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 Posted: Fri Jul 30, 2010 8:29 pm
A certain baby princess had dressed herself that morning, and was quite proud of it. With an oversized top that looked like it belonged to her older sister, and a skirt that was too short and barely reached to her ankles, she had the look she desired. She was ready to go on an adventure! That was after she studied herself in the mirror for several moments (not being young enough to have not yet developed a sense of vanity) and decide that she was pretty enough to go meet her friend.
She straightened the lopsided tiara on top her shining copper hair, and then nodded at her reflection in the mirror. "I so pretty," she admired herself, before making her way into the hall. "Lani?" she asked, looking around.
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Posted: Fri Jul 30, 2010 8:36 pm
Elani was out and about early today - she had the day off from lessons, provided that she find something productive to do with herself, and had promptly headed off to go read one of her favorite books. She was carrying it through the halls to get to one of her favorite reading spots in the whole district when she spotted little Princess Thali coming out, looking as if... well, as if she had dressed herself today.
"Good morning, little bird," she said, kneeling down, putting her book aside, and opening her arms for a hug from the tiny royal - despite being the size of a seven-year-old human, Elani was much bigger than the baby that she loved to spend so much time with. "And what are you up to today?"
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Posted: Fri Jul 30, 2010 9:12 pm
"I runnin' 'way," Thali explained in a whisper as she wrapped her tiny arms around Elani for a hug. "Want to come? Goin' on a 'venture! Thi'd Dist'ict havin' a market! Heard Mama talk 'bout it. Can we go? Pease? Can we? Can we?" It might have appeared strange that the elven princess' language of choice was English, but elvish was a complex and difficult language.
"We can 'scape. I know the way. You come, Lani? We be Thi'd Dist'ict elves to-day!" She glanced around to make sure the guards in the nearby hall weren't listening. "We go on 'venture and be 'plorers like my book!"
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Posted: Fri Jul 30, 2010 10:19 pm
"An adventure?" Elani echoed quietly, straightening the baby's tiara a bit for her and staring into her bright eyes. "To the market? It sounds fun!" She chirped, more than glad to get away from the stuffy fourth district and her family for the rest of the day- besides, nothing would stop Thali from running away, somehow she just knew that. And it was better if she had someone with her, someone responsible!
... Sure she was only eleven, but she was very responsible!"Shall we go then?"
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Posted: Fri Jul 30, 2010 10:36 pm
"I got some lyn'ns! We can buy stuff!" The tiny princess chirped, clearly thinking that the few lynans she'd been given would buy her anything she desired. Of course it would! In the markets Fourth District had, she received everything she even so much as looked at without charge. In fact, all she had to do was smile at some, and they would give her something.
Surely Third District would be the same? She took Elani's hand with her own soft, tiny one and smiled up at her friend. "We go," she agreed. Luckily for the two children, or maybe not so luckily, the guards didn't recognize the princess in her chosen outfit.
And so they were allowed to enter into the middle class section of the kingdom.
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Posted: Fri Jul 30, 2010 10:42 pm
Elani had her own small bag of lynans she'd been saving, and she hoped it would be enough to go shopping with. She didn't have many, but she didn't know what things cost in the third district, either - not that she really did in the fourth district, she didn't get to go shopping much and she definitely didn't have the power that the cute Princess had to rake in the gifts from the marketers. She was a pretty enough girl, but nothing compared to the princess - and in her own mind she was rather plain anyway.
As they entered the third district, she kept Thali close to her, ready to reach for her little knife at any moment if it became necessary. "So where do you want to go first?" she asked cautiously as they looked around.
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Posted: Fri Jul 30, 2010 10:59 pm
Third District was really several towns rolled into one. It was several small towns turned into one large city. The main street, the one the two girls were on, was crowded with elves. Dark elves, woodland elves--and even elves that looked like they had come from another realm entirely.
