Standing in the empty halls had never been so unerry. Unlike Shir's chambers, the hall doesn't have a neat little dead end after her door. Where the Princess had planted a cacti plant by the window, even decorated it with similar themed curtains. Here it just felt endless. Infront is the Prince's and heir to the throne, chambers. Shir felt the draft of such a long hallway. The way it scaled up and had a slight incline that she hadn't noticed before. But the Princesses nerves are not without reason. For the newborn that she would be meeting today would not only be the next heir to the throne but also her niece or nephew.
The Princess held the small gift box that held the new bracelet she had bought. As well as a slightly larger box that held the Lady Swea's favourite snack. That being a strawberry and apple pie. Shir personally doesn't see the fuss in the fruity pie but the Lady Swea always treasured them. With a soft sigh, Shir looked around again, down the empty halls as she waited in boredom. That was until the chamber doors unlocked and Prince Bosso emerged from the room. With a shocked expression, he raised his eyebrow as he spoke, "never thought you'll be the first one here".
The Prince mused but then opened the door a little wider, "come on in, Swea is awake but be quiet" he warned. "Little Aqua had fallen asleep" Shir nodded with a soft smile, walking in quietly as she held her gifts.
"Good morning, Swea" Shir greeted, gently setting her boxed on the bed side table, "how are you feeling?". The Princess asked in a genuine concern, the Lady looked tired and she winced when she say up straighter. With a soft smile of her own, Swea answered in her gentle tone.
"Could be better, I'm just sore after such a night" her eyes fell on the small gift box the Princess had in her hands. Shir handed the gift to her, where Swea carefully opened the box.
Seeing the gorgeous silver bracelet that held smaller but many flawless gems of aquamarine. The ocean blue gems matched the silver perfectly. "Oh, it is beautiful, thank you, Princess Shir" Lady Swea thanked the Princess, gently hooking it around her wrist. The carefully forged bracelet fitting snug.
"And with the suggestion, I had also bought you this" Shir opened the larger box, displaying the sweet smells of the pie. Swea smiled a little bright at the sweet treat.
"Oh thank you, I've been craving this all morning" the Lady let out a slight, joking chuckle.
Prince Bosso spoke up next, his tone so gentle and warm. It almost threw Shir off, she doesn't see much of her older brother and when she does it's usually in court. When he has to appear formal and he was usually the one to scold or school the Princess when she grew cockey during meetings. But now his tone was so gentle, his soft smile as he looked at his wife with love. "Want me to cut you a slice?" Bosso asked, not waiting for an answer as he cut out a generous slice for his wife. Handing her the fork and plate with the fruity treat.
"Thank you" Swea cooed back, enjoying her breakfast as her husband looked over lovingly.
"For being an arranged marriage, they sure do love each other" Shir thought to herself. Watching them a little awkwardly as she began to feel like a third wheel. The Princesses eyes went over to the cot they had set up by their bed. A small newborn was snoozing on their back whilst being snuggled in blankets. "Did you have a boy or a girl?" Shir asked, looking at their newborn curiously.
"Girl" Prince Bosso answered, looking at his new daughter as she slept peacefully. Shir felt another warm smile form, her niece, she now has a niece. A new Princess in the Vallendrconis kingdom.
"And you said her name is "Aqua", right?" The Princess asked, her excitment sparking in her hushed tone. As exciting as it is to meet the new member of the royal family, she didn't want to wake the little one. With a nod, Swea responded.
"Yes, Aqua was the name of my grandmother, so I thought our little daughter could be Aqua the seconed" a soft and tender love burned in the Ladies eyes. Having a baby takes a lot out of a girl so after labour she was left with a newborn baby and the start of her family.
"It's a pretty name" Shir nodded politely, giving a bright smile back.
Her brother nodded with her, now sitting next to her wife as she eats and heals after having the baby. With a polite head bow Shir walked to the door, not before speaking in a softer tone. "I hope you enjoy the pie but I have a few things to get to, rest well, Lady Swea" the Princess waved before leaving their chambers. Now walking down the halls of the castle to the mages tower. Eoviet had gone back after Toney requested for him to, having seen them return after picking up the pie from the bakery.
After a climb up the winding stairs, Shir raised her knuckles to knock on the old wooden door. The mage opening the door rather quickly and without fuss, "ah, thought you might come upnhere".
