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Post by Lady Gillianne Auvray on Jun 4, 2010 16:07:09 GMT
Gill faltered as a handsome knight seated on a horse spoke to her directly. As a maid, she should have been used to the nobility of the castle addressing her, but she was quite caught off guard in this instance. The guard who had previously spoken to her returned to his station.
"I'm sorry, sire." she stammered in reply, looking up to where the knight was seated on his steed. She couldn't tell if he was concerned for her safety, or was telling her off for loitering in the courtyard. She lowered the hood of her cloak so she could get a better view of the knight speaking to her, and continued in a more steady voice.
"I work here sire." she explained, sweeping her cloak open to reveal the white apron tied around her dress. "I was to meet a friend after I finished work today, but... it seems he has forgotten me." she gave a little laugh despite herself. "I'll move along, sorry to trouble you." Tucking a strand of dark hair behind her ear, Gill dropped into a curtsy.
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Post by Lady Gillianne Auvray on Jun 1, 2010 11:29:59 GMT
Gill leaned back against the stony wall of the Castle with her eyes closed. She was standing just inside the main castle gates overlooking the courtyard, and had been for a while.
Work had finished hours ago. She had had a pretty good first day back since being in the apothecary rooms. Her ribs didn't hurt her anymore, and her cuts and bruises could barely be made out anymore. Gill opened her eyes and let out a small sigh. Where was Henry? He had promised to meet her after her shift today to take her out properly. Their relationship had always been an odd one, but Gill thought that they were finally on the right path. She had only spent a few minutes doing her hair, and checking her reflection in the mirror before she had come out to the courtyard. She couldn't have missed him.
Gill watched the servants still working hurrying across the courtyard with candles; the sun had dropped so low in the sky that the courtyard was in shadow now. "Are ye' alright miss?" One of the guards manning the gates called over to her. She forced a smile in reply. "Fine, thank-you, just waiting for a friend." He gave a sympathetic nod of the head, as if to say, "If you say so."
As soon as she'd replied to the guard, Gill realised that Henry wasn't coming. Even though he'd promised. Her first thought was for his safety; fear that something bad had happened to him and prevented him from coming. Gill berated herself for having such thoughts. What was the likelihood of that? More likely he had forgotten, or worse, had changed his mind about her.
Gill waited in the same spot as she mused; the disappointment obvious on her face.
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Post by Lady Gillianne Auvray on Jun 1, 2010 11:15:51 GMT
Gill was happy that Sophia had accepted her offer. She loved getting out of the Castle during the working day, and always jumped at the chance to head to market when a servant was required. The feeling of earning money just wandering about the streets of Camelot was a good one.
She couldn't help but feel a twinge of annoyance when all eyes in the kitchen turned to face the Princess. Of course, if she had been in their shoes she would have done exactly the same thing, but it did nothing to dispel the stereotype of servants as nosy gossips.
"Sorry," Gill muttered in reply to Sophia's whisper, "The meat is kept just through here in the larder." She began to lead the way through the kitchens, and as the servants lost interest, it began to return to its usual bustle and noise. Gill grabbed a pinafore from a peg to wrap over her dress as she ducked under the low beam to the larder. Reaching around her to loop the apron's ties into a bow, she turned to throw Sophia an apologetic smile.
"Sorry m'lady, it's not often we have such royal guests in the kitchens. I don't think Uther or Arthur have ever been down here!" Gill grabbed a handy carving knife, "Now, what sort of meat would Cedric prefer? Beef or pork?" She indicated the several hanging corpses from the ceiling. "Or there's some rabbit and fowl in these salted parcels?"
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Post by Lady Gillianne Auvray on May 12, 2010 19:59:00 GMT
Gill listened to Sophia, quietly watching her as she spoke. She knew how the Princess felt, leaving your family and coming alone to a big new city, but she wasn't able to empathise much further than that. Servants and nobility ran in very different circles, and Gill often found herself wishing she could afford beautiful clothes and playthings. Sophia had the potential to marry a dashing nobleman and even become a Queen. Gill knew that would never be able to happen to her, and although she didn't often resent it, there was sometimes a longing for things she would never have.
Still, Gill couldn't complain. She hadn't been given a bad lot at all. And with riches and titles came responsibilty and loss of liberty. Gill had a stable family back home, she had a job, she had a... well, a Henry... and she was young and healthy.
"It's bound to be tough to begin with," Gill admitted, considering Sophia's situation, "But Uther will treat you well; the nobility here want for nothing. We see to that." she smiled to assure Sophia she wasn't taking a dig, "Besides, you'll soon make friends amongst the other nobility here, and I'd be happy to accompany you anywhere in the City the next time your maid has a day off." It was a little forward to offer her services so specifically, but Gill liked Sophia, and it was a novelty talking to one in a station so high above her own.
