A noble's attire is one of their clearest forms of communication. They were taught both at home and in school to dress according to occasion. Not only had it communicated one's pride and dignity, but it also communicated where a person came from. Even its material, alone, told a story of one's upbringing, culture, or wealth.
Lenz arrived at Naomi's room early, so early that he had to sneak through the hallways since it was technically curfew. The sun had not risen yet, and nobody was allowed in the opposite dorm while the sun was down. It was a risk Naomi didn't care about breaking.
Although, Naomi did wonder. How did Lenz stay hidden in the shadows with an outfit like his?
"I could buy a whole property with the amount of jewels on your vest." Naomi inspected Lenz's attire. It had warm tones, suiting for someone of Quince, yet he didn't shy away from extravagance.
"You told me to dress my best, and I'm delivering."
"I didn't say you weren't. Your outfit is splendid. I wouldn't change a thing about it."
"Very well. I wouldn't either."
Naomi checked her dress one last time before swinging back to Lenz, "Objectively, how is it?"
"Suiting of you, Naomi. The lace is unruly and the green is welcoming, just as you are. Trying to impress someone?"
Lenz gave her a suggestive look. Naomi rolled her eyes
"If it's who you're thinking of, no. "
Lenz chuckled, "Oh Naomi, your heart is as clear as day. You don't have to keep things from me."
"I'm not. I don't dress for other people, I dress for myself."
"Ahh. Quite the independent character I see. I like that about you. Don't change a thing about it."
As Naomi and Lenz talked through dawn, the moment the sun peeked through the horizon, Damien arrived exactly as instructed. His attire was made of clean blacks, white, and grays. Hints of fur accented its fine edges.
Unlike Naomi and Lenz, who focused solely on their outfit, Damien had done more to his hair and face. His hair was slicked back with a few strands hanging loose, but what was the most impressive was how well done his make-up was.
Damien, who had never had color on his face, had a gentle blush placed precisely where he needed to brighten. His eyes were more defined, with the slopes of his face shimmering.
Both Naomi and Lenz were taken.
Lenz covered his mouth, "Please, do share how you do your make-up."
Naomi just nodded at a loss for words. She wanted to hide herself, close her eyes, and pretend she'd never seen Damien at all, but she couldn't take her eyes off of him. A discomfort in her heart made her want to run out the room and yell at the world.
It was unfair. How could one look as defined as he did?
She felt Lenz's mischievous smile behind her as he whispered, "Your heart is showing, Naomi."
Naomi couldn't retaliate. Today she admitted defeat.
To save herself from any more embarrassment Naomi led the three straight to the carriage she prepared. Inevitably, a few students saw them walk down the halls. It was part of the plan, and lucky of Naomi it all fell into place.
Full of confidence, without an ounce of shyness, the three waltzed through the academy. Since the day was early, only a few would see them. Attention was better in moderation, as she'd learned, but it was just enough to raise interest about their team.
She'd thank Jeremy later for his wisdom.
When the three settled into the carriage, a comfortable silence sat in between them. Jesters were never foreign to attention, but usually it's always been negative and unwanted.
To have this moment at their own will filled Naomi with a peculiar contentment. She was sure it'd been the same for the other two.
"So Naomi," Lenz spoke up, "where exactly are we going?"
Naomi looked at the two blankly, amusement replacing all the euphoria in her being. She laughed, "I completely forgot to tell you what we were doing today."
As the carriage perused through the city, Lenz and Damien carefully listened to the plan for that day.
"I don't want you two to be alarmed. I held back from revealing it until this moment so that you wouldn't worry about it, but just this once have full trust in me." Naomi started.
Lenz and Damien looked at each other. With a little hesitance they both nodded.
"We're currently headed to the castle right now. In about fifteen minutes, we're going to be requesting an audience with the Queen. If we can earn Her Majesty's support then we'd be able to go to Forsythia with an excused absence."
"The Queen!? We're meeting Queen Celine herself?" Lenz stiffened in his seat.
Naomi nodded, "It sounds terrifying, but the Queen adores the academy along with its students. She'll accept our request. We just need a bit of patience, and more so confidence. Take what you felt this morning and use that. Without a doubt she'll listen to our plea at the very least."
Lenz seemed to be convinced by Naomi's words, as he softened in his stance, but Damien on the other hand stayed unreadable. There were still moments when Naomi could not decipher what Damien felt or thought. He'd been the hardest person to understand in her life.
Again, which awfully reminded her of the Queen herself. Perhaps it was what piqued Naomi's interest in Damien in the first place.
"I have a feeling you'd get along with the Queen." Naomi blurted out.
"What do you mean by that?" Damien asked
"I mean. You'd be able to convince the Queen, no problem." She held her breath and looked out the carriage window. She'd almost revealed her identity, and she mindlessly complimented Damien again.
What a day. She'd be more careful from now on.
For the rest of the ride, the three rode in silence. Their anxieties were palpable. This was exactly what Naomi had expected when she told them about the audience with the Queen, but at the very least they'd have less time to be in discomfort.
She had full confidence in both Lenz and Damien. As for her, it'd been a while since she's visited the Queen herself. She'd appreciate the visit.
The carriage halted. The three exchanged determined looks as they listened to their coachman step off to open their doors.
The coachman cleared his throat before standing up straight.
"Welcome to Castle Azalea."
The three stepped off the carriage, as the castle hovered over them. The walls were a pristine white marble, accented with gentle vines. It was the familiar sight of home. Though, after being away for a period of time it always felt different when she stood before the castle again.
Naomi held out both her arms for both Lenz and Damien to link onto. Lenz without hesitance held onto her, and just a little bit after Damien followed.
"To Queen Celine." Naomi said under her breath. They all took their first steps towards the castle with intertwined arms, and just liked that Naomi hoped that her friends would never feel alone from that moment on.