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Since the war’s end, Catra had wanted to present herself differently than in her past life in the Horde. She had taken being together with Adora as the fresh start she knew she’d deserved for so many years. And to that end, being with Adora greatly inspired her new persona.
Since Adora was technically a Princess in name, despite not belonging to any kingdom, Catra found it most fitting for herself to present herself as if she were a dashing prince. Wearing more masculine clothing and looking rather handsome at any given opportunity.
She dialled this up considerably after she and Adora eventually got married, always being at Adora’s side whenever Brightmoon had an official, royal function to hold like a visit from an ambassador or a royal ball, sweeping her off her feet and catching the eye of everyone around them.
If it’s one thing that Catra loved more than anything, it was showing off to Etheria that Adora was hers and hers alone, something Adora also delighted in.
However, today, a recent addition to Catra’s wardrobe was proving quite an inconvenience to the would-be prince, as she was currently adjusting her look in hers and Adora’s royal suite.
Catra grumbled as she fiddled with the golden tiara on her forehead, the circlet pushing her long mane of hair backwards. Since she’d refused to get another haircut, Catra needed another way of pushing her hair back.
And the last thing she wanted was to go back to wearing her old mask. It was a symbol of her past that she wanted to break from. That wasn’t her anymore and Catra wanted no part of that life again.
And yet, no matter what she thought this tiara didn’t sit right with her. She couldn’t have exactly refused the circlet, it was a present from Glimmer, but she knew it was a joke. Glimmer had always loved to tease Catra about being a princess as well because she was married to Adora.
And it was a very funny joke, but Catra wasn’t exactly laughing. The tiara just screamed “Princess” and that was something Catra didn’t like one bit. She wasn’t a princess, despite being married to Adora, and she’d even refused the title after their marriage.
She preferred to be just Catra and for whatever reason, the tiara didn’t scream Catra. It was gold with a beautiful red gemstone etched into its centre, so disgustingly princessly. Catra didn’t mind gold, of course, she had plenty of gold-trimmed clothes, but the circlet was so out of place.
As the catgirl pondered her accessory more, she saw Adora walk into the room. Much like Catra, the blonde had also taken to wearing her hair longer, though Adora now wore her hair down completely. Gone was the ponytail, now replaced with her flowing golden locks, though her trademark hair poof was still there.
And her clothing had also changed greatly. Settling down had allowed Adora to feel more relaxed with her appearance and these days, rather than her old jackets, preferred to wear long, flowing white and gold gowns, each one of them taking Catra’s breath away when she saw her. Then again, there wasn’t a moment these days when Adora didn’t look as radiant as an angel.
“Catra?” Adora asked, before she giggled. “What are you wearing?”
Catra grumbled, taking off the tiara. “Some present Sparkles bought me. She’s definitely got some fucked up sense of humour alright.”
Adora giggled more. “It looks cute on you.”
“Shut up!” Catra denied it, blushing furiously, even her ears turning a shade of red.
“But it dooooes!” Adora cooed, wrapping her arms around Catra’s waist and plopping her chin onto Catra’s neck. She gave Catra one of her signature smug looks that always made her wife flustered.
Catra rolled her eyes. “It’s days like this I wonder why I married you.”
Smirking, Adora then grabbed Catra’s cheeks and kissed her dashing wife passionately, closing her eyes and sighing in contentment. It used to be that Catra was the one to initiate affection, but over the years, Adora had grown bolder too.
Catra stumbled a little as Adora kissed her hard, her eyes opening for a moment. She nearly fell over she was struck by so much force from her wife. Yet eventually, she surrendered to the beautiful feeling of Adora’s lips and her wife’s undying love.
“That,” Adora whispered as she pulled from the kiss. “That’s why you married me.”
Catra blushed and then looked up at Adora and stroked her cheek. God she loved every bit of her wife. Those soft blonde locks, those beautiful steel blue eyes… even that big forehead of hers.
Even wearing her hair down, Adora’s forehead still stuck out like a sore thumb. But then, Catra had to smirk, as an idea crept into her head.
“You know…” She said. “Maybe this thing doesn’t work for me. But maybe…”
“Hm?” Adora wondered, confused. “But what?”
Picking up the tiara again, Catra gently placed it on Adora’s head, brushing a few golden locks out of Adora’s face for a moment. As she took a step back, she stared in awe.
“Oh wow…”
“Uh, what?” Adora wondered, before looking up at the tiara. “Oh! You think it suits me?”
“Darling… it looks perfect on you.”
“Really?”
“It’s like it was made for you!” Catra yelled.
Adora blushed bright red and stared at herself in the mirror. She reached out, touching her reflection. Catra… was right. It was as if the tiara had been made for her, completing her look as a princess.
Warmth filled Adora, as Catra wrapped her arms around the blonde and gazed into her eyes through the mirror. It was as if the final piece of the puzzle had now been filled in, Adora feeling euphoria flow through her.
It validated her, just hearing those words. For so long, she’d wanted to be a girl fully, to embrace her true self. And even though these years with Catra had allowed her to do just that, it was right now that Adora felt fully a beautiful, perfect woman.
“Just look at you, all pretty and sparkly,” Catra whispered lovingly, to which Adora hummed in content. “You look gorgeous. You deserve to be pretty.”
“Catra…” Adora shyly looked away, her cheeks glowing. “You’re making me blush.”
“Good, you deserve to blush you big dork,” Catra said, smirking that the tables had turned. “I think sparkles gave that tiara to the wrong princess if you ask me.”
“Oh, Catra…” Adora sighed dreamily, as the catgirl kissed her on the cheek. “God, what did I do to deserve you.”
“I dunno, but you always deserved me, Adora,” Catra said. “Now come on, what do you say we get revenge on Sparkles for her little prank?”
“What did you have in mind?”
“Let’s just say it involves a lot of glue and glitter paint,” Catra smirked.
“Oh, you evil, evil, woman.”
“Even if I’m good, I’m still bad,” Catra flirted, before she kissed Adora fiercely. Adora moaned, kissing her wife back just as deeply, surrendering to her embrace as she dipped her in front of the mirror.
Pulling out of the kiss, Adora grinned. “Okay, you go get the glitter, I’ll go see what Glimmer’s doing.”
“Oh the reaction on her face will be priceless,” Catra giggled, before she headed out of the room.
Alone for a moment, Adora looked at herself in the mirror again, playing with the skirt of her dress and her cape, posing before her reflection. She smiled. For most of her life, she hadn’t really thought much of her appearance or thought of herself as beautiful in any way.
Now though, Adora knew she was beautiful, a beautiful, gorgeous princess… with the most handsome catgirl on Etheria as her dashing wife. She giggled as she touched her tiara again, the jewel in its centre shimmering in the reflection. It was made for her alright and Adora knew she wasn’t going to take it off for a second.
Turning away, Adora headed out of the room with a mischievous grin on her face. Getting revenge on Glimmer was going to be way too much fun.