Post by Mariette Deveraux on Oct 24, 2014 15:50:20 GMT -5
The first day of travel out of Vanderhall passed uneventfully as the caravan wound its way through the mountains, heading for the lower lands that led down to the duchy of Shelbourne and the bread basket of Archades. At the height of summer, the lands were lush and green, the air redolent with the scent of growing plants and flowers as an occasional shimmer of heat caught the eye like a flash of silver. For Mariette, it was ideal riding weather, and so too did her younger sister seem to agree. Let their sisters have the carriage and being enclosed; the two younger Deveraux princesses preferred the rush of wind on their faces and the less sedentary manner of travel that came with mare and saddles.
They did not ride alone, of course. A Princess of Archades could not travel unescorted, no matter how loyal or devoted the region might claim to be. Danger had an indisputable gift for lurking where least expected; despite the training instilled in them by their uncle, neither were blooded, experienced fighters. They had not been tested on the field of battle or under attack and could not reliably say whether they could stand strong under an ambush. Frankly, Mariette hoped that she would never have to try, yet she remained confident that the journey out of the mountains would pass without incident or concern.
Flanked on either side by Nick and Sir Tristan, she wore a broad hat as a concession to the bright sunshine, preferring not to grow as red as a poppy from the sun's kiss. The headgear was slightly ridiculous, but as Nicolette said, a peeling nose was certainly just as ridiculous, and which did she prefer? Fortunately, her sister had delivered the words (and the hat) with a smile, evidence of teasing. The third princess had accepted, while Juliette gleefully let the sun darken her skin to a golden, glowing tan in defiance of their sister's kind suggestion. Marie, however, knew she didn't tan. She burned.
The summer warmth and the easy pace made her drowsy, her eyes half closed as her body relaxed into the sway of the horse's gait. Shaking it off, she looked at her companions, then appealingly at Nick. "What do you say, Master Miller? Let's shake off some of the dust and let our horses stretch our legs. We can meet the others when it's time for lunch, right?" She needed to do something or risk embarrassing herself by falling asleep in the saddle and probably falling out of it too. "What do you think, Julie? Want to gallop for a few miles?"
Juliette Deveraux / Nicholas Miller / Tristan Deschênes