The rustling of the leaves on the gravel blended in harmony with the grasshopper's quiet twitters as the dusk settled on the horizon of the warm august day.
Delilah grasped her pale silken dress in attempts to hold it over the dusty grass as she barely contained the urge to run. Head held high, she marched boldly on with nothing but the faint sounds of leaves falling as her company. She knew her shoes would get horribly scratched if she continued this way, but she didn't care.
I'm going to get there if it is the last thing I do.
Emlyn stole a sleepy glance about the room. His light hair ruffled surreptitiously, he raised his head from the table as his mother scolded him silently with a shrewd glare. He knew she would be angry for his 'disregard to the royal family and court affairs'. Too bad he was not interested in High Chancellor Aymon droning on and on about new political viewpoints and taxpayers values. Just about to rest his head on the crisp new doublet his mother had gotten for the occasion, his eyes caught a flash of color streak past.
"...and so, with the royal permission of beautiful Queen, I would like to announce the next High Chancellor of our illustrious country Ayortha, in which we have upheld traditions..."
As the High Chancellor continued, Emlyn excused himself from the gallery, and quickly stole away from the stiff affairs to see a maiden running through the corridors, searching frantically.
"Hello?" The fair maiden turned quickly, her hair rumpled and falling out of the neat bun, she looked a bit of a beautiful mess.
"May I help you, sire?" Emlyn contained a chuckle. Twas not him who seemed to be needing assistance.
"You looked as though you were lost, fair maiden. I thought perhaps I could help you find your way." These words amazed Emlyn even as they flowed from his mouth. His usual response would be around the lines of "You look completely filthy, slave-girl. Where is your master, wench?"
"Not all those who wander are lost, sire." She was enchanting as she turned and ran away, leaving behind her a trail of flowery scent. Emlyn contemplated following her but after a fashion, he turned slowly and walked back to the ballroom.
The look his mother cast him was not a friendly one as she stood proudly with Emlyn's brother Faolan as he was pronounced by the stuffy High Chancellor Aymon-
"High Chancellor Faolan!" High Chancellor Aymon declared loudly as Faolan beamed brightly.
"Bloody hell..." Emlyn cursed. His mother shook her head disapprovingly as the whole court turned to look at the young man.
"...bloody good job." He lamented, blushing heavily. Faolan didn't seem to notice.
"Now where did that enchanting maiden run off to?"
Where indeed, did that maiden run off to? We shall now resume our story with the young Delilah who had caught the attention of the new High Chancellor's young brother. This is also the maiden whom had run nearly two miles in her spectacular dress so that now, with her hair all a mess and her dress rumpled, she dashed into court.
"Pardon, Your Grace, I was simply..."
A pale hand extended from behind a black silken curtain that wrapped around a decorated throne. Delilah fell immediately silent. The hand behind the curtain made a few simple gestures to a stern looking general, who seemed to understand completely.
"Your pardon is excusable, under Your Grace's impending patience. Let your tardiness not intrude upon court affairs any longer." The general gestured to an empty seat closest to the hidden throne. Delilah obeyed and sat, though she knew that she would be bored for the next few hours and then reprimanded fiercely for her late arrival.
Delilah sighed. She wished she was back in Kyrria.