The Simple Life [Yassia]

[Romily de Braose]

The Rams Head was beginning to rake in the evening's business. This was the only time that Romily had seen the people in the town come alive. Since taking on the job as a barmaid, she had come to know all the regulars who trudged in from work after a hard day, and also had come to know the ones who were just looking for trouble.
So far there was no one present that she would have to kick out. This job was a blessing, she had been lucky to find something for a short amount of time. Not because she couldn't hold a job down, but because she barely stayed in one place for a long time.
The landlord had been quick to take her on, he'd mentioned they'd needed an extra pair of hands for a long time. She had a roof over her head at least, much better than a cave and cloak.

She looked around at the many people (mostly men) sat at tables hunched over their drinks. She'd try to figure out their stories. They were all intresting in some shape or form. Romily also had a story to tell, one of which she never told very often. Many people assumed she was just a homeless peasent (in a way she was), but these people would have never believed that a former noblewoman was serving their drinks to them.

"Romily!" The landlord, Eldon, snapped her out of her thoughts and nodded his head in the direction of some waiting customers. "Tell me girl, do you offer a special service for regulars?" one of the old men smirked at her. Ergh, she'd seen him here before and he'd always try it on, even with the landlord's daughter. "Only if the regulars want to wake with a dagger in them the next morning" she retorted. On hearing this the man grunted something and went away. She was used to this, she'd learnt not to become embarassed by it and instead now used the form of verbal defense against men like this. Usually they would threaten her, but some would simply back off in shock All the same, it seemed tonight would be the same as any other she'd worked. Boring.

[Yassia Dyfrène de Ailantha]

If anyone had ever been in the mood to start a swansong, it would be Yassia. Her feet hurt, she was wet and shivering and the little money she had earned today by helping a young girl with a sprained ankle wouldn’t last much longer than through this very night, maybe it wasn’t even enough to get her a bed for the night. She could always offer to work for the money, or give away a few remedies – the little she had left – but some stubborn part in Yassia still refused to be seen as the lowest kind of commoner girl, and treated as such! She could already hear the suggestive comments in her mind that seemed to turn up every time she even so much as mentioned the subject of working. Wasn’t there anything else left in a man’s head?

And anyway, why on earth hadn’t she aquiesced to marrying her wretched cousin? She couldn’t be far worse off than now! It all had seemed so very simple in the beginning, the idea to journey to Camelot, with Mircea to protect and care for her if need be, not much more than a walk down into the park! Oh how very naïve she had been! To think that she could make it alone unscathed, that nothing would happen to her even if she was all on her own.
Yassia had been living in a golde cage all her life, so the harsh reality had shocked her quite a bit and left her bitter. How would she ever find her way towards Camelot in that state? And even if she did get there, would anyone take notice of her? She looked like a nameless beggar for crying out loud, who said her uncle Leon or anyone for that matter would believe her story?

Like this, she had been sitting in the corner, brooding for quite some time. The barmaid seemed to be too busy to take notice of her. Typical. For a woman who had been growing up to be waited on hand and foot this was another bitter pill to swallow. But at least one she has grown used to the past. Better go unnoticed and be overlooked than being recognized for who she was and taken hostage in the worst case. No, she was rather Yassia, the penniless wanderer than Yassia Dyfrène de Ailantha, chained princess waiting to be taken back home without any chance to claim what was hers.
“Excuse me, Miss?” she called out, her voice laced with her former authority she just couldn’t get rid of even if she wanted. A princess born and bred could only hide so much. “Could I have a tankard of mead and something to eat?”

[Romily de Braose]

"Excuse me, Miss?” Romily's head lifted to see a young woman sitting in the far corner. She hadn't actually noticed her there. She certainly didn't seem happy either. “Could I have a tankard of mead and something to eat?”.
Romily nodded and fecthed her some food. Not meaning to think it, she thought the young woman looked like she hadn't eaten in days. She also looked as though she wanted no pity either. "Im sorry i didn't notice you before, it gets so busy in the evenings that you hardly have time to sit down" she smiled and gave the woman what she'd asked for. "You look like a woman who is a long way from home"

She shouldn't have said that, people could take comments one way or another these days. "Sorry" she quickly apologised, "It's just, you don't seem like the type who spends everyday drinking their life away in a tavern". She winced as she realised that she was just digging herself into a deep hole. "Not that im saying you...oh forget it, anyway this is on the house, just don't tell the landlord" she smiled warmly and went back to the bar.

A long way from home? pfft! she could talk! If it wasn't for Frederick ruining her life with his charming 'i flirt with every woman i meet religiously' ways then perhaps she'd be at home right now with her father and Bonnie, just being the girl who stayed in the background. She wished she'd never allowed Frederick near her. What she didn't understand was why her father had taken his side and had turned his back on her? She didn't care anyway. Not anymore. It had been at least a year and he'd made no attempt to find her. For now she was just Romily the barmaid. Not Lady Romily of Carmelide. She had thought she had been a nobody back then, now she felt it more than ever.

