Julianna had slept later than usual. Which really was not saying much for a woman who usually rose before the sun. Starling whining and pawing at the door had woken her, he was eager to be freed from the room to investigate their foreign company. She had risen to let him out, though not without complaint. Grumbling to herself all the while as she stretched and decided she was awake enough to dress herself for the day. She chose a gown that was mostly red with a gauzy beige inlay that was decorated with a filigree in the shape of flowers. Matching slippers were hidden by the length of the skirt, and she did not bother herself with what to do with her hair, because Maeve would figure it out for her.
She sat at the vanity while she waited for her handmaiden, looking over the letter that had been left upon it for her inspection. The forged invitation to the Eskran emperor. She frowned at it. It was well done, but still fake nonetheless. The door opened behind her and she let the parchment slip upon the table.
“Good morning, your majesty.”
Julianna mumbled her own greetings, brow furrowing over the matter of the invitation. She sat upright as Maeve appeared behind her in the mirror. Pale hands immediately disappeared into curling ebony locks. She watched slender fingers expertly twist sections into intricate braids, one of her own tapping rhythmically on the letter. “Will you find out if whoever forged this letter is currently in the emperor’s company? I would like to speak with them.”
Maeve leaned over her shoulder to pluck a decorative pin from the vanity. “Of course, your majesty.” When she was finished smoothing Julianna’s curls into something resembling order, she settled a tiara in the delicate whorls of hair. It was silver and diamonds molded into the shape of leaves on a vine and decorated with small rubies like berries. “The emperor is in the garden,” Maeve informed her.
The queen hummed her disinterest, rearranging her bangs to her liking in the mirror.
“Perhaps it would be best for the two of you to attempt a reintroduction while you’re both a bit more level-headed?” The handmaiden’s voice had a lilt that expressed that her words were less of a suggestion. There were times when Maeve subtly attempted to order the queen around like an unruly child, and most of the time she got away with it.
“I am going to look for Starling,” Julianna announced as she stood, smoothing her hands over the velvety spirals on her bodice. “If I happen across the emperor then so be it.”
Julianna looked for Starling everywhere but the gardens. The wolfhound refused to show himself everywhere she looked. She whistled lightly and called his name as she roamed the castle halls. Starling knew better than to stray too far from her, but that didn’t not mean he couldn’t be easily distracted in a short distance. With a huff the queen decided to check the garden.
Which is where she found Starling.
With the emperor. Of course he would be with the emperor the little traitor. Clearing her throat she stood across the garden path from the duo. She observed Lord Hartwydt as he knelt on the ground and showed a generous amount of attention to the over excited pup. Watching them threatened a small smile at the corner of her mouth, but she smothered it. It was almost endearing the way he seemed to be enjoying the hound’s company. Were she feeling a bit more out of sorts about their interaction the night before she would have called Starling away from him, but she was content to let them be.
There was also the matter of Starling choosing to ignore her in favor of spoiled and she wouldn’t risk that happening in front of the emperor.
“Is he bothering you?” she called, pleasantly, taking a few steps forward. Starling turned to look at her, but only rolled onto his back to give Owen access to his tummy.
She sat at the vanity while she waited for her handmaiden, looking over the letter that had been left upon it for her inspection. The forged invitation to the Eskran emperor. She frowned at it. It was well done, but still fake nonetheless. The door opened behind her and she let the parchment slip upon the table.
“Good morning, your majesty.”
Julianna mumbled her own greetings, brow furrowing over the matter of the invitation. She sat upright as Maeve appeared behind her in the mirror. Pale hands immediately disappeared into curling ebony locks. She watched slender fingers expertly twist sections into intricate braids, one of her own tapping rhythmically on the letter. “Will you find out if whoever forged this letter is currently in the emperor’s company? I would like to speak with them.”
Maeve leaned over her shoulder to pluck a decorative pin from the vanity. “Of course, your majesty.” When she was finished smoothing Julianna’s curls into something resembling order, she settled a tiara in the delicate whorls of hair. It was silver and diamonds molded into the shape of leaves on a vine and decorated with small rubies like berries. “The emperor is in the garden,” Maeve informed her.
The queen hummed her disinterest, rearranging her bangs to her liking in the mirror.
“Perhaps it would be best for the two of you to attempt a reintroduction while you’re both a bit more level-headed?” The handmaiden’s voice had a lilt that expressed that her words were less of a suggestion. There were times when Maeve subtly attempted to order the queen around like an unruly child, and most of the time she got away with it.
“I am going to look for Starling,” Julianna announced as she stood, smoothing her hands over the velvety spirals on her bodice. “If I happen across the emperor then so be it.”
