Another original story, titled The Queen and The Bluebird
This one was inspired by a prompt I got at my school's writing club, which was "Two good friends say goodbye to each other but only one knows they’ll never see each other again".
Bluebird was sickeningly aware of what was to come as the Avian Queen, Circe Adler, emerged from the Great Hall, the alliance ended, the war was over. The Birdies accompanied their Queen on the long trek home, Bluebird drinking in every last drop of time with them, with her. She watched from behind the Queen’s left shoulder as she gave the first speech of the new era, of prosperity and peace. Bluebird’s eyes glowed with pride as she spoke clearly and calmly, intoxicatingly calm and hopeful, she would make a good Queen in the coming decades, and Bluebird had no doubt she had already cemented her legacy.
The end of war banquet was being prepared, a glorious feast followed by a kingdomwide ball and celebration that would most definitely last until morning. Queen Circe snuck back to her quarters to change. Emerging from her closet with the new celebratory gown, she was surprised by the sudden appearance of Bluebird on her bed.
Bluebird got up, and slowly removed her mask, the blue and grey bejeweled callsign she’d been wearing loyally for almost four years now. She held it in her hands in front of her, still at attention, as Circe sat at her vanity. She removed her various jewels, and began brushing her long silky hair, before addressing Bluebird, “Hello Blue, excited for the festivities?”
Bluebird walked up to the vanity to stand behind her properly, but notably avoided eye contact in the mirror, “Very much so your highness”
“Good! I’ve made sure that tonight will be enjoyable and relaxing for all of us, especially you and the Birdies, you’ve worked so hard, you deserve it… You’re a national hero Blue, be proud” Her voice especially softened at the last phrase, she’d noticed Bluebird’s avoidance.
Bluebird darted her eyes down, “Thank you your majesty” She set her mask on the vanity next to a small ornate box. She studied the necklaces hanging on the mirror of the vanity desk, and one caught her eye. It was simple, with leaf-like diamonds all around, leading towards a small crystal feather, surrounded by more diamonds. Bluebird plucked it off the mirror and carefully hung it on Circe’s neck, “You as well, it was your tenacity and confidence that really got us through, you’re a good leader”
Circe touched the feather, “Only because of you, without you, I would’ve cracked years ago,” She stopped for a moment before continuing, “I swear, that vision of you was the best thing to ever happen to me”
“You flatter me,” Bluebird was now rummaging through her many sets of earrings, she was silently trying to gather up her courage to just say it, she was aware it would hurt, but it needed to be said before morning.
Circe’s voice rang out again, cutting through any ounce of resolve Bluebird had built up, and giving her an easy out, "I think I’ve decided on Layla to be my successor.”
“Don’t you think it’s a little early to be picking your replacement? Also, Chickie? What about Corvid?” Bluebird looked up, surprised.
“Layla is already showing remarkable levels of empathy and complex understanding for her age. Piper is too unpredictable, her temper will not suit her for politics, she will take over the task force when Ada is gone. Which reminds me, Ada is taking over the task force” Circe leaned in, touching up her makeup that had faded slightly since her speech hours ago,
Bluebird picked out a pair, it had three red jewels each, possibly rubies, in a drop down fashion, the last a teardrop shape, fitting, she thought, before handing them to Circe to put on, “Good. Dove will run it much better than Cardinal ever did, you’re already getting a new one, right?” Bluebird looked away, the talk of the future was just a cruel reminder.
“No, I believe she’s suffered enough, she will just switch positions with Ada”
Bluebird turned to her, shocked and outraged, “She tried getting Ari and her group killed, so many times, she’s unreliable and insubordinate, I’m telling you"
“She will learn, and if she doesn’t, we can always give the Cardinal mask to someone else. Anyways, I only meant to inform you that Layla will be accompanying us on more occasions in the future, I want her to get an understanding of how things work early on, start her mentoring now” Circe looked up at Bluebird.
This was it, the moment Bluebird had been waiting for, and dreading, a perfect in, “Actually, your highness, I have something to tell you” She tried looking at her, but could not bring herself to, the best she could muster was staring at her hands, she recited the words as she’d practiced them a thousand times over in her head, “I regret to inform you I will not be able to remain in my position for any longer now that the war is over. I will leave at dawn once the festivities have ended” It sounded so much colder and formal out loud than she’d meant it.
Circe paused for a moment, she then picked up the mask from the vanity and traced the stitching with her fingers, “I see”
Bluebird continued, desperately trying to explain herself, “Now that the roads have cleared up and the dust is settling, I need to go help clean up, and then continue my search-”
“It’s okay Blue, I assumed this would be coming soon,” She looked up from the mask, trying to make eye contact with Bluebird, who wouldn’t let her, “I never expected you to stay tethered here forever,” She held the mask out to Bluebird, who stared at it blankly.
“That’s really not mine anymore, you can hold onto it until the new guy.” She tried to state it as matter of factly as she could.
Circe pressed it into her hands as she stood up from the vanity, forcing her to accept, “Nonsense, it’s yours. My next bodyguard can be like… Finch or something, we’ll make a new mask.” She walked to her full length mirror, fixing up her dress. Bluebird put the mask on top of her head, before she grabbed Circe’s crown from the bedside and sat with it for a moment, staring at her in the mirror, “Let Bluebird be a keepsake of your time here, a reminder of us to tide you over until you come back to visit” She looked over shoulder, and made eye contact with Bluebird, “You will visit, right?”
