[center][IMG]http://i61.tinypic.com/5pk5s9.png[/IMG] [IMG]http://i60.tinypic.com/ojdv06.png[/IMG] [color=Black][b]Caterina Meitelde Grochain Floure Camlo[/b][/color][/center] [hr] The only thing that would allow one to recognise Caterina as she walked down the drawbridge, into the muddy paths leading to the new barracks, was her scarf that waved in the wind. Luckily enough for her the guards seemed mostly preoccupied with dealing with the nobles that were arriving and giving supplies to the Black Shields to get their makeshift barracks up and running. As such she managed to scuffle through in her new 'peasants' dress. It was a simple green woollen dress she'd borrowed from one of her servants. She had a way of dealing with the servants that made sure most of them like Caterina - she was a friendly child after all. Her steps brought her through the rain rather quickly as she moved with a remarkable agile step. Within five minutes she had walked through the town's main street, and at the end of it she found the former stables that were now a makeshift barracks. She simply walked in, with a confident stride. As soon as she had entered she would pull the woollen dress off over her head and dump it to her side, onto a small wooden bench. A few soldiers turned their heads, but none seemed to mind too much. Those that were familiar with her, or atleast her appearance, would likely not say as much as a word to her in fear of calling on her spite, and those that didn't know her could mistake her for a servant girl, who simply dressed a bit boyish. A hand was raised from her side as she went through her hair with it, ruffling it a bit to atleast get rid of that sticky, wet hair feeling that she always got from the rain. And sadly, at the Hoffburgt it mostly rained. She supposed it helped the mood, on those rainy evenings with her family near the fire.. something to be treasured. It used to be anyway, when they were more complete, and Dorran was.. nicer. Enough time wasted reminiscing, however. A young looking militia-man from the Black Shields walked past, dressed in a simple gambeson, with his black heater shield on his back and a falchion resting on his hips. Caterina extended her hand rapidly and grabbed his wrist softly, tugging on it slightly to get his attention. [b]“Excuse me, mister? Where can I find the traveller girl that is with the Black Shields? I am Cateri- I mean, I am catering to her needs. I was sent by lord king Gregar Grochain to Terryn, and he said to go here and help the travelller gi-”[/b] She was cut short as the man pulled loose his hand and stared the girl down. He was carrying some firewood and obviously had places to be. Caterina gulped - she'd wished she'd seen that earlier. [b]“She's down the hallway, [i]kid.[/i] Now beat it!”[/b] he said loudly, obviously not aware that Caterina was actually a princess. Well, not that she'd make that obvious in any manner - she was dressed in a black jacket with burgundy trimmings and steel buttons, something generally reserved for the more princely boys, rather than girls. Although Caterina was a bit taken back by the mans loud words, she wasn't a stranger to the hardships of peasantry people. She'd snuck out the castle on more than one occassion to take in the town-life. If anything, it was rough. Furthermore, the man was bothered by Caterina, and Caterina probably wouldn't appreciate it if someone else tugged on [i]her[/i] hand while she was carrying heavy logs. She simply gulped and nodded, before running down the hallway. She approached the end of the hallway and heard.. strange noises, like moaning, but not of pain. She decided she didn't want to open the respective doors, and simply reached out for the door that she suspected the traveller woman was in. Her hand reached up for the knob, but rather than open it she rethought it and knocked before hand. [b]Knock knock.[/b] Her light hands could hardly provide a hard knock, but it was loud enough to be audible. Not waiting too long on an answer, she reached for the knob and opened the door. [b]“Miss...”[/b] It only now occured to Caterina that she didn't have a name or anything like that. [b]“.. miss traveller..?”[/b] she'd ask again when entering the room, closing the door behind her. [b]“I'm Caterina Meitelde Grochain, princess of Broacien and daughter of our king, Gregar Grochain. I want you to.. tell my future using your magic?”[/b] It was clear that Caterina wasn't exactly sure what this woman did - but she was very much so intrigued by it despite the teachings of her older, more pious sister. To Caterina, this 'magic' was about as real as religion. It was all make belief, but it didn't hurt to be open to it regardless. And even if it was not make belief.. there was no way to prove that it was true. You'd simply have to believe in it. [b]“But.. I am here on my own accord, as my father forbids me to leave the castle without guards. They'd never let me come here, so you need to be quiet about this, or.. or I'll be upset with you and never come here again, okay?”