When a Stars Teardrops Become Jewels: Eclipsed Garden

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The remainder of the day went by in a blur. The measuring had taken hours. After which Alta had penned a list of all the names of the families royal and noble. Orion told him to name which symbol was adorned to which house and its inherent meaning in the fabric of the states and stars. Now, with the actual stars and the moon above, there was only an hour until the start of the ceremony. A cool breeze brought by the night blew through the thin fabric of Alta's clothes giving him bumps on his skin. He fought the chills by holding tighter to the warm pot of liquor in his hands.

His master coughed beside him. Alta filled his master's cup with the liquor to warm him. Master Orion nodded his head toward his disciple, giving silent appreciation.

Alta leaned in closer to his master and whispered,

"Master, why are there so few people attending the ceremony?" 

His Master lifted his head and did not whisper but spoke in a low voice so that Alta could hear. 

"The Dance of Tears is sacred and can only be seen by the King himself and a small handful of his most trusted servants. It is under his grace that we will be able to see this rare historical occurrence."

"What about the crown prince? Isn't this ceremony for him?" 

"Prince Asterlos's ceremony is tomorrow, and the eyes of the whole world will be on him and his bonded then. The dance tonight cannot be seen by his eyes, just like how a bride cannot see a groom before their wedding night." 

"Ah, I see." Alta said. Alta bit his tongue, holding back all of the questions filling up the inside his head for fear of getting scolded by his master.

Orion, however, was always able to easily read the expressive face of his apprentice.

"Alta, do you have more questions?" 

With his master's permission, the floodgates holding his thoughts opened and released every question he had all at once. "If it's bad luck to see it beforehand, why do we have the dance? Why is the dance sacred? And why is it called the dance of tears?" 

Master Orion took the pot of liquor from Alta's hand and poured himself a full cup. As steam rolled up from the ivory liquid, he answered all of Alta's questions. 

"When the Moon Goddess is full and watches the Saint of Stars dance, she becomes so moved that she cries a single tear. This tear is an essential ingredient in the ceremony which bonds two souls together. Without the tear, tomorrow Prince Asterlos and his demon cannot be bonded." 

Alta looked up to the night sky to see the full moon. Looking back down at his master, he asked, "When will the dance start?" 

"It will start when the Saint of Stars comes." Orion answered while giving the pot of liquor back to Alta, who coddled the heavy jar in his hands. "Stand up straight, keep your posture." His master scolded, ending the conversation.  

Alta sensed eyes watching him. Lifting his head, the apprentice found the eyes almost instantaneously, meeting the silver eyes of the King. Alta lowered his eyes from the Kings. He waited, hoping that the King would be charitable and think nothing of him. In every minute that passed, Alta could feel his chest getting tighter to constrain the heart that was attempting to beat itself out of his body.

In the moment that Alta's ears could only hear his heart thudding was when the quieted room became even more silent.

Saint of the Stars Arabelle had entered the central courtyard.

The intricate braids of white hair that Alta had seen this morning had now been adorned with jewels that twinkled in the starlight. A hairpin made from white jade was the linchpin that kept the swirl of braids from falling.