[Yassia Dyfrène de Ailantha]

Yassia raised an eyebrow in mild surprise at the barmaid’s spot on remark of her being a long way from home. Was this a lucky shot or did Yassia really look the foreigner so much? Well, it could be, what with her slightly more olive skin and the brown hair. Many women in Albion were rather blond, she had observed, a color most rare in Ailantha. Her own mother with her beautiful auburn hair that Yassia sadly hadn’t inherited, had been considered a novelty.
The food, though simple it was, smelled like heaven to the starving princess and so for a moment she hungrily dug into it, only listening to the girl’s sweet ways of apologizing for what she had said.

Did she really think she would be angry now? Well, maybe a month or so before, Yassia probably would have been, still used to be treated with respect and even awe. All her life people had weighed their words very well before addressing her in any kind of way, and it had been hard getting used to being treated for what she looked like.
“You’ve got a sharp eye!” she commented with a smile, to show she did not mind the girl jumping to conclusions. “Yes I am a long way from home, and no usually I don’t drink my life away in a tavern… though at the moment I would very much like to…”

The barmaid probably found herself overbearing and so she retreated, and Yassia was actually a little crestfallen. She wouldn’t mind company at all right now, anything to get her off her black mood.
“Oh, please, I am not angry with you, you only told the truth after all. Thanks for the mead and the food. Would you like to come over and sit for a little while once business allows it?”
That was a very unusual offer coming from Yassia, as normally she didn’t want to socialize with people all that much. But this evening was just one of those where she didn’t want to be alone, wallowing in her misery. “I am Yassia by the way!”

[Romily de Braose]

“You’ve got a sharp eye!” Romily was suprised, not knowing if the girl was actually angry with her or not “Yes I am a long way from home, and no usually I don’t drink my life away in a tavern… though at the moment I would very much like to…” Romily had known this by the expression the young woman bore. The very same as she'd had when she'd first left her home. Many people had remarked about it. Romily hadn't thought she looked any different, until one day she'd actually looked at herself in a mirror to see a completly different person staring back at her.

She'd gone back to the bar after apologising many times but was even more suprised to recieve an offer of a sit down. “Oh, please, I am not angry with you, you only told the truth after all. Thanks for the mead and the food. Would you like to come over and sit for a little while once business allows it?”. Romily frowned slightly to herself and then looked over to Eldon, who was busy sitting down in a corner himself, snoring. Typical. Sometimes it seemed like she was the only one running this place apart from his daughter. At least he wouldn't catch her lying down on the job, plus there was hardly anyone to serve anymore now that all the locals were in. "Oh? well, ok then. Im sure the landlord won't mind if it's for a few minutes"

She smiled and sat herself opposite the woman. "Yassia?" she was sure she'd heard the woman introduce herself earlier, "That's a nice name. I'm Romily by the way, also a long way from home" she smiled sympathetically at her. "Although im glad of it if im honest." She traced circles in some droplets of water that had obviously been spilt on the table earlier. "So...i gather you're a lone traveller too? Is that why you want to drink yourself into oblivion? or is it just the fact you have to spend a night in here with men like those?" she gestured to the man who had made a remark about her earlier, as he sat with a group of friends who all appeared to be like him, judging from the looks they were throwing at various women, including Romily.

[Yassia Dyfrène de Ailantha]

Romily… what a nice name. Different from the names she had come across around here so far. That notion only confirmed when Romily said she also was a long way from home. Yassia felt a warm surge of sympathy washing through her, chasing away the doom and gloom a abit. A fellow travellor stranded in this village in the middle of nowhere, just like herself. Though of course Yassia did not intend to stay here for more than just a night. She still had a destination after all, Camelot, however long it would still take her to to get there.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Romily!” The name rolled off her tongue with ease, adding a foreign trill to the first consonant and actually sounding the ‘o’ darker than Romily had done herself. “Nah, I am not glad to be away from home…” a shadow crossed the princess’ face, but then she smiled again, hiding her unease behind it. She felt inclined to talk more, to finally get some things off her mind by voicing them, but this was a dangerous path to take. However much she felt connected to this young woman, close to her by age as well as by fate, she was still a stranger. Who said she could be trusted? Yassia’s identity was a dangerous secret for her, even though she doubted Romily could pose a threat to her personally. Still… a rumor here, a whispered name there, and – bang! Her trail could lead through the whole of Albion like a path of red flames, showing everyone searching for her all too easily where she roamed.

But then some things just piled up inside Yassia, and she knew she would burst the next second if she did not voice them.
“I’d like to forget everything I’ve been through, but I can’t. That’s why I’d like to drink it all away. I never did it though, something always stopped me. Perhaps because I do have a destination after all which I hope to reach in the next few weeks.”
Mircea… The face of her lost stepbrother took over her mind with an almost brutal force, blending everything out for a split second. Oh how he would hate to see her like this! She could see his shocked face so vividly before her inner eye it sent a painful lurch through her stomach. Who knew if he even was still alive…

“I’ve not started this journey alone you know.” Her voice was thick with surpressed emotion. “My stepbrother was with me, Mircea. But we got seperated when we crossed the channel to reach Albion.”

[Romily de Braose]

Romily noticed that Yassia had an accent, definatly not from around here then, and this was confirmed when she listened to the young woman explain about her stepbrother and how she'd crossed the channel to Albion. They'd been seperated? Poor girl, she must have been through a lot since then.

