~Mirandiona💎

"Serana dear, you're wearing a track into the floor." I call to the woman without looking up from the inventory document in my hand.

An exaggerated sigh sounds from the other woman as she plops down on the divan with as little grace as physically possibly. "I'm just so anxious!" She groans doing some sort of flailing motion that flashed in my peripherals causing me to look up and make sure she didn't hurt herself.

Lifting a brow at her overly exaggerated display I turn my attention back to the inventory sheet. "Then why don't you try doing something to take your mind off it?" I suggest lightly only half paying attention as I figure up numbers and quotas in my head.

"Like what?" She asks. I can hear the fluttering of wings and the sound of furniture moving as she flops onto her stomach and rest her chin on the arm of the divan to give me a stupidly cute pout.

Daring to take my eyes off the document in my hand I meet her pout head on with a gentle glare. "I don't know darling but you need to do something other than mope around and distract people while they're trying to do math." I tell her, pointedly looking back to the paper I was holding.

There were a few blessed moments of silence as I finished the front of the page but the spell was eventually broken when Serana rolled off the divan to plop on the floor in a pitiful pouting heap.

Blowing out a sharp sigh of irritation I drop the inventory sheet onto my desk and push away from it to stand up. The moment I'm on my feet Serana's head perks up and she's looking at me expectantly.

Ignoring her curious expression I make my way over to the balcony. It's not until I've thrown the doors open and stepped out into the late winter air that I bother to look over my wing at the woman who was still sitting on the ground confused. "Well?" I question when she doesn't get up. "Are you going to just sit there or are we going to go do something? Because I'm clearly not getting any work done until you're entertained." I tease, jumping up onto the balcony railing.

There was a flurry of motion inside as Serana scrambled to follow me.

I was already up above the roof and heading towards the castle wall by the time the other woman caught up. "Where are we going?" She asks coming up to fly just below me.

Without thinking I shrug and throw my alignment off. Giving a hard flap to regain my balance I turn my attention back to the other woman who was noticeably trying not to laugh. "I don't know. I guess we'll find out when we get there." I call back, fighting back the flush of embarrassment trying to tint my cheeks. Shrugging while flying was a fresh feather mistake. The action of moving your shoulders like that while mid air caused the wings that were quite firmly attached to them to shrug too and threw off the flight path and torque making you, for lack of a better word, stumble in mid air.

Serana didn't respond but I guessed it had more to do with her not wanting to openly laugh at my screw up than not actually having a reply.

Scowling at her I angled myself closer and clipped her wing. "Shut up." I groan indignantly.

I could just barely hear Serana snickering over the wind. "I didn't even say anything." She tries to defend but the gleam in her eyes gave her away.

"You were thinking it loudly enough." I grumbled as we passed over the castle wall. Just like before, four guards rose up to fly in a protective formation around us.

The other woman was grinning from ear to ear as I turned away to focus on the city below us.

We flew around aimlessly for a good five minutes before I finally addressed the guard flying just beside me. "What's there to do in the city?" I question, realizing for the first time I didn't actually know what people normally did.

The guard seemed taken aback by my question as she noticeably lagged behind as her wings went a little slack. "Uh, well..." The guard quickly looked around at the city like it would provide her with the answers to my question. "Well there's the annual Sapionic festival today. It's not as big this year considering everything that's been going on but it should still be plenty of fun." She offered nervously.

At that I looked back through my memory for the date. Right, the festival. That was today, wasn't it. "Where's it at?" I asked next.

The guard's eyes went wide as she seemed to panic for an answer. The poor girl was saved by the guard flying above us. "The festival is usually centered around the Vantiell district since that's where the parade ends." She informs.

That seemed to catch Serana's attention. "There's a parade!" She exclaimed excitedly.

Smiling at her reaction I look up at the guard who spoke up. "Where's the Vantiell district?" I ask, not entirely certain of which direction it might be in.

"Just ahead your majesty." She nods towards a particular set of buildings just to the right of our current path.

