"The gate is closing! Please step away!"

A soldier clad in metal armour shooed away whoever was still standing nearby. Then, a massive metal gate was slowly lowered and with a dull sound, it hit the ground, barring the way for everyone, in and out.

"That was close. Good thing the soldier recognised us and let us in..."
"Nn."

We had been in quite a hurry to get here and it was just barely enough. A guard saw us running to the gate and gestured for us to hurry up. It was the same guard we had met in the morning, so he quickly let us through and signalled the other guards to lower the gate. Talk about close.
We thanked the guard and moved away, into the city.

"Still, Sis. Are you sure this is fine? We won't get out until morning now, right?"
"It is fine, don't worry, don't worry."
"Haaa..."

I couldn't help but worry. She still hadn't told me where we were going to sleep at tonight. Or what she had even planned anyway. The only thing I knew was, that she was really excited.

"So, Sis. Can you tell me now why we are here?"
"You'll see soon enough. Come."
"..."

She still wouldn't tell me. Okay. Whatever... It wasn't like I was super curious and she had left me hanging for quite some time already. I just had to follow her and find out. Humming, she walked in front of me. Wouldn't be a surprise to me if she started skipping. I watched her silently. Even though I disliked being left out of the loop, I couldn't feel angry. This blatant display of excitement was rare for her, so I wanted to let her enjoy herself.

Nn? Isn't this the same path we took earlier to the market? So, we're going to the market? But isn't it closed now? Or is there something like an evening market?

After pondering a little, I discarded the thought again. Karen wanted to surprise me, so I should just let her surprise me. In the meantime, voices and loud sounds could be heard in the distance, growing louder and louder the further we walked. Maybe the evening market wasn't that far off from the truth.

Quite a few people are going there... And it's mostly young people.

It reminded me a little of walking to a concert. Dozens of young people at once, excited and looking forward to the event.
In the distance, small, swaying lights became visible. A little later and I could make out stalls, and then a large crowd. This kind of scene, I knew it well. It wasn't a concert but something very similar.

"A... festival?"

Dozens over dozens of people holding mugs, roaring laughter and blaring music, stalls selling food, and other small things, accessories and the like. The scent of roasted meat wafted through the air, mixed with the scent of something else, unfamiliar but pleasant.

"Yes. It's the Lafrian Summer Festival!"
"A festival... I see, this is indeed a surprise."
"Ehehe. Come, let's take a look around."
"Nn."

She took my hand as we approached the festival crowd. Nearby, a bunch of old men sat around a table, drinking. A little further a group of women gathered next to a stall, enjoying the food. Couples walked around, holding hands like we did, looking at the stalls.

"Yumi, want to eat something?"
"Nn... No, we had dinner not that long ago. Later, maybe?"
"Okay. Then, should we just walk down the stalls for now and take a look?"
"Nn."

That was a good idea. Festivals tended to go well into the evening so I doubted we would have trouble getting food later on. Dozens of stalls formed small paths through which we walked, many of them selling either food or small accessories. The food looked pretty interesting, actually. There were meat skewers and something like grilled sausages. But also plenty of dishes I had honestly no idea about.

"Sis, what kind of food is that?"
"This? Good question. Excuse me, but what is this?"

A rather peculiar kind of dish caught my attention. It looked like some grilled fruit. It was small, round and charred all over. But it looked a little too odd for a fruit... Karen didn't know about it either, so she approached the stall owner and asked him.

"Welcome! Welcome! Come here to take a look at the food? You've got good eyes, young cou—

He interrupted his words upon seeing us, a look of confusion spreading on his face.

"Huh? Uh... Two... girls?"

He fell silent, staring at us, clearly unsure what to say. His reaction confused me just as much, though. People would usually treat us as sisters or the like, right? He eyed us a little before he remembered that Karen had asked him something.

"Oh, the food? Right, the food... Sorry, err, it's just a little surprising. I didn't mean to stare. I don't mind that, really! It's unusual but... Ahhh... The food, you asked about, right? Right, the food. It's grilled Occra bird stomachs filled with bread crumbs. They are delicious as snacks, perfect to eat at a festival! Definitely! Right..."

That was some impressive panicking... But at least we now knew what this food was. Albeit I still had no idea what his behaviour was about...

