Ariella raised a brow as Cheick quickly handed her off to another and then disappeared behind castle doors. Was Ariella that much of a strain on his eyes that he had to leave immediately? This was going to be a wonderful few months, if so. She nearly laughed out loud as she met eyes with the woman at his side, the one he called his sister. She didn't look exactly pleased by the exchange of responsibility either. Ariella held her gaze on the tall woman, a smile that looked more like a smirk held on her lips. The woman did not return her warmth. Instead, she motioned for Ariella to follow her and turned without hesitation to lead Ariella into the castle. 

"[color=LightSeaGreen]Oh, Sir Bennett,[/color]" Ariella turned to face her coachman "[color=LightSeaGreen]I left a letter inside the carriage, could you please make sure that gets sent before you depart, or deliver it to Clara yourself.[/color]" She flashed him a genuine smile, "[color=LightSeaGreen]Safe travels.[/color]" She trusted Sir Bennett and had known him since she was just a girl. He was a good, hard working man. Her father would be happy to have him returned to the north, no doubt. 

With that, she spun back around and picked up the edges of her long black dress to hurry up the stairs after Cheick's sister. "[i]I still have no idea what her name is.[/i]" Ariella thought, trying to go back in her mind to remember what her father had called the children of Lord Bosanda. She hadn't been interested when he was telling her about the lands she would be visiting for some time. That may have been a mistake, but she'd never admit it out loud. 

Quietly, she followed behind the dark and stoic woman in front of her. She couldn't seem to be bothered to try to make any small talk, but Ariella preferred it that way. No need to go pretending that either of them were truly happy for Ariella to be here, or that they were friends. As they walked down long corridors, Ariella took note of each of the rooms they passed by. Her icy blue eyes took in as much as they could and filed the layout of the castle away in her memory, though most of the palace's doors seemed to be closed off. Perhaps she could do some exploring. Cheick [i]did[/i] say their home was open to her.

"This is where you'll be staying. We will let you know when dinner is served." 

"[color=LightSeaGreen]Thank you.[/color]" Ariella could barely get the words out before the woman left her behind. House Bosanda was certainly a flighty bunch, weren't they? Some hosts they were. "[i]Father would have reamed me if I were to leave our guests by themselves within the first fifteen minutes.[/i]" She thought, on her high horse about how she would have done things better. In reality, Ariella would have most likely been one of the coldest people there if someone had been invading her home unwelcome. 

Her new bed chambers were impressive, though the window facing the east let sunlight directly onto the bed which would become annoying in the mornings. Especially in this hot weather, she might as well melt to the bed. Either way, at least they didn't toss her into some slave corridor. Speaking of, the servants of House Bosanda quietly collected her things and left them in her room beside her bed. They greeted her formally and bowed their heads to her respectfully, one asking if Ariella wanted him to hang up her clothing for her. She agreed, thanking him, and told him that she would be back in a little while. He looked at her in a confused fashion, but Ariella just winked at him as she slinked quietly out of her new room. 

"[i]Let's see...[/i]" She looked down the hall that Cheick's sister had taken her down. There were a few rooms of interest that she passed, but first, Ariella wanted to find the study that she had seen during their walk. She hurried down the hall, hoping no one of importance would catch her just yet. Eventually she would be caught, of course, but she wanted to have a little fun first. Her black heels clicked against the marble floors, making her escape not so quiet, but it didn't seem that anyone was paying attention at least. She passed a few doors first, three of them closed and locked - she gave their door knobs a little jiggle to make sure. Perhaps they were other bedchambers? Who knew...

"[i]Ah-ha![/i]" She stopped as she reached the large open doorway that lead into a great study, filled with books to the brim. Glorious! Ariella had read nearly every book they had in the library in her castle, so hopefully they had something new here. At the very least, she would have somewhere to waste time until she was able to go home. Her fingers lightly brushed across the booked, her eyes scanning each of the book titles as she walked around the room. Some she knew, though most of the others she did not recognize. Even better. 

Turning, she noticed an open book in the middle of the room on a table. She sauntered over and curiously flipped the book over to look at the title. "[i]The Four[/i]" Ariella rolled her eyes. She knew who "The Four" were and she thought them all ridiculous. She turned the book back over and began flipping through the pages. Her father had told her a bit about the so-called gods here and she laughed. It seemed silly to imagine gods as animals, though the people of the East Savannah seemed strong in their beliefs, just as the people of Crescent Bay were strong in theirs. Amused, though interested, Ariella took a seat at the table and began skimming over sections of the book. Maybe she would get a better feel for the people of the Savannah if she knew more about the "gods" they worshiped.