Everytime Momma Morr and I visit the markets, I'm in awe over everything. Not just the sights, but the smells. Oh, I could smell all the yummy freshly baked treats and it made my mouth water. This season, which Momma taught me is called fall, has to be my favorite (although I guess I wouldn't really know any better since I haven't experienced the other seasons yet…). There's pumpkins, spices, apples- it's all great!
Even better, our Court is having some celebrations for fall. The markets are all decorated fancy, but what's exciting is that everyone is dressed up in some way. Momma said it was for something Eve, I wasn't really paying attention. Whatever she said though, I like it. It meant I could get dressed up too and, while the subject matter scared me a little, I'm slowly getting more comfortable with it.
Momma was the one to put my costume together. Draped over my body are silks that resemble fire colors. She braided ribbons into my tail that are a similar color and they're long enough to drag behind me on the ground. It actually makes me look like I have a long fiery tail when I run, which is why I can't be totally afraid of the outfit. It kind of makes me feel like I'm flying and I'm supposed to be a phoenix, so it works. I'm not really sure what Momma is supposed to be, she's just wearing a bunch of armor.
I found my stomach growling when we first came in, so I had asked Momma Morr if I could have some pumpkin pie. She said it would spoil my dinner, but she supposed she'd let it slide just this once. While she's paying for my slice of pie, I notice someone I know among the crowd.
"Auntie Antiope!" I exclaim as I bound over to her with the biggest smile on my face. She's the leader of the Court, but she's also my Aunt which I think is pretty cool.
As I'm looking at her, I'm trying to figure her costume out. "What are you supposed to be?" I ask, my eyes wide with curiosity. I wonder if she'll like my costume too.
We're on the edge of Greatness, turning Darkness to Light
Before coming to Novus, Antiope would not have been able to tell anyone what a costume was. The idea of wearing anything without a practical purpose still doesn’t make much sense to her, but the custom is important to her people. So, she allowed the handmaids to choose something for her to wear.
In the end, the Night Court Queen supposed she looked nice. The majority of the costume was a wrap and cape—sheer and pale, the slightest touch of blue color—it fell across her hips and down toward the ground. It sparkled, like fresh snow or the frosty surface of ice. The garment wraps under her forelegs and up across her chest before flowing back into the rest of the cape, and where it goes over her chest it has been cut into icicle-like shapes that are longer in the middle that on the edges.
A sparkling embroidered snowflake decorated the center, with silver thread and small gemstones. On her head Antiope is wearing a white-gold diadem, inlaid with beautiful blue and clear gems; the largest of which rests against her forehead. All of the blue certainly brings out her eyes, if anything, and there is no shortage of second glances as she makes her way through the markets.
A small voice catches her attention and the sovereign turns to see Maeve bounding toward her through the crowd. Something in her wrenches, seeing the look of complete joy on the filly’s face. Antiope turns her lips up into a smile, and hides the shadows in her eyes with reflections of firelight. “Hello, little one,” she responds.
The striped woman glances up to check the area for Morrighan and sees the regent not far away at a food stand. It eases her to know the girl is not wandering around alone. “An ice queen, I’ve been told,” the description seems accurate of the costume, if not all that exciting. They turned a queen into a queen. Hopefully she’s not a cold one, at least. “And let me guess, you’re supposed to be… a djinn?”
Auntie says that she's an ice queen and I think I can see it now. There are patterns of snowflakes - as I've been told they're called, but I have yet to see one myself. Momma said winter is next season so I can't wait to see how it changes everything with a blanket of snow. Until then, I admire Auntie's costume for now.
"Cool!" I say with a smile - no pun intended. Though my face changes to very confused when she takes a guess at what I am. I have no idea what the word is that she used. "What's that?" I can't even repeat the word, it sounds so funny to me. "Momma says I'm a phoenix. She made the costume for me. I guess it's a fire bird? But I only use my fire for good, not like her…" I trail off, feeling bad for putting my mom down. It's the truth though. I'm too afraid of the bonfires I've seen Momma bring to life out of thin air. I know she'd never use them on me, but she can get so angry at others sometimes. Especially Momma Zahra whenever she's in town.
Thankfully, Momma Morr didn't walk over until after I said that, so I act like I didn't say anything to make her upset. She walks over in a funny way under all her armor, but she's brought a piece of the pumpkin pie I wanted along with some drinks.
"Yummy!" I say as she approaches, my mouth watering. "Thank you, Momma." I happily take the pie and start to devour it. Crumbs fall from my mouth and onto the ground - oops.
The Regent's found herself in a bit of a rut lately, although she does her best to hide it in front of her daughter. There is a kind of spark in her that Morrighan forgot all children seem to have. She is still innocent and young and part of her feels jealous of that. It's something that everyone has when they're first born and then they lose it once they grow up. For Morr, she feels like she lost it earlier than most just with the nature of her kingdom. Anyone who wasn't a soldier tended to be looked down on, so she was always striving to be the best. There was no time for fun child games.
Maybe that's why she didn't bother going to the medics for something to abort the pregnancy or other dangerous means. It crossed her mind for sure, but in the end, she decided to go through with it. Even with how painful and uncomfortable it had been, she finds herself feeling grateful. She's definitely scared every day and doesn't really know what she's doing, but she finds herself… happy. It's hard not to feel that way when you're around Maeve. She's a bubbly ball of light and if it was anyone else, she'd hate them for it.
This is also why she feels the need to spoil her sometimes. Today is one of those days as she stands at a booth buying sweets for her. She picks the best looking slice of pumpkin pie and also orders a couple glasses of apple cider. Morr gets the non-alcoholic kind as she refuses to drink in front of her daughter. It's not something she wants to expose Maeve to until the girl is much older.
When her daughter runs off to greet Antiope, she keeps a close eye on her from her place in the waiting line. It usually hurts to have her be too far away, but she trusts Antiope and knows she'll be fine even from all the way over there.
Morrighan orders an extra drink for the Sovereign and makes her way over with all the goodies. It's no surprise that Maeve happily devours the pie once she hands it to her and it brings a warm smile to Morrighan's face.
Her armor makes many clunking noises as she moves around, but she nods to the other mare and holds out the extra drink. "Here, I got you some cider if you want it." She admires the wintery look to Antiope's costume and it's an interesting contrast to the one she put together for Maeve. "Nice costume. You're both like fire and ice," she muses, glancing at Maeve who's about done eating her pie already. "How's the day treating you?"
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