LaviniaDeChevin

@kingofcrows-cartwright

Lavinia had looked through everything that was up for sale and while there weren’t a lot of items that had caught her eye, she knew would try to buy the Dog painting for Cartwright since it would fit perfectly into his fire station but her heart was also drawn to the ship in the bottle. A reminder of her own adventures on a ship. 

“What was that saying…” Morgana bit her lip in thought as she walked alongside Lavinia. “Ignorance is Bliss.” She said, her finger in the air once she found her words. “I would love to read their stories, I feel like it would be the best form to relive them - romance, revenge, redemption..” Mo let her sentence trail off, lost in thought. 

“Well, he often - ah, embellished his stories. He would throw in a princess here, a creature from the forest, all probably true but maybe not at the level of creativity that he had.” She laughed to herself, thinking of her father. They all had to leave things behind, but Lavinia was right, it was easier if you don’t remember them as much.

Mo listened as Lavinia spoke of the magic from Old Naraya. “That’s spectacular.” She sighed. “I wish we could have magic like that here.” The witch said somewhat jealous. “What was your favorite part?” Morgana asked.

I’m sorry for not cutting the post, xkit wasn’t working :(

“ My people say the opposite: ‘Is trom an t-ualach an t-aineolas’ It means ‘Ignorance is a heavy burden. I think both of those are true depending on the situation.”  Morgana was so wonderfully young and innocent. She was sure she had been through tragedy but it didn’t seem like she had been scared beyond repair.  “ With our world you can never really know what is fiction and what is reality. But that is enviable. I am sorry that you will never get to see the dragons fly. There were plenty of species around that didn’t make it to this place.” she paused for a short time before she continued. “ It’s really the hardest part of remembering Naraya: that you don’t know what happened after we left. 20 years have past which is both an eternity and no time at all.” 

Mo nodded, noticing the movement of emotion carefully tucked away behind Lavinia’s eyes. She didn’t know her well, as they had just met, but she seemed like someone who had held a personal burden, once upon a time. “Someone should write a book, or at least collect the memories of those who were there before - there’s too many kids around now a’days that don’t really understand the extent of the War, or that the world just wasn’t always like this.” She shook her head. Morgana knew saying that might be conflicting, the past wasn’t too peachy, but it would have to be remembered, at least eventually.

“The Winter Court?” She asked, her eyes sparkled with excitement. “When I was a girl my father told us bedtime stories about The Winter Court. About the Balls, the Winter Queen - probably all made up, but still, that’s very interesting, very cool.” She said, knowing ‘cool’ probably wasn’t the best word to describe her awe. In the years following the change she had heard rumors of who came through to this side, of how each lady in waiting had a lip that even the knights would guard themselves from. 

“I wish I had been able to see it - I’ve seen paintings though, at the museum, but I’m sure they pale in comparison.” Morgana shook her head as she listened. “That must have been so magical.” She smiled sadly. They turned the corner and were only a few window fronts from the shop.

“ Maybe, but I’m not sure what it would help them to know. There are many true and false accounts of the past. The problem is that the ones that have the really interesting stories aren’t the ones willing to share.” she smiled sadly. She was one of them. She knew her story was interesting, heartbreaking and scandalous at times. But she wasn’t going to share it. She wasn’t going to betray her people and she wasn’t going to lie about them, there really was no middle ground.  “ Why would he have to make things up? Our balls were beautiful and great. Especially for visitors. Those that weren’t bound by our rules could enjoy them without fear of being a topic of gossip.” they did gossip about the visitors as well but that gossip couldn’t really anyone who didn’t frequent the Faery Courts. “ even if we used all the Magic we have here at once you wouldn’t be able to recreate anything like we used to have even in that one spot. And maybe that’s a good thing. It’S easier to cope if you don’t know what you’re missing.” 