"... Stomachs?"
"Yes, stomachs. Stomachs. Occra bird stomachs. Ah, we also have grilled bird hearts if you prefer. They're pretty good as a snack too, yes? Yes."

He pointed at the other end of his stall, where something very similar to these... stomachs... was displayed. A little smaller and even darker in colour, though.

"... I see. We'll think about it. Thank you."
"No problem, no problem. Enjoy the festival! Enjoy it, yes, enjoy it!"
"Thank you."

Karen pulled me away from the stall. Bird stomachs and hearts were a little... Definitely not something I was used to, yeah. But more importantly, what was up with his behaviour?

"Sis, why did the stall owner panic?"
"..."
"Sis?"
"I don't know..."

She didn't know? Not the answer I was expecting.

"Mh... Lily told me to expect such reactions, but she didn't tell me why."
"Nn? Did Lily tell you about this festival?"
"Yes. She said I should come here with you and have a good time."
"Huh..."

But Lily knew we'd be getting such a reaction? Weird... But if Karen didn't know, there wasn't much I could do either. Maybe we'd find out over the course of the festival just what was up with it. I sighed, taking a short look back to the stall we had just left. The stall owner was already busy with the next pair of customers, a young couple.

Ah, they actually bought some of those... stomachs? Or the hearts? Uhh...
"Sis, is it normal to, err, eat stomachs? And hearts?"
"Yes? Did you never eat them?"
"No..."

Innards weren't exactly something I was used to eating... Or rather, I really never ate any, probably? Maybe I did in the past. At the very least, I couldn't remember...

"Huh. But, what did people do with the innards at your place then? It's a waste to throw them away."
"... I don't know?"

Maybe... they were actually eaten? Or they were processed into some other food and I simply didn't know. Or I forgot. But she was right, it would be a waste... And if it was edible... Still, I was a little reluctant...

"Huh... Not eating them sounds wasteful."
"... But you left the stall pretty quickly, Sis."
"... I don't really like stomaches. Or hearts. Or most innards... So, unless I have to..."
"..."

So much for wasteful. Didn't expect her of all people to be picky. But, sometimes there were things you simply didn't like. I wasn't exactly fond of the thought of eating grilled innards either, so it was just fine with me. Then again, I didn't know how they tasted so... Well, nothing I could do about now.

"Rather than that, let's take a look at that stall, Yumi."
"Nn, okay."

Karen pulled me towards a different stall, with a multitude of accessories. Most of them were made of leather. Some things other than accessories, like leather bags, gloves and such stuff were displayed as well. Some of the accessories were dyed, making the stall stand out quite a bit from its competitors.

"Leather rings and bracelets, huh."

The stall owner, an old woman, looked at us with wide eyes, surprised. A moment later she quickly narrowed them and smiled gently. We really were standing out...

"My, are you girls looking for something specific? A ring? A bracelet? Or maybe a choker?"
"Ah, no. We're just looking around..."
"I see. Then, take your time looking. If you have any questions, go ahead."

Karen looked over all the small accessories with great interest. If her eyes could sparkle, they'd surely do it now. Maybe I should get her a little something. Ah, but Karen was holding the money. That'd be hard...
Still, it was good to know that Karen liked such things.

"Look, Yumi, those bracelets are so pretty."
"Which ones? Those?"
"Yes."

Karen pointed at a pair of braided leather bracelets. There were a few holes in the braid with a coloured rope pulled through. It was a rather unique design among the accessories.

"Hohoho, you picked out something quite nice, young lady. Those are our traditional bracelets, only sold today, on this festival."
"Only today? Why?"
"You don't know? How odd... But... You girls are from outside, yes?"
"Ah, yes. We only arrived today. A... friend recommended us to come here today."
"Hohoho, a friend, huh? Hehe, now, I wonder if they are a good friend or a mean friend..."

She mumbled quietly, barely audible enough for me to overhear it. Then, she turned around and walked to the back of the stall.

"Let me show you girls something nice."

The stall owner went to the back of her stall and started rummaging in a bag. Then, she took out a pair of bracelets, similar to the ones sold here.

