- worn couches

In the aftermath of war, famine and drought have ripped through the kingdom, to no one's surprise. The Queen's next move is unclear. In the wake of a growing economic crisis, what is the kingdom's first priority? Many locals discuss the reconvening of the Estate General. This may be the push Bright Moon needs to have our first meeting in over a century. However, the Third Estate's people are rumoured to be starting a group of their own for fear of going unheard over the first two Estates.

Note: The Estate General is an assembly of the three estates - The First Estate - clergy, The second estate, nobility and the Third Estate which represents most people.*

Adora tore through the copy of today's newspaper - the Noble's Gazette. Time was wearing thin, and there was only so long until the people took matters into their own hands. Bright Moon had a great love for Queen Glimmer, seeing as she had led their kingdom through a war that had led to the death of many planets' civilizations, but their unrest towards her inexperience with leading was tangible. They resented that the Estate General hadn't been resurrected during the war. Adora knew Glimmer insisted on doing everything herself, but somewhere along the line, it had become a disservice to her people. It was also common knowledge that Bright Moon had one of the largest wealth gaps of Etheria.

Adora had read this newspaper five times now - once for every book-and-a-half she digested in the yellow light of the lanterns. She wasn't sure how long she had been sitting on the worn velvet armchair since the library's windows were shuttered closed. Adora would go check to see if the night was in full swing yet but her joints felt like they were being pulled apart. She grabbed another book, running her hands along the volume's binding. Adora needed to do this, so Glimmer would see sense. When she read the newspaper, she could see the large gap in between Bow's perspective and the public's - it seemed that Bow's considerable wealth had also skewed his knowledge.

Pulling herself back into concentration, she turned the pages of the book with one hand and jotted her thoughts absently on a thick piece of paper. Humming, soon she had found she'd read the two-hundred-page book. She turned to face the desk, again, only to find that her pile of books had already been read. They had been books gifted as a back-handed snipe by the people of Etheria, likely from before Glimmer's time, with inscriptions like maybe you'll learn something from this tucked into a yellowing children's book about the fundamental rules of the monarchy and government. Aside from this clearly-used book, none of them seemed to have been opened in years - maybe even before they were "gifted" to the castle.

Adora knew what she was preaching, now. She couldn't be uneducated about the beliefs she had pledged herself to. How would she ever know what was right and wrong if she didn't do research herself? She didn't want to be blind again. Besides, she needed to be useful. Perhaps the next day she would venture into town or page through the books that they had there - she suspected there would be many better-informed books outside of the clearly politically charged castle library.

With these thoughts in mind, she skimmed her notes. Subsidization, free healthcare, free education...

"Adora?" A voice beckoned.

Catra's hair was slicked back in finger waves, her eyelashes curling upward. There was something magnetic, striking, about her eyes affected partly by the slim black wing that coated them. She was wearing a suit made of matte black fabric, the jacket hanging tightly over her shoulders. Adora's mouth went dry.

"Adora, why are you still here?" Catra's eyebrows were furrowed in worry. "Your eyes are all red. You've been studying for way too long. It's been nearly an entire day. It's noon, now. Adora, maybe you should go rest. A lot happened yesterday, you know. I'll tell you all about it once you get some sleep."

"But I have work to do... I have so much research..." Adora mumbled. The exhaustion she had been fighting thickened her voice and slurred her syllables.

"You have done plenty of research. You're overworking yourself."

"You look ver-r-r-y pretty, Catra. I bet Lonnie would approve of this hairstyle," Adora slinked back, curling into herself on the comfortable cushions. "What's the occasion?"

"Bow's parents are visiting and Micah wants to treat us all. He hasn't really been talking to anyone besides Glimmer these past few days, but he's going to make us dinner. He's supposed to be a really good cook."

"Your eyes look really nice," Adora felt herself grinning, labouredly pointing in Catra's general direction.

"Thank you," Catra looked smug. Adora's cheeks heated up. "Glimmer practically forced it on me. I like it, sure, but she is next-level stressed about this dinner and Bow can't even talk to her."

