#i hold a massive wedding adjacent party for all my friends a stuff

[melted-snowperson]

tis i which, being aroace ig makes sense XD

Stolen from twitter bc I need to see everyone's answers

[a-gay-bloodmage]

—Princess—

Pairing: Sera x Female Trevelyan

Pairing Type: F/F

Words: 2,227

Warnings: Okay This Was Cute, Orlesian Parties Call For Princess-y Dresses Okay, Vivienne is a Very Good Friend, and has a Great Eye For Good Ball Dresses

Sure, Kiora had a fancy-pants last name, but Sera didn't think of her as a nob. She was magic, first of all, and she was a little dopey and dumb and sweet and nothing like the shrewd bastards with razor-sharp gazes she allegedly came from.

Kiora always wore robes that fit just right—fabric was stretched to accommodate her big bust, falling gracefully to cover but still show her pudgy tummy, and pulled tight again over wide hips and a perfect butt, the ends of the fabric pooling just a little at her toes. She liked silver jewelry, her dangly silver earrings and pretty silver necklace both decorated with beautiful violet gemstones the same colour as her strange violet eyes. But, for all the beauty that she had, she didn't look noble. She looked like she could stand alongside people like Vivienne, all dolled up for fancy-pants nobles but stuck in robes and gossiped about behind their pretty, magical backs.

Sera honestly never thought she'd see Kiora in anything but her usual clothing.

Halamshiral was one thing, and seeing Kiora in anything but a black or dark purple robe was jarring. She looked horribly uncomfortable in the pants Josephine had forced her into, unable to walk properly for hours. Her usual dark purple eye shadow and lip colour didn't really go with the blue, yellow, and red, but Sera knew she needed something to tie the horrible outfit to her typical getup. The poor little mage was not supposed to be in pants. That was probably Mage Rule Number One. No pants, ever.

After Coryphe-whatsit was dead, and the Mage-Templar war was, for the most part, ended, a lot of nobles were aching to meet the chubby little mage that had closed the Breach and saved their asses. Which meant attending parties, and a lot of them. Sera was always on Kiora's arm, her constant companion in the fight against boredom.

And with Sera and Kiora was Vivienne. She loved attending parties with the Inquisitor, and was getting better at tolerating Sera's lack of social graces. Kiora was actually a wonderful student when it came to learning the art of the ballroom, and Vivienne was delighted by the fact. It could've been her thirteen years of nobility before the Circle that made her such a quick learner, but Sera doubted it. Kiora was just naturally a passive people-pleaser—something nobles loved powerful mages to be.

"Alright, my dear," Vivienne said, clasping her hands together. "Duke Délavé will expect our darling Inquisitor to be in only the finest of dresses!"

Kiora audibly groaned, making Sera laugh. The two of them were bored out of their minds—especially Sera. She didn't want to go to some fancy ball thrown by some fancy Orlesian nob.

Vivienne sighed, shaking her head. Her smile was still present under her exasperation. She liked Kiora a lot despite the younger mage's soft indifference to most of her lessons. Kiora liked spending time with Vivienne, not nobles. "Well, my dear, remember that appearance is as powerful as any magic," Vivienne said, her hands on Kiora's shoulders. She directed Kiora's gaze into the mirrors in front of them. Her soft, dark brown hands contrasted sharply with Kiora's pale, waxen skin, holding her like she was a chubby little porcelain doll.

Sera was currently lounging on one of the excessively decorated fainting couches in Duke What's-his-Name's guest bedroom, Kiora's cat Miss Match napping on her stomach. Kiora's cats were great for keeping Sera's hands busy with petting while she was forced to sit through boring little talks. Well, she wasn't actually forced to be here, she just wanted to see what nonsense Vivienne would put Kiora in.

"Aren't my robes nice enough?" Kiora asked, looking down at her chest. They were beautiful, really, their dark colour and flowy fabric. Sera couldn't help but say something in her lady's defense.

"Yeah, Viv," she said, making the cat on her stomach wake up with a little murp sound. "She's already friggin' beautiful. Why stuff her in some fancy-pants dress?"

