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Alear stood beside Veyle on the Somniel steps, his arms and smile wide as he addressed his friends. It was the first time since the war that so many of them had been together, and whether it was because of his bonds as an Emblem or the simpler power of friendship, he seemed to glow from it.
“Welcome, everyone, to the Somniel’s first ever round of Secret Souvenir! And thank you, Princess Timerra, for the name and the food.”
She waved at the acknowledgement. “We’ve got friends from all over! Gotta get the goods from everywhere—and stuff our bellies.”
Though the smell of Timerra’s spice rub was already making Veyle’s stomach gurgle, she was even more ready to jump up and down at the sight of the crowd gathered around the fountain, where Sommie patiently balanced an upturned hat on their head. Each slip of paper held a name like its own little gift: the chance for Veyle to brighten at least one person’s day. To go even the tiniest way toward mending everything that her father and her other self had tried to ruin.
One by one, the guests pulled names from the hat. Veyle rocked on her heels while she edged further up in line. It seemed mean to hope she wouldn’t pull her brother or Mauvier, but she already planned to exchange gifts with them. If she pulled someone she hadn’t yet brought herself to talk to, it would give her the perfect excuse. Maybe Jade, who seemed intimidating, but who she had it on good authority liked a good comedy novel? Surely Veyle could find a book merchant. And then there was Zelkov, who was always so imposing when he stood beside Princess Ivy, but who Veyle had found planting flowers on the Somniel. She wondered if he had a good pair of gardening gloves, ones not also used for his other messy work.
Her turn came. Sommie’s bean-like eyes gleamed; they must have liked being a vessel for so much cheer, though Alear had already had to scoop up the scattered papers when Sommie shook themself out. Closing her eyes, Veyle plucked out a slip.
She opened her eyes and stared. And stared.
Though she was supposed to keep it a secret, her gaze automatically sought out Alfred. Luckily, he didn’t look her way, too busy waving his own paper over his head. Céline gestured at it with a scowl, and Alfred crumpled it in a fist behind him.
Behind Veyle, Ivy cleared her throat, and Veyle scooted along back to Alear. He smiled down at her.
“I’d ask how it went, but, you know.” He added in a whisper, “Though, if you really want advice on someone’s taste, you can come to me.”
Her brother kept track of what all of his friends liked, and he gave them gifts often. He didn’t need an excuse to be generous. But other than maybe Veyle herself, there wasn’t anyone he spoiled more than his consort-to-be. It boggled the mind to think he would even have a gift idea for Alfred that he hadn’t already given him.
The thought of telling him who she’d pulled tightened her gut. She should have been celebrating the chance to grow closer to the one her brother loved, but…
As she considered her options—fitness equipment, flowers, tea?—she concluded that Alfred simply had so much enthusiasm for life that it would be hard to pick one thing. The one gift most worthy of the prince of Firenes, and her brother’s beloved.
Veyle clasped the paper close to her heart as she shook her head. “It’s a secret,” she said.
She was up for the challenge.
It wasn’t just her first holiday with her brother; it was her first time preparing for a holiday alongside everyone. She’d received offerings on some holidays, yes, sparkling things held out to her in exchange for promises of mercy and other wishes she couldn’t fulfill. But finally, she could be in the midst of the people hurrying to and fro, their arms full of everything from piles of wrapping paper to whole raw birds.
Of course, she took every chance to be with Alear, even if it meant baking cookies. She shuffled away from the oven as its cloying scent perfumed the air. Just decorating them would be fun and helpful, wouldn’t it? Popping out of the kitchen for some fresh air, she found some bright red berries she thought would make good cookie toppers. Yunaka appeared out of nowhere and grabbed them out of her hands, exclaiming that they were poisonous, and Veyle gave up on baking altogether.
If she was always going to be a danger without meaning to, she could at least stick to decorating things nobody would eat.
She wandered out to the orchard, armed with streamers to string up around the trees, before remembering she’d meant to ask Alear about Alfred. Though she still didn’t want to reveal her secret mission, she thought she’d be able to slip it in subtly. She knew about Alfred’s loudly proclaimed interests, of course, but it didn’t seem like enough. Alear had been the one to give her her first ever gift. How could she welcome Alfred into the family with something as dear as that Dragonstone? She had had nothing, back then, and he had a wonderful family already, on top of a beautiful country and loyal retainers—
So loyal, apparently, that the thought seemed to summon one.
“Oh, Etie! Hello.”
Having strong arms must have given Etie amazing balance, because she whirled around with a full armload of fruit without dropping any. “Uh, hey, Lady Veyle! I’m picking Céline’s favorite fruits for totally normal, non-secret reasons.”
