“I growled?” 

He sounded horrified. 

I rolled my eyes, “Yeah, that’s what I said. I didn’t know humans could growl,” I admitted as we continued through the palace hallways, “Usually that’s something only Griphs do.” 

Griphs were beasts of divine origin, created in heaven and borne on our mortal earth to watch over those blessed by the gods. They were rare and unusually shy for creatures that could easily tear apart an army single-handedly. Separated from the rest of the mortal cities on the continent because of their territorial aggression and divine energy, they mostly resided in the land of jade sand to the north and were rarely seen in the warmer regions near the middle and south of the continent. 

Endymion was silent beside me, and through our interlocked hands, I could feel his stuttering heartbeat.  

“Endymion?” 

Silence.  

I rolled my eyes again and pulled the key from the small pocket in my pants, walking faster as we approached my chambers.  

“When you decide to stop doing...whatever you’re doing, I would like to go to the festival.” 

When that got no reaction out of him, I sniffed and crossed my arms over my chest. 

“...Or I can just ask his highness to escort me,” I refrained from giggling as he snapped back at attention and his eyes narrowed, “I’m sure he would be happy to.” 

“He would indeed be happy to escort Lady Asajj to the festivities.” 

I turned to the sound of Gavril’s voice and grinned, my eyes twinkling with something dark and amusing.  

“See? His highness would love to join me!” 

Endymion’s growl was near silent as Gavril stepped closer to me and chuckled at his friend’s obvious discomfort.  

“I’ll go with you,” Endymion’s voice was low and cold, his glare focused solely on the shining man beside me. 

Gavril grinned, although I noticed his dimples weren’t quite as - flashy- and his eyes didn’t shine.  

“We must get ready then,” If there was anything wrong with his highness, his tone didn’t give it away, “I see Lady Asajj already has her festive garments picked out.” 

I nod and head into my room, not surprised when both the king and his advisor follow me in. 

“A lovely Syli’ti man gave them to me,” I took note of the displeased rumble in Endymion’s throat with a chuckle, “He was very nice; he didn’t even charge me.” 

My words made Gavril frown as well, and I put my hands on my hips as both men glowered. 

“Fine, both of you out if you’re just going to pout,” Waving a hand in the general direction of the door, I made a beeline for the bathroom, ripping at the packaging that contained the traditional dress for the festival of Bloom.  

In Roma, there were eight festivals that most habitants of the continent celebrated joyously. The festival of the gods was the first one of the year; it took place over three days, and it was full of festivities and parties that raged wild. The second was the festival of the fallen. Although it was a bit more somber, the air was still thick with tangible comfort as creatures of all faiths honored their ancestors and deceased brethren. The next four were festivals of the seasons, celebrating the turning of the earth and all it had to offer. The last two were the festival of Hamara, the all-saint, and the festival of redemption.  

I tugged at the thin white fabric of the ceremonial garment. It was very revealing; designed to welcome the hot weather that would grace Paristol and its neighboring cities during the season of bloom. My shoulders and back were exposed, and gold stitching decorated the neckline, hinting at the elite level of craftmanship that went into the beautiful gown. The warm brown skin of my hips, thighs, and arms were exposed, the dress’s high slits giving plenty of room to move comfortably while I participated in the traditional festivities of the night. 

“Lady Asajj?” 

The voice of the small Fay girl from earlier reached my ears and I hurried to my chambers where she stood. 

“H-his majesty asked me ta give these to ya...” 

She presented a pair of gold earrings, lavish and shining with an expensive sheen.  A warm flush crept up from my chest and I pursed my lips as a smile threatened to break free. No one had ever given me such a gift. 

“Are you coming to the festival, small one?” I addressed the girl with a warm tone, and she took my hand, leading me out of my chambers. 

“All palace staff have been given the night off to enjoy the festivities,” She looked up at me as she descended a curved stairwell, “Tomorrow too.” 

Nodding, I looked to the expansive hallway before us. Endymion’s back was to us as we entered, and he was looking over a scroll handed to him by an Elf with cropped blue hair. The Elf caught sight of the girl and I entering and cleared their throat to get the High Advisor’s attention.  

Endymion turned and smiled as we approached, his eyes warming and his shoulders relaxing.  

“You look lovely, Asajj,” He handed the scroll to the Elf with a nod, then turned back to me, “I apologize on behalf of his majesty; he’s usually late.”  