"Well, I recognise that tone, what is it?" Shir asked, inviting herself in and sitting at her usual chair. Eoviet looking through the note book that he luckily knew the language off. "Come to think about it, his family may have old ties at the volcano ruins" Shir theorised but brushed it aside for now.
"Well, we are both requested in court tonight, something about announcing the alliance" Toney shrugged, his main concern is looking over what Eoviet was writing down. On closed look, Eoviet was actually writing out a translated version of the old book.
"Huh, didn't know that you can write" Shir half muttered to herself but it caught Eoviet's attention.
"It's nothing big just enough to help Toney out" Eoviet shrugged as he continued to write. His handwriting oddly neater than Shir could ever imagine hers to be.
"You are welcome to stay here, Princess. But I do advice for you to get ready, we are expected to meet in the throne room at 5pm" Toney informed. The mage dressed in a cleaner pair of his mage robes, the light purple and blue designs had a faint glow of the enchantment set on the old things. Infact they were slightly too large for the small mage, the sleeves needing to be rolled up to not pass his arms.
"How come you get to wear some cozy robe to court when I'm expected to wear a dress that likes to pretend my waist is the shape of an hour glass?" Shir pouted.
Even if she does like the look of the dresses, they were purely made for looks and no sign of comfort anywhere on them. Which is why half of her wardrobe is filled with mens cloths rather than ladies clothes. With a chuckle the mage responded, "well you can try and wear a suite. Doubt the court had seen that before" Toney shrugged himself, jokingly passing one of his suits to her. Although the mage wasn't expected to wear a suit in court, Toney sometimes preferred it. Saying it looked smarter than some old robe.
"Mabe if I add a matching courset they'll accept it more?" Shir joked back but a spark had already been light inside of her.
"No, this is the announcement for the alliance, I can't just go bending rules for something so delicate" Shir thought to herself. Though a part of her was truly considering it. Staring at the suit shirt she was handed, "I mean, a suit looks far more smart than a dress. Shouldn't it not be as odd than when Toney does it? A robe is like a dress, yes?" She asked herself. After thinking she looked over to where the mage was watching Eoviet focus on the notebook. Carefully writing out the translation.
"Toney" she called out softly, "can I borrow your suit? I mean it is official court wear" Shir argued. With an amused look in the mages expression he nodded, passing her the rest of the suit.
"Hmm- I'm changing these shoes for boots" Shir nodded to herself, passing him his church slippers back.
"You can try, Princess but I've never gotten away with it" Toney chuckled whilst shaking his head. "Well I wish you luck in whatever you're planning to do" Toney bowed as he opened the door for her.
"You'll see" Shir smiled back, swiftly making her way down the winding stairs. Walking over to her chambers as she looked over the suit she was given. A simple white button up made from fine wool and black bottoms that reminder her of her brother's court wear. "I hope this looks good" she thought outloud as she entered her room.
"What looks good, Princess?" Eva asked, slightly startling the Princess as she walked in. Of course Shir knew that her maid likes to clean at this time but she was usually off in the valley and wouldn't walk in with her maid already being there.
"Trying to see if I can get away with wearing a suit instead of a dress, maybe add a courset to make it work?" Shir explained. Her maid looked at her like she was crazy but with a polite smile she nodded.
"I see, Princess" Eva gently took the suit from her hands, her eyebrows lifted when she got a look at it. "Isn't this Tonies?" She asked, to which Shir looked at her confused. It's a general, anyone who can afford it will buy it suit. How did her maid recognise it so easily?
"It is, how did you guess?" Shir questioned with her tone full of suspicion.
Eva quickly looked away but Shir could see her maids ears turn pink, with a flustered tone she responded. "I-I just help with laundry over the castle!" She explained, her tone far too fast and obvious. The Princess smirked and with an accusing voice.
"You've been up to something on the side? Hm?" Shir couldn't help but chuckle when she saw her maids cheeks flush. The blood red colour overtaking her features.
"I-it's not what you think! ... Princess" Eva hid her face in her arms, her gaze down. With a teasing smirk, Shir asked in a merciless tone.
"So how was it? Did he use his skills in bed? Ooo I bet you would like that, huh?" Shir watched as her maid squirmed. How she grew embarrassed with the direct questioning.
"That..." Eva gulped, "it's non of your buissness, Princess" she pleaded. "Can we just... get you ready? Please" Eva kept her gaze down, too embarrassed to look the Princess in the eyes.