Vivienne raised a perfect eyebrow. "Everything in a court is about appearance, dear Sera," she said. "Have you never paid a second of attention?" Her light eyes quickly flickered over Sera's body. "It's obvious you've never applied my advice."

Sera rolled her eyes. Who cares what some nob-ish mage thinks? She thought, sticking her tongue out. "Whatever. It's not like she has to climb some dumb social ladder. She's the Inquisitor."

Kiora nodded in agreement.

Vivienne sighed, leaning a little more of her weight onto the shorter mage. "Well, it could be fun, then," she said, her full, pretty lips quirking up in a smile. "I won't stuff you into heels, dear."

"Well..." Kiora looked back and smiled at Vivienne. "You haven't led me astray yet, Vivienne..." Vivienne's smile was genuine. "But I will need a cigar first."

• • ♡ • •

Vivienne was mad. Utterly mad.

Sera had come along with her into the massive closet that had been stocked for the noblewomen visiting the Orlesian Duke's court, apparently kept so that those coming from other nations would fit into the Orlesian ballroom. Sera thought it was a whole lot of wasteful nonsense, and Kiora's shock at the mass of dresses seemed to indicate she, too, thought it was absurd. Nobles obviously did everything they could to spend their gold.

"Now," Vivienne said, almost gliding as she pushed Sera and Kiora down deeper into the closet. "Obviously, we'll be sticking to the violets and blacks." Vivienne smiled a little as she shook her head. "What is it you find so fascinating about a funeral's colour scheme?"

Kiora laughed in her adorable, whispery laugh, shrugging. Smoke from her elfroot cigar curled from her pretty purple-painted lips, and made the room smell less like slightly aged fabric and more like incense. "It's comfortable... And it works with my... complexion?"

It was adorable seeing her try to speak Vivienne's language.

"The purple does match your undereyes," Vivienne said, amused. Kiora didn't bother getting offended. "And Sera, dear, do tell me if you see anything that catches your eye."

Sera looked at the light dresses they passed, and figured she'd drown in all the fabric. Her thin frame would hardly fill out all the space nobles left for hips and tits. But they were pretty.

"Oh, Vivienne," Kiora said, halting Sera and Vivienne in their tracks. She had her cigar between her teeth, hands wandering over a lovely bit of purple fabric. Violet silk was mixed with black velvet, pinching it were the waist would be and flaring out, its neckline low and back exposed. As much as Kiora distanced herself from the nobility she came from, it was obvious she was in love.

"That is quite the design," Vivienne remarked, taking the dress from its place among the others and holding it in her hands. Sera was impressed. Someone must have spent forever on the damn thing. She held it up against Kiora's body. "And it does look like it may fit if I pull it right..." She nodded. "Should we look for some secondary options?" The dress was enveloped in a film of white magic, left hovering just behind the Knight Enchanter.

They ended up with two more dresses for Kiora to try on, both of them—of course—violet and black.

As they were walking back to the chambers from the depths of the tulle-filled hell, Sera couldn't help but get her eye caught on something yellow and covered in lace.

Kiora noticed her stall, and stopped to follow Sera's eyes. "Ooh," she cooed, touching the yellow fabric. "Wouldn't she look nice in yellow, Vivienne?"

"She would," Vivienne said, eyes narrowed in thought, staring at Sera as opposed to the dress. She pulled the dress from its placement, letting it hover with the others. There was no way she was finishing this day off without getting stuffed in it.

Kiora wrapped her chubby arms around Sera's slender frame, cigar making the air warm in addition to her body heat. Maker, Kiora was like a human heat pad.

• • ♡ • •

Vivienne kicked Sera out of the room as soon as she made Kiora start trying on her dresses.

Is this what grooms feel like before weddings? She thought, sighing as she laid down on a crevice, holding her dress. Ugh, I just wanna see tadwinks in that dress... After a second, she felt herself blush. Here she was, thinking about wedding stuff. Slow down, Sera.

She felt a sharp little paw on her arm, and looked down to see a chubby little black cat, one green and one blue eye staring at her.

