[ORP] Ettinford: A Tale by the Sea

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Thea
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Re: [ORP] Ettinford: A Tale by the Sea

Post by Thea »

Not yet twenty-one, Dorathea Sanchari-Winterbourne had now given birth to her second child. Well, really it was her third, or fourth. It was her second pregnancy, her third child by blood, and her fourth child with her wife. None of this would make sense unless a person knew the intricacies of Thea's life and very few people did. For never wanting to have children, she had done an excellent job of having many.

At least this pregnancy had been much easier than the first one. She did not hate every minute of it as was the case when she was pregnant with her son, Zevander. Her newborn daughter – who was presently unnamed per her wife's heritage and traditions – seemed to have an easier temperament than her older brother and sisters. It was still early, the baby had just turned two weeks old, so that could quickly change. Time would only tell. Maybe this was not so bad after all.

Thea had spent the majority of her time resting and recovering after pushing a tiny human out of her body. She was still not convinced that bodies were designed for childbirth, yet here she was after baby number two. Today, the baby girl would be named and baptized in accordance with Romani culture. She was slow to wake up as she was never a morning person, but when she finally disentangled herself from her bedding she made her way out into the corridor in search of Aileigh. She wore nothing but a dressing gown wrapped tightly around her waist which was the issue she needed help with. Though she was fully capable of dressing herself, she only knew how to do so in the Fenian style, and if given the choice it was a rather poor style at that. Thea figured that Aileigh would want to have her in something more appropriate for such an important day.
Dorathea "Thea" Sanchari Winterbourne | Lady of Redcroft Manor | The Red Wolf
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Cousin of the Winterbournes | Mother of Zevander, Corabel, Elodie, & Lenora | Wife of Aileigh
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Aileigh
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Re: [ORP] Ettinford: A Tale by the Sea

Post by Aileigh »

Aileigh was excited. Today, their daughter would be named!

Normally, it was a big ordeal involving the entire Vitsa*, but given their isolation and the heavy Fenian winter, it would be different. Just a few family members would be shadow-porting their way over today to celebrate with them. The baby had to remain in isolation, just as she had yet to leave the warded nursery for the last two weeks, making it impossible to take her to Bravia for the baptism.

She woke up early that day with the first birdsong. She ate a small breakfast with Andrzej, expecting Thea to be up later. Following breakfast, she nursed her little bundle of joy. Then she resigned to her room for a long bath. She got ready for the big day, doing her hair and makeup while humming to herself. She had gotten used to being on her own and it bothered her less. Maybe it was because her and Thea had grown closer, despite their differences, and she had Andrzej, a touch of home.

Despite knowing she would not be leaving home, she dolled herself up. She went heavy with the makeup, adding blush to her cheeks, colour to her lips, and lined her eyes in black, which made the bright blue eyes pop all the more. Then, she had to decide on an outfit. The princess had quite a selection of outfits, all proper quality to her station. She disregarded her Fenian clothes: today was a day of her culture. She tossed a few different outfits on her bed and pondered, but in the end, she couldn't figure out which one.

While she was stuck on choosing her outfit, she heard a knock on the door. Dressed in her robe, she opened the door to see her wife on the other side. Smiling, she raised an eyebrow, "Good morning, Thea. What's up?"




* Vitsa: A group of Rom who travel together. (Sort of like a town.)
Aileigh Mae Maarah Sanchari Winterbourne | Seer of BDR | Viscountess of Ettinford
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Wife to Thea | Mother of Zevander, Corabel, Elodie, Lenora, Ezra, & Imogen
Daughter of Aishe & Akos
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Thea
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Re: [ORP] Ettinford: A Tale by the Sea

Post by Thea »

When Aileigh opened the door, Thea paused and glanced inside. On the bed she could see that her wife had laid out an assortment of outfits, but something told her that none of them were meant for her. Maybe she had miscalculated. Maybe she should have just gotten dressed on her own and not assumed Aileigh would have picked something out for her. Or better yet, maybe she should have just asked ahead of time.

Thea looked back at Aileigh, realizing that she had not answered her for a moment too long.

"Good morning. Um... I had thought that you might have picked out an outfit for me. Since this is not a Fenian event, but obviously I should have checked in before hand. I can just pick out an outfit from my wardrobe."

Where was Cordelia when she needed her? Her cousin had always taken it upon herself to dress her appropriately for every occasion. Thea never had to worry about picking out the correct outfit with Cora around, even if her older cousin sometimes picked out dresses she would have never picked out for herself. For all of her outward confidence, that shattered the second she was tasked with dressing herself in anything that was not comfortable and casual.
Dorathea "Thea" Sanchari Winterbourne | Lady of Redcroft Manor | The Red Wolf
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Cousin of the Winterbournes | Mother of Zevander, Corabel, Elodie, & Lenora | Wife of Aileigh
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Re: [ORP] Ettinford: A Tale by the Sea

Post by Aileigh »

Aileigh’s face lit up as Thea explained her presence at her door. Excited, she shook her head to her wife’s hesitance.

