A peasants lucky day (me and Darkness)

About half way up the path from the fountain, Roxanna met up with an elderly woman who had been her nanny since she was a small child. "Roxanna, child. Where have you been? Worrying your old nanny like that. You're supposed to be getting ready for tonights dinner with that fine young man from the neighboring land. I hear that he's interested in courting you." the woman said and Roxanna sighed. "But Nano, I'm not interested in courting any of these men. They're so materialistic. I want someone that I can actually have a conversation with. Someone who I can speak to without the formalities." she said as the woman led her up the path to the castle.

Nano laughed softly and shook her head. "You're a princess. If you want a man like that, you'll most likely have to court a commoner and you know your father will not allow that." she said as they entered the castle gates and disappeared into the castle. Roxanna couldn't wait until the next day.

After a long evening spending her time in the company of her father and the men and women from the neighboring kingdoms, Roxanna excused herself over an hour early and headed back to her rooms, brushing off the offers of being escourted to her rooms. Entering her rooms, she closed and locked the doors behind her before walking over to her vanity. After removing her jewelry and letting her hair down from the bun it was in, she changed into her nightgown and went to bed.

The next morning, Roxanna was up early and she was sitting at the desk in her sitting rooms writing something on a paper. On the corner of the desk was the completed summons for Seth to come to the castle and she had arranged for an escort to bring him to the castle. What she was writing was proof of ownership for the dog that she was giving him.

By the time she finished writing out the papers for Seth, it was almost 11 in the afternoon. Looking up at the clock, she gasped and quickly stood up. Grabbing the summons from her desk, she rushes out of her rooms despite the fact that she was in her robe and she quickly tracks down one of the maids. "You! Martha, I need you to take this to one of the guards. Don't ask questions, just do it. Tell them that it's a summons from the princess and that I want the young man on the paper escourted here to me. Safely." she said and handed the woman the paper before turning and rushing back to her rooms.

Watching the princess rush off, the maid looked down at the summons before shaking her head and walking out to where several of the guards were. Holding the paper out to the head guard, she gave it to him while saying, "This is a summons from the princess." she said to him. "Someone's to escourt the person mentioned on the paper here to the castle safely." She shrugged at the mans questioning look and walked off. Looking down at the paper, the man nodded slightly and set off to call upon the man that the princess wished to see. About an hour later, the same guard road up to Seths home on a large grey stallion with a small carriage pulled by two black stallions following him.

Upon seeing Seth, he stopped infront of his house and looked down at the young man. "Seth Marintine?" he asked Seth.

The guard looked around at his surroundings with a small frown before looking at Seth again. "I was sent with a summons to escort you to the castle. Her royal highness wishes to see you." he said while slowly turning his horse a little. "She sent a carriage for you to ride in." The man motioned to the small carriage before grasping the reins of his mount and turned the horse so he could ride back towards the castle.

From ontop of the carriage, the driver climbed down and opened the door of the carriage for Seth to climb inside before standing back.

(Sorry so short, slight writers block.)

Once Seth was in the carriage, the driver closed the door and climbed up into the drivers seat and grabbed the reins and whip. Lightly tapping the rumps of the horses with the whip, he started them off at a smooth walk before moving up to a trot. The guard road ahead of the carriage as it softly rattled up the road towards the castle, plenty of people stopping and staring at the carriage. It wasn't often that the royal carriage was sent out to pick up someone who lived in those parts. After a good ten minutes, the carriage paused for a moment as the castle gates opened and it entered the courtyard, stopping before the castle doors. Climbing down, the driver opened the carriage door once more for Seth.

Standing near the doors of the castle was a maid. She was waiting for Seth to escort him to where Roxanna was waiting for him. Slowly, she stepped forward and gazed judgingly at Seth before nodding slightly. "Please, follow me." she said to him before turning and leading him into the castle.

The maid led Seth through the castle to the sitting sitting rooms where the princess was waiting. She knocked on the tall doors and waited until she heard Roxanna from the inside and she opened the door, stepping inside a little. "Your majesty, the young man you summoned is here." she said to the young woman and Roxanna looked up with a smile. "Ah, show him in then." Nodding, the maid turned and pushed the doors open all the way and motioned for Seth to enter the room.

Roxanna was laying on a lounge with Victoria laying on the floor infront of her. The princess had her pale hair pulled up into an elegant but simple updo for the day and she wore an off the shoulder dress of pale blue silk and it was decorated with a simple embroidered design along the skirt. The bodice of the dress clung to her curves just right and she wore matching slippers.

Roxanna sat up and smiled at Seth as he entered and she motioned for him to sit down in one of the seats in the room. "Please, sit. And there's no need for formalities at the moment. It's only you and myself at the moment." she says to him with a warm smile. She watched as Victoria sat up as well and yawned softly before stretching as she stood up. The dog slowly padded over to Seth and wagged her tail lazily.

"Victoria remembers you." she says with a giggle as the dog nuzzles Seths hand with a soft whine. The canine was trying to get him to pet her and it amused Roxanna.

Roxanna watched her beloved pet pant happily as Seth petted her and crawl into his lap a little, her long silky fur cascading over his legs as she licked his hands and chin while wiggling and wagging her tail. Roxanna laughed softly and shook her head with a smile. "Victoria, get down darling." she said and the dog slowly backed down from where she was and she laid down at Seths feet, laying her head down with a yawn. "Thank you." she said softly before tossing a small treat to Victoria who snatched it out of the air and ate it.