[/b] Caterina's voice was noticeable hushed, to the point where she was between whispers and speaking. She definetely didn't want to get caught by anyone that would [i]tell[/i] on her. [hr] Pale eyes were staring into the flames of the burning hearth, the fire bathing the entire room in a warm glow. Floure drew her legs up to her chest, resting her face on her knees. She kept watching the flames, their colors always shifting from red to orange to yellow and every hue in between. It reminded her of the camp fires with her Traveler family. They would have at least one every evening, where they shared a meal together and told fanciful stories of the people and places they'd seen that day. Cousins she hadn't seen in months would suddenly show up unexpectedly, a surprise that always filled her with joy and laughter. They were welcomed back into the caravan as if they'd never left. She would dance with the children and teach the younger ones the traditional dances of her people. She could never get enough of seeing them laugh and try their hardest to follow in her footsteps. The teenage boys who were amazed time and again when girls turned into women as they danced. It were the memories of those times that kept her going, running, hiding from the ones who were still after her. Thinking of them sometimes eased her pain but more often it created more pain. A sense of longing that could not be fulfilled, no matter how many men shared her bed. Floure glanced over to the man laying next to her, her raven hair trailing down her white back. She studied his form, the arch of his back and the width of his shoulders. He was a fit young man, probably a farmer or perhaps even a blacksmith. His calloused hands had felt rough on her skin. He slept on his stomach, his face hidden by his pillow, if she watched him very closely she could see his body rise and fall with each breath. His name was Kai and he'd been her first client since she joined the Black Shields and arrived in the Hoffburgt. They actually talked a bit before she would give him what he wanted. That had been quite unusual and that wasn't even the best part. Kai told her how he'd recently come of age and that he wanted to enjoy what it meant to be a man. So he was the same age as her and he'd never even made love before. If she had been in a better mood he might have gotten what he desired. She just wasn't in the mood to entertain clients. She was skilled at what she did but there was no way to hide the wistful sadness that toyed with her heart. So she used a trick that worked like a charm every time, where she offered her client a herbal tea which served to enhance pleasure, when it was really a powerful hypnotic brew. As a result Kai was sleeping of his ruse thinking he'd made love to one of the prettiest girls he'd ever seen. Floure couldn't say she was terribly sorry. In the end time was money and time with her did not come for free, coin had to be paid no matter what way a client preferred to spend his time with her. Kai just caught her at a bad time, perhaps he would come back one of these days and she would be honest that time. For now however he was peacefully snoring away and quite loudly at that, so loud that at first Floure didn't hear the soft knock on her chamber doors. When she heard who it was her eyes went wide like saucers. It was the princess..... By the gods what did she want with her? As Floure continued to listen in utter surprise she noticed her door began to open up, the young girl was letting herself in. Floure slowly drew the sheets up to her chest to cover herself and held in her breath as the princess went on to explain why she was here. Going against the rules, how very ruffian of the youngest princess. She liked her already. Floure let her gaze go over the young girl, intrigued as well as excited. She'd never seen a princess in her life and to be honest Floure was quite disappointed. No fancy dresses and expensive jewelry? How on earth would she be able to afford a palm reading if she had nothing in return? Well it couldn't hurt to give a reading free of charge. She had already cheated one client of his money, the fates would not forgive her if she did so twice. To a princess of all people. Floure didn't really know how to address a royal properly but she gave it her best effort. "Your highness, if you would please enter the room to your left" With her right hand she gestured to a small room just around the corner, her other hand holding the sheets to her body. It was previously used as a washing room but Floure had set it up to use in case she required it for fortune telling. "I will be with you in a moment" Floure finished in a sweet voice, while searching the room for her robe. Was that.. a man in her bed? Caterina wasn't unfamiliar with the trades of camp followers, but she'd never seen it up close like this. She gulped once more, realizing now what she had actually gotten herself into. But there was no backing off now. She'd have to pull through to find out just [i]what[/i] this woman could do. [b]“I.. I am sorry for interrupting you, I'll come back la-”[/b] she said softly, soft enough for it to go unnoticed by the woman, who beckoned her to enter the room next to the current room. Taking the time to look around a bit while the woman spoke, Caterina stepped in further whilst looking at the room. The fire was a welcome change to the damp and wet outside - something that Caterina could appreciate. [b]“T-thank you.”