"The colour is different. Wait, that's... not a normal rope, is it?"
"It isn't, you got some sharp eyes there. These bracelets are only sold in pairs and instead of the rope, it's a strand of your partner's hair that goes in here. So that, no matter where they are, your partner will always be with you."
"I see... Wait... Partner?"

The old woman giggled at Karen's astonished expression.

"Yes, partner. Your partner in life. That's what today's festival is about."

This was... a lovers' festival? Seriously? No wonder we drew attention... And why so many couples were walking around. Karen's face heated up, realising the meaning of the festival as well.

"Hohoho, so you really didn't know."
"Uhhh..."
"So? What are you going to do? Today is the only chance."
"..."

Karen took a long, good look at the pair of bracelets. She threw a few fleeting glances in my direction.

"For your partner..."
"Yes, your partner. A charm to never get separated. It's mostly only a small tradition nowadays, but many couples still come together today for it."
"I see... To be together...

Karen took another look at the two bracelets in the woman's hand. Suddenly, Karen's eyes widened in surprise.

"But then... Your..."
"Hohoho, don't mind it. It's been long and he lived a good life. I'm sure he was content until the end."
"... I see."
"Now, don't make such a sad face, young lady. It ruins your pretty face. You shouldn't feel sad for us old folks, who already had a happy life until now. There's no reason to be sad. You should rather look at your own life, in the present. And at your own happiness. Don't you have someone important to you?"

The old woman laughed heartily.

"... I do. You are right. My... Our own happiness... Mhm... Yumi?"
"Nn."
"Then, could we have one pair?"
"Ohohoho, with pleasure."

The old woman took the pair of bracelets from the display, removed the rope and handed them to Karen.

"Here, take them. Don't mind about the money."
"Eh? But, are you sure?"
"These weren't intended to be sold for money, young lady. I had intended to give them out for free from the very beginning."
"... I see. Thank you."
"Hohoho, no need to thank me. When the sun is down there'll be a dance followed by an exchange of bracelets with your partner. Do participate, if you can. You just need to be there at the time, you'll see how it works. I'm sure it'll be an invaluable experience."

The woman smiled with narrowed eyes. It was an incredibly gentle smile, like a mother's smile.

"You girls are taking a hard path, but I wish you all the luck I can offer. May the Great Spirits watch over you."
"... Thank you, ma'am."
"Thank you."

We both thanked her and left the stall. The woman waved at us for a little while. She had already replaced the bracelets with a new pair. Karen stared at the bracelets in her hand while we walked through the crowd.

"Lily played us quite well again."
"Nn."

She really did. To think this was a festival to celebrate lovers... But... A festival about love wasn't all too rare, yet, I never would have thought I'd attend one, together with someone I love.

"But, Yumi... Is this... fine with you?"
"Nn? What do you mean?"
"Walking here... it's like... declaring it to everyone... isn't it?"
"Ahhh... Are you worried about that?"

Karen nodded, averting her gaze a little. A short silence followed before she took a breath and faced me.

"Yumi... you know... I want to be able to say it... to tell everyone, that this girl... is my lover... my important person. I don't want to keep it secret. But... The more I think about it... the more worried I become. Is this... really the right thing to do?"
"..."
"Mr Captain said, not everyone would accept our relationship... And, I'm a little scared... If they don't accept it..."
"... Is that so."

She was stumbling over a few words a little bit, clearly showing how insecure she was right now. I squeezed Karen's hand and pulled her a little closer so that I could lean my head on her arm while walking. Enjoying the warmth, I could feel my face relaxing.

"Sis, I want to be able to say it as well, to everyone. That this cute girl is mine, and only mine. And that I'm only yours and not anyone other's."
"Yumi..."
"Sis, just now, I heard there's a dance later. How about we go there? Ah, I can't really dance, though, so please forgive me if I mess up..."
"Yumi... Mm, let's go there."

Karen squeezed back and a smile appeared on her face. Yes, this was a much better expression. Who cared what others thought about us?
With newfound energy, we continued our little adventure through the stalls. And despite the little awkwardness from our height difference, we intertwined our fingers, not letting each other go for even a second.

---

"Ohh... That's a large stage... And there are so many people."
"Nn. I'm... getting a bit nervous..."

