Post by Kattalin Ibarra on Mar 21, 2015 18:48:36 GMT -5
The morning tide swept their ship out of Gilboa and into the Sea of Acasa sailing south for Bordelaix in answer to the King's summons. Traveling with the Blackthornes as well as Rafael Sandoval made for a rather crowded ship, but Kattalin welcomed the sheer number of companions in addition to their family's limited numbers. The day was fair, the sky a deep blue dotted with fluffy white clouds and a good wind that set the sails to billowing under the watchful eye of the crew.
Kattalin stood on the forecastle of the ship, enjoying the wind of their passage with her hands on the rail and her hair and skirts swirling about her. Her eyes were closed, faced lifted to feel the warmth of the sun on her skin while she basked in the adventure before them. Years had passed since she was last in the Kingdom's capitol; she had been little more than a child of eight or nine, visiting with their parents before Zorion's marriage to Maria. This time, she would enter the city as a woman and the Lady of House Ibarra. Along with Fede, the two young women intended to take the court by storm, or so they'd playfully plotted prior to sailing.
Thoughts filtered through her mind, not the least of which included a certain Sandoval gentleman. Kattalin was no fool; she knew that the kingdom stood poised on the knife's edge of a dangerous rivalry between House Sandoval and House Deveraux for the throne of Archades. Rafael had made it abundantly clear he arrived with the intention of garnering Ibarra support and the possibility of her own hand as his bride. She had discussed it some with Zorion prior to their departure, but to her knowledge, her brother had not yet rendered a firm decision. Zorion, she knew, could be cagey about such things.
She herself was undecided on the matter. There was the part of her that relished the very real possibility of becoming the Sandoval duchess, yet Kattalin wondered the impact on her family's safety. She also realized that a great deal rested upon his meeting with the future Crown Princess. It wasn't likely that she'd be married to a Deveraux, moreso that they'd offer one of their numerous blonde princesses to Zorion. She sniffed at the idea, much preferring that her brother not wed one of the Deveraux girls. If she had her way, they would both marry into Sandoval... Rosalinda would make an ideal Marchioness, in her oft-expressed opinion.
Realizing she hadn't spoken to Rafael in a few days, Kattalin opened her eyes and scanned the area, wondering if the man had taken a disdain for her. She'd enjoyed his company in the past few days, after all.... and she was wearing the brooch he'd given her. Surely that was a sign she would welcome his company?
Rafael Sandoval