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[daminiqs]

DAMINI @ EBHAN WEDDING, UDAIPUR + STOCKHOLM

ok so.

top left: mehendi - green saree, you can see the design she got on her hands

bottom left: haldi - yellow saree, it’s stylish to wear yellow at haldi’s these days

center: sangeet - went a lil sexy w the lehenga bc of the dancing and performances, was v impressed w ebba’s mum <3

right (pt. 1): wedding - a champagne and pink and orange lehenga, more traditional for the actual ceremony, she can’t believe her lil chotu is finally married!

right (pt. 2): reception - indowestern, and no tiara bc hyderabadi royals don’t really do that

[daminiqs]

{ SC }

“Is that about the fact that more earthquakes happen here than anywhere else in the world? If so, I was concerned about that myself.” But for the sake of putting her mind at peace, she has chosen to think the same way that Damini did. “I hope so. I’m not ready to deal with yet another natural disaster this soon.”, she admitted. “Unfortunately, I think we have a long way to go until we achieve stability in that sense. And yes, I’ve been trying but it gets harder everyday. Are things better on your end?“

.

“ unfortunately, we are helpless against the whims of nature - so many powerful people in the program, and yet they are nothing to rocks and tremors as we’ve managed to learn. ” it’s a discomforting and jarring realization that had made her feel quite small and inconsequential; work offers some semblance of control that she is grateful for. “ asia’s political atmosphere is certainly less volatile, but as i’m sure you’ve noticed certain countries have vested interests in how the situation in europe unfolds. worries about unnecessary violence aside, i find myself concerned about the economic impact. ”

[daminiqs]

{ MG }

“It’s nice to see you again, your Grace,” Mimi smiles. –And she almost means it, this time! Despite the terribly early hour - about half ten in the morning - she was rested and ready for their meeting. She’d been hungover last time, and probably would have been completely out of her depth even stone sober…She was still out her depth, of course, but better at hiding it. “I’m so sorry I had to cancel our last meeting; my father’s been very unwell, I had to take some time away from the programme.” Both of those things were true, but completely unrelated to one another. “Perhaps I should have stayed away a few more weeks! –I hope you didn’t lose too much in the quake?” @daminiqs​

.

“i’m glad to speak with you again, as well,” damini greets, settling across from the princess and smoothing her dupatta across her lap. “i’m sorry to hear that about your father, your highness -- i am sure he appreciated having you by his side.” head tilts in consideration. damini had lost nothing of note, but when she thinks to the strain in mihir’s voice when she had visited home... “we were lucky to come out of that mostly unscathed -- and how have you been since the earthquake? have you been able to settle in alright here?”

[daminiqs]

{ SC }

After giving the waiter who served them a smile and a quick thank you as well, Stefania waited as her cup of matcha green tea warmed up. “It has been, yes, but everything has been manageable so far.” And she had her chief of staff to thank for that. “The move actually took away some of my stress by giving my daughter a sense of safety again.” Hopefully, it will take long for the young Polish princess to feel afraid again. “How have you been?”

.

“i have heard some concern about the location still, but,” damini pauses with a delicate sip from her cup. “i am sure they have improved their emergency protocols.” she nods encouragingly. “that is good to hear, children need stability.” it’s a charitable reason to give for her decision to put mihir in a boarding school. “well, not only children. the state of affairs in europe are quite complicated right now -- you’ve been navigating quite carefully, i believe,” she continues, voice warm.

[daminiqs]

{ ft. @stcfvnia​ }

the café the two women had ventured out to was quiet, off the beaten path and apparently home to a green tea others raved about, that damini was keen to try. the waiter places their drinks before them and the duchess thanks them with a crystalline smile. “ it has been a busy few months for you, ” she remarks, once they’ve passed the niceties. “ i hope the move didn’t add more stress. ”

[daminiqs]

{ RT }

RIGHT FOOT FORWARD, and hands loosely in his pockets, he takes a stride in, gaze scanning the apartment, noting what’s unfinished, where all her little touches are.   ❝   how is she ? you’ve seen her ?   ❞

“ she is doing well, bit of a flare up in her knee but happy to be spoiling her nathi before his school starts again  -- and now, mihir is refusing to study for the board exams, besharam, because his so dearest dada-moshai has said he won’t have to look for a job ever since we have the tea farms, ” damini replies, filling the space between them before it can be filled with quiet; she doesn’t want their radio silence of weeks prior to make a reappearance. passport is tucked into a small purse and she comes back before him. “ did you see aunty after everything? ”

