Gods fucking above, even the decorations mocked Nikhail, reminding him that this wasn’t just any celebration. Most people who threw a Winter Solstice party would just string some twinkly lights around the room and call it a day, but not Tertia Waterborn.
The palatial ballroom was dripping with decorations, and even though Nikhail never professed to care much about interior decorating, he could safely say the ballroom was absolutely stunning.
Seven silver chandeliers hung from the domed roof, dripping in sparkling crystals. Garlands of the same color stretched from one wall to the next. Lavish silver bows hung beneath each windowsill. Sparkling lights were strung from the ceiling, artfully draped over the entire ballroom.
Sitting on a raised platform in the corner of the ballroomwas a ten-piece stringed orchestra. Even the musicians’ instruments were silver, matching the elegant theme.
The most stunning of all the decorations was the enormous evergreen tree that sat on the edge of the dance floor. Several stories tall, the top of the tree came close to brushing the domed roof.
The tradition of decorating trees for Winter Solstice was an old fae one. While many of their ancient customs had been lost since the Great Migration, this one persisted. A remnant of the days when their kind had been divided into elemental courts, decorating a Solstice tree was one of the ways the fae remained connected to their homeland.
And this wasn’t just any Winter Solstice tree. This was the most lavish one Nikhail had ever seen. Silver and blue glass bulbs dangled from the branches. Glistening white lights were twisted around the tree, twinkling like stars in a cloudless night sky. Blown glass in the shape of water droplets reminded the guests whose home they were in.
As if anyone could forget. Only a Representative would have a tree that looked like it belonged inFae Weekly.
Nikhail pulled out his phone and snapped a picture, sending it in his family chat to his mother and sisters.
Three bubbles popped up immediately, indicating that someone was replying.
Laney
Ooo, is that your tree?
As if. They all knew he could never afford that.
No, it’s the Waterborns. *eyeroll emoji* I’m at their Winter Solstice celebration.
Laney
*clinking wine glass emoji* *party hat emoji* Fancy, Nikky. Very fancy.
He made a face at his youngest sister’s nickname for him. He’d told them to stop calling him that hundreds of times, that he didn’t like it, but they never listened.
Before he could reply, his phone buzzed again.
Mama
Such a beautiful tree. It looks like a lovely get-together; the Representative has outdone herself. Please send more pictures later. I miss you.
Nikhail bit the inside of his lip, shame burning his stomach. In all the years since he’d moved away from Barren Ridge, his mother’s request never changed—more pictures, please.
Her requests used to annoy him. Why did she want so many pictures of him? Didn’t she understand that he did the same thing nearly every day? Military life was full of schedules, and he liked it that way.
After a few years of living apart from his family, though, he finally understood where his mother was coming from. She was just trying to stay connected to him. It must’ve been hard, having her only son living so far away from her.
At least she had his sisters. It was odd for fae to have three children in such a short time frame, and Nikhail often wondered if that was why his father had left. If he hadn’t been able to handle the responsibility of having so many children so close in age.
Once Nikhail had realized that his mother just cared about him, he tried to send her pictures and updates regularly.
Laurie
*angry face emoji* *trashcan emoji*
Gods, you’d think the Waterborns would find a better use for their money. This country is filled with people living in fucking poverty…
He hadn’t reached the end of the message before another one popped up.
Mama