27. The preparations

The memories of the incident at the market slowly faded as spring came into full swing.

In those last couple of months, I had become intimately acquainted with the world outside the orphanage. I went on more errands in town and even day-long excursions with Jade, seeing different sights and meeting new people. I had even met the funny-looking man who gave me my satchel at my baptism!

Slowly, Evergreen’s mysteries revealed themselves to me and in a way, I became a part of it as well. I no longer felt like a stranger to this place, and neither did others treat me like one. 

I was Silika, the deaf girl from Plum Street. 

People would sometimes recognise me on the street, try to talk to me vaguely, offer me a snack or give me a coin or two to buy myself a treat. It wasn’t much, but I felt a sense of belonging I hadn’t felt in a long time.

With the warm winds blowing away the last of the cold nights and green leaves filling the trees lining the streets, the season of festivals finally came.

-We have to meet with Hare for the Spring Bloom festival after breakfast.- Jade announced as she sat next to me at the dining table. 

The other kids were still trickling, so there was a bit of time to talk.

-Are we making garlands?- I asked. 

She shook her head. 

-We’re going to help out at the church.-

The Spring Bloom Festival, as it was called, was a celebration for the beginning of the last of spring and beginning of summer months as well as a wish for a bountiful harvest. It was celebrated by both the church of Fey and Alenia. So, in other words, it was a celebration of Life and Harvest.

From what Jade explained to me, the church did a lot for our orphanage. So, especially during celebrations, we were expected to volunteer our help.

Hare finally arrived at the table and gave the usual short prayer, and we started our meal. 

Jade had once taken the time to shortly recite it to me: 

‘To those who watch over us, we are truly thankful. Praise be.’

A simple but effective prayer. 

Much shorter than the ones that had been recited at the dining table in my previous life. It was probably to account for the fact that the children worshipped dozens of different gods at their own discretion. 

I, myself, had taken to making a short prayer to Scorn before bed. 

Nothing big, but Hare had once explained to me that when we feel upset, it can be good for our heart to tell someone. So when there were things I couldn’t tell Jade or didn’t want Darkie’s consolation, I told Scorn. She never answered anything back, of course, but the idea that she heard my worries and thanks brought me some comfort.

After we finished our meal, Jade and I went to meet Hare in his office. 

-You two will go to the church and help Kinsmann Fĺć with preparing the church.- He explained quickly.

I felt the corner of my eye pinch at the strange arrangement of letters I saw him sign. 

Names were truly my greatest weakness when it came to the secret language since they used the standard alphabet instead of quick hands. I wish Hare had used nicknames like I did.

-Work hard... And make sure to come back before dark! Understand?-

Jade and I nodded as he waved us off, and we started making our way to the Septenary church, where the celebrations would take place. 

I wonder what we were supposed to do at the church? It’s not like we could do any heavy lifting or go up ladders to put up garlands…

As we made our way, some of the locals greeted us as we passed them in the street. An old lady stopped us and talked with Jade for a bit. As their conversation dragged on, I started feeling bored, so I looked at the houses around us. 

It was still a strange sight to behold.

Having grown up in what I now understood was the countryside, I wasn’t used to seeing so many buildings all packed together. Even more impressively, they reached high into the sky. As tall as five floors in some places. On the other hand, the look of the buildings wasn't anything particularly beautiful. Some of the buildings had faded colours mixed in the plaster or stains from soot. Drying lines were strewn from building to building, and beautiful flowers grew at window sills.

[Say, Darkie. Do you think we’ll live in one of those houses when we grow up?]

Darkie remained silent for a moment.

“I don’t think we’ve ever thought about the future.” He replied, a bit confused.

I pondered on the idea for a second.

[I guess you’re right… But what do you think? Do you think this will be where we go once we’re too old for the orphanage? What will we do? Jade said she wanted to become a scribe, but what about us?]

“Maybe we can become… Secret language teachers..?”

[And teach everyone how to talk with us?]

“Yeah!”

I smiled. 

[Sounds fun!]

Thinking about the future is not something I had ever thought about seriously before. But now that I did, I started thinking that maybe there was something to look forward to.

Jade was wrapping up her discussion with the old lady. The woman came to see me and said some words before pinching my cheek and giving me a pear.

