by C.L. Mozena
Chapter 12
Orion woke up to an excited Star bouncing and crawling all over him. He leaned on his elbow, watching her as she zoomed this way and that. He chuckled at her behavior, shaking his head and getting up. Orion was used to his little pet acting that way when he awoke. He dressed slowly, watching his little furball play on his bed. Yawning and slipping his arm into the sleeve of his shirt, he pushed the bedroom door open.
“Good morning!” Joshua said, jumping in Orion’s face.
“Yaa!” Orion replied, startled. He stumbled and fell backwards, ripping his shirt as his arms flew out behind him. “Josh! What are you doing here?” Orion asked as he got up, taking his shirt off and assessing the damage.
“It’s about time you got up, bro! Don’t you know what today is?” Josh bounced around as Orion bunched up his torn shirt. Orion watched his brother act similar to the way Star acted. He wondered if their strange behavior had to do with living on the moon, and wondered if he would end up bouncing around the same way.
“Come in!” Orion called to a knock on the door, not taking his eyes off of his brother.
“Morning, Orion,” Rick said calmly as he entered, Morning, bouncy,” he said to Joshua, who hadn’t stopped yet. Orion was relieved to see that Rick hadn’t gone crazy like Joshua.
“What’s wrong with him?” Orion asked as Josh began to slow from fatigue.
“Nothing,” Rick replied, “He’s just excited because of the festival today. Josh, stop that nonsense before you hurt yourself!”
“Festival?” Orion’s eyes brightened. He had always enjoyed the festivals back on Olhoe.
“He always gets crazy when the harvest festival begins,” Rick sighed and took Orion’s shirt, throwing it at Joshua.
“Hey!” Joshua hollered as the shirt hit him in the face. He calmed down and walked over to Orion and Rick. “Why do you always wear white, Orion?”
“I don’t know,” Orion shrugged, “I guess because it’s the only color that doesn’t make me look too pale. You see,” Orion continued at his brothers’ confused expressions, “I’ve always stood out on Olhoe because of my skin and hair colors. I spend lots of time in the sun trying to darken my skin, and wearing white makes it look even darker.”
“Hmm,” Joshua said, stroking his chin and looking sideways at Orion, “Well, you don’t have to worry about your skin color making you stick out here, bro. I think it’s time you tried some different colors! How about it? We can get the tailor to make you a new outfit, the same open-shirt style that you like, but maybe black? You’re so tan, you’re darker than most lunimorves. The black clothes will lighten your skin a bit. Besides, you need a new outfit to wear to the festival!” Joshua got all excited and bouncy again.
After being fitted and changing into new, black clothes, Rick took Orion and Joshua out into the city to enjoy the harvest festival. Joshua had insisted that Orion’s new outfit have nearly invisible swirls all over it, swirls that would catch the sun’s rays and reflect silvery rainbow. Joshua had also changed the color of Orion’s gauntlets to silver to match, and had given him a silver crown studded with sapphires. Gazing at himself in his new attire, Orion realized that Joshua had a talent for style.
In the city, there were people everywhere, crowding into every available corner. They all made way for the three princes to come through. After a quick glance around, Orion guessed that the festival was very much like the harvest festival back on Olhoe. There was singing and dancing, with professional dancers on a stage, games for children, puppet shows, jesters, and people showing off their prized fruits and vegetables. Rick took Orion over to a long table where several samples of different kinds of food sat. It was a taste competition. The princes were given free samples of pumpkin pie as they continued on their way. Orion watched as beautiful women danced in festive dresses on a stage. He thought he recognized Sandra as one of the dancers, but an announcement caught Orion’s attention before he could be certain.
“The foot races are about to begin!” an announcer cried over the noise of the crowd, “Entries please report to the race track!”
“Wanna go watch?” Rick asked, taking Orion by the arm and pulling him over to the race track without waiting for an answer. They were seated in a makeshift royal box near the start and finish lines of the track.
“On your mark!” the announcer cried, “Get set! Go!” As the racers took off like lightning, fighting each other to be first, another competitor, practicing for the archery contest near the racetrack, spun his bow around and shot an arrow directly at Orion. Both Orion and Joshua cried out in surprise as the arrow missed it’s mark and hit the edge of the royal box with a thunk. Before Orion could begin to guess where the arrow came from, some palace guards, who were watching over the festivities, were roughly brining the guilty archer toward the princes.
“I’m so sorry, your majesties!” the archer cried as he flung himself, face down in the dirt. By now, the audience that had gathered to watch the foot race were watching the guards, their prisoner, and Orion intently. Even the racers gave up their race to watch.
“Your Majesty,” one guard said haughtily, “This is the man who tried to shoot you.” He pulled the archer up by his shirt and pushed him into the edge of the royal box.
“No, no, no,” the archer stammered as he caught his breath, “I wasn’t trying to shoot you, I was practicing for the archery contest tomorrow.”
“The targets are the other way, Archer,” the guard said. “The only reason you would be shooting in this direction is if you were planning an assassination, a crime punishable by death.”
“No, please! Have mercy, Prince,” the archer said, turning from Orion to the guard and back to Orion, “and hear me out.”
“Let’s have it then,” Rick said angrily. With a quick glance at Rick, the archer nodded his thanks.
“You see, I was practicing for the archery contest, and I, well,” the archer seemed to search for the right words, “I slipped. I have a bad ankle, you see,” he added quickly bringing his left foot up and patting his ankle, “and just as I was about to shoot, my ankle gave out and I twisted as I fell, loosing the arrow as I fell. I’m so sorry!”
“Likely story,” the guard said. “Let’s be off for your sentence.”
“No! Please! It was an accident! I swear!” the archer cried as the guard caught hold of him again.
“Wait,” Orion said as he stepped out of the royal box. Both the guard and the archer turned at Orion’s voice. “I believe him. Let him go.” The guard stared at Orion for a minute before nodding and releasing his prisoner.
“As you wish, your majesty,” the guard bowed and led his team back to their posts.
“Oh, thank you, thank you, your majesty!” the archer folded his hands together and bowed over and over. “I am eternally in your debt. Thank you.”
“Yea, yea,” Rick said, waving the archer away. “Be off with you. We have a race to enjoy.” With a final bow, the archer took off, glad to be free.
After a few confusing minutes, the racers assembled to race again. Orion cheered with the rest of the crowd who had gathered to watch the race as one of the racers crossed the finish line. He had forgotten all about the arrow as Rick and Joshua led him around the festival for the rest of the day. Orion was certain this festival wasn’t too different from the harvest festival back home. After a few hours of meeting the people, Orion, Joshua, and Rick stopped at one of the various food stands.
“How come Mother isn’t here with us?” Orion asked through a mouthful of turkey pie.
“She never comes to the festivals,” Joshua answered. “I’m not sure why, though. I guess she just doesn’t like them or something.”
“Oh,” Orion took another bite. He had always enjoyed the harvest festival back on Olhoe, even though he couldn’t go wherever he wanted, and had to stay in a carriage with his father the entire time. He was still able to see the performers and sample
all kinds of pies and cakes, as long as he stayed in the carriage, which was surrounded by guards and warriors at all times. He remembered his father scowling the entire time, too. Orion figured that his father thought the festivals were a silly waste of time, but he had to be there, as a social obligation to the people. Orion shrugged his thoughts away and took another big bite of turkey pie, enjoying this festival with his brothers.