Chapter Two
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The girl, whose name happened to be Felicia, ran through the forest in what she hoped was the direction of the road. She had finally gotten work, for the first time in almost a year, and her employer-to-be watched her get carried off by a beginner knight. Felicia was a coat-of-arms artist, meaning she created and/or painted the coats-of-arms on shields and banners for the noble families. She had begun training in her art when she was 12, and it had taken her three years to become qualified and a member of the Guild. Work had been pretty steady for over a year, but lately no one seemed to need her services- or they chose someone else. But she had finally gotten a call, from someone who had apparently received a new title recently. Oddly enough, the request had been to meet him at the side of the road, near the forest, across from the red windmill. He would be carrying a white cat, and he was the new Marquis de Carabas.
Through the trees, Felicia spotted the red windmill, and next to it, a man in black holding a white cat. She slowed down, thinking that it was probably better to look calm and composed while greeting the Marquis than to be flustered. She slowly stepped out of the trees onto the sunlit road.
"Ah. You must be Felicia," the man said. He was fairly young, perhaps mid-20s, with dark hair and a handsome face.
"Ah. You must be the Marquis the Carabas," Felicia replied. The man smiled and nodded. "I apologize for what happened. That boy… I really have no idea who he is, but really-"
"I understand completely. After all, one cannot help one's suitors."
"Oh, no. He's not a suitor or anything. He's just crazy."
The marquis laughed. "Well, I hope you are able to begin your job immediately. I am newly come to the nobility, you see, and I need a crest most desperately."
"I can begin right away."
"Good. Follow me to my castle, then."
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The castle of the Marquis de Carabas was in the middle of beautiful fields and about a mile outside of a gorgeous town, but the castle itself was rather dark. The marquis explained that he had only moved in recently, and he had not yet changed the décor from that of the previous inhabitant. However, Felicia was given a rather nice room in which to live and work while she was there. A few minutes after being shown to her room, she was called down to confer with the marquis.
"I hope your rooms are to your liking," the marquis said as she came into his sitting room.
"Oh yes, they're quite nice." Felicia replied, politely.
"I'm quite excited about this crest. I need it to be something special… something intense. Please sit."
"Ok," Felicia said, sitting down in a big poufy armchair. "Are there any symbols or family emblems that you wish to include?"
"Well… I'm not certain what one would include."
"A part of your family history perhaps? Or an animal that has a particular importance to you?"
"Then… a cat. A white cat. Specifically this white cat." The marquis reached down and picked up the cat he had been carrying that afternoon on the road (it had just been lying on the floor). Felicia wrote this down, and then looked up at the marquis.
"Is there a reason you need that cat?" she asked.
"I owe my entire fortune to this cat. It deserves a place on my shield." Felicia could sense a story behind this, but was too professional to ask about it. Instead, she said "Is there anything else? Any color for the background?"
"I wish to have a sickle, three stars, and a black background." Felicia nodded, and thought for a moment, then drew a quick sketch. "Yes, I believe I can have a large sketch for you by tomorrow," she told him.
"Very well," the marquis said. "You may return to your room. Dinner will be sent to you."
Felicia returned to her room, and lay down on the bed. It had been an extremely strenuous day, between hitching rides to the meeting place, being "rescued" by 'Sir' Quentin, walking to the castle and beginning her work. Also, the bed was quite comfortable.
The door creaked, and Felicia sat up quickly. The white cat strolled in. "Oh, it's only you, Puss. I was afraid it would be the marquis, or a maid or someone."
The cat said, "The marquis is a jerk. I regret ever helping him."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The girl, whose name happened to be Felicia, ran through the forest in what she hoped was the direction of the road. She had finally gotten work, for the first time in almost a year, and her employer-to-be watched her get carried off by a beginner knight. Felicia was a coat-of-arms artist, meaning she created and/or painted the coats-of-arms on shields and banners for the noble families. She had begun training in her art when she was 12, and it had taken her three years to become qualified and a member of the Guild. Work had been pretty steady for over a year, but lately no one seemed to need her services- or they chose someone else. But she had finally gotten a call, from someone who had apparently received a new title recently. Oddly enough, the request had been to meet him at the side of the road, near the forest, across from the red windmill. He would be carrying a white cat, and he was the new Marquis de Carabas.
Through the trees, Felicia spotted the red windmill, and next to it, a man in black holding a white cat. She slowed down, thinking that it was probably better to look calm and composed while greeting the Marquis than to be flustered. She slowly stepped out of the trees onto the sunlit road.
"Ah. You must be Felicia," the man said. He was fairly young, perhaps mid-20s, with dark hair and a handsome face.
"Ah. You must be the Marquis the Carabas," Felicia replied. The man smiled and nodded. "I apologize for what happened. That boy… I really have no idea who he is, but really-"
"I understand completely. After all, one cannot help one's suitors."
"Oh, no. He's not a suitor or anything. He's just crazy."
The marquis laughed. "Well, I hope you are able to begin your job immediately. I am newly come to the nobility, you see, and I need a crest most desperately."
"I can begin right away."
"Good. Follow me to my castle, then."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The castle of the Marquis de Carabas was in the middle of beautiful fields and about a mile outside of a gorgeous town, but the castle itself was rather dark. The marquis explained that he had only moved in recently, and he had not yet changed the décor from that of the previous inhabitant. However, Felicia was given a rather nice room in which to live and work while she was there. A few minutes after being shown to her room, she was called down to confer with the marquis.
"I hope your rooms are to your liking," the marquis said as she came into his sitting room.
"Oh yes, they're quite nice." Felicia replied, politely.
"I'm quite excited about this crest. I need it to be something special… something intense. Please sit."
"Ok," Felicia said, sitting down in a big poufy armchair. "Are there any symbols or family emblems that you wish to include?"
"Well… I'm not certain what one would include."
"A part of your family history perhaps? Or an animal that has a particular importance to you?"
"Then… a cat. A white cat. Specifically this white cat." The marquis reached down and picked up the cat he had been carrying that afternoon on the road (it had just been lying on the floor). Felicia wrote this down, and then looked up at the marquis.
"Is there a reason you need that cat?" she asked.
"I owe my entire fortune to this cat. It deserves a place on my shield." Felicia could sense a story behind this, but was too professional to ask about it. Instead, she said "Is there anything else? Any color for the background?"
"I wish to have a sickle, three stars, and a black background." Felicia nodded, and thought for a moment, then drew a quick sketch. "Yes, I believe I can have a large sketch for you by tomorrow," she told him.
"Very well," the marquis said. "You may return to your room. Dinner will be sent to you."
Felicia returned to her room, and lay down on the bed. It had been an extremely strenuous day, between hitching rides to the meeting place, being "rescued" by 'Sir' Quentin, walking to the castle and beginning her work. Also, the bed was quite comfortable.
The door creaked, and Felicia sat up quickly. The white cat strolled in. "Oh, it's only you, Puss. I was afraid it would be the marquis, or a maid or someone."
The cat said, "The marquis is a jerk. I regret ever helping him."