Around an earth hour later, the sun was close to the horizon. The stalls and the surrounding buildings all had lamps hung up, providing enough light for the plaza. Yet, the crowd slowly moved away from the stalls to a small stage. Some stalls even started to close up as well.
The small stage, well, actually it wasn't that small, was in the middle of the plaza, surrounded by the stalls. Dozens of young couples gathered on it, preparing for the upcoming dance. Us included.

"There's... a lot of people staring at us..."
"Nn..."

Among the crowd at the stalls, we hadn't been drawing that much attention. But now, at the plaza, dozens of people stared over at us with curious gazes. Not really that unexpected, considering we were the only same-sex pair.

"Ahh... This is making me really nervous too..."
"Nn..."

Thankfully, most of them were simply bewildered or curious. In fact, some people were even smiling in our direction, just like the older woman who gave us the bracelets. Still, a few people directed not-so-kind gazes at us, but none of them approached us. They were in the minority anyway. But a minority was all that was necessary to ruin someone's day, so I hoped they'd stay away.

"The sun is setting..."
"Nn."

Just after Karen said that a large lamp lit up, illuminating the plaza. It was a huge lamp, that was hanging over a small pedestal in the middle of the stage. Standing on this small pedestal was a man, clad in colourful clothing and wearing a scary, animal-like mask with horns, similar to antlers, protruding from the sides. He looked over the crowd, over the dozens and dozens of pairs filling the plaza and then over the audience. Many people were watching, surrounding the stage. Hundreds of them.
Nodding to himself, the priest then spread out his arms towards the crowd. A small ringing sound echoed through the plaza. Dozens of small bells hung on his sleeves, ringing with every move.

"Welcome, young people! Tonight! Is an auspicious occasion!"

His loud voice echoed through the entire plaza, silencing everyone who was still talking.

"Tonight, we gathered in reverence to the Great Spirits! You all shall bring a tribute, to the Great Spirits! To your partner! Celebrate! Dance! Sing! Let them all hear it! Let them know, tonight, about your love! Tell them all, every single one!

The man slowly turned around in a circle, facing the different parts of the crowd, all the while directing his gaze and his arms towards the sky.

"The Great Spirits are watching! Show them your love! Dance, my children! Make the night into a day!"

A deep sound echoed through the plaza, followed by another and then a third. A deep, rhythmic sound.
Surrounding the pedestal were three men with large drums, rhythmically hitting them. Together with them were three women, one holding something like a very long flute and the other two holding a kind of string instrument. It took but a moment for the plaza to be filled with gentle music. One after another, the couples around us all began dancing.

"May I ask for this dance, my lady?"
"Nn, with pleasure."

Karen, slightly bowing, held out her hand to me. And with a smile, I accepted. It made me feel a little like a scene from a fairy tale. Like a princess being asked for a dance by her prince. I didn't mind the unexpected role of a princess I took in this. Calling Karen my prince... might not be too far off.
There was just one problem in all of this.

"Sis, how do I dance?"
"... Let's just imitate the others around us. It's a pretty simple dance."
"Nn, I'll try."
"Ehehe, good luck."

Karen put her arm around my waist and held me close to her body. So close, that I could feel her body heat.

"Let's start slowly, okay?"
"Nn."

Very slowly, Karen moved from the left to the right and back to the left, in the rhythm of the music. I tried copying her movements as best as I could. After a few iterations, I figured out the basic steps.

"Oh, Yumi, you're learning quickly."
"Nn, I'm trying. But Sis, you're pretty good at this."
"Ahaha... I learnt a little about dancing before we left Aldreigh. And... I kind of liked it so sometimes, when I was alone in the slums, I practised. It made me forget a little about all the worries I had."
"I see. So you like dancing. Guess I'll have to practice then, so I can be your partner in the future as well."
"I'm looking forward to it."

Ever so slowly, Karen increased the pace, until we matched the others around us. Being held like this, put me at ease. I still stumbled a little here and there, but Karen just smiled and laughed. We were so close to each other right now, looking only at our partner.

"Nn, this is quite fun. I think I'd like to do this more often."
"Hehe, I'll teach you then."
"Please do."

We continued our dance for a while. In between, the music changed. It was similar, but a little faster. Adapting to it made me stumble quite a bit, but Karen just smiled and helped me out. I slowly understood why people commonly warned not to step on the other's feet.
Then, suddenly many people stopped around as and began murmuring. Noticing the commotion, the musicians also slowed down and came to a stop. There was some shouting a little away, probably in the audience.