Julianna looked for Starling everywhere but the gardens. The wolfhound refused to show himself everywhere she looked. She whistled lightly and called his name as she roamed the castle halls. Starling knew better than to stray too far from her, but that didn’t not mean he couldn’t be easily distracted in a short distance. With a huff the queen decided to check the garden.
Which is where she found Starling.
With the emperor. Of course he would be with the emperor the little traitor. Clearing her throat she stood across the garden path from the duo. She observed Lord Hartwydt as he knelt on the ground and showed a generous amount of attention to the over excited pup. Watching them threatened a small smile at the corner of her mouth, but she smothered it. It was almost endearing the way he seemed to be enjoying the hound’s company. Were she feeling a bit more out of sorts about their interaction the night before she would have called Starling away from him, but she was content to let them be.
There was also the matter of Starling choosing to ignore her in favor of spoiled and she wouldn’t risk that happening in front of the emperor.
“Is he bothering you?” she called, pleasantly, taking a few steps forward. Starling turned to look at her, but only rolled onto his back to give Owen access to his tummy.
I fear no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet) I want no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true) and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant and whatever a sun will always sing is you.
The following 1 user Likes megs's post: saronym
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Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 12-16-2016, 02:18 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 12-18-2016, 04:25 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 12-23-2016, 08:42 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 12-24-2016, 06:58 AM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 12-24-2016, 03:04 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 12-24-2016, 04:01 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 12-24-2016, 05:11 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 12-24-2016, 05:57 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 12-26-2016, 01:17 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 12-26-2016, 03:15 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 12-27-2016, 02:41 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 12-27-2016, 04:15 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 12-27-2016, 07:49 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 12-27-2016, 08:40 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 12-28-2016, 08:29 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 12-28-2016, 08:51 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 01-01-2017, 05:23 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 01-02-2017, 11:48 AM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 01-05-2017, 10:16 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 01-07-2017, 02:21 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 01-11-2017, 03:46 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 01-12-2017, 11:36 AM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 01-16-2017, 09:41 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 01-17-2017, 11:16 AM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 01-17-2017, 10:39 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 01-18-2017, 10:06 AM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 01-19-2017, 09:08 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 01-20-2017, 02:11 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 02-14-2017, 09:10 AM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 02-18-2017, 11:30 AM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 04-12-2017, 08:40 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 05-01-2017, 05:59 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 05-07-2017, 01:59 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 05-07-2017, 09:28 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 05-10-2017, 11:49 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 05-15-2017, 06:25 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 05-30-2017, 08:25 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 06-12-2017, 08:55 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 06-20-2017, 07:46 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 06-22-2017, 09:00 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 06-22-2017, 10:08 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 06-22-2017, 10:37 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 06-24-2017, 05:36 AM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 06-24-2017, 07:29 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 06-25-2017, 09:11 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 06-25-2017, 09:57 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 06-25-2017, 10:18 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 06-26-2017, 10:29 AM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 06-26-2017, 08:02 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 06-27-2017, 11:32 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 06-29-2017, 12:12 AM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 06-30-2017, 06:01 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 07-17-2017, 07:45 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 09-07-2017, 07:37 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 09-10-2017, 11:21 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 09-14-2017, 11:42 AM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 10-17-2017, 04:18 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 11-02-2017, 06:36 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 11-29-2017, 02:14 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 11-30-2017, 04:02 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 02-03-2018, 09:47 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 10-14-2018, 04:46 AM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 11-13-2018, 01:11 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 08-24-2019, 10:57 AM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 08-26-2019, 12:19 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 08-26-2019, 03:55 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 08-27-2019, 01:28 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 08-27-2019, 02:34 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 09-04-2019, 05:21 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 09-05-2019, 04:40 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 12-17-2019, 01:33 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 12-17-2019, 05:29 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 12-28-2019, 08:44 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 01-12-2020, 07:10 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 01-14-2020, 07:14 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 12-29-2019, 02:17 AM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 01-14-2020, 06:11 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 01-17-2020, 02:35 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 01-17-2020, 05:02 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 01-31-2020, 06:36 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 02-06-2020, 06:24 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 02-21-2020, 05:59 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 01-20-2020, 04:42 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 02-01-2020, 02:51 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 02-07-2020, 02:26 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 02-21-2020, 09:46 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 03-01-2020, 05:47 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 03-10-2020, 07:28 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 07-04-2020, 12:48 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 07-25-2020, 12:57 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 03-02-2020, 11:19 AM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 03-14-2020, 12:34 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 07-23-2020, 09:57 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 08-25-2020, 11:02 AM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 09-12-2020, 01:02 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 09-25-2020, 01:11 PM