"Maria? Where...are you taking those bags?" "Your Highness. I am afraid my time with you has come to an end." "Maria...but why?" "I'm afraid it must be this way, Your Highness." The older woman sorrowfully turned away from the princess, who was clutching her fists at her sides, unladylike as it might be. Roxanne couldn't help but notice that her actions were slow, reluctant, and of course she herself felt the same way. Another caretaker whom had to be sent away? And on what grounds? It seemed they would never tell her, and this frustrated her beyond belief. Especially since she made the mistake each and every time to grow attached to them, to then later have them taken from her for whatever circumstances. They all seemed like wonderful people, warm and affectionate, like people to fill in the role of 'mother' if hers still had been alive to date. Each and every time, however, without fail, they would be asked to leave by her father. For [i]the Lord knows what.[/i] "...Maria." she sighed, holding open the door of the woman's chambers in the castle for her to walk out with her two bags gripped loosely in each hand. The room looked bare now, pale walls with a neatly made bed and now lacked the warmth it had when Maria's personal effects were scattered haphazardly across the bed, or even across the singular desk that stood in one corner of the room, usually for writing letters by candle-light on. All that remained was a little pot of ink that sat lonely against a candlestick. "Must you go?" the younger woman walked by her former caretaker's side, as the distance through the labyrinthine castle was crossed in hardly any time. It made her feel hollow, the way this woman, like those before, had come in and lived in the castle like their home, and were suddenly kicked out. She mentally bit her tongue. Perhaps she was being too emotional. Maria did not say a word past an apologetic smile up at the princess, and soon the ornate doors of the castle stood before them. Roxanne only just kept herself from cursing them. "I will miss you...Your Highness." the doors now gaped open, and the warm summer daylight poured into the castle. Attentive guards stood at either side of the two women as the shorter, older woman was forced to say her goodbyes. "And I you, Maria." Roxanne smiled warmly, the sun lighting her face, and the woman bowed to her superior one final time within the walls of the castle. "You will make a just ruler someday, Your Highness. Of that I am sure." "By God's grace, Maria." And before she knew it, all that was left in Roxanne's line of sight was the silhouette of the woman as she disappeared into the horizon. --- "But... Father!" Roxanne protested, staring her father down with liquid annoyance dripping from her tone. "That...you cannot just do something like this without consulting me beforehand!" "Roxanne." the king's voice was stern. His imposing figure also didn't make the situation any less easier on the young princess, and there was only so much she could raise her voice with him before he had heard enough. "The kingdom is in a state of ruin, and we do not know if we will live to see another day, each day. A battle of life or death wages constantly between us and the outside world." "But-" "I'm not finished." he growled, putting Roxanne back in her place quickly enough. She tucked into her evening meal quietly, eyes focused on the plate in front of her now. She did not want to lift her head and look up at her father, and her shoulders slumped when he continued speaking. Her attempt to prove to him that the leg of lamb on her plate was more interesting than whatever he had to say to her clearly wasn't working in her favour, for he continued to speak. Her brother sat quietly throughout the conversation, green eyes darting back and forth between either party. "I will arrange to see the women concerned in the morrow. Once we find somebody suitable, she shall be introduced to you and will commence her duties as your personal attendant immediately." "I told you, father. I have no need!" the sound of cutlery against crockery was loud and clear, echoing her dissatisfaction. "I have [i]spoken[/i]!" the king's voice boomed, filling the room with a slight echo that sent chills down both children's spines. If they could relate to each other in one way, it would be in the fear they had of their father. This particular paranoiac of a ruler could be scarier than he might have initially thought. --- "Brandon, it isn't right." the siblings, climbing up to their respective chambers in the castle, chattered among themselves. "I know, Roxanne. I do." he replied in a sharp, single puff, a little out of breath from having just climbed the flight of stairs they left behind them, "But it is for the best, it truly is. One of those filthy wizards may come and take either me or father away, or even worse, have us killed, and then what will be of you? Your caretaker will be around to help you grieve and alleviate the stress on your shoulders as you prepare to become queen." "But it isn't set in stone; that I will be crowned queen! It isn't set in stone that either of you will [i]die[/i]!" she shook her head in disbelief. It simply could not happen. Despite the attacks, the downfall of the kingdom, the thought of her father and her brother being taken from her seemed so distant, so alien. Like if somebody was recalling the events of a nightmare that would never be possible, not in a thousand years. "It might very well be, and you know it." her brother, in one of his more sombre moments whispered just loud enough for him and his sister to hear, as they approached the wooden door to her chambers. "Mmh..." she shrugged off the thought, habitually gathering her skirts to curtsey to her brother, as expected. "Goodnight, dear brother." "Goodnight, dear sister." he bowed his upper half slightly before placing a hand on her shoulder which made her look up with curiosity flickering in her olive orbs. He was smiling again, though it didn't quite reach his melancholy ones. "And do remember not to fret yourself too much. I am absolutely positive the new personal attendant will be a lovely woman. Another Maria, I pray. May the Lord grant us his kind