Up before dawn, she stood sentinel on the wide stone balcony, head high, eyes far seeing. For the time being, she was alone, and she didn't much mind the solitude. It was a relief; the silence of predawn hours, with only the faintest beginnings of morning birdsong filtering from the distant depths of the forest. It was, she supposed, the sweetest moments of the day, when she could simply stand, and think. She thought back to the years of her shortened childhood, of the days where her mother would have risen to begin the morning baking, and the smells of yeast dough rising would tempt a child out of dreams and into the waking world. Those years felt very far away. They were bittersweet memories, and the smile that pulled at her lips was one of sadness as much as pleasure at the memory of the sounds that had permeated the hours of early morning.
A light breeze tugged at the draping sleeves of her night dress, tossing the light, cream colored silk gently on supple fingers, before dying down. She turned her head, facing into the faintest breeze, eyes closed as she tested the smells on this morning's breath of wind. The keen sense of smell lent to her by the inherited abilities of a Shifter caught the faint smells of the forest; of the crystalline liquid smell of the streams twining their paths through the mossy earth. It was tempting; oh how it was tempting, to slip away to the embracing shadows of the predawn forest, and run, whether on two feet or on four. To feel the wind embrace her. However, it was a part of duty to resist the temptation. She wasn't a princess running from duty any longer. She was a Queen. A Queen upon whom a realm depended to keep them safe, wealthy, and well fed. And duty would be wrapping its hands around her neck soon enough.
Turning, she glanced back into the dark bedchamber that was hers; had been hers since she'd arrived here at the age of sixteen, after four years of relentless travel among the remaining members of her village. She judged the hour, hoping she could milk a few more minutes out of the morning before she had to don the court attire and make her way down to the long hours of Queens work waiting to begin below.
The first rays of morning light touched the sky as the sun broke over the horizon. The birds began to wake, their song filling the air as they stretched their wings and took flight. It was Summer, gentle and warm in this land, harsh and hot in others, such as the Human kingdom. Slowly, gently, the sky lightened from pale grey, to peach yellow struck through with soft pastels of pink, gold, and orange, as the fiery disk of the sun rose higher. Blue sky began to fade into life, as the last glimmers of the morning star faded with a final twinkle. The light touched her red hair, caressed the subtle highlights of gold, copper, bronze and mahogany.
A soft sigh left the Queen, and she turned away from the brilliance of the morning and stepped inside, through gossamer veils of curtains, and into the bedchamber, still shadowed and dark. As though on cue, the maid pushed through the door, demure skirts rustling as she made her way toward the bath chamber. Water would be drawn, heated by magic, awaiting her usage. A small frown quirked sensual lips as she thought back to a much simpler life where jumping in a stream and scrubbing down with sand and scented tallow soap was a perfectly fine bath in the summer. It still held the appeal that it had held years ago. The forest had lent its own brand of privacy. Here... while luxurious, she felt closed in.
"Lady?" Deep sapphires blinked and turned to the maid, hovering at the doorway to the bath chamber, from which steam floated already. "Sorry, Ardellia, I'm coming. Thirty minutes later, Briena slipped into the chemise, while Ardellia readied the court attire; this days dress was a form fitting gown of forest green, snug to the tops of the hips before the skirts fell like a graceful drape, with a court train trailing elegantly behind. The low neck brought a faint frown, quickly wiped away from her face as Ardellia turned from the gown to face her. One would think that, as Queen, I could choose what I wore of my own volition. The thought brought enough humor to smooth the vestiges of the frown away, as the maid began to apply the court gown to the Queen.
Soon enough, the gown was on, laced, and Briena was settled on a chair before Ardellia, while the efficient maid piled the luxuriant tresses into an elegant style, the sides braided into an elegant knot at the back, while strands at the front were purposely left free to curl in a framing manner around the face that had caused a great deal of men to make fools of themselves. A face whose owner could care less about the latest style. The fathomless depths of the large, deep sapphire blue eyes stared into the mirror as the circlet of the Elven Queens was settled gently upon her head, the gems glittering in the mid-morning light filtering from outside. Finally, she was pronounced presentable, and rose gracefully, making for the door with a dignified step. It was time for duty.
A light breeze tugged at the draping sleeves of her night dress, tossing the light, cream colored silk gently on supple fingers, before dying down. She turned her head, facing into the faintest breeze, eyes closed as she tested the smells on this morning's breath of wind. The keen sense of smell lent to her by the inherited abilities of a Shifter caught the faint smells of the forest; of the crystalline liquid smell of the streams twining their paths through the mossy earth. It was tempting; oh how it was tempting, to slip away to the embracing shadows of the predawn forest, and run, whether on two feet or on four. To feel the wind embrace her. However, it was a part of duty to resist the temptation. She wasn't a princess running from duty any longer. She was a Queen. A Queen upon whom a realm depended to keep them safe, wealthy, and well fed. And duty would be wrapping its hands around her neck soon enough.
Turning, she glanced back into the dark bedchamber that was hers; had been hers since she'd arrived here at the age of sixteen, after four years of relentless travel among the remaining members of her village. She judged the hour, hoping she could milk a few more minutes out of the morning before she had to don the court attire and make her way down to the long hours of Queens work waiting to begin below.
The first rays of morning light touched the sky as the sun broke over the horizon. The birds began to wake, their song filling the air as they stretched their wings and took flight. It was Summer, gentle and warm in this land, harsh and hot in others, such as the Human kingdom. Slowly, gently, the sky lightened from pale grey, to peach yellow struck through with soft pastels of pink, gold, and orange, as the fiery disk of the sun rose higher. Blue sky began to fade into life, as the last glimmers of the morning star faded with a final twinkle. The light touched her red hair, caressed the subtle highlights of gold, copper, bronze and mahogany.
A soft sigh left the Queen, and she turned away from the brilliance of the morning and stepped inside, through gossamer veils of curtains, and into the bedchamber, still shadowed and dark. As though on cue, the maid pushed through the door, demure skirts rustling as she made her way toward the bath chamber. Water would be drawn, heated by magic, awaiting her usage. A small frown quirked sensual lips as she thought back to a much simpler life where jumping in a stream and scrubbing down with sand and scented tallow soap was a perfectly fine bath in the summer. It still held the appeal that it had held years ago. The forest had lent its own brand of privacy. Here... while luxurious, she felt closed in.
"Lady?" Deep sapphires blinked and turned to the maid, hovering at the doorway to the bath chamber, from which steam floated already. "Sorry, Ardellia, I'm coming. Thirty minutes later, Briena slipped into the chemise, while Ardellia readied the court attire; this days dress was a form fitting gown of forest green, snug to the tops of the hips before the skirts fell like a graceful drape, with a court train trailing elegantly behind. The low neck brought a faint frown, quickly wiped away from her face as Ardellia turned from the gown to face her. One would think that, as Queen, I could choose what I wore of my own volition. The thought brought enough humor to smooth the vestiges of the frown away, as the maid began to apply the court gown to the Queen.
Soon enough, the gown was on, laced, and Briena was settled on a chair before Ardellia, while the efficient maid piled the luxuriant tresses into an elegant style, the sides braided into an elegant knot at the back, while strands at the front were purposely left free to curl in a framing manner around the face that had caused a great deal of men to make fools of themselves. A face whose owner could care less about the latest style. The fathomless depths of the large, deep sapphire blue eyes stared into the mirror as the circlet of the Elven Queens was settled gently upon her head, the gems glittering in the mid-morning light filtering from outside. Finally, she was pronounced presentable, and rose gracefully, making for the door with a dignified step. It was time for duty.
