It was to be [i]married[/i] to some boorish noble she had little interest in or find her [i]own way[/i]—the thought was one that repeated in the mind of the noble youth, a girl named Pythia of House Heartspire. Her parents, as loving as they were had dared give her an unspoken ultimatum regarding her own future at such a young untested age; but such was the nature of noble demeanor. Originally, Pythia had planned to seek further education in the mundane and the arcane at the Imperial Academy, but that was not meant to be as they pertinently declined the request as they danced around the politics of why they did as such. She had a feeling it had to do with the arrangement her parents had suggested—the academic in charge of applications had happened to be the father of the boy she neglected to marry herself and her life away to. The irony, despite how hurtful it was, was not lost on her as she felt forced into a situation where she had to find study abroad or amongst the field. In some way one could say she was fortunate to have stumbled upon the Emperor’s decree for an investigation into the frontiers of Caradia—where  certainly her gift for the magic she held affinity for could aid the poor, blighted peasants and adventurers who suffered from disease and peril of a monstrous sort. 

So here she was… coming forward with all of her gear at the ready at the royal grounds itself.

Before her younger brother was birthed she could recall brief visits, though she never really got to interact with many at the royal feasts as she stood as such an insignificant pawn in the large crowd of trueborn noblemen and noblewomen. Even still, it was a familiarity that gave her peace—she might have been eager to go on this “adventure” of sorts, but she still was unbelievably terrified about what the days following this one would bring. She could feel her nerves shaken and her stomach uneasy as she moved forward, approaching the gates as she was. In recollection of her instructor’s suggestions before she left days before for new prospects Pythia had dressed well, but not as if she was going for tea. This would be a trudge through wide sweeping hills, dense forests, and forlorn settlements—and their enemies were physical as well as natural. Her cloak was tied strong as she moved forward when her eyes caught a man in front of her by many feet stopping for breath: was he another one of the prospective contracts like she?

Regardless, she continued despite the minor distraction as she stepped forward in the most stress relieving place of the royal grounds—the gardens. 

[color=aba000][i]“It’s so pretty.”[/i][/color] She thought with a kind smile as for a moment any sense of dread left her thoughts entirely as she looked over the vast flora before her. She wondered if they had added any new arrangements to the gardens; it was hard to say. 

It was not long before she was at the presence of the highest royalty, and she showed the basic noble courtesy as she had been taught—a bow from the neck and do not speak until spoken to. She was not aware the Empress, the Queen of all of the realm would be seeing them off—but it was another little thing to put her at ease as she surely would miss the Emperor so on such a perilous task. The logistics of the situation didn’t really cross Pythia’s mind as she jumped at the opportunity to ‘help people’ regardless of the situation. She knew there was plague and some degree of monsters, but not much beyond that. 

It was then she noticed another of their “troupe” so to speak—a man who looked about her age and with a curious manner about him before he retreated towards the other volunteers; something she followed suit with quietly and politely. With her hands tucked behind her back she waited with a smile of kindness and wonder all while her thoughts of dismay and dread battled inside her mind. But she had been taught well about etiquette and composure, she would not let her obvious wonders and fears be easy to catch.

Soon, the adventure would begin.