you don't own me, i'm not one of your many toys
you don't own me, don't say i can't go with other boys
The little fae felt herself humming with energy.
Good, bad, in between. She wasn't sure. But when the summons had come, she also knew she couldn't ignore it. Would this be because of her words at that meeting? Perhaps this was a reaction to Caelum's digging for answers. Was it obvious the upbringing she had? Should she have dumbed down her questions? Was Israfel about to threaten her to keep her from challenging her, herself? Surely not, anyone you asked would state Caelum was a medic, not a leader. A healer, not a queen . . .
Ironically, they were both right or wrong.
The fae queen shifted as she looked around her bedroom in the back of the tea-shop. Her gaze reflected in the mirror she'd willingly paid a pretty penny for - vanity had always been important to the fae, and she was no exception when in private. She stared herself down, stood herself taller and took a deep breath. She was Caelum . . . No, she was more than that. She was Caelum Bella Knoxx, last surviving member of the Royal House of Knoxx, ruling family of the Florumian Court of Fae. The Light of Summer, the Blessed Flower of Primulan City. Her Majesty, the reigning Queen of the Florumian Court Fae. Damn it, she wasn't going to be scared! She wasn't going to be nervous. She would meet this summons with the grace of a reigning queen meeting the sovereign of another land.
Israfel just wouldn't be aware of her standing.
Unless Lu had told her. No, Luverna was her friend, her best friend. Her salvation and safety net in this land. She had to pray Lu would also continue to keep her identity a secret, just as she kept quiet of Lu's past, where Lu came from. Besides, Lu might be crushing on the new queen, but; at least where Caelum was aware; that was the extent of that . . . maybe if this meeting goes well, she can play a little matchmaker there, herself. Either way, she just hoped this meeting would be a smooth one.
Smoother than her current heartrate at least.
And so the fae took to the air, a trail of faerie dust left in her wake, as she flew out of her home, unintentionally healing the small bits of damage to the hardwood floors as her magic acted on its own. She continued out the door, and through the land to where the Night Court's Sovereign would be found. Hopefully Isra would understand she was travelling from the Lake, not the markets, or directly in the center of the court like many others of Denocte.
Caelum liked her privacy.
She landed in the courtyard, before making her way to where the note had told her to have her audience with the queen. She approached with her head held high, once more traveling by flight, rather than walking, partially to keep any flowers from blooming where she walked (a trouble now that she'd come into her magic, her proper fae-hood), but also for the comfort it provided her to be in the air, "Queen Israfel, Sovereign of Denocte." She greeted formally, allowing herself a slight bow, even if her own upbringing refused to let herself bow too deeply to the new ruler of Denocte, "You sent me a summons, I apologize for my tardiness, it's still a distance to cover between Vitreus Lake, and the Court proper. Might I enquire what this summons is about?" The runaway queen asked, ears flicking, expression calm, neutral, the face she'd learned to wear long ago within a court setting, the one that kept her emotions and feelings hidden.
She just could shake those lessons.
"Speech" Thoughts
@Israfel Notes: hehehe here ya go :) Figured they could have a chit chat proper. I did NOT include any knowledge that she might be aware of Lu and Isra courting, she is only aware enough to know that Isra is the mare that caught Lu's attention, and that based on Isra's pause on Lu, suspects the attention may be returned.
and don't tell me what to do, and don't tell me what to say
and please when I go out with you, don't put me on display
choking on the smoke from the fire you've started choking on the ash form the bridges you've burned
So much had happened very quickly.
Israfel was not accustomed to the intricacies of court. She was a demi-goddess, half-god, but never had she been classified as royalty. The closest she had ever reached before had been the years she had served as Regent of the Dusk Court. She did not know the way of politics, or social graces, or ‘formal affairs’, but nothing could have prepared her for the way the attendants of the citadel would dote upon her like swarming flies.
’Is there anything you need, Your Majesty?’ One would ask after dipping into her new study, and Israfel would shake her head and send them away so she could focus on her work.
’I brought tea, Highness.’ Even though Israfel didn’t drink tea unless forced, much preferring its bitter cousin coffee, she accepted it with a smile. A single sip left her displeased, however, that it tasted nothing like the cups provided by Luvena, and her heart ached. The cup of tea was then left untouched.
