Dearest Sister ¬ Age of Resistance

IV.

Five eons before

Soraya had departed from Ha'rar late in the afternoon on a special request from the castle of the crystal. Not much was given on information nor reasoning but per the choosing of the ornamentalist meant anything ranging from new fabrics, absurd decorations or scandalous attire. skekEkt was no saint or shy away from over-exposure preferring gaudy dresses, gaudy head wear, gaudy shoes and the most atrocious jewelry. The eldest princess could only imagine what the flamboyant skeksis wanted, especially with her. The landstrider she rode upon let out a sharp cry, off in the distance was the castle- a small dark speck against the blue skies.

Soraya let out an echo from the back of her throat, hollow yet light. The landstrider moved faster. Back at the castle, Brea had begged their to come along promising that she would remain tight-lipped and as still as stone. But the All-Maudra dismissed her plea with an assignment to help Tavra tend to the landstrider field's. In other words, shovel dung into a fire to burn the waste. Seladon also wished to join her twin but she had an unforgiving meeting with the elders concerning the sticky consistency put into confections. They apparently are too sweet and way to gooey for the older generation. Bless her sister for taking on such useless meetings.

The dirt trail faded into cobblestone, the castle now only a few trek away. The landstrider slowed to a careless gallop once the incline of the bridge changed the elevation of the ground. Soraya let out another call and the strider slowed just as it neared the entrance. Castle guards who stood outside the entrance signalled to those who stood idle on the inside to open the castle gates. The warm air rushed past the doors and Soraya's frosted skin melted to an endearing flush. The landstrider chirped happily at the stuffy warmth. "Princess Soraya, I'm glad to see you made it alright." Captain Ordon stood just below her seat, the helm on his head seeming larger than the last time she saw it.

"No need to address me as princess Soraya-" She slipped down from the saddled back of the landstrider causing the paladin around them to shout out in fear. Her feet met the ground with the faint sound of her slippers heels hitting the stones. Ordon remained passive. "Soraya is just fine."

"Shall I accompany you, Princess Soraya?" The gelfling was a stick in the river, unmoving and damp. "I know the way, Captain." Captain Ordon however was slightly taken back at the tone of her dismissal but nonetheless bowed his head. "As you wish." Soraya wasted no more time in pleasantries for she had business to attend to and the ornamentalist did not favor waiting. Down several obnoxiously wide hallways led to the throne room which the Lord's spent most- if not all their time in. The Emperor was first to notice Soraya, keen as always nothing ever went unnoticed in his castle. "My Lord's, I have come per the request of Lord skekEkt." The other Skeksis mumbled to each other till the ever-so flamboyant ornamentalist shoved past the scroll keeper and the scientist whom both snarled at the intrusion.

"Finally! You may be a princess but your timing is nothing short of a hearing indebt podling." skekEkt waved his arms around in feigned distress, a cunning move used to guilt bait the unaware but Soraya was no shielded fizzgig- she knew false trickery better than anyone with two eyes and common sense. For her sister Seladon was keen to such theatrics, although skekEkt played a better card. Soraya bowed her head in false submission. "Forgive me, my lord." The ornamentalist stuck his beak up into the air, sniffled then spat out a throaty croon before whisking the ends of his plum colored robes over the princess' bowed head. "Gah!" Soraya slowly regained her proper posture and waited for an order. "Come along! You've wasted enough of my time as is with your empty apology." The princess followed after the retreating form of skekEkt, relieved to be out of the throne room where prying eyes sought utter amusement from her chastisement.