Her uncle had assured her that this trip would be similar to the short ones she often took from Macendia to the mainland. While yes, he had quietly explained, it would last longer, she would feel little difference in it as long as she didn’t cause trouble. But a few hours into the trip and Selene was certain that her uncle was a liar. Half of her day had been spent throwing up the contents of her stomach into a bucket, muttering words her father would have scolded her for saying.

When she was finally too exhausted from vomiting, she was able to sleep. The sickness was completely gone in the morning, though it seemed as if most of the sailors kept their distance from the sprite who spent her days asking questions and dancing across the deck. The blonde pixie wasn’t just curious about every aspect of sailing, she was far too headstrong to simply ask the questions. No, it seemed as if Selene had suddenly decided she wished to be a sailor, for she was spending most of her time convincing the men to teach her how to make knots.

Some of the men were annoyed by the child who seemed to have too much potential at being a menace. But others found her precocious nature charming and her eagerness to learn enduring. By the end of the trip, those who had tried to avoid her were simply unable to as she wormed her way into their hearts. It may not have been how her mother would have wished her to act, but it still was an impressive ability. Perhaps her title had been what had made the men even give her a moment of their time, or maybe it was the rumors that she had to be blessed by the goddess of beauty herself. Regardless of the reason, she could charm even the grumpiest of men.

It would benefit well among the more stoic faces of Colchis.

She was rarely below deck, often sneaking out from under her Uncle’s watchful gaze to learn everything and anything they would teach her. Selene knew it wasn’t the kind of pursuits that a lady should find herself interested in, but she was too precocious not to beg the sailors to teach her how to fish, to point out the little things that were easy for a child to remember. The band of sailors was proof that Selene truly could charm anyone. By the end of the voyage, as much as they refused to admit it outloud, they would come to miss the imp.

There was much work to be done to get her presentable. Her nanny (who had spent the whole journey seasick and below deck) couldn’t deny how… messy the 6 year old appeared. Her white blonde curls were in tangles from the breeze on the ocean, cheeks overly pink from sun exposure. It would take every bit of time to get her looking like a future princess. Thankfully, Selene was known for her empathy, which often meant obedience was not difficult to get from here. It was nearly impossible for her not to stick her head out the window of the carriage as it rolled towards the Leventi house, but her nurse had given the girl very strict instructions.

And had promised she could do as she wished on the ride home from the Kotas manor.

The house had been prepared for them already, opened a few days prior with a staff large enough to keep the small group content for the two weeks they would be in the city. The nanny’s promise to let her roam the grounds later was the only thing that kept Selene obedient as she sat at the vanity of her room while the older woman took to brushing and shaping her hair. There was little reason to make her look any more mature than her 6 summers, but the braids still started at the top of her crown, twisting tightly behind her ears into a low bun at the base of her neck.

Her chiton was lavender in color, simple in its design but expensive in its make. Flowers dotted the hem, her mother’s work around the dress to give it a bit of characters and feminine charm. The only jewelry she wore was a simple necklace of an intricate horse, the silver wire thin as the one single strand was weaved into the beast. Sandals wrapped around her feet, the little noble was quickly loaded into the carriage, with no one denying how proper she looked. So long as she could keep her sandals on for the meeting, no one would know just how free spirited the child truly was. And her nanny had bribed her with sweets to keep them in place, so there was little chance of her pulling them off.

Selene, if nothing else, was a bit of a people pleaser. So while she had a reputation for being wild back home, she knew that she had to act differently in situations like this. And in that, her mother had trained her to be a perfect little lady. She could be impressive, when she needed to be. It was in that, she was certain, that her uncle could handle his niece’s personality. She wouldn’t disappoint him, if she could help it.

As they pulled up, Selene made a point to shake out any remaining wiggles from her body, at her nurse’s reminder. From her fingers to her toes, she let her nerves sink into the carriage as it rolled to a stop. She would be a princess one day, and this was the start of that. So with every ounce of daintiness she could muster, she stepped down onto the stones, brushing the front of her dress delicately as she had seen her mother do so many times. She would be her uncle’s shadow, only speaking when spoken to. She was, after all, a Leventi.

She was born for this.

A soldier in training, Vangelis was aware of Yiannis' presence in the courtyard, hidden away beneath the dim shadow of overarching bushes. However, as he was only nine years old and still learning, it had taken him a while to notice his little brother. At least an hour, in fact. Had he been in the heat of battle, he'd have been long since killed. Luckily, it was only Yiannis skulking. Not an enemy with a blade. Not that Vangelis was truly aware of this. He was under the impression that he had spotted Yiannis as soon as he had appeared on the scene. And he had said nothing. If his little brother wanted to learn the sword vicariously then Vangelis was going to do nothing to stop him. He had no idea that the boy was neglecting his arithmetic in favour of physical exertion. Else he might have warned the boy of the maternal retribution that was likely awaiting him.

A maternal retribution that came through the open door of the estate and into the courtyard like a swirling, beautiful piece of sky.

'Vangelis.'

The voice was Vangelis' first warning of his mother's sudden presence. Instantly, he jumped nearly a foot and then tensed, like a cat caught in the act of hunting a mouse. Or a hound sniffing at forbidden, human food. His teeth grit, his lower lip pulled back in a universal, childlike expression of 'uh-oh' and he nearly dropped the sword he was holding. A moment of manic hand motions and dangerous juggling had the blade back under control before he could lop off his own toes. Once his courage had been shored up, Vangelis turned slowly to face his mother, head down and stare peeking up through his lashes. He was clearly braced for impact.

"Yes, Mother?" he asked, attempting a tone of innocence.

At first, he had known he was breaking rules by sneaking out to practice his warcraft. He knew that he was supposed to be meeting with a travelling guest that day. But he would also be lying if he said that it had been a deliberate choice to be precisely this late in getting ready. In his youth, the entire event had slipped his mind as he had worked his body. With every drop of sweat, his recognition of time had slipped away. Only now, faced with the disapproval of a mother he loved, did Vangelis truly realise that he had let events spiral out of his control and was now very, very late for greeting the guests from Taengea. Not to mention in desperate need of a bath.