It was spring, and spring meant that Imeeya had to visit her barony of Dolomesa. It was the busiest time for her work as a baroness as all of the official paperwork, records and taxes had to be accounted for before the end of the political work year. Every year she traveled back to the family house in Dolomesa and spent her time attending to all of the administrative work necessary for the running of her province. Where other women might have been content leaving this work to a steward, Imeeya always made sure to take the time to do the work personally.
This year, her mother had sent her sister Essa along with her to keep her company, and to try to give Essa some more exposure to the practicalities of running a barony. While this was a good idea, in theory, Imeeya had not had the time to take her politically uninterested sister under her wing. At the best of times, Imeeya had to be on her guard to make sure that her subjects saw her as a strong and competent baroness in spite of her gender. She didn’t have time to have her younger sister tagging along and interfering with her delicately laid plans. This had left Essa alone with the company of her own personal attendants and the daughters of the rich jewelry merchants of the province.
Finally, Imeeya had managed to catch up on the mountains of work which had awaited her in Dolomesa. She had regretted having spent so little time with her sister, but now Imeeya had a plan to make it up to her. It what little time she had had between meetings and filling out paperwork, Imeeya had been conjuring up the best possible day that she could think of. She had had the kitchen prepare an elaborate picnic lunch and planned to spend the day out of the mansion, riding around the countryside with her sister. It had been years since Imeeya had been able to properly take the time to explore these hills which had once been her childhood playground before her mother’s family and role in the Senate had based them more often in Midas.
Imeeya had risen early, dressing in her nice, medium blue riding peplos with golden embroidery around the hem of the skirt and sleeves. She had tied her hair up with her hair wound around a matching blue ribbon. While she still wore an elaborate necklace, a gift from the Dolomesa jeweler’s guild, her normal bracelets were left off. It was too much of a risk that one might get caught in the reins of the horse.
The sun was just rising as Imeeya knocked at the door to Essa’s chambers. The door was opened by one of Essa’s maidservants. ”Make sure Essa gets up and gets dressed to go riding. Then have her meet me down at the stables.” Imeeya tried to keep her voice down even in her excitement. She wanted this to be a surprise. ”Not a word to Essa that it’s going to be with me today.” As the maid nodded her assent, Imeeya left to go make sure that everything else was in order.
First, Imeeya dropped by the kitchen where she picked up the baskets full of food that they were going to take out with them. One of the kitchen slaves carried them down to the stables, where their horses already stood groomed, saddled and waiting for them. Imeeya oversaw the grooms securely fastening the baskets to the horses’ backs. Now there was nothing left to do but wait. But Imeeya found that she couldn’t just stand there. She was too excited.
What was taking Essa so long? Imeeya had to go and check, even if it did ruin the surprise. She was just about to knock on the door to Essa’s chambers when the door swung inward in front of her. There was her sister, and Imeeya couldn’t help but break into a smile at her good timing. “Good morning! Are you ready to go riding?” Imeeya said, more enthusiastically than she’d said anything in weeks. She grabbed her sister’s hand and started explaining her plan as she walked Essa down to the stables. ”The horses are ready to go and I have the whole thing planned out. I figure we can get as far as the vineyards before we have to stop for breakfast.” It would be a half hour ride, but it would still result in them getting their breakfast around the same time that they normally would if they had slept in. “Then we’ll keep going as far as the overlook, and I think that would make a nice spot for lunch.” The overlook, although a journey of a few hours on horseback was a place that Imeeya had always enjoyed visiting, from that cliff, they could look out over the valley in which the Drakos mansion was settled.”After that we’ll circle around to the olive orchard, and then we’ll be back home in time for supper.” Imeeya smiled at her sister, hoping Essa approved. It would assuage some of her guilt at having left her sister to her own devices for the past several weeks.
Essa of Drakos
This year, her mother had sent her sister Essa along with her to keep her company, and to try to give Essa some more exposure to the practicalities of running a barony. While this was a good idea, in theory, Imeeya had not had the time to take her politically uninterested sister under her wing. At the best of times, Imeeya had to be on her guard to make sure that her subjects saw her as a strong and competent baroness in spite of her gender. She didn’t have time to have her younger sister tagging along and interfering with her delicately laid plans. This had left Essa alone with the company of her own personal attendants and the daughters of the rich jewelry merchants of the province.
Finally, Imeeya had managed to catch up on the mountains of work which had awaited her in Dolomesa. She had regretted having spent so little time with her sister, but now Imeeya had a plan to make it up to her. It what little time she had had between meetings and filling out paperwork, Imeeya had been conjuring up the best possible day that she could think of. She had had the kitchen prepare an elaborate picnic lunch and planned to spend the day out of the mansion, riding around the countryside with her sister. It had been years since Imeeya had been able to properly take the time to explore these hills which had once been her childhood playground before her mother’s family and role in the Senate had based them more often in Midas.
Imeeya had risen early, dressing in her nice, medium blue riding peplos with golden embroidery around the hem of the skirt and sleeves. She had tied her hair up with her hair wound around a matching blue ribbon. While she still wore an elaborate necklace, a gift from the Dolomesa jeweler’s guild, her normal bracelets were left off. It was too much of a risk that one might get caught in the reins of the horse.
The sun was just rising as Imeeya knocked at the door to Essa’s chambers. The door was opened by one of Essa’s maidservants. ”Make sure Essa gets up and gets dressed to go riding. Then have her meet me down at the stables.” Imeeya tried to keep her voice down even in her excitement. She wanted this to be a surprise. ”Not a word to Essa that it’s going to be with me today.” As the maid nodded her assent, Imeeya left to go make sure that everything else was in order.
First, Imeeya dropped by the kitchen where she picked up the baskets full of food that they were going to take out with them. One of the kitchen slaves carried them down to the stables, where their horses already stood groomed, saddled and waiting for them. Imeeya oversaw the grooms securely fastening the baskets to the horses’ backs. Now there was nothing left to do but wait. But Imeeya found that she couldn’t just stand there. She was too excited.
What was taking Essa so long? Imeeya had to go and check, even if it did ruin the surprise. She was just about to knock on the door to Essa’s chambers when the door swung inward in front of her. There was her sister, and Imeeya couldn’t help but break into a smile at her good timing. “Good morning! Are you ready to go riding?” Imeeya said, more enthusiastically than she’d said anything in weeks. She grabbed her sister’s hand and started explaining her plan as she walked Essa down to the stables. ”The horses are ready to go and I have the whole thing planned out. I figure we can get as far as the vineyards before we have to stop for breakfast.” It would be a half hour ride, but it would still result in them getting their breakfast around the same time that they normally would if they had slept in. “Then we’ll keep going as far as the overlook, and I think that would make a nice spot for lunch.” The overlook, although a journey of a few hours on horseback was a place that Imeeya had always enjoyed visiting, from that cliff, they could look out over the valley in which the Drakos mansion was settled.”After that we’ll circle around to the olive orchard, and then we’ll be back home in time for supper.” Imeeya smiled at her sister, hoping Essa approved. It would assuage some of her guilt at having left her sister to her own devices for the past several weeks.
Essa of Drakos