Chapter 68: Festival with Vivienne (XXIX).
Kein's POV
The event organizer placed his sign on the side of Rose's name in affirmation that she will be participating in the dancing event later.
"Thank you for putting your name on the list, you're officially in. We'll check up on you after fifteen minutes with this number." He gives Rose a piece of paper to which she accepts gratefully before moving to the side with me.
I take a look at her number seeing that she's the twelfth person to only sign up. I frowned, I'm mostly worried that her cover up as a commoner would be blown while she's dancing in front of the stall stage set here.
"You're really going to dance." I muttered and she nodded. "To win a frog plush." I continued, hearing myself it would all sound so silly- someone trying to win a frog plush instead of the grand prize of gold would be absolutely ridiculous to think.
Rose nods for the second time, still determined to get me that plush no matter the amount of talking I'll be trying to do.
A princess participating in a commoner event just to win a frog plush for her girlfriend- which is me is sort of funny when you look at it that way. If Lord Vincent has heard of this fiasco I'll never hear the end of it.
"You looked like you really wanted it, so let me win it for you come on it's not always a princess is offering you her services to win a prize." (Rose) teases but I shake my head.
"When we were kids you would actually still try and win me things that I don't even need-"
I remembered when there were wandering festivals and performers on [Sprivanto] that came to the streets of [Puronia]. It was similar to a circus where they would usually perform and have fun stalls the children would be able to play in.
What's abundant in the business when it came to a wandering festival was the gambling stalls, brimming of cards, betting on gold and chips being thrown around like there was no tomorrow.
This was when we were still together as friends traveling into the capital with new adventures in there. Rose somehow had the ability to perfectly ring toss, shoot an arrow right by the bullseye, and some other more carnival games to the point she ended up winning almost all of the prizes that they had.
Who do you think brought home those prizes?
Me.
I would always come home [Storage Ring] full of capacity because all of the things Rose bought for me.
"You still haven't changed-" At times I wasn't even aware that she's one of the light princesses of the kingdom, if I placed myself in her shoes- being given a lot of duties at her age, coming into the common city to have fun must be her way of destressing.
"But as long as you're having fun- remember to be careful to not let your shawl get blown off..."
I scolded her with a reminder to which she takes, Rose takes her hand and reaches for the side of the shawl wrapping it more tightly around her head.
"There-! Isn't mommy pretty, Vivienne?" (Rose) asks our daughter who gave a thumbs up and positive answer.
"Mommy is very pretty!" (Vivienne) exclaims giggling trying to get some sweet points from her other mother and I couldn't help pinching both of their cheeks for having too much of the same personality.
Though, Vivienne is not wrong... Rose is very pretty indeed.
"Will the dancers for the competition please gather in this corner? We'll be starting soon!" The event organizer was standing on a small little crate gaining everyone's attention, especially the dancers who moved to the designated area. "Don't forget your number because that will be your recorded turn."
The other artists who were going to other events were left behind as they prepared for their turn. Some audience members who wanted to watch the dancing event followed the dancers.
Vivienne and I were one of those people who wanted to watch so we followed them as well seeing the small wooden stage prepared.
"Wish me luck." (Rose) waved her hand a little in our direction and we did the same thing waving back.
We could see her eyes smiling while she went with the other dancers forming a line. "Goodluck…"
"Please dancer number one- pick a song that's as to be played by the band at the side-"
Many of the other dancers were called upon the stage first, they were all revealing a little more revealing clothes- their navel being exposed completely. I was looking respectfully- there were even a few male dancers participating here.
Some picked a serene slow song, while the others were fast on the beat. Their body moved to the beat in precise timing and even though I was impressed by their skill on the art of dance, I couldn't help but compare them to the best dancer I've ever known.
Princess Cecilia has been the only dancer who has been able to move me to paint by her skill in dancing. I'm not being biased but I really believe that she's levels ahead compared to these dancers.
"Ten."
"Eight."
"Seven."
"Congratulations! You have gained twenty-five points! The highest points we've attained just yet!" The event speaker pumps up the crowd as they all start clapping for the dancer who just performed.
I noticed that the three people sitting on the front seeing the dancers up close were criticizing them all fairly, holding up written numbers upon a small board raising it a little to show the crowd- Hold on- is that- father?!
"Father was going to judge the dancing event this year?!" I saw my father's expression while looking at the dancers seriously, he's most likely already judging them based on their skill and pointing them out for their elegant moves of choreography.
Father was usually the one judging the painting event not the dancing one- I looked up to see the score that he raised up was usually the lowest ones of them all.