Adjusting course I back off and let the guards lead us to where the main festivities would be held.

Serana tapped my wing as we followed the four guards to gain my attention. "You didn't tell me there was a festival." She accuses with a teasing lilt to her voice.

I gave her a bit of a sheepish smile in response. "In all honesty I kind of forgot about it." I admit.

At that Serana rolled her eyes with a small half smile on her face. "Of course you'd forget about a festival that happens annually." She teases.

Since she was already close enough for our feathers to brush I simply flapped my wings in response; the wind ruffling her feathers as my wingtip came down to tweak their ends.

Frowning the other woman backed off to get away from my disruptive antics. "So what's the festival about?" She asks steering the conversation back on course.

"It celebrates the end of winter and the oncoming of spring. It is a festival held in honor of Sapio's returning light." I explain as we near the heart of the Vantiell district.

"So it's a religious festival?" She questions as we begin to descend towards the roof of the tallest building.

I wait until we've both landed before turning to answer her. "In part yes. But the core of the festival is to celebrate the oncoming of summer and the passing of winter." I elaborate knowing she wouldn't be as keen to attend the festival if she thought it was purely religious.

That seemed to perk the other woman up a bit as she gives me a curious look. "So it's a festival for the new year?" She says to make sure she understood correctly.

Looking up in thought I unconsciously made a face with a slight shrug of my shoulders. "Aye, sort of. But it coincides with the Dracionic festival held at the end of summer." I tell her, hoping she understood what I was getting at. "It's more about the passing of seasons than the new year."

Her brows raise as she mouths a silent 'oh', nodding her head in understanding. "I get it." She confirms looking out over the building to see what was going on below.

I walked up beside her and peered over the edge to the many bridges below. Every single one was swarming with people brightly painted and dressed up in celebration of the festival. Merchants were at the forefront of every stall displaying trinkets and luring hungry passerby's with the scent of food.

"Not really dressed for this are we." Serana observed, drawing my attention back to her.

Looking down at our shorts and wrap around tops I had to agree. Frowning I turn to the nearest guard. "Go fetch a coin purse from the castle and while you're there inform Katal of where we are." The guard saluted and made to leap off the roof to follow my orders.

Turning back to Serana I used my wing to indicate the festivities below. "Shall we? I'm sure they'll have plenty of distractions down there." I prompt teasingly.

Serana's answer came in the form of rolling her eyes just before half dropping, half leaping, off the roof.

Chuckling I throw myself over the edge to follow her down to the nearest bridge. The moment we landed on the stone walkway everyone in the vicinity stopped what they were doing to turn and stare at us and our golden clad guards.

A low murmur began to rise amongst the crowd as I walked forward and slipped my arm beneath Serana's wing to guide her down the street. "It's the Queen!" "That must be the partner the papers 'ave been talkin' about." "What do they want?" "...first the temple now the festival..." "...don't know. I'm bettin' she's the tall one. Royalty and all..." The whispers flowed around us like a river over a stony cliff.

As we walked the people parted for us as if we were going to hurt them if they got too close. The guards standing around us probably aren't helping. I note somewhat bitterly.

Movement to my side draws my attention just as a little girl shoving her way to the front breaks through with too much force and stumbles out of the crowd and directly into my path. The guards around us tense but I motion them back with a flick of my wing.

Grinning at the young girl I let a soft chuckle echo my amusement. "Hello." I greet the girl who looked somewhere around seven or eight.

The girl quickly righted herself and looked up at me with large brown eyes and a crimson flush coloring her entire face.

The girl tucks her chin against her chest while still managing to look up at me as she replies in a small voice. "Hi." If the street hadn't gone dead silent I'm sure I wouldn't have heard the quiet greeting.

How cute. Smiling encouragingly at the girl I duck my head a little to better meet her eyes. "You wouldn't happen to know where we can find something to eat would you?" I asked the girl. Food is always a safe bet.

