"she wore flowers in her hair and carried magic secrets in her eyes"
The faint sound of music drifting through the forest coupled with the sighting of the hanging lanterns dispersed among the branches was all the encouragement and invitation Lisseut needed to pique her curiosity. Her hooves led her along the pathways others had left behind as they had wandered through the dense forest earlier, the sound of songs and laughter steadily growing stronger with every step she took. Her ears pricked forward and her soul felt lighter than it had in days at the thought of discovering a festival underway so soon after arriving in this new land. It felt like an omen of good will concerning her new choice in homes. She had been brought here by stories and rumors she had heard during her travels, tales of mysterious deities and the gentry that worshiped them, of the Courts that aligned with their patrons and governed themselves as they saw fit.
Of course it had been the flowers that stole her heart. Even now, as she broke out of the forest and saw the vibrant meadow dotted with colorful blooms dancing in the breeze once more, the sight took her breath away. She could almost feel the earth calling to her, sense its happiness with the abundance of life thriving all around her. She halted on the edge of the forest, gazing serenely at the flowers and scanning across the scenery, taking in the other court members around her as they partook in the various events that had been set out for entertainment. It was certainly a celebration of life and joy if she had ever seen one. She wished more places would take the time to appreciate the world and people like this, but was thankful she had found one that did. She breathed in, noting the pleasant aroma the flowers had produced, and she instinctively moved into the meadow to lean down and pick some of the fresh blossoms. Smiling, she tucked them into her mane to add to the day old marigolds. The new blooms seemed to be a lovely mixture of daisies, phlox, and radiant red poppies. Wildflowers haphazardly growing like chaos, unhampered and free. As the music playing from a few feet away changed to a softer melody, Lisseut couldn't resist the temptation and simply dropped to her knees and laid down in the meadow, tucking her hooves beneath her and letting the flowers overtake her.
It wasn't the safest position to don by any means, but in the middle of the celebration with so many cheerful faces flitting about, she didn't think she was in any danger. Not that she worried about danger all too often anyways. She knew how to be careful and cautious what with her life of traveling, coming into contact with all manner of strangers, but nothing about this situation tipped off her instincts to be wary. Instead, she relaxed. She felt at peace, like she had found a special place in the world. She watched the others, wanting to enjoy the flowers for a while before she attempted to join them and make friends. She knew she would meet the other members of her court in good time, would sing a couple of songs to reveal more about herself once the stage opened up later. She wondered if they would want stories as well, started trying to think of which ones would be best suited for such an occasion. She didn't even realize she had started softly singing to herself as her thoughts whirled in and out of focus between the wafting tendrils of flower lightly brushing her legs. She closed her eyes and hummed, and to anyone watching or approaching she must have looked quite pure and enamored with life in that moment.
She didn't notice the stranger until he had all but stumbled over her, but turned her head up quickly in slight surprise to take in his dark stature.
@caine, hope this works!
