William was already home by the time Merrium made it back. His gentle snores from the bedroom gave her relief, and she was glad to have had her stew cooking all day. He barely finished his meal last night, he was sure to be pleased with a hearty dinner when he wakes. Perhaps she could even convince him to go for a stroll around the country side under the stars.

With nothing else needed to do for the day she decided to go walk among the hills and gather some local flowers and herbs. Something she enjoyed when she once had free time was creating herbal elixirs; every now and then she used to surprise William with one of her creations, pretending to have purchased it from town. He never did catch on, always assumed she was simply flower picking for the fun of it, but she took secret pride when he enjoyed her concoctions. Maybe now she can pick up the hobby again.

Past the hills sprawled a small forest, and at the center was a small grove with a mineral spring, untouched by the grime of the rivers. Her favorite flowers, the water lilies, grew here white as snow. The entire area was peaceful, and one of her favorite places to escape to when she had the opportunity. It was here where she would practice her hobbies, away from prying eyes and judgmental gazes.

Merrium set down her satchel and went up to a large tree with ancient, protruding roots. Hidden deftly among the knots, she pull out her equipment boxes, and a long, beautifully sanded bow staff. The box held her vials of extracts and pouches of herbs, carefully stored to avoid contamination from the elements, and beneath the top compartment was her collection of glass bottles, carefully cleaned and collected over the years, that she used to age her wines and drinks.

The bow staff was a gift from her best friend in her family's hometown, secreted away as a wedding gift. He said it was a foreign design, and would blend in as a walking cane while doubling as a weapon. William had taught her a little how to fend off any intruders, and let her keep one at the bedside when he worked evening guard duty. But she really treasured this one, and was fearful of what William might do if he realized this, so she preferred to keep it here, where he won’t know.

She picked up her staff, reminiscing her younger days before her life as a housewife, and spun it about, falling into her old practice routine. It whistled through the air musically, cutting through unhindered like a blade. The weight was perfect for her, and moved fluidly under her hand. If only she could have a partner to practice with; William tended to be too competitive to adequately teach her, and wouldn’t dare allow anyone else to do it.

Merrium stopped, breathing a little heavily, listening. She couldn’t be sure, but she thought...no, it was probably just an animal. But for a brief moment she thought she heard footfalls and the rustling of leaves. She turned away, diverting her attention back to her supplies, and froze.

At the foot of the tree trunk where she kept her things hidden was a very strange creature. It looked like a common brown rabbit, but it had wings like a great bard owl and ears that were way too long. It rested atop the tree's roots, preening its feathers and fur, and then met her gaze with bright red eyes.

She was having another spell, there was no way this creature was real. There wasn’t an animal ever seen as having both feathers AND fur, and winged rabbits were just ludicrous. After catching her breath again and calming down, she decided to do as she had learned to do all this time. She moved past it, giving it no second glance, and knelt down next her box of herbs to start a new recipe.

The rabbit continue to stare at her curiously, as if it, too, had reservations on believing the reality of her existence, and followed her with its gaze as she got to work. Merrium forced herself into distractions, trying her best not to acknowledge the apparition until she was thoroughly invested enough to cause it to stop.

An hour had passed by before she resurfaced from her work, and to her relief the rabbit was gone. These strange visions were something that had led her into her interest of elixirs. While certain herbs and fruits made for excellent alcohol, she was also aware of their medicinal capabilities. Curing these visions was something of a goal she had, as they were not only distracting but have been the cause for much distress in her life. Very nearly she had been labelled an absolute loon, and if the right people were to learn of her condition and take any offense to her, she could be accused of being unfit for society.

She gathered up her belongings and returned her secrets back to the roots, stretching enjoying the quiet spring for just a few more minutes longer before heading back. The sun began to set once again as she left the trees for the well-worn path back to town, and back home.

The sound of hooves on the road began to reach her, and she stepped off the path and out of the way. A young brown horse crested over the hill, trotting casually in her direction. It’s rider gazed about curiously, taking in the sights, and as he started to pass his eyes caught hers with a start. She continued on her way up the path, assuming he just wasn’t expecting to see anyone out here on their own. But then he slowed his horse and doubled back, catching up to her pace easily.

“Miss Merrium?”

She jumped at the sound of her name and looked up. He didn’t look like anyone she knew, and he wore the same type of armored clothing as the foreigners. His hair was a dark brown, but his face... was familiar. And though his eyes were a steel grey, she recognized their bright curious glitter immediately.

“Prince Arstel!?”