Wandering through the Gardens - DONE

[Spiderfly]

She was almost there! Lleurela trudged uphill, her little legs burning somewhat as she made her way towards the Court of Hearts. Her anticipation was hardly keeping itself in check.

Earlier in the Capital City as she had been wandering from shop to shop to find the perfect pennywhistle, she had seen a small vase of the most beautifully coloured plants on the till of one of the shops. She had snuck closer carefully and inspected the beautifully perfumed flowers. The shopkeep noticed her and shooed her away

Those are from the Court of Hearts itself m'dear! Now don' you go knockin' off any of them petals. My nephew is a jack of hearts and he sent them himself!

And at that she slunk out of the shop with the idea firmly in her head that she MUST make it to those grounds.

As the memory had finished itself she found herself at the front gates. She peeked around quickly and saw no one, so she went through. A wide, well-groomed, path stretched out in front of her and she suddenly felt quite small. Rose bushes lined the walkway and she took her time taking them all in. She followed the path, winding around the large palace of a building in front of her.

Lleurela had no eyes for the building as she was so entranced by the flowers. Reds, and yellows, and white. Each as perfect and bright as the rubies, topaz, and diamonds of her home realm. She sniffed at a few gently and continued on. The path followed around towards the back and soon she was met by another gate, with two canines sitting down at either side kicking rocks at each other. She stopped and watched them with a certain amount of amusement.

Dun know why the reg'lars decided ta take todah off. What a borin' dah.

Thas prolly why you idiot! Leave tha slow dahs ta us!

Well I dun think thas rightly fair a' all!

The other male raise an eyebrow and panted in laughter You jus' dun think! Who are ya kiddin'?

A rather large rock was kicked by the insulted canine, making the other yelp. Lleurela started forwards, catching glimpses of even more roses behind the gates.

Finally noticing Lleurela the first male jumped up to attention. Eh!? Who goes thar?

The second guard looked around quickly and also jumped up. He however took a look at Lleurela's chest and quickly kicked his companion and whispered. The first male widened his eyes a little and quickly stammered out an apology and issued Lleurela through. Ah.. the power of being a 10. Though Lleurela still never really understood or used it for the most part. She nodded with a small smile to the guards as she went through.

She stopped suddenly. The flowers! Oh my goodness the flowers! The scent of roses overwhelmed her and she hardly noticed as she hopped forwards to a particularly beautiful red bush. Looking around somewhat guiltily she pulled one perfect petal off and stashed it in the little leather satchel she had found for her whistle. >.> She had found it in a trashcan but really! It worked and it saved her some money.

As she looked up from stowing the petal away she saw an alcove, beautifully covered by an arbor completely covered in white climbing roses. She skipped over and climbed up onto the bench and took in her surroundings.

Never, could she have imagined such beauty when she left Villa. As always when feelings were overwhelming she pulled the closest instrument and began to play. The pennywhistle had been polished some since her last use, the chewed end now quite a bit smoother and less noticeable.

She let the smell of the roses inspire her song and began to play. It was a soft and gentle song, as cloying as the perfume of the roses around her. It eased around the flowers as if it was a living thing. Soothing to the ear and happy in it's melody. She sat, and played.

[The Jenn]

Serafino had woken up this morning with a headache, which never boded well for the day ahead. He went down to breakfast tetchy and in no mood to tolerate anyone. Unfortunately for him, there were several meeting scheduled for the morning that he didn't want to overlook. Person after person speaking, and the dull ache at the nape of his neck only let him give them half of his attention. It was possible that some of them didn't even notice he was in any way 'off', they were so used to dealing with one mood or another, but Dymphna could tell enough that she set out his favorite tea for the morning ahead. She was an astute young thing.

Now the afternoon had just begun to moderate the full sunlight of midday and he escaped the normally welcome confines of the palace proper with a sigh. The bright sun did little to help his mood, but the scent of roses always put him in a better state of mind when he let them. Perhaps they could do something about his headache, which had continued its steady pressure well into the day. Already the gentle breeze that wound its way through the hedges and creeping vines was doing wonders for his mood, lulling him into a better state of mind...

