Watching the joy on her sister's face gave something of an elated feeling to Persephone's chest. She had recently caught her father coughing in his rooms - a wracking and disastrous kind of coughing that their mother had once suffered from and it had made her worried. Her father had insisted however that it was nothing and Persephone had gone back about her business. It was now two weeks after that event and she had not heard her father's illness progressing beyond a cough that he would soon - the physicians had assured her - be rid of. Persephone had gone back to normal, chastising herself for her fear and allowing for paranoia, given her childhood experiences and personal memories of grief.

The smile on her sister's face as the carriage pulled into the harbourside that day did everything to remove the last, tiny thread of concerns within Persephone's breast. For who could be concerned about anything when presented with an expression of just joy and wonderment.

Emilia had been enjoying this trip, as far as Persephone could determine. It was one of those rare times where the two of them had been permitted to attend outside of the capitol without the king at their side. Persephone, as baroness of Arcana, was determined to visit this years nighttime festival of the oceanic and had determined that her sister might enjoy it also.

They had arrived in Arcana the previous day and Persephone had instructed (nay ordered) the girl to be abed by the time the sun was starting to set. Emilia hadn't been fond of the idea until Persephone had explained that the festival would be held several hours before the sun rose and that an early night was required if she was going to be awake enough to enjoy the offerings the people of Arcana would have for her to taste, touch and smell.

After a horrendously early wake up call, the two princesses were dressed, gowned and decorated by candle light, their gowns bright and light colours so as to be seen in the dim light of the festival. Whilst her sister's were was a delicate mauve with a white underlayer for accent, some fool had decided the shocking, brightest white was the appropriate colour for Persephone to wear whilst visiting the harbour but she had not argued when the explanation had been made that she was baroness of the land and needed to make an impression. She would just have to be careful in keeping the material clean.

On her head were decorative pieces in silver, her hair tied up, braided and entwined with ivy leaves and leaping fish, all in beautiful pieces that sported the occasionally blue stone. At least, in all their decoration, her hair was tied back and out of the way of he havoc the sea's winds could play on it.

"Now remember," Persephone told her sister as the carriage came to a stop and they were escorted down from vehicle at the hands of the footmen. "Eat sparingly and if it turns your stomach, never let on." She told her, before her eyes turned mischievous. "Oh, and the curling feeling in the belly is perfectly normal. The eels might still be living."

Pulling a face at her sister's expression to that, Persephone took Emilia's arm and started forwards towards the havoc and bustle of the main harbour docks of Arcana where men and women stared and chatted at their approach, offering stumbling and clumsy bows and curtsies.

Persephone's smile widened in amusement when Emilia made a huffing exhale, having twigged to her mischievous tale. Since their mother had died, the two girls had had a lot of pressure and political responsibilities falling onto their shoulders. It was good to find amusement as and when they could. She enjoyed teasing Emilia where possible given that the opportunities were often rare.

When they arrived, Emilia exited the carriage first and Persephone quickly followed. The two of them stepped down into a busy thoroughfare, where their guards quickly arranged a circle of space around their presences, in order to accommodate their personal bearings and their expanse of their authority as princesses. This didn't stop people from being able to approach them but it monitored those that approached and ensured that too many did not attempt to do so all at once, causing some kind of avalanche of attention upon the royals.

When the older gentleman bearing a tray of fish insisted upon the youngest princess trying some of his fish meat, Persephone caught the look of help her younger sister threw her way. A smile was hidden behind the twisting of Persephone's lips and her eyes and expression were clear...

You started conversing with the man... now you have to be polite."

With a slight wave of her hand, a young servant stepped forward with his own utensil - it had been, after all, predetermined that the princesses would try foods upon their visit to a festival dedicated to the fish industry. The young man took a small spoonful of the meat and ate it quickly, stepping back when assured that the food was suitable for royal consumption.

Persephone raised her eyebrows at her sister in a clear message...

What are you waiting for?

As she did so, another man - younger than the one who conversed with Emilia - stepped forwards to offer Persephone her choice of small shellfish from his platter, a dish beside them offering a spiced sauce. With a smile, and a sidelong glance at her sister, Persephone took one of the small wooden skewers from the side of the plate, selected her own prawn - therefore foregoing the need for a taste tester - and dipped the item in a hot and peppery sauce that, as she placed the prawn in her mouth - she realised was rather sweet.

The shellfish flesh squashed between her teeth and was juicy to the taste. She smiled at the young man with a nod.

"Very fresh and very tasty." She told the man, meaning her words. She might not be big on eel and octopus, but Persephone did enjoy prawns and shrimp.

Persephone watched with bright eyes as Emilia finally gave in and tried to meat. Secretly, Persephone knew it to be crushed crab and, cooked and flavoured in a way new to Emilia. But as the girl had tried a plainer version of crab before, she had been fairly confident that the girl would like it. She smiled brightly as Emilia did the same, her lips curling around the spoon before she dipped for another mouthful. Her reaction to the young man and her compliments to his delicacies were well thought and elegantly spoken. Persephone felt a little bubble of pride in her chest.

With a hand pressing just slightly to the back of Emilia's shoulder, Persephone guided the younger girl away from the merchant after she had made her order and they continued down the walkway stopping to sample here and there. When her sister commented on buying up the whole market, Persephone laughed softly.

"You can try, sister." She told her good-naturedly. "This market is on a continuous cycle for the next six hours. I'm not sure the palace could hold so much fish." She wrinkled her nose delicately. "Plus, imagine the smell!"

The two of them were interrupted by a man offering the tips of squid tentacles and this time it was Persephone's turn to put on a mask of propriety as she used the little skewer offered to select a piece. The tips were glazed in a sweet and sticky sort of sauce that gave Persephone trouble for a moment but at least it masked the nasty texture of the tentacles themselves. Urgh, she had never liked squid and eel.

Thanking the man with an infallible smile, she moved back to her conversation with Emilia regarding buying everything in sight.

"Besides, if you bought all these people's wares they'll come to love you more than me, and I can't have that in my own barony!" These last words were said with great comedic trepidation and a hand pressed to her chest as if in shocked horror.