2 A Moment of Regret

Later, the same night, in the family tent, Astraea cursed herself for not coating her knife in poison before going to the banquet. She placed the awful thing on the table in front of her and then sat in her vanity chair. She reached up and started to struggle with her intricate hairstyle. Her first lady-in-waiting Sofia had been very excited to finally wrap Astraea's hair up and style it around the crown "like a proper queen". But now Astraea was alone and had no chatty attendant to unwind her hair. At least the bath in the corner was still steaming, although, upon further inspection, Astraea noted a distinctive pink tinge to the water and decided to not find out what was waiting for her in the pool of water.

She shed the heavy dress and sprawled out her bed in only her slip… for all of two seconds. Then the hurricane that was her sisters rushed into the tent. Astraea sat up as Morgan, Teresa, and Daphne all rushed in. Behind them came Mara and Leah carrying a fresh rub of water. They set the new tub down and then went to move the old one. Astraea stopped them with a hand and then peeked her head out to summon guards to carry out the questionable water and dispose of it. She whispers instructions for them to dump it near Drystann's tent if they could but not to take any unnecessary risk with their lives.

There was not enough clean or warm water for each of them to take a bath so Astraea started their nightly ritual by sticking her hands in the water and splashing her face with clean water. Leah handed her a washcloth and she ducked it in the water before wiping her body down. Each sister repeated this with Teresa helping Daphne. They had only been doing this for a couple of nights on the road and now at the hunting/festival lands, but all four sisters sorely missed actual baths.

After Teresa and Daphne had laid down to sleep, Morgan stayed up to sit with Astraea as Mara brushed out her hair to braid it for sleep. Morgan picked up the knife that Astraea had left on her vanity. She wiped it down with the bloody edge with a clean cloth and then used a different side of the cloth and oil to clean and polish it. She walked over to where Astraea's dress lay on a chair and fished the sheath out of the folds. She slipped the knife back in its spot and then hung the dress on its mold.

"Oh, Your Highness, you can leave the dress. I will take care of it on my way out." Mara wrapped the end of Astraea's tail with a ribbon and tied a neat bow.

"I don't mind, Mara. My sister knows she's not supposed to just dump her dresses on the chair." Morgan looked pointedly at her sister as she straightened a sleeve. Even in her slip, Morgan was still every inch a military commander.

Just as Astraea held herself as a Queen no matter where she was. Mara was used to the informality between sisters and simply picked up the dress and bowed her way out.

Morgan sat back on the stool next to the vanity and looked at her sister, "Now, tell me why that scumbag of a prince is still alive."

"I made a mistake."

"Obviously, but how? You've never missed an opportunity like this before."

"Because I didn't think of poison? You know I won't…"

Morgan rolled her eyes, "I know. I know you won't sink to his level and take out an innocent. But are they really innocent?"

"I don't know. But I am not willing to take the risk of murdering someone because they are doing their job?" Astraea sighed.

"Even if their job is wrong?"

"Who is to say what is right and what is wrong?" Astraea stood up, "Enough of this. I need to sleep and so do you. Tomorrow will be a long day and we both need to be sharp."

Morgan opened her mouth like she wanted to say something else, but in the end she just closed it and nodded. She walked behind her screen in a corner of the tent and Astraea did the same.

Morning came too soon and Astraea rolled herself out of bed rubbing her eyes. Mara or Leah had crept in during the night to leave the dress for today. As Astraea surveyed the room, she saw neither had stayed so whatever it was was easy enough to put on by herself. Astraea started her morning exercises, punching and kicking the air as quietly as she could. She wished she could have had each sister in her own tent but this made it easier for their guards to protect them and made her morning training practice in silence and stealth. The sunbeams peeking through the tent opening soon woke her sisters, and before her training was done all three were awake. Morgan joined her for the last round of movements and both had to wash their faces after working up a bit of a sweat.

Astraea changed her chemise and had Teresa tightened the strays on the back of the dress while loosening the braid Mara had woven last night. She re-braided it into two smaller braids and then twisted them around her head to give the impression of a crown. The combination of loose pale pink dress and intentionally messy brown hair made her look less intimidating but no less the regal woman she was. Her sisters mimicked her hairstyle so that all four looked stylish with hair that couldn't be easily grabbed.

Her sisters were dressed in similar light-hearted colors (with the exception of Morgan of course who wore a deep maroon pair of hunting pants) and each color complimented their tanned skin well. Teresa in particular looked like a sunbeam, absolutely glowing in her yellow dress. As they left the tent, Teresa and Morgan flanked Astraea and Daphne and they headed to the festival together.