Scarlet Majesty
outline
translated by inertia
year 789
In the town Ina on the tip of the Keislaat peninsula, a woman left this world. She intended to leave. That woman had lived in this town for 21 years, and had not once gone out of the town. Her lover was also born in this town, but he who was a traveler seldom returned.
On a night when a festival came to Ina, she was accidentally engulfed by fire. The people, without knowing that she was inside the fire, their hearts and bodies danced at this yearly festival. As the night turned to dawn, while everyone was asleep tired from dancing, she was revived with the morning sun. She covered the lingering burns on her face with a cloth, and went to the river for water...
Three years later, the story moves to the Flower Capital. With only a diary in his hand, Lance struggled on to the streets of longing. He had seen a dream of the Blue Illusion on the ship, still following that important mission of his, close to the future, yet not knowing that his destiny was greatly controlled. During the voyage he had also been worried by the matter of a black-haired woman who'd tried to throw herself overboard, but beyond this Lance was fascinated by the Flower Capital. Upon arrival in this port city the first thing that caught his interest was the store "Maple Kiss", that seemed to be built from a large tree. The young lady he met there would have a great influence on his future...
Meanwhile, half a year previously a traveller named Sion had come to the Flower Capital, searching for his love. A year ago, when he returned to Ina, the city of his birth, his childhood love Iria was no longer there. He was told she had left Ina two years before. He wondered what the reason could be; that Iria who had never left Ina would go away worried Sion and he set out on a journey to find her. And then half a year ago, going the overland route by way of Mesalina, he visited this port city.
The day after Lance's ship arrived in port, Sion was walking along the road and in an artist's portrait found Iria. Her jet-black hair, Ina's characteristic ornament. "Iria!" After a search of a year, Sion had found the first sign of her. He immediately asked the artist "When was this picture drawn?!" Sion, learning that the drawing had been done only the previous day, departed that confusing place and almost without sleeping resumed his previous search for Iria.
Around then, at a monastery on the outskirts of the town, while Estebaris was preparing to play Sofia, Monika was reading a book to children. Monika had been raised in this monastery, and although she did not become a nun she passed through every day for the sake of the children. That day, when Monika finished reading the book the nun Suu, her childhood friend, introduced her to a black-haired woman. That woman was named Iria and had visited the monastery to make a confession, but the reason she was in the town had not been revealed. The honorable nun Mareine had given approval for that woman to stay in the monastery lodging instead of an inn.
Every day when Monika visited the monastery Iria opened her heart. And then, Iria confessed, "When I boarded the ship I heard that the person I love was in the Flower Capital, but for fear of him seeing my burn-scarred face, I tried to throw myself into the water."
The night she heard that speech, Monika was on the rooftop awake in the night wind, when Lance who she'd met at the clothing shop appeared. The pair enjoyed a conversation under the starry sky. A sprite flying in the air, the seat of Papillon glittering that night, Monika could think she'd found a place near to her heart for the first time.
The next morning, when Monika went to the monastery Iria was no longer there. Monika searched for Iria. Living stronger than even herself, Monika was drawn to Iria who loved a person. She wanted to be bound to a loving person. She didn't want to give up. Bustling about downtown the exhausted Monika found Iria standing in the twilight port and said to her, "Show me the dance of Ina you told me about! Let's do it together in the town plaza!" Iria, originally a dancer, did not dislike dancing. Dancing on a straw mat with Monika, it carried a different boldness than with Sion, that could possibly wipe away the horrible past of three years ago. Iria had that faint hope, and then when Monika met Iria it began to change her so she was no longer uncaring about her lone self. And the two of them continued to ascend the loose hill road.