Chapter 15
Old Traditions and New
November came and went and December quickly settled in. Jareth came to visit and tell Tk of the developing situation with that cow of an aunt of theirs, Rosie came to live at the palace along with Lavender, Daisy, and Lily, Marcy too became a permanent resident of the palace as did Jack-Jack and Doozle, the mice. Prudence was absolutely horrified at the thought of mice as pets. Tk seemed alright to those around her, but behind closed doors in the quiet solitude of her private rooms, Tk hurt inside.
Tk was in her private study a beautiful antique lacquered wood chest lay haphazardly on the floor next to Tk who was sprawled out on the floor asleep before the large fire place, many little wooden figurines lay about, tiny houses and trees, little men and women and children, bitty carts and wagons and market stands, teenie little goblins and elves, little barns and animal pens and little animals too, and stable and horses. Everything that was needed for a city including a castle and royals too. In all there must have been at least six hundred wooden figures, she had received one figure for Christmas every year since she was born, of course forty of these figures came as sets of two. Every year for as far back as she could remember, every night until Christmas they would set up twelve figures. First the trees and houses, then the shops and stores, then the farms and animals, then the fey men women and children, the elves, goblins, then the castle and royals.
"Tk? Are you in here pumpkin? Oh pumpkin." Rosie sighed when she saw Tk asleep on the floor with a flick of her wrist tk was in her night gown then with another flick Tk was laying on the couch neatly tucked up in a warm blanket and a soft eider down pillow beneath her head and bon bon tucked under her arm.
"Good night pumpkin." Rosie whispered kissing Tk gently on the brow.
"It's the first of December isn't it?" Tk said to no one in general.
"Hmm, yes it is majesty. Why do you ask?" a servant boy asked.
"Just wondering, thank you. You may go Ismay." Tk said as the boy left leaving her alone.
That evening Argon went to see if Tk was alright, she missed dinner, which wasn't like her at all. Argon was just about ready to search the third floor when a flickering glow caught his eye he crossed the dark hall to a balcony that overlooked an alcove.
The alcove was lit by the many candles that stood on a stone mantle in the wall that ran the entire length of the alcove there was a niche cut out in the wall and a statue of what appeared to be a wood nymph Tk sat at the statue's base.
"That's Ivy the patron spirit of winter, she's Tk's guardian spirit, her birth spirit." Jareth whispered, Argon jumped.
"What.." Argon started but stopped when Jareth raised a leather clad finger to his lips. "I thought Tk was born on the tenth of November?" Argon said softly.
"She was, but she was born early from a complication, twenty days early, her birth was to originally be the first of December, that is what the seer divined, so this is her Name-Sake." Jareth whispered.
"Her Name-Sake?"
"Yes, every child the day of its birth is brought before the statue of their spirit, and presented for the spirit to bless, when its blessed its chosen name appears on the wall of the home they are born in, if you look at the wall where Tk's name is supposed to be you won't see her name, she has two spaces the first one reads Baby Girl 10 November and the one below that is when she was named, that one reads Leanan Sidhe, Tk 1st December, every year no matter where she is, she says a blessing, listen." Jareth whispered.
"O Great Spirit, hear our song. Help us keep the ancient ways. Keep the sacred fire strong.
Walk in balance all our days." Tk spoke lighting the incense that stood at the base of the statue and tucked a snow white owl feather into the statue's stone curls, then put a large blood red rose the size of someone's fist in the statue's cupped hands
this one's edited!