out and stroked the soft texture of the cloak. Beside the cloak, on a feather cushion, sat a crown studded with pearls. Hena, as if possessed, reached out and picked up the crown.
"What?" A girl in a red dress walked out from behind Mi, passed through Mi again, and stood in front of Haina: "You want to wear this crown?"
“Princess Denise!” Hena quickly put down her crown and bowed. She stood up aggrievedly and said to Princess Denise, “Your Highness, I heard that Beatrice will be standing in the front row tomorrow.”
"You want to stand in the front row?" Princess Denise reached out and stroked the white cloak, gesturing with her eyes to the crown. "These pearls alone are not enough."
Haina raised her head, her eyes filled with determination, and took out a box, opening it in front of Princess Denise: "As long as the princess lets me stand in the front row, behind Prince Ryan."
Denise's eyes lit up when she looked at the box. She reached inside and took out a sapphire necklace. The sapphires were pure and transparent, and the heart-shaped sapphires, each the size of two fingernails, shone with a mesmerizing light. She tried on the sapphire necklace in front of the mirror. The red dress and the blue gemstone complemented each other beautifully. Hina placed the pearl crown on Princess Denise's head, and Princess Denise nodded in satisfaction, saying, "Don't worry."
Hena surrounded Princess Denise, praising her beauty and nobility. The two then passed through Mi again and left the room. Mi reached out to examine her body. What was going on tonight? Her reactions were much slower than usual. People kept passing through her witch body. Mi couldn't find anything different about her witch body, but a heavy pulling sensation was tugging at her. She immediately decided to leave Derek's Palace.
* * *
The royal procession of the Flower Kingdom began on January 1st, 502nd year. The roads, swept clean from dawn till dusk, were maintained throughout the night, and red carpets covered the entire Derek Palace and the Royal Roundabout. Fried had secured a prime spot early in the morning, at the point where Derek Avenue turns towards the Royal Roundabout in front of the Derek Palace. From here, he could see the King and Queen riding white horses out of the palace gates, and also witness them turning towards the Royal Roundabout to receive the cheers of the people. This was the slowest point of the procession, but also the place with the loudest cheers and the clearest view.
On New Year's Day, Sheila dragged Mimi through the crowded streets to Derek Avenue early in the morning. The crowd had already filled the sidewalk, and people were glaring at Sheila and Mimi. Soon, Fried and a friend stepped back from the front, and Sheila and Mimi stood at the front of the crowd. Only then did Mimi notice a group of little boys like Fried standing at the front of the sidewalk. They would soon leave the crowd, and one latecomer after another would take their place.
All the carriages that had been leading up Derek Avenue were gone, replaced by a vibrant red carpet. The palace gates were wide open, and two tall white horses adorned with dahlia wreaths waited before the Niss Tower. Behind them was an open carriage drawn by two black horses—the carriage of Prince Ryan and Princess Denise. They would stand inside the carriage the entire time, receiving the cheers of their subjects and returning the greetings to the people. Following that was an even larger carriage, carrying seven or eight young women in red gowns—the daughters of the neighboring city lords.
Princess Denise, wearing a pearl crown, stood beside the carriage and said to the people inside, "Petress, you stand at the back." Princess Denise turned to Hena, who was following behind her, and said, "Now you can get on."
The palace steward immediately reported the incident, and Prince Ryan stood up and walked out, saying, "How can this be? Lord Zara has just died for his country; that was an honor that Bertram deserved."
King Derek pulled him aside: "That was arranged by your little sister, Ryan." The king looked at the queen, "Perhaps the queen can compensate her in another way."
Queen Angnes nodded and said to Ryan, "It's time to depart."
Princess Denise was already on the carriage, a white cloak draped over her red gown. The cloak forwent traditional pearl clasps, and a sapphire necklace adorned her neck. A pearl crown completed her regal appearance. Prince Ryan wore a traditional red suit, with three gold ribbons adorning his chest, each ribbon topped with one of three medals: the Order of the Dahlia, the Order of the Crown symbolizing the Derek royal family, and the Adventurers' Guild Medal.
The prince and princess stood in their carriage, the queen mounted her horse, and finally King Derek arrived. The king and queen's white horses slowly emerged from Derek's palace, to a tremendous roar of cheers from the crowd.
King Derek, riding a white horse, dressed in a black royal robe with a sword at his waist and a golden crown, looked solemn and dignified. On his chest were three medals: the Dahlia Medal, the Adventurers' Guild Medal, and the Flower Kingdom Medal representing the forty-three city-states surrounding Sun City. Wearing red deerskin gloves, the king raised his hand and slowly gestured to the people, who erupted in even louder cheers.