“I could imagine.” Mo nodded to herself. She would always keep the happy memories of her happy family in her heart, but unfortunately she would never be rid of the torturous ones that haunted her nightmares. In the beginning Mo would dream of her family, of her sisters giggle as they were chased around the village. Her dirty feet as they made their journey through the warzone. Mo shook her head, a shiver running down her back. “Sorry.” She said aloud as she shook her head. “Yes, things are different now. I’m thankful for New Naraya, goddess knows where I’d be if it weren’t for the curse.” She smiled softly.

“Well, you do look great, whatever age you are.” She commented, looking over at Lavinia and the way her hair shone in the sim sunshine as they walked. “Where were you from? Ah - before Fabledale, of course.” She hugged her jacket around herself. She had read a book of maps that had explained Old Naraya, hoping to find some possible information on her family but it ended up being a dead end. When the woman mentioned the council she tilted her head. “I was lucky too, I barely made it, but here I am.” She smiled, slightly throwing her arms in the air. 

Lavinia had some guesses where she would be and she preferred this life. It was almost a selfish thought. Back in Old Naraya she had had a duty to fulfil. To be the future vessel for the Winter Queen, a position she would have to fill in order for her people to survive and thrive. Now that she was here she could be her own person without a chosen destiny. But she feared for her people.  The ones that had been left behind. Maybe their Kingdom was still standing. Maybe it wasn’t. Either way she couldn’t influence it.  “ Don’t worry. Noone came here without a tragedy.” 

“ I lived at the Winter Court.” she said and smiled thinking of her old home. There were paintings off it at the museum but nothing could accurately catch the way the light shone through the ice. And while Magic would make it possible for her to recreate some of it here, the light was just different. It was hard to explain.

Mo tilted her head, the name sounding familliar but not enough to put her finger on. “Nice to meet you, Lavinia, if I may call you that.” She said, putting her hand out as if to ask for permission. She always wanted to be respectful, sometimes people prefered strangers to call them my their last name.

Morgana pulled the door closed behind her, the lock clicking in place as she turned her key. She then slid it into her bag as she started walking with Lavinia. “Oh, I was born back in Old Naraya - though I was young when the, ah, well when we became New Naraya.” She explained. 

Morgana looked both ways before nodding to cross the street, they only had another block to go. She loved this time of year, the crisp air just waiting to be warmed up by spring. “What about you?” She asked, guessing the woman had been, but asking anyway.

“ Of course.” she didn’t have qualms about it. She had never been overly fond of people calling her by her title unless it was directly at court and she would feel very odd being called by her last name as it seemed too formal. Morgana wasn’t a friend by any means since they had just met, but she was a pleasant person and the sudden formality would just be uncomfortable for everyone.

" That sounds like a Curse in its own. I never know if it’s better to remember or not. Things are so different now.” she said with a smile, thinking back. Everyone was a lot more anonymous, even her outside of the Winter Court. But that didn’t have to be something positive. 

Cartwright could see Lavinia get lost in her thoughts and he almost became ensnared in his own, wondering what had her head so high in the clouds. He stayed grounded however, the warmth of her body pressed against him keeping him tethered to the floor. Before he knew it the moment was over and his best friend let go to enjoy the drink he’d finished making. “Everything you dreamed of and more?” He asked cheekily, enjoying that he could still make mind blowing drinks even if he was more often the one receiving the drink rather than making it. 

“Nah….The Damhan aren’t subtle enough. Maybe someone they were working with, though. What do you think?”

“ It didn’t magically make all my problems go away, so not exactly everything I dreamed but close enough.” She winked at him. “ At least the barkeeper was everything I could wish for.” she smeared some metaphorical honey around his mouth and took another sip. “ Mhh but it really is good.” 

Morgana nodded. “I could see how that would be inappropriate.” She agreed with the woman. She turned back to the shelf, reaching to slide the book in between a grimoire and another book of poems. There was a method to her madness, just not one anyone else would see. “I’m Morgana, by the way.” She introduced herself as she turned back to the woman.