"Drinking never makes the thoughts disappear" she told her, "Not that i know from any experiance but i certainly wouldn't want to turn into someone who spends every evening here attempting to forget themselves".
She could see Yassia was quite wrapped up in her thoughts just by looking at her. It was obvious she was missing her stepbrother. "You're lucky to have journeyed with someone. I'm a loner" Romily half chuckled at this. It was true. She'd been locked away from the world for most of her life and now had the independance to go it alone. "No brother, and now no family what so ever."

Romily found it hard to speak about her parents and brother. Probably because it was a subject too painful to bring up in front of her father. She'd never been allowed to bring up the subject of her mother and brother. She'd actually done so once. Romily had then been confined to her room for three days while her father cooled off. Well, that was what her maid had told her.

She wondered what Yassia's real story was. She seemed so distant in expression and thought that Romily wondered if she was actually listening to her anymore. "What of your family? Do they know where you are? If you don't mind me asking that is? You don't have to speak of it if you don't want to" she asked and then felt awkward again. For all she knew Yassia didn't want to be bombarded with personal questions, but Romily found that from what she'd said so far, they were quite similar.

[Yassia Dyfrène de Ailantha]

Yassia nodded and gave a little chuckle. Romily was quite right there, whoever would want to end up a drunkard? You might forget your sorrows for a while, but they always returned the next morning and even dragging a painful hangover along with them. That couldn’t be worth it! And anyway, on her long way here Yassia had learned on more than one occasion that she was by no means in the worst condition imaginable, there were others who also had it tough, she needn’t forget that. Take Romily, who knew what she had been born to, she didn’t have the demeanour of a low born either, and yet she was working here.
“A loner?” That aroused Yassia’s interest. “But you DO remember where you come from, right?” Realising this might be a very testy subject for the barmaid, she hastily added: “But you don’t have to tell me, you know. I can be too nosy at times.”

Romily’s question stirred up concerns long though forgotten, and for a second Yassia could feel an all too familiar paranoia creeping up on her.
“If they knew where I was I wouldn’t be herefor much longer”, she mused with a nervous little laugh to overplay the unease.
She debated on saying anything else, and in the end she chose to trust Romily. A few steps had already been taken towards honesty and Yassia had realised how good it felt to finally get certain things off her chest. “Truth be told, I ran away from a future that wasn’t mine. The only caring part of my family is dead, and the vultures remained, driving their claws into anything I held dear. So I fled, in hope to find help elsewhere…”

Taking a deep gulp from her tankard, Yassia tried to calm down, while a wave of emotion churned up her inside. Hatred and anger were the most prominent of these raw emotions and hadn’t she feared to start a riot or just come across plainly ridiculous she would have liked to cast the tankard against the wall, imagining to hit Uncle Guifré’s head with it.
“But lately I have lost all hope of every arriving at my destination and I doubt that I could make things any better. So far it hasn’t brought me but pain and hardship.”

[Romily de Braose]

Remember where she'd come from? Well it was too hard for her to forget, let alone think about. Romily would become annoyed with herself if a thought of her home or even her father slipped into her mind. She'd been free from him for at least a year. "Unfortuantly yes, i would rather not though." she replied in answer to Yassia's earlier question. "You're anything but nosey, just curious like many a person - i came from a noble family in Carmelide. I don't know if you know of it or have passed through on your travels but it's where i grew up. My mother died when i was young so I had to grow up from a very young age. My maid was more like my mother to me after she'd gone and helped to raise me. My father? Well I hardly saw anything of him really. He'd keep me away from pagentry and things along those lines, so i was quite lonely. I never had any friends. Just my maid" Romily smiled at the thought. "One of my father's friends came with his son to our home. His son was called Frederick. Anyway things happened which led to my father making false accusations and accusing me of many things. There was a lot of arguing between us two and in the end I left my home and set out in search of something better" She finished, not wanting to go into too much detail of what had happened with Frederick. That was history now, and thankfully she'd never have to look him in the eye again.

Romily's thoughts turned to her mother. Her dear mother who would most likely be turning in her grave if she knew about what her darling daughter was doing. Her mother had adored her, her father hadn't (possibly because he'd be disappointed that his first born wasn't a son and heir.). Perhaps if her mother had still been here then her father might be a different man. Or not. Romily had considered that his backlash on her was because she was so much like her mother not just spiritually but also physically. Maybe he couldnt look at her because she resembled her mother so much.

She shook off everything and got up and walked to the bar, checking that Eldon was still sleeping. Thankfully he was. She decided to take this opportunity to have a break, or finish for the evening. Everyone was here and she doubted that anymore would walk through the door. At this time of the evening many of the people were preparing to sleep. She brought over some more drinks for the pair and sat herself down again. "Here, have another" she pushed the tankard towards Yassia. "So, you spoke of a certain destination, where are you travelling to?" she asked. "If you plan on hanging around here for a while I could ask Eldon to give you a room or something? Perhaps a job so you at least have some money to spare - not that i'm saying you haven't" She decided to end there before she offended someone.

