Anstice chose the flashiest purple gown Cricket had ever seen in his life for her appointment ceremony. It had a long flowing train, and enough sparkly bits on it that he was sure they could see it in the mountains of Helio. But she was happy, and that was all that mattered to him. Between himself and Ignacia they had managed to twist her hair up into a crown braid befitting a queen, and Cricket couldn't have been prouder.
"Is it too much?" Anstice asked, giving them an elegant twirl, which Cricket found truly impressive for if he'd been in a dress that long and tried to spin around he was sure he'd have tripped. But that was Anstice, elegance and grace. She'd have made a wonderful princess, a beautiful queen, if she'd just been born to a king and not to the royal advisor.
"Maybe a little," Ignacia said, but there was a light in her eyes that only shimmered there when she was teasing.
"Oh you!" Anstice swatted Ignacia with her fan, and then laughed. "Fine. Fine. Cricky will tell me what I want to hear. Won't you Cricky? That is your duty, as prince."
"Is it?" he asked, lounging back on the foot of her bed, ankles crossed casually. "I didn't realize that had been added to the list."
"It was added the day I was born, and you tried to drop me down the stairs." Antice nodded primly.
"First of all," Cricket said, sitting up, and shaking a finger playfully at her. "I'm not even a whole season older than you, I wasn't much bigger than you were by the time you were born."
"That's because you were a runt." Ignacia snickered into the back of her hand, covering it with a cough, or trying to anyhow.
"Oi!" Cricket shouted, reaching over to shove Ignacia's shoulder, causing her to fall over onto the bed with another giggle. "No ganging up on me!"
"That's not in the rules."
"I've checked," Anstice added, turning to give herself another once over in the mirror. "And what's the second of all?"
"Well now I don't think I'll say, since apparently no one here has any respect for me." He crossed his arms over his chest, poking out his lower lip in a spectacular pout, if he did say so himself. "Annie doesn't deserve my compliments if she's just going to be mean to me."
Ignacie snorted, giving him a shove. "You heard his royal highness; we have to be nice to him now."
"Oh ew. No. What ever shall we do Iggy?"
"Clearly all that's left for us is to run away together. Come with me my darling Annie and leave this all behind." Ignacia rose, taking Anstice's hands in her own. "I'll take you away from this horrible, horrible prince."
They stared at each other for a long moment, and then the spell was broken, and they dropped into obnoxious giggles. Both throwing their heads back and cackling like old crones.
"Stop. Stop. It is too much. You'll make my makeup run." Anstice took a steadying breath, running her fingers carefully beneath her eyes.
"You're both terrible to me!" Cricket whined, flopping back onto the bed to stare up at Anstice's painted ceiling.
"Oh, you love us." Ignacia dropped back down beside him. "Besides, even if you didn't, we're all you've got."
"Don't remind me." He huffed.
"Hey!" Anstice shouted, kicking him in the shin with her shoe.
"Oi!" He sat up quickly, clutching his leg to himself, and cradling what was surely already bruising skin. "What was that for?! That's going to bruise!"
"Come and tell me I'm pretty on my special day or I'm kicking your ass out and you can go sit with your uncle." Anstice pointed her fan at him. It was a beautiful piece, commissioned specifically to match her gown. All swirling purple night skies, and glistening stars.
"You really shouldn't threaten people like that. It's unbecoming of a young lady."
"Here. Now. Compliments." Anstice pointed to the space right in front of her and raised a brow expectantly.
"All right. All right. So demanding." Cricket rolled to his feet to stand before her. He took Anstice's hands in his, giving them a light squeeze. "You, my dear baby sister. My best friend. The most ridiculous woman I've ever known. Look positively stunning. But not a lick of it would make any difference at all if it weren't a farce to cover up that insanely cunning brain of yours, would it?"
"Great Selene! I asked you to tell me I'm pretty, not to make me cry you big oaf!" Anstice laughed wetly, giving him a hard shove so he fell back onto the bed next to Ignacia.
"Careful what you wish for," he chided playfully, and earned a smack to the face with a pillow for his trouble.
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