Her breath made small clouds in the air that hung for only but a moment. She tried to keep her breathing shallow and controlled. She had been tracking this beast for quite a while now and she was not going to let him slip away now. Slowly and painfully she drew her bow up careful to not disturb any flora around her and tip him off. The stag, cautiously relaxing, hadn’t noticed her closing in. She drew her arrow back and hit her target square in the heart. He stumbled and tried to run, but crumpled to the ground and lay there still. A slight smile came to her lips. She turned to her servant, Aremis, and nodding toward her prize she dismissed him to clean the stag and bring it back to the keep. Ysabel strode toward her horse; a sense of pride that she had just felt began to wane as she noted the bold colored flags coming toward her through the forest. The whipping fabric almost cracked like whips through the air as they moved toward her, and a sense of impending doom overwhelmed her. 
     “Aremis,” Ysabel shouted, “Aremis, quickly.” Usually being approached by a fleet guard was not something that would cause fear to rush over Ysabel like this, but he crest emblazoned on the vivid orange flags made her blood run cold. It was the crest of the kingdom to the north, ruled by Lord Caladur, a practicer of the dark arts.
     “Aremis, hide our crests before he reaches us. He cannot know who we are.” All too late Ysabel realized her mistake of crossing over into Northern lands. She always got too caught up in her hunts, and would sometimes stumble into other borderlands, and after offering some of her kill, they would generally laugh off her antics as a silly girl. However, Lord Calidur would surely not laugh at her. Aremis quickly attended their horses, throwing old blankets they carried over satin pennants that adorned their rides. Taking dirt and smudging their faces, they did the best they could to make themselves look as common as they could. All too quickly, the traveling caravan was upon them. The soldiers were dressed in dark black armor and their under garments that shown through at the joints were blood red. They almost appeared to allow you to view their insides. Their faces were not visible through the heavy helmets that adorned their heads. In all the grandeur, Ysabel nearly missed what was in the center of the parade. A gold embossed litter was being conveyed by men so giant that Ysabel almost believed them to be a figment of her imagination. She had never seen men so dark and so imposing. She felt a soft touch light upon her wrist, and realized that Aremis had to stop her and from reaching out to them. A sharp order came from inside the litter and the caravan stopped. The window of the sparkling square was directly in front of Aremis and herself. They were about to be questioned. She was praying that this was not Lord Calidur. A skeletal hand drew back the curtain keeping the light of day out of the black inside the seeming black hole in which the person sat. never having seen Lord Calidur, Ysabel was unsure if he was old, young, or somewhere in the immortal realm. However by the looks of this hand, this person was ancient. " Well, an interesting find this morning I shall say. It is not every day I have a lady of the court traipsing through my lands pretending to be a peasant. Lady Ysabel, I take it something intrigued you enough for you to brave crossing the borders. Does your father know you have trespassed on my land?" His coarse voice carried on a breeze that came from within the litter. He sounded distant. " My father is aware I am out on a hunt. A stag from our grounds crossed over the border, I apologize for following it. I had not realized I trespassed on your grounds. I would never have assumed permission. I will be sure to have my father compensate for anything you find damaged or if you please, for the inconvenience alone" Ysabel kept her eyes averted. She had the overwhelming feeling if she looked at him he may very well steal her soul. " Your father need not compensate me. He , I am sure, feels enough disgrace over his daughter behaving in such a roguish manner." gather your stag and be gone by night fall. If I find you again on my land without pass, I shall not be so forgiving." With that the hand withdrew inside leaving the curtains to sway slightly. Another sharp bark from a soldier in the rear and the train was moving again. After the last solider passed, Aremis and she exchanged a quick glance. Gathering up the reins of the horses and throwing all they could of the stag on the backs of them, they rode at a full gallop to the border. They didn't need until nightfall to make it there, and there was no way they were going to test the generosity of the unwilling host. Crossing into the lands of her father, they reigned the horses in. They walked to the nearby stream to let the horses rest for a bit before making their way back to the keep. " You are a ridiculous woman! You could have very well been killed. I could have been killed! If you were not my Lady and keeper, I swear I would have half a mind to..." Aremis trailed off as he turned and caught sight of Ysabel's amused look. " No, please. Tell me what you have a half a mind to do," She began to saunter towards him. Her look darkened. It was always hard to tell if she was angry or she was about to become a storm of passion. One never knew until she was within striking distance. " I think you enjoy the rush as much as I do, Aremis, I think you love the feeling of absolute terror mingled with the feeling of instilling some terror yourself." her lips brushed his ear as she spoke. She wasn't mad, she was trying to make up for almost having them murdered in a field. " I think you are out of your mind. Its one of the things I love about you, m'lady." He whispered back into her hair. Ysabel pulled back and smiled at him. She knew that he loved her, or he truly would not put up with all her shenanigans. She had roughly 5 other personal guards and after a week or two, they all pleaded with her father to place them on a different position. never had Aremis even complained when she lead him off down rivers, chasing after game, or endless hours in the lists. He almost seemed to enjoy it all too well. Truth be told, she found herself finding ways to be close to him and ways to lead him off on fun adventures!

" I'm afraid not. She is going to go into strict training under the watchful eye of some of my most elite guard. She is going to need to be trained in a way she can handle not only a sword but walking a thin line between warrior and lady. Aremis I am sending you to join the guard along the south lines. I hear there is stirrings there that they are wanting to cross through our lands on their way to wage war with the north lands. I cannot have my people in jeopardy from a bunch of fool hardy men looking for a way to get their kicks by terrorizing innocents." " Am I allowed to tell her goodbye M'lord?" Aremis almost could not find his voice. His heart was being ripped from his chest. " No, I think it better you go gather your things from the chamber and then go report to the dorm where you will be living now with the rest of your troops. I will tell Ysabel of my choice. God help us all after I do. " with a wave of his hand Alywin dismissed him. He found some way to make his feet move one in front of the other until he reached the door to his chamber across the hall from Ysabel. He could hear her storming about in her room. Yelling and throwing things, her temper would have to be tamed in order for her to become the Queen she was destined to be. With the sound of a shattering case, Aremis opened his door, went in and gathered his few belongings, and started down the stairs to the dormitory that housed the troops. He was sure that he would be leaving in the morning to go take up his post on the south lands. He ached for one moment to tell her goodbye. Sighing he knew her could not disobey the orders given him. He just had to tell himself that he would see her again, he would. In her chambers, Ysabel had managed to shattered every vase she owned, terrify her lady in wait, and She was pretty sure she had shattered her toe when she kicked the chair. Finally wearing herself out, she collapsed in her chair and began to weep. She had never been treated so coldly by her father. After sometime she heard the door to her room creak open. Looking up with swollen eyes and tear stained cheeks, Ysabel watched as her father slowly make his way across the floor. He looked older, pained, and worried. It only made her feel slightly less agitated toward him.