’Solaris has returned from her trip. She brings tidings from Solterra.’ The return letter had been an equally arrogant, cocksure one that had wrought an amused grin to rose-kissed lips, and she penned out a reply. It seemed that the new Sovereign of Solterra had a sense of humor. Isra made a mental note that she would need to meet him, face to face, and hopefully soon.
’My Queen? I’ve brought…’ And on it went.
It left her nerves frayed and her patience lacking, and it took every inch of self-restraint she had left to not snap at the poor servant girl who had simply come in to change the linens. Isra was private, by nature, but she couldn’t help to wonder if this was simply because Denocte had been so damn quiet and the staff were desperate to finally have something to do, or if it was always like this.
Regardless, the first second that she could get away from any courtly duties, Isra snuck out of the Court citadel and slunk into the courtyard. She had an appointment to keep, if the summoned individual actually showed up, and that was all the excuse she needed to get away from the buzzing antics of the ladies-in-waiting and the other members of the court.
Caelum arrived with all of the dignity and grace she had displayed at the meeting. A shorter thing, yet not the shortest she had seen in Novus (here, an image of the twins, Ard and Erd, pops into her mind and her heart aches for her pseudo-nephews as well), but what she lacks in height, it is abundantly clear that Caelum makes up for in wit, ambition, and heart.
Israfel smiles, cocking a brow, and lifts her head as Caelum addresses her, formal and polite with an eloquence that the Sun Daughter herself will probably never be able to learn to emulate. That was fine. She wasn’t here to pretend to be something she wasn’t.
“Caelum,” she greeted fondly, knowing how highly Luvena spoke of this fae lady. Thinking of Lu, here and now, made her heart ache again and she yearned to be back in the clinic, hidden away from the world with the other woman at her side. “Just call me ‘Isra’, yeah? Or Israfel. Whichever you prefer.”
Silence lingered between them, and Israfel found herself uncertain how to broach the reasoning of the summons. Turning her head slightly, vermilion eyes glanced about the gardens nearby and she gave Caelum a curious look. “Care to take a walk with me?” And with that, she turned, already expecting the fae-like mare to follow.
They fell into step, slipping into the gardens tended to by delicate, capable minds. The blooms of the flowers were beautiful, even though they were in the midst of a hot, cruel summer, but Israfel took a few moments to admire the blooms before continuing on. “Luvena speaks of you,” she began, picking her words carefully, wondering how the fuck she was supposed to do this, “Briefly, of course. She mentioned that you’re friends, and that you help her gather supplies.” Israfel glanced sidelong towards her traveling companion, vermilion eyes glittering in mirth. “When you spoke up in the meeting, I understood why you two are good friends. I wanted to thank you, first, for speaking up at the meeting, for being so prepared to defend Denocte and her citizens. You are not the only one who has found sanctuary here, who has found a second chance.”
you don't own me, i'm not one of your many toys
you don't own me, don't say i can't go with other boys
The fae made her way forward, greeting the sovereign as she'd been trained to.
Address, one must always address. She could hear her mother's words practically screaming in her head. Positions of power are just that, power. Even if one does not respect the ruler upon the thrown, you respect the position they hold. It's easier to win flies with honey than vinegar, and when you respect the position, it will appear you respect the ruler. Of course, Caelum had no issues with Isra - so far; and as such it wasn't hard to be courteous, polite, the mare she was raised to be.
She stood at ease in the courtyard.
It was hard not to, hard not to slip into that persona when she steps foot into a royal setting. How the simple tea-brewer/medicine-maker would slip away to the regal being she was at her very core. It was times like this that made her wonder how she hadn't slipped up yet. How her name hadn't gotten out. Who she was, hadn't been revealed. She was thankful, of course. No one wants their history, dirty laundry . . . failures broadcasted. Runaway Queen. The one who destroyed a kingdom from selflessness. The one who led those she loved, swore to protect; to defeat and death. A failure queen.
Perhaps it was why she never sought for Sovereign.
