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The Hydrangea Knight rubbed their eyes gently, staring into the crackling fire before her as she sighed. She had achieved everything they had ever aspired to become. Earlier that evening, a ceremony had been held to gift them the title of The Hydrangea Knight, the right hand of The Sunflower Queen, the greatest position she could have ever asked for.
They were proud of themself, yes, but this celebration had been running for hours now, they were tired, so they had slipped away some 20 minutes ago for a little peace before tomorrow when her duties would truly start.
This was a room she was familiar with; they had shared many an interesting conversation with those who came and went from the library, and it had been her favourite place to spend her time alone while off shift at the castle.
There were thousands of books here; her favourites were the ones on magic, and some of the other guards would poke fun at her for it sometimes. Magic was unattainable to a void walker after all, it was the price for being born of the absence of magic. She’d spent so many late nights reading some of the books that they’d visibly been worn down over the past few weeks; such wear and tear had then garnered the curiosity of the pillar of knowledge, always drawn towards those with a desire to learn.
It made her wonder sometimes what Ner thought of her; never once had the Pillar ridiculed them for their interest, only ever interested in indulging her curiosity to the point that she had taken the time to explain the magic that surrounded this library to them. It was incredible, a collection of all the gathered knowledge of the people of this world, and hopefully, if ever their home came to ruin, something that would continue on after they were all gone, their legacy, she supposed.
A yawn escaped The Hydrangea Knight, the soft footsteps crossing the threshold of the library drawing her attention away from the flickering fire.
Glancing back, their tired eyes settled on the looming figure of The Sunflower Queen, adorned in royal regalia and various pieces of jewelry. She walked quietly through the room, her wings slumped slightly rather than held perfectly at his back, thus allowing the pretty green feathers to drag across the floor alongside her tail feathers. With the slight chill of the library, the feathers across his face and shoulders were lightly puffed up to help retain body heat; on anyone else, it might have looked silly, but somehow it only added to her imposing figure as she stopped beside them. For once, the small wings at the side of her head weren’t carefully held in front of her eyes, but instead were allowed to lie gently against the side of her head, allowing The Hydrangea Knight to see his face for the first time, freckles and small markings adorned her face, and after a moment of looking to the fire, The Sunflower Queen met their gaze. They had expected it to be stern, or angry, maybe even tired, but the only thing they could see in her eyes was a look of kindness, softness even.
It was the same way their mother looked at them.
The Sunflower Queen spoke gently into the silence of the room as she kneeled in front of the fire, “Growing tired of the party?”
They hadn’t expected such a casual question to be the first thing asked of them, nor had they expected for The Sunflower Queen to softly pat the floor next to her, inviting them to sit beside her.
Quietly taking their seat, they spoke, “Yes, it is simply.. A lot, I wasn’t expecting the celebration to last for so long, I’m sorry if my absence displeased you.”
They shrank in on themself a bit, still feeling nervous until a gentle hand ran over their head, carefully ruffling their hair before shifting to pull out the intricate braids it had been put into.
They could not help but lean into the affection a bit, allowing it to comfort their somewhat frazzled nerves as The Sunflower Queen hummed softly, “It doesn’t displease me at all little bug, not everyone has the energy for a long party, and absolutely nobody had the kind of energy for a party as my Thistle does, I imagine she will find a way to keep this party going till dawn tomorrow.” As she spoke, she finished undoing the braids and began to run her hands through The Hydrangea Knight’s hair, gently combing out any knots with her fingers as they relaxed a little more, leaning just a bit closer.
“You never struck me as the type to enjoy a long party anyway. I figured you’d sneak off here at some point, and seeing as all the important announcements to the public have been made, I figured such a time would be best to give you my final offer.”
Their ears perked up at that, glancing over to The Sunflower Queen as she ruffled their hair one last time before returning her hands to her lap.
The curiosity in their gaze must have been evident with the chuckle that The Sunflower Queen allowed to escape. Looking back at the fire, she spoke softly, “I offer all the knights who come to work closely with us a nickname, remember that it is an offer; I will take no offence if you choose to decline, I am well aware of the importance of nicknames in your culture.”
The Hydrangea Knights' ears perked up, and they sat up a little taller, a look of surprise crossing their face as they shuffled slightly closer, “I would be honoured, my lady.” Their voice was barely above a whisper as they waited patiently. A smile graced The Sunflower Queen's face as she looked back at them.
“Then I wished to offer you the nickname Hidy, I hope that it will bring you luck in your endeavors.”
Hidy smiled, glancing back to the fire in a moment of thought before turning back to The Sunflower Queen.
“Thank you.”
They had no other words they could think to say, not when it was so late and they were already so tired.
With a stretch, The Sunflower Queen rose, offering Hidy a hand to help them up, “I would suggest you rest now, you look exhausted Hidy.”
Hidy took her hand, and once they exited the library, the two parted ways. The distant sound of partying still echoes through the halls, but they couldn’t find it in them to be bothered. Today had been wonderful after all.