“I certainly have options!!” She exclaimed, perhaps too enthusiastically. She went on teasingly, “What’s mine is yours.”

The damphyr took her wife’s hand and dragged her into the room. Blue eyes swept over the clothes laid out and quickly came to the conclusion they were not “Thea”. She pursed her lips in thought and turned to her wardrobe. She rummaged through, settling on a beautiful black anarkali. It had a wrap of gold detail, the threads glimmer in the natural sunlight that streamed through the bedroom’s big windows. She held it up confidently,

“This looks like you. I’ve seen you in similar styles, albeit Fenian. I don’t wear it much; I think it’ll look better on you. Do you like it? It’s called an anarkali. It’s much better for the winter weather than our other styles. ” It was a lowkey offer that, if her wife liked it, she could keep it for occasions such as this.

Grinning, she laid it on the bed where there was still a sliver of space. Then she sighed, hands on her hips, as she looked at the assortment of colour before her. Bright eyes flicked to Thea. “What should I wear? I’m stumped.”

She sounded exasperated. Perhaps it really didn’t matter, but she felt anxious. It would be a small get together, but it would also be the first time Aishe was back on Fenian soil since the divorce. There was something about it that caused uncertainty, as if the clothing she chose would be disappointing.

“How about we get your dressed first?”
Aileigh Mae Maarah Sanchari Winterbourne | Seer of BDR | Viscountess of Ettinford
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Wife to Thea | Mother of Zevander, Corabel, Elodie, Lenora, Ezra, & Imogen
Daughter of Aishe & Akos
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Thea
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Re: [ORP] Ettinford: A Tale by the Sea

Post by Thea »

Aileigh was a little bit too excited about the prospect of giving her spouse wardrobe options. Thea tensed as Aileigh grabbed her hand and pulled her into the room. She did her best to smooth her expression so that it did not look like she was grimacing in pain. Hopefully her expression did not look outwardly as uncomfortable as she felt.

Once inside the room, the tension in her shoulders did relax a little bit as Aileigh turned her attention away from her and rummaged inside wardrobe for something suitable for Thea to wear. Aileigh pulled out a black outfit – apparently called an anarkali – which even Thea had to admit was very elegant for its simplicity.

"Perfect."

Thea accepted the dress quickly before her wife had the chance to offer her additional choices. Aileigh placed the black anarkali down onto the bed and went back to mulling over the options for her own undecided attire. She asked Thea for her thoughts on which one she should wear.

"Um…"

She said unhelpfully before Aileigh decided that Thea should get dressed first then they could about Aileigh.

"Alright, but you have to help me get this on. There is no way I can manage to figure it out on my own."
Dorathea "Thea" Sanchari Winterbourne | Lady of Redcroft Manor | The Red Wolf
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Cousin of the Winterbournes | Mother of Zevander, Corabel, Elodie, & Lenora | Wife of Aileigh
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Re: [ORP] Ettinford: A Tale by the Sea

Post by Aileigh »

Aileigh laughed and nodded, "That's not a problem."

She took the anarkali off the hanger and began to unbutton the two dozen buttons that went down the front. She offered Thea the pants first before helping her get into the gown. While she helped button and secure the anarkali, she spoke softly.

"I hit a writer's block with my book. I can't decide how Nithya and her soulmate, Devjah, meet. I was thinking maybe a chance encounter at the marketplace - maybe he's selling something and she buys, and goes on her way before he realizes she is the soulmate he's been searching for. Then he's driven all the more to find her, while she doesn't know yet that she has a soulmate. I'm thinking that's when she starts to have these memories of a past with Devjah. Hm. Does that sound too cliché? A chance meeting in a marketplace?"

She finished with the buttons and grinned, looking at Thea. It was strange to see her in Romany clothing. She went to her dresser and fished out a delicate looking gold belt and tied it around her waist. She then grabbed the sheer wrap that went with the anarkali and draped it over her left shoulder, tucking it under the belt in both the front and the back.

