Garbage Day

He took her hand and, after a fair amount of bargaining with their escort, the two vanished into the last night of the festival.



Hand in hand, Seasil and Orion flit about the bringhtly-lit night, eyes wide with awe and joy at every sight.  The two were strangers in a strange land, and yet, not a single soul gave them a strange look - through the excitement of the festival, any who witnessed Seasil's wings in passing gave no second thought, assuming she were a taguel or laguz they were unfamiliar with, or that she was merely in costume.  Over the few days they had been in the Zuanshi, the couple had purchased more traditional garb and clothing of the area.  Seasil was surprised to find that they even had robes tailored with winged laguz and taguel in mind.

Orion and Seasil stopped at a dozen stalls along the way, eyes wide with fascination at each one.  Though neither spoke a lick of the tongue of the Valley, most folk spoke at least some of the common tongue, and so with some understanding and guesswork, they made do amidst the excitement and revelry.

The two of them made their way to a stall that was as wide as it was tall.   They froze as they looked up at rows upon rows of masks, each one more radiant and outlandish than the next.  A phoenix, a skull, and everything in between.

"By the Stars... there are so man!" Orion said, almost automatically.  As he approached the stall with a smile, he reached over and grabbed one of the larger masks from the stall.  He placed it upon his face and looked at Seasil, the mask comically ever so slightly too large for his face.  



He took a hand and covered his left eye.  A smile in his voice, he turned to Seasil, and in the deepest, most gravelly voice he could muster, said "King Leonar, you must not let her walk free!  Look at how devious she is, with that beautiful smile of hers, and those shifty, gorgeous gems she calls eyes.  A menace!  A menace I say!  Grrrrr!"

With a light heart and a typically shy smile-- verging on a wider one, Seasil let Orion lead the way through the bustling crowd. It was in the smallest moments, catching glances or stolen minutes together, that Seasil felt like her heart was going to burst.

Kings and Queens, it turns out, have aides, advisers, maids, butlers, and staff for just about everything. She'd thought her parents had attained some amount of staff, but nothing compared to what she'd experienced once ascending the throne.

Less than two years ago, she was a shepherd. Sometimes... it was very nice to simply by Seasil..ia with Orion, her husband, before Orion, her king.
Still, despite her ever-so loving mood, Orion's sudden turn and voice change still managed to startle her. She hadn't been paying close attention before the wall of intricate masks.

"Hhhhgngn--"

Though her eyes were wide, pupils expanded, the Dragoness' fear did not last long. By the first few words of Orion's Kevlar impression, Seasil's shock ebbed into quiet laughter.

"O-oh, Orion!" She looked through the tiger mask to find her beloved's violet eyes.

One hand covered her mouth, her whole face drawn into a smile behind it. With the other hand, she gingerly lifted the mask from Orion's face until it rested upon his head. Seasil's expression brightened further as his freckles were revealed past the stripes. She leaned closer to him.

"You- You know, I much prefer the dashing king in the who took pity upon such a menacing creature..." Seasil smiled, bashful and blushing, up at him.

"Though... were that dashing king to show the fearsome general his finest impression... the general would certainly take issue with the exceptionally handsome king."

Beyond Seasil's words, she spoke with laughter, her twinkling eyes meeting his. Without any more to be said, the Andromedes leaned in for a kiss.

