Nyx Heir the Wanderer
Hathforth, The Rose Inn
Skills: Shifting
In Collaboration With @Estylwen
“Oh, thank you miss!” Nyx says, linking their arms together.
“Is the usual room available?” Rose smiled at the girls, looking the very definition of a doting mother or aunt, before she nodded.
“I’ve met Arwen a few times, walkin’ about the plaza and the pier with her flowers - didn’t realize the poor girl was an orphan ‘til I found her diggin’ through me garbage one night.” ‘Arwen’ blushed, looking down in embarrassment. Truthfully, Nyx had met this woman before she began working for Rhinecliff, the dwarven lady and herself becoming good friends. Now, she served as a great source of intel for Nyx, her bustling inn and tavern a popular place in the plaza.
Rose motioned for ‘Arwen’ to take the young lady up the stairs and to the room already set aside for this.
“I’ll ‘ave your tea and snacks sent up soon.” She assured them, her doting smile still on her face.
Asteria happily gives her new friend's arm a squeeze, and they stayed linked at the arms all the way up the stairs. When they reached the door, Asteria crossed into the small, cheerful room with a smile on her face, naught a suspecting bone in her.
Deven made to follow, but Asteria put up a hand.
“Deven, I know you mean well, but… I'd like a bit of privacy, if it's alright?”
“I'm tasked with keeping you safe, my lady. I thought we were past this.”
“Yes, well, I never get to do stuff like this. Come on, just for a half hour. You can watch the door, and make sure no one gets in, right?”“Besides! No boys allowed.” Nyx added.
Deven kept his grumbling to a minimum, staring for a long moment, before making that fateful choice, and stepping back. Asteria nodded, and softly shut the door.
She then turned to Arwen, and beamed.
“We're ready to begin! I'm so excited. Where would you like me to sit?”Nyx gestured to a wooden chair beside a small round table, placing her flowers down on it. She was determined to let this girl have a normal day - or as normal as she could before putting her to sleep. Once Asteria sat down, Nyx began to brush through the pale hair and twisted it into two small braids on each side of her head, tying the strands off with ribbon. It’s in the same design that Nyx’s hair was styled in.
This, of course, was done on purpose as it would save Nyx a lot of time when it came to taking on the orphan’s appearance.
“You have such lovely hair, m’lady! It’s so soft as well.” It was still hard for Nyx to properly wrap her head around
why the Wizard Queen needed literal children to do her bidding. They should have had the chance to grow up normally, to just have the freedom of being a child.
“What do you like to do for fun, Lady Asteria?” Nyx asked nonchalantly.
Asteria sat there, a content smile on her face as Arwen gently braided her hair. Her answer was swift, and bubbly.
“Feeding the pigeons, of course.” Her eyes cast over the small room as she recounted in her mind.
“In my estate, there's a tree in the courtyard. A special tree, large, by a small pond. The birds love to come and drink from the water. And…”A small hesitation, before Asteria's voice grew soft.
“Well, my mother would sit with me and we'd feed the pigeons together. So it always makes me happy, when I see a pigeon or get the chance to feed it.”She laughed a little.
“Though, with how busy I am for Her Majesty, I don't often find the time to feed them. I often think about it, though.”Nyx paused in her work, mid braid as she listened to this young girl’s wish to just feed the birds.
“Oh, m’lady, I didn’t realize you worked for Her Majesty!” She responded in a hushed voice.
“But surely she won’t mind if you take a breather every once in awhile…” She walked in front of Asteria as if to check if the two sides were even, but kept her expression pensive.
“D’ya come by the plaza and pier often, m’lady?” Nyx knew that what she was about to suggest, the Duke wouldn’t approve of, but… She couldn’t help herself at that moment. In her head, she came up with a plan to just tell Rhinecliff that she was building a relationship they could use, but she planned to manipulate the girl as little as possible. She’d find a way.
Asteria shook her head.
“No, today is special. I have special business in the pier and plaza.”“You can always send a letter to Miss Rose when you’re going to be back and we can go feed the pigeons together!” Nyx looked down at her feet, letting her ears and cheeks turn a dark red as if she was embarrassed.
“That is… If ya want to hang out with a commoner like meself.” She tucked her hands behind her back and scuffed her feet just as Rose arrived outside the door with tea and snacks for the girls.
Asteria reached out and grabbed Arwen's hand, a reassuring smile on her face.
“Of course I want to stay in your company, you've been very kind to me. Alas…”Her face crumpled a bit.
“Her Majesty is expecting me soon. I'm a bit, well, tied up today. And then I'm traveling far away…” Still, her face held a bit of optimism.
“When I return, I would love to feed the pigeons with you. That would… be very meaningful for me.”Before her eyes lit up at the knock at the door,
“Oh, is that our refreshments?” “Must be!” Arwen said with glee, giving Asteria’s hand a squeeze before she made her way to open the door.
“I think that’d be nice, m’lady. You just let Miss Rose here know when to expect ya and I’ll be there!” Miss Rose nodded as she entered the room, seemingly overhearing the conversation. She made her way over to the table and gently pushed the flowers to the side as she placed down the tea, cups, small plates, and cakes.
“Will you be needing anything else, m’ladies?” Arwen shook her head, beaming at being called a lady, but looked to Asteria in case she needed anything.
Asteria politely shook her head, but pulled out her coin purse and dropped a coin in Miss Rose's hand that would cover the sweets, plus a tip.
“Thank you.” Asteria told the innkeeper with a smile.
Soon she had a tea cup wrapped in her little fingers, beaming to herself as they enjoyed the room to themselves once more. Arwen was nearly done with her hair before Asteria spoke again.
“It's not often I get to make new friends, Arwen. I do hope I get to see you again.” She said sweetly, a soft look to her face.
Nyx’s expression softened immediately, nearly about to just let the child go just to ease her own guilt, but instead she smiled sweetly.
“I hope I see you again too! I feel vorfreude for it.” Nyx stopped Asteria from falling out of her chair as she went limp, swiftly plucking the teacup from her fingers.
“Hopefully you’ll be able to feed pigeons with your mother as you sleep…” Picking her up in her arms, Nyx carried Asteria to the small bed in the room. Later, she would tuck her under the blankets and make sure that her face was obscured so that Deven would think it was Arwen taking a nap. She started to strip her clothes and Asteria’s in order to switch outfits as Nyx’s body started to shift into her form.
The process had always felt strange to Nyx - before the WIzard Queen had killed her lover, she’d never used the shapeshifting she had except as a parlor trick. This particular shift was no different and her gaze watched her arm as the skin changed from a warm chocolate hue to a pale porcelain tone. Though still strange, she found herself getting used to this constant shifting needed for her role and it worried her.
Nyx had first left her home to seek out the best of life in people and culture. Playing games of spy and espionage was never something she intended to do. She pulled on Asteria’s clothes, careful not to mess with the hair as she got dressed and pulled the covers over Asteria and Arwen’s clothing. Rose would come in once Nyx and Deven had left and dress the child, as well as letting Rhinecliff’s people know to come pick up the small girl.
Finished changing, Nyx stole a glance at the looking glass in the room and nodded, content with the results. She poured most of the tea and snacks out the window so it appeared that the two had eaten the refreshments provided before she opened the door.
“Deven, I apologize - I lost track of time. We should be heading off now.” She said in the soft voice of Asteria.
“Let us go find my brother before he sends a search party.” She flashed a gentle smile to show she was joking before she led the way downstairs and back to the world waiting outside Rose Inn.
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