EᔕᔕᕼI
~ ⚪♫⚪ ~
"Oh yes! They're of the finest quality."
"Well, I would love to get that one!"
She points to a small A5 notebook
with watercolour swirls.
"Good taste!" Bree claps as Michael
pulls a stool, stands on it and pulls
the book from the bookshelf, handing
to Lyn who stares at it. She strokes
the book and opens it to stroke to
fine paper.
"Beautiful!"

~ ⚪♫⚪ ~
"That ring," Michael stares at it and
Lyn tenses, as did Ainhara and Esshi.
'How we forget about the ring!'
Esshi mentally facepalms. It is of
white-gold, the white lily of Aurelinaea
with the monogram of the Royal family.

~ ⚪♫⚪ ~
Lyn was granted it when she was
coronated, and always left it on, so
much so that it was like second
nature.
"Q-Quee-"

EᔕᔕᕼI
~ ⚪♫⚪ ~
"Just browsing," Nyl says, softening
her voice. "Do you have any Puhan
notepads by any chance? They make
the best notepads. Oh, and some
ink-sticks? The smaller ones."

~ ⚪♫⚪ ~
Michael chuckles, "You and my wife
would get along well, Nyl. You're in
luck! A new shipment came in from
Puhan today!" Michael smiles. "They're
on the upper levels."

~ ⚪♫⚪ ~
Her handmaids can tell she is smiling
under her veil. With shining eyes, Nyl
skips up the steps and admires the books.
Esshi and Ainhara follow behind her.
"Honey!" The three women turn to see
a slender shadow of a woman from the
far corner of the room. " I've taken the
Puhan inventory. Just the Luciuscemi
carvings to do! Oh." She turns head to
face Lyn, Esshi and Ainhara.

~ ⚪♫⚪ ~
When she walks out of the shadows,
she smiles. She was in a long beige
dress, her hair in a low ponytail and
simple brown shoes. "Hello!"
"I was just talking about you, Bree."
His wife raises a brow. "Oh really?"
"He says that you too are a lover
of Puhan's ink-sticks and notepads."
Nyl beams.

EᔕᔕᕼI
~ ⚪♫⚪ ~
The bookshop is alot bigger than
one would assume. High beige
walls, large rounded windows,
Staircases that lead to the upper
levels but most of all, books -
paperback, hardback, leather-
bound all resting comfortably
in the tall polished bookcases.

~ ⚪♫⚪ ~
All are in order, some alphabetised,
some colour-order.  They can even
see quills, inkpots, canvases, pencils,
letters and stamps all neatly in place.
The shop owner, a curly, black-haired,
strong man in a white shirt, brown
trousers and shoes, standing on a
stool, dusting away the cobwebs.

~ ⚪♫⚪ ~
When he hears the bell ringing, he
turns and spots Esshi and Ainhara
standing there. Smiling, he hops
down and walks to them.
"Welcome to my bookshop, ladies!"
he beams. "My name's Michael.
And your names?"

~ ⚪♫⚪ ~
"I'm Hara," says Ainhara calmly
before gesturing to Esshi and Lyn.
"This is Shia and Nyl."
"Nice to meet you all," he greets
them and kisses their hands gently.
"Is there anything that you're
looking for in particular?"

ᗩIᑎᕼᗩᖇᗩ ᑕOᑎT.
~ ⚪♫⚪ ~
When Lyn looks up, she can see
several banners; the proud white
Lily of Aurelinaea on a gold field
and a white mask and brown
lute on a crimson field, decorate
the buildings. They drape over
windows, off the high bridges,
roofs and posts.

~ ⚪♫⚪ ~
"Ah yes, today is the Song of the
Canals!" Ainhara turns to them.
"So, My Lady, where do you want
to go first? A walk around the
harbour? A ride on the canals?
A trip to the museums?"

~ ⚪♫⚪ ~
"Hmmm..." Lyn's eyes fall
upon a small bookshop.
"I'd like to browse the book-
shop first."
"Do you not have enough
books, My Lady?"

~ ⚪♫⚪ ~
"Ah-ah!" Lyn tsked. "One can
never have enough books!"
Esshi giggles again as Ainhara
rolls her eyes as her mistress
raises a hand, her finger pointing
at the sky. "To the bookstore!"

~ ⚪♫⚪ ~
Lyn skips over like a little girl.
"Honestly," Ainhara chuckles.
"At least she's smiling, Ainhara."
"True," Ainhara could not disagree
with her friend. To see the young
queen so carefree, dressed so plainly,
and above all happy and relaxed,
is a relief to them both. Smiling
under their veils, she and Esshi to
follow behind their young queen.

ᗩIᑎᕼᗩᖇᗩ
~ ⚪♫⚪ ~
"And people say that the Palace is
the heart," Lyn murmurs, looking
around the town. "The heart of
Aurelinaea truly beats within the
town."

~ ⚪♫⚪ ~
"Quite so, My Lady." Esshi nods in
agreement. It rings true; Aurelinaea
Palace rests and grows out of the heart
of the large island. It is even whispered
that there are secret passageways long
lost, that only the royal family know.
The towns are pulsing with the lives
of hundreds of thousands. From the
Palace, there is one street, a vein,
thick and wide, that leads down to
different parts of town.

