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Skye, Maevis, and Nicolas sat down as Peggy buzzed about in the best mood she’d been in since her bairn had left. They half-jokingly asked what had her so happy, which prompted Peggy to look at the three like they were stupid.

“Me bairn is home! How could I not be happy? Ye wouldna believe the ridiculousness around here.. Tis why I went ta Moonshire ta wait for ya.”

“What happened?” Skye asked as she watched Peggy prepare tea for them.

Peggy flipped her hands into the air with an irritated expression; “Well, I nearly killed me self right after ye left. Worked fer King Magnus fer a time until yer da came to get me. Ye wouldna Believe some of the shite those nobles say in front of the help! Oh! And that bloody Karena! I’ve never seen such a pathetic excuse fer a human bein’ in me life. Poor Shasta.. That stupid bitch is damn-near ruining Shasta and King Lawrence’s wedding!”

As she seeped the leaves, Peggy calmed down, then started to catch Skye up. She had been right to not heal Peggy’s sickness, otherwise she would’ve rode for the Highlands three days after Skye had left. When Zazzy had disappeared, her anxiety had nearly gotten the best of her.

Peggy had actually gone to the stables, and gotten on a horse the day after Zazzy had left. Zas had literally caught her as she’d fallen from her saddle about ten feet from the doors. They sat down and had a long talk about how important family was to them, and that he empathized with her urge to run after Skye.

“There isn’t much that we wouldn’t do for our family, yeah? But trekking to the north without supplies or a navigator is like kicking the grim reaper in the shin, then laughing about it: it’s certain death. How heartbroken would Skye be if anything happened to you?”

Zas’ words and attitude had convinced Peggy to wait for Skye at Moonstone Castle, since that would be the first place that they stopped once they returned. He had also invited her to his family’s Yuletide gathering as they finished up their talk.

.....

Peggy was delighted by the invitation, but had already planned to make her way back to Moonshire to help Lidia with the presents for the year. Zas had been saddened by the rejection, but got a surprise visit from her when she and the Moonstones had returned after distributing the presents early.

When she had arrived at Zas’ home in the capital, he had noticed how frazzled Peggy looked. When he’d asked what had her so perturbed, Peggy told him then what she was telling Skye now: about the state of the palace..

Magnus and Lucas had been drinking and wallowing in the lack of atmosphere caused by Skye’s absence. Shasta refused to dance while Karena sang, and she only ever stayed long enough to appease Magnus. Lawrence often had to rescue her from the attempted pandering of the court sycophants as well.

They were the same people who had looked down on her, and shunned her for years. She made her disdain obvious to many of them, but they just laughed and acted like she was joking or messing with them. They clung on to anything that wasn’t an outright ‘fuck off’, which Shasta did say to a few of Karena’s friends that had tried to befriend her.

She knew that they just wanted to get close to the future Queen of Ruscovic; not her. Or worse: act as a spy for Karena. She hadn’t been happy with the fact that Shasta was stealing all of the court’s attention, and already irate by the fact that if Shasta’s wedding wasn’t being discussed, Skye’s return was.

Tidas and Skye were the topic of choice ever since they had announced the temporary peace with the Highlanders. When the news of the treaty coupled with their victory over Richard had reached the masses, it made them the most famous couple in the entire kingdom.

Karena fumed over the fact that she had contributed nothing of note for months. She had tried to organize a few social events, but only the nobles that already supported them had shown up. Nearly half had left court to ‘tend to their lands and businesses’, but Karena knew that they were just waiting for Skye and Tidas to return.

She had heard over and over again how dull it was without Skye’s music and Tidas’ stories. It just made Karena hate them more and more. When Shasta had shot her down to be her Maid of Honor, Karena manipulated Magnus into leaving the majority of decisions pertaining to the wedding up to her anyway..

“My king, I do not think you realize what kind of event she wants.. Fountains of milk? Tiny bottles of alcohol on the tables? A fish-flavored wedding cake?! The royal family’s reputation will be Ruined if we host such an affair! I beg you to leave the general planning up to me. I will consult with Shasta, and try to fulfill all of her dreams.. But within reason.”

Karena’s lies had worked because they really did sound like things that Shasta would want. With a little influence from her husband, Magnus shot down Shasta almost every time she went to him with a complaint. She was about to either give up, or kill Karena, so Lawrence had stepped in.

