Whitney Writes…

The throne room had finally emptied out of the queen’s nervous and fearful subjects. She was uncertain what they had all wanted her to do. An eclipse was just a natural phenomenon, or so the scholars in the Imperial City had insisted. She was inclined to believe them, as she felt were most of her people. It was the Khajiits she would have to worry about. They had their extreme superstitions surrounding the twin moons, after all. If the Thalmor had been able to convince them they had returned the moons to them following an eclipse in order to get the Khajiit to swear fealty to them… well, anything was possible.

All Fadiya wanted to do was go to her chambers and go to bed, but she knew she should check on her friends and their families, make certain they all had what they needed. Most families were choosing to hunker down and ride out the anomaly in their apartments, and Fadiya found she could not blame them. Her own children were tucked away with Ralof in their apartments at the top of the tallest tower. At least, until he had to take the midnight oil press slot. She hated how much she was making them work to keep the lamps going, but otherwise the palace would descend into madness and chaos. She already had a difficult enough time of keeping everyone happy…

Her knock reverberated down the stone hall as she stood outside the apartments of Melora. Only a few moments went by before Fadiya heard the metallic grinding of the lock and it’s gears disengaging within the ancient timbered door. The door opened a crack, and the curious, youthful face of Sevame Andoren looked up at her. The girl’s skin was soft, pale-blue, her hair a shining white-gold, her ice-blue eyes gave the Dunmeri/Nordic girl an ethereal look.

Fadiya smiled at her friend’s second-eldest. “Hello, Sevame,” Fadiya said, “is your mother in? I wanted to check in before I went to bed.”

The girl nodded solemnly and said: “We are preparing a sacrifice to Azura to guide us through the night, Mum and Daddy are busy.”

“Oh,” Fadiya felt taken aback, she had not realized her friend had started practicing her husband’s religion. “Well… is there anything you know that your family needs?”

“Just the sun to come back,” Sevame said simply, shrugging. The girl looked back over her shoulder and Fadiya could hear the faint voice of her friend calling to her daughter to return. “I have to go,” the girl said before awkwardly closing the door in her queen’s face.

Fadiya couldn’t help but chuckle to herself as she moved on back towards the staircase. She shook her head in bafflement, Sevame had always been a bit of an odd girl, inheriting her father’s aloofment instead of her mother’s charm.

Two floors up was her next stop, both Shura and Ugrash’s apartments were on the same floor. She knocked at Ugrash’s door first. A small, Argonian boy with peachy-colored scales and the beginnings of dark brown horns came to the door. Fadiya found herself hesitating, she was not certain which of her friend’s children this was. She always got Ugrash’s two middle boys, Ghelos and Dramukkath mixed up.

“Don’t you know it’s rude to linger?” the boy quipped after a moment when it became clear to him the visitor was not going to say anything, furrowing his ridged brow at Fadiya. She raised her own in return.

“Is your mother here, little one?” Fadiya asked lightly, attempting to ignore the boy’s insolence.

“Do you think I would have answered the door if she was?” the boy shot back.

“Your father, then?” Fadiya’s voice rose an octave as she forced herself to keep a, what she hoped, was a pleasant tone.

“Who are you being so rude to?” came a hissing voice. Fadiya recognized the voice of Black-Scale, Ugrash’s husband. The boy just shrugged carelessly and walked away from the open door. Black-Scale peered around the door at Fadiya, still grumbling at his son, his scales blanched as he saw Fadiya standing there. “THAT’S THE QUEEN YOU, LITTLE SKEEVER!” Black-Scale shouted after his son. “I am so sorry, my queen,” he continued, turning back to Fadiya, dipping his head. “Did you need something, did Dramukkath offend you too much?”

Ah, yes… Dramukkath. Fadiya knew she should have guessed, given the boy’s attitude. Ugrash was always in tatters over what to do with the boy. He was inherently rude, with a vicious cruel streak.

“I was just wanting to check on Melora, Ugrash, and Shura on my way upstairs,” she said, forcing herself to smile. “And don’t worry about Dramukkath, I know he’s a handful.” Given the scowl Black-Scale was now giving her, Fadiya realized that had been the wrong thing to say. “I just wanted to see if you all needed anything,” she said loudly, as if she could speak over her previous comment.

“We are fine, thank you,” Black-Scale said shortly. “My wife just went down to the kitchens to fetch some snacks for the children. I’ll tell her you stopped by.” And he shut the door in her face.

She cleared her throat uncomfortably, smoothing down her skirt. What was with everyone tonight?? Was everyone falling into the Khajiits’ stupid superstitions around the eclipse? Never in her life had she had a door closed in her face, let alone two within such a short span of time. You would think they would have all been grateful to have their queen checking in on them in such a time of crisis! There were more than a dozen other families she was not bothering to check in with. Just these three. And so far, two of the three had been incredibly rude about it.

Fadiya crossed the hall to the other door and gave it a good, hard rap, splitting one of her knuckles. She was mid-cursing and about to suck the blood away when the door whipped open. Thank the gods, Fadiya thought, it was not one of her friend’s children, but actually her friend.

“Why are you knocking on my door like that?” Shura demanded. “I thought you were a vampire come to steal my babies away!” Fadiya began to chuckle, then saw the actual fear on her friend’s face.

“Sorry, Shura,” Fadiya said, “it’s been a long night, I was just trying to check on everyone before I went up myself.”

Her friend’s face softened. “And here I am biting your head off,” Shura said. “I’m sorry, Fad. Come in, come in.” Shura swept the door further open.

“I actually won’t stay,” Fadiya said, shaking her head, “if you could just give my something for the blood on my hand, I’ll be on my way if you all are all settled in?”

“Of course!” Shura disappeared, returning with a small scrap of linen. “We’re all set, Mazar’s just getting the kids all riled up with some scary stories.” She let out a laugh and blew a bit of her silver hair out of her face.

“He… he doesn’t buy into the Khajiiti superstitions… does he?” Fadiya asked in a low voice.

Shura put her hands on her hips. Oh no, Fadiya thought.

“Well, you know, he is a Khajiit, Fadiya,” Shura said with a snap. “It’s engrained in their culture, I thought you of all people would appreciate that!” Shura shook her head in disappointment. Fadiya knew her friend was referencing to the fact that she had grown up with a Khajiiti step-father, as well as five little half-Khajiiti half-siblings. “Mazar is smarter than that, though.” The two women stood in an awkward – for Fadiya, at least – silence for a few minutes. “Well, I’ll let you get upstairs, then,” Shura said finally, at least waiting for Fadiya to turn away before closing the door.

Inktober 2024, Prompt #11: SNACKS🧡🖤👻🎃