Finally the day of the festival had arrived and the entire kingdom was celebrating while also paying tribute to the men who had fallen at this particular day back then. A variety of activities were going on all around the kingdom.
In the inn where Young stayed, it was the same as people worked around the inn which was a little bit scarce of people except for the men drinking and laughing in the small bar inside the inn. Young had come out of his room after being informed that Mr Gerald demanded his presence. He had moved to the reception area he usually would be to not find him there which was not really a surprise to him seeing the scarcity of people in the inn.
He had stopped one of the workers who was going out who had informed him of Mr Gerald being in the stables to which he immediately moved there to find him serving the horses some grains.
"You have summoned me sir?" Young asked the moment he reached him resulting in Mr Gerald leaving the horse to face Young.
"Ah yes Young, I had called you to ask thee to escort myself and family to the royal ball being held in the palace grounds tonight." Mr Gerald's words caused Young to raise an eyebrow in question?
Seeing this Mr Gerald went further to speak his reasons for his request. "I would like you to handle some of the drinks which will be carried to the palace. The place will be filled with people of both the poor, rich and noble and of course refreshments will be served to all. I just need you to be one among the many to carry the drinks not serve the people."
Young contemplated the request yet he still did not see any reason to go over and Mr Gerald seemed to notice this so he added a few words. "I am sure there would be a good pay for your service."
Hearing this however, Young saw no reason to not earn some extra money yet the idea that he would be around a crowd of people did not really appease him. However, the extra money finally won out and with that he spoke lastly before leaving.
"If so, then I will."
At night, the palace.
The entire place was packed with people from all over the kingdom as they came into the palace for the royal ball to celebrate the festival. The place boomed with different people doing different activities that lighted up the palace making it very lively. Carriages and carts kept coming in in large numbers and in one of this carriages was Young who sat in front with another man riding the carriage to the palace. He had already made up his mind to quickly leave the place imma he was done with the work he came to do.
In another part of the ball, Hakira along with Elena, Finn and some others had already arrived and were now discussing and laughing among each other. She had even managed to see some people who she also came to know here but we're hardly around.
Everyone was simply enjoying their stay and trying to get along with one another.
Since it was also supposed to be in form of a ball, everyone were supposed to bring in a partner for the ball. Though there was already people entertaining, the ball had yet to start as the king was yet to come out to address the people for the actual event to happen.
According to how it was being done, a varieties of activities from dancing with your partner and some other ones would be done as the celebration went on. As of now some men who had not been able to bring partners were already trying their lucks with the ladies they deemed beautiful or pleasant to them. The large hall, different categories of people from rich to poor gathered around. The place was a little bit separated as the rich decided to set up a huge place for themselves to chat and interact with themselves. It came as no surprise to anyone, most of the people in that part were powerful people in the kingdom when it came to the wealth they had acquired. A large podium was however placed at the far end of the ball and in there was where the King and the other governor's were to sit and address the people. The entire sit was still empty and the people truly awaited the arrival of this powerful leaders that governed the kingdom.
Their wish was answered shortly when the a fine man walked over to the another part of the podium and announced the arrival of this great figures. The people who had been busy doing one thing or the other immediately went on a roar as the figures made their way into the podium one by one.
First to arrive in the podium was the Randall, the governor of the sixth state, Waxmot followed by Callaghan the governor of the second Griffin, Lenny the governor of the third Tiharall, Falcon the governor of the seventh Veirman, Gretha the governor of the fifth Quieen, Nelly the governor of the eighth Elalalih and Adam the governor of the fourth, Falcon.
There were also a few others with them apart from the guards that came with them.
After they arrived, the supreme general of the kingdom Gerald and the powerful Enchanter Azezul made their way to the podium with two people each following behind them. The queen and the princess and prince had already made themselves comfortable in their sits and it was left for the king to arrive. The man who had announced the governors arrival waited for the place to be calm for a while before drawing everyone's attention to his next words. The entire place became quiet as they waited for his words.
"Your Majesty the king shall now come to address all." He stated with a strict tone.
Behind the podium, the king emerged out from just behind the throne like chair he was to sit in and made his way to the front standing tall and mighty to address his people.
Dress in a gold robe with blue strips, his golden brown hair was adorned with a shining fine crown on it, his chiseled face was made with small deep dark brown eyes, a straight long nose and fine lips with a small beard on his chin. Small wrinkles was visible in the face, a sign of old age. His body even being covered was huge tall and mighty and his appearance was that of a fierce warrior.
"His majesty, King Splinter of Divini Divine." The man of before proclaimed making all who gazed at the fine tough man who was their king bow their heads as the greetings escaped their lips.
"Long live the king, king of war, king of the Divines."
"Today we are here to celebrate and yet at the same time mourn and acknowledge the great warriors and soldiers that had fought for the freedom of this kingdom, the sacrifices has been the key to the betterment of the kingdom today.
Let us rejoice and raise our cups to the air as we give memory to the fallen ones." The king's powerful voice rang through the entire hall and the shouts and praise of everyone sounded and spread through the air as the celebrations began.
The festival went on for a while as the music was played and the people danced and swirled around the floor. Hakira had danced so much as men asked for her to dance with them. Except for the ones she knew, she refrained from dancing with the ones who did not appease her or the ones that she wanted to avoid through out the night.