[Yassia Dyfrène de Ailantha]

Carmelide... the name sounded familiar, but Yassia couldn’t quite put her finger on it, and she also didn’t get a clear picture in her mind. Had she actually passed through this land or had she just heard someone talk about it? Was it on the continent or somewhere more south to Albion? Well, she would find out eventually, of that she was pretty sure.“If I’ve been there I can’t remember, sorry!” she apoligized with a smile. “It’s been too many names and places in the last few months. My kingdom” – oh yes, the emphasize might be audible, it was a habit Yassia just couldn’t seem to erase – “is on the continent, far down south, and it’s called…” she dropped her voice so no one but Romily would overhear. She trusted the barmaid better now, but one never knew who might eavesdrop, “Ailantha. Very small, you probably never heard of it.”

Nodding earnestly every once in a while, Yassia listened to Romily’s story. Many of the things the girl told the princess could relate to. Friends had been scarce in her life as well, though she never really had missed it. And there had always been Mircea - - NO! Hadn’t she sworn to herself not to think of him again tonight? Why could she never let him go, not even for a minute?
“A tragic tale!” she commiserated, sighing. “Well, was there even something about the whole issue? I mean, were you and Frederick in… love? Or was your father blind and ignorant?”
How different life stories could be and still come to the same conclusion. Though Yassia still realised she had it better and that she needed to be thankful for that. She had somewhere to go and when she returned to Ailantha it would be in glorious triumph. For Romily on the other hand there was no turning back, and if so in shame.

“Are you in the mood for a story full of wars of succession, treachery and other complicated issues? Stop me when you have enough!” Yassia suggested, then took a deep gulp out of the new tankard, while making a mental note to not drink too hasty. Mead could make your head swim all too soon.
“Well, maybe I should start in saying that I am supposed to become Ailantha’s next queen”, she began, again lowering her voice. “My brother, the heir apparent, had died a few years earlier, but our laws only allow me to take up the crown if I marry. So apparently my uncle Guifré believed his only way to get to power himself was by forcing me to marry his son. Which I didn’t want to but the council of nobles was inclined to agree.”
Yassia was glad she had found out Romily to be a noble, as someone growing up amongst her own kind was better in working through all those confusion details of sucession and inheritance. “That’s why I set out for Camelot”, she continued, taking another sip. “I have a relative there which might be able to help me. But please… keep this to yourself at all costs, Romily, I take a great risk telling you this!”
Then a smile crossed her face. "That's alright, I am low on money that's no secret. But I cannot accept this kind offer, I need to keep going."

[Romily de Braose]

Ailantha? She'd never heard of it before, mind you it must have been a place that Yassia wanted to forget rather quickly.
The young woman was now asking whether her and Frederick had been in love, she snorted at this "I had hardly enough time to get to know him - let alone fall in love with him. My father was just jumping to conclusions that all, and it appears that he thought ill of me, saying i'd thrown away my honour, which, by the way, i didn't" she added quickly, "It was a mistake and Frederick was one of those men who would have any woman he wanted and then discard her like a cat toying with a mouse" She told Yassia bitterly. "Thankfully i've never had to lay eyes on him again"

It was then Yassia's turn to open up. She was an heir to the throne of her country! She'd certainly not seen that coming. "You're a member of royalty?" she said in almost a whsiper so as no one else could hear. "My goodness". She listened on as Yassia explained of her reasons for running away. It was all quite sad really. "No woman should be made to marry against her will - but unfortunatly our role in this world seems to be just that" Romily shook her head, "It's a shame we cannot be seen for our other accomplishments. I hope one day our roles will allow us to do as we please without the idle gossip from those who disapprove"

Romily took another sip of her drink and smiled at Yassia. "Camelot? I've heard of it - lots of stories that my father told me and also through evesdropping in on people's conversations. Apparently it's not exactly the nicest of places to venture should you have a certain ability", she looked at Yassia knowingly. Magic - hopefully she didn't have that or that would be the end. Mind you, she was starting to realise whether anything that had come out of her father's mouth over the years was true or false. "But anyhow, I hope you manage to complete your journey".
Romily leant in a little closer so as she couldn't be heard by anyone else "You've not to worry - your secret is safe with me". She smiled.

[Yassia Dyfrène de Ailantha]

Yassia shook her head in wonder and commiseration at Romily’s illustrations. Now that was certainly the worst case and an almost funny reverse to her own story. Instead of an uncle pressuring her into a relationship she had a father not wanting a relationship and the man in question was a philanderer and heartbreaker to boot.
“Men!” she sighed sympathetically. “How can a life ever be extraordinary if they still follow the same old stories? Frustrating, huh?” she winked and tried to cheer Romily up, moving her away from this delicate topic. Such things would take a while to stop hurting. Yassia had never been in love herself, or so she thought, but she knew a great deal about misplaced trust and letdown.

Had she forseen Romily’s awestruck reaction? Well, maybe as it was not everday someone encountered royalty in a place such as this, but Yassia was glad Romily comparatively kept it down. Who knew what would happen if anyone with a foul heart should take notice of her status?! Being taken hostage and sold back to her uncle – suffering captivity for the long time it would take for the news to reach Ailantha – was only one of the scenarios she could think of. There were enough bounty hunters on the loose, that was something Mircea had told her from day one of their journey.
“It’s nothing!” she shrugged it off. “Whoever I am doesn’t help me this very instant, so I might as well overlook it.” Taking up her tankard she toasted the noble barmaid with a little laugh. “Oh I drink to that! May one day women be free of any man’s domination and free to go their own way. And may this day come soon!”