[daminiqs]

{ RT } 

THE BUILDING HAS THAT UNMISTAKEABLE AROMA  of newness, strangers hurrying past him with metal beams or paint buckets or large wrapped rolls of fabric. it’s a good thing there is a buzzer, rapping any door with his knuckles won’t drown out the noise. when the door opens, it’s his back she sees first before he turns.   ❝   mandir aaoge ?  ahana didi has a call she wanted to come, but she can’t make it. driver can be ready in ten minutes.   ❞  /.  @daminiqs​

she’d stopped home for her layover on the way to tokyo, assured family that she was indeed safe and sound, promised to call every evening ( only until they were less anxious, she didn’t have the time to be indulging that for long ) and finally made her way to her new space. breath hitches when she opens the door, gaze scanning his features with concern. he was fine -- he was literally standing before her -- and yet, damini can’t help the hand that reaches up to touch his cheek. the movement is quickly corrected into grabbing her jacket. “ haan chalte hain, mummy still nags about all this puja paath and griha pravesh as if i have all the free time in the world. ” she pauses. “ andhir aao? i just need to get my purse and passport. ”

[daminiqs]

{ RY }

“At this rate this whole makeshift infirmary will be filled with people who have cuts.” He had already given out more band-aids than he had managed to count. “I think we should send the people who can walk and talk away and make sure there’s space and  supplies for the seriously injured.” ( the resort ! idk mainly for the first aid team i suppose but open for all ! )

“ if you are looking for permission to triage the patients, you have it. ” damini glances around, head tilting side to side in agreement. she notes how many simply look exhausted rather than injured. “ maybe we should create a self-serve station right outside of the space for the minor cuts and bruises. whoever watches that can gatekeep our more limited supplies -- would you like to volunteer for the job? ”

[daminiqs]

{ AS }

“Mother’s day is always an excellent opportunity to convince any unwilling family members to participate in whatever activities you want.”  A tactic which her children were too young to really need at the moment, but one which she was not above using in the future.  “How interesting ﹔ learning how the procedures differ, or how little they do, is an intriguing prospect.”  That was one of the most enjoyable parts of spending time in different cultures, though she had not spent much time exploring that avenue of thought recently.  “I am currently planning on participating in the wine tasting and Argentine Spanish 101, so it seems our paths will most likely not pass. There is always the Sunday banquet, however.”

“ we shall have to see -- perhaps there is an opportunity for a cross-cultural collaboration here. i believe there are high-end perfume festivals in cannes and elsewhere, but perhaps a touring festival more locally oriented to stimulate small businesses, ” damini muses aloud, confident the korean duchess would rather discuss business ventures than any further discussion of the amenities. “ ah, i must admit i am a little disappointed -- your company is always a pleasure. but the banquet sounds perfect. i’ll be waiting to learn from you which wine to pair with my dinner and how to request it from the waiter. ”

[daminiqs]

{ ft. @violettegrimaldi​ / saturday, perfume workshop }

“ is that tuberose? or jasmine, your highness? oh no, i think my nose needs a scent palate cleanser, i can’t tell these flowers apart anymore. ”

[daminiqs]

{ VV }

“ THE WATER WAS RUNNING A QUARTER AGO. ” why ? why had they gone to this stupid resort this weekend ? “ let’s send someone to the kitchen. they have to have industrial sized pots. ” someone young and athletic with too much information could serve as the messenger. “ who are you waiting to return ? ”

“ that would be most helpful, ” damini agrees, mentally adding it to her own checklist. the russian was her elder after all, she wouldn’t task the duchess with running down their makeshift nurses. “ the rajasthani prince and the rajkumari, ahana -- but she has gone looking for him and the others. they can’t come back soon enough. is one of your loved ones missing too? ” 

[daminiqs]

{ AC }

“ my mother is a born rajput, she would do the same, not stay in an ivory tower like i have been kept. ”  it is a convenient thing for ahana to say, she has never really had an affinity to the rajput creed, raised far away in the privilege of the elite delhi lifestyle. the only thing that might resonate with rajputs here is the lack of fear. this is no emotional move, it is more calculated than she is making it seem. if she triumphs in this search, only good things will come out of it — if she gets injured, she will be a martyr, without actually having to die. besides, in a situation like this amongst other royals, it is a better way to be seen, to influence. these are different times, some creativity is needed. for just a sliver more credibility in the indian court, and with rajasthanis, she is willing to suffer the risk. damini’s reaction will be the first test to see if the preliminary net cast will snag anything. “ dekho, aap badi hain. i don’t wish to pull rank, but i will if i have to. i have my wits about me and limber limbs still. you will stay here, you will patch people up. you will be the picture of kindness. they will appreciate you. given who else is doing first aid, it shouldn’t be difficult. ”  her tone is calm, gentle as always, but the assertion is unmistakeable.  .

