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The Freehold maintains a Stable Trod which runs from Bethlehem in the Lehigh Valley down through Philadelphia to Cape May on the Jersey Shore. Each Court maintains a Hollow as well as a single old Hollow right off Independence Mall. There's a door that looks like it leads to the electric for a parking garage, and does, but if the correct knock is given - changed weekly by Winter - it opens to a homey little village in the Hedge. Small cottages, a small garden of extremely generic and tasteless Goblin Fruit which only restore glamour in their native state, and right now, a large, broad-shouldered figure made of what looks like stone sitting among those vines, humming to themself and knitting a scarf.
Sort of.
The scarf unravels itself and the fruit slowly take on a more vivid hue as Ari devotes their knitting efforts to hedgespinning the Hollow's output. Who wants to spin straw into gold when you can knit grey blobby fruit into amaranthine?
Sigrun may have been outright cold to Anneliese at first, but she's true to her word of making the introduction to the Spring Regent. And to her credit, the coldness pretty much ended the moment Anneliese made it clear her courtless status was intended to be a temporary one. In any case, Sigrun leads Anneliese into the quad and gestures towards Ari indicatively. Giving Anneliese a moment to size the regent up before continuing her own approach to bring herself before Ari directly. "Pardon me, Regent. A new returnee has an interest in speaking with you about joining the Spring court. If you wouldn't mind, I'd like to introduce you to Anneliese Kiel." Sigrun turns a bit to gesture Anneliese's way.
Having been following a pace behind Sigrún, Anneliese only falters a little as Ari is pointed out to her. She hadn't expected the Vernal Sovereign to be quite so large. On hearing her name, she manages to recover, dipping into a creditable bow before straightening to address them. "Lady Sigrún speaks truly, Regent. I have no desire to be mistaken for a servant of those who dwell in the Thorns, and your court seemed to be the best fit for me."
The process of Hedgespinning - or Hedgeknitting, in this case - pauses once Sigrún approaches with a new kid in tow. Ari rolls slowly to their feet and offers a large, green marble hand out to Anneliese. "Thank you, Hunter Ljósdóttir," the Spring Regent replies. Don't mind the black stone claws or the vicious black stone teeth.
We can't help how we're made. Or re-made.
"A pleasure to meet you. May I ask your pronouns, your honorifics, and your reasons for wishing to Oath to Spring? Ari, no last name. Regent, not King or Queen. They and them."
"An honor as always, Regent," Sigrun answers with a slight bow of her torso. She gives Annelise a sidelong glance and a wink. This is her show to screw up from here on out, and so Sigrun straightens back up and suggests to Ari, "I will be nearby if you have need of me. But otherwise, I will leave you two to talk." Which is to say she will be near enough to involve herself if Annelise proves to be an agent of the enemy. And doesn't mind that both parties are aware of that fact. But with that promise issued, she settles a hand onto her sword hilt and takes three steps back before turning to walk away to a polite distance.
"She/her, and no honorifics at present, Regent." To the sight of fellow changelings, it is obvious that Anneliese, too, was significantly altered during her Durance. A mermaid's tail is rather hard to hide, after all. "As for my reasons for wishing to Oath to Spring in particular, and not one of the other courts? I want to help people, both Changelings and mortals, stay as happy and healthy as I can assist them in doing. Spring offers me the best chance to learn skills useful to that goal." The ghost of a smile crosses her face. "Also, word is you lot throw the best parties."
"The honor is ours, Hunter," Ari assures Sigrún. "It's a pleasure to know that Summer will honor its place in the Freehold." The proof is in the pudding, and all that.
They turn their entire attention to Anneliese then, watching her with those sparkling onyx eyes. In silence they listen. Finally they nod, clawed hands folding in front of themself. "How do you interpret the sentence 'Your Desires Are Your Own'?" The comment about parties draws forth a laugh, pealing and delighted. "Our Court requires celebration."
"In more than one way, of course." Nothing in Faerie ever has just one meaning, and if you can only see one, that's because there's a trap hidden somewhere. "First, and most obvious, is as a reminder that others need not share your desires, nor you theirs. Second is that neither are inherently invalid, save insofar as they prevent others from achieving their desires."
"A meditation for you, as you progress in your relationship with Spring," and the big Spring spreads his hands thoughtfully. "Consider how the sentence changes its meaning when you shift the emphasis from one word to another. In my meditations, I have found that the meaning varies wildly when I place the greatest emphasis on the verb, or on one of the pronouns, but even that it varies between the two pronouns."
They drop their hands to their sides. "I cannot grant or deny your entry to the Court of Desire, Anneliese Kiel, but I can witness your vow, and direct you to those who can help you in your day to day growth." Then those hands are turned palm up and offered to her.
Anneliese nods, placing her hands on Ari's, palm down to meet theirs.
The big Spring leads her through the Oath, then. Their Mantle is intense, all spiraling and sprawling illusory vines with crystalline flowers, the sweet scent of honeysuckle, a top note of clean petrichor like the air after a midday May shower.
But there's room in there for Anneliese's tiny new Mantle to make an appearance...
Klezmer music fades into audibility, causing Anneliese to break into a soft grin. "Huh. Was not expecting that. It is good, though. Fitting."
"Be careful," the Regent warns. "It may be faint now, but unless you strengthen your Mask, everyone can perceive it, and your Mantle will grow as your connection to the Court does. It will divide you from humanity in a way your hidden face cannot." Their large hands close around her smaller ones, careful of their claws, and squeeze gently. "Welcome to Spring, Sunrise Page Kiel."
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