Dreaming (open)

[brimstone81]

Chaila had gotten away from the stuffy room of courtswomen. It was all a lot of fun, gossiping, embroidery, flirting with the men, but she needed some air. She slipped away and found herself in the courtyard. Chaila sat on the stone floor, her skirts about her, and her upper body lounging on the top of a stone bench. She started to dream of what life would be like away from here. She was a second daughter, and second daughters were nothing special, so would she ever leave Fort? Would she be abandoned on some cot hold or a dingy minor hold some where in the middle of no where? Would she suffer the indignity of being at a gather and when asked where she hailed, having to answer with some no name hold?

Of course, Chaila wouldn't mind if the boy was young, good looking, and romantic. He would have to be heroic, and brave, and athletic, and charming, and sweet, and funny too. . . Was she asking too much? She was a daughter of Fort afterall. . . Didn't that mean she could ask for anything? Chaila might argue that she could run off romantically with the boy of her dreams and elope, but truely she looved the pomp and regality that came with wealth and title. Chaila could never survive as a simple wife. Oh shells. Better start thinking about what her lover will look like instead.

[thedreamerlady]

Sulia wandered out into her courtyard, feeling rather bored. Though the Court was fascinating, and a good deal of her time and energy were spent thinking about them, sometimes she needed a dose of small, simple pleasures. Like the Garden, or the stone austerity of parts of the courtyard.

And currently, having to look for a Headwoman, after the one who had hated her died, was turning out to be far more complicated then she had thought it would be. Shard Ariashi for not having a clear cut successor.

Then she spotted her stepdaughter, and Sulia smiled. Chaila was her second favorite daughter, and by far, the most malleable. Nice girl, however, and the girl could be interesting to talk too. Not that she'd spoken to her much.

But they'd be planning weddings soon, so Sulia had to at least to get to know her daughter a little better.

"Chaila!" Sulia called, moving towards her stepdaughter, moving slowly to accommodate her new skirt. It was slightly bigger than she was used too, and she didn't want to get it dirty. It was a pale gray, with blue edgings, and was her current pride and joy.

"How are you, dear? I haven't seen you around much as of late!"

[brimstone81]

Chaila was interrupted from her thoughts of lovers by the sound of her stepmother's voice. Chaila was too young when her mother died to really remember her as well as Alsea, so the addition of a new stepmother had not bothered her as much as her elder sister, either. Sulia was nice enough, even though she did get much of their father's attentions. Not that her father had anything great to say to her other than to pry into her life. Not that Chaila was ungrateful, exactly, just hitting a parental resentment stage in her teenage life.

She smiled prettily, "Hello Sulia." Chaila eyed the Lady of Fort's pretty dress. She loved fine things and that skirt made her envious. If only she had a husband to buy her clothes so lovely! Chaila was pretty agreeable, and would never have the courage to ask her father for an allowance or fancy things. Chaila rose and sat on the bench. She supposed sitting on the floor was unladylike. She sat on the bench and motioned Sulia to follow her. "I am fine, just have some things on her mind. I like to be outside and away from every one from time to time. Oh, but how are you faring?"

[thedreamerlady]

Sulia settled carefully, like a delicate bird, onto the stone bench next to her stepdaughter. Smiling mysteriously, she tapped her lower lip with her pointer finger. How was she doing? There were many answers Sulia could have given, and she considered all of them carefully.

"Well, I think I've come up with a perfect solution for Delek's marriage status." Sulia replied finally. "And I think I've picked Ariashi's successor. So, life cannot be all bad. However," Sulia frowned, "A flower of my court is hiding outside away from everyone. Is it something you'd like to talk about?"

The frown smoothed out into a comforting expression, and Sulia shifted herself, and her dress so that she could give her stepdaughter all of her attention.

[brimstone81]

Chaila nodded and listened to Sulia carefully. She wanted Suila to think her a decent girl to keep around. And even though she would never admit it out loud, Chaila didn't want to be shipped off and married to a strange man just yet-she was much too young! While she was a bit of a silly thing, Chaila knew that Alsea and Sulia did not get along in the least, and look where Sulia was shipping her sister off to! Telgar hold!

Chaila smiled, she had always gotten along with Delek, even if he was a little "boring." She replied, "Oh, how nice, and what lucky girl will have the priviledge of having my brother?" Chaila was always interested in matchmaking, in cause one couldn't tell already. In her wildest fantasies, Chaila might dream of being sort of a jolly matron of match making. Maybe not even just for her own future children!

Chaila smiled again, "A new Headwoman, that's interesting. I hope she's nice, but firm. A wise and prudent woman, I should think. You are always a good judge of character, Mother." Again, sucking up so she wouldn't get shipped off to some place dissagreeable. Best not make an enemy of the match maker now...

However, it was too soon that Sulia turned the tables on her and asked what was on Chaila's mind. Chaila blushed, "Oh, well, uh, just thinking about embroidering a gift." What a terrible lie. But Chaila didn't want to admit her thoughts. She'd be ridiculed for being silly, flighty, or fanciful. She should be thinking about being dutiful or sensible, or prudent, but she shouldn't be obsessing over a marriage that was not, and would not, be happening for some time. There was nothing in the works for her, and she had even admitted to herself that she did not want to be married just yet. So no, she couldn't tell her step mother what was really on her mind. She changed the topic smoothly to something she didn't think Sulia could resist to talk about, "A gift for Alsea, I think, because you never know when she'll be going off with some boy or something. Well, not to say she'd ever, well, you know. Maybe a gift for her new home or something. A pillow case, perhaps?"

Well, that didn't sound very good at all. Now she made it sound like Alsea was going to run off with some random boy, and that's not what she meant at all. Yet it would get the attention off of her and on to something else. What a silly little tart Chaila was! The girl bit her lip, hoping she hadn't just started a vicious rumor, "What colors do you think would be suitable? I was thinking something flowery and elegant."