"When I think of my life, I think of a cage, a cage with no visible bars. Oh how I long for excitement and adventure; since father and Kieran left to fight in the wars, my life has sunk to the bottom less pits of despair." I sighed and looked at my journal. Full of words that do not match the face nor hand that write them. Such a lady as I should be writing about new dresses, handsome young men, and of marriage. Not mine. It is full of the many adventures I had had with Kieran, oh how I miss our secret lessons where he would teach me the way of the bow and sword, without mother knowing of course. She expects me to be a lady, but where is the fun in that I might ask? If only I where born elsewhere, though many women would rather be in my shoes; a young women of 19 daughter of Governor Praken who, by heritage, governs the port city Craven in the country of Roscrea. Such a grand title, though one I would trade for a peasants.
"Adelhaide please hurry, your mother will have a fit if you are not ready for her," pleaded my governess Keda.
"I am coming; will you help me with these last few braids Keda?"
Keda's frail hands took the hair from my fingers and started to weave the three strands into a tiny little braid.
"Always, since you were a little girl, have you had all these little braids in your hair.”?
"Well I like them, and when taken out hair is ever more beautiful, do you not agree?"
"Yes miss." she said as usual.
"It is also the fashion of most women in Roscrea," I stated.
"Yes miss."
I stood at the front of the boat, the sun making my armour gleam in its radiance, the air was different here; not the same as back home in the least. It was full of many fragrances that I had never smelt before. I wanted to know what it all was, everything that is different. My life in Akiviri meant that I had never been subjected to the outside world. My father is the ruler of the Tokairin clan, and I the youngest of his three sons, my father Uhei made it law to have no association with anyone from another country, unless in business. This is my first time attending the trade voyage for Echigo and Kazusa, the two provinces of which I govern.
"Sir?"
I turned around to the voice of the captain. He was tall, his face covered in hair that looked like he hadn't washed it in a month or two, which I’m sure he hasn't. He was dressed in sailor’s robes with his sword on his left and his eyeglass on his right.
"You may speak," I addressed him, and then turned back to the beauty of this foreign land.
"We are getting close to shore now."
"I know that," I still couldn't grasp how amazing this all was, so new and different.
"Well your father does not wish you to walk with us, so he instructs that you take the sprawn."
I turned to watch some of the crew men carry the sprawn out onto the deck; the sprawn is a sort of carriage that is carried by the Akedo warriors. The sprawn is like a tent, the person inside may see everything outside, but no one can see inside. It is custom for the royals of Akiviri to travel like this when there are commoners present.
"If he so wishes it," I said this reluctantly, I wanted to walk with the people and ask questions, but the captain would not dare go against my father’s orders, so at least I may observe without being seen; it is better than nothing.
Looking out across the water I could start to see the docks, though we were still a ways away I could see all the movement of the people. As we got closer I noticed that many of them where business men, dressed in the fine Roscrean style. There were boat hands in their torn, dirty and patched clothing that suited their water life, as well as that, there were women, some who wore beads and little metal pieces that made light music as they walked, these were the ones that caught my eye; there were men with them, also wearing the little metal pieces, though not as much as the women did. They were sitting by a building near the water, and as our boat got closer I saw that they were singing and playing on instruments I had never seen before. I wanted to hear the music they were making; we were just getting close enough for my ears to pick up a slight sound of strings.
"Sir"
I turned around reluctantly as the captain motioned to the sprawn, I sighed and entered.
"Adelhaide please hurry, your mother will have a fit if you are not ready for her," pleaded my governess Keda.
"I am coming; will you help me with these last few braids Keda?"
Keda's frail hands took the hair from my fingers and started to weave the three strands into a tiny little braid.
"Always, since you were a little girl, have you had all these little braids in your hair.”?
"Well I like them, and when taken out hair is ever more beautiful, do you not agree?"
"Yes miss." she said as usual.
"It is also the fashion of most women in Roscrea," I stated.
"Yes miss."
I stood at the front of the boat, the sun making my armour gleam in its radiance, the air was different here; not the same as back home in the least. It was full of many fragrances that I had never smelt before. I wanted to know what it all was, everything that is different. My life in Akiviri meant that I had never been subjected to the outside world. My father is the ruler of the Tokairin clan, and I the youngest of his three sons, my father Uhei made it law to have no association with anyone from another country, unless in business. This is my first time attending the trade voyage for Echigo and Kazusa, the two provinces of which I govern.
"Sir?"
I turned around to the voice of the captain. He was tall, his face covered in hair that looked like he hadn't washed it in a month or two, which I’m sure he hasn't. He was dressed in sailor’s robes with his sword on his left and his eyeglass on his right.
"You may speak," I addressed him, and then turned back to the beauty of this foreign land.
"We are getting close to shore now."
"I know that," I still couldn't grasp how amazing this all was, so new and different.
"Well your father does not wish you to walk with us, so he instructs that you take the sprawn."
I turned to watch some of the crew men carry the sprawn out onto the deck; the sprawn is a sort of carriage that is carried by the Akedo warriors. The sprawn is like a tent, the person inside may see everything outside, but no one can see inside. It is custom for the royals of Akiviri to travel like this when there are commoners present.
"If he so wishes it," I said this reluctantly, I wanted to walk with the people and ask questions, but the captain would not dare go against my father’s orders, so at least I may observe without being seen; it is better than nothing.
Looking out across the water I could start to see the docks, though we were still a ways away I could see all the movement of the people. As we got closer I noticed that many of them where business men, dressed in the fine Roscrean style. There were boat hands in their torn, dirty and patched clothing that suited their water life, as well as that, there were women, some who wore beads and little metal pieces that made light music as they walked, these were the ones that caught my eye; there were men with them, also wearing the little metal pieces, though not as much as the women did. They were sitting by a building near the water, and as our boat got closer I saw that they were singing and playing on instruments I had never seen before. I wanted to hear the music they were making; we were just getting close enough for my ears to pick up a slight sound of strings.
"Sir"
I turned around reluctantly as the captain motioned to the sprawn, I sighed and entered.
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