Epoine

Eos now resumed her name as Epione. It would take a long time for her to adjust to the new name change since she was accustomed to her old name. With the new name there came no responsibility to fulfill duties to her title, to lands that she once controlled for she was now just an ordinary noble girl who lives in the countryside. Her parents allowed for a freedom which was strange to Epoine who didn't know what to do to fill the time now that she was once again their child. She mostly was just awkward in the new environment so she would often stay in her childhood room which she lived in for the majority of her childhood. She knew nothing else of the village beside these four familiar walls which had encased her childhood.

She felt so out of place even with the overflowing affection from her parent who were trying to make up for the lost time they had for all those years of servitude. It wasn't much better than her mind was very much in a fog ever since the whole civil war. The phantom pain from her scarred back was very much present in her living moments. Maybe a hot bath could take her mind off things. Epoine twisted the knob of the bathtub so that the hot water could flow as she prepared for a long soak bath.

She began stripping her clothes began dipping her feet her relishing in the heat as she began to slowly submerge herself into the water, leaning her head on the edge of the bathtub as her hair cascade down the edge. Her took a bar of soap and began sudsing it up so that she would clean herself and as her hands glided across her body began reaching her back. The massive scarring on her back to where her wings were once were though only for a short period. The one time that she used her wings for the first time was out of necessity, but the sense of flying was such a surreal feeling. The rush of wind that pass as she flew in the air was exhilarating.

But when the magician had paralysed her wings from fluttering to stay in the air the queasy feeling of falling in the air with no security of landing anywhere was frightening. Stripped from her one and only chance of flying. Epione would often long for the wind passing through her hair as she soared into the air, liberated from everything in the world with nothing to hold her down. Epoine slowly sunk into the water until it reached her upper lip, basking into the warmth that the water provided.

A gentle knocked resonated through the bathroom, "Sweetie? Can I come in?" Her mother's soft voice rung out as she patiently waited for her answer at the opposite side of the door. Epione gave out a hum, allowing her mother to enter the room that was beside the bathroom where Epoine quietly sat inside the bathtub unsure of what to say. The two individuals were quite awkward around in each other since they would usually only meet up about every two-month depending on Epione's old schedule. But the relationship was different now that they were living under the same roof.

Epione was more reclusive to her parents as she didn't want to be too formal with them, but she didn't feel comfortable enough to be casual. She had never spent so much time with them that she didn't know how to act around them; should she continue with the formal attitude that had been shaped by living as a noble or act like a doting child towards them. But the latter option would be weird for Epione to act out upon. Epione decided not to think too hard about her relationship with her parents since they were her parents, and they would accept her for who she was.

Epione quickly finished her bath before dressing into a simple chemise dress that was light and breezy for the springtime. It was much more comfortable than the dresses that she had worn in noble society. It was simple. She liked it very much as she preferred much simpler silhouettes. Her mother awaited her at the vanity table which was sparsely filled with item of skincare and other miscellaneous items, holding a hair bush. Epione carefully approached her mother who gestured her to the chair in front of her, so she sat in front of her mother.

Epione's mother, Meline, was amused by her daughter's awkward movements as she patiently waited for gesture or cues waiting for instructions. As she had gestured for her daughter to sit in front of her. Her cautious movement was very much like a cat. Taking her daughter's beautiful hair resembled silk as she began brushing through the hair with the brush in her hand. This is the first time the child and mother had sat together and bonded with each other.

Epione slowly relaxed with the motion of the brush going through her hair as her mother began singing a lullaby that was very familiar to her. It was the same lullaby that use to put her to sleep as night when she was a child. She had forgotten all about it. A warm feeling began welling up inside of her chest filling her entire being, "I like it when you brush my hair." An unconscious smile lifted from her face as she gently hummed the same tune. A sweet lyrical voice sung that old lullaby. Both the mother and daughter's voice harmonized together as they continue the act of hair brushing with each other. A small bell rung through the mansion which signalled dinner time. So, Epione's mother tied up her hair with a white ribbon which complimented with the paleness of her hair.

The mother daughter pair then went together down the hallway. As they were walking through the hallway nearing the end of the hallway which led to the staircase down to the dining hall; Epione picked up the courage to take her mother's hand into her own. The girl obviously was nervous to hold her mother's hand, worrying about the sweat accumulating on the palm of her hand. Before Epione could even pull back the hand she was holding wary of her mother being bothered by her hand become sticky with sweat. Her mother, however, squeezed her daughter's hand tighter as to not let go of her daughter's hand. She was just happy that her daughter was holding her hand.

The pair eventually reached the dining room where the butler and Lisa was serving up the dish ready for the family to eat before placing their own dishes. At the table the father was very jealous to see that his wife had successfully been able to bond with their daughter. But nevertheless, the family were able to join each other for dinner just was a calming since Epoine listened to her parent talk about mostly miscellaneous things as she watched her parent. Her parents would try to encourage her to talk but sometimes she would go silent. Her mind would sometime go blank. Casual conversation between people who were similar age with her parents weren't the norm for Eos who always had to be formal with them and typically their conversations were of business-related topics.