"You got booted out, too?" She asked, laughing a little as she gave the little cat a pat on the head. Miss' sad little meow was an obvious yes. "Viv's so serious about all this nob shite..." She rolled her eyes. Over the years, Sera had gotten along with Vivienne better. Kiora really liked the Knight Enchanter, so Sera sort of got swept along in the liking. Vivienne wasn't that bad. She was just serious about really boring things, and thought Templars were necessary. Kiora had made it obvious they weren't, but they kept their disagreements civil and quiet.

She felt like she was in that hallway for hours before Vivienne finally pulled her into an adjacent room, setting her in front of an equally opulent and ugly Orlesian mirror.

"It's nice to see that perhaps this boyish style of yours can mature, Sera, dear," she said, smiling to either Sera or herself. Probably herself.

"Hey, dresses are cool, just, you know, not for kicking butt," she shrugged. She doubted she would be a good Jenny if she was always tripping over fancy fabric. "So I don't wear 'em."

"Well, I doubt any ass-kicking will happen tonight," Vivienne laughed in her low, rich, courtly laugh. "And if need be, you are accompanied by two very talented mages."

Sera rolled her eyes. She could be as damsel-in-distress-y she wanted with Vivienne and Kiora around.

"Alright, off with the clothes." Vivienne had a talent for making a command sound like a polite inquiry you were compelled to follow. Like Josephine.

"Hey, I'm a committed lady," Sera laughed, easily pulling off her top, then toeing off her boots, then pulling off her leggings. "No wandering eyes, Viv."

"Wouldn't dream of it." She held the yellow dress in her hands, observing it closely and with the eye of a true veteran of the court. "Well built, very slimming and simple," she said to herself, nodding. "Yes, this will do quite well for you." She looked up to Sera and gave a soft smile. "Excellent choice."

Sera hated that Vivienne's praise made her face heat up.

It was a bit of a process to get on the seemingly simple dress, the straps and lace and under layers and all sorts incredibly hard to keep track of. Especially to someone as inexperienced as Sera. Vivienne had to force her to sit to brush her messy blonde hair, apply neat charcoal around her eyes, and oil to her lips. It was hardly a touch of makeup, but when Sera looked in the mirror, she hardly recognized herself. She looked almost wealthy, like a dressed-up doll.

She really wanted to see what Kiora looked like, but Vivienne said she'd have to wait until the ball.

What utter bullshit.

• • ♡ • •

Sera rushed into the ballroom as fast as she could, not caring about how many offended nobles she nearly bumped into. She had to find her tadwinks.

A bob of unusually smooth black hair caught her eye, and she bolted over.

"Tadwinks!"

Kiora turned around, and smiled open-mouthed when she saw Sera.

"You... look like a princess!" They both said at the same time, standing dead still.

"Sera! Your dress!" Kiora was in awe, her hands on Sera after a second, feeling the soft fabric and lace. "It's beautiful! You're beautiful!" Her voice was still that sleepy whisper, but it was obvious she was excited.

"Speak for yourself!" Sera laughed, grabbing Kiora's soft, round face. Vivienne had made an attempt to fix Kiora's messy eyebrows, and her makeup was incredible. Smoky purple eye shadow, slightly powered face, blushing cheeks, and dark violet lips. Her silver earrings dangled amongst her brushed hair.

Her long silver necklace laid against her large chest, falling just above her generous cleavage. The dress' neckline showed off said cleavage wonderfully, and her shoulders were on display in all their wonderful softness. Her waist curved in a little more than usual, and the dress flared out in violet silk until it pooled on the floor.

She really did look like a princess. A beautiful, beautiful princess.

They spent the rest of the night ignoring nobles and convincing Vivienne to dance with them, no matter how bad they were. When Kiora spun, her dress flared out. And Sera really liked to spin her.

She was winded and covered in dark purple lipstick by the time the party winded down, her mask-less face showing off the princess's kisses to the most jealous Orlesians she'd ever seen. Sera's princess was hers and hers alone, and she was quite planning on keeping it that way forever.