Chapter 3. Gathering of Harpy Clan Chiefs

Chapter 3. Gathering of Harpy Clan Chiefs   

Queen Nox came forward, pausing at the doorway as she smiled and looked around the chamber. The maid kept her gaze fixed on the ground, but the grin was plainly visible in the corner of her eye. That the Raven Queen could even smile was a revelation to this servant; unless she saw this for herself, she wouldn't have believed it if another of the staff had told her of this. Most of the maids and even the Chef whispered about how she was supposedly born incapable of a laugh or a smile.

Only when Raven Queen remarked, "If you desire to serve me well, daughter," did she seem to be smiling so softly. Speaking through her teeth, just quiet enough, that no one else would hear what was said. "You will remember to never run... and surely never overtake my step or dare to keep me waiting."

She raised her chin to meet the servant's gaze, and once the maid finally noticed that the Raven Queen had begun to elevate her hand, she flinched backward with Dread. She said "ouch" when she hit her head on the door, and while it ached, she didn't dare move her hand to the region where her head hurt. When she was concentrated on you like this, Queen Nox would almost always do something to make the discomfort in a particular place worse; this was something the Queen held an expert subtlety in. Crafted over years of her ruling cruelty.

In a move that caught the maidservant by surprise, she delicately placed a hand on her left shoulder. She smiled sweetly but her eyes contained a notable, threatening warning: B.E.H.A.V.E., "Darling, that must have hurt." She leisurely waved her index talon toward the room as if to say, "I was going to ask if you could bring our friends with some drinks," and the maid stared at the individuals whose laughter she had just heard.

The Raven Queen watched this servant girl's comments with silent fascination. Since they would probably be the same as those of her precious twin daughters. When one considers the Peacock Harpy Clan's burning desire to wed one of her daughters, one can appreciate the intensity at which the peacock prince pursued this ambition. Queen Nox inwardly sneered against that very preposterous proposal. Never in her wildest dreams would she allow anything like this to transpire.

I would never give her blessing; she would never agree to such a mate match... Even for Sephora. Thought the Queen.

The servant saw a weird young guy who wasn't much older than herself, and his acquaintance first. His face was little, but lovely in its own way. His physique was in peak condition, and any normal Harpy male would have had no trouble drawing the attention of any close female looking for mates... and certainly their mothers!  However, he was spoiled with bold, royal blue hair with weird white streaks as long as the length of his hair, straight like silk, to his shoulders. 

From top to bottom, that electric blue gradually gives way to that shockingly vibrant green... He was much too flashy for her taste in optional mate, as she was at the age she and her own mother were beginning to look; so that is what a male peacock looks like. Oh, the gaud! The servant had trouble believing that they would have indeed permitted such a stranger inside the mansion, much less to court Princess Seraphina and Princess Sephora. To think that one of the princesses may just have to accept such a mate made the servant feel queasy.

As he stood by that same expansive bay window,  an elderly female woman, who seems very old...much, much older than Queen Nox herself, continued to wait with an unamused expression beside him; looking dreary and sickly. She donned beige colours which resembled her hair and brown eyes.  They seemed to mirror, yet contrast in some odd way: Her son's bedraggled aesthetic, leaving her to appear so much older and much more exhausted than he did. She stood in stark contrast to the flashy male companion with her somewhat understated attire.

    The servant girl recalled hearing of the difference between males and females of the Peacock Harpy Clan. Males had awful gaudy and bold colouring, they were even proud of such things! Apparently, in their Clan’s custom, the more colourful male secures the mate. However, to the Raven Harpy Clan, the very opposite would ensue… surely? The servant thought. In stark contrast, the females were dull shades of beige with little interesting colouration about them. This one in particular seemed very frayed by her years and there was no excitement, only dreary disinterest in her eyes.

   Quickly shifting her eyes to the next cluster, on the far left of the room, over by the bookshelf, pillaging and perusing the contents, were a group of three younger men and two older. Owls, the servant girl thought. She had only heard about them and had never seen any. There were a few different Owl Harpy Clans, however, they were so reclusive that the Raven Harpies didn’t know very much about them at all, other than that there was division and that they loved knowledge… or at least were presumed to.  Two of those young men had their hair combed back. Both had large orange eyes, with very heavy set brows, in faces oddly more round than that of the peacock males.

   Yet one had dusty brown-grey hair, and the other had more pleasant woody tones. The older male accompanying them also shared the same characteristics, with lighter hair. They seemed to be brothers of the same clutch. Like Seraphina and Sephora, the servant girl thought pleasantly. The one with richer brown tones had a better chance instantly, at least in terms of Raven aesthetic standards. She admittedly didn’t know too much about the politics between the clans, so couldn’t judge on that basis.    

   Only when the servant girl’s eyes slid along to the smaller two beside them, did her heart jump and do a little.

   Similarly, this young male had a rounder face than the others. Yet his eyebrows were not so prominent as the previous group, yet his rounder eyes were as black as, perhaps, the Raven Queen’s. This male was slightly smaller in size but would still stand taller than her. His hair was an ochre brown with red hues like dried blood. This was an acceptable color, despite its boldness, for Raven Clan's beauty. Again, the older male accompanying this young owl bore similar features.

    “Darling…” The Raven Queen drawled in that unusual tone again, catching her attention, “I would like to introduce you to some of our first guests who have arrived: Prince Caruso & Queen Cassandra from the Peacock Harpy Clan.” As she pointed to the most, out of place, duo in the room. “Prince Loris and Prince Lucas, are from the Eurasian Eagle Owl Harpy Clan… wow, that is a mouthful!” The Raven Queen teased, unusually, politely, “They are accompanied by King Easton.”  She then moved her hand to point her black almond nail toward the last two, “Finally we have Prince Kavan, accompanied by King Abram Rouault of the Tawny Owl Harpy Clan.” 

   Tawny owls, The servant girl put everything into place mentally, tawny owls are a suitable match for Raven Harpy standards. Prince Kavan has the best chance in this room on looks alone, despite being the smallest out of all of the males here.

   The Raven Queen’s next words cut through the servant's thoughts like ice, “Do go and get our guests some refreshments and beverages now, will you?”