Work Text:
When Queen Angella had been rescued from the dimensional void she'd been trapped in, she found much had changed on Etheria while she'd been gone. Of course, from her prison, she'd been able to see and hear everything that had happened on Etheria, but she could never reach out, never interact with the physical world... until her friends and family had led a mission with several of her friends to free her.
But now that she was back home, Angella found herself doing her best to adjust to all that was different. The Horde was defeated, her husband Micah was still alive, her daughter Glimmer was now Queen and had finally gotten together with that nice boy Bow, and of course... Adora's friend Catra had now joined the side of good and was now the hero of Etheria's girlfriend. Angella had never met Catra in person before now, but Adora had always talked about her, lamenting the friend she'd lost when she'd chosen to join the rebellion.
When she first spent time with Catra after the war, the Queen took an instant liking to her. Catra was a little nervous around her, still guilty over the fact that she was the one to activate the portal that caused Angella to be lost in the first place. But Angella forgave easily, especially when she could tell how much pain and trauma the young felid woman carried. She saw the same in Adora when she first joined the Rebellion.
And just like Adora, Angella began to see Catra as a surrogate daughter too and wanted to do her best to help heal her wounds. From what Adora had told her, Shadow Weaver had treated Catra the worst out of the pair of them. Thank the stars that awful witch was finally dead. Too many people had suffered because of Shadow Weaver. Micah, Glimmer, Adora, Catra... but now, that legacy of pain had at last ended.
Wanting to ease Catra's tensions around her, Angella spent as much time with the young felid girl as best as she could, such as right now, as they were sitting in one of the many living rooms of the castle, sharing a spot of tea. Angella always felt that a cup of Earlius Grey was a good icebreaker in any tense situation. As she took a sip of her tea, she noticed that Catra hadn't drunk much yet.
"Want some sugar, Catra?" the Queen offered.
"No thanks," Catra quickly responded, nervously taking a sip to at least try and seem normal around Angella. The last thing she wanted was to be impolite around a literal Queen. Sure, Glimmer was a queen too but her relationship with her was different and more casual. Angella practically radiated regality.
The Queen reached over and placed a hand on Catra's shoulder, knowing she was still anxious about being around her. Catra relaxed a bit when the hand touched her shoulder. "Catra, it's alright, you can relax around me, I promise. I don't know what Glimmer told you, but I really don't bite."
Catra had to chuckle a bit at the Queen's joke. "Actually, Sparkles told me she adored you, even when you always didn't get along. That you had the kindest heart of anyone she knew. But…” Catra’s voice changed, growing shakier and slightly teared up. “Whenever I look at you, all I can think of is you sacrificing yourself to close that damn portal so Adora wouldn't have to, a portal I opened because I... because I saw Shadow Weaver and... I'm sorry." Catra put the cup of tea down and hugged herself. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm ruining all of this aren't I?"
Angella sat closer to Catra, shaking her head. "No, you absolutely are not. I know it's been so hard for you, living with the guilt of what you did, all that trauma and pain Shadow Weaver put you through. I saw all the same in Adora when she came here. But remember, you were the one who led the mission that rescued me. If anything, you have already atoned for what you did and so much more."
Angella was right. While Glimmer had been the one who championed the idea of rescuing Angella in the first place, it was Catra who insisted on leading the mission into space that brought Glimmer home. It had been very perilous, finding a spatial rift in a remote star system that could lead to the interdimensional void where Angella had been trapped. But Catra had managed to pull things off and all was well.
As Angella put down her cup, Catra looked at the Queen who opened out her arms and her wings. Catra nervously approached her... and the former Queen of Brightmoon yanked her in close, hugging her tightly. Her beautiful wings wrapped around Catra's smaller form to cocoon her, protect her. Catra let out a little, rather pathetic mewl, feeling vulnerable, but Angella didn't care. She just wanted to make Catra feel safe and loved.
Smiling fondly, Angella stroked Catra's hair and ears. "You are safe, Catra, it's okay." She felt Catra relax into the hug as she held her tighter. Such a small, innocent girl who had been through so much pain. If it were in her power, Angella would use her magic to wipe it all away for Catra.
"Thank you..." Catra whimpered, a few tears shedding out as she buried herself into the Queen. "It's weird... Shadow Weaver was the closest thing I had to a mom... but I haven't felt a mother's love until right now, even if you're not my actual mom."
Chuckling, Angella petted Catra's head. "Well, I share my motherly demeanour with all of my daughter's friends. Though.. it does pain me that it's taken you this long to get the love you deserve. Is it true you have no idea who your family was before the Horde took you in?"
Catra shook her head. "No, nothing, they never kept records of that sort of thing."
"Monstrous, honestly the most ghastly thing the Horde ever did, ripping children like you away from your families to turn into soldiers for their war machine," Angella lamented.
"Why are you asking anyway?"
"Well, when Adora first arrived in Brightmoon and she told me she was an orphan, I actually tried to look into who her family might have been," Angella noted. "Of course, we didn't know she was actually from another world entirely at the time, but still, I wanted to do that for her... and the offer is the same for you, Catra. I know you're a Magicat and I know plenty of their villages were lost to the Horde. If you can, I can try and look and see if you have any family still alive. I don't exactly have much to do these days, so it would be no trouble to me."
Catra paused. "I... appreciate that, your majesty, but while I would love that, I think after all this time...Adora is my family and this stupid princessy kingdom of yours is the best home I've ever had... no offense."
"None taken, dear," Angella giggled, planting a soft kiss on Catra's forehead. "Just know that if you and Adora need anything at all, I am here for both of you to provide whatever you need."
And speaking of Adora, Catra noticed that Angella was looking to the doorway of the room... and saw Adora standing there, having clearly been watching them talk for a while. "S-Sorry!" Adora quickly apologised. "I was looking for Catra and heard you two talking and I didn't want to interrupt and-"
"It's alright, Adora," Catra reassured her girlfriend, grinning at her.
“Yes, it is quite alright, Adora,” Angella added. “I was just having a moment with Catra. You are welcome to join us if you want.”
“Yeah Adora,” Catra replied, holding out her hand. "Come on and get a mom cuddle from Queenie here. Her wings are big enough for both of us."
Giggling more, Angella watched as Adora shyly walked in as Catra yanked her girlfriend in and the former Queen snuggled them both in her massive wings. As Adora rested in the cuddle puddle, Angella gazed at the two girls before her, knowing that she loved them as if they were her own daughters. And like any mother, she was deeply proud of them for the extraordinary women they had become.