Moonlight Ball

Iris lifted her head in front of the Ruthna statue in the temple, admiring the craftsmanship as the light enhanced its beauty. She had learned that the people considered the tower and the temple to be similar, yet their followers didn’t get along.

At the tower, the followers believed that Ruthna was more than just a goddess and that the goddess was the root of everything in the world. She was not a man nor a woman, not a human nor an animal, and neither the sky nor the sea, but rather, she was everything combined to make up the earth. For this reason, the people from the tower viewed the temple’s statue of Ruthna as a symbol of a religious cult.

On the other hand, the temple criticized the tower for being self-absorbed and harming the world rather than having an interest in values or humanity. There was criticism aimed at the fact that they used their power for research instead of helping the people who needed it. The temple and tower were always in a dispute, and when the Royal Family joined, it would become a three-way fight, which would only escalate even more when the aristocrats got involved.

Iris already knew this in her mind, but because she had lived such a sheltered life, she had never experienced it for herself. Having to kneel in front of the statue of Ruthna was something that she’d never done before.

“Your Highness,” Elena said, beckoning her to kneel.

“Yes, of course.” Iris kneeled like the people around her.

Seeing and obeying Ruthna as if she was a human was a strange feeling. Although the statue was enormous and beautiful, she couldn’t feel any magic from it, yet the people looked at it with such longing in their eyes.

The prayer meeting was long and complicated, and Iris didn’t understand much of what was going on. Aside from when she had to kneel, she sat quietly and listened to the proceedings on the fancy chair, decorated with bright flowers, for the queen. As soon as the high priest opened his arms, the torches along the stone wall were set alight at the same time. The large flames in the braziers emitted a crimson-colored light and the people audibly exclaimed in awe.

It’s just a flame on a torch. From a tower person’s perspective, Iris observed the swindler-like actions. To her, everything seemed ridiculous. The priests acted like their powers were divine powers but to Iris, it looked like simple magic. Even the high priest’s “divine powers” were so weak that it made Iris question if it was enough for them to enter the tower. Seeing these swindlers trick so many people by putting a flame on a torch left a bad taste in her mouth and made her want to blow them all out.

“Our Ruthna, our Ruthna!” The people shouted in unison. It was unknown what they were praying for or what they were repenting for, but they all called out her name.

Even if this was all a facade, to these people, it was something important, and so Iris prayed without saying a word. Our Ruthna, I do not believe you are in this giant and beautiful statue, but I believe in your existence. My guardian deity, please, please bring a day where the tears of these people can dry.

Iris wondered if The Queen was someone who prayed for this and shared the suffering of these people. If that was the case, she thought that the role of The Queen was not easy, and it also seemed pitiful. But what Iris didn’t know was that there was a much more difficult task waiting for her.

“Your Highness! Your Highness! Your Highness!” The people yelled. Iris looked through the iron bars feeling nervous as the shouting sounded violent, and she feared that a riot would begin. She turned her head to look at Elena, who smiled sweetly at her.

“It has been a long time since they saw the Queen, so they are moved,” Elena informed her.

“You call this moved? That person is foaming at the mouth! Are you sure they don’t despise me?” Iris hesitated and then tried to step back but halted as the iron doors opened. Elena then pushed her from behind, and without a choice, Iris stepped forward.

People had gathered by the thousands to see The Queen, who had attended the Great Prayer for the first time in a long time. The capital’s guards made a path, and The Queen’s female knights positioned themselves around her. It felt as if the knights were raising their powers as if they were magic swordsmen. Reflexively, Iris grabbed her ivory bracelet, which she’d secretly stashed in her chest pocket, without her maids knowing about it.

“Please do not worry. These people will protect you,” Elena said as she grinned. Iris felt relieved when she saw that Elena looked comfortable in this kind of situation.

As Iris stepped out of the iron doors, people reached their hands out, desperately hoping for The Queen to touch them. It was as if they thought they were meeting Ruthna. Iris looked around, contemplating which hand to hold, and then decided on the old lady who was closest to her.

“Wow, such a blessing from the Queen!” The lady exclaimed and then burst into tears.

“I wish you great health and blessings.” Iris squeezed the old lady’s hand and let go. She had to keep on holding people’s hands as they continued to walk through the crowd. The people acted as if they would sacrifice their life for the privilege of touching her hand. And soon, the security guards were shoved behind her by the unruly mob.

The path became narrower, and Elena advised with a grave face, “You have done enough for today. Let’s go back.”

She had only held around twenty people’s hands out of the thousands that were there. But Iris quickly nodded as the atmosphere had become very serious, and the people showed no signs of calming down.

She was about to turn her back when someone screamed out loudly.