[/b] she said, still somewhat unsure of what to do and how to act at this point. She would follow the ladies orders, and walk into the room to her left, making sure to check it out thoroughly as she entered. It seemed to be the washing area, but was now more outfitted towards the skills of a traveller lady. [b]“Wow..”[/b] The words left her mouth before she realized she said them, but she meant what she said. For a converted washing room the room was quite good looking. She'd take a seat and wait for the woman to appear again, taking in the sights around her. The washing room had become the abode of a sorceress or at least that's what it looked like, it was a fond replica of Floure's traveler home. The stone walls in which numerous alcoves were carved to hold soap and other supplies were now filled with strange paraphernalia. All kinds of odds and ends were huddled together on the shelves forming a strangely well matching puzzle. Bottles filled with oil in which floated things long unrecognizable but undoubtedly disturbing to the unknowing. Charms and amulets in various shapes and sizes dangled from every high place in the room so one had to watch where to go in risk of touching one. Right in the corner of the room, somewhat out of sight was a small table on which two idols were placed, shaped vaguely like a man and a woman. They each had a candle of their own burning with a small flickering flame, the candle wax dripping down the metal holder in which they were placed. There were all kinds of items sprawled out on that table, a bundle of dried flowers, shimmering precious stones and crystals along with seemingly ordinary objects such as a needle and a thimble. A heady scent filled the entire room, it originated from a small pot out of which a trail of white smoke rose into the air. There was a candle burning in every empty space that was left, while it lit up the room and chased away the shadows it somehow added to the air of eeriness in the room. The fortune teller entered the room from the other side, emerging from a door barely noticeable. If one was either gullible or drunk enough you'd think she appeared out of nowhere. Floure had put on a sheer wine colored robe made of silk not caring to completely dress herself. For the sake of modesty she wore her undergarments underneath it, yet the robe left little to the imagination and it made her ivory skin appear all the lighter. “"Please sit."” She spoke in a calm voice. The Madame seemed to radiate an air of mystery, keeping her back turned towards her client and due this failing to notice she was already seated and waiting patiently. "“Put your money on the table and we will begin”." There was a round table in the center of the room and two mismatching chairs placed on opposite ends of each other. On it were yet another pair of candles but these were freshly lit, as if the woman was expecting a client. Little glass crystals dangled from the holder and made a slight clinking sound as if someone had touched them. There was a chalice filled with water, to clear the dry throats of her nervous clients as well as her own. A deck of frayed playing cards, a bundle of dried purple flowers which seemed to serve no purpose and finally a beautiful pearlescent bowl shaped like a seashell. Inside the bowl were already three silver coins, payment of her last client. After hearing the satisfying clink of coin, she turned holding the curtains to her side for her slightly theatrical introduction. “"Welcome, I am Madame Floure”." She produced a match from the folds of her robe and lit it on the candle. It sizzled with a blue light as smoke trailed behind it. The fortune teller drew it through the air in an enchanting manner as she spoke. "“The palm of one’s hand can illuminate the past, clarify the present and show you the future.”" "“If you have a specific question, hold it in your mind.”" She said with a slight arch of her brow, looking at the princess with a knowing look. "“Let me know when you’re ready."” Her tone of voice was calm, soothing to the often nervous clients. Caterina found herself ducking underneath some beads and charms hanging from the ceiling. This place was.. giving her the creeps, but it was also mysterious in an inviting way. She wanted to know more, and it made her believe there was something mystical going on here. She approached the table with the strange dolls on them, one girl, one boy, and extended a hand to the girl. [b]“What is.. this..?”