But could that lull be attributed solely to the wind? Another sensation, this one auditory, finally made itself known to his conscious mind. He had been hearing it for a few moments without realizing, the soft, high sound suiting its setting so well that it escaped his notice. He paused in raising one soft white blossom to his face and tilted his head slightly to listen.

Where was it coming from? Had someone hired a musician recently? They didn't have any the last he knew, but perhaps a new appointment had been made and he had signed it without paying attention. He didn't usually miss things like that.

Curious now, he let the flower fall back into place with its companions on the trellis and moved further into the gardens. Beneath his favorite arbor, on the bench where he usually rested, he caught a glimpse of a bright purple form swaying back and forth as its fingers danced along a small metal object. He paused and listened until the song wound itself to a close, the sound doing much to distract him from his head and the annoyances of the morning. As soon as she stopped to take a breather, he cleared his throat to get her attention. "Well...very nice, young lady. I hadn't realized we hired a new musician. You're off to a good enough start, I must say. What would your name be?"

[Spiderfly]

As the song ended Lleurela distinctly heard someone clear their throat. Am I in trouble? Am I not supposed to be here? She opened her eyes and blinked rapidly. Barely catching up to her own thoughts before he began to talk. . . Queen? QUEEN!? 0o She was meeting the QUEEN!? She blinked a little harder but forced herself to understand the words now coming from his mouth.

I well. . .y.. yes I'm. You didn't hire me. . majesty. She squeaked a little bit, finally realizing he had complemented her and she jumped from the seat giving a rather low bow in which her nose swept the ground. She dusted it off quickly as she stood.

I ju...just saw some roses around the... city. I simpl... sim..s.simply had to see them myself. I nn... never knew a living thing could r.. rival the beauty of the g.. gems back home and the.. their beauty inspired me to play. My na.. name Your Majesty is Lleurela. She gave another extremely low bow and swept her whistle back behind her.

She spoke into the ground this time. It. . .it is a g... great pleasure to meet the most beautiful Queen of Hear...Hearts. I'd be ... happy to play anything you wished

[The Jenn]

Listening to the chipmunk stutter over her words might normally have exacerbated his headache, but her lovely song and sincerity of her flattery allowed him to overlook the impediment and focus instead on her. She was rather small, which fit with her breed, and he would call her pleasantly plump rather than overweight. It might not look so well on a human form, but there may have been more fur than he was giving her credit for. Perhaps it was just her build? Whatever the case, she wasn't a bad sight to look at and the stuttering almost enhanced his initial impression of 'cute'. The twitching of her whiskers as she spoke only reinforced that opinion.

At any rate, it was good to know that he hadn't missed the appointment of a royal musician. "The roses have drawn others back this way before, though not recently," he commented mildly, one hand drifting out to finger the velvety petals of a nearby flower. Her words gave him some clue as to her circumstances, especially the way she spoke of her home. "You are recently away from the Villa, then? Why don't you play me a song that's popular there. I can't say that I've ever visited the cliffside region."

He moved to sit down on the bench she had so recently vacated, his skirts swishing and fanning out around him as he tucked his feet underneath the seat and turned crimson eyes solely on her. Though he didn't realize it yet, his headache had begun to subside with the music and the calming of his mood. Whenever he had one, he only made it worse by continuing to dwell on it and remain annoyed. This distraction was exactly what he needed.

While he would normally frown upon an animal form in his presence, he got the impression that she had not yet acquired another despite her rank. After all, if she could use hands then surely she would do so to play her little whistle. He let it go without comment and waited expectantly. Conversation didn't appeal nearly so much as did her music, especially with that stutter.

[Spiderfly]

She stood again and nodded in fervent agreement as he explained how others had come back to see the roses. And honestly, she was a little surprised that there weren't more in the garden enjoying their beauty and scent. This is.. my first time in these parts. She nodded.

At his suggestion of a Villa song she pondered for a moment. There were many, but for the Queen, she had to play something ... different. She moved quickly out of his way as he swept passed to sit. She watched the hem of his robe, intriqued by the beautiful patterning and fabric. As he sat she diverted her gaze and looked around. Quickly she found a spot and sat back onto her haunches, shifting a little to get comfortable.

