Into The Woods

It was rare that Ananya was to be found anywhere other than the throne room in the early afternoon. Usually, she was there to hear petitions from those who had made their way to the castle to specifically ask for help resolving their issues. As most of those she personally saw had already had their problems heard and assessed by very competent staff that was designed to fix things that were easily fixable before they ever reached the ears of the king and queen, Ananya took her responsibilities seriously. These were issues that needed direct attention, sometimes from herself, sometimes from her husband, sometimes from both of them.

But today, though it was her day to sit for the petitions, there was no one waiting to speak to her. ( It was hardly surprising. )

Ananya closed the door with a sigh. It was not that she didn't appreciate the servants in the castle. She did, far more than most royals would be able to, or have the understanding to. She'd been one of them for a while, and she treated them with great respect. In return, they gave her loyalty, deference and affection. They wanted to take care of her. And she would be a poor employer if she denied them the opportunity to do their duties and be proud of their jobs. ( But once in a while, it was nice to be alone. )

Inter-kingdom relations were important to any proper monarch, but some might thing that King Charles took that a bit too far. He loved to travel and visiting other royal families and their people seemed second nature. He tried to spend just as much time in his own lands as possible, but he got itchy feet as some might say and would take his required entourage and head out. If he was traveling in an official capacity, he had guards and others that were expected to escort him outside his own lands.

But anything he did in the guise of a peasant, well, the guard didn't need to be any the wiser. His wife knew, she seemed to understand his need to be among his people as one of them. It let him know exactly what was needed and what was missing wear. Charles preferred his people to be happy. Just like they had been during his father's reign.

Even so, all the pomp and circumstance surrounding an official visit: the well pressed attire and properly groomed appearance required, the necessity of being accompanied by his guard and other officials, and the need to be announced. There was no just strolling into the palace of another at whim without being announced first. ( Read more... )

It had taken a bit of sneaking in order to get out of the castle without being seen, but Opal thought she was getting better at it. It only took three attempts this time, and she’d avoided having to talk to her father-in-law at all. She was going to count that as a success, especially when it meant that she was now outside the castle walls, on her way through the woods, without a whole crowd of servants following her about with baskets.

( She was starting to get a bit tired of that, actually. )