Yassia cocked her head in interest when Romily dropped those little hints about certain ‘abilities’. Yes she had heard of that as well, and she was thankful her family was not known for possessing magic. Of course, some called her achievments with remedies of all kind wondrous, but Yassia knew it was the plants and not her working the wonders. In Ailantha magic was uncommon but not looked at with scorn or fear. Those who had it had it, and that was the end of it. A few ladies of the court had been using love potions and the like, but Yassia herself had never been interested in such means.
“Oh, yes, I heard those rumors as well. The tales the people tell of this so-called “Great Purge” are gross in my eyes. But however cruel this King Uther may be, his actions show strength. And strength is what I need if I want to reclaim what is mine!”
Did that sound overly fatalistic? Maybe, but fatalism was all Yassia seemed to have left, along with hope. “Thank you, Romily! I appreciate your secrecy, and it is wonderful to finally get a few things off my chest!”

[Romily de Braose]

The words ‘life’ and ‘frustrating’ Romily knew went together all too well, especially in her world. “Men and their pride more like!” she winked, “I hate how they can just treat us like objects and skivvies at their own disposal”. She sat back against the wall and smiled at Yassia. “Im sure though, one day we shall have our comeuppance”.

Yassia, like herself, didn’t seem to bother about titles or anything. It was nice to speak to someone who had the same views and opinions. She saw that her head cocked slightly to one side when she subtly mentioned about the magic and the laws of it in Camelot. She was familiar with it no doubt because she bore no look of surprise. Yassia spoke of the story she’d heard of The Great Purge. Romily had heard this too. “My father told me about that too” she told her friend, “he seemed very dramatic though, as if to warn me about not going there – not that I would’ve anyway! I was hardly allowed in the Garden let alone to travel”. She agreed with Yassia’s opinion of the king though. “Strength guides you through whatever path you take, you just need a lot of it!” she chuckled, “Im sure you have a lot of that, considering what you’ve been through to get here and how you planned it!”

Romily drummed her fingers on the table. “This relative you have in Camelot, are they of royalty too? If you don’t mind me asking”. She had no idea whether Yassia felt uncomfortable discussing her status with her. Romily had never spoken about who she was to anyone. Everyone in this village thought that she was just a travelling peasant. Mind you, she was sure it wouldn’t be long until Elwin’s daughter discovered the couple of nice dresses she’d brought from home! “It’s good that you have connections and somewhere to go – I don’t have that, but if I did I’m sure in no time someone would tell my father”.

Romily then saw Elwin round the corner of the bar and shoot a look in her direction. “If you’ll excuse me”. She got up and walked over to him.
“You should be working Millie” he said. Elwin had always called her this as he’d stated that Romily was had to pronounce. She didn’t know why. I was, no one else had come in for the evening, so I decided to take some time to chat to the locals” She saw Elwin eye Yassia with suspicion, but then he nodded.

“I suppose it won’t do any harm, it’s actually quieter than usual this evening”

She thanked him and went to sit down, taking over another drink for Yassia and one for herself. “Sorry, now, where were we?”

[Yassia Dyfrène de Ailantha]

Yassia realised she might have found a friend in this girl, maybe even a soulmate, and she liked that feeling. They seemed to have gone through similar things and had similar views on the world. Looking back on her life, the princess realised she had never enjoyed a conversation with another girl this much after mere minutes. The oddities of life! Who would have thought she would stumble upon someone like Romily this evening? Her bad mood had definitely changed for the better already.
“Rather they THINK they can treat us like objects, right?” she reformed the sentence with a little laugh. “We won’t let them! That’s why we’re here after all!”
Was it really that easy? Not for the first time Yassia wondered what was happening in Ailantha now while she was gone. Had her uncle convinced the council somehow to make him king in her absence? Or did he even tell them she was dead? Then her flight would have been invain!

Warning her not to go there? Heavens, that was even worse than she thought! Alas, she had no other opportunity than that of turning around on her heels and resigning to a fate she never had wanted. And what a fool she would be doing that now, so close ot her destination! She would simply have to learn to avoid trouble there and get the whole “meet-uncle-make-him-plea-to-the-king-go-back-with-reinforcement” business over as soon as possible.
“No, the man I am looking for is not royalty, but he’s a noble and possibly now a knight of Camelot as well!” Yassia told Romily, again lowering her voice. “It’s my mother’s brother. Funny, right, my destiny is getting defined soleley by my uncles… One is the foe, the other hopefully the saviour. But talk about destining your own life…”

With one ear she listened to the conversation behind the bar, watching with great relief as the landlord seemed to agree on Romily returning. It would have been a shame to end the conversation just now, and so she greeted the returning girl with a warm smile.
“Millie… oh come on, how dare he truncate your beautiful name like that?” she jerked her head towards the landlord who for some reason kept on watching them. “It sounds so… common!” Yassia added a mocking aloof crinkling of the nose to her sentence, but to her it was only a joke and she hoped Romily wouldn’t take offense. Far be it from her to play out the royalty card to anyone right now, in the beginning she might have and actually had a few times, but life had shown her the other side of the coin pretty soon and she had learned to live by it.

