The Secret at the Royal Festival

Jay furrowed his eyebrows in front of the mirror as he examined the hand-knitted cardigan sheathed around his slender body. The grand royal feast begins in two hours, and while he'd prefer to dress fancier, his parents barely had the money to afford anything of the sort. Originally from eastern Europe, the Chong family only recently moved into Norway. Considering cash doesn't grow on trees, the desperate time it took Jay's parents to find a stable, permanent job consumed much of their lives being here.

"You have everything you need, yes?" Jay's mother inquired.

The sudden turbulence of anxiety present in Jay's nerves bore no ability to properly project a response. Despite that, excitement mixed itself in the essence of his confidence over his proudly standing dwarf tree that would soon be an upcoming contestant subject, possibly even a winner for the grand feast. The last minute before leaving, he picked the fruits off the branches and quickly placed them inside a small basket.

The way to the feast was approximately an hour away from home. As they got closer to the destination point, Jay observed the environment slowly changing into an almost entirely different aura—a large city he wouldn't have known existed on the other side of town. Upon entering the contest arena, it became very apparent that 13 year old Jay was merely a novice surrounded by groups of veterans. His unconfident posture that fell sluggishly exhibited no fair competition against the unyielding and sleek opponents. Jay's sweaty fingers almost about slipped off the basket handle as he carried it up onto the table.

Jay's mom leaned in his ear and whispered, "Look at all those guys over there." She subtly pointed at a group of men who had multiple pots of fruits, vegetables and chilis. Jay gulped but was in awe of that smart move. Unfortunately, to his dismay, he was simply unaware that submitting numerous entries were even allowed. At a single glance, the once confident young man now held a meek appearance next to the others.

As each minute continued to pass, and the judges have yet to come forth, Jay continued to embarrassingly feel like a fish out of water. For one thing, he was glad to have worn shoes with thick insoles that could easily disguise the appearance of a child with their mom.

Suddenly, booming soundwaves of chants that seemed to have drummed the tables echoed throughout the arena once a small group of people pocketed amidst the crowd. Jay couldn't see past every person who effectively blocked his perspective, though he managed to notice one of the men with a shiny bald head—and not very tall either.

The ground shook as hundreds of people and their children frolicked around during the judging process. Only a bit more than a dozen people so far won the chance to present their food to the royal dinner table. Jay couldn't hear but feel his heartbeat galloping in his body. When he thought the judges were almost nearing his table, there they were already in front of him. Two very polite yet professional-looking men, maybe in their late 30's, welcomely smiled at Jay. Behind the two men was an older man; he was recognizably the short bald man Jay noticed earlier. Although his fashion choice expressed that of a serious and noble person, his voice portrayed a totally different characteristic.

"So, young man, what have we here today?" His angelic tone swiftly sliced through one's eardrums and hummed a soft lullaby. Jay was awed. However, he was shamefully unaware of who this man was, though by all means, he must've obviously been the one and only duke of Norway.

Jay suddenly realized how ashamed he was to open his basket, especially after other contestants had much more to offer. His hands promptly reached for the piece of fabric at the top, and his brain was yelling in terror, suggesting to simply run away. After the cloth was taken off, the two men on the sides lifted their eyebrows simultaneously. Not a single word was spoken as each rapidly scribbled in their journals. Jay hadn't seen them do that with other people, furthering his degradation. One of them whispered to the duke, and his eyes widened as he examined the fruit. "Pears!?" Jay was able to hear a tiny bit of dialogue and felt the urge to shrivel his body down like a dried prune. It was apparent that he shouldn't have even attended such an elegant place far superior for his league. He clasped his hands and brushed them together as a way to self-soothe. His mom, all smiles, wrapped one arm around his shoulder to prevent him from backing away from the table, although she was just as nervous as he was.

The duke released a hearty smile, and with that he asked, "Sorry, son, what is your name again?"

"J-Jay..." His heart began accelerating. "Jay Chong."

"Well, Jay, I'd like you to come forward and take a step through the red doors."

Jay's mom gasped. Meanwhile, Jay stood frozen in place. If it weren't for his mom supporting him, he would have passed out onto the ground by now.

When dinner was finally served inside the grand royal feast, Jay couldn't help but admire the entire architecture of the years-old building he was fortunate to be standing inside of. He peered over at the large ring table filled with all the guests' dishes, including his own; a mountain of pears sat on one end. After winning a spot on the menu, he couldn't determine whether he should be embarrassed anymore but rather proud—yet for exactly what cause?

This was the first time in Norway that the Chong's had plates heavy with food. After finishing his meal in no time, Jay raced to the dessert and fruit section. He noticed his pile of pears had shortened down to a small hill which felt gratifying. While walking back to his table, the colors on Jay's face drained instantly as he made a terrifying realization. Back at home, before they left, he forgot to wash all the pears. Jay discreetly shifted his eyes towards tables of families that munched on pears. He grew hesitant to touch the pear on his plate but ate it anyway in order to maintain the hidden fact thereof.

Nighttime had fallen and all guests were prompted to leave. Only one guest was allowed to stay over.

"Mister, Chong!" A voice had echoed across the walls of the wide-spaced halls.

Jay bounced around to find the owner of that voice. He was surprised to see the duke and his family standing right before him, distances away. Dread grew in his chest, though he was attempting to appear calm and natural.

"I'd just like to thank you for what you have shared for all of us."

"Oh? My pears?"

"Why, yes! My daughter absolutely loves them, but perfectly ripe pears have become rare in Oslo lately. Luckily, you came along."

Way outside of his own expectations, Jay, a simple young lad of empty pockets, gained the privilege of being honored by the royal family. At what cost, he might wonder. From that, he was glad they didn't find out—lord have mercy if they knew. Perhaps this day was merely blessed with extreme amounts of luck.

By request, Jay received his own free cotton blazer uniform, for he had plans to return one day. However, the thought forever torments him to think maybe he wouldn't be so lucky then.