Veyle smiled behind her fingers, giddy at the simple joy of being in on a joke. “I understand. Since it’s so normal, I’ll make sure not to tell anyone about it.” She drummed her fingers over her mouth as she considered her approach. “In return, may I ask you something?”
“Sure, anything.”
“It’s about Prince Alfred.”
Etie’s manner turned severe. “Is he in trouble?”
“No, not at all. I’d just like to get to know him better.”
Relaxing, Etie bent down toward a basket, only to stop with a frown. “So, here’s the part where I usually bruise the fruit by dumping it all out. Do you think you could, uh…”
Veyle scampered to put the most precarious-looking fruits in the basket.
“Thanks,” Etie said. “Anyway, the prince is pretty much an open book, other than when it comes to…uh, personal things.”
Veyle stuck her tongue in her cheek. Personal things were exactly what she wanted to know.
“I don’t mean to pry into anything sad, or anything. It’s just that he’s marrying my brother, and…”
And that makes him my brother, she didn’t say. What a presumptuous thing to think about someone she only knew for his title, hobbies, and winning smile! Without finishing her sentence, she rescued enough of the fruit that Etie could dump the rest in herself. Etie plucked up the full basket as if it were empty and held it up over her shoulder.
“You saved Princess Céline’s fruit, so I’ll let you in on a little story. Nothing sad, don’t worry,” Etie said. She leaned in with a grin. “Do you know how the royal couple got together?”
All brooding forgotten, Veyle cupped her cheeks. “Tell me!”
“Well, back when the Divine One was still asleep, Prince Alfred’s family used to visit him…”
She went on to describe how Alear had woken up and become fast friends with Alfred, how Alfred had thrown himself as heartily into said friendship as he did everything, and how that had overwhelmed Alear—only for them both to realize friendship wasn’t all they wanted. With a laugh, Etie added that it took a bit of pressure off of her, knowing the queen celebrated the match and would stop trying to pair Etie up with her son.
While Veyle exclaimed at how sweet the story was, she couldn’t help lingering on the thought of going overboard; would a simple present be best, after all? It made her think of Citrinne’s attempts at befriending her with renewed sympathy, now that she knew how hard gift giving could be. She left Etie in good cheer, though without remembering to hang up her decorations, and without a plan for her Secret Souvenir.
With the gift deadline looming and a weight still settling in Veyle every time she thought of asking Alear what to get, she decided there was an even better source. She found Céline in Sommie’s little cave-like home, where they stood on their pedestal, letting her pull a pointy red hat snug around their head.
“How cute!” Veyle said as she approached. Céline turned to her with a smile.
“Aren’t they precious? I thought our little holiday helper ought to be properly outfitted.”
Sommie yipped proudly.
“I’ve never seen a hat like that. Do most holiday helpers wear them?” Veyle asked.
“According to Princess Hortensia, there’s an Elusian folktale about little creatures who live in the mountains, only descending to offer gifts. The children wear such costumes in their honor.”
“It must be cold up in the mountains. It’s warmer in Firene, isn’t it? How did you and Prince Alfred spend the holidays?”
Sommie shook themself out, scattering blue fragments. The light bounced off of them, twinkling in Céline’s eyes.
“Are you asking about Firenese traditions, or Alfred and I?” she asked.
“I didn’t grow up with my brother. This is my first time spending a holiday with him. So I was just wondering…you know, what kind of gifts siblings give each other.”
“You’d like advice on gift giving?”
Though she spoke politely, there was a knowing look in her eye that made Veyle hide her hands behind her back, even though they were empty.
“It’s just hard to know what to get, isn’t it? What if you give them something, and it’s the wrong thing, or it’s not as big or good as someone else’s gift?”
Céline frowned. “Surely it isn’t a competition?”
The weight Veyle had been carrying suddenly took a clear shape.
“I used to have a lot of siblings,” she said. “When…when we couldn’t measure up against each other…”
The pain of it didn’t fit in her frail form, in this little haven where she’d found herself, where even now her friends were laughing together in the distance.
“There’s no need to explain,” Céline said, her voice soft and her expression distant. “Princess Hortensia told me tales of the Elusian court. I imagine the Fell God’s worshippers follow his example.”
Veyle nodded, staring at her feet.
“May I tell you a secret?” Céline asked. Her tone suggested this wasn’t one of those fun secrets like Etie shared, but Veyle leaned in just as attentively. “You may expect the prince and princess to shower each other with expensive gifts, but Alfred and I avoid gift giving altogether.”
