new moon

GENTLE COCOA EYES hiding behind chocolate hair bounced from each corner of the room, a smile perking up at the chaos playing out in every inch of the space. Tahani still couldn't get used to the madness that would ensue every day she woke up, but that didn't mean she didn't adore every second of it.

A quick gasp escaped her as a smaller figure draped in a rose gown fled past, followed by a taller, darker pink dress chasing on her tail.

"Ellie, give me back my book!" the older girl shrieked at their youngest sister, causing the entire room of women to dissolve into laughter.

"What if I don't want to?" was the last thing she heard before both sisters—Elena and Rowan—were out of earshot.

Shaking her head to herself, the twenty-three-year-old strolled toward the table in the centre, feeling her lehenga sway against her skin and her long jimikki dangle from her ears.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," Sae let out a hearty chuckle as she watched her settle into the seat next to her.

"Wow, I wish I looked like that when I woke up," Kalliste snorted, and the rest of the girls joined, knowing full well that Tahani's bed head was nothing close to the perfectly styled look she had on now.

"No, really," Clover's soft voice drew everyone's attention to the foot of the table where she was threading a small Shih Tzu's fur through her fingers as it panted happily in her lap. Lucia was next to her, hands wrapped around a lighter pup who was rubbing her cheek against the girl's palm with the cutest smile on her face. They both looked completely engrossed in conversation.

"Name one mean thing I've ever done," Lucia asked nonchalantly through half-lidded brown eyes, and Clover's own bambi orbs lit up.

"When we were younger, you convinced me that butterflies were controlled by a remote that the Queen owns."

"They are," Lucia prodded, and the pink-haired princess blinked a couple of times.

"Haha, very funny."

"I'm serious," Lucia deadpanned once again, tone steady and serious, causing the older sisters—including Tahani—to snicker from the other end. "Didn't you hear?"

"No," Clover's eyes widened, "What happened?"

"Why would you fall for this again?" Estrella tutted, "Lucia will not stop teasing us, huh."

"That's my little sister," a deeper voice emerged from behind Tahani, and soon the oldest princess took the seat beside her. "We'd have her no other way."

Tahani smiled back at her as she spoke, taking a second to admire the glitter sprinkled over her cheeks before she asked everyone how their morning's been so far.

"A lot better when I remembered we don't have any royal duties tonight," Zoë's honey voice was laced with excitement and a tint of shyness as her gaze fell to the table. The girls could see the faint rose creeping onto her porcelain skin, and they all smiled at her instinctively. They knew what that meant for her; she could leave the palace for the evening.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd be offended that you would want to leave us," Verine spoke suddenly after being immersed in a tattered storybook from the library.

"Oh, shush," Zoë remarked, "You know I'm taking you with me tonight; the night market is on."

"What are you doing tonight, Tani?" Ellie had walked up to the table then, ears clearly picking up the direction of the conversation.

The coffee-skinned princess bit her lip in thought. She hadn't planned anything, in all honesty. For nights such as these, she would cozy up with Rowan in the solarium and giggle over characters in their favourite novels or engage in a serious conversation about the nation's broken policies—those which they didn't have much power to fix (yet), or even just get lost in the beauty of the sky.

"Nothing, really."

"Let Zoë and Verine take you out, then," Tova replied, "I'm sure you would appreciate a bit of fresh air."

"Like, out of the palace?"

"No," the oldest's voice dripped with sarcasm, "I meant literally take you out, Nini."

"Geez, no need for the sarcasm," Tahani pouted at her sister but couldn't hide her smile nonetheless, "I mean, it couldn't hurt?"

"That's sorted, then!" Verine squealed excitedly, eyes disappearing into adorable crescents, "We're going on an adventure tonight!"

TAHANI'S LIGHT STEPS were accented with the chiming of her kolusu, one arm wrung through Zoë's and the other through Verine's as they ambled off their carriage.

"Did you want to join me at the night market?" Verine asked Tahani as she leaned in a little, squeezing her side. The three princesses had had to dress down slightly when they planned to roam the outskirts of their country, opting for dresses with fewer frills and less sparkle. However, they still stood out; the glow of sunrise rippling through their skin and birdsong radiating in their laughter.

"I don't think Tani would be interested in fighting thieves, sunflower," Zoë sent the two one of her loving smiles, one which Tahani would find sent her to the happiest of places, euphoria coursing through her veins and gladness wafting through her fingers.

"The correct way to phrase that sentence, Liv, would be to say that Tani has the athletic capability of a breadstick, and that all she would do is slow Verine down," Tahani corrected her.

The other sisters giggled, Verine reaching her hand out to ruffle her hair while doing so. The dark-skinned girl scrunched her nose, swatting the younger's hand away, "You know that my hair took two hours to do this morning."

Verine smiled fondly then, stunningly curled eyelashes fluttering up and down as her lips pressed into her dimples, "Still looks good, don't worry, Tani."

"But anyway," Zoë interrupted the pair, eyes jumping from each table at the night market, "What do you think you will get up to?"

She was just about to ask her older sister where she would go and whether she could join. But then she remembered. And Tahani didn't want to be the annoying little sister third-wheeling on Zoë's happiness.

"I guess I could explore a little?" She suggested, hand motioning to the villages behind the stalls, "It wouldn't hurt to learn a little more of the people we rule."

"Good idea," Verine grinned before swiftly pecking a small kiss to the tops of both their heads, "I'll meet you here after sunset?"

"If I'm not here by the time the stalls disappear, I give you permission to leave without me," Zoë winked playfully, and the other two played along, feigning a gasp each.

"You mean like spending the night away?" Tahani teased, earning a mock slap from her older sister as she guided them to a nearby tree.

Unwrapping the yellow ribbon from her hair, she tied it to a small branch, "If this is still here when the sun sets, that means I'm not coming back for the evening, okay?"

"Okay," Verine rolled her eyes, "Hope you enjoy your date."

hey guys!! i hope you liked that first chapter! and i hope you're excited for this story :)