Life was not all it was cracked up to be, the young lady thought gloomily. With a wistful sigh she rested her chin atop the folded arms and gazed up towards the sky, savoring the chill of polished marble of the balustrade beneath her fingers and the exquisite shivers the wind sent along her skin. Night had long since fallen and the castle grounds lay quiet without a soul around to disturb the peace. Though the day had been dreary and gray with pregnant clouds hanging low over the horizon, threatening with rain without ever relinquishing a single drop, a breeze had picked up during the evening hours that scattered the heavy blanket and made the trees in the garden below sigh and stir restlessly.
Through the tattered tears a few stars twinkled against the midnight backdrop, but while their light was welcome and she wished for even clearer skies, it also made her sad.
It was such a distant glow, as removed from the earthly world as she from the city that sprawled across the bottom of the valley and the far mountains that towered up in the distance; as separated from them by high walls and strict rules as the celestial lights were from her gaze. The sight reminded her too much of everything she wished for but couldn't have, of all the dreams and desires she would never be able to realize. Her path had been decided for her from the moment she was born, dictated by status and tradition, rules and conventions.
No matter how much she wished that she could be like the people in the lower districts, free to go where she pleased and act as she wished, it just... wasn't going to happen. She was a princess of the realm, she was different from the rest, and with the fortune of her status came responsibilities that had to be fulfilled - or so her tutors loved to preach.
Sighing once more the girl tore her gaze away from the sky, straightening up as she tightened the shawl around her shoulders. Summer was well on its way but the night wind was still cold, enough so that she wished she'd had the sense to put something more over the elegant, foot long nightgown before leaving her chambers. It was bad enough that she was roaming the castle grounds without escort or permission - if anyone found her walking outside with little more than a folded square of silk to preserve modesty there would be no end to the scoldings, preachings or punishments. Pressing her lips together in mingled anxiety and defiance the girl began to turn, half intent on going back inside yet still reluctant to cut short her precious moment of freedom.
Just then, in the very periphery of her vision, a movement in the shadowed garden below caught her attention and made her pause. Had it been a cat?
No, there it was again. Decidedly too big to be a cat, or even a dog. Unless the head chef's big wolfhound had learned to walk on two legs, it had to be human.
Frowning slightly the young woman slipped behind one of the large potted ornament that stood scattered along the terrace, hoping that the cascades of fragrant white blossoms would be enough to obscure the pale cloth of her garb. She peered down into the gloom, curious despite the immediate pang of dread that settled like a weight in her belly. No one should be walking in the park at this hour and especially not this particular one, so close to the royal quarters. Guards manned the walls and patrolled the corridors at all hours, but not even they were allowed to be here.
Strictly speaking she wasn't supposed to be there either, and that just made this intrusion all the more peculiar.
With bated breath Lucy squinted through the deep shadows, torn between gratitude and annoyance at the lack of light from the sky. The castle behind her was dark and quiet, a looming mass of piled rock that reminded more of a man made mountain than a dwelling fit for habitation. Its many towers and turrets expressed a stern elegance in their strive towards the sky, one that went ironically well with the strict laws that governed the country. The precious few windows that remained lit did no more to aid her vision than the gleaming lights of the city below, too distant to be of use.
Yet, even though it was hard to make out more than the silhouettes of pruned trees and well-ordered flowerbeds, she thought herself able to see a skulking shadow move across the far end of the lower yard. It moved smoothly, so silent in its stealthy dance from bush to tree to garden wall that she would have thought it little more than a trick of the light had it not been for the rough person-like shape it possessed.
The princess teased the lower lip with her teeth as she considered what to do.
Common sense told her that this was not good, a stranger was sneaking around in the castle with heavens knew what purpose and no one except her knew about it. By rights she should warn someone, run off now while she had a chance and alert the guards. But... that would mean revealing that she had been out alone, un-escorted, without permission and going against every rule she'd ever been taught. It might well mean the end of her freedom, such as it was, and the thought of having her doors locked every night with herself trapped like a bird in a cage was unbearable.
The problem was, this meant she would have to deal with the situation on her own somehow. Just leaving them to their own devices was unthinkable, so she would have to confront an intruder, possibly a dangerous one at that, and with neither weapon nor backup... it was a downright stupid idea.
So why was it that, as she slowly began inching along the marbled balustrade towards the steps that led down towards the terraced lawns, hunched down to make herself as inconspicuous as possible, her stomach felt knotted with not only fear but a fluttering tickle of excitement? This was idiotic, she would likely get herself killed, she'd get into so much trouble... yet it was the closest thing to an adventure she'd had since she'd snuck down to the stables to see a newborn foal...
Lucy tried her best not to reminisce on the consequences of that particular venture as she pressed on, stomach full of butterflies and lead.