Full Moon of the Midnight Sun

”Spring passes and one remembers ones innocence. ”

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”Princess! Princess! ”

The princess pulled the covers over head while groaning. Another ridiculously early morning for only the gods knew what reason. When could she get a chance to sleep in?

”My Lady, the Empress Consorts steward will come to check on us if we
e late, ” insisted a young womans voice. With her eyes closed, the princess rolled to the other side of the bed and sat up. She sleepily opened one eye, but it was still too bright.

The two maids helped her stand up and started taking off her pyjamas and bonnet on her head. All this while she was half asleep with her eyes closed. They left her in her undergarments and put a bathrobe on her before pushing her towards the bathing room where there was an essential oil bath already prepared.

She sleepily rubbed her eyes as she swung her legs into the steaming bath. It wasn until she splashed water onto her face that she attempted fully opening her eyes. Her black hair was twisted close to her scalp for sleeping purposes, so she ran her hands through it with just a bit of water. They would style it after her bath.

At least she could keep the hairstyles for a week even though they insisted she sometimes have a different hairstyle for each occasion. So much fuss over a hairstyle when there was so much more to worry about in life as she lay back and soaked in the bath.

”Princess Kamaria… ” said one of the girls in an exasperated tone and Kamaria turned her head and smiled.

”Yes, dearest Lily. ”

”My Lady, we can be in the bath for more than fifteen minutes today, we
e already late. Rose is choosing an outfit in the meantime. ”

Kamaria rolled her eyes and returned to soaking to which Lily shook her head. The eye roll was considered completely unladylike, but Kamaria couldn be bothered when it was just her close attendants.

After a completely refreshing hot bath, she stood in front of the mirror in her bathrobe and under garments as Rose and Lily bustled around the room. Rose was now trying to choose jewellery to go with the dress while Lily was picking out hairpins and thinking about what type of braid style to do.

Kamaria only smiled as she poured a bit of oil on her hand and massaged it onto her skin starting at her arms. Usually there were people to do this too for the other princesses, but she liked being able to do some things herself. Admittedly, she also didn have as many attendants as the others. She sat down and worked the oil down to her legs when she looked at the scar running from her knee to halfway down her shin.

For some reason, it looked better than usual but maybe that was due to her good mood. It also didn hurt as it the last few days meaning it was unlikely to rain. That was great considering the festival was supposed to take place in a few days. After Rose helped her into the dress, she sat down at the vanity while Lily braided her hair.

”Do you think Lord Urien will be able to take your Highness out for the festival? ” whispered Rose.

”Whether I was going with him or not, Id still go, ” replied Kamaria.

”But the Princess would prefer to go with him, ” said Rose with a giggle and then they both giggled while Lily could only smile at them being silly little girls as if she was any older.

”We sure have our work cut out for us, ” commented Lily as she put in a hairpin to secure the braid. Then she chose two more pretty ones to finish off the look. Rose finished with the makeup as well and Kamaria nodded with approval. The makeup was pretty and simple, a favourite look of hers in order to not get noticed.

Surprisingly, they still had half an hour left to get ready but with a last spray of fragrance, they chose to go out early. In the passages, they passed by a few maids carrying sheets and cleaning implements who stopped to greet them or specifically Kamaria. At least in these quarters they still acknowledged her but in all honestly if there was less attention on her, the more she could do the things that she wanted to do.

As they turned a corner into the corridor that led to the doors of the dining hall, Kamaria paused and took a deep breath in. The play was beginning. As she approached, the guards opened the doors but just as she was about to walk into the hall, a voice made her pause.

”The little princess is here quite early, ” said the voice. She didn dare to turn and look up. Instead, she stood aside and kept her head bowed as another young lady approached.

”Good morning, Princess Velia, ” she said in a soft gentle voice with her head still bowed. Lily and Rose curtseyed simultaneously. Velia smiled, happy to see the little display, it always amused her. All these years and she never got tired of this timid little greeting. Her servant had a little smirk at the scene.