"Of course" Shir patted her maids head, her tone softening. "No need to be embarrassed with me, Eva, you know you can tell me anything" she added, watching her maid try and buissy herself in finding a courset to match the suit.
"I know I can, Princess" she spoke in a softer but still embarrassed tone. "But things like this, I don't feel a need to talk about, is all" Eva looked over with pleading eyes, almost like puppy eyes.
With a soft chuckle, Shir shrugged and spoke in a calmer tone. "Fine, you don't have to" the Princess nodded but a teasing glint could still be seen in her eyes, "but I am curious". With a pouty huff, her maid shot back.
"Fine, I'll pester you about how your wedding night went" her maid declared. Throwing the suit over the screen and picked out two corsets to choose from. One was plain leather, dyed black with squid ink. The other was a silk courset, with stitches to show the patterns of ivy. "For hating the feel of a coursets, I sure do own a few of em" Shir thought to herself before the realisation slowly hit her.
"My wedding night!? Me and Prince Rknom would be expected to conceive" the realisation slowly hit. But when it did she made a facial expression with the mixture of horror and disgust. "I mean, I wouldn't mind a guy with Rknom's looks to- but still! How have I not thought of that sooner!? The merital bed should have been the first thing on my mind. I even thought about having an heir when he proposed! Why haven't I been worrying about this!?" Shir paniced internally. Her maid giggling with a hint of sass in her tone.
"Yeah I thought so, Princess" Eva giggled, snickering. She calmed herself down, however, once she saw how disturbed the Princess looked after the realisation. "I know it can be scary, Princess but try talking to him beforehand. I found that communication before diving into it helps to ease any worries" she offered with a sweet smile. Taking the Princesses hand to get her ready for the announcement this evening.
"Talk to Rknom?" Shir scoffed, "all he would do is brag or complement himself" she rolled her eyes. Already feeling an anger for something he hadn't even had the chance to do yet.
"I'm sure he can be talked to" Eva spoke, more concerned into buttoning up the white shirt. Helping the Princess dress into a suit that wasn't made with her figure in mind. With the shirt not having enough cleavage room, being tight around her chest but her stomach fitting better. With Shir spending most of her time trianing with the guards, her stomach wasn't as soft as many others, even showing some muscle through her skin. The trousers fit rather well only that the groin was made for a man, who usually have a wider gate since they can't shut their legs the way a woman can. It was comfortable in the Princesses opinion but it did leave extra room at the groin. Making an awkward fold.
"As weird as it look, it's kinda funny" Shir joked, amused.
"Maybe as a high waist?" Eva had her brows furrowed, lifting the trousers a little high. The extra room now being used and the fit began to look cute as Shir looked in the mirror.
"Good thing I'm planning to wear boots" Shir added, her ankles showing with the bottoms being lifted higher.
"You sure?" Eva looked the outfit up and down, "let's put on the courset first then decide?" Her maid suggested. With a nod, Shir picked the silk courset, thinking the ivy patterns would fit more with the outfit.
Once Eva had tied it nicely, Shir looked it over in the mirror. Raising an eyebrow at how the fit suited the courset more than her dresses did. At least, in the Princesses opinion. "I better not hear one complaint come from that Prince, this is a hot look" Shir claimed boldly. Now loving the new look. With an amused giggle her maid added.
"Well, it all depends on if the court allows this?" Her maid titled her head at the look, "it's not too different from your usual look. It's more of a mix of your court wear and your casual wear, you do dress more like a Prince" Eva commented.
"Think boots will suit it?" Shir asked, looking over the outfit again in the mirror. It was new, well the suits had been in court for centuries, maybe even before the kingdom of Vallendrconis formed. The coursets had been used on Queens and Princesses for far longer, she just mixed them together.
"I think it will but I'm not confident that your father would agree" Eva warned but grabbed the Princesses boots anyway. Using a shorter boot to not cover all of the trousers. Now with the boots, the Princess nodded in satisfaction.
"This is my new look and I will die defending it" she half joked, impressed in how well it turned out.
"You also forgot your ring, Princess" Eva added, passing the silver and emerald, engagement ring to her. With a slight embarrassment, Shir put the ring back onto her ring finger.
"Time for court then" Shir stated, taking one last look in the mirror before heading to court.