The First Queen

35 - Going-Away Party for the Ages

Athena was dressed in the golds and greys and dark blues of House Dawnstar and I barely noticed a large, furry creature intertwining itself between my legs.

"You look beautiful." She smiled down at me and I forced a smile to hide my shock and complete lovestruck expression.

"For someone who was just discarded out in the bitter cold of The Wilds and is dressed in that." A familiar voice sounded from behind Athena and I peered over her shoulder and spotted Dallin, Serana, Xanthe and Aliana.

Aliana twinkled her fingers at me in a sort of wave and slung an arm around her sister's shoulders.

"We came as soon as we could but unfortunately Taman couldn't make it due to a Remiel shaped emergency," Xanthe informed me and I smiled at them.

"I love you guys." I chuckled and Aliana rolled her eyes.

"Of course you do, what's not to love?" Dallin chuckled whilst tuning his lute and flicking his long hair out of his face, "And, for you of refined birth, I'll believe you'll find that the partygoers in the capital are far less well-behaved than those who attend these taverns."

"Ha!" Xanthe laughed, pointing a finger at the crowd, "Are you sure she's more well-behaved?"

I followed where she was pointing and spotted The Poet asleep in the corner of the room, surrounded by dozens of empty tankards and pitchers.

"Well, bards like us are a different species." Dallin chuckled, sauntering up to Athena and I and placing himself between the two of us, draping his arms over our shoulders, "And bards know how to party so... Shall we throw our Elia a going-away party for the ages!?"

I rolled my eyes and smirked, "Of course you two would turn a banishment into something to celebrate."

"Only the best for our dear Elia," Aliana smirked, sidling up against me and placing a cup filled with a dark brown liquid into my hand.

Xanthe reached up and pulled a comb from her hair, making her mane fall down her face and over her shoulders, "You can have your party but I will need to change. Serana?"

The Guardian of Chains nodded and hefted a satchel into Xanthe's arms.

"My room is the fourth on the right," I informed her and Xanthe nodded with a smile, quickly disappearing up the stairs.

"Athena, make yourself at home!" Aliana smirked and I rolled my eyes with a grin, "And the withering husk can get us our drinks!"

Serana glowered at her sister and crossed her arms, leaning against the bar, "Your nicknames never do get any better, do they?"

Aliana peeled herself away from me to go and reprimand her sister and Dallin clapped his hand against my chest gently.

"Ignore them; they get like this all the time, but they do love each other... It may go on for years before they remember we're here." Dallin chuckled.

"I can't believe I've never seen them like this before." I sighed and Dallin nodded.

"Because you usually see them when Taman is around-- Aliana tends to stay out of it with Taman because he and Serana do a bit of a... Tag-team." He informed me and languidly shuffled away from Athena and I, clapping his hands together.

"Shall I get us going with a song?" He smirked and I nodded, watching him sort through various instruments and deciding on one before putting it back and repeating the motion.

Athena's fingers slipped between mine and I gazed up at her, basking in her beauty once more.

"How are you feeling? Palestina told me what happened earlier... We came as fast as we could..." She sighed, lifting her arm up as if to touch my face.