Chapter 14: Chapter 13

“Alright then, let's go. What could possibly go wrong?”

When Rinaldo and Olivia arrived, the town square was alive with activity. There was a lot of greenery and flowers, and vendors lined the streets, selling anything from food to trinkets. Olivia was so excited she could barely sit still in her wheelchair.

The two of them wandered through the crowd, frequently stopping to browse. They sat watching the festivities for a while. Rinaldo watched Olivia's obvious delight and noticed how perfectly she was dressed for the event.

Her white dress was short enough that it couldn't hide her elegant legs, and the white ribbon tied into a bow at her waist stressed her tiny waist. The dress belonged to Beatrice, but Rinaldo thought Olivia wore it better than his sister.

“I feel like everyone is staring at me.”

“Maybe they're impressed with your beauty.”

Olivia blushed. “Oh, Rinaldo, you're so silly.”

Rinaldo noted that while Olivia looked radiant, she also seemed quite frail. He had never seen her look so small and weak before. He quickly hid his worry from her. Though he had every reason to be worried, he was not about to let Olivia or anyone else know.

“So, what do you think about the festival?”

“It's nice. I'm sure we'll find something to do if we look hard enough. Even though it's crowded, the atmosphere is really nice.”

“It's not that crowded.” Rinaldo looked around. “We could probably wander around without any trouble.”

“Alright. Let's go take a look. Just be careful, okay?”

They wandered around, exploring. The two occasionally stopped to watch some performances, but mostly, they just explored. They eventually came to an open pavilion, where people gathered to see something.

“What's going on over there?” Olivia walked over to the area. “I don't think we've seen this before.”

“Let's go take a look.”

They came closer, and as they approached, it became apparent what was happening. Olivia and Rinaldo watched, intrigued.

“It's just like the circus,” Olivia commented. “They're performing acrobatics!”

“That's just part of it.”

Olivia followed his gaze and gasped. A woman was performing something like a balancing act, but she wasn't just balancing on one foot. The woman swung around and began juggling. She juggled several objects, including knives, swords, and balls. She juggled on one blade and then on another while dancing elegantly.

“There's more to see than this.” Rinaldo looked around. “Let's keep going. We can come back here later.”

Rinaldo and Olivia wandered around for a while and frequently stopped watching performances. They wandered much, just taking in the sights.

Eventually, Olivia and Rinaldo found themselves back at the circus pavilion, where they'd first arrived. This time, though, they were watching something completely different. Instead of people juggling, there was a man who could spin fire.

The man began by spinning a small ball of fire on the end of a long stick. He twirled it around, bouncing it off objects. The flames were hot, but they left the objects unharmed.

The man then threw the ball of fire into the air, and it burst. The flames were so hot that they licked around his head. He twirled around, spinning around the surrounding fire. He eventually tossed the ball into the air again and caught it.

“That's interesting.” Olivia paused for a moment and then smiled. “It's like…”

“Magic,” Rinaldo finished. “It's magic. What are you doing?”

Olivia turned around, and Rinaldo saw she was staring at the man. He smiled and waved at her, and she waved back.

“Isn't he incredible? I wonder if I could learn to do something like that.”

“You can if you want. I'm sure he could teach you.”

Olivia and Rinaldo watched the fire show for a while longer, and when it was done, they wandered around some more. They were hungry, so they stopped to eat. Olivia found a concession stand and bought herself a hot dog and a soda, and Rinaldo bought himself some roasted corn.

After eating, they continued to explore. They ended up watching another performance, with a group of men and a woman playing instruments. It reminded Olivia of the orchestra she and Rinaldo had attended with Astoria.

The music captivated Olivia, so she didn't notice when Rinaldo left. In fact, it wasn't until Rinaldo had disappeared that she realised it. Olivia looked around, looking for him, and saw him talking to one performer.

“Dorian, I want you to meet Olivia. Olivia, this is Dorian.”

Dorian smiled and introduced himself, and Olivia did as well. He was a man with silver eyes, long eyelashes, chin-length grey hair, and an air of charisma and confidence that Olivia found remarkable. The man wore a well-tailored suit and a crisp, ironed, and well-pressed shirt.

A gold and black chain crossed his chest and hung down from his neck on his left side. It had an eye-shaped pendant hanging from it that Olivia had seen somewhere else before. He patted her on the back and shook her hand.

Rinaldo frowned. If Dorian was here, then something was up. The man wasn't only the singer and leader of the Grand Orchestra—he was also a secret agent. It took little to figure out Dorian was here for work, and something big was going on.

He could see that Celeste, the only female member of their orchestra and their pianist, looked as if she didn't want to be there. It was hard to tell with her, though.

The white-haired woman was beautiful, but she always had that look on her face whenever Rinaldo saw her. A deep sadness seemed to inhabit her all the time. Celeste never said a word, either. She always had her head tilted down, as if in shame.

Whenever Rinaldo could glimpse her eyes, they were red and watery, almost as if she was about to cry.

Rinaldo would have liked to go up and console her, but he could tell she wouldn't appreciate it. Besides, it was more important for him to sit here quietly and observe what was happening. He wondered who Celeste really was—or what she was. A siren, perhaps?

“I have to go. It's been wonderful to see you, and I can't wait to see you again.”

