"I believe this calls for a celebration!" the queen declared.
Turning her attention from the queen to the other two on the dais with a note of curiosity. Unlike Winter, these two were watching her just as curiously.
The heir was a slender woman with hair the colour of blood. Her lips were a rosy red and her eyes were a deep blue. She was lovely in a copper, orange, and red dress.
The second heir was an almost ordinary looking woman in a cream coloured billowing dress. A simple silver tiara atop her brow. She had long, wavy blonde hair and soft green eyes. Her face was a smooth, round shape and she looked as though she was likely the nicest person there.
Looking between the two as they studied her, she lifted a brow and the youngest smiled, dimples appearing in her cheeks.
Turning back to the queen, who had been speaking to the crowd, she realised it might have been a good idea to pay attention to the speech but she hadn't.
"On the eve," she was calling out and the crowd cheered, faces excited.
Frowning, she was certain she had missed something important and large hands caught her upper arms and gently lifted her to her feet.
Turning to see the little redhead and the giant in black armour, she gave them a sheepish smile.
"I missed the speech, what's going on?"
"Another ball. Third one this month," the female said with a roll of her eyes and Etani pursued her lips in frustration. She wanted to go back, but that didn't seem to be happening.
Sighing, she followed between the two without argument and she was led through more corridors until they reached a large wooden door. Two guards stood outside the door in armour that matched the giant at her side.
She was horrified to see the inside. Pastels. Pastels everywhere.
"Oh Mother, what happened to the room?" she gasped, finally digging in her heels when they tried to lead her in. "No, this is cruel and unusual torture! How am I supposed to sleep in there? It looks like a unicorn vomited!"
They didn't give her a choice, pushing her inside and the door closed with a loud snap.
Turning to the room, she stared around in horror.
It was so incredibly bright that it made her eyes water, the walls a soft peach and the ceiling a warm yellow. The bedspread was green, the carpet was beige and the furniture was a soft white gold colour.
"No wonder everyone here is homicidal. This place would make anyone a murderer," she said and a laugh came from behind her.
Turning, she saw an ancient woman sitting in a little alcove. Her skin was a pure black she had never seen before, white hair and no less than six arms.
"Who are you?" Etani asked cautiously, her mind immediately going to how effective having that many arms would be in battle.
"Arachne," the old woman said, her eyes on her work as she weaved thread. It was the most bizarre thing she had seen, and that was saying something.
Frowning, she tried to place the name.
"You lost a bet, didn't you?"
The woman looked delighted, glancing up with milky white eyes.
"Indeed, I did. Turned into a spider as punishment."
Now that she thought about it, she did look rather spider like.
"Tried to have it reversed and now I'm this," the woman said as she stood and hobbled over.
"You need a dress for tonight. Another ball, these Fae are obsessed."
Etani sighed gently, looking down at the tiny woman.
"Strip?" she asked
"Strip," the old woman responded and Etani obeyed.
The measuring of her body didn't take long, the old woman was incredibly efficient and before she knew it, she was allowed to dress.
"Who created those undergarments?" the woman asked as Etani pulled on her pants and top.
"They were modelled after Sthiss. A maid for the Princess Nayishma."
The woman didn't know them but she seemed impressed enough.
"Sit, you're making me anxious when you loom like that," the woman said. Etani had moved to watch the work and blushed.
Sitting down, she watched the skilled fingers flying. When the basic shape material was made, the woman pinned it into place and then muttered something.
The dress suddenly pulled tight around her, hugging every inch of her skin from halfway down her neck to her hips. It flowed like silk and left her arms and back entirely bare.
The fabric curled up around her throat and then down over her chest before spilling out around her hips and flowing behind her in a short train. It made her look incredibly elegant and the colour was so deeply black it seemed to pull in the light and consume it.
The woman began to whisper to herself and she watched herself in the mirror as long strips of black fabric fluttered around her, pulling up her hair into a messy knot that left long tendrils to brush her shoulders and back, the yellow ribbon changing to expand and turn black, floating up and then behind her to form a constraining shawl.
Turning slightly, she examined herself with fascination. She looked like a drop of ink given feminine form. Her pale skin contrasted and the blackness of her dress enhanced both the white grey/blue of her skin and the vivid blue of her eyes.
She smiled slowly at herself, cautious at first but then slightly more sure as she came to see herself as at least exotic, if not attractive.
A last remaining ribbon fluttered up and twisted itself into a coil before coming to rest atop her head, hardening until it formed an elaborate tiara that reminded her of Winter frozen trees, all spikes and sharp angles.
Arachne grinned at her and lifted her chin, Etani mimicking the gesture.
Yes, she was the Princess of Winter and she wasn't going to let Summer control her, even if that meant destroying a quarter of Faerie. She would bring them all crashing down if that was what it took.
The woman looked gleeful as she watched Etani sweep from the room, a soft cackle of pleasure following her out.