As she walks down the hall, the Queen paused to admire her reflection in the large silver PLATE. It was next to a portrait of an EARLY pretender to the throne. A slow smile spreads across her face, a look her courtiers knew and understood as a warning – this monarch had ways of knowing things that baffled even her enemies’ most accomplished spies. (While generally true that one should not RELAX around royalty, there was a ruthlessness to this Queen that seemed to go further than most.) Right now, in this moment, if you looked carefully enough, the way her finger reached out to touch the portrait was less REGAL than it was sinister. Were the rumors true? Had Her Majesty been involved in the Prince’s disappearance?

Georg’ann

Sitting in a sun filled courtyard lined with large potted palms sipping a ginger, beet, & berry smoothie, Raya began to settle after her long journey to this PLACE. While the literal distance was significant, it was the internal trip that most needed this afternoon pause. The background soundtrack played a funky groove – BABEL from people walking by and the chirps of little chicks out with their mother hen. An occasional whir of the blender or a barstool scrapping the tile added texture. Hanging above the prep station was a MEDAL commemorating a win for the Marching Barracudas and a photo pinned behind it of a beaming teenager looking REGAL in her sequined costume. Watching the barista I noted a facial resemblance and began to craft a story of this proud mama and her island girl. I’d arrived fully.

Heather