~ ⚪♫⚪ ~
And like a heart, one vein connects
to many; thick and thin, wide and
narrow; several pathway, with
and without wooden fences, are
made of three colours; red stones,
yellow stones and green stones.

~ ⚪♫⚪ ~
All of them are winding around,
leading to several coloured houses,
gardens, markets, docks, grand
angel fountains that rests upon the
mosaics, bridges and the canals.

~ ⚪♫⚪ ~
The air is full of many smells, perfumes
and fresh flowers, fresh cakes, cookies and
breads, fresh produce and fish, fresh cut
grass and the sea. Smiths hammers away
at their swords and armour, people laugh,
children run and play around, cats meow,
dogs barks, seagulls cry and people laugh,
sing, talk and eat as they sail on the canals.

EᔕᔕᕼI ᑕOᑎT.
~ ⚪♫⚪ ~
"I guess you're right," Lyn sighs.
"Though, I will take this up with
the guards. Seeing how it was very
easy for us to sneak out."
'I wonder if they will even notice
that their Queen is missing...' Lyn
chuckles dryly, her hands on her
hips.

~ ⚪♫⚪ ~
"Try not to be too ******* them,
My Lady." Ainhara chuckles
while walking to them, an old
wicker basket with lids hanging
from her slender arm.
The wind blows and her dark
green skirt ***** in the winds
around her legs, as did Esshi's
and Lyn's.

~ ⚪♫⚪ ~
She is gently rummaging through it.
"The coins should be enough for
all three of us. Now, are you ready?"
"As I'll ever be." Lyn says as she pulls
up her face veil, and her ladies do
the same. The day is bright and hot,
but the opaque veils are light.

~ ⚪♫⚪ ~
Ainhara leads the way, walking
through the forests, Esshi and Lyn
behind her. Out of the forests,
they follow the path down into
the ever bright, bustling, colourful
Aurelinaean town.

EᔕᔕᕼI
~ ⚪♫⚪ ~
"Sneaking away from my own palace
and guards..." Lyn mutters while
looking at her palace from the forests.
The high walls drinks in the sunlight,
the white flags of Aurelinaea
She, Ainhara and Esshi had changed
into common garbs, swapping silks
for cottons.

~ ⚪♫⚪ ~
The young queen's hair is packed
in simple bun, wrapped in a cream-
cotton headrail that drapes over her
head and wraps around her
shoulders.  She is now in a plain,
long cotton brown skirt, a white
blouse with string, a black
cummerbund around her waist
with matching flats.

~ ⚪♫⚪ ~
Esshi is wearing the same,
but her skirts are a dull red,
her headrail a pale orange.
They had snuck past the guards
and climbed over the high walls.
Ainhara is tidying up the rope.

~ ⚪♫⚪ ~
"Reminds me of when I was younger,
remember?" Lyn faces Esshi who
smiles and nods before turning
to her palace again. "I just hope my
mother doesn't send for me."
"It'll be fine, my lady. It is just
a brief escape."

~ ⚪♫⚪ ~
"My Lady, you need to have a break."
"I can't afford to have one."
"Yes you can," Ainhara insists. "And
you will."
Lyn arches a brow. "Last time I checked,
I'm the queen here."

~ ⚪♫⚪ ~
Ainhara chuckles, "You are, My Lady,
and we are your most trusted friends
and handmaids. And as your friends,
we're telling you to have a break! And
I know the perfect thing to do. Esshi,
bring out the common garbs."

~ ⚪♫⚪ ~
Esshi looks at Ainhara confused before
realisation hits her and she runs to the
Queen's closet.
"Ainhara, what do you have planned?"
Ainhara looks at her Queen's confused
face and with a cheeky wink and smiles
says, "Your freedom!"

EᔕᔕᕼI  ᑕOᑎT.
~ ⚪♫⚪ ~
"You do that and your mother will make sure
you have nothing but kale meals for a
month or three!" Ainhara snickers. "She only
wants you to eat more healthy meals."
"She's the one who likes the green devil,"
Lyn snaps. "I don't have to!"
"You seem to forget, My Lady," Esshi
points out, "Mothers know best!"
She can tell the young queen wants
to retort but she begrudgingly nods with
a small smile.

~ ⚪♫⚪ ~
"Alright," Lyn groans, "I'll eat it."
She dips her spoon into the soup, lifts
some kale, lamb, potatoes and broth,
blows away the steam, eats,
chews slowly.
"Hmm!" Lyn smiles and eats happily.
"It's actually not half-bad!"
She looks around. "Don't tell her I said
that. She wouldn't let me live it down."
"Your secret is safe with us, My Lady."
Esshi giggles as they watch her eat.

~ ⚪♫⚪ ~
"If there's more, you two should have some."
Ainhara cut a slice of freshly baked honey
-bread and places it by her mistress' side
while Esshi makes some fresh Jasmine
Pearl tea.
"I thought you were not hungry!" Ainhara
teases. Their Queen had the grace to flush.
"It certainly helped... Compliments to Bael
and his team! Thank you, but now, I need
to get back to work. Letters to respond to,
gathering my things for the morrow-"