~ Vijfday, 10th of Aprilis, 11831 ~
"What do you wish to do today?" Pierre asked Elizabeth. They had had breakfast together, Síofra and Wolfram accompanying them, but nothing was yet planned. Having met most everyone the first and second day he wanted to take at least the morning of the third to do as he pleased. He hoped it would be something with Elizabeth.
"Let us go into town," Lizzy said. "It will not be half as fun when you are well-known and cannot be anonymous. And I have never been in such a large city."
"Then we shall go into town."
An hour later they met at the front door, dressed for a nice day out. Pierre's suit was a mix of blacks and greys, a red ascot accenting the outfit and matching the gems that were in his cane. Elizabeth wore a fairly simple blue dress, though with an ivory corset and lace drapery. Her hair was pinned up with a few tendrils left loose to accent her face. Síofra, who was coming along as a chaperon, had clothes not as modern, a shimmering gold-green dress with long flowing sleeves. Her hair was let loose to catch the light.
"Shall we?" Pierre asked, holding out his elbow for Elizabeth. The comte's daughter took up her suitor's offer on his left side and they made their way into the front gardens. Síofra walked on his other side but did not take his arm, leaving his hand free to hold his cane and use the weapon if it was needed.
It was a warm day and flowers already filled the landscape, bringing bright colors and lovely scents. The château was beyond the main town some-a-ways, with the land around it mainly gardens, stables, and other niceties that could be afforded of the duchy's ruler. They had seen some of this from the carriage ride up, but had not had time to take it in otherwise. A carriage waited by the stables to take them into the city.
"Perhaps we may walk?" Elizabeth said looking up into the cloudless sky. "It is not terribly far and Síofra lent me some of her more comfortable shoes. It is a lovely day. And I have had enough of carriages for now."
"That would be nice," Pierre agreed. "We can always ride back if we need to. And I still owe you a pair of new shoes, darling, maybe we can commission a comfortable set like what you are wearing now." He waved off the carriage, thanking the driver for his time.
Síofra now took the lead, having been in town a handful of times before, though mostly it was to give Pierre and Elizabeth some semblance of privacy.
The dirt road became cobbled and soon small homes and farms filled their view. A half hour later a great open gate announced the way into the city proper, large stone walls surrounding even higher townhouses and buildings. Several carriages lined the street waiting to be rented for an hour or a day, and a stable rented space for travelers who were there on their own horse and wanted to leave the animal behind. There were other stalls as well that sold news or offered carrier services.
Elizabeth could not stop looking around. She had never been in such a large city before, among the people like this, and she was only at the edge of it! She took comfort in that Pierre seemed just as amazed, but that might be due to the thought that this was his city.
"And here," Síofra said to them then, turning around and walking backwards a few steps as she continued to speak, "my dear nephew and future niece-in-law, I will leave you to your own devices. Be good, and if not, don't be caught!" She smiled and dashed off in a seemingly random direction away from the couple. She wanted to find something nice to give to a man that had caught her eye in Pierre's entourage.
"Niece-in-law," Elizabeth whispered under her breath, shaking her head, sure that that was not an official form of kin and trying not to be too embarrassed by it.

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Delphinium, or A Necromancer's Home (TCoLaD Book 2)
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