"A little trick to help keep it from sliding off your shoulder. Do you want a pair of earrings too?" She went to her jewelry box and found a smaller, simpler pair, holding it up for her wife to see.
Aileigh Mae Maarah Sanchari Winterbourne | Seer of BDR | Viscountess of Ettinford
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Wife to Thea | Mother of Zevander, Corabel, Elodie, Lenora, Ezra, & Imogen
Daughter of Aishe & Akos
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Thea
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Re: [ORP] Ettinford: A Tale by the Sea

Post by Thea »

As Aileigh helped Thea get dressed, she began to speak conversationally about the book she was writing. Thea, of course, knew of her wife's aspirations to write a book. It was not just any book, of course it was to be a romance book. Whenever it was brought up, Thea would wonder if this book was a means for Aileigh to live vicariously through the protagonist. Thea certainly did not give her a marriage with any romance even if they put on a show for the public eye.

She listened as Aileigh explained her latest obstacle. For a brief moment her brows drew together before she shifted her expression. A wry smirk was visible on her lips as she answered Aileigh.

"Is this your way of teasing me and calling me cliché? Though my story was hardly an epic love story."

Honestly, Thea was not sure if Aileigh had made the connection between her meeting with Zevander's father and the idea for her story, but she could not deny the parallel.

"I think a chance market place meeting could work. People meet in markets all the time so it makes sense. If you want to jazz it up a bit you could have them meet at a festival."

Thea offered an alternative suggestion as she accepted the earrings from her wife. She was not much of a jewelry wearer, usually sticking to just a few rings on her fingers, but these earrings were understated enough that she could tolerate them.
Dorathea "Thea" Sanchari Winterbourne | Lady of Redcroft Manor | The Red Wolf
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Cousin of the Winterbournes | Mother of Zevander, Corabel, Elodie, & Lenora | Wife of Aileigh
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Re: [ORP] Ettinford: A Tale by the Sea

Post by Aileigh »

It had yet to occur to her that the chance meeting would be like Thea with her first husband. It had been a short lived marriage that resulted in her son, and yet it was never on Aileigh’s mind. She could feel a hint of blush rising to her cheeks. Thankfully, Thea went on. Aileigh lit up at the new idea.

“A festival! Why didn’t I think of that? That’s genius. Tha’Rom used to do a festival of light. It’s the perfect setting.”

Tha’Rom was the capital of Manjipoor, her people’s homeland and the setting of her story. She had been learning as much as she could about their ancient homeland, from every source she could. There was not much written history and lore, so she relied on the oral traditions of their people more than she liked. She preferred a book because it felt more accurate - it was less likely to be watered down by time and translations. She wished she could go visit the kingdom of Manjipoor, but it had been destroyed by the necromancer Ramirus when Kralisi Renai denied him her daughter’s hand. Instead, the seer was able to visit through the occasional vision of the past. Yet, seeing the past could be more challenging for her than the future and with such a long time passed (1600 years to be exact), the visions could be blurry. It was interesting to experience her mother’s first life though.

Looking at the outfits on her bed, she decided on a pink anarkali. She dressed herself, moving quickly with expert hands. Beneath the anarkali was a simple top of pink and gold flowers, which she stood in as she spoke, distracted by her story.

“The festival of light was a gathering of all peoples and creatures. There were food stands and music and games. And at the end of the night, they lit up lanterns and sent them off into the sky. It must have been a stunning sight to see.”

She sounded wistful as she put on her jewelry of pink gems, diamonds, and jade. It was definitely more Romany than Thea’s simple earrings, befitting of the station of a princess. Look complete, she took the anarkali coat and slipped it on. She put on her silk slippers, expecting to stay inside, but wishing to keep the cold stone floors at bay. She choose to keep her hair long and unbound. Finished, she looked at Thea and took in the culture change.

“You look beautiful,” She said openly. “My family should be here soon… Thank you again for doing this. It means a lot to me, to follow my customs.”

She paused with a genuine smile. It wasn’t their first baptism - their other three children had all been baptized, even if their son’s baptism wasn’t at birth. Thea had agreed to let him be baptized when Aileigh became a legal parent over him. For this, she was most grateful.

Romany baptisms were a cultural event, not a religious one. It was done to provide ultimate protection for a soul. It prevented spirits from possessing them and kept their soul safe from other predators. It gave the Rom three names: a secret name whispered at birth, never to be used again, a name used by other Rom, and a name used by the gaje (Non-Rom). The three names confused the spirits, blocking access to their souls since they could not identify their true name.

“Have you eaten yet? Shall we head downstairs?”
Aileigh Mae Maarah Sanchari Winterbourne | Seer of BDR | Viscountess of Ettinford
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Wife to Thea | Mother of Zevander, Corabel, Elodie, Lenora, Ezra, & Imogen
Daughter of Aishe & Akos
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Thea
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Re: [ORP] Ettinford: A Tale by the Sea

Post by Thea »

She watched Aileigh's cheeks tinge with a rosy hue. Clearly the thought had not even crossed her mind that what she was describing somewhat paralleled Thea's own life. She supposed she was more infamous for her past in her own mind than in anyone else's. Anyway, it did not matter now. The conversation shifted to focus on Thea's suggestions of a festival for the story's chance meeting. Aileigh went on to explain an old festival of light that used to take place in her culture. It sounded nice enough and certainly it seemed like a sufficient meeting place for Aileigh's characters.

