A Long Walk with Deep Thoughts [Yassia]

[Caitrin de Archer]

OOC I’m currently in a timeline about 8 months before this so I have no idea where Cait’s up to… but I’ll hope this is right!

As usual Caitrin handed her mare over to the stable boy, deciding to be on her way quicker than usual. She wouldn’t say she had been avoiding Camelot, but it just had not been the place she had most wanted us to be at the moment. She wasn’t upset anymore, not really, she was just disappointed more than anything with Griflets’ behaviour towards her. Her Uncle didn’t really offer her much reassurance in her predicament and preferred instead to making quick jibes at her expense and reminding her Griflet was too below her status to have ever been considered anyway. It was true, and she kept telling herself it was true. She had gone through different stages during the last few months, but now she was certain that she was not running away. Caitrin had never been the type to just run away and pretend nothing had happened; if Griflet found it awkward to be around her he would have to be the one to leave; not her. Why would she want to go back to Mercia anyway? Her father was as cold to her as he had been when he had tried to marry her off in haste over five years ago. She never received word from him, except a letter her Uncle Rouland received a few months ago voicing his disappointment that his youngest daughter had yet to marry. Rouland had handed Caitrin the letter which had curtly been scrunched up and thrown angrily in the fire. Rouland hadn’t stopped her, it hadn’t been in his interests, plus he had no intention of marrying her off before the right offer came along; nothing was ever in Caitrins’ control, not even her own feelings.

Caitrin had come to Camelot to confirm the news which had reached her household that the Lady Morgana had been found well and alive. Rumours of course had circulated but Caitrin scarcely believed them; it had after all been a year since she had gone missing. It had been one of the more eventful years since Caitrin had arrived in Camelot, starting of course with the dragon attack. Caitrin still had scarring up her side from the blast of fire she had suffered during the attack. It served as a physical reminder to how her foolishness could result in misery; unfortunately there was no physical scarring for the hurt Griflet had caused her. That misery was all emotional.

Before entering the castle to ask if the news was true Caitrin decided on a walk around the gardens at the back of the castle. She needed the fresh air. She hadn’t even been out riding as much as she used to because she feared running into anyone and although she felt like she was a hypocrite for now riding into the hub of the society she needed the peace. Her Uncle, in the hope he could get her out more, had been insufferable for months by giving her pointless and meaningless tasks, and her aunt had been even more irritating, suggesting Caitrin helped her with her tapestry needlework.

Caitrin was today wearing a deep, dark green dress with black trimmings and she had a cloak on which was an even deeper green than the dress and altogether looked very elegant. She hoped to not run into anyone, or if she did it should be someone she hadn’t come across before. The gardens were in bloom today, it wasn’t the nicest day of the year but it was quite warm and the flowers had reacted to it. Caitrin sighed as she continued her walk, perching on a stone wall and looking around her; it was deafly quiet which made her think that Morgana must have been returned as everyone would be doting on her. She brushed her dress with the back of her hand, banishing some of her horses hairs from it and leaned back on the wall, enjoying the sunshine and the general splendour of Camelot.

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Location: The gardens in Camelot
Timeline: A few days or so after Morgana was returned to Camelot
Tags: Yassia Dyfrène de Ailantha

[Yassia Dyfrène de Ailantha]

Yassia loved the gardens of Camelot. It was a sea of calm in an otherwise bustling castle, a safe haven for those sometimes overcome with melancholy or simply with too much on their minds. Even though it did not resemble at all the beautiful oasis garden back in Ailantha, with its cypresses and little palm trees and the gurgling, murmuring fountains, but it still brought back memories of easier times. When her day had been filled with sitting in such a beautiful garden, reading all day or trying to memorize the herbs that grew in it; when her worst concern had been which dress to wear for the splendid dinner event and dance after that – when she had been safe.

But even though thoughts of that time should make her feel even more homesick, the calamity of the beautiful gardens were balm for her soul as well. And it gave her time to think, try to file away all the interesting or horrifying events of her journey, finally making her peace with some particularly unpleasant episodes. She might never be able to forget them, but here it was easier to deal with them, not like in those nightmares that still haunted her most nights. Dreams in which she was running but couldn’t seem to gain even one yard of ground while her pursuers came closer and closer. It never were actual people hunting her, but wolves. That didn’t keep her from attaching names to each of them though, as far as she knew them. Vortigern, Prince of Sorelia and King Cenred. And fleeing from Cenred had practically driven her into the arms of some other cruel man she didn’t even know the name of today. Now she was safe from them all, but that didn’t stop the demons of the night eating away her confidence and making her waking up screaming.

Such things however, were not made for the beautiful day and the sunshine Yassia was now graced with, and for a little while she put the memories aside and was confident just to stroll through the gardens, bending down here to sniff a flower or sitting down there for a little rest, exposing her olive toned skin to the sun.
Fiddling with the long sleeves of her brand new dress, in a wonderfully shimmering color between blue and green, Yassia then closed her eyes for a little, allowing the peace of her surroundings to take command of her mind.
Like this she sat for a while until she heard footsteps approaching. Even though she felt safe in Camelot, even after just a few weeks, Yassia’s eyes still opened instantly, scanning her surroundings for the fellow soul with probably the same idea. No threat of course was awaiting her, but the figure of a young noble woman now leaning against an overgrown stone wall slightly to the right of the bench Yassia was resting on.

Not sure if she had been spotted already in her contemplative position, Yassia raised a hand in a friendly greeting and commented: “A splendid day, is it not?”
She couldn’t remember if she had seen this particularly noblewoman before, as there were many often visiting the castle from their surrounding estates, like Yassia did herself ever since her uncle Cai had given her shelter in his nearby estate. But whether they had been introduced yet or not, she surely would find out soon.