"May the next dancer come up onto the stage- Miss Rose... Rosengaurd?" He calls onto the name and my face blushes for a moment hearing Rose using my last name actually made me feel shy now.
"And can you tell the band what song they would like to play?" The event organizer calls out the next dancer, and I realized by the perfect timing that it was Rose's turn to dance.
"Mommy!" (Vivienne) almost lets go of her pouch in excitement of seeing Rose into the stage but I manage to catch it quickly before it slumps into the ground. "There we go... I know you're excited to see your mommy but always be mindful of your surroundings."
I placed the black pouch into her hands again, this time she wasn't intent on letting it go, we watched as Rose went into the band and whispered the song she was going to dance in.
"A moment of surprise- ladies and gentleman."
The strums of several guitars and the banging of drums could be heard. My lover in front of me puts her foot forward, bending down as her hands stretch out to the back before it flows the movement dancing like she was a river flowing on the land.
Dum! Dum!
The drums became louder before it stopped, the guitar played slowly revealing that it was the chords for the Mistral dance. The song that was used to purify the land and the people of [Puronia] in the name of the light goddess herself.
The air around us became thicker, as the music grew into a small tremble, Rose's movements were graceful and elegant as she danced the remainder of the string. She stretches her hands into the crowd, as if she was pulling them in- I felt being pulled in as well.
When she looked in my direction, I could feel the gaze being different. It was as if she was dancing for another reason than to bless others- it felt... a bit seductive instead. The look in her eye was if she's telling me, you know you want to...
To think a dance like this was being used in this kind of way- is practically unheard of.
The stroke of the instruments became slower nearing its end, Rose's swirled and twirled until at the very last beat she stopped letting out a different pose compared to the original Mistral dance performed at the church.
"Ow!"
Her very last pose- was falling flat onto her face.
It surprised everyone, they gasped and even the judges-!
So that's how she was planning to get the plushie! Honestly I was wondering how in the world was she going to get the plushie with such a good performance but-
"Oh dear. I slipped-" (Rose) acts out acting timid as she clumsily tries to get back up again. "That would make me lose some points, yes?"
"Pfft-"
I couldn't help myself from trying not to laugh. "Hahaha!" I was the only one laughing among the crowd and everyone was looking at me weirdly but I didn't care! Sure it looks bad- it seemed like I was making fun of her but the way she fell flat on her face intentionally to lose some points!
She's too genius!
"Well... you're right... we'll have to remove some points for your unexpected blunder." One of the judges exclaimed to the crowd. The crowd who fell in love with the performance they all shouted boo's.
Apparently the performance was so successful that it made a whole crowd want an encore.
"We want an encore!"
"The new Mistral dance was so amazing it moved me into tears!"
"Encore! If not, I'm going to throw my kid on the stage!"
Who in the heavens shouted that last one?!
In the end no encore was made and Rose decided to exit the stage where the other dancers were, Vivienne and I decided that we'll meet her there instead of the area we were in before where it was heavily crowded and the people might ask for an encore and she'll be too kind to not refuse the request of her people.
"Ugh Kein..."
When we arrived there, we saw Miss Rose Rosenguard holding her shawl overprotective she was covering her face looking a bit embarrassed. "Are you alright, Miss Rose Rosenguard?"
"No... I'm not. My face fell flat onto the floor and you dare to ask me if I'm alright?" she tried to act all mad but really she was smiling under that shawl, I could feel it in my heart.
"Stop acting, woman . I know that was intentional, come on, stand up properly and let's wait for the announcement of winners." I held her hand and dragged her across a secluded space where we waited for the other dancers to finish.
"Fine..." (Rose) replied in a lazy manner before following behind me.
We had a lot of fun watching many dancers perform and excitedly waited for the final score to be carried out before choosing a winner. "I know I've got this in the bag- with my final move of falling flat onto the floor- how could they not give me the rightful last place?" she proudly tells me and I just chuckled holding her hand while waiting for the announcement.
The three judges, including my father who has been rather oddly quiet the whole time, were waiting for the event organizer to announce the list of winners for all the events. "For the dancing event- we would like to congratulate the top three winners who'll be taking the gold prizes."
The first two were complete strangers.
"Miss Emerald Linskel."
"Miss Hollow Unpen."
"And Miss Rose Rosenguard please claim your prize."
Everyone clapped into abrupt cheers except... for my girlfriend who looked like she was about to cry from not getting the last place that she wanted.
Rose was frozen in place when she heard her fake name onto the list.
"I-I'm not last?"