"Nn? Did something happen?"
"I don't know. Ah, look, over there."

Karen pointed to the side, where the audience was watching the dance. I had a little trouble seeing it... With some effort I could make out a young man, being glared at by a group of older people. An old man was shouting at him.

"Doesn't that look bad?" I asked.
"Mh... No, I think... Ah, look..."

The glares changed into one of the most stupefied looks I had seen in a long time. The reason was simple. The young man turned away from the old man and walked to someone else in the audience, also a young man. And then he took his hand. It was quite obvious what their relationship was.

"Hee, so it was like that."
"It is. Do you think that, maybe, we gave them a little courage?"
"It'd be nice if we did."

Still, the old man who was shouting earlier, walked over to the two young men, clearly intending to continue. Yet, he was interrupted by a deep, reverberating sound. It came from the direction of the pedestal in the middle of the stage. The man in colourful clothing, probably a priest or something like that, stood on it, holding something akin to a large gong.

"Ohoho, it seems, this year, we got a few brave children! Wonderful. Wonderful! The Great Spirits do not mind! They welcome you wholeheartedly! My children, today is a day of celebration. And celebrate we shall! As long as they are a couple in love, the Great Spirits will give their blessings. Come, do not let the petty quarrels of the old sour this celebration! Young ones, enjoy your life! Dance! And if there are more who wish to join us today, come! Bring forth your tribute to the Great Spirits! Celebrate for them! Let them partake in our joy! Come!"

Someone in the audience cheered and clapped, then others joined in. Alas, before more could join in, people again turned to a different spot in the audience. Two young girls, maybe even younger than Karen, walked onto the stage.

"Hehehe, seems even more decided to join in."
"Nn."

In the end, only these two couples joined the dance. The music once more picked up, the priest laughing heartily on his pedestal, shouting his blessings, not letting anyone interrupt it again. Some in the audience had sour expressions, probably the related families. But, the majority was smiling. Laughter, friendly shouts, the sound of clinking mugs. A few even started singing to the music. Just how a festival of this kind should be.

Ahh, this is fun.

A celebration, a festival. The priest was right about that. It was a little bit of a surprise for me, but... Having fun was the point of this. And, just now, I was having tons of it.

"Ehehe."
"Yumi?"
"Nothing, I just thought, it's really great. Thank you, Sis."

Karen gave me a toothy, bright smile.

"You're welcome!"

---

The dance went on for nearly an entire hour. By the end of it, half the couples weren't even dancing anymore. Unfortunately, Karen didn't let me go or even take a break. I just couldn't say no to that happy, laughing face of hers.
As a result, I was utterly exhausted by the end of it. But it was worth it. It was just, so much fun.

"Are you okay, Yumi? Want something to drink?"
"Ah, thank you, Sis."

I took the waterskin Karen was handing me and drank a good amount.
Her stamina was amazing. She wasn't even breaking a sweat after all this dancing. Was this because of her constitution? Or was she simply that used to this kind of exercise from her time in the slums? A secret marathon runner? Even the other couples that had kept up until the end were exhausted.

"Ahh, a lot better... I feel alive again."

Water was great. Truly. It made me feel a lot more refreshed.

"That's great. Then, let's take a rest over there."
"Nn..."

We moved to the side of the plaza, trying to find some peace from the crowd. Alas, before we reached there, once more, someone raised a commotion.

"What's going on this time?"

We turned around, taking a look at what was happening.
A beastkin man, the old man who had already tried to stir up trouble earlier, was shouting, seething with anger. And the target of his rage? The old woman, who previously gave us the bracelets. And behind her, the other two couples, had joined in the middle. Now that I could take a good look at them... All four of them were young, probably not even twenty yet. The two girls were at most at Rina's age even.

"Yumi, isn't that the woman from earlier?"
"Nn, it is."

It wasn't pleasant to watch. But, the old woman just laughed, being calm and completely unperturbed by the raging man. It was a stark contrast.

"I'm a little worried... Let's see what's going on there."
"Nn."

I was worried as well. Even if she was calm, that didn't mean the raging man wouldn't try to do something. Why was he shouting at the old woman in the first place?

