spark a dream

unapologetically-overwhelmingly-me.

"MAMA!" I screamed. "IS MY CHEONGSAM IN YOUR ROOM?"

There was the sound of rummaging and heavy object-throwing a few floors down. "NO!" Came the response with a volume that could shake the palace. "SEARCH ZACH'S ROOM IF YOU CAN'T FIND IT—HE MIGHT HAVE TAKEN IT!"

"WHY WOULD HE HAVE TAKEN IT?" I yelled back with equal ferocity. Then again, I mused, he might have stolen it as a prank.

Zachary, my older brother, was out at a friend's house—probably playing Dungeons and Dragons or Saving Princesses, or something of the like that could boost an attention-seeking prince's ego for a couple hours. Meanwhile, Mama and I had to prepare for the annual Ball of Princesses and the Queens' Gala at the royal castle in Enchancia. I was looking forward to what my friends Amber and Sofia had prepared this year—they were known for hosting the best festivities.

This year's theme was 'Culture,' so Mama and I decided to wear our cheongsams tonight. Mama's was decorated with swallows in vibrant shades of green and purple. They looked like they were about to take flight, perched atop embroidered cherry blossom plants against a red silk background. The collar and sleeves of her cheongsam were decorated with imperial yellow, and the clasp that held the collar together was a golden dragon shaped oddly like Mushu. My dress was midnight blue, patterned with miniature red roses and pale yellow dragons. My clasp was shaped like two silver clouds, and the stitching was a beautiful golden that sparkled under the light.

Usually, I wouldn't have agreed to dress up, but tonight was about who I was—and my culture meant the world to me.

I finally found my cheongsam buried under a pile of Dad's old changshan suits in Zach's closet. Two hours later, with our hair and makeup set, Mom and I set off for Enchancia, leaving Mushu in charge of the Zijin Cheng, the Forbidden City, which was home to our palace. Our sedan chairs carried us to the pegasi waiting at the front gates, and before we knew it, we were reaching Enchancia.

"Mama," I teased jokingly, "if you're the Grand Empress, why are you attending a Queens' Gala? Shouldn't there be an event for empresses like you?"

Ma rolled her eyes. "Whatever the name is, I'll take it. It's a nice excuse to see some friends I haven't caught up with in ages and just be ourselves instead of acting as stuffy political figures tonight. Your priority in the Ball is to have fun; got it, Faith?"

"I can do that," I replied with confidence. Everyone knew how to have fun—it seemed easy. I could do it this year.

Scratch that—I couldn't.

The Royal Enchancian Ballroom mainly consisted of a flurry of voluminous ball gowns, small talk, and the occasional curtsy. I had just flung the door open and was about to greet everyone—loudly—when the formality of the occasion hit me like a basketball to the head. I felt out of place, weaving around flouncy dresses like a stick in my cheongsam that fit tightly against me. I hoped Mama wasn't feeling the same as I was—and knowing her friends, they'd make her feel welcome, and she'd have a blast, just as she had done for the past few years.

On the other hand, I hoped for a fresh start to whatever catastrophe the Ball of Princesses brought. There was an evident distance between myself and the others—they all knew how to be prim and proper and seemed to understand what normal meant. I was born and raised as a warrior and had been vying with my brother for the top spot in athletics in our family since I learned how to walk. There was no room for curtsies in the Fa-Li household, nor were my brother and I interested in tea parties or cotillion.

I couldn't blame Sofia and Amber, I supposed. They were kind and gracious hostesses who always tried to make everyone feel at home. Their warmth touched me but did little to move the hearts of the other princesses. Ultimately, they had been raised in an environment that was utterly foreign to me. It was hard for them to understand my world—it was hard enough for me to comprehend why they also indulged in such frivolities. This Ball was one of the few times in my life where I'd feel defenseless, always on the outside trying to find my way into acceptance.