Adelphe's Convalescence

Coming of Age

Coming of Age

The morning of Manon's coming-of-age ceremony dawned bright and clear. The storms that had been plaguing the city for the better part of the last few weeks were but a distant memory as a soft breeze swept over the mountain city, gently tousling the ribbons, streamers, and decorative lanterns that were being hung in the streets. Businesses closed for the day and people made offerings at the church or the Sacellum itself for the health and happiness of the princess specifically and their country as a whole as it greeted the new peace that the sunlight promised.

Nowhere was busier, however, than the palace itself. Servants were rushing over every hall, dusting and cleaning each surface, carefully polishing the floors, the sconces, the windows. Everything sparkled, everything glowed, and the grand ballroom was off limits to anyone who wasn't directly in charge of finishing the decorations for the ceremony this afternoon.

It was so busy that Addie felt underfoot as she walked down the halls, trying her best to avoid the rushed staff.

She looked like Felicie today. Not just her face either. She was wearing one of Felicie's fancy gowns – not the formal one she would don later tonight for the ceremony itself – and she had taken the time to set her hair into curls pinned up at the side of her head with Bibi in its long form and had adorned her neck, ears, and wrists with shiny stones that sparkled in the light.

People called out to her as Felicie and she responded with the expected upbeat joy. It wasn't even forced. There was a genuine bounce in her step that day as she headed up to the royal wing of the palace, a gift resting in her hands.

When she knocked on Manon's door, it was opened almost immediately by one of Manon's ladies-in-waiting. The young girl bowed her head to her as she stepped aside.

"Lady Paladin Felicie to see you, princess," she called into the room as Addie stepped past her.

Manon, who was seated on a stool with a low back, wearing her chemise under a satin robe, could only turn her eyes to look their way as another of her maid's had her hands in her hair, twisting and pulling it up into shape.

A ceremony of such magnitude demanded that Manon appear to her absolute best. Which meant that she would likely spend the rest of the morning getting ready. A delicate, floral scent floated through the air as another maid prepared a cream to message into Manon's limbs to make her skin soft and radiant before they would finish dressing her.

After dressing her, Manon would have lunch with her parents in a private, cozy meal that was as much as part of the ceremony as the party itself would be. Even children who weren't royalty had one last midday meal with their family before they were officially considered an adult.

Addie and Felicie had enjoyed theirs with Master Eneas in the Sacellum, just a single day before they had taken their vows. Seeing Manon like this pulled back those ill-revisited memories and she actually found herself becoming nostalgic. In a good way.

"Look at you." Addie sighed, putting a hand to her heart. "Don't you look so adult?"

Manon stuck her tongue out at her making Addie laugh.

"Did you need something, Felicie?" Manon asked, eyes tracking her as Addie came in closer.

When she addressed her, there wasn't a knowing look in Manon's eyes. Either she didn't recognize her or she was doing wonderfully at pretending she didn't. Honestly, Addie wasn't sure which scenario would be more pleasing to her.

Pushing the thought aside, she held up her hands.

"I've brought you a gift," she announced happily.