The girl perked up a little and finally lifted her head to look at me before looking off to the side, presumably for her parents or whoever was watching her. "Aye, Nani and Zazi make the best pork blankets." She answers grinning from ear to ear as she starts walking toward the side she'd come from. Tugging on Serana I could practically feel her rolling her eyes as we followed the little girl to a food stall set up between a tailors shop and a jeweler.

Glancing up I could see the look of terror on two women's faces as their daughter ran up to them. "Nani! Zazi! The Queens want to try your food!" The girl exclaimed loudly.

I caught Serana shaking her head at the use of the plural but at this point there was no use in stopping it. With a little more time, and if I had my way about it, the plural would be correct eventually.

The shorter of the two smiled nervously as she stepped up behind the wooden counter. "Your majesties." The woman greeted with as low a bow as the counter would allow. "What would you like?" She asks, clearly nervous as her eyes continuously flickered to the guards standing around us in a protective formation.

I opened my mouth to answer when a slight commotion caused me to glance over my wing to see the guard I'd sent to fetch a coin purse land on the street with Katal at his side.

Turning away from the clearly upset general I bite back a groan as I smile forceful at the attendant. "Seven of those pork blankets your daughter mentioned." I request before rethinking it. "Actually make that eight please."

The woman barely has time to nod at me before my exposed side is being crowded by a very angry looking woman clad in golden armor. I turn to look at said woman as she bores holes into the side of my skull with her glare. "Yes?" I question the silently seething general.

It takes her a solid half minute in which time I see Serana pay for the food and collect the dough wrapped pork on sticks. "Once. Just once, could you tell me that you're leaving the castle grounds you leave?!" She almost shouts as her temper gets the better of her for a moment.

Without responding I turn to Serana and take two of the sticks from her. Looking back to Katal I meet her gaze squarely as I offer one of the sticks to her.

There was a long moment where she just stares at me with a hard unwavering glare. Eventually she glanced down at the skewered pork with a deep scowl before plucking it out of my hand and taking a vicious bite out of it as she turns away to stalk off and guard Serana and I's backs.

I was fighting a grin as I glanced back over at Serana to see her biting her lip. The moment our eyes met we both broke and started laughing quietly.

Serana was a bit louder and I was afraid she'd attract the general's attention. "Ssshhh." I shush the other woman laughing in the process as I lift a finger to her lips. "You're going to make her angrier." I whisper as I turn to follow the grouchy general.

I get a light knock to my wing in return. "Well if you'd stop making her angry in the first place." She fires back definitely loud enough for others to hear.

"It's not my fault. She's not exactly known for her even temperament." I defend.

That draws Katal back into the conversation. "Trust me, I have far more control of my temper than you think. Exhibit A: your wings are still attached to your back." She growls over her wing with a tone of noticeable agitation still in her voice.

I couldn't help it as my jaw dropped at her statement. "I am not that bad!" I shouted at the general's back completely forgetting for a moment that we were in fact still on the street in full view of the public.

"You're worse." She calls back before finishing off her food and chunking the stick towards the nearest trash bin that was at least ten feet away.

Frowning I shoot daggers at her back while ripping the end off my own food on a stick. "At least I can hide my anger." I didn't say it very loud but it was clearly heard by anyone listening.

I could hear the heavy sigh that comment elicited from Katal but she didn't turn around or bother to give a retort.

Popping the food into my mouth I look over and nudge Serana to get her to hand me some more. The other woman rolls her eyes with a fond smile as she hands me two of the six still in her hand. Taking the two I hold them out to the guards standing on my side of the formation, one behind me and one beside me.

By now the guards knew better than to try and refuse anything I handed them so they took the snacks without question. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Serana doing the same thing with two of the ones still in her hand.

Reaching out again I take the second to last one from her and walk up behind Katal. "Want another?" I taunt teasingly as I hold it over her shoulder to present it before her face.

