Three Twisted Knots

I’m beginning to think this little Realm is really one of those list songs. You know, like, “There’s a Hole in the Bottom of the Sea,” or “The Rattlin’ Bog.” Because I swear there was no rainbow house in the Stained Glass Grove when I found myself there before.

What does a rainbow house look like?

Obviously this is what a rainbow house looks like! There it was, right across what seemed like a decorative bridge over a snowbank. The first thing I noticed (after its rainbow-ness, of course) was the beautiful carving on the front doors. Someone must have put a lot of work into that. Even though our Fae artisans can put up a house in a matter of minutes, it still takes some skill, whether magical or physical, to create such a wonder. And look at that beautiful solstice star above the door. It felt homey already.

And here we go with the song again: There are trees on the porch of the rainbow house in the stained glass grove (it’s really hard not to add ‘at the bottom of the sea’, there; it would just scan better). Also, peeking in the windows was fun.

Now, I’d brought Clutie along this time, because you never know when you’re going to have to send her back with some kind of message or reply, and also because Bran told me off royally (pun intended!) when I got home after my first visit to the stained glass grove, both for not telling him where I was going and for not bringing an assistant with me. I told him he wasn’t my real dad and I didn’t have to listen to him, then flounced, but really I did listen to him, at least enough to know I didn’t want another lecture of that magnitude.

Clutie is one of those demifae who can move into a larger, more human-sized form when she wants to, so I assigned her to camera duty and told her to take a photograph of me by those lovely doors.

I raised my arms and shouted, “I claim this house for En— I mean, Faerie!” Sometimes I still drop back into old habits, you know. Clutie rolled her eyes at me, but she did figure out how to focus my iPhone camera on the third try. I suspect there will be lots of shots of her little shoes in my camera roll.

“Should we go inside?” I asked. It was a rhetorical question, but Clutie answered it anyway.

“Your Majesty, of course we all know that everything in Faerie is under your command and by your leave, but perhaps entering folks’ private homes is a little disrespectful,” she said. Mother of the Moon, she is a proper little thing, isn’t she?

I informed her that it was a rhetorical question and let myself in.

She followed me, swearing under her breath (OK, years serving me has made her a little less proper), but I think she was just as interested in looking inside as I was.

“Oh, will you look at that alter,” I said. “such a well-placed little stone labyrinth. I approve.” Clutie, meanwhile, was fascinated by the shiny crystal on the shelf next to the altar. I thought she was going to be absorbed by it somehow, she was staring so hard.

“This tree matches my dress!” I squealed.

“That tree is a fire hazard in a wooden house,” Clutie retorted.

“It’s Faerie, Clutie,” I said. “I don’t think the house is going to burn, not from plain fire, anyway.”

She sniffed.

“The Author has one very much like it in her little retreat, you know.”

“Well, aren’t you the hoity-toity one, hanging out with The Author and being all special and precious.”

My eyes narrowed. “And you need to watch your tongue, Miss demithang,” I replied.

“Why? Is it burning?”

I always forget what little literalists demifae are. “Come on; let’s get back to the castle,” I said. “We can come back and explore some more later.”

Clutie tossed my phone at me and shrank to her normal size. “Make sure you bring me,” she said. “I’m sure I saw marshmallows over there.”

Style Card:
Items featured at the Winter’s Hollow event:
Rainbow House: Dragon Magick Wares, Elemental A Frame
Whimsical Trees: Raindale, Whimsical Topiary Tree
Solstice Star: Raindale, Yule Star
Lovely Purple Dress: Senzafine, Eirwyn Gown
Crown and Choker: SynCo, Ice Witch Choker, Ice Witch Tiara
Antlers: Spyralle, WinterGem Antlers, “Snow” Special Edition
Altar: The Roawenwood, Winter Solstice Altar
Shelf with mesmerising crystal: Velika Rituals, Winter Solstice Shelf
Purple Tree: [QE Home] Handcrafted Christmas Tree

Other stuff:
Body: Maitreya
Head: LAQ, Noelle Bento Mesh Head
Skin: Lumae, Elvi, T1 (All current skin lines are available at the Lumae Main Store)
Eyeshadow: alaskametro, Astral Eyeshadow
Eyebrows: alaskametro, Glitter Eyebrows
Hair: Truth, Teila
Eyes: Euphoric, Enigma Eyes
Environment:
Skybox Environment: IrrISIStible, Never-ending Winter Mesh Skybox
Poses: SD, Ice Queen