Orion's face flushed as Seasil showered him in compliments.  He melted into her embrace.  An older couple enjoying the festival watched the young lovers with fond smiles, the woman nestling closer to her husband as she whispered something in their native tongue.  The couple did not hear it, however, as they were already gone, far away in another world.

~~~

The couple had pranced and played their way through a myriad of tents and games, each filled with wonderment and laughter.  Somehow, the two of them had managed to separate their hands for a moment long enough to procure some local delicacies - skewers of some kind of delicious roasted meats.



Orion sighed, clearly enjoying the treat.  "I have no idea what kind of meat this is," he said between bites, "but it is simply divine!  What do you think, Seasil?"

He smiled as he finished the treat.  As he disposed of the skewers along with other refuse they had picked up amidst the fair, Orion drew a perplexed face.  "Oh, that's right," he said, withdrawing a hand from a pocket within his garb.  "I had forgotten all about these - a wandering merchant gave them to me for free after I left the bath to freshen up a bit ago.  I'm... not sure what they are."  He presented the box to Seasil.  Inside were a number of small, strange packages.  They looked sort of like tiny onions made of paper, but they were filled with rocks and sand.  "My Fangrongese leaves much to be desired, but I think he said the words 'throw' and 'ground', and gave me a most peculiar smile."  He looked at them pensively, taking one between his fingers, and then glanced at his wife.

"Should... we try them?  Together, of course!"

In the whirls of color and excitement, Orion's presence at Seasil's side could have melted her. Happily, there was too much to look at, to experience, to truly be as dumbfounded as she may have otherwise been.

The moment was a hard thing to live in with such heavy thoughts.

And yet, the world's newest queen sat staring at two delectable looking kabobs in her hands. Somehow... it was also ever so easy to be present.

Her teeth sunk into the tender treat, only to find her eyes widening and slit pupils dilating. She took another bite with no hesitation. Between bites, she looked to Orion, amazed. "It's im-impeccable," sheepishly, Seasil ducked her head, "My only disappointment... is that I c-could not have this replicated in a Dragon's portion."

She chuckled and turned her attention to the mystery packages in Orion's hand-- pupil size returning to normal as she took her last bite.

"I d-do not see any reason why not, shall we find a clear space?" Seasil scanned left and right, finally setting on a clearing between two festival stalls, "Th-there, perhaps?"

"Alright," Orion said, a giddy, child-like look on his face.  "Ready?  On three.  One, two..."

"ONE!" 

In tandem, the Andromedes threw down the little packets. 

...

sNAP pop Hissss

Inside her fragile heart, deep within her Manakete's sensibilities, Seasil knew what was going to happen. The nature of this New Years celebration, from what she could tell came along with smoke, gunpowder, and celebratory lights and sounds that are absolutely, exceptionally, loud. She'd been jumping at fireworks throughout their stay. She could have braced herself, Seasil could have been ready...

And yet.

cRACK A wizz-bang of light accompanied one of the firecrackers.

"Hhhhhhgngn!"

Seasil's wings flared, her eyes wide, she involuntarily propelled herself into the air. Momentarily, she hovered some feet off the ground, heart pounding in her ears. The uneven stumps also burned red with embarrassment. She knew her reaction was over the top, and yet...

Fluttering back down to the ground, she landed behind Orion. She peaked out and took a deep breath, hands coming to rest on her king's sleeves as she clung to him. 

Seasil poked out from behind him, still slightly crouched. She looked up at him, searching and apologetic. A sheepish smile manifested on her lips, humoring and embarrassed. A poor reaction could not ruin this mood.

"H-h-h-how about you th-throw them?" She inclined her head towards the firecrackers left in his hands. "I'll watch."

Her smile was genuine, and inquisitive. Still, she clung to him arm tightly, expectantly.

(An accurate reaction)

Orion nestled in to Seasil's grip, smiling down at her.  "Alright," he said.  "Ready?" he raised his hand up in the air, ready to toss another few fireworks at the ground.

Pop!  Bang!

---

The hours blended together for Orion and Seasil, and before long, the festivities were beginning to slow down.  The edges of the port town were beginning to slumber, and only the main squares in the center of the busiest districts still bustled.  Most of the festival goers had congregated here, dancing and twirling to the musicians whose tired hands still played for as long as they could, ringing in the new year with gusto.

Orion, pulling Seasil's hand gently towards the festival square, beamed at her.  He was clearly growing tired as well; it was well past midnight already, but he wished they could stay out indefinitely.  "Shall we share a few more dances?  I daresay we could fit in a couple more before we, or the musicians, collapse from fatigue."

Perhaps it was a deep-seeded store of nervous energy, or maybe it was the real energy of a healthy female of her age, but Seasil did not tire as Orion did. Instead, though, her energy could have also sprouted from a desperation. The new Dragonelle did not want to leave her husband. It was so hard not to drown in questions and long-lived uncertainty. Momentum alone may have spurred her to seek pushing deeper into the night...