“ i have no doubts of your capability, your highness, but you are also a chauhan and next in line for the crown. ” upholding both her warrior mother’s heritage and her father’s royal line is a dance the crown princess had to learn the steps to from a very young age. but damini has always been on the outside -- cousin, wife, companion, mother to thrones, never born to one -- with a sharper eye towards the plays they made even if she demurred when it came to giving her opinion. “ we do not need another jhansi ki rani, ” she observes, though she knew her homeland would shower a perceived heroine with fabulous displays of adoration. “ but of course, aapki hukum sar aankhon par, rajkumari. whatever you think is best. ”  ahana isn’t wrong with her line of thinking, though damini might have placed her in the front hall to organize the search efforts, thus ensuring both her safety and the best use of her skills. “ i will not tell you to take care of yourself as i am sure you are well aware of what would be lost if anything happened to you. what else do you need to take with you, rajkumari? i’ll make sure you are adequately supplied. ”

[daminiqs]

vhvnv​:

“ it’s better i go than you do. ”  if more of their staff were around, if any of the indian palaces heard about this, they would never let the future queen step out of the building in this situation. but she is younger than damini, it is the proper way.  “ rohan will be fine. he is used to this, and worse. if he does need help we’ll find him. ”  [ @daminiqs ]​

damini is quick to shake her head. “ you are the rajkumari, the rani and rohan both will have my head if anything were to happen to you. ” the duchess must protest against ahana’s favored line of action given that she’s the heir to a throne. “ i know, ” she nods, though she cannot hide the dubious tone of her voice. “ but both of you are indispensable. let me go, your highness. ”

[daminiqs]

{ OKZ }

he would be keeping an eye out for everybody, there’s really no other answer he can give besides to listen and nod. ❛   rohan talwar from rajasthan. and the swiss ?   ❜  what could she possibly want with the swiss ?   ❛   i will do my best — would you have spare bandages ? are  we low already ?  ❜  

“ thank you, ” damini sighs, aware that it was somewhat selfish to request for her loved ones when nearly everyone at the resort was in a similar position. she tilts her head uncertainly. “ we’re still checking the resort of more supplies, but if you need them i’ll certainly distribute more among the search teams. ” they would be providing the first response medical assistance, after all. “ are you...are you trained in any of this? ”

[daminiqs]

{ AS }

Areum takes the greeting as agreement and places her own drink on the nearby side table before sitting down next to the other.  “I have, thank you, your grace. My daughters and I had a spa morning and even they were more calm afterwards, which says something about the staff’s skill. Are you attending any of the workshops?”

“ oh that sounds so lovely! i should convince mihir to do something like that with me -- he’d have to indulge me on mother’s day, don’t you think? ” her voice is fond as she raises her sunglasses and sits up more straight to speak with the other duchess. “ i was thinking the perfume workshop -- the city i come from produces atar. similar idea as the natural perfumes here, but with an oil base. it makes the fragrance last much longer, which is why i like to use it on my stationery. ” lips purse briefly around the edge of her glass for another sip. “ were you planning on attending any? perhaps we’ll see each other later. ”

[daminiqs]

{ LB }

layla lifted the spoon to her lips and considered her critique for a few moments. “it might be straying from argentina, but it has lovely flavor. have you tried making a dessert yet?”

“ ah, thank you! my father would be pleased to hear it -- he’s the one that taught me. ” damini shakes her head and sniffs layla’s dish delicately. “ i have not! is that what you’re making? how sweet do the desserts here tend to be, do you know? ”

[daminiqs]

{ OKZ }

he is carefully, but swiftly placing water and two canisters of biofreeze and what can be used as splints into his chosen backpack, by candlelight. “ i am. yes of course. ”

“ i’m sure everyone is worried but -- would you keep an eye out for rohan talwar? ” damini isn’t sure what communication system has been devised to efficiently share information across walkie talkies. “ he’s the representative from rajasthan. tall, dark hair, no beard. and the bernadottes as well, ebba and her sister. if you see either of them, or hear anything...would you please let me know? ”