AwakeningAboveTheWaterAwakening Above the WaterAfter Martin departs, Poul is relatively rapid in bringing ice cold water for Meriel's bath. It takes a couple of trips for him to lug the buckets of water from who-knows-where in this crazy castle, but the bath is soon filled. And, as a bonus, from somewhere, he obtains a jar of sea salt which he adds to the water once the tub is nearly full. With his duty discharged, he departs, and Meriel can find some solance in sleeping in a relatively familiar medium. Her sleep is unplagued by dreams beyond the usual panoply that a mirror scryer is prone to: fractured images, without much rhyme and reason. A lot of these images, though, are of mirrors above ground, in what looks like this very castle. Meriel dreams of walking down a corridor filled with mirrors. A Hall of Mirrors. These visions are finally ended by a sound that finally rouses Meriel to wakefulness and conscious attention. Similar to the knocking from last night, someone now knocks on the door to Meriel's suite. Meriel rises easily to the top of the bath tub, but getting out of it is slightly more of an undignified scramble. She is wearing the nightgown that a thoughtful someone supplied, but it is, inevitably, dripping, as is her hair. Her hair, however, has not been made translucent by the water ... Meriel seems blissfully unaware of this as she cheerfully calls, "Come in!" The door opens, and there is the sound of hesitant footsteps. That's another thing about this Castle as opposed to Rebma--sound does not conduct quite as well above water as it does below. "Hello?" comes a voice, male, unfamiliar. "Lady Meriel of Rebma?" The footsteps slowly creep toward the bathroom. "I have a missive for you from the office of his Majesty." The young man just happens to then spot Meriel. "Oh, I'm sorry." The page's pale face reddens and he averts his eyes toward a large blue marble sphere sitting on a table as a decoration. A comma of dark hair on his head drops over one eye. "I...ah..." he pulls out a large cream colored card as he stammers. "have been asked to give you this invitation to Court this morning." "Oh, there was no need," says Meriel unconcernedly. "I was coming anyway. What's your name? Can you furnish me with breakfast, or should I catch my own?" "Armas, milady." Armas turns toward Meriel just long enough to bow, and then resumes his intent study of the marble sphere. The invitation that he mentions is tightly clutched in his left hand. "The invitation is a formality." he says. He puts it down on the table. "Breakfast for emissaries and guests not escorted by members of the family can be provided in their rooms, or in the guest meal room, as they prefer." Armas continues. "If they have a Royal companion, guests can eat in a room set aside for the purpose." "I can bring you breakfast, escort you to the room, or deliver a message to a family member as you prefer." Armas says. "Milady." Meriel is nodding absently, but then suddenly her attention focuses. "You'd deliver a message to a family member?" she asks. "Any family member? And I can request them to breakfast with me?" "They might not say yes." Armas says, a little warily, and with a slight tone of disbelief at his own words. "However, milady, I will deliver the message, and any return reply that they give. To any of the family members currently in the Castle of course. I do not have the magic powers that the family do to summon others from afar." "Did you have someone in mind?" he asks after a moment. "William," says Meriel promptly. "Son of Flora ... is he in the castle?" Armas looks down, finally daring a peek at Meriel as he responds. "I saw him, milady, he and his companions three head out of the castle early this morning on some errand. I do not know, milady, if he has returned as yet or intends to do so." He pauses and then continues "Although I suspect given that Court is being held today, he will return for that. I can make inquiries and return promptly, if you so wish." "That would be nice," says Meriel cheerfully. "And shrimps. Bring shrimps with you on your return. As fresh as may be." "Shrimps." Armas considers thoughtfully. "You wish me to bring shrimps back with his answer? As you wish." The tone of doubt in Armas' voice is very muted, but noticeable. Then, having given her instructions, she goes to inspect her travelling clothes, and Noyes' blue dress, to see which might be more suitable for a first court appearance. Absently she starts to comb out her damp hair with her fingers, humming a little tune that would have Corwin's fingers itching for a lyre, and various seaman pressed to the railings of their ships, rapt. Noys' blue dress is more formal than the travelling clothes that she has been using since her flight from Rebma and seems to fit well enough. As Meriel sings, although Armas has apparently not yet returned, she can hear whispered voices from outside her suite. Meriel dresses herself expeditiously and finishes her grooming. Then she sets herself in the window seat to observe all she can of life immediately outside the castle. (OOC: A little bit like her trump picture!) As Meriel waits for Armas to return with word, she does have a few minutes to observe what life is like outside of her window. It's certainly not a window in Rebma, for there are no schools of fish, no octopi, not even a homely jellyfish. There are a few creatures...birds, chirping, on a small bush not far away from her window, in the foreground. In the middle ground, her view is to a greensward. A few servants, with a livery color if not an outfit similar to the pages going back and forth, carrying things, talking, moving with varying degrees of speed. In the background of her view, there is a garden of some sort. Land plants, rather than coral, of course. Backlinks |