She listened to Seth speak and she smiled gently before blushing. "Oh, thank you Seth." she says to him with a shy and modest smile. "You're very kind with your compliments. My mother had down most or the redecorating in the castle when she first married my father and then these rooms my mother and I redecorated when I was a little older then twelve."

Roxanna chuckled softly and blushes a little while shaking her head and brushing her bangs back from her face and she smiled at him. "Well thank you anyways." she said as she relaxed back against the lounge. Around the seat were several books, a basket with embroidery items and on a small table a vase full of white roses. The area looked very cozy and comfortable and it was clear she often laid on the chaise lounge that she sat on at the moment.

"Yes, this is one of the places." she said to him. "This room, the music room nextdoor and my bedroom which is else where in the castle." She sighed softly and looked around the lavishly decorated room. When she was a little girl she used to love being in the room with her mother, but ever since her mother died, she didn't enjoy it as much.

Roxanna shrugged slightly with a soft sigh. "Well, I see other rooms for my studies and lessons with my teachers. But when I'm not studying, I'm in this room, by own personal quarters, the library and the music room next door from here." she said to him while looking around the sunroom herself. Some of her most precious memories took place in that room. "I prefer these rooms though. They're my hide away from the rest of the castle when I'm not outside." she said softly. "All the servants are forbidden to enter these rooms or else they'll be punished."

She softly laughed and nodded slightly. "Very well, I'll show you around." she said. "Though I don't think that there are hidden passaged and rooms within rooms." She slowly stood up and patted her leg, which caused Victoria to stand up with a yawn and the dog stretched. "Though I should warn you that you could get in trouble if anyone over heard you calling me Anna. They would see it as a sign of disrespect towards me. I don't mind you calling me that though."

Roxanna moved over to Seths chair and gently grabbed his warm hands in her own cold hands, pulling him out of his seat with a soft laugh. She ran her fingertips over his palms with a gentle smile. She enjoyed her time with Seth more then anyone else she knew and she knew that she would doubtfully meet someone that she would enjoy being with more then him. Once she had him out of his feet, she slowly released his hands and moved backwards away from him with a wide smile and a giggle. "Come on, lets go." she said to him with another giggle.

She turned and picked up the leash that she carried around with her incase she had to put it on Victorie. "And thank you Seth. I'm glad you understand." she said to him, slowly turning back to him. "I hate that you have to go back and forth between formalities infront of others and not using them when we're in private. But I really don't want you to get into any kind of trouble."

Feeling her hands pull him out of his seat he stood up and was ready. A small sigh left him as their hands separated a smile crossing his face as he heard Roxanna giggle whilst speaking to him. "Alright then.. don't have to tell me twice" Seth smiled as they began to prepare to walk around. "Well I know that if I don't use them, then I will get in trouble.. and possibly won't be able to be around you.. So I abide by them when they are appropriate.. Anna" He said her name like that for now since the pair of them were not around anyone, yet would call the princess her name if he spotted someone.

"Well then.. I don't know this place at all, so.. I am ready when you are" Seth had a brilliant smile beaming across his face as he knew this was going to turn out to be a great day, after all he was with Roxanna which meant the day was going to be great even without his influence.. soon he would see more of the castle.. and at the end of it all have a puppy and hopefully another time to visit, as he knew he just could not try to get into the castle without a summoning or some sort of notice.

Roxanna nodded and looked at her dog. "Come Victoria." she said softly before walking over to the door of the room and opening it. Outside of the room was a maid and a guard. They were standing there incase she needed something or required some assistance. Smiling at them, she stepped out of the room and stood to the side as she waited for Seth. "You are both dismissed. We are going for a walk around the castle grounds." she said to them. The maid curtsied to the princess and the guard bowed before they both walked off, leaving Roxanna alone with Seth.

Turning to him, she smiled with a soft giggle before folding her hands infront of her. "So Seth, where would you like to go first?" she asked him. "The astronomy tower? The gallery? Our aviary? The small zoo of animals my father had made for me? Or we could go to the library, the gardens?"

Seth followed slowly unsure what to think or say at this moment, excited about seeing everything and mainly spending time with Roxanna the princess. Also the person who really was his only friend yet that did not bother him as he preferred her company over anyone else's he knew and wished that the two of them had met previous to their meeting that randomly occurred at that fountain that he did not even know the location of. A soft smile appeared on his face as his blue eyes saw the guard and maid, his lips not uttering a word as they were pretty much given orders. Quickly they left and only Seth and Roxanna were next to each other now.

"Their is so much.. It is all new to me, so please just lead the way and show what ever you want.. as none of those places I have ever really seen except a very basic library and that was limited and small probably nothing like a castles." As long as Anna was their with him Seth just wanted to see the castle and really was in no rush so they would have time to see probably all the spots and just hang out for a little at each that she had mentioned.

Roxanna linked her arm through his and she smiled up at him. "Very well." she said before beginning to lead him down one of the halls while thinking to herself. "Let's go to the library first. From there you can see all of the lands to the east of here. It's very beautiful." She looked up at him and grinned before laying her head on his shoulder as they walked side to side.

The princess didn't care if she was seen in such an improper position. She would be able to easily lie about it and she wouldn't be questioned. Even if she was questioned, she was obligated to answer unless it was her father questioning her. She led Seth along down several long hallways, softly explaining things to him or softly telling him a childhood story from when she was much younger until they reached the library and she pushed the door open. "Ah, here we are." she aid softly as she led him into the dark library. "It seems the servents have neglected to pull the drapes back from the windows again." In the large room, her voice seemed to echo and become louder.