Veyle’s stomach dropped. “You do?”
“We went through…a rough period when we were younger, you see. The gifts people offered then felt more like bribes to convince us to present a cheerful face.”
“Like offerings,” Veyle whispered. Céline nodded.
“I thought you might understand. Instead, we sought our own joys. Small ones that couldn’t break our hearts.”
“Your…own small joys?”
“Four-leaf clovers, rare flowers, secret tea parties…such things can be considered gifts, can they not?”
Veyle thought back to the fruit Etie picked for Céline—a whole orchard full of small joys. So a gift didn’t have to be as monumental as a Dragonstone.
“Of course,” Céline continued, “if anyone seeks to give Alfred a gift, they should know he’s exceedingly easy to please, and it isn’t worth overthinking.”
Veyle’s hand flew to her mouth. “That’s—”
“Just an idle musing,” Céline said with a fluttering of her eyelashes that felt an awful lot like a wink. “Now, shall we find an accessory for our little helper? I thought Rosado might have something to complement the hat.”
With a relieved giggle, Veyle joined Céline on her quest.
When the day arrived, Sommie announced it by prancing around the Somniel, the bell around their new collar chiming. The smells of pine needles and spiced drinks covered for any overly sweet scents, and people of all nations milled about the cafeteria and fountain, no weapons in their hands but for the decorated knife Yunaka gave Merrin. After pulling Jade’s name, Zelkov took the opportunity to try writing a comedic story, which Panette of all people seemed to grasp the humor of the best when he performed a dramatic reading. Veyle laughed mostly for the joy of it all.
While others set up games, she wandered into the cafeteria, hoping a snack would ease the growing knot in her stomach. She hadn’t yet run into Alfred, and after staying up late preparing his gift, it was hard to take Céline’s advice to heart.
His voice rang loud and clear despite the nearby crowd. “Hey, Lady Veyle! Enjoying the party?”
She whirled around, hiding her not-so-empty hands behind her back. “Prince Alfred! Yes, very much. I, um, I like your hat.”
Though resembling Sommie’s, it was broad enough to engulf his head, its pompom dangling in his face. He flicked it aside with a grin. “I’m Céline’s holiday helper! She told me to give you this.”
He held out a small, flat box.
“A present? For me?”
“Surprise! You’re her Secret Souvenir. Or she’s yours? Wait, or is the present the souvenir?”
While he puzzled it out, Veyle quietly set her own gift down on the table behind her before taking the offered box. Eagerly, she undid the bow around it and lifted the lid, only to find a thin scroll. She unrolled it and began to read the elegant script.
Dearest sister-to-be,
You are formally invited to a secret tea party. Rare tea blends will be provided; only your company is required.
Yours truly,
Céline
P.S. Don’t worry, there will be no sweets, only the spiciest of gossip.
A sting threatened her eyes, and her cheeks ached from their sudden grin—but the small pains were nothing compared to the relief of finally having that weight lifted.
“Your gift is a note? What does it say?” Alfred asked.
Veyle folded it carefully up and placed it back in the box. “It’s a secret.”
“Ooh, okay. I won’t tell anyone,” he said with a little salute. “Speaking of gifts, I should probably go tell Kagetsu about his free lance lessons.” The pompom swung back in his face as he grimaced. “Oops! You won’t say anything, right? I don’t think Boucheron or Ivy spoiled it after I told them…”
“Your secret’s safe with me. But if you wouldn’t mind waiting, I have something for you.”
Unlike Céline, she hadn’t wrapped her scroll in anything other than a ribbon. Alfred took it with apparently considerable effort to not crush it.
“Another note? Let’s see…Small Joys Search,” Alfred read.
“They’re clues for a scavenger hunt. I’ve hidden lots of little treasures around the Somniel. They’re really well hidden, though, so you should ask Alear to help you look. And…” She glanced down at the box she was all but hugging to her chest. “You should invite Céline, too. It’ll be more fun as a family.”
She’d fretted about the unconventional gift, when she wasn’t having a bit too much fun hiding flower chains around the Somniel, but Alfred brightened like a sunflower tilting in the right direction.
“Oh, in that case, you should come with us!” he said.
“Me? But I know where everything is.”
“True, but it’ll be funny watching us search, right?” He threw an arm around her shoulder. “Little sisters definitely always love watching their big brothers bumble around.”
With a giggle, she leaned against him. He felt warm and solid, like Alear. Like if that weight ever burdened her again, he’d be strong enough to carry it.
As she let him steer her toward their siblings, she felt light enough for it not to matter.