Chapter Text
There were no theatres within the moon palace.
A tragedy, to be sure, because if ever a theatre was needed, now was the time. Absorbing oneself in the problems of others was a sure way to distract from one’s own impending issues. So Focalors went for the next best thing: her viewer, a worldly contraption that the assembly disapproved of - no, stop thinking about the assembly - but that the Goddess had allowed anyway. Focalors was one of her favorite daughters, after all.
The viewer provided an excellent look upon the humans in the world below, which would have to do in place of a proper theatre. They were such fascinating creatures, truly. Caring for the world they lived in was not their primary concern. In fact, they often took part in its destruction themselves. Yet they did seem to care about the other people around them, their fellow humans. And they feared pain, and death. Yet they were free.
Occasionally, Focalors liked to pretend she was one of them, as she watched them through her viewer up in the moon palace so far away.
She managed to distract herself for a moment as the view came into focus. The large striped tents were a familiar sight, and had been a particular interest of hers lately. A man in a red cape stepped outside into the night air, donning a matching-colored hat. He and the other inhabitants of the tents were mysteries to her. Just this one alone could make objects vanish by merely waving his hand-
She heard familiar footsteps just outside of the room, and opened the door before there was a chance to knock. It was Endora outside, she could tell from the light steps.
“I thought you would be in here.” Endora’s voice was airy, almost melodic. Far different compared to a certain other sister, one who Focalors hoped would not make an appearance soon.
“Is…Mother angry?” she hadn’t wanted to ask so abruptly, almost desperately. But it was the main concern on her mind. She kept her gaze on the viewer, though she felt Endora come and sit next to her.
“Mother is not angry,” she answered. “Rhodeia is a little…annoyed, however. She thinks you should have accepted immediately.”
Focalors sighed. “I wish I knew why Mother would want me for the heir. Rhodeia is…”
An exemplary goddess. Imposing, flawless, and a better choice in every way.
“Never mind. Would you like to take a look?”
She tilted the viewer a little so Endora could look in. Fortunately, Endora was not the type to press on sensitive matters, or keep asking questions. She looked into the viewer.
“Who are these people?” she asked, her tone becoming more curious.
Focalors smiled, feeling herself relax a little more just at the change of subject.
“They are mysterious performers,” she replied. “Each with a separate act from the others, yet they all work together to make one spectacular show. Isn’t it fascinating?”
Endora continued to watch for a few moments without saying anything.
“They are so…different from us,” she finally spoke. She said it like it was just a fact, not a good or a bad thing, though perhaps an interesting one.
Focalors herself knew this fact all too well.
She did not get a chance to comment on it, though, as another set of familiar footsteps echoed closer. The door opened without a knock.
“I knew you’d be here,” Rhodeia’s voice was bitter. “Focalors.”
Water dripped from her hair and clothes as she stepped closer, not from a storm, of course -- such things did not exist within the moon palace -- but from a seemingly rushed transformation from her Oceanid form to a human one.
“Mother has been planning on declaring you as the heir for a century.” Rhodeia leaned closer, her tone as intense as her stare. “And all you can say to her is ‘I’ll think about it’?”
Well, that wasn’t it exactly. I said ‘I need a moment to think,’ which is not the same thing.
Focalors did not say what she was thinking. Rhodeia would just call it semantics.
“You knew?” were the words that came out of her mouth instead, a bit softer than she would have preferred. “It’s been a century. A century, and you never said a word…”
“Because it was not my place to.” Rhodeia huffed and straightened a little, no longer staring quite so intensely. Her gaze settled on Endora for a moment, who promptly skitted away, assuming her own Oceanid form as she left the room.
“What do you mean it wasn’t your place?” Focalors’ voice rose a little. “Mother certainly wouldn’t have stopped you. If she knew you were going out of your way not to tell me-”
“Is it my job to tell you everything? To walk you through every step of your path?” Rhodeia scoffed. “A true daughter of Egeria should have been preparing all this time for the potential to be named heir. Instead you spend your time watching those meaningless little creatures. Even Endora, young as she is, would be a better fit for heir than you .”
Her words felt like a slap to the face. “Leave Endora out of this. And those humans , ” Focalors replied as sternly as she could, “are not meaningless. ”
Rhodeia scoffed. “They are inconsequential. But you could never understand that, could you? You hardly leave your room unless an assembly is called. You watch those creatures like they’re the only things that matter in the world.”
She drew herself up to her full height, her humanoid form dissipating as she grew more irritated. Focalors couldn’t help but shudder slightly. Despite having a true Oceanid form herself, as everyone within the moon palace did, she hated the sight of it.
“You do not value the power that we have been granted,” Rhodeia spat. “Becoming the palace’s heiress would be an honor, an unquestioning acceptance, for any sensible member of the palace. But it seems our blood runs thinner through you. You’re becoming soft, like those humans you love. Maybe you should join them yourself, since you’re clearly much more like them than one of us.”
Focalors started to speak. There were so many things she could have said, and her mind raced with each one, and what would happen after she spoke. But she ultimately said nothing. Rhodeia didn’t bother changing back to her human form as she stormed out of the room, leaving tiny water droplets in her wake.
Maybe I should join them myself, Focalors thought. She knew it was the kind of thought that would have the assembly members up in arms if they heard it. She hadn’t been able to say anything to Rhodeia’s words because they were words she had said to herself more times than she could count.
Would Egeria let her go, even just for a short time? …Did it even matter? Doing something without the Goddess’ approval was unheard of, especially for one of her own daughters.
On the other hand, it was also unheard of to be appointed heiress, and to respond with “I need a moment to think.”