"Glimmer isn't talking to Bow for a different reason," Adora nodded, widening her eyes conspiratorially. "Wanna hear about it?

"You are too tired for this conversation," Catra shook her head. "I'm taking you to the dorms, you're sleeping, and I'll wake you up once it's time for you to get ready. Of course, Glimmer didn't tell you to get ready this far in advance. You're so lucky. I'm going to help the others clean up the castle."

"Don't go," Adora lunged forward and gripped Catra's sleeve. "You look so pretty."

"Hm, I'm glad you gave up on the studying thing."

Adora's eyebrows rose until she could feel them pricking her stray baby hairs that had fallen out of her ponytail.

"You're right! I have to study!"

"Not like this you don't," Catra swiftly lowered herself down on the armchair. It was hard to focus on the words when all Adora could think about was what they had done the last time she was here. "Look, Adora. You're always trying to prove yourself. To make yourself useful. It's good to work hard..." Catra reached out and tucked Adora's hair behind her ear. "But you're worth something even when you aren't. We'll still love you."

Adora's heart filled with the reassurance of being understood, of being loved. She dropped her head onto Catra's shoulder.

"I hope you really believe what I'm saying, Adora. Well, I know you don't now - not deep down - but I hope you will someday."

//

When Adora woke up, she was alone. It reminded her of nights in the navy blue communal sleeping-room of the Horde, the ones where Catra wasn't with her. The rough blankets and cold room weren't here now, but she could see and feel them so clearly that they might have been. She could feel the navy blue engulfing her, the walls laced with the odd combination of the urge to hide laced with the lull of sleep and memories of their friends, of nights with Catra. Adora wished she had visited when she had the chance if only to see if the clouds and words etched into the bunkbed's metal bars were still there. Adora imagined their angular scrapes against the dark aqua green of the bunk spelling "ADORA AND CATRA FOREVER".

Oh god, Adora remembered. The dinner!

Adora stumbled to the wardrobe, picking out the first dress she saw and slipping it on. Frantically, she bounced on one leg, pulling on white socks and boots with a fluid tug. She tied her matte boots swiftly. Next, she hooked her finger into the hair tie in her hair and dragged it out of her hair. She slid over to her mirror, rubbing out the eye crumbs and the white cast of drool.

In no time, she was tumbling down the stairs. She wasn't sure where she stood with her friends, but she did know she was going to make sure their guests enjoyed themselves. Tonight, they would keep the peace. Or try to, at least.

When she reached the final hallway that led to the dining room, Catra was snickering with some armed guards, leaning against some pastel painting. The guard with the long, black ponytail Adora always saw on her way outside was rolling her eyes at the others. Adora waved, happy Catra was making friends in Bright Moon. The arrogant smirk that graced her features as she talked paired with the sleek way she leaned against the wall, making her look lean and effortless took Adora's breath away. She had taken off the overcoat of her suit, wearing just the pressed black button-up that clung to her figure. She was rolling up the cuffed sleeves of her shirt, now, exposing her forearms. Adora imagined what it would be like to take it all the way off if she slowly popped the buttons off with her thumbs. Maybe she would let her drag her fingers along her side, along all of her skin. Maybe Catra would let her take off those dastardly tight trousers, too. Shaking her head, she continued along the pathway.

Adora fiddled with her hair as she made her way to the ballroom - where she presumed Bow and Glimmer were. Bow wasn't the type to let the dust of arguments fizz under the surface, but it was unlikely that Glimmer would be shaken on this front. As determined as Adora was to persuade Glimmer, Adora was irked by Glimmer's lack of accountability. She was not going to chase Glimmer's attention.

Adora stumbled into the dining room. The room was grand, with beige walls and purple decals everywhere, like the flowers sown into the walls, the long gold-lined carpets and the glass shards that made up the ceiling. From this multicoloured sky rained chandeliers with white crystals. Adora settled next to Bow, who was arranging lean, sunset-orange flowers into a twisting grey vase atop a long dining table. He was dressed in his suit with floral lapels.

"Hey, Bow. You excited for your dads to see the castle?" Adora asked, slipping into a chair beside him.

