" oh, of course he is. my advisor and dear friend, and your tutor. well, my ciri’s tutor. “ she said softly, and once she was done tying the girl’s hair together, making sure the braids wouldn’t come undone, she rested her hands on her shoulders - gently, tenderly. and even though she was so much more delicate than ciri’s grandmother, it seemed, her hands were sitll of strong grip, betraying that she, too, was a warrior, beneath the gowns and the gentle smiles.
” don’t worry about it, we have many cousins, out there in temeria. my mother alone has three sisters. if it comes to this, we can play you off as a distant cousin. “ she assured. it was like her, after all, to take a young countess related to her by blood under her wings.
she stepped away from the child, grabbing a dark-green cloak for herself and wapping it over her shoulders, tying it under her chin, gently fixing the thin golden circlet that rested upon her forehead, looking in the mirror.
” at least until we find another way. so, the druid or the market first, little one? “ she asked.
the gentle yet firm touch on her shoulders brought a sense of security that washed over ciri as she stared into the mirror in front of her, a near unrecognizable version of herself staring back.
she wasn’t prone to responding too noticeably, only giving a nod. yes, there were many cousins back home in her cintra too. so many that she often got names mixed up and couldn’t recall exactly who liked blue jays and who despised the color yellow.
and, oh, what a market it was.
when the pair of them arrived, ciri sticking close to the queen’s side, she could hardly believe her eyes. they weren’t disguised. she hadn’t had to shove her hair into a small cap and pretend to be a boy. when they walked past merchants, there were smiles and nods and tipped hats, a strange aura of benevolence. it was brighter, more colorful, and the sound of youthful laughter could be heard in the distance.
she looked up at the queen, attempting to hide her awe, “is it always like this?”
