Castle Wanderings - And a Promise in the Dark

[Deleted]

Shui nervously approached the Queens door. She glanced behind her and the older woman who had accompanied her and swallowed hard.

The woman smiled fondly and nodded. "Go ahead a knock. Prince Twilight was very good to take you in, even if he thought you were a boy."

The little girl sighed and shifts the tray to balance it while she knocked on the door. "I don't like this dress," she said petulantly, waiting for an answering call.

[Darastrix]

There was a moment of silence, then a light feminine voice bade them enter.

Dusk was reclining on her bed, wearing a simple pale pink dressing gown. Her dark hair was loose about her shoulders, and the only bit of jewelry she had on at the moment was her wedding ring--her real one, not the symbol of a political alliance.

At the moment, there seemed to be something cradled in her arms, though it was a bit hard to tell. One of her blue-grey wings was swept forward, partially shielding her from view.

[Deleted]

Shui came in slowly and approached the bed. Glancing behind her, she saw the one who came with her nod and she set the tray on the bed. "The Head Chef asked for me to bring this to you..." she screwed her face up for a moment and did her best imitation of the Head Chef.

"Make sure you bring this food to Her Majesty; it is filled with the nutrition she needs to stay healthy and to feed her child."

[Darastrix]

Dusk's lips twitched in mild amusement, wondering if the chef had actually said something like that. All she said, however, was, "Thank you, dear. I'll take my meal after Sunlight is done with his."

Zira entered, having just stepped briefly into the adjoining room to fetch a book for Dusk. The tall man was dressed in a lightweight robe of pale blue and white, and his long hair was pulled back into a loose braid that fell halfway down his back. He smiled slightly and nodded to the two servants in the room, and retook what must have been his earlier seat--the chair had a white and silver cane leaning against it, and a pair of sandals set beside.

[Deleted]

Shui turned to glance at the person who came in before looking back at Dusk. However, that didn't last long, as her attention was immediatly brought back to the stranger. She looked down and studied him from under her eyelashes before approaching.

"Excuse me? Are you one of her Majesties ladies in waiting? I mean..you are very pretty, and I can only imagine Dusk with people like you."

[Darastrix]

Dusk's hands were full with her son, so she raised her wing to cover her face as well while she burst into giggles.

Zira stared at the child for a moment, two spots of colour appearing on his cheeks. "Ex...cuse me?" he finally managed, his voice going up a note higher than usual in his surprise.

[Deleted]

Shui retreated to the beds edge, her eyes wide. "Oh, I'm sorry, did I say something wrong? It was supposed to be a compliment. I...I mean, you're just so pretty."

[Darastrix]

Zira glanced helplessly at Dusk, but the queen was still giggling behind her wing, which was fortunate. Had she been able to get the words out, Dusk might've asked if he'd like to go through her makeup and jewelry.

"It's not your fault you make a mistake," Zira finally murmured, pinching the bridge of his nose.

~Kleio,~ he called plaintively to his lover, ~do you think I look like a lady-in-waiting?~

[Kender Bard]

Kleio paused in his work to close his eyes and focus his thoughts so Zira could pick them up. No, of course not, he thought, but there was laughter in his thoughts. Though I've had a rather biased view of you, if you know what I mean.

[Deleted]

"A...mistake? Then that means..." Shui fell quiet for a moment, turning over what she...no, he, said. "So, you're a guy then? That's strange but," she stuck out one little hand in friendly greeting.

"I'm sorry. My name is Shui and Master Twilight brought me here for training to be a swards - swordsman." She grinned up at him.

[Darastrix]

Zira turned slightly pinker and huffed a bit at Kleio. ~It's not funny. This child that Twilight brought into the palace--Shui--thought I was a woman!~

He'd never been mistaken for a female before, even if he was somewhat pretty for a man. If nothing else, you'd be hard-pressed to see a woman of his height outside of Autus.

Sulking a bit internally, Zira accepted the proffered hand and shook it gently. "My name is Zira. I own a bookshop here in the city. ...Thuoth's sake, Dusk, it's not that funny."

"I'm sorry, Zira," Dusk giggled, trying to mollify the poor man as she adjusted her gown and drew her wing back. "But you should have seen your face."

[Deleted]

"B-books?" Shui asked, her cheeks becoming a shade darker. "B-books are nice. I can't read though." She shrugged almost indifferently and turned back to the bed, going right up the the edge.

"Your Majesty," she said quietly. "May I see that baby? My dad told me that babies are special, and I've never really seen one before."

The woman who had come in with Shui sighed and rolled her eyes and stood beside the door, waiting for the childs curiousity to be satisfied.

[Darastrix]

Zira raised his eyebrows at that. With his family, friends, and his business, he had rarely encountered anyone who was illiterate. Opening the book he'd fetched, he made a mental note to suggest to Twilight that the girl be found a tutor.

"Of course, dear one." Dusk said, shifting her son in her arms slightly so that Shui could better see him. "His name is Sunlight."

[Kender Bard]

Nalani strolled into the room then, a handful of freshly picked garden flowers clutched close. She blinked to see two others there as well though. "Oh!" she exclaimed, then giggled. "I guess I should have figured you'd be busy, Dusk! No rest for royalty, right? I'll just wait in the hall until you're a bit more cleared out." Humming she disappeared again.

[Darastrix]

Dusk blinked at the door and looked at Zira. "Who was that?"

Zira shrugged slightly. "A priestess?"

"Maybe.... She reminded me of Nalani, but she looked a bit older. Oh well. We'll see in a few minutes." Dusk shrugged it off and returned her attention to Sunlight and Shui.