Her wife got dressed while Thea waited patiently as she had nothing left to do now. When Aileigh was ready – a much quicker process than getting Thea ready – she addressed her wife. Thea could tell they she was genuine in her words, and yet Thea felt it was unnecessary. The child was as much hers as it was Thea's. That had been their agreement after all.

"It is no problem, really. I do not have any cultural traditions like this so it is only fair that you get to celebrate yours with the children."

Thea nodded her head to the suggestion of food though she was not much of a breakfast eater, usually foregoing the meal entirely and not eating until noon. She thought it would be better to at least have something in her stomach before her in-laws arrived.
Dorathea "Thea" Sanchari Winterbourne | Lady of Redcroft Manor | The Red Wolf
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Cousin of the Winterbournes | Mother of Zevander, Corabel, Elodie, & Lenora | Wife of Aileigh
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Re: [ORP] Ettinford: A Tale by the Sea

Post by Aileigh »

Aileigh led the way downstairs, walking in a comfortable silence. She sat at the table with Thea, drinking fresh tea, as Thea nibbled. In many ways, they were opposites and Aileigh's love for mornings was one of the differences between them. She was glad Thea indulged her though, just in case their lunch was delayed by the baptism. When Aileigh finished her tea, she got up to check on the children playing in the front room, which was essentially a playroom now.

Corabel squealed upon seeing her mother, while Zev came over. He babbled, waving his toy soldier around as he did so. She giggled and nodded along, encouraging him with her own words. She scooped him up and blew on his belly, which caused him to laugh and squirm. She sat him back down carefully, so he may not topple over, and looked over her little family with wonder. She was so excited that, after this afternoon, their newborn could socialize too.

Sudden noise outside perked her ears. She left the children in the capable hands of the nanny and went to the front door. She opened it to find her family on the other side. There were a few of them: Aishe and Akos, Nisha, Mallory, Amnestria, Morjiana, and her brothers, Aian and Aeton. She welcomed them in from the snow and once inside, passed out hugs.

"It's good to see you all. Thank you for coming." A chorus of 'of course' echoed the foyer. They were all familiar with Ettinford from the time Aishe oversaw it, but she knew it'd be different to them... Especially her mother, who was looking around absently. She looked uncomfortable. When Aileigh caught her eye, she gave a smile that was returned. "Who wants to meet my daughter?"

The topic got everyone excited. She grinned. Today was going to be a good day.

"I'll go wake her. Shall we get the baptism done and then enjoy some drinks and food?"

"Sounds lovely."


Aileigh took them to the front room to see the other children. Thea was there as well, who was greeted by her family members when they came into the room. She let them say their hellos to the Sanchari-Winterbourne household before clapping her hands together.

"Thea, would you like to take them to the conservatory? I'll be right down."

Her excitement was evident as she bounced a bit. Unfortunately, today they would be evading Thea's space. For the baptism, they needed moving water. While there was a frozen creek at the base of the property, the snow and freezing temperature made her get creative. Thankfully, they had a water fountain in the conservatory!

The damphyr left the room and hurried up the stairs. At the nursery door, she opened it quietly, listening to the soft breaths coming from the crib. She approached and a soft smile replaced her grin. Sleeping so soundly was the two week old babe. Her light hair was coming in and it looked red, which was surprising, but clearly the Winterbourne family was prone to redheads. The brilliant blue eyes were dulling and shifting, starting to lean towards a familiar grey. She was precious. Aileigh gently scooped her up, which got the babe stirring a bit. She fell back to sleep once Aileigh had her situated in her arms.

She headed back downstairs and went straight for the conservatory. There, her family waited. Andrzej had joined them, while the other children remained with the nanny. Her smile remained soft as she met her mother's gaze. There was much family missing, but all of the most important people were there for this important moment. She approached Aishe, who was nearest the fountain, and shifted, offering her daughter forth.

"Thank you for coming." She said quietly, in reference to Aishe's first time back on Fenian soil since the messy divorce.
Aileigh Mae Maarah Sanchari Winterbourne | Seer of BDR | Viscountess of Ettinford
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Wife to Thea | Mother of Zevander, Corabel, Elodie, Lenora, Ezra, & Imogen
Daughter of Aishe & Akos
| Sanchari Family [Profile]
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