Endymion was robbed in a layered garment of white and gold, to match the theme of the purity of bloom for the festival. His hair was glistening darkly in the light of the hall, and his skin, smooth and porcelain; he looked like one of the glass dolls that many young girls kept on their shelves.  

“I do believe I am rather punctual, my dear friend.”  

Gavril entered with a swish of his white and gold robes, offering me a charming grin that I knew had made dozens of women blush. When I winked at him in return, my own grin pulling at my lips, the king laughed and rubbed his sharp jaw. 

“The festival colors look wonderful on you, lady Asajj.” 

I glanced at Endymion and my grin widened, “So I was told.” 

A small giggle from behind Gavril made all of us turn to stare at a young girl. Her eyes widened and she brought her delicate hands to her face and hid, a squeak escaping her mouth as she rushed back behind Gavril. 

Endymion bowed deeply, “Princess Ophia, I wasn’t aware you were going to be joining us.” 

She peeked out from where she clutched Gavril’s robes, her round face pink with embarrassment. Ophia looked just like her brother; her hair was long and blonde, her eyes wide and gold. I smiled at her as we locked gazes, her rosy cheeks coloring more as I followed Endymion’s actions and bowed.  

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Princess Ophia, I’m Asajj.” 

Ophia shuffled out from where she hid and curtsied clumsily, wringing her hair through her hands as she stood and adjusting her white dress.  

“Y-you’re very honest, Lady Asajj,” the young princess’s smile grew, and she inched closer to me, “I’m glad you aren’t like the other ladies... Brother can be so arrogant and cocky at times.” 

I burst out laughing at her statement, throwing my head back as my stomach warmed with amusement. The hall echoed with the sound of my cackling, and I gasped for air, wiping tears from my face as I wheezed. 

“Oh, Princess, I-” my sides were starting to cramp from how hard I was breathing, “I shouldn’t be laughing, but...’Arrogant!’ Ha!” 

Ophia giggled and took my hand, glancing up at me with searching eyes, “Do you know any ceremonial daces, Lady Asajj?” 

“Of course! My aunties always made sure I practiced for them every year.” 

We exited the palace, weaving through the undulating crowd and through the streets where people cheered and moved with excitement. The heavenly smell of street vendors had increased in intensity, making my tongue dance across my lips with anticipation. Endymion pointed down a crowded street, his finger directing us to a massive city square filled with creatures of all ages and sizes.  

“Look!” 

Ophia gripped my hand and I turned to where she gestured, laughing as she pulled me deeper into the crowd towards an elevated stage. The music that surged through the soles of my feet and resonated in my bones was a familiar tune; one that I had danced to every year at the Nuatimere festivals. I gasped as the beat picked up and a loud drum added to the swaying rhythm, making me want to twirl around and start dancing.  

“You know this song, Asajj?” 

Endymion had to yell for me to hear him through the music and the cheering of the crowd. 

“Know this song?! This was a staple at every festival when I was growing up!” I laughed and grabbed his hand, spinning both me and the princess in tandem as the music surged. A tall Fay man, dressed in only a pair of loose gold pants, clapped loudly as I turned my feet and swayed my hips, others joining his applause as the music increased in speed.  

Suddenly, I was lifted onto the stage by many pairs of strong arms, leaving me feeling lightheaded and disoriented. But my confusion faded quickly as I glanced down at the cheering crowd, their noise vibrating in my stomach. The other dancers on the stage motioned for me to join them, their grinning faces glittering with sweet-scented oils and sweat. The dance was like home to me; the familiar motions of my feet turning and my arms balancing me made me feel like I was born to the sound of the song. My hips dipped and I swayed, each step and turn sending magic to the surface of my warm skin, until I could feel it echoing in my ears with the synchronized beat of my heart and the instruments. My breath left my lips in waves of heat and my face felt warmed by the pleasant effort of moving my body to the wild rhythm. With a final lift of my arms and one last step forward, the song ended and the creatures around the stage surged, cheering loudly until I felt as though the noise would split my head as my chest heaved and my grin grew.  

But my rest was short lived; the musicians started up another song that made my heart light up with memory. I gasped and turned to the other dancers, catching their amused gazes as they readied themselves for the next song. Many of the dancers stood off to the side of the stage, leaving only me and three other dancers in the center of the stage. Then the drums sent the cue to start dancing, their heavy tempo thrumming in my stomach. My feet moved on their own, leading me through the first few steps of the dance that my aunties had drilled into me with years of smiles and contagious joy.  

This was home.