I
t had been but two days since she arrived in the court of Night, but it had felt like a hundred. Denocte was a land where night reigned over day, a place where the sun’s heated rays only dared to shine down for mere hours before relinquishing its hold yet again to Caligo’s star-strewn skies. It was a court of mystery, a court where an ancient magic coursed thick and strong through the veins of every Denoctian. Messalina saw it linger in the candlelit alleyways, where lilting melodies streamed softly from the shadows; she felt it bloom in the lithe frames of gypsy dancers, their golden baubles clinking to the beat of their seamless movements. Never had the girl been surrounded by more life and unbridled talent than in her short stay here, and even she, the epitome of an unwavering soul, found it harder by the hour to resist the pull of that wild magic. Notions of leaving strayed farther from her mind the longer she stayed.
A small satchel of fine velvet—her first purchase from the court’s bustling market square—held the remainder of her coin, and it thumped steadily on her side as she walked, ivory hooves adorned with dainty golden bands clicking against the cobblestones. The streets were quiet, nothing like the bustling crowds she had encountered on her first day. After a night of festivals and bonfires, she'd been curious of the city’s day life, and had headed out just as the sun rose to its highest point in the sky. It would soon descend, and the streets would once again fill with joviality. But right now, she found the calmness to be comforting. The familiarity of solitude settled back around her like a blanket, her steps regaining their measured grace as she roamed down a peculiar side alley and arrived at a narrow lane full of booths.
The merchants had begun to set up their wares, preparing for night's arrival and the foreign purses weighted with gold that would follow, hers among them. The Night Court's markets fascinated Messalina. Back in Algernon she’d been restricted from leaving the confines of the castle, let alone visit a market, and everything she owned had been selected by Mother. Every experience thus far had been novel, and along the way she'd discovered a newfound pleasure in purchasing and donning beautiful things; she had high hopes for improving her collection in a kingdom as famed for their goods as Denocte.
A slight breeze blew a curled strand of her forelock across her frosted blue eyes, and she smoothed it back behind a slender ear as her attention was drawn to a booth tucked in the shadows. She would have missed it if it were not for the scattering of prismatic light that appeared on the ground in front of her, and the ivory mare drew closer.
A quiet breath escaped from her lips as her eyes feasted on the exquisite jewelry pieces laid carefully out on a velvet cloth. They were divine, the craftsmanship as fine as the ones worn by the noblewomen that she'd always secretly yearned for. Entranced, her gaze fell on an intricate headpiece of fine golden chains, dotted with tiny glimmering gems of the palest blue. It was only then that she registered the presence of another, and her startled eyes flicked up to peer deep into ones of a shade similar to her own. After a pause to gather herself, she spoke.
frozen hearts growing colder with time
hope you don't mind me dropping Messa in here! she's just a sucker for pretty things (simos included ;u;)