Bluebird gave a small, silently deceitful smile, “Of course” She waited a beat as Circe turned back, satisfied, before adding “I’m taking Sparrow with me”
Circe gave a small twirl, and readjusted her dress once more, “Mm, Layla will be distraught to be separated from her friend”
Bluebird rose from the bed, “I already told her, I told all of the Birdies, Chickie ran away sobbing, but Sparrow went after her so she’ll be okay.” She placed the crown on Circe’s hair.
Circe pulled down the Bluebird mask and fussed with Bluebird’s hair around it. Bluebird offered her arm, which Circe accepted. She tried to seem cheerful, but Bluebird could sense the forced nature of it all, her desperate avoidance “Well then, I believe it’s almost time for the feast, shall we return to the others?”
Bluebird gave a silent nod and led the two of them out the door. (I kind hate everything after this)
The next couple of hours felt like an absolute blur to her, she could hardly focus enough to make polite conversation throughout dinner and the ball was an endless barrage of people trying to get their last moments in. Dove, or Ada, kept grabbing her hands and swinging her around on the dance floor, her grip was much too tight, and her smile much too wide. Corvid, Piper, kept bringing her small “keepsakes” throughout the night. Sparrow and Chickie, Layla, played almost exclusively with one another, but roped her into one or two of their “battles”, something involving mermaids and nymphs at war, Bluebird didn’t care much. Before she went off to bed, Camilla, or Cardinal, despite how little she’d earned the title, gave her a firm handshake, and that was as affectionate as she got, especially for someone she despised. Bluebird found most solace in following Circe around as she made the rounds of the party guests, or while she observed the ballroom from her throne.
Eventually the night found itself rounding to a close, and Bluebird noticed the sky growing lighter. Camilla and Corvid had gone to bed already, but Dove chose to stay up and see her off with Circe. They found Sparrow and Chickie curled up with one another on a couch in a spare room, fast asleep. Still sleepy, Chickie gave Bluebird and Sparrow little kisses on the cheek before Circe handed her off to a palace servant to be taken to bed. Sparrow was wrapped in a blanket and carried by Dove as the group made their way to the city limits.
As they reached the end, Bluebird turned to them all, “I think… this is it”
“Yeah” Dove quietly stated, as she set Sparrow down.
Circe clearly had a quiver in her voice, but tried to sound queenly as she spoke, “Before you leave, I have one last thing to bestow upon you” Bluebird and Dove stared at her, “For her service in protecting The Queen, as well as her courage in leading the charge and ending the 9 years war, I, Queen Circe Adler I of the Avian Lands, bestow upon you, Lady…” Her voice trailed, realizing this was the official last time she would be Bluebird, that with this declaration, she would leave that title and position in the kingdom behind, but she snapped herself back into it “Lady Nadia of Clan Ebon, the Silver Talon.” She took a small circular medal with an intricate design of a Hawk’s talons holding a small dagger, she walked up and pinned it on Bluebird’s shirt, “This medal symbolizes your contribution to and sacrifice for the kingdom, as well as your endless dedication and moral fortitude, it is the highest honor I have the privilege to give”
She and Dove stepped back, and bowed at her. Sparrow, still sleepy, attempted to do the same, but leaned too far and toppled over, falling face-first onto the cold, dirt road. As Circe helped Sparrow and dusted off any dirt, Dove began hugging Bluebird and sobbing, which caused Sparrow to cry. Bluebird patted Dove on the back and Circe gave Sparrow a hug of her own, and added, “Don’t worry Sloane, it’s not goodbye, just see you later. You’ll get to come back and tell me and Chickie and Corvid about the cool things you and Blue saw.”
This pacified Sparrow, and Circe stood up to give Bluebird one last hug as well. As they hugged, she whispered into Bluebird’s ear a small “Thank you”
Bluebird held on tight and buried her face in Circe’s shoulder, “Thank you”. She wished they could stay like that forever, but allowed herself to push away. She hoisted herself on Baymont’s back, and then picked up Sparrow and settled her in front of her on the saddle. She looked down at Circe and Dove, the latter sobbing into the former’s arm, “Thank both of you, it has been an honor to serve you, Your Majesty,” She bowed her head, and before either one of them could say another word, she spurred Baymont into motion, and left Alulan behind.
Once she was successfully out of the city's sight, Nadia took off the medal and buried it in her travel bag, right next to her mask and Sparrow’s. She’d take a small bit of fabric from both, and then burn the rest in the next kingdom over, the less reminders of her time there, the better. She would miss the Avian Lands deeply, but she knew that she could never return, despite the promises she made, that just wasn’t the Ebon way.
And so, as morning broke and the new day began, Nadia allowed herself to walk out of the Avian Lands for good. She might stay in the memories of those in the war, but she would eventually be forgotten by the public, by the palace, by the kingdom. She would be no more than a brief name in a textbook, the Birdie who led the Charge of Colorless Bluff, but eventually, that would fade too, and she would mean nothing to them.