There was another, less aggravated, sigh from the armored woman as she plucked the stick from my grasp. "I'm still upset." She grumbles before taking a bite.

Falling back in step with Serana I rip off another piece of my own and turn my attention back to the guard behind me. Motioning her forward I wait until she's almost right next to me so I can whisper without being overheard. "Go get Selena." I order.

The guard nods quickly before falling back and taking off to follow the order.

Satisfied I focus back on the street to see that people had begun to go back to the festivities, but just about everyone was still throwing glances in our direction.

Looking to the other side of the street I see a little store tucked off behind a few stalls. Their bright colors disguising the rustic little building sitting on the bridge's edge. Turning to Serana I flick her wing with mine to draw her attention.

Looking up from the bread she'd been picking at she shoots me a curious look.

"Want to go look at that store?" I ask nodding in the little shop's direction.

Serana glances in that direction, looking for the store I'd indicated. "Sure." She shrugged not seeming to spot the store as she continued to scan the stalls.

Slipping my hand into her's I slide by Katal and head for the little shop with my small entourage of guards close behind. The people quickly skirted out of our way as we walked toward our destination. Why are they so afraid? I wondered fighting backs frown. The castle staff was afraid of me but they were more afraid of a reprimanding than any real punishments. These people acted almost as if I might suddenly leap forward and claw their eyes out. It must be the guards. People haven't acted this way before when I spoke to them. I reasoned.

Walking between two stalls with brightly colored canopies draped over them I make my way to the front door of the rather tiny storefront. There was maybe two feet of reddish brown brick to either side of the sturdy wooden door that indicated the shops size. The door itself was gorgeous with vines creeping up it's surface in a controlled artistic way, dipping in and out of the engraved swirled that were ever so slightly raised above the back panel of wood. Looking above the door I see a dark redwood sign with 'Syth's Woodwork & Engravings' carved into the plank.

Taking hold of the worn brass handle I gently pushed the door open, trying not to disturbs the vines stubbornly clinging to it's surface. There was a small chime as the door set off s bell to announce our entrance.

A man behind a small counter was at the other end of the shop. At the chime he looked up with a bright smile. "Ah, welcome to Syth's Woodwork and Engravings, I am Kaver Syth owner of the shop. Is there anything I can help you ladies with today?" He says in greeting with a joyful lilt to his voice.

I smile back like I would when greeting nobles or other dignitaries. As I step into the small shops I notice the shelves to either side of me cram-packed with all sorts of little nicknacks and decretive furnishings. Serana was close behind, shaking off my hand to run her fingers across the many wooden pieces.

I was about to answer the man when Katal's voice caught my attention for a moment as she ordered the three guards to take post outside the door before stepping in behind us.

Ignoring the General I turn my attention back to the clerk. "Did you carve all of these?" I ask motioning to the wooden figurines on a shelf to my right.

The man glances over my wing for a second before looking back to me. "Uh, no ma'am. My niece helps me quite often. This piece right here," He lifts a hefty little statue of a dragon rearing up with flared wings and gaping jaws as a broken chain hung from a shackle on its neck. "Was actually carved by her. She just finished staining it this morning." He boast proudly. "Made it from black walnut wood and stained it to bring out the nice dark colors." He informs chest puffed out and a grin plastered on his face.

"Might wanna tone down the pride Uncle Kav." A woman's voice called from the back through a narrow door that presumably led to a private office or storage space behind the counter.

I let a small huff of laughter escape my mouth as I leave Serana and Katal to approach the counter and the wooden figure setting atop it. Reaching out I tenderly presses my finger into the open jaws and tested the points of the sharp fangs. Drawing my eyes down I follow the path of my hand as my fingers run across the chain. "Chains of steel nor chains of gold will bar my path with a vicious hold." I recite the words from an old poem that reminded me of the piece.

The man looks up at me surprised. "Ambore Thouras, The Way Home. I must admit I'm very impressed, not many read poetry and even fewer remember it." He praises with a slight incline of his head.