Chapter 1: A City for a Fox.
Lady Fox looked over the city that she would call home. Baldur's Gate. A city she had only visited once in her lifetime, which was nearly over 100 years ago. It wasn't as grand as the elven cities, humans could only do so much in the name of architecture with their limited lifespan, but it was still impressive. With her sharp eyes, she could make out the Seatower and Highhall. She had travelled across many lands and worlds, but she was running low on coin. Lady Fox had to find her fortune in this city, or it would be the end of her.
There was only one way Lady Fox was going to make her fortune, and that was to marry a gentleman with good money and rank, who was in desperate need for a wife. She had thought of becoming a governess or even maid but unfortunately Lady Fox was the type of person who was allergic to any form of hard work and was too content with her nobility lifestyle that the thought of anything else gave her headaches.
She was of rank, to be sure but Lady Fox held a secret that even this writer cannot not tell. 'Lady Fox' was merely a name she had given herself. This secret would force her out of good society and leave her both a spinster and destitute. Thus, she had to find a match quickly to keep up the ruse before it was too late.
However, in the back of her mind Lady Fox wanted a love match and a chance to play her music beyond a gilded cage. Her dream was to be swept up into a romance like something from the old tales of princesses and princes meeting knights and dragons. She had read many romantic books in her time, almost finishing all the books in her family's library before she had to flee due to circumstances that aren't best revealed yet.
Lady Fox was a high elf with dark brown skin, black hair with a single silver streak running through. It was done up in a braid hidden under an elegant straw and silk bonnet with only a few loose curls framed around her face. Her eyes were dark violent with golden speckles dusted around the iris.
Her dress was dark blue with white embroidery of flowers around the bust and puffed sleeves. She carried a white shawl for elegance. If her plan was going to work, her sense of style and overall image needed to be perfect.
"The carriage is ready, my Lady."
Lady Fox turned to her driver, Frederick, one of two people who knew her secret. He was her most loyal servant. Carriage had broken its wheel and Frederick was fixing it.
Frederick was a tiefling. He had a light reddish coppery tint to his skin with a dusting of freckles, shoulder length brown hair, which he tied back with a piece of dark blue ribbon. He had gold fiery eyes and his horns curled around his ears like ram horns. People often stared at him and looked down upon him, which greatly vexed Lady Fox. To her, he was an honest man whom she greatly respected. They were on opposite ends of society (from an outsider's perspective at least) but Lady Fox felt Frederick was more of a friend than servant. He wasn't the only servant that accompanied Lady Fox. Katnora, her dwarven maid and cook and the other person who knew her secret, had travelled ahead and was already in the city getting Lady Fox's things ready.
Lady Fox was to be the ward and particular friend of Viscountess Janneth. She had arranged this through various letters (some using her parents handwriting) to express a desire to marry to one of the many nobles of Baulder's Gate. Promising great things to come if she were to be successful. What Lady Fox knew of Viscountess Janneth was that she was a great matchmaker for everyone and anyone in the city, thought there was a rumour that she was still finding a match for her eldest daughter who was on her second or third year.
"Thank you, Freddy." Lady Fox held out her hand, to which Frederick took it and helped her back into the carriage. He cheeks blushed.
"You really shouldn't call me that, my Lady. We're about to enter the city."
"There's no one around." Lady Fox waved him off, "Besides, you'll always be Freddy to me."
Freddy walked back to the front of the carriage, still blushing.
When the carriage jolted forward and carried on down the winding road towards the city, Lady Fox picked up an instrument case that sat next to her. She flipped it open and carefully took out a dark oak violin. She checked it over and plucked a few of the strings to make sure it still sounded the way she'd liked it. Resting it on her shoulder, Lady Fox pulled out the bow and played a few notes. It was the beginning of a haunting melody, song that could rival the great Volo myself, though it was not quite finished. It resonated within the carriage and magical wisps of pink and purple light flowed out with each strike of the cords. Just before the song reach its peak, Lady Fox stopped sharply. Even though it could become the greatest song in all of Faerûn, it was a reminder of a past life she vowed to leave behind.
"A new name, a new life," she whispered.