"What can you remember about our mother?" Athelisa asked her brother, Robin. "I remember she was beautiful." He grinned and Athelisa smiled. She poked her needle through the delicate silk of the handkerchief she was sewing for her sister.

 "Do you think father will let us see mother again?" Robin glanced at his sister from where he stood at the window and replied, " I don't know. " Just then, their sister Briana swept in, fresh from a horseback ride.

"Hello dear hearts. It's a lovely day today, far too lovely to be inside like this. Fancy a walk in the gardens? After such an invigourating ride I'm loathe to lock myself in the castle just yet." She told her siblings as she stripped off her gloves and folded them into her belt.

Athelisa laughed and said "I'd love to, but I think Robin has something else to do."
 When her brother glanced at her, she said " Father mentioned yesterday that he was thinking of marrying Robin off and that he wanted to see him today to show him pictures of his future wife, whichever princess that may be. "
This message had punctuation tweaked by the GM at 03:42, Thu 27 Dec 2018.

Briana sat, a rather sour look on her face. "I hope she's not some milksop of a royal who's been cloistered in a solarium all her life knitting and gossiping with the ladies at court. I have no wish for such a woman to be forced into family or friendship with my brother or me."

In reply to Princess Briana (msg # 4):

 "I hope she's nice." Athelisa added. "And I hope she's beautiful, too."
 Robin glared at his sister. "Briana has a point. And I don't care if my future wife is beautiful or not. I just want her to be kind and intelligent." That was when  Athelisa heard her father calling outside the door, she jumped up and said " Sorry, I think that walk will have to wait." and she ran out of the door to go see her father.
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:23, Thu 27 Dec 2018.

"What about you, brother of mine? If his Royal Fathership is engaged with our sister this might be a good time to escape the selection of potential brides. What say you get your bow and we can go hunting or target shooting, eh?" She asked him with a mischevious grin.

"Yes, I think that's a very good idea." Robin replied. He went to open his trunk, grabbed his bow, and said " Come on, sister! Let us see if we can catch perhaps a fat rabbit for the cook to stew. "

Briana had sat her bow and quiver by the door when she came in so it was a simple matter to recover them as the pair strode out. She put her gloves back on and strapped her quiver across her back before stopping to quickly string her polished and beautiful bow of white ash. "Now this is how to spend a day. Not stuck indoors talking royal marriages to some fat princess you've likely never met!" She said with a slight giggle.

In reply to Princess Briana (msg # 8):

 "Oh, yes." Robin agreed. He and Briana hurried outside to the stables, where the stableboy was throwing hay to some of the horses. "Your highnesses." The boy bowed.
" It's alright " Robin replied.

 "Is there anything that I can help you with?" The stableboy asked. " Well, you could bring us two horses. " Robin smiled.

"Not Star, let him cool off," Briana told the boy. "Any of the others with a temper suited to riding in the woods will be good for me, Marc. Thank you." She flashed him one of those smiles that were famous throughout the kingdom."

In reply to Princess Briana (msg # 10):

The stableboy bowed and hurried off, returning with Robin's regular horse, Solmair, and another horse, infinitely more spirited, and already saddled. "Thank you, Marc." Robin replied, and climbed on his horse, and Briana followed.

"This one has spirit. I admire spirit. Her lines are beautiful as well. A very good choice, Marc." Briana said as she pressed two silver into Marc's hand and mounted the lively mare.

In reply to Princess Briana (msg # 12):

Meanwhile, Athelisa was standing in her father's study." What is it that you wanted to talk about? " she queried.

King Christofle stood up and said  " I am bringing your mother back to the palace, but we must be very discreet about it, because if the people find out, they will rise up against us, that would waste valuable resources." Athelisa barely heard anything more that her father said, she was so excited to have her mother back home.

 "May I go tell my brother and sister?" She asked. "Very well" the king replied.

Athelisa hurried back to the room that she shared with her sister, but no one was there. Oh, well She thought, I can tell them when they come back.
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:24, Tue 01 Jan 2019.

In reply to Princess Briana (msg # 12):

 "Come on, sister", Robin said, and galloped out into the forest. Briana followed behind him, laughing delightfully at being out of the palace. "So where shall we go to hunt, sister?"  Briana smiled. "Wherever you think best, brother."
This message was last edited by the player at 03:44, Thu 27 Dec 2018.