favour." "...let us hope." --- The summer sunlight streamed down and seemed to be everlasting, as the princess of the castle crossed a set of wide open fields on horseback. Her raven hair billowed behind her in the wind, mixing with the mane and tail of the stallion she rode. She was laughing, innocently, ever urging the stallion faster and faster. And in that moment, everything was forgotten and lost, and it was frozen in time as perfection. It was always the same exhilarating feeling whenever Roxanne was out on the green, with the grass below her and the azure sky above. Even in the sparse forests that lined the edge of the field, the trees made her feel at home. Though the deeper forest had always given off an eerie vibe, and she swore to herself never to venture in by herself. Though for now, nearing the first sights of trees, she ducked down low as the horse slowed slightly to jump a low-laying log with ease, before she pulled the reins in to stop it more, and bring it around gently. In the distance she could see the very small silhouette of the stable-boy, having run to catch up with her. He couldn't have been older than fourteen, fifteen at max, though with him and his father being one of the king's more trusted workers, the job was frequently passed down from his father to the boy. Quentin, his name was. "Your Highness, Your Highness!" he dropped panting with his hands on his knees as the woman brought the horse back in a steady canter, slowing and prancing by the skinny boy in a cheeky circle. "Yes, Quentin?" she smirked. She was notorious for sweet-talking the poor boy into letting her go out with the horses during lazy days. This particular one hadn't been exactly lazy, but more so a case of her not wanting to remain in the vicinity of her father too long. The thought of another personal attendant, a [i]new[/i] personal attendant left a bad taste in her mouth. [i]Nothing a ride out in the fields most certainly cannot fix[/i], she had thought to herself. "There...huff. There is...puff. Someone has...come to see you...huff. Your Highness." he spoke through gasps, and perhaps caught up in his own steadying breathing, didn't notice her expression change into quite the sour one at the thought. Though, she knew fate was a cruel thing, and wasn't slow to finally submit to the current happenings. "I know, Quentin. I was told." she shuddered a final time, before leading the horse in the direction of the stables in a begrudging walk, a pace easy enough for the stable-boy to keep up with and catch his breath as he'd speak to her. "Your Highness? You said..." his voice trailed off, bright blue eyes trying to find hers. His messy chocolate curls framed his face and bounced with each step he took. "I know what I said, Quentin." she snapped in a way that made him flinch, and stay quiet for the next minute or two. But he quite liked the company of the castle's princess, so he dared to keep talking even after. She had grown to be a big sister to him, albeit still in quite the formal sense. "Your Highness, one of the castle guards is there. And there's a strange man with him..." "Huh, a man, you say..." her voice drifted off. She assumed then that perhaps the interviews weren't over yet, and that this man wanted to see her for formal business. Was it a suitor? [i]Oy vey, not another one.[/i] "Yes, Your Highness. I was very surprised. Has...has the King ordered more suitors to come see you today, Your Highness?" he asked inquisitively, though now not looking up at the rider of the grey stallion anymore. Instead he stared dead ahead, and as they walked on, more silhouettes became visible. And as the boy had rightly said, they were those of two men. A woman would have been of shorter stature. "Not as far as I'm aware, Quentin. Not at all." she squinted now in her eagerness to glean more information about the foreign looking man before forced to make conversation with him when close enough. Unfortunately, the sun was not in her favour and shone down in a way that made it nigh impossible to conjure up an idea of his features from just there, but she could tell he wore a cloak, a hooded cloak, that seemed quite unlike a noble. Perhaps it wasn't a suitor after all. But then again, who would have requested, and further actually acquired, an audience with her? She couldn't help but bring the stallion into a trot for the last metres or so, pulling gently to have the obedient horse stop just by the guard and this foreign man. Though she did not dismount just yet, preferring the higher ground for more reasons than one. And she couldn't help but scrutinise him. She had to admit. He was quite a comely man, for a [i]peasant[/i], after all. His dark hair came to the nape of his neck and framed a face with a sharp sloping jawline, dusted with the beginnings of a light, neatly kept stubble. There was almost - dare she say - an innocence about his features. Something about him that put her at ease, though perhaps it was that he was a simple young man, and not the son of a noble, with whom she would have to be stiff and ever courteous with. "Good morning, Alain." she chirped in greeting to the castle guard whom she recognised just by one look at his face. He offered a bow in response, followed by the customary 'Your Highness', expression stony and unreadable as ever, and began to speak again, "His Highness has sent this man to..." he faltered for just a second, clearing her throat before continuing to speak. "His Highness has sent this man to be your [i]personal attendant, milady.[/i]" he spat the words out as if they were venom, with an obvious reluctance in his voice. Roxanne could see he was clearly unamused. Though that didn't stop her from bringing a hand to her face to try and cover up a smile, even a tiny laugh. She scanned the man from head to toe one final time before speaking to him with hooded eyes, curious hazel meeting resolved brown(?) and a refined however almost condescending tone, "Yes, yes, my father may be the jester he thought himself to be in his youth. May I ask you to state your true business with me, sir? It would appear I am the only one who has yet to entwine myself in this intricate joke my father is playing..."