The Tragedy of Being

Ostara

7 Minutes by Dean Lewis 

Cass was awoken by the doors to her balcony being opened.

"Sorry." Portia murmured. "It's Ostara. And I need to clean this room from top to bottom, so I need to get you dressed and out of this castle."

Cass was put in a white form fitting dress, with gold embroidery stretching from her chest to her hips. She also had cuffs placed on her arms with long whispy sleeves.

Cass was still fast asleep as she was being dressed, but she felt beautiful. She was exhausted from the late night she had had with the Pevensies, celebrating Susan's thirteenth birthday. They had gone for a sunset dinner on the roof of Cair Paravel, and watched the sun set. Then Susan invited them all into her wing of the castle for a sleepover. When everyone had fallen asleep, Cass had snuck back to her room. The thought of sleeping in the same room as other people unnerved her for some or other reason.

But she had slept fitfully, being plagued by nightmares that she couldn't remember when she woke up. She supposed that that was part of the reason she didn't want to sleep in the same room as them. She was afraid she'd wake them.

Portia had styled her hair in a delicate twist, with a few braids to add some contrast to her loose hair, and put a few small white flowers in the twist of her hair.

"Is it still before dawn?" Cass asked, eyeing the slowly lightening sky.

"Yes, sorry. But there are a few rituals that will take place today, and I thought you'd want to participate in more than the required ones." Portia said, pulling Cass's cloak out of her cupboard.

Cass's face brightened instantly. "Would I be able to?"

"Yes. You don't have a crown, so you can move as you wish. But come, we are going to be late."

~*~

Cass wore her hood over her head, and followed Portia into the town, where people were putting out all candles and lanterns. "The first ceremony is one that the royals don't normally attend. Some of the priests always kept the rituals, but this is the first time we can celebrate en masse in a hundred years. So this is about to be glorious." Portia spoke, her arms hooked in with Cass' and pulling her through the streets.

"Why are they putting out the lanterns?"

"It is so we can truly appreciate the sun. We are going to the sunrise ritual." Portia said, leading Cass to the woods. A pathway of torches led the way, crudely crafted, but charming. Cass followed the townsfolk, dressed in various pastels, and all the girls had ribbons in their hair, and men had flowers in their beards. Everyone was bubbling with excitement.

The torches led to a clearing in the woods. The leaders of the ceremony were dressed in linen robes that were embroidered with rich colourful threads, wearing flower crowns. They were slowly snuffing out all of the torches, one every few minutes. There was a hum of nature itself in the woods, along with the hum of the people.

Slowly, all the lights went out. It wasn't entirely dark, but it was a bit harder to see so suddenly. There was the slow picking of a stringed instrument. Everyone was dead silent, hearts beating in anticipation.

Cass could feel the energy around her, seeping from the trees and grass and wildflowers, as if they themselves were excited for the ritual to commence.

A faint glow was illuminating the sky. The sun was just about coming to the horizon. A second stringed instrument joined the first, playing the same tune in harmony.