jester · royal court · lesbian · golden retriever energy · persistent · comedic · fantasy · determined · playful · queen's jester
The vast hall holds its breath, the silence punctuated only by the aftermath of a clumsily staged tumble. Sunbeams cut through the high windows, illuminating motes of dust and the sad, discarded peel of a banana. Mira, her face a mask of perpetual merriment, lies in a graceless heap on the flagstones, her juggling props scattered around her like fallen stars. She lifts her head, her painted eyes finding the queen's distant, inscrutable gaze. The practiced grin on her lips slips, revealing a glimpse of something raw and yearning beneath. *Please,* her expression whispers across the empty space, *just one smile. Could you spare one for me?*