“And I think we were about to discuss the stupidity of men in general and that of fathers/uncles in particular!” she added, cocking her head. “You think…” this was going to be some sort of a personal question and Yassia was hestitant to actually voice it, “you think if you could turn back time… would you change anything? I mean, things you did yourself, not something you had no influence on?”

[Romily de Braose]

Yassia explained her friend was of nobility and possibly even a knight. Romily’s opinions of knights were not of the greatest standard. There had once been a group of them from another kingdom that had come into the inn one evening. They were not as chivalrous as they were expected to be. From then she’d never thought highly of them. They were supposed to be men of bravery and standard. These were a group of gambling flirts who, in the end, she asked to leave.

Funnily enough Frederick had been a knight too, so the run-ins she’d had were not exactly brilliant going by first impressions. “A knight” she half chuckled, half spat, and then realised Yassia might be offended. “Im sorry, I have a very low opinion of them to be honest, but I suppose I can’t judge every one of them because of a bad experience. Besides there are some decent ones out there and it’s not for me to judge anyway”. She picked at her nails. “I suppose you think ill of me, what with me being rather bitter about many things we’ve spoken of this evening”. Yassia explained that the knight in question was an uncle. “Good uncle, bad uncle – very interesting” she mused, “Hopefully he shall keep you safe”

Once she’d sat back down after speaking with Eldon, Yassia gave her opinions of his name used for her. Romily shrugged it off, “Well, I am common I suppose – I have been for a year and my desire of not being recognised as nobility and forgetting my roots seems to be paying off” She saw the woman’s face and laughed. “Don’t worry, im not offended! Just very guarded”. She smirked at her friend, “I dare not tell him though, he’d most likely be on his knees and kissing the ground – this is my life and my home now.” She lowered her voice, “Im not ‘Lady Romily anymore – even though I may speak a little but like a noble I’ve learnt how to not act like one. Im just Millie the Barmaid now, and that’s how it will be until my dying day. No marriage – nothing. Just a sister of the spinsterhood” she smirked again.

She saw Yassia’s face change. “Now back to the stupidity of men” she decided to get back to their current topic, especially now that Yassia had asked whether or not she could change things should time have turned back on itself. “No”. This came out rather bluntly. “What’s done is done – what life would I have had if I had stayed in Carmelide anyway? I would have been locked away from the world with no friends or anything to my name. Just my title”. Romily scratched her neck. “If my mother had been alive however, perhaps things may have been very different – I could have been married by now even”. There was silence before she shook the thoughts from her head and looked up at Yassia. “What about you? Would you have married if there hadn’t have been a way out?”

[Yassia Dyfrène de Ailantha]

That there might be bad knights not deserving their honorable title and profession, Yassia did know but it still was a little odd to hear someone talk bad about some of them. In Ailantha at least, knighthood was held in high regards, only the most noble at heart would dare to call themselves knights, Mircea had been a very good example for that. His loyalty for the crown went far enough so sacrifice his own life for its true bearer… and in the end it most likely had come true. Significantly, her uncle Guifré had never wanted to be a knight, while his brother became king, he wanted to stay the tactician in the background. Most likely because then he would not have any corslet of honorable rules to restrain him.
“No, Romily”[/color], she replied softly, managing a smile. “I don’t think ill of you in any way. Remember, I was the one talking about getting drunk because my life is a mess! But now I realise I am not alone in that, and for that I thank you. I hope there is still a way for you to get what you deserve.”

Yassia’s eyes darted back to Elwin for a moment at Romily’s words and she had to surpress a chuckle. “Well, as long as he doesn’t treat you too badly, I think you should keep it from him. But as soon as he thinks he can treat you like scum of the street, maybe you should play out the ‘nobility’ card. You deserve only the best!”
She leaned back and looked at her new friend. With her looks she shouldn’t end up a spinster, by no means. But would she think it still above her to fall in love with a commoner?
“How do you know there will be no marriage for you?” she asked in a slightly teasing tone. “Not an arranged one I mean, a love match. Never say never!”
Marrying for love…wasn’t that all her rebellion had been about? Or was it wrong to stick to such illusions? No, it definitely hadn’t been the only reason, she would have obliged to anyone else if not her uncle had been behind it for his own personal gain!

She admired Romily’s strength to accept given things. Yassia was not in the least that ready to give up what she thought was her right, and maybe she never would be.
And now this question, it teared at old scars, ripping them open and letting fresh blood seep out of wounds she hated to touch. But she had been the one asking first, it was only fair.
“That is not easy to answer. Sometimes I think I should have done it… I should have married my cousin and be done with it, accepting to be only a puppet on a string. For my decision did drag down others into the abyss. I told you about my stepbrother, M-Mircea”, Yassia fixated the table top, gritting her teeth hard to keep from crying. “Wherever he is now whatever happened to him is my fault. If I only had been less proud …” She took a deep and shaky breath. “But that is idle thinking, I shouldn’t have brough it up. No one can change the past.”