As Gill finished talking, the double doors to the kitchen came into view at the end of the corridor. She waited for Lady Sophia to reply before indicating them, and announcing, "The kitchens m'lady."
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Post by Lady Gillianne Auvray on May 11, 2010 13:54:46 GMT
Gill bit her lip when Henry hugged her. His gesture of affection was worth more than her protesting broken ribs; she turned a wince of pain into a smile, slipping her hand into Henry's and squeezing it happily as she pulled out of the hug.
"Of course I don't hate you again." She kissed his nose playfully. "Look, I don't want you getting in trouble for being in the castle when you shouldn't be. Not again." Gill smiled, letting go of Henry's hand and recrossing her arms across her chest. She was aware that she probably looked bruised and drawn out, altogether a bit of a state, and was glad that Henry hadn't commented on it. "Gaius said I'm allowed to go back to work tomorrow, so how about you meet me after? I know you said you were busy doing something with Dante during the day*, but we can go somewhere that evening?" Gill was quite looking forward to the prospect of normality after the drama of the last few days.
[*OoC: Henry I'm basing this post the day before the final confrontation thread]
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Post by Lady Gillianne Auvray on May 7, 2010 1:13:38 GMT
Gill smiled when Sophia blushed and faltered to explain her intentions toward Arthur. The women Gill saw at Court varied wildly in their attitudes toward men, some courtesan's only aimed to seduce and others were far more chaste. Sophia definitely seemed the latter.
“I think I will try to ask him in person first … if I can find him.”
"Well let me know if you change your mind." Gill replied, glancing down in amusment at the ground to watch Cedric trotting alongside them. She didn't know what it was but the little wolf cub made her smile. Sophia seemed deep in thought as they descended a flight of stairs, and Gill didn't want to interrupt.
“Tell, me Gill, how long have you been working here? And do you serve anyone in particular?”
Gill was secretly pleased Lady Sophia had asked her a question. It wasn't often that nobles took an interest in the lives of palace maids.
"Well, I came to Camelot last autumn, so a while now." she considered, "I'm just a general maid, mainly kitchen work, cleaning and errands. I was assigned duties to Lady Eva and Lady Anna. They rarely call for me though; I think they both have other maids." Gill tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear, "If you ever need me, or anything, m'lady, all you have to do is ask." Although she knew that Lady Sophia could request whatever she liked in her position as a princess, Gill wanted her to know that she would be more than willing to help.
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Post by Lady Gillianne Auvray on May 7, 2010 0:57:31 GMT
Gill watched curiously as Henry faced the wall, clearly struggling with what he was about to say. I bet he's married, or secretly a noble... Various possible revelations flashed through Gill's mind, each meaning they couldn't be together.
"The...the brotherhood?" Gill replied, sounding out the word in an unfamiliar tone. In all honesty she knew very little about the establishment, and had only heard the name in passing. Then again, she hadn't been in Camelot for very long. She let him continue to explain about Dante, his friend and fellow Brotherhood member, who Gill had met and liked on an entirely different occasion.
Gill wasn't in the mood to be angry; she barely had the energy to be shocked. "Henry." she spoke softly, wanting to reach out and tilt his chin up towards her but she was too far away. He was obviously worried about her reaction. "You've saved my life, twice, and you're still that boy. I'm the one that's got you arrested by the Prince himself, and almost killed protecting me. Maybe I'm more trouble than I'm worth." Gill bit her lip to suppress a smile. She was a typical girl, fishing for compliments.
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Post by Lady Gillianne Auvray on May 1, 2010 23:24:35 GMT
Gill didn't mind that Henry was gripping her hand so tightly, it was one of the few places that didn't hurt.
"Henry don't worry about it." she said, unable to stop herself smiling at Henry's grinning face despite his clumsiness. "It's fine, they tasted nasty anyway, and hopefully Gaius hasn't heard... it's not half as bad as, I don't know, falling out of a tree and pulling off someone's shoe!" Gill smiled coyly, reminded of her own clumsiness at several of their meetings, and looked down at her hands as she waited for Henry to sit back on the bed.
There was a lot she wanted to say to Henry. A lot of it nice, a few things that would turn the tips of his ears red, and several harsh remarks about his behavior to her the night he was in prison. But that could all wait, first there were questions to be answered. Gill shuffled around to prop herself up on the pillows. Now sitting and not lying, Gill realised the white chemise Gaius had provided her with was rather on the transparent side, and quickly folded her arms across her chest. Although the movement was done to protect her modesty, Gill looked slightly imposing, as if she were demanding an answer from the words she spoke next.