Confused, but happy to receive a fresh fruit, I smiled and bowed to thank her the wayJade had taught me.

She gave me a very bright smile before wishing us farewell.

-What did she want?- I asked Jade before taking a bite of the pear.

-Nothing, she just wanted to talk.-

I thought about it for a moment.

-I think she’s lonely.- I said.

Jade looked at me for a moment and then nodded. 

-Her husband died a year ago, and her daughter moved west to live with her husband’s family. She’s alone now.-

-Doesn’t she have friends? There are a lot of people around here. Maybe they could play together?-

Jade smiled sadly.

-I’m sure she has lots of friends, but you know, when you go back home after playing and no one is there waiting for you, it feels even lonelier than before.-

I could tell that there was weight behind Jade’s words. She also had felt that loneliness before.

As we finished eating the fruits the old lady gave us, the church finally came into view. As we crossed the plaza, two guards came through on their patrol. One of them glanced down at me suspiciously before looking away. I squeezed Jade’s hand tighter as I walked faster toward the church’s entrance.

There were a lot of people inside preparing for the festival. I didn’t know most of the people around, but a few familiar faces worked on arranging the hall. Mostly older kids and people from the neighbourhood. I even recognised some of the garlands other kids had made at the orphanage yesterday, hanging up on the arches running across the ceiling.

Jade asked a man where to find the Fey Kinsmann, and he directed us to an area at the side of the main platform and altar.

There was a white haired woman dressed in a red robe who was giving instructions to a set of craftsmen preparing what looked like a podium.

We made our way down the aisles. 

Jade called out to the Kinsmann.

When the woman turned around, I was completely blown away. The only thought that came to me was that ‘this is the most beautiful person in the world’. Her face was round and plump, her nose short and defined, her white hair long and wavy like clouds… While I quietly admired her in awe, her crimson eyes turned to us, and she clasped her hands together in excitement. She approached us and said something while looking at us at an interval. 

Jade took the lead as I was still struck in awe. 

I think she explained who we were as the Kinsmann nodded happily. She said something before inviting us to follow her.

When she turned around, I quickly signed to Jade.

-She’s so pretty!- I signed excitedly.

Jade nodded.

-I know! And do you want to know a secret?-

-A secret? Sure!-

A mischievous smile appeared on Jade's face.

-I hear that she’s Uncle’s girlfriend!-

My eyes grew wide. 

-Her?! Really??-

-Really, really!- She said as she nodded with conviction. -But don’t tell anyone! It’s supposed to be a secret!-

I nodded in agreement. 

I couldn’t believe that Hare had a girlfriend!

It was only a couple of weeks ago that I even learned what the words Boyfriend and Girlfriend meant after asking Jade about why two of the older kids were walking around holding hands all day. 

As she had explained it to me, it was when two people loved each other and wanted to spend all their time together. 

At first, I was a bit confused and even asked if that meant we were girlfriend since we were best friends and spent all our days together. That made her laugh a lot and she explained that and that were different things.

She explained that there had to be something called ‘Romantic feelings’ between the two people. Like when two people want to get married. So it was different from just loving someone…? It did make me wonder what the difference was between that and getting married, which Jade said that you could only live together and have children if you were married.

It got me thinking, if Hare and the pretty kinsmann got married, would that mean she would come live at the orphanage too?

After walking through a set of corridors, we eventually reached an office. There, the Kinsmann showed us sheets of paper with what looked like the outline of the church's main hall and smaller sheets of paper packed with words. 

She explained to us what to do, which Jade translated for me.

-Those are attendance letters. We have to look at all of them and make sure everyone in them has an assigned seat with a number. We have to make sure to put families together and the nobles closer to the front and centre.-

The Kinsmann took a pile of paper and brought it toward us.

-She says that we need to make a list of everyone and their seat. The seat numbers are written on the map.-

I nodded seriously. I looked up and noticed the kinsmann was also staring at me with a large smile on her face. She said something to me and then looked at Jade.

-She says that she’s heard a lot about you from Uncle, and that she’s happy to finally meet you… And that you look very cute!- Jade explained with a smile. 

The compliment made me smile, and I nodded in appreciation at her. 

She waved us goodbye as she left the office.