She had made up her mind.. a lullaby. It wasn't a typical lullaby, in the childish and simple melodic ways that most lullabies were. Instead it was one her mother used to sing to her. However she did... spice up the melody a little. Making it more complex and interesting. More for adult listeners.

It was an epic song of heroism, and bravery. Of happiness and good times. Even of gentle and soft times sitting around the fire with a loved one and just laying beneath trees. She played for the Queen, hoping he would love it as very much as she did. At the end of the song she brought the whistle down gently and began to sing. For the only proper way to end a lullaby is with a gentle voice and not with an instrument.


Beneath the swaying trees,
Give in ... to the breeze,
And let your mind wander places,
Your feet wish to go.

And when you find those small graces,
It's then that you'll know!

You are home...

So sleep sweet my darling,
There's no need to fear.
When the sun set's,
And the moon's up,
I'll be here!

I'll...
Be....
Here....

Her voice was clear and pure. It was odd how she never stuttered when she sang. The last note was like crystal, a shining thing. She let it waver at the end and was done.

[The Jenn]

Fino let his mind wander with the melody. It was one he had never heard before, a happy song with a gentler end than he was used to. Most music played in the city had a quick beat for dancing or a flair of brass for pomp and circumstance. He was much less familiar with the tunes of other regions and had little cause to stay and linger for performances in the past. Music was not his passion, but it did much to lift his mood and actually had him smiling as the last lingering note of her song faded into the breeze. The late summer could not have provided a better setting.

The clarity of her words surprised him after her earlier stumbled introduction. He hadn't met many people with a stutter before and none of them had ever dared to sing for him after he dismissed them from his attention as worthless, so perhaps it didn't affect sung words for whatever reason? Curious.

"That was...exceptional," he admitted in a slightly surprised tone. Really, he hadn't expected much once she realized who he was. Her demeanor had suggested that she would stumble over his rank and perhaps fumble the tune, but no, she had performed perfectly. That raised his impression of her another notch - not many who were unfamiliar with him could do that. Even those who were often wavered under his direct scrutiny. She seemed to be made of better stuff than he had initially guessed.

And suddenly, he realized that the dull ache plaguing him for the entire morning had faded to a ghost of its former self. He made a small noise of surprise and reached up one hand to press at the base of his skull, then lowered it and looked back at her with an arched eyebrow. The expression was more expressive than he normally allowed. "It seems that finding you here was a good omen indeed," he acknowledged wryly, letting his hand fall back to his side and smoothing over a wrinkle on the thigh of his skirt. "So what do you do here in the city, Lleurela? When did you arrive? I must confess, you have aroused my curiosity."

[Spiderfly]

She sat for a second after the song, hoping for a positive reaction. Her whiskers twitched and when the compliment came she made a habitual chittering noise and quickly covered it by performing another low and sweeping bow. "T...thank you so much Your Majesty!"

Lleurela started at the surprised sound and looked up quickly, surely she had done nothing to offend? She searched his face for a sign but he didn't look upset. Quite the contrary though.. one was never sure with human faces. Eyebrows were so. . .odd 0o Her eyes followed his hands as he first touched the back of his neck then smoothed down his skirt. Such pretty fabric! And she thought the fabric with which costumes were made at the playhouse back home were gorgeous. She smiled inwardly realizing how terribly sheltered she had been.

"I... actually don't have a j.. job. I just arrived here this p.. past week. A friendly shopkeep... bartered and gave me this w..wh.. whistle for a couple raw gems from .. home."

She turned it over admiringly in her little hands. "Someday. .. I'll have proper hands to play .. other instruments. She grinned up at Serafino before remembering her place and quickly averting her gaze, but the grin lingered at the edges of her mouth.

"Then... I'll be able to p.. play the most wondrous of music."

[The Jenn]

Fino's other brow raised to join the first as he listened to her little tale before furrowing slightly. A handful of raw gems for a small, metal whistle of indeterminate quality...it sounded to him as though the chipmunk had been driven a hard bargain, if not outright fleeced. Gemstones were more valuable in the city than they were in her home region due to their relative inaccessibility and the number of craftsmen who were capable of putting them to good use. No doubt the man had sold his find to another merchant for a much steeper price. He felt no need to comment on the deception, however. Either she would learn the ways of the city, she would find someone who did and was willing to teach her, or she would go home.