"Henry, I need to know, who are you? I mean, how did you know where to find me and how do you know Dante?"
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Post by Lady Gillianne Auvray on Apr 26, 2010 20:47:46 GMT
Lady Sophia replied as they reached Lord Farsquith’s chamber door. "One moment m'lady." Gill apologised as she paused to rap sharply on the door before them. A fellow maid answered with a weary smile, and accepted the books that were handed over to her. Gill then turned to take the books Sophia was carrying, and handed them over before the door was closed.
"Thanks." Gill started, wanting to thank Sophia for her help once again before replying to the Lady's unanswered questions. "A lot of the maids here find him... intriguing too." Gill gave a small laugh, remembering the gossiping young women from the servants’ quarters who spent their days squabbling over who would serve the Prince dinner, and gossiping over who bumped into him in the corridor.
Gill noted Sophia's heightened colour, but didn't say anything. Instead, she resumed walking in the direction of the kitchens. "I've not met the Prince personally, only seen him from afar, just around the Castle." Whilst Gill wasn't as smitten with the Prince as many of the Castle's staff, she decided she would like to meet the Prince up close. Just to say she had.
"The other maid's are always talking about him, he's very handsome... I can point out his chambers when we pass them on the way to the kitchens- although he's usually up at the training grounds. Arthur's very dedicated to the army." Gill tried to recall any other useful information she could share with Sophia, "His servant is called Merlin, and Arthur dines with his father every evening. I'm sure you will be invited to dinner one night..." Gill smiled. She thought Lady Sophia was very lucky to be a prospective partner for the Prince; hundreds of women would kill to be in her position, but that wouldn't be appropriate to say out loud. Besides, it probably came with its downside. It must be hard to come to a foreign place by yourself and to live with a rival king.
"I'd be happy to take him a message for you." Gill offered, then realised a lady like Sophia would probably have a maid of her own, "Or your handmaiden could, of course."
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Post by Lady Gillianne Auvray on Apr 22, 2010 20:14:10 GMT
"I'm sorry to hear that." Gill replied when Sophia spoke of her recent ill health. It reminded her of her own health issues, which she hadn't thought about for a while. That could only be a good thing. It didn't hurt to breathe anymore, and her cuts and bruises were all covered up by her dress. Gill was very impressed with the treatment she had received in the castle apothecary rooms.
Sophia continued: “I am feeling much better now, though, and eager to experience what Camelot has to offer. Do you know the city well? I do like to explore, but I would hate to wind up in an area that would be dangerous for me. Perhaps you could tell me which places are safe and which places I should avoid?”
"The spring air seems to make everyone feel better." Gill acknowledged with a glance out of the narrow castle windows they were walking alongside. The weather was already milder and the skies blue.
"I'm not a local to the city, but I've been here for a little while now. I wound up in a dangerous area in my first day..." Gill remembered back to her unfortunate trip in the slums where she was almost robbed, and worse. "I'd avoid the slums m'lady, there are a lot of petty thieves and cut-throats that work there." she thought about her recent abduction in the woods, "...and the forest." she added, her voice lowering, "It's dangerous for a Lady to wander alone outside of the city as well." Gill realised how dark her words sounded, and instantly brightened.
"The castle grounds are very beautiful though, and the central parts of the city are quite safe. Although I'm sure Arthur would ensure you had an escort wherever you wished to travel." Gill added offhandedly.
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Post by Lady Gillianne Auvray on Apr 22, 2010 15:33:18 GMT
After work that day, I decided to take a trip to the outskirts of the city to do some drawing and gather my thoughts. A lot had happened since I came to Camelot. By chance, I met a young girl called Casalynn and we got chatting. Her horse was injured and we ventured into the woods to look for a painkilling herb. We were roughly abducted by a band of men, they took us by surprise and it was hard to put up any resisitence. Overnight I was seperated from Cass. Early the next morning I was rescued by Henry and Dante; I still have no idea how they knew where I was, or how they were strong enough to fight off the men. It seems there's a lot of things I have yet to find out. I was too tired and battered that day to ask, and was quickly sent home from work to recover in the apothecary rooms.Henry's come to visit me, hopefully I can get a few of my questions answered...
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Post by Lady Gillianne Auvray on Apr 19, 2010 17:28:42 GMT
"I'm so sorry." Gill couldn't apologise enough, and glanced with genuine concern at the place on her head which the noblewoman before her was rubbing. "If you get a headache, or feel dizzy or anything, I'll run down to the apothecary rooms and get you some medicine straight away, my friend Lilith works there and..." Gill bit her tongue. What with being off work for a while, she was finding it difficult to remember her place when conversing with those in a higher station than herself.