"This is blasphemy! What nonsense about love are you spouting?! It's unhealthy! Unnatural! Cease this farce immediately! You tainted our good tradition!"

The two couples behind the woman both flinched, staring at the ground.

"Is that all you have to say, Mr Allena? You are the one disturbing the festival."
"Karker! This is not a matter you should interfere with! Get out of my way so I can drag these stupid children back!"
"It's still Lady Karker for you. You seem to have forgotten your manners."
"You old wench! Get out of my way!"

The man took a step forward, towards the woman, but was immediately interrupted by a third person.

"Hoho, Mr Allena, I presume? This is a celebration, a festival. I hope you have a good reason for interrupting our traditions? The great ones above want to see our joy, not your anger."

The priest, his face still covered with the animal mask, stood between them.

"Lo, Lord Spirit Priest... You, you can't possibly take the side of this wench and her blasphemous nonsense!"
"Blasphemous? Blasphemous, you say. Blasphemous nonsense... Interesting, so I, the highest priest of our fair town, am supporting blasphemous nonsense? Is that, what you are claiming? Mr Allena?"
"Tha, that's... I mean..."
"Are you? Or are you not?"
"I...'m not..."

The priest nodded a few times, satisfied with the answer.

"Good, good. I was worried. The Great Spirits above prefer harmony, after all. It would have been sacrilegious, to interrupt the festivities. Right, Mr Allena?"
"..."

The man gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, staring at the old woman. If his glare could kill he probably would've eradicated the town by now.

"Then, I assume your business with the Lady Karker is done with? We still have to finish the ceremony."
"Lo, Lord Spirit Priest! But! That!"

The man, Allena, lost his composure at those words, his eyes darting between the priest and the two couples.

"Yes? Ah, right. That'll mean they are bonded as a couple, according to our traditions, yes. An auspicious occasion, right? Hahaha! Isn't it beautiful? The love of man ignores all bounds, all limits. Gender, race, country, standing, everything! Isn't it wonderful, to be a witness to such a miraculous occasion?"
"..."

The surrounding people looked among themselves, some nodded among themselves, others threw suspicious or doubting glances. The reactions were very mixed.

"Now, Mr Allena? Is there something else you need?"
"... No. There isn't."
"Great. Then, I wish you a joyful evening."

The priest watched as the man threw a hateful glance at the old woman and the two couples, then turned around and left them alone.

"Good, good. Then we can soon continue the ceremony. Magnificient. Ah, but, my dear young ones. You joined so suddenly, do you have the bracelets for the ceremony?"

He turned to the couples in question. It took a moment but both couples shook their heads, slowly.

"Hohoho, no need to worry, Lord Priest. I have some for them right here."
"Oh! Wonderful! As expected of Lady Karker! Prepared for everything!"

She took out two pairs of bracelets and handed one to each couple.

"Your path may be hard and arduous, but I pray to the Great Spirits, that you will find happiness."
"Tha, thank you. Lady Karker..."
"Thank you."
"Thank you so much."
"Thank you, Lady Karker!"

All four of them had tears in the corners of their eyes and smiles on their faces. Just watching made me tear up a little as well.

"Now, come, young ones, the night hasn't ended yet!"

The priest turned around, walking towards his pedestal, the two couples following him.

"Seems that issue was resolved."
"Nn."
"Unfortunately, it's not as resolved as it seems."
"Wha—

A voice interrupted us from the side. It was the old woman from the stall. Instead of following the priest or returning to the audience, she came over to us. When did she even spot us?

"Hohoho, I apologise for surprising you. I just wanted to give you my thanks."
"No, it's fine, but... Your thanks?"
"Yes. If you two hadn't come here, today, those four probably wouldn't have found the courage. It's a shame to say, even though the Great Spirits allow it, some people still... No, I shouldn't bore you with that talk."
"Haa... Do you know those four, Miss... Uhm, Karker?"
"Arias Karker, you can just call me Arias, or Grandma."

She laughed heartily.

"But, yes. They are children I know well. The two girls are my granddaughter and her friend from the Academy. The two boys are the Allena family's son and his childhood friend."
"Your granddaughter?"
"Yes. The smaller one of the two. She's cute, isn't she? She is quite popular. Her own parents took it well when she told them about her lover. But she hid it from everyone else except her family. It probably took a lot of courage for her, to do this, in public. Hohoho, just imagine how many poor boys' hearts were broken now."

