It had been a week since her arrival in Sol and Claudia was already missing home. Osburyeoles was a wonderful city, and she was happy to see Raskreia and her father but, it wasn't Miraves, the capital city of Curatadia where she'd grown up. Not even close. She knew it was only because this was her first-time leaving home but it didn't help that her sire had left immediately after the big ball. He had work to do as a duke on the elders' council so she couldn't blame him and yet...
It was always so sunny here but she could never just duck under some trees or ferns since she could never spot any near enough. The animals were shy even though she was a nymph and smelt like her beloved redbud back home. Everything was simply so... foreign.
It was why she'd agreed to let Raskreia give her a tour. It wasn't as if she hated this place. Nothing of the sort! She could never hate the home of her family! She just didn't understand it. Tentatively, taking Raskreia's offered hand, she stepped out of the room she had been given and onto the carpeted floor of the hallway. It felt somewhat familiar on her bare feet, like moss, but not the same because it was dead and dry.
Watching Claudia's hesitance was worrying but Raskreia kept up her best attempt at an encouraging smile. She knew it wasn't great since father had asked if she'd been constipated the day before last when she was practicing, but keeping her face impassive as it usually was would only make Claudia feel worse. Plants were very sensitive after all. She knew she was homesick, but she had thought after the time they'd spent together the past few days she'd be feeling somewhat better.
Since she wasn't, Raskreia would show her around the palace grounds instead of inside like she had the previous times. "I was thinking we could go see some of the gardens or the aviary this time. Is that fine, Dia?"
Some of the gardens? As in plural? "When you say some...?"
"The palace has forty-two different gardens. Most are ornamental but there are a few meant to mimic different forests and jungles." Her father had been the one to order their creation. The first one had been completed on the day of Claudia's birth, in fact, and although they had wanted to show it to her together, he had given her permission to go ahead by herself since he was busy.
Claudia's eyes widened. Forty-two? She knew the palace was big but, not that big. Curatadia had been all forest so they'd never really done gardens, per say. Some areas might have had certain flowers or plants that outsiders liked to visit and the non-spirits had little patches if they wanted to grow something but that wasn't anything special.
"Is it even possible to visit them all in a single day?"
Smile turning genuine as Raskreia saw the curiosity permeating from Claudia, she led them through the halls in the direction of her birth garden. "One could if they really wanted to, I suppose. It wouldn't give you time to appreciate them though. The smallest garden should take at least the burning of half a honey light. The largest... to fully explore that one you'd need half a small candle's worth of time but to enjoy it? Three whole days including the moon's hours at the very least."
"Three days?!" For a garden? Half an hour for the smallest made sense but six hours for simply looking at the largest? Did the Solian people all go to such extreme lengths or was this the pastimes of nobility? Her sire may be a duke but that was merely a title given to all the elders on the council back home. None of the elders were wealthy or anything of that sort; they didn't even have a currency aside from simple trade and barter. She was starting to worry that all the gifts she had received over the years from Raskreia and her father were worth much more than she had initially assumed.
Raskreia laughed lightly at her expression and pulled her along through the doors that led out under the sun. Claudia's birth garden was close unlike all the other forest gardens.
Pointing at the thick trees heralding its presence, and the Curatadia lanterns hung up to mark it- "There. I think it'll cheer you up plenty."
For a moment Claudia was speechless. Was that- "Miraves?"
It wasn't her home of course. That simply wasn't possible. Yet the trees that only grew in her city were right there and she lifted the heavy embroidered skirt Raskreia and her father had given her when her redbud had first bloomed many years ago.
The cold stone path turned to dirt and she heard Raskreia chasing after her as she spun under the tall trees that blocked all light and gave her the cool shade she yearned for. As back home, the world smelt natural again, even if the flowers were stronger instead of the damp mud and trees. Though there wasn't the familiar squelch as her feet sank into the ground, only the lanterns and glowing plants lit up her surroundings. The further she went in, the darker it was and she finally stopped upon a glowing pond just like the one that sat flush against the house back home.
Finally catching up, Raskreia leaned over Claudia's shoulder and smiled- "I take it that you like this place?"
"Fuck," murmured Claudia in surprise, and flushed immediately. She did her best to keep her speech polite but... "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to leave you behind. It's just that some of these plants shouldn't be able to grow anywhere aside from home. And I was so enchanted, I-"
"Couldn't help but see it for yourself," Raskreia said, finishing her sentence. "Father will be overjoyed to hear that. He had this garden built just for you, even though it's so difficult trying to keep everything alive."
