Prim awoke the next morning with a startling gasp. If her night of crying, laying numbly awake and heart-aching nightmares hadn't been enough, she was now being woken up against her will. The morning sun shone in through her curtains, outlining the body of someone. There was someone on the bed beside her touching her cheek gently to wake her up. Pulling the covers tightly around her, Prim was more aware of her nakedness as her eyes focused on the person before her. Nova Archeron. The young girl was wearing a more casual outfit, a blue t-shirt with butterflies on and some leggings. Her hair was tied back into a ponytail and a large grin stretched over her face.
"N-Nova? What are you doing?" Prim yawned, moving to sit up while keeping the covers up against her bare skin. The little girl was completely unaware of her nakedness and she planned on keeping it that way.
"Well it's Sunday and I always have breakfast with Orion on Sunday. He said you hadn't woke up yet so here I am; waking you up and inviting you to join us for breakfast!" she explained with far too much enthusiasm.
"I- um, I don't know sweetie," Prim sighed, rubbing her cheek and noticing the pigment that came away on her fingers. Her makeup.
Nova jumped down from the bed, spinning toward Prim with a pout. "Please, Primrose!" she begged, "Orion is so boringgg!"
"I HEARD THAT!"
Orion's voice echoed through the house, Nova giggling at her older brother. Prim found herself smiling at the girl before her, her sister in law she supposed. She had never had a sister, never had any siblings. She liked Nova, and she wanted a relationship with her. Her own relationship with Orion would not ruin that.
Primrose lent back against the bed's headboard, "Fine, give me twenty minutes to get ready?"
Nova nodded, jumping up and down excitedly before turning and leaving with a large grin. Primrose listened as she hummed to herself, the gentle tune fading as she left the hall. Flinging the covers off to reveal her body, Prim climbed out of bed, moving to lock the door. Her floor was still scattered with boxes and Prim opened the closest one to her, digging through it for anything she could wear. After a few more boxes were discarded onto the floor, Prim had obtained undergarments and a simple dress that would do for the occasion.
Moving into the bathroom, Prim was sure to scrub all the makeup from her skin before tying her hair up into a braid. She looked at herself in the reflection. She looked truly exhausted. Eyeliner still stuck around her eyes, only pronouncing her eye bags even more so. The freckles on her cheeks stood out against blotched skin and her lips were incredibly chapped. The green of her dress matched well with her hair but managed to make her skin look a weird colour. Or perhaps, it was just the lighting. Perhaps, it was being here as a whole that made her feel completely out of tune with who she was.
Grabbing the cardigan she had left on the bed, Primrose pulled that on as she slipped her feet into her slippers. It was far colder here in the Night Court than it was back in Spring. She wrapped the cardigan around her as she left her room, following the hall to the grand staircase. Nova came rushing into the foyer as she heard Prim's steps, grabbing the elder girl's hand and pulling her into the dining room. A table much like the one in the river estate was set out before her. Upon it was every breakfast food you could imagine, as well as all the spreads and toppings. Orion was sat in one of the chairs, dressed simply in black trousers and a navy blue sweater. His hair hung down into his eyes and he looked up at Nova and Prim as they entered.
"I'm sitting with Primrose," Nova announced, a proud smile on her face. Prim just chuckled and took a seat, the furthest from Orion, and watched as Nova piled in the seat beside her.
"Do you like pancakes or waffles more?" Nova asked, scooping both of them onto her own plate and covering them with chocolate sauce. Primrose noticed how Orion was only eating cereal, ignoring the sweet treats before him. So he was one of those people, Prim thought.
Prim reached toward the waffle stack, lifting one onto her plate and turning to Nova, "Waffles. Though my dad and I used to make pancakes all the time so perhaps I just got sick of them."
Nova nodded, her lips smothered in chocolate sauce, "Primrose, can I ask you something?"
"Nova," warned Orion.
Prim was in the middle of sprinkling sugar onto her waffle, "It's fine, honestly, I don't mind. And you don't have to call me Primrose all the time. Prim is fine."
Prim reached forward to pour herself some tea whilst Nova spoke, ignoring Orion's glare, "Well, I wanted to know about the Spring Court. Mommy and Daddy never talk about it, and whenever I ask anyone else they just give me this look. I want you to tell me the truth, is it super scary or something?"