[Romily de Braose]

Messed up lives was correct. “It seems we’re both the bearers of bad luck” Romily chuckled. “Im sorry, I really shouldn’t have spoken of others like that, that was my bitter and judgemental side coming out of me” she sighed.

The conversation then turned to Eldon who was still watching from behind the bar. “He treats me well – I was lucky to even be taken in let alone given a job on top of it. I don’t want to use my status as a free pass nor because I want someone to be nice to me. I’d rather he treated me like everyone else” Romily shrugged, “One day he’ll find out though, I know he will –im sure he’s already suspicious.”

Marriage. Ah yes, that dreaded subject. “How do I know? Oh I know – It’s all part of the ‘Romily Radar’ I have going on. Bad luck with men and in a town where the only charming ones are the elders? It’s not for me” she shook her head, “Im not saying never, I can’t exactly picture myself being with anyone most probably because I’ve never been in love – if I had then maybe it would be easier for me to say maybe.” She chuckled, “an arranged marriage or love match? My father would have jumped at the chance.” She looked over to Eldon and then back at Yassia, “but if a man were to come along, im sure Eldon wouldn’t let me leave without a fight” she smirked and then saw the look on Yassia’s face. “I suppose you’re wondering my opinions on marrying people of a lower status. Im open to it – the more I can leave the past behind the better. I’ll always marry for love though, never for duty”.
Romily fiddled with her dress. “How about you?” Yassia seemed like the person to have the same opinion, given the fact that they’d agreed on so many things.

On speaking about her Uncle and her arranged marriage, Romily could see Yassia was about to cry. She quickly produced a handkerchief from her pocket and passed it to the woman. “I’m sorry, the subject is an upsetting one – I didn’t mean for you to become like this. We won’t speak of it anymore.” She saw Yassia take a deep breath and smiled sadly at her. “The past can never be changed, but we learn from it”.

Romily then decided to take the conversation in a new direction to take Yassia’s mind off of her troubles. “Right. I think I should prepare you a room for the night. There’s no way I’m allowing you to leave here in the dark by yourself.”

[Yassia Dyfrène de Ailantha]

Again Yassia shook her head, directing an earnest look in Romily’s direction. “Don’t apologize, really! I can see where you come from, and you have every right to be bitter once in a while. In fact, I’m in awe how well you take to it all!”
That she didn’t say only to comfort Romily. She really did mean it.

It did seem in fact like Eldon would actually die to know what the two women were talking about. With an amused chuckle Yassia watched him raising on his tiptoes, leaning on the bar, so he could be closer to them without leaving his post. When he caught her gaze he quickly busied himself with some tankards, but Yassia knew what she had seen.
“What’s made him suspicious in the first place? Well, I am sure I give myself away with every step I take, with every word that leaves my mouth. I don’t think I pose as a comoner’s girl succesfully… not that I’d want to, I hope this charade will soon be over! But until I reach Camelot safe and sound, I have to pretend.”
She didn’t want to sound disrespectful or anything, it was just that Yassia knew in her heart of hearts that this life was not hers. She had been born to be queen, or at least a princess, and this was all she could ever be.

Yassia clucked her tongue. “Aww, too bad! But that with the radar sounds funny! You should not always believe it, though, in my opinion such radars always work worst when it comes to personal issues. Like they are clouded. But you’re right, elder men are nothing for you.” She leaned closer, a smile playing on her lips. “Who knows though, there are many people wandering around like I do. Maybe just a few days after I am gone, someone will pass by and your sheer presence will convince him to stay?” She wanted to make Romily feel better, that’s why she now indulged in the subject, using her hands in vivid speech as she painted an equally vivid picture.
“I see it all before my inner eye: He’s going to be like… three years older than you… and he’s a wandering scholar… or a physician! He just finished his education and is now looking for a place to settle down… But despite of his intelligence he would not mind his future wife to be working at a tavern. No, he’s able to lend a hand whenever needed and the people will like him! And of course he will be very nice to look at but for him there’s only you!”

She took another gulp of mead and hestitated. “As for me… to become queen I need to be married, unless I am able to convince the council to change this law. So, love might not have a say in this matter, although I will not marry someone I despise.”
With a thankful nod she took the tissue and dabbed her eyes, taking a deep, shaky breath once again. “Sorry… I shouldn’t have lost it like that. It’s not befitting. And yes, I dearly hope I learned my lesson. If anything I have learned to see life from below, and I might use this to become a just ruler.”

The mentioning of a room actually brought a smile on Yassia’s face, however weary it was. “Truly, you’re too kind. Don’t haste yourself for my sake though, I don’t expect royal treatment!” The joke was a lame one maybe, but it was the best Yassia could come up with right now.

[Romily de Braose]

"I don't like being bitter - it's not like me" Romily told Yassia."I've only ever been bitter at my father and his ways, or should I say, his lies?" she sighed. “He didn’t even tell me that I actually have another brother besides Thomas, my younger brother who died at birth – I found out through my maid, my maid of all people!” she ranted. This was something that Romily had never told anyone. It was information she’d rather forget. She was sure she could trust Yassia though. It wasn’t because she hated this ‘other brother’, but it was the fact that he’d been her father’s best-kept secret for years, while he treated her like dirt.

