Indebted

79

Esti had been correct. She very much did not like the clothing Laurel, Marisol and Delia dressed her in. The experience not helped by Marzipan watching her every single move like the mimic wished she had popcorn to watch the show that was Esti's torment. Another near full hour later Esti had been dressed in a heavy, velvet gown in a deep maroon colour. Trimmed with gold embroidery. According to the Fae historians, the Earth dragons would have been considered a primitive culture when the foreign universe dragons arrived. So the fashion minded contingent of those called to the meeting had styled Esti based on human, Fae and Sovran rules to show Esti's rank and title.

Being treated like a living doll while wearing heavy, cumbersome clothes was only made tolerable to Esti, because Atticus was beside her getting the same treatment. Atticus was looking very much like he had the day Esti had thought she would be executed. Except now, instead of wearing his grandsire, and father's sigil and emblems, Atticus was dressed to show he was now Esti's consort, refusing to wear any of the Sovran Court symbols. He was Esti's, her colors and emblems the only ones he wanted to wear.

When they were finally dressed, the decided entourage of Damon Black, Marisol, Marzipan, Laurel, and Delia also changed into formal wear as representatives of The Council. Raven volunteered to be the werewolf delegate for the negotiations. Fillian would accompany as witness.

Esti was fidgeting with a golden cord on her cape, feeling like the outfit might swallow her whole, when Laurel approached her holding a large, navy coloured box. Opening the hinged lid to reveal a delicate golden crown sat on a white satin cushion. The metal of the crown had been shaped into life like forget-me-nots and daisies. Delicate stones of topaz and moonstone catching the light.

Damon came over, lifting the crown from the velvet pillow it had been resting on, "The Council names and crowns you, Estella Juno Mountblanc Ice Wind. Rightful Queen of the Earth Dragons, first of her name. Long may she reign" Handing the crown to Atticus so her mate and consort could be the one to place the crown on her head, resting the delicate but heavy crown over top of the elaborate style her hair had been curled, pinned and arranged into. Esti looked into the mirror, and felt wrong.

She looked regal, and beautiful. But it wasn't right. This was someone else's idea of who she should be. Esti didn't know how to object, or even articulate what exactly she felt was wrong. She looked at Atticus, he looked back at her, full of adoration, trying to fill her with his confidence in her. Opal inside Esti's mind was pleased enough that The Council was respecting Esti, treating her with deference they were due. Dragons did not care or appreciate mortal fashion.

The golden and bejewelled crown however, were pleasing to Opal. Opal had not yet had a chance to begin to build her hoard of precious gems and metals. A crown was a fitting start. Everything else was not. She agreed with Esti, these clothes did not fit them. They were the trappings of others, of those who had either tried to exterminate their kind, or turned a blind eye while it happened. 

Esti was so glad to have Atticus by her side. He was right there, holding her hand and radiating support to her in waves. "Come we will leave from the travelling room, rendezvous where The Sovran influence meets the larger world and continue to court." Marisol announced. The atmosphere of the other delegation participants seemed nearly jovial. Almost all except Marzipan seemed to have longer standing relationships with each other. Marzipan knew Marisol, the two had their own commune. Esti and Atticus were separate from everyone.

Atticus leaned down to whisper in Esti's ear. "I know you hate it, but you do look radiant, your majesty." His lips curled into a teasing smile as he used the title she hated so much. Esti swatted at his arm. Atticus felt his mission to coax a smile onto her lips was complete as his bad joke and tease brought forth a smile on her lips as they walked in the middle of their procession towards whatever the travelling room was.

The formally dressed group made their way through twisting and turning corridors, arriving at a room, that seemed in-congruent to the hallway they had entered from. The walls and floors were made of ancient looking stone. The space was wide open, with only a tall arch in the space.

Esti kept looking at the arch and found her eyes couldn't easily follow the lines that it was made of. Like it did not follow the rules of reality as she knew them. There was also a strong hum of magic in the air, pulsing in waves, and it seemed to be coming from the arch.

Delia the witch did something that Esti and Atticus had both considered impossible. She opened a hole in the air. Created a doorway through space, revealing to Esti the horizons she had grown up wanting to explore. With a single easy step, everyone was able to move from The Council tower, onto the lands just outside the Sovran kingdom.

There was no welcoming party or delegate from the Sovran Court there to meet them. The first of what Esti expected to be many slights thrown their way. Magnus had to have known that he had overstepped this time; no matter how sheltered and isolated Magnus thought he had kept his kingdom, curiosity couldn't be stopped. There had always been some at court who mingled in the outside world more enthusiastically than others. The Sovran King couldn't hire dozens of low quality assassin teams or try to bomb half of the population at Court and expect that it would go unnoticed.

Marisol, Damon, Laurel and Delia had all been conversing. Esti focused on their words, they were expecting a more fitting welcome. Delia and Marisol were both concerned about the barrier spell that was in front of them. Esti tried to stand tall in the layers of clothes that felt like too much for her.

Esti tried to stand still, to not fidget. Hearing her mother's voice in her head telling her exactly how someone of her new rank was supposed to behave. How she would be expected to hold herself. Esti didn't know what to do with herself and felt like she was failing the ghost of her mother inside her head with every second that passed by.

Esti sighed, she had managed to keep the carving from Terrance and Dotty in her pocket, her hand went to the carving, starting to trace the waved edges over and over. Finding the carving a calming presence in her hand.

Delia, Damon and Laurel were all still busy considering the barrier spell. Raven looked like she might bite the head off the next person who spoke, her anger at the rude non-welcome palpable to everyone. Raven had very strong feelings, and was taking the slight against Esti and their delegation personally.

Atticus was by Esti's side. Watching her back, scanning the horizon, providing surveillance. Raven was the first to notice a change. Damon and Delia had been arguing about the magic used in the barrier and how to counter it. Atticus was turning to see what the Luna noticed. Looking in shock as a two women walked out of the air into the roadway that marked the entrance to Sovran territory. At the same time, another couple was approaching from the trees form inside the Sovran Court barrier.