For her? "All of this? Just for me? That couldn't possibly..." she trailed off, thinking back to everything done for her this past week. Perhaps this wasn't too unrealistic considering the lavish walk-in closet she had been provided with upon her arrival.
Raskreia snorted, "Not only this birth garden of yours, but all the other forest gardens are for you as well. Even if you never go anywhere aside from the Aesculapian Curatadia or even outside of Osburyeoles to go sightseeing, you'll know what all the forests of this continent are like." Not the other continents but knowing her father it was only really a matter of time rather than a question of if.
"Oh my." Claudia felt horribly dizzy and let Raskreia hold her as she leaned against her, trying to collect her bearings. The entire continent? She was excited of course but it was so much to take in. After a few moments, she took a deep breath and stood on her own- "What did you mean by birth garden?"
"Well, it was completed on the same day you were born. So father and I call it that."
Staring blankly at Raskreia, Claudia took another deep breath and fiddled with her right earring, taking it on and off, finally settling with clutching it tight. "I think he should calm down somewhat."
That made her laugh even as she tried to stifle it- "Everyone's tried. Even the Prime Minister can't do anything if he gets an idea in his head. She avoids him at those times, actually."
"Oh dear," said Claudia, but she couldn't stop the smile creeping onto her face. "That bad? I always thought I had the worst of it between us but I'm starting to think I got the better half."
"You definitely got the better half." Aentrah knew full well the things she had to go through. Shaking her head, Raskreia pointed at the pond- "I think you may want to take a closer look, though."
"Huh?" Claudia lifted her skirt to approach the edge of the pond and peered into it, a gasp escaping her when she wasn't met with her reflection and instead her redbud. "This is the twin pond?"
After she'd been told that the reason the pond next to their home didn't show her reflection was because it was instead showing the reflections from its mirror image, she'd assumed it was in some other part of Curatadia. Where else would you find the scenery present in it? Now that she spun around to look closely at the flora framing the pond, at the clearing, at the animals that lurked here, she recognised them from her days sitting by her house staring at them.
Entranced, she didn't notice the duo approaching them until- "Your highness, Lady Claudia, it's a pleasant morning in which to see you."
A startled cry escaped her and she spun around, dropping her earring. For a moment she was made aware of Raskreia's mentor and a familiar looking man but the soft plop from the water made her disregard them. Kneeling into the water, not caring if she got her skirt wet anymore, she desperately grabbed at her sinking earring and vulgar words escaped her as she failed to grasp it. Why was this pond made to be so deep even at the edge?
The words that came out of his cousin's younger daughter made Draconis laugh. Oh, how quaint. He had always thought of the younger nymphs from Curatadia as shy boring types and she'd seemed that way too but apparently not. It made him want to test her to see how she reacted.
"You surprised her, Edi dear-" he laid his head on her shoulder, smiling- "I'd say that warrants an apology."
Raskreia shot a glare at the man who was so familiar with her mentor before kneeling beside Claudia. She knew it was irrational. He was Lady Edian's friend and nothing more. He was her family, distant perhaps, but she couldn't stop herself.
Laying a hand on Claudia's shoulder, she said, "Dia, I know you're upset but you won't be able to get it back like this."
Claudia sighed as Raskreia comforted her and stood, helping her up as well. She was upset but she also knew Raskreia was right. Looking at Lady Edian whose guilt showed on her face, she smiled gently.
"Nobody is at fault; I was just surprised."
"Still... I apologise for that, my lady," Edian said, letting Draconis step away so that she could give a proper bow.
Eyes widening, Claudia wondered if all territories had such stiff formalities- "No really. It's fine."
Raskreia removed her overcoat and gave Claudia's shoulder a pat- "I'll go get it."
"Oh, thank you," she said with a small nod, still reeling from Edian's reaction.
"I'll take that then~" Draconis cheerfully plucked Raskreia's overcoat and ruffled her hair. It was a shame he'd stopped visiting Osburyeoles often after his sister's passing since it meant he hadn't seen her much aside from when she was a baby. Perhaps the jealousy she directed towards him would have been even more charming then.
"Ah..." He was so strange, just like father. Addressing everyone, "Please be patient until I return," Raskreia knelt at the edge of the pool and dived in without a single splash.
Looking between Raskreia's mentor and the familiar man, Claudia smiled, nervous- "I believe we haven't met, sir."