In reply to Prince Robin (msg # 14):

Athelisa waited in the room for her brother and sister, but they didn't come.Where could they be? She wondered. Hmm she thought. And then she remembered. She ran from the room to find her sister's lady in waiting, Evelyn Darque.  She looked through the entire castle, before going to her sister's room.

There, she found Lady Evelyn cross-stitching, her head bent over her work. "Excuse me, have you seen my brother and sister? I can't find them anywhere."
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:23, Tue 01 Jan 2019.

Evelyn looked up from her cross stitching. "No your highness. I've been trying to work... or hide away depending on your perspective." she stood up. She was dressed in an modest dress an nervous expression on her face. " i can go find her if you'd like." she offered.

In reply to Lady Evelyn Darque (msg # 16):

Athelisa shook her head. "Thank you, but you don't have to. I was merely asking."

"Regardless I probably should be attending her. In case she needs someone to help her escape an unwanted conversation or similar. " she suggested will the slightest smile.

In reply to Lady Evelyn Darque (msg # 18):

 "That depends on if my sister is even in the castle." Athelisa replied " Hmm, maybe we should go talk to the stableboy. Come on. " she gestured for Lady Evelyn to follow her.

She nodded and proceeded to follow the princess staying two to three steps behind and to the side as she did so to indicate her position as a lady. She was silent and thoughtful .

In reply to Lady Evelyn Darque (msg # 20):

Athelisa walked through the hallways of the palace, constantly stopping to ask people if they'd seen her sister Princess Briana. Of course, they all said" no" until finally Athelisa stopped and said " Alright, we've checked all over the palace and my sister's nowhere to be found. Except the kitchen. "Her face lit up. "Maybe she's there."
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:14, Fri 04 Jan 2019.

"She could be on the grounds picnicking or out exploring. I never discount any possibility. But it would be easier if she were in the kitchen" Evelyn said quietly smoothing her dress an affectation she had when she was nervous. Of which she was often.

In reply to Lady Evelyn Darque (msg # 22):

 "You're right, Lady Evelyn. Let's check the kitchen first. Then, if she's not there, we'll check the grounds." Athelisa hurried down the stairs to the kitchen, Evelyn following her.

She followed the princess quietly considering where her Princess might be if she wasn't in the kitchens. Her knowledge of the grounds wasn't exactly well versed. She wasn't much an explorer preferring the world of words over a world of action.

In reply to Lady Evelyn Darque (msg # 24):

Athelisa came into the kitchen, where the cooks were preparing tonight's meal. When they saw the princess in their midst, they bowed to her, and she nodded. "It's alright."

One of the cooks came towards her, and asked, "What can we do for you, Your Highness?"

 Athelisa replied, "Have you seen my sister today?" The cook shook his head. "The only member of the royal family that we've seen today is you, Your Highness." Athelisa nodded . "Okay, thank you." She turned, and walked out of the kitchen and up the stairs, Evelyn following her again.
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:52, Tue 08 Jan 2019.

Evelyn followed in silent pontification. She considered where the Princess might be but couldn't immediately come up with an answer so she followed Princess Athelisa in silent

Athelisa mentally checked off every single place that they'd looked. We looked everywhere , she thought, and then realized that they hadn't checked the stables.

 "And Briana did say that she wasn't ready to sit inside yet. Maybe the stableboy knows where she is." With that in mind, she and Evelyn went to the stables.

Evelyn followed the Princess to the stables. She wasn't big on riding herself. But she preferred reading and writing to physical activities. Still the Princess was more well rounded and gifted in her talents than herself..

In reply to Lady Evelyn Darque (msg # 28):

Adelisa and Evelyn went to the stables, and it was there that they found the stableboy, tending Briana's usual horse. "Excuse me, but have you seen my sister?" Adelisa asked.

 " Yes, I have, your highness" the stableboy replied. "She and your brother went hunting." Adelisa sighed in relief. " Well, at least now we know where she is." They returned to the castle, and Evelyn went back to her cross-stitching, while Adelisa went back to her room to await her siblings.

Athelisa waited in her room for a good four hours, until finally her siblings returned. "There you two are. I was worried because I couldn't find you at first, but the stableboy told me that you went hunting."

"I see you've waited for us, sister." Robin laughed. He pulled out a plump rabbit from behind his back.

"As you can see, we caught a lovely rabbit for the cook to use." and Athelisa laughed in delight.

Evelyn returned to her work distracting herself from her inner turmoils. Perhaps next time she should actually join the Princess on her adventure hunting. Then she'd have been able to find the Princess with ease. Although that would mean someone else would be behind looking in her place.