Mukai was a beautiful land city. The buildings were all made of
stone and there were several extremely beautiful gardens located in the
city. There were many different people of different lands and races that
Shana had never seen before. It had taken her a while, but she had managed
to get away from her sisters and father.
Shana headed down to the fairground and wandered through the booths to a small fenced off area where a group of young boys were watching two paladins sparring. Both held wooden swords and bucklers. Shana watched intently, she had always wanted to learn how to use a sword. The way the men moved reminded Shana of watching people dancing. One of the men, the better of the two, caught her eye. He was tall and very handsome with dirty blond haiir and blue eyes. He wore a pair of baggy black pants, a white tank top and a pair of boots, like all the other paladins. When the two men had stopped to rest, the bland-haired paladin's eyes met her own. With a brief blush, Shana quickly headed off.
As she walked through the crowd, she kept her head bowed down because she was so close to the grand stand where all the nobles sat, where she knew her father would be sitting. After a few minutes, she ran into a man. She looked up into his face and he only grinned.
"I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention, I'm very sorry," she apologized to the paladin.
"No, it's all right, I was bored and saw a pretty face I had to meet so I caught up with you," he replied, still smiling.
"Bored, huh?" Shana said, as a grin spread across her face. She reached out and put her finger on the tip of his nose. "Tag,"
"What?"
"Catch me if you can!" she giggled as she ran off into the crowd. The man stood there a minute with a blank expression comprehending what she had just said. Then, it all came to him and he chased after her.
Shana's three sisters, Celeste, Liliana, Anna, and her father all sat in the grand stand. Her father was busy talking with the general of the Mukaian army and her two younger sisters, Anna and Liliana, were talking with their friend Sarah. Celeste was the only one who sat in boredom. She was old enough to be married, but her father was still taking his time finding her an appropriate husband. All her friends were married and caring for children. Celeste could only wonder at where her younger sister Shana could possibly be.
Movement in the corner of her eye caught her attention. Down below near the many booths were two people. It was a blond-haired paladin chasing a young woman with long, curly black hair. As the woman ran behind a cart, Celeste saw her face. It was Shana. She had managed to sneak a pair of her personal maid's clothing along with her. She wore a pair of tan pants and boots and a shirt. Celeste glanced up and down the row. No one had yet noticed Shana. Celeste leaned over and tapped her father's arm. He waved her off and continued talking. She tugged gently on his arm.
"Papa," she whispered.
"Yes?" he asked finally turning to her. Celeste, very discretely, pointed to Shana. Her father glanced over and put a hand over his eyes. "Oh by the gods, not again," he muttered. He stood and excused himself from the discussion and headed down.
As Shana rounded a large cart she came face to face with her father. For a moment a blank expression crossed her face as she stared up at her father's scowling face. She crossed her hands before her stomach.
"Hi, papa," she said quietly.
"Now, I've.." The man stopped when he saw her father. His face went white and he immediately stood at attention with his right fist to the left side of his chest. That was a moment after he recognized all the badges on her father's chest. Her father glared at him menacingly then waved him off. The man ran off at once. No one courts a general's daughter.
"Go get ready," her father growled in anger. Shana went quickly to their ship to change.
Shana headed down to the fairground and wandered through the booths to a small fenced off area where a group of young boys were watching two paladins sparring. Both held wooden swords and bucklers. Shana watched intently, she had always wanted to learn how to use a sword. The way the men moved reminded Shana of watching people dancing. One of the men, the better of the two, caught her eye. He was tall and very handsome with dirty blond haiir and blue eyes. He wore a pair of baggy black pants, a white tank top and a pair of boots, like all the other paladins. When the two men had stopped to rest, the bland-haired paladin's eyes met her own. With a brief blush, Shana quickly headed off.
As she walked through the crowd, she kept her head bowed down because she was so close to the grand stand where all the nobles sat, where she knew her father would be sitting. After a few minutes, she ran into a man. She looked up into his face and he only grinned.
"I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention, I'm very sorry," she apologized to the paladin.
"No, it's all right, I was bored and saw a pretty face I had to meet so I caught up with you," he replied, still smiling.
"Bored, huh?" Shana said, as a grin spread across her face. She reached out and put her finger on the tip of his nose. "Tag,"
"What?"
"Catch me if you can!" she giggled as she ran off into the crowd. The man stood there a minute with a blank expression comprehending what she had just said. Then, it all came to him and he chased after her.
Shana's three sisters, Celeste, Liliana, Anna, and her father all sat in the grand stand. Her father was busy talking with the general of the Mukaian army and her two younger sisters, Anna and Liliana, were talking with their friend Sarah. Celeste was the only one who sat in boredom. She was old enough to be married, but her father was still taking his time finding her an appropriate husband. All her friends were married and caring for children. Celeste could only wonder at where her younger sister Shana could possibly be.
Movement in the corner of her eye caught her attention. Down below near the many booths were two people. It was a blond-haired paladin chasing a young woman with long, curly black hair. As the woman ran behind a cart, Celeste saw her face. It was Shana. She had managed to sneak a pair of her personal maid's clothing along with her. She wore a pair of tan pants and boots and a shirt. Celeste glanced up and down the row. No one had yet noticed Shana. Celeste leaned over and tapped her father's arm. He waved her off and continued talking. She tugged gently on his arm.
"Papa," she whispered.
"Yes?" he asked finally turning to her. Celeste, very discretely, pointed to Shana. Her father glanced over and put a hand over his eyes. "Oh by the gods, not again," he muttered. He stood and excused himself from the discussion and headed down.
As Shana rounded a large cart she came face to face with her father. For a moment a blank expression crossed her face as she stared up at her father's scowling face. She crossed her hands before her stomach.
"Hi, papa," she said quietly.
"Now, I've.." The man stopped when he saw her father. His face went white and he immediately stood at attention with his right fist to the left side of his chest. That was a moment after he recognized all the badges on her father's chest. Her father glared at him menacingly then waved him off. The man ran off at once. No one courts a general's daughter.
"Go get ready," her father growled in anger. Shana went quickly to their ship to change.