Daniel had managed to sight her and had tried to ask her to dance with him but she had avoided him.
What had made her go away from the hall room was when she noticed that the prince, Rinn was looking for her. The prince Rinn was one of the men who had tried to court her after he had seen her last year festival. He had tried to get her attention by showering her with different gifts trying to show off the things he had. A heavy womanizer and a carefree person who didn't really care much about anybody and not one she had any reason to be close to.
She had walked into the palace walking pass people looking for somewhere she could breathe. It was a crowd inside and the place was a little stuffy.
She had arrived at a stairway and moved upwards until she came across a balcony with different rooms. The one to the left had it's door slightly opened. She had come to the palace only once so she didn't really know a lot of places inside and seeing this particular door, her curiosity got the better of her. Looking around seeing no one around, she opened the door and walked into the room. The room was empty having nothing but light stands on both sides of the walls. It had on big opened window which allowed the moon's light to make her way to a small part of the room and seeing nothing inside she walked over to the window staring outside as she arrived. The wind was cool and refreshing making her release a long breath with a moan escaping her lips as she leaned on it staring at the sky above. Contrary to what was happening back at the hall, the place was quiet, cold and refreshing.
However just as she had relaxed for a few moments, her ears picked on voices beneath her. Her gaze shifted to the tree which stood at a distance away from where the window was and beneath it was a man and woman making out. The woman was already bare from her breast upward as the man sucked on it. Her moans was what Hakira had heard and on seeing the scene, Hakira had immediately turned away not wanting to witness them as they made love. The place was full of short grasses and somewhere that no one would usually walk to so it was safe for the couple to do what they wanted.
Hakira moved away not wanting to hear their sounds as she walked out of the room with the mind of going back to the party. At the moment when she was exiting the room, she caught sight of someone's shadow walking towards where she was. Thinking it was a guard and not wanting to be caught she quickly and quietly moved to another room which also was slightly open closing the door and looking for where to hide. She turned to find out that she had entered a room filled with boxes which contained drinks and wine. Thinking that whoever was coming would probably pass, Hakira walked over to look at some of the drinks kept inside. In doing that, she failed to notice that the person was actually moving to this room and only realized when the person opened the door to catch her before she could even hide.
However seeing who it was that stood at the door, Hakira was surprised as her eyes landed on the one she had been secretly wishing to see throughout the party. It was no other than her beautiful stranger who always made her insides go wild whenever she saw him.
He had on him a milk colored fine coat which stopped before his knees with black baggie trousers and sandals beneath. His long hair was tied in a bun and his face was clean shaved. She gulped as she took in the appearance of the fine man. Unknown to her, the man was doing the same taking her beauty and saving it in his mind. Though his face was only blank with his eyebrow raised in question of what she was doing here.
Coming out of her daze, her cheeks reddened in a blush as she had been caught. He didn't question her however instead he walked over to carry the boxes and made to walk out. Seeing this, Hakira immediately stopped him.
"Wait! I will come with you." She spoke with haste as she proceeded to pick a box and follow him glad he had not made any move of stopping her. Side by side, they walked moving down the stares with her stealing glances at him one at a time. When they had moved halfway down the stairs, she had decided to speak seeing that he had no interest in doing so.
"I am Hakira." She introduced herself after not finding anything to talk about.
It was a while and when she thought he would say nothing back and was about to start talking again, he replied. "Young."
A smile crossed her lips at his answer as she went on to ask if he had been staying in the kingdom for a long time or if he had just came. He would reply back to her with a yes or no and then become quiet not trying to say anything else. They had moved past the stairs as three more men walked pass them with the men nodding to Young while he completely ignored them.
Young did not make an attempt to say much to her but he was focused on everything she said to him. It was even a little surprising to him that he had not completely ignored her and moved away from her. They were carrying the drinks to the kitchen which was where the workers there would take the drinks and move out to serve the people. They had been moving back and forth and all that time, Hakira had kept him company helping him while also talking about a lot of things. She had forgotten the party and only wanted to stay beside the beautiful man that striked a beautiful feeling in her. However their time was cut short as Finn had come looking for her at the time when they had brought in the last boxes.
Reluctantly she had turned and gave him an alluring smile that almost knocked Young's heart he didn't know was still there over as she said her goodbye before leaving with Finn oblivious of the state she had put him in.
He just stared at her back as she walked away with questions running around in his head. He shaked them of a while later and made to go meet up with Mr Gerald and his family to inform him of his leaving and going back to the inn.
He had just gotten to Mr Gerald after searching for him for a while when the King had once again walked over to speak.
"It has been a long beautiful night." The king started to speak as the people listened. "We do this every year festival and you all know what it is."
A shout was the reply to his words as he continued.
"Today marks a day when men went out to fight and give away their lives to the betterment of the kingdom so to show them that we are growing stronger, we make out a chance for the warriors and fighters to prove their strength in a combat of the strongest."
The entire place erupted in a loud shout as the time that was the best part of the festival had arrived.
Young who had already informed Mr Gerald of his leaving was about making his way back to the inn when he was suddenly stopped by someone. It was the captain he had gotten in a shuffle with the day before and he was challenging him to a fight.
"Imbecile, fight me" He lashed out at Young as he hit his chest in boast. "So I may lay you flat and make you worship me."