"No, I would have introduced myself at the ball but you seemed quite overwhelmed," Draconis said with a smile. A white lie. Ashoka had ushered her and Raskreia out after he'd pulled his stunt with the book so he couldn't talk to them. "I am Aldana Harsha di Draconis, heir of Suldala's marchioness."
"Oh, I'm sure I heard them announce your entrance and I saw you speaking with his majesty later on. Suldala has very distinctive clothes," Claudia said, "Unlike my sire I'm not too familiar with how the Solian hierarchy functions. Is there any way I must refer to you?"
"Saying Lord before one of his names, or my lord is good enough," Edian said. Of course, being his majesty's daughter, Lady Claudia didn't need to say any of that as family but his majesty hadn't actually acknowledged her as his officially. She was still just an honoured guest as the daughter of Duke Tradio, a Curatadia elder.
Draconis sighed, shaking his head, "Really, Edi?"
That was all so unnecessarily tedious. It wasn't as if she was formal to anyone aside from royalty so it was really all just a facade for Claudia's sake. With an exaggerated, dramatic his mother would say with a fond smile, bow, he smiled at her.
"Just call me uncle or Conis. No need for formalities."
"Honestly..." Edian muttered with a smile. What a nuisance.
Claudia meanwhile had flinched, shocked- "Uncle? How could I possibly..."
"You're Ashoka's daughter aren't you? It's not like we're actually cousins but we refer to each other like that. So it's only natural that his darling sunshine can call me uncle." She seemed strangely fearful. Perhaps she was as shy as most young nymphs were?
"Oh, the rumours." Raskreia and her father had said the news would spread quickly. Claudia relaxed; it was natural, yes. She did have one question though- "How do you know I'm called that?"
Edian blinked, tail flicking- "Called what?"
"Sunshine."
Draconis laughed. Oh she was so funny! The girl knew nothing of Sol, did she? "It's common for any Solian parent to call their child sunshine. We believe in Aentrah, so anything precious to us gets a similar name."
"Even some of the tribes in Viu'fei do the same," Edian said, "My father simply calls me his shining sun."
Oh. That explained so much. "So that's why only my dame, ah!" Claudia blushed, flustered- "Do ignore my words. I know the terminology for parents is different here." This was why she'd never left Curatadia until now, she always messed up her words.
Curatadia did use dame and sire because of their heavily inhuman population. The idea that his cousin would be referred to as dame was utterly hilarious though, even if he would have been the one to create her with his magic and even if many of the non-humans didn't need a man and a woman to make a child.
"Somehow I doubt you'll want to call him mother either," Draconis said.
She giggled, "Oh no, definitely not. I don't think I could ever call his majesty that."
He raised a brow- "You don't need to call him so formally either. Edi and I are fine to speak as you would normally, right Edi?"
"Of course," Edian nodded.
Claudia's smile turned nervous- "I understand, but I mess up my words easily. If I don't practice even now, I'll make mistakes with others."
Edian nodded again, this time sympathetic- "I understand that. His majesty and her highness have no qualms with how I speak but the rest of the court would." Speaking formally was an utter pain in the ass. Yet even if that hadn't been the case, sometimes she couldn't bring herself to speak casually with his majesty and her highness, much as she adored them.
"You should hear how Edi speaks away from them. The sailors on the coast cities would ask her for tips if they met her."
"Must you ruin my image immediately?"
"I'm your best friend. How can it possibly get worse?"
Both women laughed at his response, and Edian wrapped an arm around Draconis' waist in a hug- "You've insulted us both in one go. Congratulations."
Claudia smiled at the action before she remembered- "Oh! I never did ask. Why did you two come here in the first place? I find it hard to believe anyone comes here often." Impossible really. She'd never seen a person in the reflections back home aside from the rare soul that must have been there for upkeep.
"We saw Raskreia running in here. It made us just a tad bit curious." Well, mostly just him, actually. Edian had been more worried and told him that she wasn't the type to rush. Apparently his cousin had raised a dignified and straightlaced heir. Now that was something Draconis wanted to find out about since both his cousin and Duke Tradio weren't the least bit concerned with respectability.
"Speaking of her highness... she's been in the water for quite a while, hasn't she?" Edian asked, glancing at the pond with concern. Humans couldn't breathe for that long unlike her tribe, and even they could only really go for the time it took to burn half a honey light.
"Oh, I suppose?" Claudia didn't really know what would be considered long for Raskreia, much less any human.
