✧ Frankenriyah

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Frankenriyah

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Halloween night and Briariyah still didn’t have a proper costume yet. Wouldn’t be the first time for him not to have one. As he sat in his royal chambers of the master palace in the centre of Ceriàthere, he pondered. And ponder he did.

“I could go as a low effort ghost.” 

“No, too simple. Which of course it is, it’s low effort. Hm, maybe the stereotypical demon?”

“No, too cliche. What can I go as that I haven't done before?”

     He stood up slowly from his bed and made his way to one of his high windows and opened the heavy yet velvety maroon red curtains that adorned them. Even from the windows and his high place in the palace, he could smell the air outside ripe with sweet smells of just opened candy, festival food and excitement. Briariyah sighed idly and opened his curtains more to let the moonlight shine through as he turned around in his dimly lit chambers.

     Even the palace seemed quite excited with all the humbuzz wafting through the air from gossiping yet excited servants to rustles of skirts, blankets and more most likely being altered to go with this year’s spooky theme. “Why couldn’t mère and père go with a ball?That would’ve saved me a ton.” Grumbled the now annoyed Briariyah as he looked at his masquerade mask from years prior.

     While wallowing in annoyance and wracking his brain, he was startled by a knock at his doors. His secondary gem glowed brightly at its wearer being startled before he called out, “Enter.” After a few moments, the heavy doors opened to showcase a maid of the palace, her long dark red maid dress swishing over her form as she stepped fully into the chambers. “Crescent Red.” She said in greeting, bowing as the commonwealth tends to do, yet Briariyah wanted her to get to the point, “Yes. Hi. Hello. What is it?” He waved a paw in the air, eyelids lowering in more irritation. While he didn’t mind the formal greeting in the slightest, he wasn’t feeling it tonight.

     The maid, recognizing the annoyed tone in her prince’s voice, stood straight quickly and asked while fixing her skirts. “Are you attending the festivities, your highness?” She cocked her head to the right slightly, truly intrigued by what Briariyah had to say on the matter. When not a word was spoken once more, she added, “They’ll have pumpkin curry?” It was an effort to try and get the visibly annoyed and most likely stressed snugzi prince to speak. After what seemed like more than 30 minutes, Briariyah finally said, “I plan on going. I plan to go with a friend. I just…need a costume and I’m fresh dry out of ideas.” He looked up at her, horns twinkling in the moonlight, “Maybe you can help me, yeah?”

He wanted to go out, his parents have been trying to get him out of his chambers and not be a ‘hermit’, whatever that meant, so he wanted this to be worthwhile. This year has been chaotic for the Everlunes, why shouldn’t they - and by proxy himself - shouldn’t indulge a little. The maid turned her blue eyes up to the high ceiling in a thinking manner, hands lightly clasped in front of her as she thought. “Mmmm….” She mused as if trying to figure out what the prince would go well as, but also keep him comfortable through the whole night ordeal.

“Maybe an angel? That could work considering your heritage.”

“I’ve done that 2 years ago.

“Ok, well, how about a vampire?”

“Did that 3 years ago.”

The maid sighed and shook her head, “ A pumpkin maybe?” Briariyah rested his elbows on his knees, his long blanket tail curled around him. “You sound like my parents with that suggestion.” The maid closed her eyes and said with a forced cheerful lilt, “Well. Do you have a suggestion, young highness?” Briariyah deadpanned at the maid before turning to the door once more when another maid - most likely one eavesdropping - made her presence known and said with a chuckle.

“Well, young highness, you didn’t do skeleton yet.”

     Briariyah paused briefly and considered the second maid’s statement. He hadn’t done a skeleton yet, which was unknown to him why he didn’t. It was very iconic after all. He opened his mouth to speak until the first maid chimed in, thankful for her fellow servant’s suggestion, “That does sound wonderful! Or. Or. Maybe his highness can go as a zombie. Or Frankenstein this year. He hadn’t done those either.” 

Briariyah sat there for a moment, considering their suggestions and raised his eyes of white to look at them with a pondering expression just as his mother, Queen Aseria, walked in. The queen looked absolutely dashing with her pastel orange dress that had lines reminiscent of pumpkin lines and black veil connected to the golden Lerlune Diadem. Her dark red eyes twinkled curiously as if she wanted to know what exactly the conversation was about.

     The maids curtsied promptly at the queen’s arrival before briefing her on what they were talking about, eyes bright with intrigue on what her majesty’s take would be on their ideas and her son’s overall annoyed yet thinking state. She crossed her arms slightly, eyebrows furrowed as she thought about the suggestions. She had to agree with the maids; Briariyah had not done a skeleton, zombie or frankenstein. Which was unusual as those three were usually the top three contenders in the popularity vote by far in the kingdom. “Hm.” Was all she offered in terms of a response.

     Briariyah turned towards his mother, tilting his head slightly in curiosity at what she had to say before Aseria chuckled, eyes twinkling all the while. “Well, I think you’d make a cute frankenstein, sweetheart.” Briariyah deadpanned at his mother’s choice of costume before standing up, cracking his back as he did so. “Guess mother chose. May as well begin. We best hurry, I really don’t want to miss the pumpkin curry. It’s always best when hot.” 

     The process to getting the prince halloween-ready was quite long. Briariyah had helped create a patchwork suit for himself to wear; which was a mix of dark reds and golds to compliment his overall style but the temporary dying of fur was going to be challenging; both to dye and clean off. But he decided he needed to be in character and went with dying his fur a temporary deathly grey colour with other colours, much to everyone’s amusement and slight apprehension to the inevitable mess they will have to clean. The blanket had gained a temporary cosmetic update - peelable stitching. It was to further sell the illusion of a being put together of various parts from various places. Cosmetic bolts were popped around his neck and blanket to further sell the illusion and finally, after a good few hours of preparations, final changes and adjustments, Briariyah was ready to join the festivities and in his honest opinion, he thought he looked very snazzy and quite comfortable for a very long night of spooky fun.