Since I previously did a La Pieta redraw with my one set of tragic siblings, I had to do an Ivan the Terrible and his Son redraw with my other pair of tragic siblings.
You haven't written anything for one of your original characters yet! If you draw something as a companion piece, all the better!
I managed to pop this out while hiding from the holiday festivities. Written while fueled by sugar cookies and alcohol, so I'm not sure how good it is lol.
Happy Holidays ❄️
Escape had become a way of life for Meringue.
Ever since she was a kit, she had found ways to slip away from suffocating confines of the palace. It had become a game to her to see how long it would take before she was found and dragged back inside. Sneaking out after dusk had its obvious advantages, but there was a certain thrill that came with attempting escape right under the watchful eyes of the guards.
Weaving through the hallways, Meringue kept close to the wall as she pulled the hood of her cloak over her head. A group of passing maids provided the perfect cover. Slipping into the herd, she kept her head down and turned her face away from a passing guard. Her precaution proved to be unnecessary as the guard didn't look twice in her direction despite her significantly smaller stature.
She supposed that there were benefits to being overlooked.
The youngest child of the Siùcra family, Meringue was nothing more than a spare. She had been cursed since birth. A runt that was not meant to survive fawnhood. An embarrassment to her lineage. The mark of shame on her family's name.
She was nothing like her older siblings.
Beautiful Mallo who lit up every room she entered. Tall and graceful, her outer beauty was only outshone by her talent. Mallo was a brilliant painter and gifted musician. When she sat at the harp, you couldn't help but be captivated by her musical prowess. Although vain and haughty, she was the kind of woman to make you fall at her feet.
And then there was Mókah. The eldest of the Siùcra siblings. Responsibility was thrust onto the prince at a young age. After their father abandoned them, Mókah had to step up to raise his sisters. And that was on top of becoming the ruler of the planet overnight. The boy never got to experience a normal childhood. He took his responsibilities seriously and quickly became one of the most beloved rulers in Sucrose's history. He was fair, but stern. Although she often butted heads with him, Meringue knew he only wanted the best for her.
Guilt filled Meringue's heart as she thought of her brother. If it weren't for her, maybe their father would still be around. If not for her, their mother would still be alive…
The memory of her mother caused Meringue's whole body to shake. She tucked in closer to the maids, trying to absorb any comfort she could from the strangers that surrounded her. That comfort would never come.
She continued with the herd as they made their way out to the gardens. Everything about the palace grounds was beautiful. Too beautiful. Perfectly manicured plants nestled underneath a sherbet sky. Candy-hued fauna peacefully relaxing in the safe embrace of their gilded cage, tended to by palace residents who moved as gracefully as clockwork figures in a music box.
Meringue did not run, tempted as she was. The motion would have drawn too much attention. She made her way carefully through the marked paths of the gardens towards the orchards that lay towards the outer perimeter of the grounds. This time of day, the gardeners would be breaking for tea. Her small form easily hid in the berry bushes until the coast was clear. Making sure that she was unseen, she pressed on until she made it to the outer wall. Here she started her ascent. She grabbed the stony surface and hoisted herself up as she had a hundred times before.
She paused as she reached the top of the wall, taking the time to look back at her home. It was strange to refer to the palace as such; it had never felt like a place she had belonged.
She turned her eyes to the forest that lay beyond the palace walls. Wild and untamed. No expectations of those who resided out there. With a smile, she descended the other side of the wall, eager to feel the soul beneath her feet.
@asdfghjklbeeeees showed me a picture of a pin-up girl ("Crackers in Bed" by Vic Fredericks) and said I should draw Meringue in that pose holding her gun. And that is a request I just cannot refuse.
Also she would absolutely have her and her bestie's wanted poster hanging over her bed.