"I don't see how they could not love it. They'll think it's so interesting. My older sibling - do you remember me talking about Thorn? - thinks my dads should have seen it way sooner, but they do not get how busy we were during the war."

"Agreed. They'll love it here. I want to hear all of the facts they'll know about the castle. Anyways, Thorn seriously underestimates how much we were doing. It would have probably been unsafe for your parents to come. You know, Scorpia would have given us a tour of the Horde, but I panicked. I couldn't stand being there. We ended up playing volleyball outside instead."

"Panicked?" Bo leaned forward. "What happened? Want to talk about it?"

"It's stupid. It's not like there's anyone dangerous there right now - hell even when there were, I managed. But now... I couldn't get past the opening hallway without freaking out."

"It isn't your fault, Adora," Bow insisted. "I didn't have the time to tell you yesterday, but I went to therapy for the first time. The first thing they said was that it's okay to take time to mourn. To feel things. It doesn't make you less of a person. You know, the only reason we didn't panic in those dangerous situations is that we didn't have time to. You get to take your time, now."

She felt the impact of his words to her core. They echoed the ones Catra had muttered when she thought Adora was too far gone to hear them. They climbed up her spine like small paper shreds of poetry encasing her fragile bones and holding her upright.

"You went to therapy? How was it?"

"It was all King Micah's idea. When I agreed, he pulled some strings to get me an appointment before I could back out. He's still trying to convince Glimmer, and I think he was hoping to talk to you about it today. It was nice to feel heard. The therapist I got is supposed to be some of the best in the country. They seem pretty nice."

"Micah seems wise. Wait, but Glimmer won't do it?"

"You know Glimmer - but Micah reckons there's a lot she has to talk about. Intergenerational trauma is probably common in the princesses. Anyways, Catra will probably refuse, too."

Bow and Adora got busy laying flower arrangements and folding napkins. Adora barely had time to wipe her sweaty hands on her dress before Bow's dads, King Micah, Catra and Glimmer poured into the room. Glimmer was smiling and nodding along to Bow's dads' sentences like a proper hostess. In these moments, where Glimmer was using the correct fork out of five and was sitting with perfectly poised posture, Adora remembered that Glimmer had grown up as royalty, trained for hospitality.

"How was the journey?" Adora asked eagerly.

"Worth it," Lance remarked. "The castle is so beautiful. It's so nice to see you all."

"You as well," Glimmer said graciously.

Catra's eyes lit up. Her eyes looked caramel under the chandelier. It was hard to focus, looking at her. "It's so fancy, isn't it?"

"Every piece of it is like art," said George.

"It's so interesting - everywhere you look is brimming with history," Adora agreed.

"After dinner, I can show you around, dad," Bow added, looking up from his casserole.

Glimmer was in deep discussion with Micah from beside them about what sounded like the properties of honeydew and how "terrible" it tastes.

"I think honeydew is okay," Adora chimed in.

Good-natured arguing erupted across the table. Bow agreed with Adora's stance, but Glimmer found it ridiculous. Adora supposed that it was nice for her to have something in common with her father.

On the other side of the table, Catra was sipping water from a wine glass, her fingers wrapped around the surface. They were lean and thin, and the way she waved them as she proclaimed her opinion on some matter she couldn't quite hear made them look deft and masterful. Adora tried not to imagine the implications of this, tuning back into the conversation.

"Honeydew is just a filler fruit! It's just something they add to make the salad feel more full. It doesn't actually add anything of value to the fruit salad," Glimmer insisted.

"I think it adds something," Adora disagreed.

"Just because it exists does not mean it needs to be involved in everything," Glimmer's polite demeanour was slipping.

It seemed that having family visiting would not derail their silent vengefulness. Adora huffed, leaning forward.

"I think honeydew has a right to be there," Adora punctuated this sentence with an intentionally forceful slash of her knife into her steak.

"And I think I have the right to decide what goes in my salad," Glimmer narrowed her eyes.

George furrowed his eyebrows incredulously. "I'll take your honeydew if you want."

Glimmer blinked, the hard look on her face slipping away in seconds. "Of course, thank you."

She scraped the leftover honeydew from her plate with a sheepish smile.