Jaxon (Bonnie, her maid, had told her his name upon finding out) had been born a year or two after her mother and Thomas had died. Her father had an affair out of grief and Jaxon was the result. Unfortunately Jaxon’s mother was married at the time, and apparently still was. His ‘father’ still didn’t know of the affair and the fact he was brining up another man’s child. If Romily were correct Jaxon would be at least sixteen or seventeen by now. Whether or not her father had named him, as the rightful heir to their estate and belongings was a different matter. He was welcome to it. There had been many times that Romily had wanted to track Jaxon down and tell him that she was his half sister. She didn’t think he knew of his mother’s infidelity at all, as he’d never turned up at Wolfhall.
She put her head in her hands. “Im sorry – ‘ive never told anyone about that – I like to keep that part of my story locked away in the back of my mind as much as possible”. She was a little confused at Yassia’s statement. “Take to it all? How do you mean?”

Romily could see Eldon out of the corner of her eye eavesdropping. She looked at Yassia and smirked. “Don’t mind him – he loves to gossip as much as his daughter” she rolled her eyes. “I very much doubt that Eldon would let this passing stranger you speak of, within a five mile radius of me. If I wasn’t here he’d have to run the inn by himself” she smirked at the thought as Yassia explained her daydream of Romily’s ‘perfect man’. She couldn’t help but laugh at both of the suggestions. She was sure that no man of that kind would ever think of setting foot in The Rams Head, let alone the village.
“A wandering scholar” she mused, “You certainly have given my love life a lot of thought” she chuckled and shook her head. “No – I’ll live my life like a spinster and die one. Wandering scholar, physician or not – Anyway, what about you? Have you met any nice men on your travels? Or have they all been as ghastly as ever?” she asked.

Once Yassia had pulled herself together and had accepted the offer of a room, Romily smiled. “I can’t do royal treatment, but I’m sure I could do my best to get nearer the mark” she told her, “besides, I treat all my guests equally – noble or not” she winked and stood up. “Come on, come with me and I’ll show you to your room – I think Eldon’s eyes have born holes into my back!”

She got up and beckoned for Yassia to follow, leading her up the stairs to where the rooms of the inn were. She came to a door, took some keys from her pocket and opened the door.
“This is your room. I shouldn’t worry about paying now – you can always do that later” she smiled and stepped aside to let Yassia past. “My room is at the far end of the hall on the left hand side – if you need anything, just knock and I’ll get it for you”

[Yassia Dyfrène de Ailantha]

The revellation about Romily’s brother truly was a shocking one, and Yassia didn’t blame the girl for voicing it all in an angry huff, the words nearly tumbling over each other. What had her father been thinking?! That he could just keep a secret like that, but not well enough so the servants would know, but he still would lie to his own daughter? The princess was glad her father had never been doing that. He hadn’t even hidden his desire to marry again from his daughter, though she had picked on the vibes between the Contesa de Fremente and King Diodore long before he had come to her chamber, all solemn and calling her a “grown up girl who can bear the truth”. Apparently not all fathers were as trusting with their daughters, though it surely fit into the picture Romily had drawn earlier.

“All the more am I honored you shared this with me!”, she replied softly, moving her hand over the tabletop impulsively, squeezing Romily’s for a moment. “Have you ever thought about finding this brother? Maybe talk to him, see if he knows about everything? Though”, she corrected herself with a little laugh. “That of course proves to be moot if you really want to leave your past behind. However, sometimes it might be better to unravel a few threads of life first before you cut them…” she laughed again. “And now I sound like an old woman babbling cryptic gibberish. Forgive me!”
As if she could be considered an expert in solving problems… far from it! “What I meant before was that no matter what hardship you’ve been through, ranting is all you do. Many would break!”

Yassia grinned good-humoredly, taking the light teasing about her overboarding imagination with good grace. It had been a silly thought after all, she couldn’t imagine something like that to happen either. Life was no fairytale after all, if it was the princesses would stay in their castles getting bailed out by a knight in shining armor, who would take it upon him to defeat the vile uncle and his son in personal heroic combat … and because life was no fairytale the princesses had to look out for themselves, wandering on foreign soil like a pauper. Also fairytale material to a certain extent, she probably had still to wait for the testings where she would have to prove her good heart, strong will and courage… yeah, she definitely had listened to too many tales.
“Me? Uh… now you ask me something.” Yassia heaved a sigh. “Most men I came across ever since wandering alone were either overly interested in something I was not willing to give or they ignored me. Of course, I hoped that maybe somewhere along the line I would have met someone who would solve all my problems… but I guess it’s never that easy.”

Yassia followed after Romily with a thankful smile, and after they had reached the room, she lingered in the doorway, examining it briefly, then turning around.
“It’s perfect! No, really, I mean it. I’ve been lodging in horrible shebeens where you could spend a whole night counting the lice and fleas and meeting them on first name basis. This is looks nice and clean. And don’t worry, I will not disturb your well-earned rest”, she winked. “Unless of course you’d want someone to talk to even after work.”