He had convinced Magnus to agree to duel-approval on anything pertaining to the wedding. Nothing could be officially done without both Shasta, and Karena approving it. They had been arguing non-stop for weeks now, according to Lawrence.

Zas hadn’t heard about the duel-approval, and found it odd that Magnus was giving Karena power at all over such matters. Everyone knew that the two didn’t get along, and when their fighting continued, Magnus still stuck to his ruling. Marie had even tried to talk some sense into him, but the King’s decision was final.

Magnus had no idea how hard she was trying to learn to be a ‘proper Queen’ for Lawrence. She understood how much he loved his kingdom, and wanted his people to approve of her, and find her worthy of him. She ignored the fact that she was a Pillar, and the fastest person in the kingdom.

Lawrence had told her many times that she was already perfect to him, that his people would love her as she was, and that she didn’t need to change anything about herself. But Shasta wanted to be ‘the kind of woman that he could escort on his arm with pride’, even though she already was. Peggy and Marie had told her the same thing.

Before Peggy had retired to Moonshire to await Skye’s return, she had scheduled lessons with Marie for Shasta in between tending to her duties given by Magnus. Shasta would learn everything from table manners, to history, and even the traditional dances of Ruscovic. And, because it was Marie; Shasta found herself drowning in beautifully tailored dresses.

Most had been done in the same fashions as Skye’s dresses, but Marie had designed a few unique ones just for Shasta; including her wedding dress. It was designed to compliment her cat-like features, and even had a special hole for her tail. It was a yellowish off-white color with dark-yellow chrysanthemums lining the edges.

Shasta adored the dress, and asked Marie to send it to her and Lawrence’s room for safe keeping...The dress never made it. Both it, and the maid that was supposed to deliver it had gone missing. Shasta swore that Karena had something to do with it, but had no proof to take to Magnus.

Her missing dress mixed with Peggy’s random crying during Yuletide had made Shasta break down with her. They had bonded a little over Skye’s absence, and spent time together whenever Peggy was in the capital with Skye’s parents. They had traveled back and forth multiple times, but not for any particular business..

“Pretty sure we traveled just ta eat away the days til ye came home. Yer parents missed ya almost as much as me,” Peggy finished as she handed out cups of tea.

Maevis and Nicolas had added tidbits here and there, but Maevis was a little distracted by their cups. In truth, it wasn’t just the cups, but where she and Nic had been given to live in while staying in the palace.

While Skye was gone, Magnus had commissioned an entire house set made for Maevis and Nicolas, then set it all up in a luxurious and functioning doll house. The one from their first time in the capital was falling apart, and the furniture pieces weren’t much better off.

Magnus had presented it to Maevis as a special Yuletide gift. It reminded her of when Tiberius had gifted her the first doll house, and she became teary-eyed as she walked through it. The few pieces of furniture that had survived the years were in it too, which warmed Mae’s hear even more.

As they sat sipping their tea, the two elder Fae finished the conversation that they’d started while Skye had bathed and dressed earlier. They had told her that the Northern Star had been found in the Sync Kingdom, but not who had it..

They were in the middle of explaining how they were using Tamers with birds, and the coordination it would take to retrieve it when Tidas came in. He was a bit tipsy from trying to keep up with his father and Lucas. Apparently, several toasts were made after she had left.

Peggy immediately turned and went to get a bit of food to help soak up the alcohol. When she came back with a plate full of ham sandwiches with Dragonhorn apple butter on them, Skye stole one as Nicolas and Maevis brought Tidas up to speed. When they had gotten back to where they had left off with Skye, she zoned back into the conversation intently.

Nicolas told them of how the Sync King has the rest of the Northern Star, and that they’re trying everything they can to get it back. They went on to explain how he was also trying to create a pact with the Fire Nation pirates, which they had just learned are led by the former first Prince of the Fire Nation.

Skye flashed a shocked expression; “Isna he that one guy that has a thing fer me? Abari or Abdul, err somethin’ the like? Creepy bastard..”

Maevis told her that they keep sinking the Fire Nation’s diplomatic ships, but it might still come to pass. When Skye asked how they were sinking them, Maevis grinned ear to ear; “Have you ever heard of Mermaids and Undines, dear? Let’s just say that the Undine Queen is a friend of mine...”