Focalors stood and looked through the viewer again. The young man with the hat was gone now. Perhaps he had gone to one of his performances, or maybe he was spectating one of the other members of his group. She still wasn’t quite sure how many of them there were, or what kind of performances each of them did exactly. The viewer’s range was limited, and only rarely gave her glimpses into the striped tents that held her fascination.
Then -- the reason for her choice now would be purely curiosity and investigation. Even goddesses in training could be excused to look into a mystery as interesting as this, right?
No one really paid her any attention as she left her room and walked through the palace courtyard. Perhaps everyone was still unsure what to think of the events of that morning. Regardless, Focalors was able to walk all the way to the outer gate without being stopped once. Even the two guards standing watch seemed hesitant to say anything.
“Your Highness,” one spoke up as she approached the gate. “By order of Her Majesty, no one is allowed in or-”
Focalors rolled her eyes. She was starting to feel bolder with each step she took, and it was easy enough for her to pretend to be the one in charge in this situation. No matter how she really felt.
“Really now,” she interrupted in an exaggerated, slightly theatrical tone. “Of course Mother’s decrees still stand. Did you think I had forgotten? But as you may remember, I have been named heiress, and as such I have both the ability and the permission to do things that you -” she waved her hand in the guards’ direction “- cannot. Now, step aside and let me pass through the gate, if you would.”
The guards hesitated for an extra moment, glancing at each other, before moving aside and opening the gate as Focalors had requested. Maybe she could get used to using her authority as heiress -- but no, she knew this felt wrong, even as she stepped out seemingly without a care. She wondered if there would ever be a person who would just listen to what she wanted without her having to make it a command, or having to use her authority as heiress.
Those were thoughts for another day. She had to move quickly, before her newfound boldness wore off and she started to regret leaving the palace grounds at all. Just stepping outside of its boundaries was making her heart race, though at least part of that could certainly be attributed to the process of transporting to the world below. She wasn’t quite sure how it worked, just that she could step outside of the palace and, after a brief moment of dizziness, she would arrive just behind a dingy shop with “Chi—” written above the door. The rest of the word had been lost long ago, to what looked like an unfortunate fire.
The townspeople were caught up in their own activities, and no one noticed Focalors’ appearance behind the shop. Really, who spent their time looking around the backs of old shops anyway? But there were more pressing things to worry about. Now that she was here, Focalors wanted to take a look inside those large striped tents. Already she could see them in the distance, and her boldness was returning. She likely wouldn’t have long here before the palace guards reported on her, and her mother found out.
Or perhaps Rhodeia would come to retrieve her. But that was not a pleasant thought.
She stepped out from behind the abandoned shop, and almost tripped over a small child running past. No, not a child -- a creature, teal and white and dressed very much like the humans milling about the town square.
“Oh, hello there,” the creature spoke, unfazed by nearly being knocked over. Her large eyes sparkled. “Are you headed to the circus?”
“The…circus?” Focalors, unfortunately, was not quite as quick to move on. “Are you alright? I’m so sorry, I-”
The creature shook her head. “It’s no problem. As you can see, I am unhurt.” She twirled once for good measure. “Are you sure you don’t want to come to the circus? The show’s starting soon!”
Focalors looked around for a moment, then pointed at the large striped tents. There was light shining around them now, as night started to fall. They seemed to almost glow against the dark sky.
“I need to go there,” she told the creature. “Can you show me the way?”
The creature laughed. “That is the circus, Miss. I’d be happy to take you there!”
She held out her hand, and Focalors tentatively took it. If the show really was starting soon… Focalors hoped she could reach this “circus” in time to see it. It was nice, to have a name to put to this thing she had been so enthralled by for such a long time.
And speaking of putting a name to something.
“I’m Sedene,” the creature said with a smile. She wasn’t very tall or fast, so her walking pace was slower than Focalors would have liked for the occasion. But she didn’t want to complain. “I’m one of the circus doctor’s sisters, and a good friend of the ringmaster too. He always lets me and my family sit in the front rows. You’re welcome to join us.”
“Oh! That’s…” Focalors watched Sedene for a moment as they walked. “You’re too kind. It’s not necessary, I can sit with the rest of the crowd. I’ve only just met you, I wouldn’t want to impose on your family.”
Sedene shook her head. “We’d be happy to have you. It wouldn’t be an imposition at all!”
Focalors hesitated. A front-row seat to a show like this was hard to pass up.
“Very well then,” she answered finally. Realizing her hesitation was likely visible, she conjured up a bold front once again, and smiled. “Thank you, Sedene.”
Sedene nodded. The crowds were getting a little thicker, as they drew closer to the tents. It seemed there were many people who wanted to get in for tonight’s show.
“It’s no problem. What should I call you, to introduce you to my family?”
Focalors nearly said her own name, but paused once again. If Egeria or (pray not) Rhodeia were to come and try to find her, things would be over all too quickly if people were talking about a “Focalors.”
Not that she was planning on staying here for a long time, of course. It was just good to be cautious.
Picking the name she would give to Sedene wasn’t hard, though. When she wasn’t watching this “circus” through her viewer in the palace, she would often turn it towards a popular stage play that occasionally had performances nearby. It had been some years since the last showing, but she still knew the story down to the last detail.
“Furina,” she answered. The main character of the stage play.
Sedene nodded and smiled. “Furina. Well, it’s lovely to meet you. I’m sure my family will be delighted as well! Are you ready to head inside?”
The line of people had moved up while Furina was thinking. All that separated her from the circus now was the fabric flap of a tent opening. She felt a sudden rush of anxiety and excitement all at once.
“I’m ready,” she replied.
Sedene pulled open the tent flap, and they stepped inside.