Her parents could instantly tell that she tongued tied with her communicating with people, but they didn't fault her for it. She had been long out of contact with them and was still adjusting out of the Monciuax lifestyle back in the capital. They didn't attempt to force her, but they wanted to include her into their conversation even if she could only nod or shake her head in response. That was enough for them. They were just happy for her to be in their life after being separated from them for so long.

The weeks soon passed with Epoine slowly but surely integrating back into her family lifestyle albeit that she would always retreat to her small, enclosed room. Her parents knew that after being in an environment of constant view of noble society it was hard to have some private time to herself. The Spring Solstice Feast was soon to come. A celebration to welcome in the first spring where people would decorate the village with various ribbons and light with every door hung a pine wreath covered in the fresh blossoms of spring crocuses. However, people are always on the look out for those spring crocuses as they are usually eaten by squirrels.

The spring crocuses nectar would often be offered to the magic folk to celebrate the coming spring. Epoine was sent along her way with the rest of the village girls who were happy to take her along with them to find any spring crocuses, "You can easily find them because they are so brightly coloured, but squirrels will get to them faster than we can." One of the village girls explained as she was on the lookout for any brightly coloured flowers nestled into the forest ground, "My mother always says that if a girl finds a spring crocus they will be blessed with romance for the year. I really hope I can find one." Epoine watched the girls trying to move foliage to see if there were any buds ready to sprout. Many were huddled together in groups.

Epoine felt too awkward to join them but the girl that had accompanied her immediately pulled her to her side so that they could find some crocuses together. Epoine just decided to try her luck to see if she could find one. Just maybe she was worthy of having someone who would love. She began rummaged through the foliage before a small sprite entered her vision. Its giggles were reminisced of jingling bells. Its skin resembled the very moss that it was previously hiding in as it zipped towards her with its insectoid wings which very much resembled her own wings. She could sometimes feel that it was still on her back. They were so big that the sensation of her wings dragging across the ground would still tingle.

The sprite grabbed her finger pulling her much further into the forest where it led to a small cluster of spring crocuses. Unfortunately, a small squirrel had taken up the biggest ones scurrying off. Epoine quickly took up the last remaining spring crocus before chasing after the squirrel to see if could lead to more of those flowers. The squirrel was perched on top of a small rock offering the spring crocus to an elderly high fairy who was leaning against a massive black tortoise that was the size of a medium sized boulder, "Well, hello there..." The high fairy paused as he stared at Epione with eyes that made it seem he knew everything about her, "Sorry if I stare for so long for my eyes have worsened over the years." The old man pulled out a pair of eye wear that quite old before bringing out a handkerchief to clean his glass.

Epione was stunned about what to do since the only high fairy she knew was her mother and that almost every high fairy had returned to the spirit realm, "Epoine! Epoine!" The village girls call out for her, "Where are you!" A bunch of voices joined as Epione went to look back in the direction back to the village before returning her gaze back to the elderly man. Only to find that he had disappeared along with the squirrel and tortoise leaving behind the spring crocuses in front of her. Epoine went to pick up the spring crocuses and before she had left, she politely bows just out of respect even if the elderly man wasn't there.

Epione returned to the where the voices were the loudest where the village girls were worried about Epoine who had disappear from the group. In a forest that unfamiliar to a girl that essentially lived all her life in the capital, "I have enough spring crocuses for everyone so take one." Handing off the bouquet of spring crocuses to the girl who cheered as they each took one. One was left with her. The spring crocus that was left was a beautiful mauve colour with some variation of the flower petals being an almost deep shade of red.

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There was an extravagant carriage along with a few people on horseback riding towards an area that was now flooded with budding jacaranda trees. They soon arrived at the village which was now bustling with much more people and with an abundance magic folk mingling amongst the people. Courtney, Lilith, Arachne and Cybele exited out the carriage, meeting up with a familiar old man who was the ex-head butler who served the Monciuax Dukedom, "Welcome! I assume you must have travelled a while of a distance." The butler gestured to towards the mansion where all the girls began chasing after each other to see could reach the mansion first.

All the girls were escorted to the back where there was a lustrous garden filled with the blossoms of jacarandas as well as various other flowers. They saw a familiar stature sitting on the grass, talking to some magic folk. The soft gentle voice, mellowing, to the magic folk who bounced on the flowers and the girl. The shiny maple biege hair that bounced light as it was intertwined with clover flowers as a middle-aged man with the same lime honey coloured eyes expertly made flower crowns with whit and magenta coloured clovers. The girl's lime honey eyes vibrantly sparkled, watching the middle-aged man make the flower crowns.

She attempted to make a flower crown of her own only for her to struggle, breaking the stems of the clovers. The final result was a fragile sparsely decorated flower crown which broken. However, the middle-aged man took the flower crown placing it right on his head.