Orion's hand reached out and tugged at her, gently.

Suddenly Seasil's thoughts came to the present. The lanterns twinkled overhead and the stars behind them. Orion's dark eyes shone right along side them, revealing darling flecks of their amethyst color as he brought Seasil in close for a dance.

"On-only if you are feeling up for it," Seasil offered, clearly saying yes to his request.

In tandem, the pair did their best to take up the local dances. Clearly new, but clearly enjoying themselves, the King and Queen of Zodia fit right in.

The dancing continued until long after the sun had set, when finally the excitement died down.  Exhausted, Seasil and Orion eventually, slowly, made their way back to the modest home that Lilyana and Rosalyn had rented and collapsed in eachother's arms, hearts and minds still aflutter at the evening's excitement.  The royal guards breathed a final sigh of relief as their young lieges returned from their sojourn.

---

But finally, the day had come.

Seasil, Orion, and all of the others had met at the Eastern Gates: a series of three massive portals that were heavily guarded and watched at all times.  The massive wall that the gates were built into were tall, long, and forbidding, built into the very foundation of the mountains that surrounded the valley.  The only way into Fangrong Gu proper was through these gates.

Representatives from the Twin Emperor were here - an entourage of decorated warriors to escort the young queen to their doorstep.  Hei, too, would be joining her as she traveled to the very heart of the Valley.  The journey would take some time, but they would want for nothing as they passed through many small villages and cities on the way there.

Orion took Seasil's hand once again.  He glanced over at the man, clad in robes of white and black; a diplomat with whom he was to speak of his proposal towards the creation of the League of Orn, and his formal invitation towards the Valley's admittance into the League.  He looked back to Seasil with a sad smile.  "I have a feeling you may return before I am finished with these lengthy discussions, my love," he said quietly.  "The amount of traditions and formalities that will be a part of this are quite staggering.  I do hope I do not make some critical misstep that ruins our chances here.  The last thing I want to do is commit some sort of taboo out of ignorance.  I've read all I could about what may be expected of me... but I would feel much more comfortable with you here by my side."

He laughed quietly and looked down at his queen.  "I wish I could be there with you... but I know that you will be fine without me.  But still... be safe, alright Seasil?"

That night, even after the hours of seemingly endless excitement, Seasil hardly slept. Her mind weighed heavy on Orion's breathing, his arm around her, and how they managed to fit together despite her large wingspan. She was so grateful for the quiet moments, but by the Emblems, she was already homesick for Orion.

----

Seasil watched the scenes unfold before her, with a dissociation that did not quite resonate. While no one was surprised that the Dragoness was frightened, Seasil herself had not been prepared to be this alarmed.

The uncertainty of what could be found beyond the towering gates made her stomach turn. Going to Fangrong Gu, proper, was easy in talk. Somehow, returning to the Emerald Emblem's capitol, this mysterious human country-- all of it was daunting, unknown. The Emperors so very far from the sliver of stability she had only recently attained. Whatever they wished her presence for, it did not hinge upon her being the Queen of Zodia. It was because of what she was. That fact, in and of itself, had her stomach in knots.

"I..." She attempted to respond to Orion, but words fell short. Seasil gripped onto Orion's hand maybe a smidgen too tight before trying again.

"I hope that you a-are right, Orion." She looked down, a little ashamed of her quiet words. No part of her wanted to offend her hosts. "I'd much r-rather f-f-face everything t-together. If you are c-correct, it would be a relief, I want to be here. With you."

She pursed her lips, and nearly felt them quiver. The thought struck her that she had not been more than a blink away from Orion in over a year. She had taken advantage of his constant presence and gotten far too comfortable far too quickly.

With her hand in his, Seasil had to stable herself. It would not do for the Queen of Zodia to sob at something as formal, and over all trivial, as leaving her counterpart for a short period of time.

She sniffled.

"Th-the hard work that you have put into your st-studies will certainly pay off, love. I know you will perform spectacularly." If nothing else, Seasil smiled up at him with all the love and confidence of the first night she pledged herself to his vision. She was sure of her words.

"I... I will endeavor to c-come back to you swiftly." Seasil nodded, speaking close to him for only her beloved to hear. "You, t-too, you know. Take care of yourself, of everyone, while I am gone. And! P-please know I'll be thinking of you, always. I love you, Orion."

In parting Queen Seasilia Andromede stood upon her tiptoes and offered her king a modest kiss along with a deeper, heartfelt, embrace. Etiquette meant less upon parting ways-- or so she'd seen her human friends demonstrate time and time again.

Pulling away, moments later, she still could not stop her eyes from glassing over, saddened yet anticipatory. Her bags were already packed.

"I- I believe I am ready to go."