"If your music on that substandard instrument is any measure, you would do quite well with a quality piece," he agreed mildly. It was then that a soft jingling sound caught his attention, as if it came from a small bell somewhere nearby. He recognized the sound at once and couldn't help a smile from touching his lips as he leaned over and made a soft clicking noise with his tongue.

The sound stopped, then started again at a faster clip, whatever it was moving closer. A brightly colored form waddled into view, carrying its large gut with the ease of much practice. Its body was stocky even without the added weight of its stomach but something about the legs hinted at agility. Stripes and faint spots ran all over its short, plush fur, and darker points touched the tips of its extremities. It made a little cough-like noise as soon as it saw the Queen and picked up its pace, the black leather collar around its neck and small golden bell its only accessories. It reached the foot of his stone bench and sat with its body facing him, then craned its neck around to stare pointedly at Lleurela with wide black eyes. Then it sneezed.



Fino actually laughed at the behavior and reached down to pick it up, hefting it onto his lap regardless of any short red hairs that might shed. "Sultana just challenged you for my attention, you know," he told the chipmunk in an amused tone even as his fingers were busy scritching the bulky female creature. "I think you lost. Have you seen many of these in your travels?"

[Spiderfly]

Lleurela started to clean her whistle, as one really should after every performance. Though she stayed very respectful and kept most of her attention on Fino. She quietly blew the whistle out, quickly checked it for moisture inside then stashed it away inside her little pouch.

"Thank you.. Your Majesty!" She stammered at the compliment, flushing a little colour.

"The whistle really isn't too bad just.. Not the best! But def... definitely useable."

She heard the bell a second before the Queen had. A soft jingling sound that quite matched the breeze nicely. Though as the Queen leaned over and started clucking she looked around a little, not entirely sure of what was going on. As the sound sped up and changed directionality she figured out what it was however.

The colour was striking to the eye as the small creature came into view, and Lleurela denied the urge to back up. It was a Bandersnatch! Her mother had always warned her of their ferocity if she ever felt the need to travel. She had heard of some being captivated to a point but until this moment she wouldn't have believed it.

No flurry of claws, no rending of flesh... apparently things were fine. She blinked as it craned it's neck backwards, for something so.. round it sure had some flexibility and refinement to it!

She shook her head a little. "N.. not a one. Though my mother always ... warned me of their ferocity. It.. it is a Bandersnatch right? ... The colour is . . incredible." She stayed still. Things seemed fine but.. she wasn't about to make it want to jump at her or anything XD

If only she realized the one holding the Bander could offer more harm.

[The Jenn]

Sultana settled as best she could on her person's lap, her distended stomach a hindrance to any kind of comfortable curl. The best she could do was sprawl across Fino's thighs and let her back legs hang over the edge, suspended in midair. She was very, very pregnant and looked about ready to pop.

The Queen nodded at Lleurela's words, his hands unconsciously moving from scritches to stroking as the creature shifted its head and neck. "Ferocious, yes...your mother was right to warn you. I wouldn't go near one in the wild unless I was looking for a good fight. They can be notoriously bad-tempered, even the domesticated variety, though not usually towards their owners. Or, at least, towards the people who feed them and give them affection. Their breeding centers around this city and its surrounding regions, such as the Highlands, so I'm not surprised you haven't encountered one before."

Apparently having enough of the uncomfortable position, made all the more awkward by the curious gaze off a stranger, the red bandersnatch wriggled her way upright and jumped heavily to the ground, going only a few steps away before sitting to groom her round sides. Fino's brows drew together as he watched her for a moment, noticing a slight ripple in her side that had nothing to do with her cleaning. "If you can't tell," he added dryly, "she's very close to giving birth. The litter looks to be a good size, what with how round she's gotten, certainly more than one kit. I doubt I'll be keeping any of them, however. This was planned more as an experiment in color more than anything else, to find out whether she's dominant for her color and its expression. The kits will be champion quality, but not quite what I'm looking for."

After only a few more licks, the creature stopped her grooming and looked at Fino with shining black eyes, then stood back up and waddled underneath one of the prickly rose bushes. He watched her go with a frown. "She'd better not have them under there," he muttered, more to himself than anything.