Thali clung to Elani's dress, clearly uncomfortable. She hadn't expected this. This wasn't at all like Fourth District! It was too crowded, too scary! An elf rushed past and bumped into the toddler, and without even a second glance or an apology, continued on their way.
"That not nice..." Thali said with a frown.
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Posted: Fri Jul 30, 2010 11:02 pm
"No, it's not, little birdie," Elani said quietly, trying to hide the nervousness in her voice because someone needed to be the grown-up here, and the little princess couldn't be it, so it was up to her to be the grown-up, and grown-ups were never scared. "But we can't do anything; he doesn't know who you are, nobody here does but me..."
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Posted: Fri Jul 30, 2010 11:10 pm
"I tell him," Thali said, determined to get at least an apology from the elf who had bumped her. That was into she was bumped again. She frowned up at the elf who was guilty of the crime and nearly cringed at the sight. These weren't the friendly elves of Fourth District either...
"Watch it," growled the elf as he moved past. "Children these days..." his voice could be heard, clearly complaining to another elf. "Probably one of those."
"One of what?" Thali asked, looking up at Jadyn. "I a princess. What a 'thoe'?"
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Posted: Fri Jul 30, 2010 11:16 pm
"I don't know," Elani said, tugging Thali closer to her and staring warily up at the adult elves around them. "But I know that whatever he means, you aren't one, and neither am I." With a great deal of difficulty, Elani managed to get herself and the princess out of the main part of the street, to an area that was at least a little bit less crowded than the part they had been walking through before.
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Posted: Fri Jul 30, 2010 11:36 pm
Once off the main part of the street, Thali brightened considerably. They were near a booth of jewelry and toys; two things the tiny princess already appreciated. "Oooh," she said, as she looked at them. She pulled back as the woman at the booth watched her.
"Do you have the lynans to pay for that?" she asked, in a tone that clearly said she wouldn't believe it even if Thali had said she did. Then her eyes flickered to Thali's hair, and to the tiara that sat lopsidedly upon her head. Her eyes widened in realization. She had practically accused the baby princess of being nothing more than a common theif. "Princess!" she gasped. "What are you doing here?"
"I 'ploring," Thali said proudly, having missed the elf's accusing tone. "Gonna buy stuff. 'Lani and me are thi'd dist'ict elves to-day!"
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Posted: Fri Jul 30, 2010 11:42 pm
"Little bird, still your chirping for a moment," Elani said, hugging Thali and reaching into her purse, digging out all of her lynans, tilting her head to stare at the elven-lady. "How much for that?" she asked, gesturing to a toy she knew the little princess really liked - or would really like if she hadn't spotted it yet. She shielded Thali from the woman's sight a bit, trying to protect her.
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Posted: Fri Jul 30, 2010 11:52 pm
Thali obediently fell silent; Elani was one of the few people the tiny princess would listen to. She gently pressed her bag of lynans into the older girl's hand, implying that she should use them too. She didn't pretend to understand what Elani was doing, but at least she'd go along with it.
The woman stared at Elani for a moment, before nodding at her. "Five lynans," she said, having cut the price in half. This girl looked like one of the noble's children! Why was she out shopping in a place like this?
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Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2010 12:00 am
Elani nodded and carefully counted out five lynans from both her purse and Thali's - though she took three from her own and two from the princess's bag -, handing them to the marketer and picking out a little doll in a blue dress. She gave Thali the doll and smiled at the woman, putting her other lynans away. "Thank you," she said simply, beginning to guide the baby princess away from the booth. "Where do you want to go next?" she asked, hoping 'home' was the answer. It was scary out here!
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Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2010 12:19 am
"Tank you," Thali whispered, for Elani's ears alone. To say that the princess was thrilled with her gift would have been an understatement. She cradled the doll carefully in her arms, and smiled up at her friend as she was led from the booth. "I name her Lani. Like you, 'Lani! She so pretty!"
She paused, and considered her friend's question. "We go home now?" she asked. People were nicer there, and it wasn't so scary. "We done nuff 'ploring. I sleepy."
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