Chapter 7
T he Ashoralida was honored all across the continent of Wespen, but each of the six kingdoms held its own festival.
No matter where it was held, it always took place on the longest days of the year, when the sunlight shone the most on the abundant beauty of all that the gods have given us. Muses performed conductions to share our gratitude but also to plead for a bountiful harvest throughout the rest of the summer.
To celebrate, we decorated our bodies and homes in pink and orange and made altars of flowers and herbs. People danced in the streets from sunup to sundown, and we feasted at dusk.
Calida—the kingdom most renowned for entertainers and enchantments—had the largest and grandest festival. Each year, it was held at the southern gardens in Queen Kriselle's summer palace.
However, Sudamon, as the desert kingdom to the southeast, needed the Ashoralida the most to summon the rains for their crops. The performance was more intensive for the muses, with the movements so physical and extravagant to draw out the most magik. Despite the extra effort required, it received fewer accolades because most of the wealthy and the elite attended the one in Calida instead.
That was why Adora greeted my invitation with a frown and asked, “Is this it then?”
"There is only one page if that's what you mean," I answered.
“No, I mean, there were no other invitations?” She was in her satin dressing robes, and as she looked down at the parchment with disdain, water from her damp hair left droplets on it.
“Only one arrived, M’Lady,” Heloise explained.
"Isn't this great news, Adora?" I asked, pretending I hadn't noticed the displeasure on her face. "This is what you had hoped for when you talked to Soren at the Balefire."
“I had hoped for placement in Calida," she corrected me. "But I thought Sudamon would do if there were no other offers."
“Well, there haven’t been any other offers,” I replied carefully.
"Now we'll have to travel all the way to Sudamon, and that's a full day's ride by carriage. Not to mention that the dreadful desert air is always so hard on my skin," Adora said, almost muttering to herself. "The gown I planned to wear is more suited for the southern gardens, so I must rethink my wardrobe."
An awful sinking feeling grew in my stomach because it sounded like Adora was about to prevent me from performing in the Ashoralida in Sudamon. But that seemed so unfathomable. All Adora ever wanted was for me to be a muse with good placement, and now that I was finally close to getting the recognition we'd worked so hard for, she seemed to think it wasn't good enough.
“The cost of travel and board is covered,” I reminded her in a desperate attempt to stop her from forbidding me.
“Placement for the Ashoralida pays a substantial amount, too, doesn’t it, Miss Isadore?” Heloise offered up helpfully, and Adora cast her a glare to silence her.
“I know that we don’t want for anything, but the compensation is always nice to have,” I said, even though it was an obvious lie. Adora wanted for everything , and the coin would be spent on gowns and jewels by the end of summer.
"But that hardly even covers the inconvenience of traveling to the desert," Adora persisted.
"You don't even need to go with me," I blurted out. "Many of the other muses my age travel without a guardian. Briar and Wrenley go together, and that's enough. There's no reason I can't do the same, and you can stay here in Calida."
Adora clicked her tongue and considered it for a moment. "Well, I suppose that if Briar and Wrenley's parents believe it's safe, who am I to disagree? But do you really want to perform at the Ashoralida in Sudamon without me in attendance?"
“It is not ideal, but I can do it, and yes, I would like to do it,” I answered carefully.
Finally, she let out a heavy sigh. "I suppose it is for the best. The only way to succeed as a muse is by paying your dues, and though I feel like you should've paid enough by now, my opinion doesn't count for much these days. Go to the Kingdom of Sudamon, but you need to perform well enough so that you will be placed in Calida next year."
"Thank you, Adora!" I beamed, even though it likely irritated her, but I couldn't hold it back.
"I mean it, Isadore," she said, her tone serious and eyes hard. "You have to stay out of trouble and do your very best. Anything else will be a failure."
I nodded my head fervently. “Of course. I would never dream of doing otherwise.”
It wasn’t until she departed, retreating up to her chambers to complete her correspondence, that I got to truly celebrate with Heloise.
"Congratulations, Miss Izzy!" she said in a fierce whisper, and then she pulled me into a hug, squeezing me tightly. "I am so proud of you!"
I hugged her and blinked back my happy tears. “Thank you. Now I just have to count the days and hope I don’t go mad with anticipation.”
That was hardly an exaggeration. The three weeks until I got to leave were incredibly nerve-wracking. Not only did I have my excitement to contend with – and the personal note from Soren did nothing to temper my eagerness – but I was terrified that Adora would rescind her permission at any moment. I lived on eggshells, trying to meet her expectations at every turn.
Adora always dismissed Sudamon as a boring desert kingdom, and while much of my journey by stagecoach reinforced that, the capital city was nothing of the sort. In the very heart of the desert, surrounded by dunes and rocky outcroppings, it was a bustling metropolis with sandstone buildings and busy streets.
As we approached, I leaned out the coach window to take in the full opulence of it. The palace towered over sprawling gardens filled with exotic plants and fountains, but it was hard to see when the streets were so busy. On either side were dozens of tiny shops and markets where merchants sold spices, silks, and precious wares.
The stagecoach stopped in the center of town, just outside the sandstone palace. I grabbed my luggage, thanked the driver, and stepped out. The sun burned hot in the cloudless sky, but the gardens and fountains created an oasis around the palace that helped cool the air.
I wasn't exactly sure where I was meant to go since the invitation had only specified the palace. Peacocks with fanning tails in white and gold were walking amongst the lush grass and prickly cacti. I was admiring them when I felt a familiar electrical charge in the air, and the hair on the back of my neck stood up despite the heat.
"Isadore Dellamousa, you finally made it," Soren said from behind me, and I turned around to see him approaching the path with a stunning woman walking at his side. He wore a pale tunic lined with golden thread and looked as handsome in the desert sun as he had when I last saw him in the ballroom of Calida.
I smiled as he reached me. “Soren Tomoleo. I’m looking forward to working with you again.”
"And you should. We're going to put on quite the show," he said with a wry smile, and his dark eyes moved between me and the woman beside him. She was beautiful, with coppery red hair and ash-brown skin. "Isadore, this is Jessalyn. She's performed at the Sudamon Ashorilida for the past four years and has the role of the primamusa."
The primamusa had the most complicated performance and was the one most featured in what would otherwise be an ensemble. I wasn't surprised to learn that Jessalyn held the title, considering how fluid and elegant her movements were even when she walked and how her skin seemed to glow, even though she wasn't summoning her magik right now.
“Have you been to Sudamon before?” Jessalyn asked.
“Once, but I’ve never been to the palace,” I said.
“I am quite familiar with how things are done here, so I would be happy to show you around,” Jessalyn offered.
I smiled up at her in relief. “That would be wonderful, thank you.”
"Jessalyn, why don't you take Isadore to the dormitory so she can rest and change before our first rehearsal?" Soren suggested. "We have much to do and very little time to do it."
"Excellent idea." Jessalyn looped her arm through mine and started leading me away when Soren stopped us.
“Here. Let me take your bag.” He reached over to take it from me, and his fingers brushed against mine. “I’m not allowed in your room, but I can carry it just outside.”
“Thank you, but that’s not necessary,” I protested weakly, relinquishing without a real fight.
"Let him do the work today. We'll be doing most of it during the Ashoralida," Jessalyn said with a laugh. "The dorms here are very comfortable and chic, and we even have our private courtyard to relax in. Make sure to drink plenty of water and rest often since you're not used to performing in the desert."
“I can handle that,” I said.
As we walked through the gardens toward the dormitory building on the western side of the palace, I glanced back over my shoulder. Soren was following a step behind us, my bag in his hand, and when I looked at him, he was watching me with a curious glint in his eyes.