Arias looked towards the sky. The sun was gone and was replaced by the moon and myriads of stars.

"Those boys, though, had it a lot harder. The Allena family will do everything they can to break up their relationship. It'll be a tough road ahead for them."
"A tough road..."

People would not accept it, laugh at it, ridicule it or even attack them about it. And, that might apply to us, in the future, as well...

"It'll be fine. Even they wouldn't dare to openly disregard our traditions and laws. The boys will have some peace for now. And that's why I want to thank you."
"Ah, but... we didn't even do anything..."
"Ohohoho, you did. By having the courage to come here, you set an example. Well, most people will now be more occupied with the other two couples. But, I imagine you won't mind a bit less attention to you."

Once more she laughed heartily.

"Well then, it'll soon continue. I'll take my leave now. I wish you two a wonderful night."
"Thank you, for telling us about this. I wish you a good night as well."
"Nn."
"Ohoho, I'm sure we'll meet again! Farewell, for now."

Arias waved and left, disappearing into the audience once more. Nearly simultaneously, the priest took his spot on the pedestal once more.

"Young ones! I hope you rested well! The Great Spirits are surely pleased today! On this wonderful, starlit night! But now, the festival will soon end! The day will change, the sun will rise once more! But, before we allow this to happen, we will exchange a gift with our most beloved! A gift, to our partner!  Praying for their safety and well-being! Praying to never get separated! And even if you will one day part, this is a gift, a bond, you won't forget. Today, you will give proof!"

He raised a knife, and cut off a lock of his hair and held it up.

"For one half, the strong and the brave!"

With these words, the couples around as started moving. The men were all cutting their hair. The ones with long enough hair twisted it and pulled it through the bracelet. The ones with short hair gathered some strands and put them in a small, transparent container attached to their bracelets. It seemed specifically made for those with short hair.

"Ah, Sis, what should we do now?"
"Mh, I see."
"Nn?"

Karen brought out her knife and cut a whole strand of her hair without hesitation. Then she twisted the strand a little and pulled it through the bracelet.

"One half, the wise, the astute!"

Barely a second later, the priest's voice echoed through the plaza again. Now, the women and girls moved, cutting their hair.

First the men, then the women.  Uhh... And Sis took the men's part. Ahh, well... I guess it's not that wrong anyway...
"Yumi, here you go."
"Nn. Thank you."

Karen handed me the knife so I could cut my hair. Since my hair was way too long I couldn't take an entire strand and had to actually cut at a pretty low point. Or at least I tried to.

I forgot. I completely forgot but... I can't cut this!

Holding my hair with one hand and the knife in the other, I tried cutting it but... It didn't work.

"Yumi, should I help?"
"N, No. Not yet, I can do this."

I tried putting in all my strength but the knife didn't cut through.

Uhhh... Come on. you can do it, get cut!

Alas, it didn't want to.

Maybe I can try moving my hair against the knife as well? That should give some more force.

Since I could move my hair independently I could get some more force in like that. I immediately converted this idea into practice and...

"Woah!"

The knife flew down and hit the ground with a clang. The moment I tried moving my hair against the blade it cut through without any resistance. Not that I understood why... Regardless of how, I got my strand, and nearly impaled my own foot.

"Yumi..."
"It's fine. It's totally fine, Sis. Look, I got it."
"..."

That look in her eyes, it was painful. I coughed and, after picking up the knife, quickly twisted the hair, then pulled it through the bracelet. Despite the time I took, there were still a few other people that hadn't finished yet. I didn't know why, but I was thankful that it took them a little.

"And now, brave ones, strong ones, present!"

Karen took a glance at the surrounding couples. Then she took my right arm and put on the bracelet, with the silver shimmering hair pulled through.

"Wise ones, astute ones, present!"

Copying her, I took Karen's right arm and put on the bracelet, with the pink hair.
We both held up our arms, looking at the bracelets.

"It suits you, Yumi."
"Nn, it suits you as well, Sis."
"We match, huh."
"Nn."

