Post by Deleted on Apr 20, 2015 17:24:59 GMT -5
"My Lady, your tea is growing cool."
Brunnild's voice, sweet by nature and tinged with a hint of remonstrance, floated across the lawn, catching up with the Princess she was gently admonishing, who was just a few steps ahead. Antoinette had her pale face tilted back as she walked, her blue eyes closed to the clear sky above as she basked in the afternoon sun; her hair loose from its usual crystalline-gem trappings, shaking down untethered along her shoulders. The Princess looked deep in thought, her hands clasped lightly behind her back; feet bare among the grass, her slippers now dangling from their ribbon straps, looped among her fingers, having long ago been abandoned.
At the sound of her maid's voice, Antoinette made a disgruntled face; and after a moment, blinked her blue eyes open, glancing irritatedly over her shoulder at her companion; still continuing her slow, ambling walk. "It tastes like bits of shrubbery," was all she said in reply, the annoyance in her voice a clear indication of her protest.
There was the sound of a stifled giggle; and Brunnild's voice spoke up again; the red-haired maid holding, in one hand, Antoinette's ignored parasol, and a cooling mug of tea in the other. "But marm -- it will taste worse if you let it get cold. -- I had added some sugar, I thought that might help." Brunnild's green eyes watched the back of her mistress, looking for some sign of repentance; but there was only the familiar squaring of her slight shoulders, and the audible noise of reluctance caught in Antoinette's throat -- something akin to a soft growl.
The space between Brunnild's brows pinched together, and she chewed absently on the inside of her lip; and, a bit worried to push that much further -- for she had been Antoinette Deveraux's maid most of her young life, and knew what kind of reactions could be had from the Princess -- but tried one last time. " -- Y-you have to drink it all, My Lady. The Lady Gardiner was -- was quite clear." She hesitated. "It might -- it really might help..."
It was only with this last plea did Brunnild's mistress finally slow to a stop; her slight shoulders slackening, an over-pronounced sigh emitting from pursed thin lips. Antoinette turned, slowly, with a clearly great reluctance; and trod back on small, bare feet, extending one hand towards Brunnild; who in turn, hastily proffered the steadily-cooling mug she had been carrying with them since they departed the castle for this afternoon jaunt. Antoinette took the mug from her grasp, and lifted it to her face; pausing, then, to wrinkle her nose in distaste, shooting Brunnild a slight glare over the lip of the cup; but then moved to down the contents of her herbal tea within, her blue eyes closing in the effort, skin pinched at the corners of her eyes in reflection of her struggle to imbibe the remaining brew.
When she finally finished, the Princess shook her golden head briefly, but with a sharp ferocity; her hair shaking about her shoulders, as though she could shiver away the after-taste. In a moment of rather un-Princess-like abandon, Antoinette wiped her mouth with the back of her hand; giving Brunnild a sharp look, to which the maid could only return a sympathetic reflection. "It really is for the best, My --" Brunnild started again, but Antoinette silenced her maid with one hand, raising briefly in the air. She gave her maid a silly, exasperated look, eyes widening comically; before she turned on her heel again and began to continue her walk around the edge of the pond. "Yes, yes, I know, I know -- good for me, must maintain humors, steady supply and all that --" she said lightly, pretending to mirror the new Deveraux herbalist's voice.
Brunnild, for her part, suppressed a small smile at her mistress' depthless insolence; and continued to follow her, as the two women let the day unfold around them.
Brunnild's voice, sweet by nature and tinged with a hint of remonstrance, floated across the lawn, catching up with the Princess she was gently admonishing, who was just a few steps ahead. Antoinette had her pale face tilted back as she walked, her blue eyes closed to the clear sky above as she basked in the afternoon sun; her hair loose from its usual crystalline-gem trappings, shaking down untethered along her shoulders. The Princess looked deep in thought, her hands clasped lightly behind her back; feet bare among the grass, her slippers now dangling from their ribbon straps, looped among her fingers, having long ago been abandoned.
At the sound of her maid's voice, Antoinette made a disgruntled face; and after a moment, blinked her blue eyes open, glancing irritatedly over her shoulder at her companion; still continuing her slow, ambling walk. "It tastes like bits of shrubbery," was all she said in reply, the annoyance in her voice a clear indication of her protest.
There was the sound of a stifled giggle; and Brunnild's voice spoke up again; the red-haired maid holding, in one hand, Antoinette's ignored parasol, and a cooling mug of tea in the other. "But marm -- it will taste worse if you let it get cold. -- I had added some sugar, I thought that might help." Brunnild's green eyes watched the back of her mistress, looking for some sign of repentance; but there was only the familiar squaring of her slight shoulders, and the audible noise of reluctance caught in Antoinette's throat -- something akin to a soft growl.
The space between Brunnild's brows pinched together, and she chewed absently on the inside of her lip; and, a bit worried to push that much further -- for she had been Antoinette Deveraux's maid most of her young life, and knew what kind of reactions could be had from the Princess -- but tried one last time. " -- Y-you have to drink it all, My Lady. The Lady Gardiner was -- was quite clear." She hesitated. "It might -- it really might help..."
It was only with this last plea did Brunnild's mistress finally slow to a stop; her slight shoulders slackening, an over-pronounced sigh emitting from pursed thin lips. Antoinette turned, slowly, with a clearly great reluctance; and trod back on small, bare feet, extending one hand towards Brunnild; who in turn, hastily proffered the steadily-cooling mug she had been carrying with them since they departed the castle for this afternoon jaunt. Antoinette took the mug from her grasp, and lifted it to her face; pausing, then, to wrinkle her nose in distaste, shooting Brunnild a slight glare over the lip of the cup; but then moved to down the contents of her herbal tea within, her blue eyes closing in the effort, skin pinched at the corners of her eyes in reflection of her struggle to imbibe the remaining brew.
When she finally finished, the Princess shook her golden head briefly, but with a sharp ferocity; her hair shaking about her shoulders, as though she could shiver away the after-taste. In a moment of rather un-Princess-like abandon, Antoinette wiped her mouth with the back of her hand; giving Brunnild a sharp look, to which the maid could only return a sympathetic reflection. "It really is for the best, My --" Brunnild started again, but Antoinette silenced her maid with one hand, raising briefly in the air. She gave her maid a silly, exasperated look, eyes widening comically; before she turned on her heel again and began to continue her walk around the edge of the pond. "Yes, yes, I know, I know -- good for me, must maintain humors, steady supply and all that --" she said lightly, pretending to mirror the new Deveraux herbalist's voice.
Brunnild, for her part, suppressed a small smile at her mistress' depthless insolence; and continued to follow her, as the two women let the day unfold around them.