"So, how's work going?"

"Really well, actually. With our newfound contact with other planets and societies, there's more history to be explored than we could ever imagine. It makes a lot of things make sense, you know. For example, we were in contact with some historians on Planet Red, and it seems that there are a lot of common folk tales between our societies that were born before Mara hid Etheria. It's interesting that we speak a lot of the same languages. She Ra is native to Etheria, of course. The professionals back on Planet Red seem to find She Ra very interesting, though. All of this new knowledge is riveting."

Adora turned towards George, nodding along to his dissertation. "She Ra? You know, I bet there's so much we don't know about her, yet. In the final battle, I got way stronger than I ever knew."

"Yes," Lance chimed in. "There's so much to learn."

"And so much time to figure it all out," Bow smiled gratefully.

Adora nodded. It was so nice to not be working against time.

"So, what have you learned about Planet Red, so far?" Adora asked.

Lance delved into their research, again. "Mrs. Lancaster on Planet Red was trying to translate this old text - they've been trying for upwards of ten years - but the funny thing is that it's First One's runes! So you'd likely be able to read it, Adora."

"Woah, really? Do you think I could try?" Adora responded excitedly.

"If you're up to it, of course!" George proclaimed.

"I would love to!"

The next hour or so consisted of George and Lance delving into their jobs' details and stories. Adora was intrigued. Bow's dads had such an interesting job. It held such different skills than the physical strength that she'd prioritized for most of her life, both in the Horde and as She Ra.

Across the table, Catra and King Micah were exchanging anecdotes. Bow and Glimmer were listening intently. Adora was enjoying herself.

"Look at the pineapple-upside-down cake I made! Dad used to make it all the time, so I thought I'd recreate it," Bow grinned.

"It looks almost as good as his," George quipped, elbowing Lance lightly.

"Time to try it!" Glimmer gazed at the cake hungrily.

Although they had eaten mounds of food so far, Adora was ready to dig into a slice. Seeing everyone's smiles around the table, the argument at lunch temporarily forgotten, Adora hoped they had more dinners like these.

Once they finished their cake, the group followed Bow up the stairs to see the castle in all of its glory. They peppered Micah, Bow and Glimmer with castle-related inquiries. Micah seemed happy to answer them. With his carefully administered charm, it seemed he had cottoned on to the group's efforts to get Bow's dads to like them. It seemed, though Micah hadn't spent much time with them, that he was already part of their little family.

"Yes, over here is where I used to look in the mirror before I left for somewhere when I didn't have enough time to get ready," Micah made a show of pretending to fix his hair in the mirror. "Not exactly historical, but worth knowing."

"Equally valuable information," George quipped.

The parents continued to laugh amongst themselves as they walked around. Catra exchanged grins with the Royal Guards she saw along the journey. Adora made a mental note to ask about it later. Trying to break the awkward silence between Glimmer and herself, she scoured her brain for something to say.

"It's nice that your parents get along so well," Adora said, finally.

"Yeah," Glimmer agreed. "If only my mom were here."

Adora's heart dropped. She nodded, turning forward.

"You don't have to pretend it never happened, you know."

"Okay," Adora responded meekly. "I miss her."

It was true. Adora wished Queen Angela could see how Glimmer had grown.

"Me, too."

They continued strolling slowly, the sounds of the people around them muffled as if they were in a bubble. All Adora felt was quiet.

"Yo, Sparkles!" Catra called from the other end of the hallway. "Bow said he could be persuaded on the... you-know-what front!"

"You-know-what?" Glimmer asked.

Catra leaned in close, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Weed."

"I thought we were joking about that," Glimmer said out of the corner of her mouth.

At Catra and Adora's incredulous faces, she added, "I'm not opposed to it, though."

"Sounds good to me."

"Okay, enough discussing this in front of every parental figure in our lives," Glimmer decided. She raced forward to talk to Micah.