[/b] she asked herself, but was interrupted before being able to grab it. With a quick turn she put her hand behind her back as her face turned red from emberassment. She hadn't intended to take it, just take a look, but she understood it might look stranger. Well, not like this woman could [i]do[/i] anything if Caterina decided she wanted the doll, but frankly Caterina wasn't the type to take something for no reason. [b]“I...”[/b] She couldn't say more, amazed at how beautiful this girl could look without any of the royal servants pampering her with different clothes, ashes and powders for on your face and other things like that. It took Caterina two hours to get ready for a [i]small[/i] feast, let alone a big one.. and this woman just dressed in some dress and looked like she walked straight out of a story from the Monarchists book, where the girls were always beautiful. She decided now to sit down across the lady, and put a hand in her black jackets' pockets and pulled it out, holding a closed fist over the wooden bowl. As she opened it, five silver coins fell out into the bowl with a satisfying [i]clunk.[/i] She now looked the woman in the eye daringly, her shyness making place for her daring attitude now that she felt a bit more at ease. The coins had been paid after all - and the woman was clearly more interested in coin than winning favor with the king by ratting the princess out. [b]“So, I can ask anything I want right? [i]About anyone?[/i] Can I ask two questions? What if I ask two questions in the form of one?”[/b] she asked, almost like an inquisitor demanding answers from a heretic. However the questions were more interested and childlike than threatening, as an inquisitor wouldn't have asked the woman this many questions and her head would be atop a pike already. Regardless of the answer the woman would give - [i]if any at all[/i] - she had already thought of a good set of questions to ask. [i]“Whom will my sister, Aren Grochain, marry? I think it's sir Wricwood from the Servants. But.. then who will I marry? Or will I never marry at all? Will I get to lead an army, like my brother, Bjorn? Maybe I'll be queen, like Dorran will be king. I hope not, because if I am queen, everyone else is dead. I'd rather Dorran be king. Then everyone is alive.”[/i] Her thoughts were a mishmash of questions at this point and she would be surprised if the woman could actually tell her [i]anything[/i] at all. [b]“Now what?”[/b] Floure shifted in her seat to make herself comfortable and closed her eyes, taking deep slow breaths. The room fell completely silent, save for the soft chime of glass crystals and the slow burning of many candles. It was the way her grandmother taught her, to find a sense of inner peace and calmness. If your head was someplace else you couldn't hear or receive the messages you were meant to receive. As she had not further explained what was going to happen, the entire ritual of fortune telling was probably very foreign to the princess. Just as the silence grew near uncomfortable Floure opened her eyes, now properly prepared for the work at hand. She took a vial of light green oil and anointed herself in the manner of the stars, similar to the sign of the cross made by church priest yet foreign in a strange forgotten way. It was against the conduct of one who told fortunes to breach the privacy of people who had not given permission to have their futures examined. Floure had made the occasional exception but it rarely if ever worked out well for neither party. If the princess wanted to know something about her relatives of her friends they would have to come to her themselves. The young girl seemed very eager, clients usually did, but Floure was still trying to discern why the princess wanted to know these things. She suspected it was just innocent curiosity. When she looked at the princess again she got the feeling she wasn't quite clear on what exactly she wanted to know. Not many people could manage to quiet their thoughts and focus on a single important question. It was one of the first things she learned as a young girl when she was initiated in the art. Clients with vague or no questions were very common. There were usually two types of people who came to have their fortunes told. Ones who were in desperate need of answers and had exhausted all options and then there were the thrill seekers who wanted to be entertained and see what the mystery was all about. Floure thought the princess to be of the latter kind. Floure smiled, moving her long hair over one shoulder and leaned forward slightly, getting closer to the princess. "Just try to relax" She said in a honey sweet voice. With a