Sugar And Spice (Sophia)

[Princess Aloisia Sorestan]

The castle was quieter than Aloisia was used to, which on this particular morning happened to be a good thing. The tomboyish Princess lounged on a stone balustrade that harboured an exterior corridor on one side and a sheer drop into the courtyard far below on the other. She had no worry for heights despite the dizzy sensation that assailed her head the way a heavy tide crashes on shore, and the hood of her cloak was pulled low over her face to abate the dazzling sunshine that bathed Camelot in its glory. One leg was propped up on the stone to hold her upright against the pillar she leaned on, the other dangled over the edge of the balustrade to give her a distinctly nonchalant posture.

The night before was a blur of ale and merriment; the best kind of night to be had in Aloisia's opinion. She was no longer concerned over petty things and the only worry to crease her brow was that singular small piece of parchment that bore her name. Come hell or high water she would discover who had sent those men to raid her party and when she did... Let's just say that they would pay the price of crossing her just as their lapdogs had done. The steel of her sword was always hungry for those who bore her or her causes any kind of ill-will, and while she may have appeased her father with ridiculous excuses for being here in Camelot she really only had one that meant anything to her. She would gather what men she could hire and then return to Cenred to train them.

The cool stone against her back and head was soothing. Aloisia longed for a cup of ale to quench her thirst, and even though water may have served that purpose better she had no stomach for it. Her mind lingered on interesting subjects like cold roast pork, fried eggs and fresh warm bread dipped in gravy and her stomach concurred that food would â€" at this point â€" be a most welcome adventure. Still. Her body ached from the efforts of her journey and the impromptu skirmish the day before, to say nothing of her having traversed the entirety of Camelot the previous evening wholly unescorted. For the time being, then, the Princess was willing to nurse her inner demons in silence with the gentle summer breeze ruffling the cloak that was her barrier between reality and the horrible headache she could feel stirring in the back of her head.

[Princess Sophia Lyonesse]

Ohhh, so this is where that stairway goes.

Sophia had been searching for the castle library, when she had, as usual, become lost. She had lived in Camelot for several months now, but the castle corridors remained a maze to her. The young princess had absolutely no sense of direction whatsoever, and was as likely to turn right when she meant to turn left or go up when she meant to go down. It was a shortcoming she was well aware of, and while getting lost had frightened her when she first arrived, she now saw it as a grand adventure to explore places she had not yet been.

Somehow she had found herself on one of the higher levels of the castle, and a stairway she had never seen before beckoned to her sense of curiosity. So she had traversed it with a mixture of anticipation and trepidation only to find herself on a terrace of sorts that was bordered on one side by a long stone balustrade. From the sounds she could hear below her, she assumed the view was of the castle's courtyard.

I've always wanted to know how to get up here, she thought, but I doubt I will be able to find it again.

Sighing happily, she turned in the direction of the morning sun, and closed her eyes, reveling in the feel of the warmth upon her face. Sophia loved summer and the heat that came with it. She fared much better in the warmer months than she did in the frigid temperatures of winter. For some reason, she felt the cold keenly, and was unable to handle it as well as others. Some of her friends had teased her about being cold-blooded, like a serpent, craving warmth but unable to tolerate the cold. Although the young princess did not like being compared to a snake, the analogy was more than apt.

Opening her eyes, she looked around her. At first she thought she was alone, but then she noticed a figure sitting in a rather precarious position on the balustrade. From a distance, she wasn't quite certain if the figure was male or female, but whatever the gender, he or she looked to be in a rather contemplative mood. Perhaps she was wrong to disturb the person's solitude, but her curiosity got the better of her. Hopefully, this time it would not get her into trouble.

Walking toward the figure, she stepped up beside the person and looked down at the courtyard below. “It's a long drop,” she said conversationally. “Aren't you afraid you might fall?”