Strums and Strolls

Dancing Queen (And King, and Everyone, Really)

Waiting for the party seemed like torture for both girls – their minds were preoccupied with being able to talk to one another freely again without cobble bricks being in the way. Eventually, the night of the party arrived.

Jirou's dress was a pale orange with sequins – and itchy. She squirmed to try to itch her back without ruining the dress, but her long nails made it difficult not to rip the fabric, so she suffered in silence as the line moved ever-so-slowly forward towards the castle. Jirou had bought a brand new handcrafted guitar just for this occasion using the money that Momo had given her, and with one strum she knew that it was perfect.

"Next!" A bored guard eyed her carefully, "I haven't seen you before. Are you sure this is the right place for you to be?"

Jirou cleared her throat and put on her most regal voice. "It most certainly is. I'm here under special request by Lady Momo Yaoyorozu herself." Jirou handed the guard the slip of paper, which he read haphazardly.

"Fair enough. You'd better make some good music tonight, but where's your sheet music?"

Jirou began to stutter. "It's... uh..."

"Don't tell me you forgot it!"

"I didn't, it's-"

A voice boomed from behind Jirou, "Guard, just let her in! It's cold out here!"

Jirou scampered past the guard and into the castle, and immediately her eyes shot open wide. The entrance hall was filled with people wearing vibrant dresses of fall colors, and the castle itself was a pale yellow due to the lighting from the candles that seemed to be everywhere Jirou looked. She made her way through the hall, following Momo's orders carefully, before she came to a small platform with a single chair – her seat for the night.

The party began with the king giving a speech, wishing for a bountiful harvest for all. Jirou could barely make out Momo sitting on her throne beside the king, with the queen sitting on the king's other side. Momo had told her that for most of the party, she would be confined to her throne, but near the end the music stopped and the royalty would get to talk freely amongst the people. It was then that they could sneak off to the corner of the hall and talk.

Jirou steeled her nerves and took her seat, resting her guitar against her collarbone. She took a deep breath and began to strum, feeling for whichever song wanted to be played first. Before she could even recall the song's name, her fingers began to race over the strings, unconsciously performing for the whole crowd. For a few minutes, most people paid her no mind, but soon a small crowd of people formed around her, infatuated with her music. She could her the mutters above her song, but just barely.

"Who is she?"

"Is she playing these songs from memory?"

"Where did Lady Momo meet such a talented musician?"

Jirou tried to ignore the words, but soon the music reached the king. His face, though Jirou could not see it, looked like fifty years had just lifted off of his soul. He too then left his throne, something he had never done before, and approached Jirou.

Jirou's fingers were like lightning, and her smile was infectious. She did not even think about the notes that she was playing, only that she loved how the new guitar sounded. People began to dance, something unheard of for the royal parties. Partners took each other's hands and laughed, spinning each other around. The king himself invited the queen to dance, giving Momo the perfect opportunity to leave her throne and approach Jirou.

The scene was uncanny – everyone was smiling and laughing, nobody was being serious about anything! What she saw reminded her more of the night in the tavern than any royal party she had been at before, and it seems Jirou's magical music had let loose a new side to everyone that they had no idea they had.