Gill listened as the woman stood up, taking the wolf cub in her arms. Gill flushed a light pink realising she had of course over-reacted. The noblewoman petted the wolf lovingly as she explained a little about him to Gill. "Cedric..." Gill repeated, looking at the small cub with a smile, "He's lovely." On closer inspection, the little animal was very charming, but as Gill had never really had a close affinity with animals, she had no inclination to reach out and pet him.
She picked herself up and dusted down her skirts as the other woman launched into a list of questions, before Gill could open her mouth to answer, the woman had apologised for the inquiries and introduced herself. On hearing the name Sophia something clicked with Gill, So this was Arthur's new suitor she thought to herself. She wondered if Sophia had met the Prince yet, and what she thought of him. Many of the serving girls and maids were smitten with the handsome heir to the throne; he had a lot of suitors.
"Pleasure to meet you m'lady. I'm Gillianne, well, Gill." she replied politely, then smiled, "To answer your earlier questions, I was eager to get my work finished quickly today; so took all these books at once rather than making two trips. I've been off work for a few days... I haven't been well..." Gill didn't want to go into details about the abduction in the forest, and hoped Lady Sophia would accept her being unwell without further questioning. "Today's my first day back at work."
Gill bent down to pick up the books, leaving a few on the ground for Sophia. The pile in her arms was a much more reasonable height and weight now, and she could see perfectly over the top.
"Thanks for your help, of course I'll take you to the kitchens, I'll be heading back down that way anyway." Gill started walking and continued, "I need to take these to the other end of the corridor, to Lord Farsquith. He doesn't like to move around the castle much, not in his condition he says." In truth, the rotund Lord Farsquith's only condition was eating too much rich food, and drinking too much sherry. Servants were forever running back and forth between his quarters and the kitchens. Gill kept her lips sealed about all of these details, she couldn't risk being disrespectful in front of another noble.
"Have you seen much of Camelot yet Lady Sophia?" she inquired, making polite conversation as they walked.
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Post by Lady Gillianne Auvray on Apr 15, 2010 22:58:11 GMT
Gill heard footsteps outside in the corridor and she turned to face the door expecting one of the apothecaries. The door opened and a figure entered, but the room was so dark Gill couldn't make out who it was until she heard his voice.
"Henry?!" she breathed, glad that he was here but not that he was risking himself. Since the episode in the forest, she hadn't really had a chance to talk to him about what had happened. The first night they had returned she had been too weak, and had just slept. "Come sit on the bed." her voice was raspy and quiet so she didn't hurt her chest. Gill wanted Henry closer so she could see him.
"You shouldn't have come and seen me, what if you get caught!" she rolled on her side wincing, "I'm glad you've come though. Are you alright?" Gill remembered that she was not the only one hurt by the men, and wondered how Henry's wounds were holding up. She had a lot of questions to ask him, but these were momentarily forgotten in her happiness at seeing him again.
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Post by Lady Gillianne Auvray on Apr 15, 2010 22:06:25 GMT
[OOC: Sorry for the late reply Sophia!]
"I'm so sorry m'lady!" Gill spluttered as she recognised the woman before her as nobility. "Are you alright...?" she continued, hoping none of the thick volumes had hit the woman as they tumbled to the ground.
She dropped to her knees to begin gathering the fallen books together, and was surprised when the lady did the same. It wasn't often nobility would literally stoop to the same level as the servants. Gill smiled warmly at the young woman before her, she thought about introducing herself, but remembered her place. She would only introduce herself if the lady did first.
"Thank you." she said gratefully, then gave a sudden yelp as she caught sight of the wolf club and fell ungracefully backwards onto her backside. "Is... is that a wolf?!" From her sitting position, Gill felt a little silly about her reaction; she could see now that whatever the animal was, it was young, and actually very cute. The woman probably thought her strange to be unecessary alarmed, as well as being very clumsy.
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Post by Lady Gillianne Auvray on Apr 12, 2010 17:39:35 GMT
Gill drifted in and out of sleep in a small room just off of the main apothecary rooms. She had turned up for work that morning looking such a state after her recent ordeal, that the head serving woman had sent her straight to the physician's chambers to be looked at. An elderly looking man with silver hair had tended to her with healing salves for her various cuts and bruises. He had also diagnosed her with a broken rib and shock in general and so she had been prescribed bed rest.
She fell into a deep slumber almost immediately and was out cold for the entire day. Gill was woken by her stomach rumbling. She batted her eyelashes sleepily as the blurred room began to come into focus. It was empty. She rolled her head to one side and looked out of the window. It was beginning to get dark now, she would need a candle or something soon. She attempted to sit up by herself, but was stopped by a sharp pain as she moved.
"Ouch." she complained to herself, wondering if the apothecary would check on her soon.
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