”At least little Princess knows her place, ” commented Velia as she walked past, entering before Kamaria and company. Princess Velia was just a bit older, so she liked having a little go at her sister sometimes. Kamaria meekly followed the other princess into the hall where some of their other siblings were already waiting. She sat down while Lily and Rose stood further behind her where the other servants were standing.

It wasn long before one of the stewards walked in then stood at the door and bowed. They all stood up because they knew the empress and company was approaching. The empress walked in, and she looked around the table to find that everyone was there before walking to her seat. Behind her was the empress consort who looked as gentle as always with a silk handkerchief in her hands. She glanced at the table and saw Kamaria to which she smiled just a bit.

The rest of the party were the two Royal wives, Grand Lady Alva and Grand Lady Fara. For an emperor, their father was involved with very few women in his palace. There was enough activity in the palace with just them.

If there were any more, the family stress would have killed him before anything else. The four women stood at the table waiting for the emperor to step into the hall. His head steward arrived first announcing his presence. Even with just the family, they kept these little formalities.

Although he had authority of the entire empire which consisted of seven kingdoms, the emperor was an uncomplicated person which was not always a good thing, but it worked out for the most part in terms of running the kingdom. He barely looked around the table before taking a seat. After blessing the food, the maids and butlers started serving the family.

There was some chatter at the table as everyone started digging in, but Kamaria never spoke to any of her siblings and just focused on the food instead. It was not as if they tried speaking to her either. She was a picture of a princess, slowly eating in small bites with her eyes downcast and a neutral but gentle expression on her face.

Somehow this annoyed the empress, but she couldn fault the girl just because she was such a timid thing. Something small and feathery suddenly flew across the table and landed next to Kamaria but she didn jump up in fright.

”Prince Khayri! ” warned Lady Fara but the young man merely shrugged with a smile on his face.

Kamaria took the small carved toy and smiled before putting it away and continuing with her meal. Her brother would occasionally make these small gifts when he was in a creative mood. Khayri was really one of the only people who minded her. Maybe it was because they were only two months apart.

”Princess Kamaria, ” suddenly said an unexpected voice. Everyone paused mid-sentence as it was unusual for the emperor to speak when they had the family breakfast with all the wives.

”Yes, your Majesty. ”

”Come and sit next to the Empress Consort, I want to discuss something with you. ”

Velia made a face as Kamaria shifted her seat. The younger girl just maddened her without even saying anything. Kamaria on the other hand wasn sure where this was going but it was such an unnecessary spotlight on her. After she had settled down next to the empress consort, her father cleared his throat.

”I understand that you didn want a banquet for your eighteenth birthday but what gift would you like? ”

Kamaria suddenly blanked.

Everyone could traditionally ask for something out of the ordinary for their eighteenth birthday. The gift was usually presented to them at their birthday celebration, but Kamaria had chosen a family dinner in order to not overshadow Lady Faras plans for her own sons birthday. Even though she was young, she had noticed that they subtly made an issue of how tiresome it was to organise two birthday celebrations in such a short space of time.

As a selfless older sister, Kamaria had given up her own celebration to allow her brother to have an event and thats how it was every year since their sixth birthdays. The empress and Lady Fara glanced at her while she thought about an answer to the emperors question.

”Your Majesty, this princess would like a crown of stars, ” she finally said.

There were a few laughs all around the table from her other siblings. She really was a strange young woman, already eighteen and still asking for such fanciful childish things. All of them had multiple headpieces for different occasions. Why would this one be special?

There was a look of small concern on the emperors face. He knew that his daughter was quite meek and somewhat whimsical, but this had been a chance for her step out of her norm.

Her birthday had already passed so this was the only way he could make it up to her. Perhaps she could even look at him with the warm excited eyes he once saw when she was younger and not the docile gaze that she had developed over the years. It made her a gentle and quiet princess but sometimes he just wanted to see his daughter and not another imperial subject.

She didn say anything after her initial statement but only showed a small smile that barely reached her eyes. Again, she was just being polite and not being a daughter who could have just about anything in the world that she desired. The emperor reckoned that there was nothing he could do if she had made up her mind. If there was one thing about her, she stuck by her decisions.

”Ill have it arranged then, ” he finally said.

”Thank you, your Majesty, ” she said with a smile.