She almost choked on her tea. "Scary?" she laughed, setting her mug down, "Nova, sweetie, the Spring Court isn't scary. In fact, it's very beautiful."
Nova's violet eyes had gone wide, her mouth dropping open slightly, "Can... Can you tell me more, Prim?"
Prim nodded, taking a bite of her waffle before speaking. She found herself automatically smiling as she spoke of home. "Imagine fields of bright, green grass scattered with flowers of pink and large trees that you can climb, looking out among the forest filled with singing birds and deer. There's a light breeze in the air but the sun is beating down warmly upon your skin despite it. You're sitting against the soft grass, reading or drawing or simply sitting. The gentle sound of the lake at your side, its starlight water almost blinding - but in a good way. Sometimes you dip your feet into it, just to feel the coolness of it. You're running through the forest barefoot, laughing and jumping over fallen branches and twigs. It's pure bliss."
Her eyes were glossed over, and that did not go amiss to the people at the table. Nova was smiling sadly, moving to lay her head on Prim's shoulder. "Can we go on a walk?" she asked, Orion perking up as if he had not been listening to Prim's entire speech.
"A walk?" he asked confusingly, "But you haven't finished your breakfast."
Nova pulled away from Prim, standing and tucking in her chair, "I want to show Prim around, I want her to feel at home here, too."
Prim found herself standing before Orion had even replied, taking Nova's hand as she offered it to her. Prim found she liked holding hands with Nova, found it incredibly comforting.
"Fine," Orion sighed, getting up from his chair, "We can continue eating when we get back."
"Thank you!" Nova smiled, pulling Prim out of the room just like she had done earlier. She was rather strong for her age. The three of them headed straight for the front door, Nova skipping down the stairs as she rushed out into the city. Prim had heard of Velaris a few times, though it was far different to how she had imagined. It was like any other city, but there was something that hung in the atmosphere.
Contentment, the feeling of safety, happiness. For many people, Velaris was a safe space, or so she had been told. She could definitely see why the Night Court had hid its existence for so long. They followed Nova along past houses and into the main city, passing shops and restaurants. People smiled as they passed, kids ran happily and their parents followed behind, knowing they would be okay if they took their eyes away from them for a moment.
Prim was walking silently beside Orion, he had his hands in his pockets and was watching Nora who skipped ahead happily. The simple presence of having him beside her was slightly unnerving, her blood pumped within her veins and she felt anxiety she hadn't felt before. She observed Orion, the small smile on his lips, the way his hair was still in his face and he would just shake his head to move it from invading his eyes. The way his nose crinkled up slightly at any new scent as if he were smelling it for the first time. He was rather strange, Primrose thought, but she didn't mind strange.
"And this is the Sidra!" Nova announced, ever the tour guide.
They had reached a bridge overlooking a beautiful river sparkling with bright sapphire waters. She had never seen anything so beautiful. Prim moved to the edge of the bridge, looking out toward the river. Her arms leaned on the side of the bridge and she found herself smiling. Nova had quietened and seemingly wandered off down the bridge, leaving Prim to have a minute alone. Or so she thought.
Orion came up beside her, looking out to the river just as she did. His cologne filled her senses but still, she did not turn to him. They stood there side by side in the silence until Orion plucked up the courage to say whatever it was he needed to say.
"I would like to apologize for my uncle's behaviours at dinner yesterday. He is just protective, he means well." Orion whispered, his words carrying along the wind.
Prim pulled the sleeves of her cardigan up over her fingers, "I know,"
"And I promise not to defend you if that's what you want." he continued, now turning to look at her. Prim turned and almost gasped. His eyes, she realised, were almost the exact same shade of sapphire as the Sidra was. It was magical.
"That's what I want," she replied bitterly, crossing her arms over her chest.
Before Orion could even think of a response, Prim turned, following Nova into the shop she had just slipped into. She did stop, however, just as she reached the door. Looking over her shoulder, she could see Orion looking out over the bridge, his brows furrowed and his jaw clenched. He looked devastatingly beautiful - and she hated it.