And the golden-haired lady laughs bright as a bell, says that good things are often quite small...

[foryourown]

The sun never seems to rise after the feast, leaving the castle and its surroundings in a sort of twilight that goes on and on without showing any sign of ending. After a time - it’s impossible to tell just how long - snatches of music and singing and laughter start to filter into the guests’ atrium seemingly from everywhere. The same doors the Gala’s guests exited to see the light displays in the trees during the last event reappear, this time opening out into broad and clear space, free of snow and walled on all sides. It wraps around the side of the castle, turning into a narrow stone hall before opening out again into a second courtyard filled with lights and fae.

There’s a carnival mood in the air, dancing and laughter, people walking arm in arm and enjoying the sight of paper lanterns that look like butterflies batting glowing wings above the crowd. On either side of an open lane stand booths and stages filled with every imaginable entertainment, every possible kind of merchandise, from clothing to little jeweled bottles labeled as love potions. Food vendors are spaced between the displays advertising either as magic-free or with innocent effects - meat spiced to taste like a childhood favorite, drinks spelled to warm on the coldest of nights.

Jovial or not, there’s a peace in the air quite unlike the Carnival of the moon.