With that, he turned around and left. Olivia watched him go, wondering where they should go next. Rinaldo hoped they wouldn't be meeting more secret agents. Seeing Dorian and his orchestra here was bad enough.

They made their way to the centre of the town square, where the mayor was speaking, and Olivia and Rinaldo stopped to listen. After a few minutes, the man finished his speech, and the crowd cheered. The pair listened closely, but they missed most of the speech.

“He didn't say anything important, right?” Olivia asked.

“No, not really. But it's fun to listen to him. He's always so passionate about what he does.”

Rinaldo looked around and saw that the crowd was dispersing. He thought it would be better if they left, too. Olivia agreed and eventually found something she was interested in.

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She stopped and pointed. “What's that?”

“Who knows? Probably something someone thought they could sell.”

Olivia didn't move immediately, and Rinaldo wondered if she was waiting for something. Eventually, she reached into her pocket, pulled out some money, and handed it to the salesman. She got what she was waiting for, and it impressed Rinaldo.

“What did you get?”

“This.” She held out a small, round, black stone. “It's supposed to be an amulet, but I'm not sure yet.”

“Wait. Let me see.”

Olivia held the stone out to him, and Rinaldo studied it. The stone was about the size of a marble, and appeared to be made of some sort of crystal. The light from the stone made Rinaldo's eyes hurt. It was smooth.

Rinaldo couldn't believe it when he found it was perfectly round. There was no sign of any cracks or breaks. The stone was smooth to the touch and had no sharp edges—at least none that he could see.

“It's incredible. It doesn't have any flaws.”

“That's what the salesman said.” Olivia slipped the stone into her pocket. “It's supposed to bring luck.”

“That's nice.”

“Yeah. I'll keep it for now.”

Olivia smiled. Rinaldo assumed that meant she would never wear it. After all, Olivia wasn't one to believe in superstitions. She usually made fun of people who believed that, though she secretly believed in a few herself.

“I think we should go. We have another hour before the festival ends. Let's get out of here.”

Olivia nodded, and they walked towards the festival gates. On the way, Rinaldo stopped and looked around, as if searching for something, and Olivia noticed this.

“What is it?”

“I just remembered something.” Rinaldo reached into his pocket and pulled out the medallion he had found yesterday. “I don't know why, but I feel like I should give this to you.”

Olivia stared at him for a moment. “You want to give this to me?”

“Yeah. It's a gift. I know you don't believe in that sort of thing, but I want you to have it.”

“How did you know?”

Rinaldo smiled and held it out to Olivia. “I just knew.”

Rinaldo noticed how surprised she looked when she took the medallion. She almost looked like she was expecting him to take it back. She put the medallion into her pocket, and Rinaldo wondered if she would ever wear it.

“What will we do now?”

“I have no idea.”

Olivia smiled. “It's not like you usually have a plan.”

“Well, I don't have any better ideas. Let's get out of here. I think we're about to miss the closing ceremony.”

Olivia nodded, and they made their way towards the festival gates. The pair found a place in an empty part of the square where they could watch the fireworks. The fireworks amazed Olivia. She had witnessed nothing quite like it.

The colourful explosions in the sky were dazzling, and their noises were deafening. Olivia could not help but look at the spectacle in wonder. Even as they watched, Olivia could sense that the spectacle was also signalling something. She knew that something significant was happening.

The fireworks were brilliant. At other times, they were gentle and quiet. Olivia thought there was something symbolic in the pattern. She watched the sky with fascination, wondering if the fireworks represented what she was feeling.

“That was the most incredible thing I've ever seen.”

“Me too. I'm glad we got to see it.”

She held her breath until the fireworks faded, and Rinaldo noticed she was shivering. Rinaldo reached into his pocket and pulled out a scarf. He handed it to Olivia.

“Wrap this around your neck. It will help keep you warm.”

Olivia accepted the scarf and wrapped it around herself. Before long, she was shivering less and feeling better. Rinaldo noticed her acting more normally, and he felt relieved.

“I'm glad you're feeling better.”

“I know. I'm just glad I'm warm now.”

The two of them watched the fireworks for a while longer, but they eventually grew bored. The pair made their way out of the town square, and Olivia looked back at the beautiful, colourful, bustling city Rinaldo had left behind.

After the last few fireworks faded into darkness, Rinaldo, and Olivia watched a parade pass. It consisted of dancers, musicians, and marchers. It amazed Olivia how creative some costumes were. The parade ended in the town square.

The crowd cheered as the mayor and leaders of the town were honoured. Rinaldo and Olivia watched intently until the parade had made its way back to the town hall. When the parade ended, and the crowds dispersed, Olivia and Rinaldo made their way back to Lady Ragnell's house.

Olivia smiled. “I think that was the most fun I've had in a long time.”

“That's for sure,” Rinaldo agreed. “I don't think I'll ever witness anything like that ever again.”

“Thanks for everything, Rinaldo. I had a great time.”

A few minutes passed, and Olivia fell asleep in her wheelchair, only to wake up when the ground shook beneath her, followed by the sound of explosions in the distance. She lifted her head and asked Rinaldo what was going on.

Rinaldo didn't answer her right away. Instead, he looked into the distance and saw smoke rising high in the sky. A few seconds after, the ground shook again, and they heard more explosions. The two wheeled their way home, hoping they were safe from whatever was happening.

“We better get out of here.”