quick but gentle movement she took the left hand of the young girl and held it palm facing upwards. Her fingers were pleasantly soft and flitted over the palm of the princess like a butterfly. The lines in her palm were very faint and it was hard to clearly see everything she required. Floure made a clicking sound with her tongue, contemplating how to proceed. There were others methods of fortune telling she had mastered. However she preferred palm reading because it was easy to use. She didn't need any shenanigans, like a deck of cards, a burning fire or a bowl of water. All she really needed was the palm of her client and since everybody generally had both of their hands if not one she was never out of work. It also didn't draw as much attention as reading fire or water, it was inconspicuous and that's why she liked it. "Hold it like this." She kindly instructed the princess as she got out yet another bottle, containing a dark fluid seemingly an oil of some kind. The fortune teller dripped three drops of it onto the palm of the princess, it looked nowhere near enough to cover her entire skin. As she began to massage it in however the brown color spread very quickly making the lines in her palm stand out like colorful embroidery on a white glove. "Much better." The fortune teller mused. Floure went on to study the lines in the hand of the princess, squinting occasional and smearing out the oil where it huddled together in the natural curve of the palm. "You are very much like your mother, more so than your sisters." Floure said turning over the hand of the princess to watch the shape of her fingers, the distance between them as well as the shape of her thumb and ring finger. "Very gentle and kind and your mind is open to a great many things" She took the right hand of the princess and repeated the same procedure, covering it the darkly colored oil. This time she didn't study the fingers but only the lines in her palm. "The right hand reveals our future, things yet to come" Floure explained as she looked the princess in the eyes, smiling mysteriously. "I see you will marry but it will not keep you from the way of war. There is a kind of danger coming your way, something you'll need protecting from" Her tone became more serious, as the playful and fun part was now over. She was getting to the gritty part and Floure was never one to sugarcoat things, even if it meant she would earn more money by doing so. Some might call her a heretic or a fraud but she was in service of the truth. "It is an enemy of the crown, your father, who will come after you" Floure watched the princess intensely to see how she received this prediction. This was not a fanciful performance, no smoke and mirrors. She was for once serious and Floure hadn't expected to see such grave events in the palm of the innocent princess. The faiths had determined hardships would rule her near future. A warned soul could prepare itself. Caterina did as she asked, holding out her palm, although the way the woman moved her hand for her, she didn't have much choice to comply. It was her domain after all. She followed her orders, slowly moving her palm whichever way the woman wanted it to. All the while her eyes were focussed upon the woman's eyes, watching intently and waiting for something. Then she said something to Caterina, about her sisters and mother. Caterina simply nodded - this wasn't totally unknown information although it was good to have reaffirmed now. The woman went on to tell her of her marriage, and that it wouldn't keep her from war. She knew as much, and this wasn't what interested her, more so than the name of whom it was. [b]“Can you only tell me that? Not who I'll marry?”[/b] she sounded somewhat dissapointed until the woman raised the issue of an enemy of the crown. It was interesting, but once again, nothing really new.. there'd always be enemies of the crown. That was a given at any given time. And it wasn't that hard to make up these things either. Most of these things were easy to come up with even if you had no background knowledge of the people you'd be reading. [b]“That's all you can do?”[/b] She didn't seem too impressed with the woman, but couldn't help but feel slightly anxious at the thought of an attacker [i]coming for her.[/i] She'd always expected it to be an assassin for her father or brothers, who would be dealt with. What would anyone want with her? She got up again and shoved back her stool in place. [b]“Well.. thank you for your time, miss. Maybe I'll come back another time.. but then you'll need to tell me more.”[/b] And with that said she left again, attempting to hide the anxious feeling she had and remaining proud, something that didn't come natural to her. She just felt like she would have to assert her dominance over these people to get what she wanted - something that probably wasn't true in most cases, and more than likely not this case either.