Three Twisted Knots

We’re making ready. The ballroom has been created. Tables and chairs have been set up. There are only just a few last minute touches to be touched upon, and I am beginning to get nervous. What if everything goes wrong? What if no one comes? What if one of the children doesn’t show up? I don’t know what I’d do if that happened.

Here’s Callista, working on cleaning a nectar pool for the demifae. Some of them have volunteered to do some pretty heavy work, like suspending the nets some of our decorations are hung from, so these little nectar pools are being put all over the forest: that way none of the demifae have to go very far to refresh themselves. I may really keep some of them up permanently.

She’s quite fastidious in her work, is Callista. She comes from sturdy wood faerie stock, and lately she’s been giving us a lot of help around the grounds.

Poor kid; she nearly cried when I told her we would not be using this bench, or this gazebo, for the ceremony or the reception. She protested rather a lot.

Then, of course, I showed her the space we would be using, and all was forgiven. I can’t get over how beautiful this ballroom is, and the addition of the moons and stars, well. I only wish I could keep it here permanently, but of course the Forest may have other ideas.

I also really love the dress I’m wearing. It reminds me of something a Hellenic goddess might choose to wear. As you know, I do a lot of realm hopping, and recently we happened upon a Faire called Fair Play. Unlike some of the other Faires we visit, this one promises to stay open all the time, with a revolving list of artisans and wares. I’m looking forward to visiting this Faire quite a lot in future.

In Future.

The Future.

Oh, I shouldn’t have said that. Because then I got started thinking about the Future. You know, the big “f” Future that we can’t ever know about.

The idea of being handfasted, which isn’t exactly the same thing as being married, but which definitely leads to being married (after the whole year and a day thing is done), and having a stepdaughter, having two daughters and a son—it’s overwhelming.

I think those thoughts of what I might have been were ways to hide from the fear of the unknown. I shouldn’t be afraid of fasting my hands to Nathaniel’s. It feels like we’ve been together forever.

But I suppose it’s change that I fear. Which is unfortunate, of course, because everything is changing and everything will continue to change. I am a different Queen today than I was a year ago.

I can feel myself as the days go on, becoming more and more Fae and less and less human. I don’t think I shall sleep through the winter this year.

But what sort of a Winter Queen will I be? I can see myself, nearly made of alabaster, spring and summer memories that force themselves out of my eyes as tears, that colour my lips in dreams of kisses.

I think it will feel powerful to be this Queen. Powerful and sad.

A Winter Queen, neither Seelie nor Unseelie, who withstands and perseveres.

Is this a vision? I remember I once had visions, as a younger Sidhe, before I became Queen. They’d come upon me with no warning, sometimes as dreams, and I recall there were times when I did not know if I was having a true vision or if I had been sucked into one of His Unseelie Majesty’s nightmares.

What will I create, as I grow into my role? I imagine myself as a mother, not just of my own children, but of my clan, my race, my people.

I know one day I will have to fight again. I won’t like it. I remember a time when I was completely anti-violence. And in a way, I still am. I do my best to settle arguments and disagreements peacefully. And when I cannot, I hope I do the Mother’s will.

I give myself to Her at these times, because I do not believe I could do what is asked of me, myself.

Even when I must be a warrior, I never fail to ask why this must be at all.

Peace is so much more preferable. I do not understand war, and I hope I never will.

Do you hear me? I said, I hope I never understand war.

I can hear the clock chime up in the treehouse: wow, that’s loud. It’s time. Time to forget the fantasies and let the Sidhe maids and the demifae garb me up.

Time to leap into the next chapter of my life.

Style Cards:

Callista:
 Skin: 7 Deadly s{K}ins, Daisey, 4th July Gacha, v 1 (Available at the 7 Deadly s{K}ins Main Store!)
Hair: Elikatira, Lena (Available at June Collabor88)
Clothes: [QE] Woodland Fae, Green (Available at the now-open Fair Play event!)
BirdBath: Velvet Whip, Ginger Line Elven Bird Bath

Gwyneth in the Ballroom: Preparing
Body: Maitreya
Skin: Pink Fuel, Sora Alabaster
Hair: Analog Dog (natch!), Theresa (New from Analog Dog!)
Clothes: (Dress, Wreath, Belt, Shoes), Belle Epoque, Criseida, White (Available at the now-open Fair Play event!)
Ballroom: The Looking Glass, Enchanted Ballroom
Moons and Stars: Refined Wild, Nightly Netting

Gwyneth as the Winter Queen
Body: Maitreya
Skin: Lumae
Hair: Exile
Face Paint: Madrid Solo
Crown: Junbug, Crown of the Tuatha de, Ancient
Dress: Lybra, Tempest (Available at the now-open Fair Play Event!)
Necklace: OtherSkin: Salvation
Wings: OtherSkin: Quendia Wings
Stone Circle: Artisan Fantasy
Trumpet Mushrooms: Ceridwen’s Cauldron
Flower Fields: The Looking Glass, Ichi Fields
Poses with Spheres: Mien, Only Forever Series

Gwyneth as Warrior Queen
Body: Maitreya
Skin: Pink Fuel, Sora Alabaster
Hair: Analog Dog (natch!) Ever
Makeup: Oceane, Silverlicious
Clothes: In honour of Alegria’s amazing “Isabel” neck corset, I dressed Gwyneth head-to-toe in Alegria!
Bra, Corset, Trousers: Alegria, Penumbra
Bracelets: Alegria, Dragon Born, Light Silver
Boots: Alegria, Minerva Boots, Light Silver
Axe: Alegria, Moon Axe, Silver
Neck Corset: Alegria, Isabel Neck Corset, Silver (Available at the now-open Fair Play Event!) (Seriously, look at the texturing on this piece. Is it not gorgeous?)

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The Fair Play Event is Open! “Fair Play is a kind of different fair group and organizes permanent fantasy fairs with designs, inspired by games.” Don’t miss the official inaugural round of this great event. There’s so much stuff to see, the space is beautifully designed and easy to navigate, and all the designers have created exclusive items for the event that you won’t find anywhere else.

Over at 7 Deadly s{K}ins, the Fourth of July is a big event! One of the skins featured above is from their Fourth of July Gacha (100L$ per play, 50L$ for group members), and there’ll also be a sale starting on the Fourth of July. As if that weren’t enough, there’s a Fourth of July Marketplace Only Special. 

Spiffy photos taken with the indispensible aid of my LumiPro. I never leave home without it!