Adora laced her fingers into Catra's, smiling. It was hard to look her in the eye. She looked so intoxicating. Catra gave her a confused look at her insistence to look forward. At Adora's incessant flush, the smug look from earlier that day returned to her face. Catra leered, edging on predatory, as she stopped walking to lean closer to Adora. She held her breath, finally getting the moment she had been aching for since this afternoon. She fluttered her eyes shut, tilting her head. But the kiss never came. Instead, she felt a hand brushing her hair behind her ear. The sensation, however simple and innocent, travelled in little lightning bolts all along her body.

Soon, they were all in the hallway outside where they would be sleeping. It was much too late to make the trek back to Bow's dads' residence, or so Glimmer said. In all truth, it would be a very easy trip. Either way, Adora was glad for their presence. All Adora was really thinking about, though, was bringing Catra back to their room. Somewhere in the back of her head, the most logical portion, the excitement of the opportunity George and Lance had mentioned lingered.

"So, about talking to Planet Red's historians..."

"Maybe you could head up to our office next week?" George asked.

Adora's face split into a grin. "I'll be there!"

The knawing worry of what happens now faded for just a moment. Right now, she had a family of people she loved, and a goal. Something to pursue, to learn about. It felt like, finally, the suffocating hold the war had on her every moment had begun to lighten. She felt like she was finally starting to moving on.

Without further ado, she finally led Catra back into her room. As soon as she shut the door, she used the grip she had on Catra's hand to push her against the door with the full force of her pent-up frustrations. Their bodies were flush against each other, Catra's smug smirk wilting. Adora could feel her fast-paced heartbeat. Adora hadn't noticed before, but now she felt Catra's hand along her hipbone.

"Not so bold now, are you?" Adora teased. She couldn't help it. Just a few seconds ago she was as cocky and in charge as ever, only to look as desperate as Adora was as soon as Adora got close.

"I'll show you bold," Catra muttered. "I noticed you all day, watching me like that. Bet you were hoping for this, hm? But not this, exactly."

In a move straight out of Horde training, she flipped them as easily as you would a coin, Adora was pushed against the wall, chest against Catra's. Her confidence was striking. Their inexperience showed in Catra's hidden hesitancy, the way her eyes dragged all along Adora's face, checking if she really was hoping for this. She must have found what she was searching for though because her smug smile was returning.

"You like this better," Catra insisted, her hot breath in Adora's ear and all along her throat. It was just like Catra to continue her quips when all Adora wanted to do was kiss her.

"No," Adora insisted, though the growing tingling in her cunt said otherwise. It was futile to lie to Catra, though. They knew each other's signals too well.

"Don't lie, Adora."

Adora would rather die than admit it. She tugged Catra closer instead, pressing their lips together. Her chest was pressed against Adora's, and the impossible softness was hard to ignore as they kissed. For several long moments, all Adora did was soak up the feeling, before Catra began leading her backwards without untangling herself from Adora. Soon, Adora was in her lap, atop her thigh, her cunt pressed against the skin. The feeling sent her into overdrive, her heart stopping for a second. She pressed her knee lightly into Catra's core, breaking away from the kiss. She didn't move it but raised an eyebrow in question.

When Catra nodded desperately, doing it several more times than needed, Adora laughed lightly. She pulled her knee forward, rolling lightly. When Catra answered with a shaky breath, Adora did it again, and again and again. After a little white, the breaths turned to light noises, sending sparks all along Adora's body. The light friction of Adora's thrusts had her breaths quickening too, the movement of Catra's thigh against her going straight to her cunt.

Catra's head fell back in pleasure, biting her lip to make less noise, knowing that there were people in the rooms nearby. Adora was trying hard not to moan.

"Adora..." Catra murmured.

The sound made her heart fill with affection and lust from the thought that she had reduced her to this state.

Adora tried to answer with Catra's name, but all that came out was a noise. "Ngghh."

Adora placed one more well-aimed thrust, and Catra let out a series of small whimpers, her eyes fluttering closed in bliss. Her grip on Adora's hip lightened. Watching this happen, Adora was quickly sent into the same state, her breathing turning into large pants as she fought to keep her eyes open. The attempt was fruitless, though, and soon she gave in to the waves of pleasure.

When they finally got to sleep, Catra's hand was tucked under her ear. She seemed to like that spot.