Queen Agnes, dressed in a white gown and draped in a pure white mink cloak, wearing a silver crown, looked radiant and beautiful. She rode a white horse behind King Derek. Cheers of "Your Majesty the King!" and "Your Majesty the Queen!" echoed from the crowd. The road was a sea of dahlias as the onlookers waved bouquets of flowers. Mi, seemingly out of nowhere, had a handful of dahlias slipped into her hand; she waved them along with the crowd, her heart pounding with excitement.
Prince Ryan and Princess Denise stood obediently in the carriage like dolls. Ryan, also wearing red deerskin gloves, waved to the crowd in response to their cheers, while Princess Denise proudly held her head high, displaying her magnificent jewels.
Two carriages followed closely behind. In front were the daughters of the city lord of Lincheng, a group of girls in red smiling and nodding to the crowd. Haina stood at the very front, her red dress adorned with a triple-strand pearl necklace that circled her neck to her chest; she was the only girl in the carriage wearing jewelry. Mi saw the dark-haired Bertram; her eyes were slightly red, and her lips were tightly pressed together, forcing a stiff smile. The carriages quickly passed Mi, followed by the carriages of the city lord's sons, then the carriages of the ministers and nobles of Sun City, and finally, the carriage bearing the banner of the Adventurers' Guild. All the carriages left the palace, with knights on horseback escorting them along Derek Road. The royal procession, with its clattering and clanging, set off from Derek Avenue, circling the royal ring road. The people of Sun City excitedly waved flowers and hats, cheering continuously. Mi was immersed in this sea of joy; she shut down all her emotional receptors, like a lonely traveler. This joy has nothing to do with rice or the border fortress. Oh no, it does. The border fortress, the fortress, and the neighboring city—these layers of borderlands ensure that this ocean of joy is protected.
That evening, King Derek and his family appeared at the Derek Theatre. Fried got Mi a ticket, and Mi was only allowed in after the King and the nobles had all gone inside. The enormous Derek Theatre was taller than three stories, but had only two floors inside. The upper floor was for the nobles' private boxes, directly facing the stage, where King Derek and his family sat. Surrounding the stage were also small rooms for the nobles, each with a doorway facing the stage. The first floor had rows of seats. Mi's seat was good; it was below the King's box and even further forward, offering a better view than the King and his family.
The first performer was Miss Beth, the Royal First Soprano. Her aria, full of twists and turns, was melodious and captivating, showcasing her coloratura soprano voice to its fullest. However, being in the same room as the nobility, the people of Suncity suddenly became elegant and polite. After the song ended, the room fell silent, and Midu couldn't help but feel embarrassed for Beth on stage. Fortunately, King Derek quickly smiled, nodded, and applauded. This seemed like a signal; the entire theater joined in, and thunderous applause filled the theater. Beth bowed and left the stage, and the next performer took the stage, the theater still erupting in applause. This applause began at an inopportune time, and ended at an inopportune time as well.
After the royal performers finished their performances, King Derek took the stage to deliver his New Year's address: "To my loyal people: As the first rays of dawn pierce the sky and laughter echoes throughout the Land of Flowers, in the name of the Royal Family, I offer my sincerest blessings to every hardworking citizen of this land. May the starlight at this moment not only illuminate your hearts but also ignite your hopes for the future. In the past year, we have witnessed the bravery of our border guards, who have brought peace and stability to the Land of Flowers with their lives; in the coming year, we will select the most beautiful voices and figures in Sun City, who will surely bring even greater joy and enjoyment to Sun City. I wish you: May your kitchens always be filled with the aroma of bread, may your arms embrace your loved ones, may your children be healthy, and may Sun City always be filled with laughter and peace. Happy New Year, my people."
The crowd below cheered: "Happy New Year, Your Majesty the King, Saint Ann, Your Majesty the King; Happy New Year, Your Majesty the Queen, Saint Ann, Your Majesty the Queen; Happy New Year, Your Highness Prince Ryan; Happy New Year, Your Highness Princess Denise."
As the curtain fell on stage, the royal family had already left through the private passage, and the nobles followed suit, but the casual patrons on the ground floor were reluctant to leave. Every year, some people would slip past the guards and find a corner in the Derek Theatre to sleep all night, which would become their bragging rights for the entire year.
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