A long silence hung in the room before my gaze turned to the sheet of paper on the table. I'd understood the instructions and what she wanted was quite clear, but I had no clue how to do it. At a loss, and somewhat expectantly, I turned toward Jade, but was surprised to find her just sitting there looking just as troubled as I was.

I had expected her to get started right away, but she just stared at the pages, biting her lips.

I turned back to the table. It wasn't my first time encountering a new challenge, but it was the first time encountering one that would only use my brain. I recalled the Kinsmann instructions and looked down at Darkie.

[Can I  do this?] I asked him.

“We won’t know until we try!” He answered enthusiastically.

I leaned back on my chair and rubbed my chin thoughtfully.

So let's think about this…. First, we need to make a list. A little like when we stand in a line to choose teams at the orphanage, you need to first see who's participating.

We then have to make sure to put the title to remember where to seat them. A bit like giving them different colours of armbands… And then once it’s done, I have to tell who goes where.

I looked at the sheet with squares. It looked like the shape of the church. Each square had a number. So we have to give the seats the most at the front to the ones with the best armbands… Or in other words, to the highest ranking nobles… And make sure they were with their family.

I looked at the paper and thought about it for a minute.

My first instinct was to draw people, but then there would be no way of knowing who was who. And it would become chaotic.

I looked at the sheet of paper and found the word for the name. Underneath, a list of words was written in a different handwriting. That had to be the names.

-Ok, I have a plan!- I declared.

I picked up the invitation and brought it closer to us.

-We first need to sort out these invitations by rank. One for commoner, bourgeois, lords, baron and all that.- I began explaining.

I then pulled a sheet of paper toward us and began cutting it into pieces roughly the size of the seats on the map of the church.

-We then write their name on this paper and place them on the seats we want to give them!-

As she listened to my explanation, it seemed Jade finally snapped out of her panic. 

-That’s a good idea, but their names are too long to fit on those little squares…-

That’s a good point. I looked down at the tiny seats and looked at the numbers and letters of the seats.

-Well, the seats have numbers and letters, could we give the people numbers and letters too?-

Her eyes lit up.

-Right! We can make that list, Kinsmann F’ĺḉ said and put a number for each person! But how do we keep the families together?-

-Maybe we write a letter for each family and a number for the person in the family?-

She picked up the invitations and looked through them.

-Mmh.. There are more than 20 families in here. We’ll run out of letters.-

-Then the other way around! Number for the family, letter for the person in the family!- I suggested, excited by how receptive Jade was being about my ideas.

-Perfect, that should work!-

She pushed the pile of paper towards me.

-Here, you sort these out by rank. I’ll write the list.-

I looked at her in outrage.

-I can’t read all this! You do it!-

She raised an eyebrow.

-Would you rather write the list then? And anyway, you only need to read the title. I’ll read all the names and stuff.- She said with a shrug, already picking up a blank piece of paper and drafting up a list.

I begrudgingly began sorting through the invitations. 

It took me a while to get started. I didn’t really know how to read more than a few basic words, so rarely used words like 'baron' or 'count' were completely out of my abilities. 

After struggling several minutes only to get the first two invitations sorted, Jade conceded and wrote me a list of words to look out for; she then showed me which pile they should go in.

This sped up the process quite a bit, but the handwriting was difficult to decipher, and sometimes I had no choice but to ask for her help again.

By the time Fĺć came by with lunch, we had just finished sorting through the invitations and giving everyone a letter and number. She praised us for our work and stayed with us during lunch. She made some jokes and we laughed. She also asked about the orphanage, the other kids and Hare, and was especially interested in how Hare was taking care of us, which didn't miss making Jade and me trade a few knowing chuckles.

After she left, we began placing the little squares representing the guests on the map of the church.

It turned out to be another challenge. Placing all these people without accidentally splitting families apart or ruffling the social hierarchy was a challenge. By the time everything was reviewed by the Kinsmann and we left the church, the sky was already turning shades of orange.

-Done! Now we can just have fun at the festival!- I celebrated. 

It was only two days until the festival began, and I was looking forward to participating in all the activities.

-Oh… You didn’t hear…?- Jade signed surprised.

I looked at her and tilted my head.

-Well, of course, I didn’t hear. What is it?-

She smiled apologetically. 

-We’re also in charge of showing people to their seats during the opening ceremony.-

-WHAT?!-