1 Chapter 1: Summer Festival

Today is a important day for my people, is the last day to work on the festival that marks the beginning of summer.

Many people from neighboring towns or even nobles and emperors from neighboring countries will gather in the capital to celebrate the beginning of summer.

Unfortunately, my parents do not allow me to leave the castle during this period, when the festival is approaching there is a good chance that I will be kidnapped while walking around.

If I will been kidnapped, the guards will not be able to find me because of the large number of people what are in the capital right now.

I don't blame my parents for that, they're most likely right, but it's so boring, all I can do is to stay in my room, watching out the window to the villagers who work on the last touches.

"Oh." My stomach started making some strange noises, I wonder if the chef finished to making the cookies.

I leave my room and head towards the stairs that lead to the kitchen on the first floor.

I enter the living room and find my mother arranging her hair in the mirror.

Come to think of it, my dad always tells to my mom how beautiful she is and how much he loves her long brown hair.

To me, my mother is beautiful as she is, with her sky-blue eyes, slightly tanned skin and straight cheeks that blush every time she sees me.

"A Teo, what brings you here? Let me guess.

Hm, did you come to see how much you've grown?

You are that impatient to see how much longer you have until you surpass your mother in height?"

She always manages to make me laugh with her humor.

"I still have a lot to grow up before I get taller that you, mom.

I came to see if the chef had finished the cookies."

"Ooo, what a shame. I have to go, I'll will see you at dinner."

I walk to the opposite side of the living room and open the door leading to the kitchen, the smell of cookies wafts over me and my nose leads me to the oven where the cookies are.

"You have a little longer to wait before the cookies are ready, master."

"How much longer do I have to wait, Oliver?"

"About five minutes. Would be better if you wait in the living room, master.

I'll will bring the cookies when they will be ready."

"Oo..., okay." I leave the kitchen, since I have nothing to do I end up wandering around the living room.

I reach the mirror on the side of the fireplace in the living room, I can't help looking into it.

I don't remember the last time I looked in the mirror but I've grown taller, my hair has become blonder, my eyes are still brown, but I wonder if they'll change too, and my face still resembles my father's.

I hear the kitchen door open, turn my head and see Oliver carrying a plate full of cookies.

"Here are your cookies, master."

"Thank you, Oliver." He places the plate on the table from the middle of the living room and goes back into the kitchen.

I go to the table, sit on the chair that is near the plate and reach my right hand towards the cookies.

"Ow!" They're still hot.

I take the plate and go to my room.

I sit on the chair next to the window, put the plate on the windowsill and start eating the cookies while watching at the people working.

Time passes without my noticing, in the blink of an eye the sun hides more and more behind Valdoroski mountain, the highest mountain in the kingdom.

This is the moment when the festival fire is lit, and will remain lit until the sun sets again.

I notice a man with a torch in his hand approaching the logs to light it, the flame is slowly rising from the base of the wood, illuminating the nearby houses and stalls more and more.

For an hour I waited to see how the logs were engulfed in flames, the flames reached a height that far exceeded the houses that stood next to it.

The light is so bright, even the houses near the wall protecting the capital are illuminated.

But the most important thing for me is not the festival, but the fact that it's my birthday.

In our kingdom, the age of 8 is very important, then you will have the right to enroll into knight school.

I wish to become a warrior as famous as my father.

Suddenly, I hear a knock at the door.

"Yes, who is it?"

"I am Illiane, my lord, I have come to inform you that the meal is ready and the king and queen await you."

I lifted my head from the window sill, when I got out of the chair I didn't notice that my left leg was tangled between the legs of the chair and I fell on the floor with the chair over me.