Because she couldn't bare it to ruin another kingdom, and her bad luck would point in that way. Isra greeted her with a fondness that Caelum was not quite expecting, but appreciated it all the same, even as the queen offered her name or nickname. Dropping the title already. Caelum forced herself to keep calm, collected, even as she fought for a way to answer, Oh, you don't drop formalities so early in a summons! Power is everything, and in the case of a summons, you always keep the power until a relationship is formed! It took Arson and I MONTHS before he'd stop referring to me as Princess, and we were COURTING. She didn't show any of these thoughts, of course.
Her mother raised her better than that.
Instead she dipped her head formally, a kind smile, "You honor me with such a privilege, your majesty." She remarked, her tone inflicting the perfect amount of courtesy, and respect that such an honor typically would receive . . . of course, she had a feeling Isra was rewriting the book on Courtroom etiquette as she spoke, "Isra then." She added, before the silence returned.
Caelum didn't mind it, it gave her a moment to observe.
Observe her new queen. Observe Lu's chosen. Observe the one who would lead Denocte out of the shadows - perhaps. It was then that the queen turned, gaze glancing to the gardens, before returning her gaze to Caelum, asking for a walk. Caelum followed the gaze and merely nodded, "Of course." She responded quietly, following her queen, settling into a step that at the queen's side, but not at the same level. A hierarchy shown even in the way one would walk. This was her domain, Isra's; so Caelum allowed her the slight lead.
Caelum bit back the sigh as she walked into the gardens.
The blooms were beautiful, but the well groomed garden was about to go to chaos. The moment her hooves touched the soil, flowers bloomed with each step, the ones nearest her seemed to take on extra life, as fae dust touched their petals, and Caelum had to slam every door down to keep her emotions from showing, "You shall have to give my sincerest apologies to your gardens. I fear this lovely 'scape will be a lot more wild after my departure." The Summer Court queen apologized.
The queen spoke again, and Caelum looked to her.
She seemed to be careful about her words, but Caelum couldn't deny the bright, real smile at the name of her dear friend. She nodded to the other's words, agreeing with what was said, "Yes, I consider her a very close friend, one of the dearest I have had the privilege of making in my time in Denocte." She cut her gaze almost slyly to her queen, "I am fairly well aware of her . . . constitution, and feel it only proper to assist where I can. I am not an acting medic, so I feel my time is better used, when not caring for my tea shop, assisting Luvena with the supplies for the patients she sees. . . especially if it can allow her more time with others who might seek her heart . . . my queen." A casual touch of the waters, to see if her assumptions of where Lu and Isra's relationship was heading was accurate. She'd always wanted to plan a wedding, her mother had been the one planning her and Arson's . . . and she never got a chance to marry Tremaine proper.
Then the mare spoke about her speaking up at the meeting.
Was this it, was this the reprimand, the questioning, the 'who are you to question me?' She was glad when neither of that happened, instead, being thanked. Caelum dipped her head in acceptance to the words, though when she raised her gaze, her expression was less jaded than before, her expression a little more open, "I only spoke up to ensure to myself, and others; that our Court would be moving in the right direction." The mare responded quietly before she looked more fully at Israfel, "This kingdom has a healing effect, on many of us. A chance to come to terms with Our pasts, and accept the changes to Ourselves in the process." How easily it is to slip into a royal We . . . She'll have to monitor her speech a little more carefully.
She turned more fully to the queen.
Her ivory tail swept the ground, leaving small buds growing amongst the flowers and grasses coming up around her hooves, and the fae tilted her head, "But, I have a feeling that was not all you wish to discuss with me." She bowed her head faintly, delicately. Her gaze slightly lowered. Those who have worn a crown before would recognize it as the angle used to keep one's own tiara (or in the runaway queen's preference, circlet) from sliding from their brow. "How might I be of service to you, to Denocte, my queen?" She rose, staring the queen down, a single eyebrow raised, "For surely, that would be the cause of this summons, so soon after your coronation and public appearance as Sovereign. I am always happy to help this court, my home, but I cannot imagine what good a medic and tea-maker might offer."
What was the purpose of this summons?
"Speech" Thoughts
@Israfel Notes: Caelum's just like 'why . . . . am I here? . . . .'
and don't tell me what to do, and don't tell me what to say
and please when I go out with you, don't put me on display