Draconis frowned, putting the overcoat he'd been holding over his shoulder- "She has. Give it another two minutes and if she's not out I'll empty the pond." Aentrah forbid anything happen to his niece. He refused to be the one to tell his cousin of another death in the family. His face when he'd learnt of Hulda's... it'd been as bad as his own nights grieving over his sister.
With a nod, Edian tried to ignore the dread building within her heart- "Lady Claudia, what is it that you dropped in the first place?"
"My earring," she said, her hand instinctively going to her right ear and coming up empty.
Studying the flower shaped stud earring on her left ear, Draconis crossed his arms- "I feel as though the object that dropped was much larger though. It also gleamed gold but that's where the similarities end."
"It was larger. The earrings are mismatched," Claudia explained, "They were a gift from my parents when I came of age. This one is a bloom from my redbud depicted in a Solian style. The other was the sun stylised according to how they do it in Miraves' murals."
"It must be beautiful if it matches the flower, and if it needed two piercings," Edian remarked.
Draconis peered at her, fingers brushing against her ear as he examined it closely. There really were two piercings. Leaning back, he smirked- "Good eye, Edi. That earring really must be something."
Red creeped up Claudia's cheeks at his actions- "It is heavy, but uncle, please don't do that without warning."
"I'll think about it."
"That's a no," said Edian, tone drier than her homeland, "You'll have to get used to it, my lady.
Claudia sighed, "Just like my parents then."
"Who's just like your parents?" asked a voice at their feet. There was a splash and Raskreia pulled herself up and out of the pond.
"Me," Draconis said, kneeling down to tap her shoulder and place a core warming spell on her. He grimaced at the jolt in his stomach from the quick casting, but it was better to deal with the drawback of hurrying a spell than having to deal with her getting sick. "You were in there for quite a while-" he ignored her quiet thanks- "Edi was nearly in tears, I'll have you know."
Edian stared at him coldly before sighing, "I was worried, yes."
Raskreia's heart quickened- "You shouldn't have. I cast a spell after diving in so I could breathe."
"Did you?" Draconis couldn't feel magic anywhere on his niece but it wasn't as if there was any reason to lie. Still... "That's a delicate spell. You've been training hard."
"That doesn't matter. For now we must hurry you back for a change of clothes, your highness." She was dripping water everywhere and her clothes were drenched. There was no way that was comfortable. Edian could feel her own scales prickling at the thought.
Standing, Raskreia nodded. Before that though- "Dia, here. I got it back."
She placed the earring in Claudia's hand and smiled softly at how bright her expression became. Ah, she loved it when Dia was happy.
Drying the earring with her skirt, Claudia put it back on quickly, sighing with relief at the way it brushed against her shoulder. "Thank you."
Draconis tilted his head as he watched them. The earring was even larger and fancier than he'd expected. Fascinating. "After you change, why don't you two join Edi and I. She was going to show me the Viu'fei style garden and then we were planning on lunch."
Raskreia glanced at Claudia who nodded- "We will. Thank you."
Shooing the group back towards the palace, Edian scolded Raskreia, "Your highness, please! Spell or no, you'll get sick. If you won't do it for yourself, think about how much of an annoyance his majesty will be."
Giggling, Claudia fell back to walk with Draconis and watched Edian disappear with Raskreia- "Are they always like this, uncle?"
"I wish I knew," Draconis said, almost sounding wistful, "I only come here every ten years for the ball. Ashoka and Edian are the one who visit me." He was starting to genuinely regret it. Why had he stopped coming here in the first place? It was because Hulda had disappeared but it wasn't as if Osburyeoles was particularly reminiscent of her aside from his cousin.
"Once a decade?" she asked shocked, "Is there a reason why?"
Staring at her for a long moment, Draconis shook his head- "Not one that matters. We should hurry or else we'll still be here by the time it's noon." His niece didn't need to know about something as depressing as the death of his twin. She had disappeared before this child had even been born and even before Ashoka had become king.
"Oh, okay." That seemed like a touchy subject and Claudia knew better than to poke at it. Mother Astra knew how animals reacted when provoked, and this was the same. With a smile she lifted her skirt, still damp- "Perhaps we should make this a race then-" and ran ahead.
Draconis was stunned momentarily before he grinned. Shy as the young nymphs were at the borders of Suldala and Curatadia, they were also mischievous, and that he liked about both them and his niece. Muttering a spell for speed, he chased after her.