We both grinned, from ear to ear.
And so, with this lingering, warm feeling spreading in my chest, the small festival slowly came to a close today.

---

"It has gotten quite late."
"Nn."

Shortly after, the priest held another short speech. Although I hadn't listened to it at all. Instead, I kept staring at the bracelet the entire time. Karen did exactly the same, which made me quite happy.

"Then, we should get going as well."
"Nn."

Karen stretched her arms. All the while, she kept glancing at the bracelet as well.

"Wait, Sis. Where are we going to sleep?"
"Ah, don't worry about that. I got us a room at a nearby inn."
"Oh? You got a room?"

And in a nearby one as well? How fortunate. I thought it was more likely that they were all booked out during such a festival.

"Yes. When Lily and I were coming back from the Academy I took a look and found one."
"Ohh, how lucky."

No wonder she wasn't worried at all about a place to sleep.

"Let's see. Through this alley and then on the right side of the street. Ah, there it is."

A small wooden sign hung over the door with a mug on it. Right next to it was another, even smaller sign, with a bed.
Karen walked up to the door and knocked. Around half a minute later, the door opened and a man with a lamp appeared.

"Oh, it's you. They finished for the day?"
"Yes. I'm sorry that you had to stay awake for this."
"Ah, no worries. You aren't the last ones either way. There's still one group missing. Well, whatever. Come in."
"Thank you."

He opened the door wide and let us in. Even with the lamp, I couldn't make out the interior in the darkness, outside of a small counter and stairs behind it.

"Up the stairs, then left and the second last on the right. Sleep well."

The man sat down behind the counter after giving us the directions.

"Thank you."
"Nn, thank you."

I followed Karen up the stairs into the room, holding onto her hand so I wouldn't walk into a wall or something. He could've at least given us a lamp or something...
The room itself was quite small, but it gave a comfortable feeling. A wooden window was in the back, currently closed. A little bit of moonlight shined through the gaps. Also a small nightstand and a bed. One bed.

"Yumi."
"Si— Woah."

Karen lifted me and carried me to the bed, then put me down on it.

"Ehehe, Yumi. I was told the walls are quite thick and nobody is going to hear anything."
"Sis..."

I had kind of expected this. I had expected it, but... It just made me all the more nervous. Karen sat down on the bed and hugged me.

"We got time now, so no need to hurry, Yumi."
"... Nn."

She gently stroked my head, like a mother comforting a child.

"Sis."
"Yes?"
"Thank you. It was... fun."
"It really was. And we got a little bit out of it as well."
"Nn."

We both glanced once more at our bracelets. It was pretty dark, so they were hard to make out, but just the feeling of the bracelet on my skin made me feel all giddy.

"I heard from Lily, about the festival. That it is customary in Lafria to celebrate at the beginning of the summer. I didn't know about the exchange of gifts and the whole lover's stuff, though. But... exchanging gifts with the person you love. It's quite romantic, isn't it?"
"Nn. I agree. Sis, I hope, we will be together for a long time. It's only been such a short time, but... It already feels so much longer."
"We'll have a lot of time together, in the future. It'll feel even longer."
"Nn."

I nuzzled myself against Karen's chest. I could hear her heart beating.

"Should we sleep?"
"Nn... But we finally got a room for ourselves."
"Hehe, that's true. But, you're tired, aren't you? You barely slept yesterday."
"Well..."
"Then, let's compromise."
"Nn?"

Karen turned around and moved the blanket a little away. Then, she started undressing.

"Sis?"
"Yumi, come here."

Once she finished removing her clothes, she lay down on the bed. It took me a moment to realise her intention.

"Nn, one moment."

I stripped my clothes and moved next to Karen. She pulled the blanket over us and hugged me close.

"It's warm."
"It is. See, sleeping like this is nice, too."
"Nn."

I wrapped my arms around Karen. Her naked skin felt smooth and pleasant.  The blanket trapped our warmth inside. I looked up, and Karen's face appeared, illuminated by the little bit of light. It was close. So close, that I just had to move a little and our lips would touch. Karen closed her eyes and moved even closer until our lips really touched.
We kissed, indulging in each other's warmth.

"Yumi..."
"Nn?"
"I love you."
"I love you too, Sis."

We smiled.

"Yumi, goodnight."
"Nn, night."