Fiction
Butterfly Song
Mary Ruth Pursselley 

Sorena closed her eyes 

and breathed as the door clicked shut behind her. The mansion was lavishly decorated and full of guests tonight, but she needed a moment to collect herself and had found solace in the darkness and quiet of her mother's breakfast room. The walls, vibrant blue by daylight, now took on softer shades of the moonlight streaming through the windows. 

She crossed the room and gathered her skirts to climb onto the window seat. The window eased open as she turned the crank, and when the opening was a few inches wide she settled herself comfortably and began humming. 

Night was not the time for butterflies to be active, but as she hummed, a Blue Emperor fluttered through the open window and landed on her knee. She stopped humming and smiled. The Blue Emperor was her favorite. Its blue and black wings had been the inspiration for the gown she wore tonight--royal-blue silk veiled in black lace--and the jeweled ornament in her hair. 

She held out her hand, and the butterfly crawled into her palm. She could feel it imparting a soothing calm to her soul, and silently thanked the Creator for the little creature. 

As if sensing his task completed, the butterfly pressed its wings together for a moment before flitting out into the night. 

Sorena didn't call it back. She should go back to her guests and be sociable. Her parents were giving this ball in her honor, after all. 

She shut the window and was climbing down from the window seat when footsteps pounded through the corridor and the breakfast room door burst open. 

“Sorena, what are you doing in here?” Sorena's sister Meladee ran across the room and grabbed her hand. “They're ready to start the first dance, but they can't without the guest of honor there, goose!” 

Sorena let Meladee drag her through rooms and passages, back towards the grand hall. “I'm sorry, Meladee, I just needed a minute.” 

“Well you've had one, so come along and hurry!” 

They slipped into the grand hall through a side door near the platform where their father, Lord Derraven, would be making the honorary address. Fortunately, he was standing nearby. 

“Sorena, there you are! Quickly, dear, up here and we'll get this celebration formally underway.” 

Sorena followed him up the steps. He nodded to the musicians on the other side of the small stage, and their music ended. At the silence, the guests all turned towards the platform and Lord Derraven began to speak in a strong, clear voice. 

“Friends, it is a delight to have you here for this very special occasion. My wife and I are honored that you would join us in celebrating our daughter's passing of two great milestones: her twentieth birthday and the completion of her training as one of our Creator's Gifted.” 

A light ripple of applause swayed through the company. Sorena smiled at the many faces--but her breath caught when she saw him. She had known he would be here, but seeing him still caught her off guard. Cainan: once her rambunctious childhood friend, now a high-ranking dragon rider in His Majesty's army, standing near the back of the audience. She hadn't seen him in two years. 

Lord Derraven began reciting a summary of Sorena's discovery of her Gift, the training she had undergone learning to use it as the Creator intended, and her formal acceptance of the role the Creator bestowed on her. As he spoke, Sorena made sure to keep her posture and expression correct, but she couldn't keep from watching Cainan. Of all the times she had longed to see him, why did it have to be tonight? 

Her father began to bring his speech towards the conclusion: revealing her Caller Name. She struggled not to grimace as she watched Cainan's face across the room. No doubt he had come here tonight anticipating the fulfillment of their childhood plans. She couldn't keep her true Gift a secret from him--but she was terrified he would be disappointed when he learned what it was. 

“And now, friends,” Lord Derraven said, “it is my great pleasure to present my daughter as one of the Creator's Callers: Sorena Derraven, Lyra Fantasia.” 

There it was: Lyra Fantasia. Butterfly Song. Her calling. The company broke into applause and cheers. Sorena could smile without pretending--she had, after all, looked forward to this moment for years--but when she looked for Cainan again, she didn't see him. Her heart clenched. Had he left when he heard her name, when he learned that she hadn't fulfilled her half of the dream they shared? 

Her father held up his hands for quiet. “Let us proceed to the ball room and begin the celebration!” He turned to Sorena, bowed, and took her hand. Together they led the way into the ball room, couples forming behind them for the Grand March. 

Throughout the evening Sorena danced with her father, brother, and several other relatives and friends. Between every dance she looked, but didn't see Cainan anywhere.  

Several dances later, the music for the Starlight Waltz began and Sorena suddenly found Cainan standing in front of her. She had resigned herself to believing he had left, and now seeing him sent her nerves into frenzy. 

He bowed. “I would love to have this dance with you.” 

Sorena couldn't bring herself to speak, but she gave him her hand and followed him onto the dance floor. They had danced together many times, and it was easy to fall into the waltz's swaying rhythm with him, but she couldn't overcome the confusion rampaging through her thoughts. 

She and Cainan had been best friends since childhood. Their families' consideration of a betrothal was no secret. They had both discovered their Gifts as young teenagers, and planned ever since to share grand destinies: Cainan as a Caller of Dragons, she a Caller of Phoenixes, using their Gifts to bring peace to the world and worship to the Creator. 

Now that training was over, Cainan was indeed a Caller of Dragons as he had intended. Dragons were endowed by the Creator with the ability to instill courage, and at Cainan's direction used that gift to embolden His Majesty's armies. 

Sorena had become a Caller of Butterflies. 

“Sorena, you've hardly looked at me. Are you angry?” 

Sorena forced herself to look up at him. “Why would I be angry?” 

“Is it because I've been away so long?” 

“Of course not! You've been following your calling, I've been finishing training--it could not be helped.” 

“What, then?”  

He turned her under his arm, then back around. She returned her hand to his shoulder, but couldn't meet his eyes again. “I was just… so afraid you were angry with me.” 

Cainan stopped dancing. “What?” 

“I was afraid I'd let you down, because I didn't become a Phoenix Song. I tried to, really! My trainer said if I was determined, eventually I could. But… it wasn't my true Calling. And no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't make it be. I didn't see you after Father announced it, so I thought--” 

“Why would I be angry, Sorena? It's the Creator's decision, not yours.” He took her hands as they stood there, motionless in the middle of the dance floor.  

In spite of her efforts, Sorena's eyes filled. “It's not what we planned.” 

“You think that matters? You think I would rather you ignore the Creator's calling to pursue plans we made as children?” 

Sorena stared at the marble floor while her heart pounded. “A butterfly just doesn't seem a very good match for a dragon.” 

“Come with me.” 

In her heeled shoes, Sorena could hardly keep up with Cainan pulling her by the hand out of the ball room, outside, and through the gardens. The dew soaked into her shoes and weighted the hem of her dress, but he didn't stop until they passed through the garden gate into an open meadow. 

A huge dragon stood watching them, scales glimmering in the moonlight. Sorena stared at the creature, breathless. 

“That's why I missed the first few dances,” Cainan said. “It took him a while to get here.” 

“He's beautiful.” Sorena turned to Cainan. “Why bring him here, though?” 

Cainan stepped closer and took both of her hands. “I thought you might like a moonlit ride.” 

Sorena gasped; she'd never ridden a dragon before. She released Cainan's hands and slowly walked towards the magnificent dragon. He watched her with an almost human expression. A Blue Emperor fluttered across the dark field and lighted on his nose. 

Sorena felt Cainan's hands on her shoulders. “See?” he whispered close to her ear. “A butterfly makes a fine match for a dragon.”

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