Serpent's throne

Chapter 7

"I don't have anything to wear to the festival though.." Vivian sighed.

"Did you just say you have nothing to wear? Come to my room! I have so many options for you to pick from. Probably not as many options as your closet in Navia, but still." Serene excitedly said, but her tone quickly dropped after she mentioned Navia. Vivian's face lighted up. She wanted to run into Serene and hug her and say "No, don't even be a little bit sorry for not having as many outfits as I do in Navia because actually, I barely had clothes too. My mother never bought clothes for me. I maybe have like 3 dresses, 5 tops and 3 bottoms. That's it. Hard to believe a princess has that little outfits but most of the outfits I wore to public were rented out from my mother and returned after." But she didn't. She felt embarrassed that she, a princess, had so little clothes.

When Serene opened up her closet door, Vivian saw the wide selection of dresses she had. "That would look good on you." Nolan said, standing at the door frame when Vivian picked up a white dress that offered an off-shoulder neckline, with a short skirt that flowed effortlessly. Vivian jumped at his voice.

Since when was he standing there?

"Oh— Okay, I'll try it on then." Vivian stuttered.

Serene's jaw dropped at the sight of Vivian in the dress. "Oh my god. Girl you look so good in that. Nolan definitely made the right choice. Let's go show the rest."

Vivian smiled and walked out to the living room to show everyone else the dress. Serene held Vivian's hand like she was a trophy she just received. "Do you guys like the dress?" Serene said.

"Oh wow," Kane said.

"Ooo girl!" A big grin appeared on Elena's face.

"Nice." Darius said.

For some reason, Vivian wanted Nolan's response the most. She wanted his validation. "It looks amazing." Nolan offered a soft smile to Vivian. It took a second for him to respond, which made Vivian a bit sad for a moment, but that feeling was quickly replaced with ecstasy.

Since Nolan also had nothing to wear, he borrowed a suit from Kane. Vivian didn't know anything about suits, but she knew that he looked a bit too good in it. "Wow, Nolan, you look better in a suit than I thought." She said, as Nolan was looking into a mirror, smiling to himself. For a second, she saw that he was tearing up a little.

"Are you okay?" Vivian asked.

"Yeah, I'm okay I just—" Nolan took a moment to catch his breath. "Never mind, I'm fine."

"Okay.." Vivian wanted to bug him more and ask him why he's tearing but she's not sure if that's a good idea as she doesn't know if it might trigger him.

When it was time to leave, they made their way to the festival, by walking as the festival wasn't too far from the apartment they lived in.

As they walked through the vibrant streets of the festival, Vivian couldn't help but feel thrilled.

"Wow, this place is amazing." Vivian said, her eyes open in wonder.

"It's even better when all the lights are on." Elena chuckled, guiding them through the crowd.

The festival was a celebration of Fynox's founding, a time where people from all walks of life come together and celebrate their heritage and culture. As they walked, they saw various performances, from fire dancing to acrobats, and people selling all kinds of goods.

Nolan pointed to the store with exotic fruits they had never seen before in Navia. "Do you want to try some? It looks good." Vivian nodded eagerly, and they both approached a stall. The vendor handed them a sample of a fruit that Vivian pointed out and they both tasted it. It was sweet and juicy, with a hint of tartness that made her mouth water.

"Do you like it?" Nolan asked, watching her reactions very closely. "It's delicious! I've never tasted anything like it." Vivian excitedly nods, her eyes sparkling with delight.

At 9 pm exactly, all the lights for the festival turned on. It was stunning. The lights illuminated the festival grounds, casting a magical glow over everything. Strings of lanterns hung from the stores, and colourful lights adorned the trees and buildings, creating a mesmerising, unforgettable atmosphere, especially with foreigners.

Vivian and Nolan wandered around, separating from the band members, taking in the sounds and the sights of the festival. They found a booth where people were creating intricate designs of their choice on lanterns. Vivian decided to try her hands at it, and Nolan watched her with a soft smile, unconsciously admiring her concentration and creativity, but she didn't notice it.

"Do you think you'll hang it somewhere special?" Nolan asked, inspecting her artwork.

Vivian glanced at him. "Maybe, or I might give it to someone else."

Nolan raised his eyebrows, curious. "Anyone in mind?"

Vivian blushed slightly, turning her attention back to the lantern. "I'm not sure. Still deciding."

They continued exploring various stalls and trying different foods, they ran into this small stage where local musicians were performing. The music was lively and infectious. Nolan couldn't help but nudge Vivian's shoulder. "Do you want to sit down and listen?"

Vivian nodded, and they found an empty bench near the local musicians. The music played, and they watched the crowd enjoy the music.

"This is nice," Vivian said, avoiding eye contact with Nolan. "I never thought I would have this much fun in Fynox, especially on the second day of being here."