“Yes, he can be quite grumpy.” She laughed lightly. “I’ll just grab my things and we’ll be on her way.” Morgana called as she disappeared in the back. As the weather was unpredictable this time of year she decided to layer her clothes. She slid on her knee length green jacket, a round hat and tucked her wallet and phone into her pocket along with a reusable bag crumpled up into a ball. 

She walked back out to the storefront and switched the lights off, thankfully the overcast light still shone in through the windows to light up the room. “Ready if you are.” Morgana nodded to the door.

“ Lavinia DeChevin.” she introduced herself. There was always a chance that people recognized that name nowadays. Back in Old Naraya she had used her second Name on purpose not to get recognised, but since everything had changed she had been able to leave  ‘ the Lady Winter Shae Lavinia Aoife DeChevin o Fiach Dubh’ behind and just go by Lavina. 

But with the media people could google her and find articles about the former Crownprincess of the Winter Court turning Lawyer, or they might just know about Lavinia DeChevin, owner of the lawfirm Winter Court. She wasn’t necessarily a celebrity or wanted to be one but her life had always been a public one and there was no changing that. 

“Stay.” Cartwright murmured, leaning his head against hers. The words would’ve sounded like a line to anyone else and their position screamed romantic but the two knew they wouldn’t cross those lines, that they were just two friends seeking comfort in one another. “I’ll make it extra strong then.” He replied, pouring a healthy dose of syrup into the water and stirring it. 

He laughed at her quip and shook his head best he could. “Thank god you’ve got enough for the both of us.”

While they had hooked up back in the day, it’s not something that really happened anymore, especially since Odette had been born and they had become more of an actual family. At certain points she had cared for Odette like a mother would. After the Curse had happened she had found herself with more free time. Of course it did take a lot of work to build her lawfirm but having a job meant you also had time outside of said job instead of being a crownprincess, which was something you were at any time of day. 

So for the first few years of New Naraya she had spent a lot of time with his daughter, but that had also been the time where she had grown up. You might always need family but at the age of 16 you didn’t need your parents as much as you did when you were 5. But it did help them have a strong bond and she was glad that she had been able to prove that if anything ever happened to Carwright, she’d be there for his kid, ride or die.  “ You’re the best” she smiled and hugged squeezed him tighter before she let go and took the drink from him once it was done.  “ Mhhh” she almost purred at the taste. It was these small things, like him having her favourite drink at his place, her always having his favourite kind of pizza in her freezer that made the world feel more secure.

“You know I do.” Cartwright kept a small supply for instances like these; usually he and Lavinia went out but lately he was becoming more and more of a home body. He walked over to the cabinet and pulled out the syrup before filling a cup with water and gesturing to his friend. “How drink you lookin’ to get?”

“You women and your making sense. Didn’t I tell you this is a sense-free zone?”

When he pulled out the cups she felt some tension left her body. She had arrived.  He was going to sit down with her and she could relax and leave all of her worldly responsiblities outside and just be with one of the few people she trusted.

She went over to him and wrapped her arms around him from behind and rested her chin on his shoulder, looking over it to see what he was about to pour her. “ Depends if you want me to go home or stay over.”

Morgana chuckled. “Well, it’s a mix of the Red Sea Whip, the Waterwheel Flower, and- well, kelp. I like to add a bit of algae when I make them- for some reason it smells better to merfolk that way.” She shrugged, looking up at the redhead before her. “Unfortunately, I don’t think I have any funny books around-” Morgana bit her lip in thought. With her short height she had to slightly strain to rach a book that sat on the top shelf. “I do have a Book of Poems written by those who hail from the sea.” She read the last part from the first page. 

“I’m not sure if it’s soemthing you’d want to give her though- it…” Morgana closed the book, hugging it to her chest. “It can be a little romantic- on second thought, there’s this bookstore a block over if you have time? I was planning on dropping by anyway, I have a book to buy if you’d like to join me for a short walk?”

“ Usually I wouldn’t mind giving her such a book, but it’s a bit inappropriate to gift her something like this at work. “ she agreed. It wouldn’t be a problem to just give her a funny book for entertainment purposes but it got a bit tacky when it went into a different direction.