It had been a bright morning, and Lady Maria had wandered down from the castle to the market square. The air was filled with the scent of fresh bread, cured meats, and the chatter of townsfolk calling out their wares. Children laughed as she slipped them coins for candied apples, and she paused to admire a bolt of dyed wool, tracing the fabric with her freckled fingers as she joked lightly with the merchant.

A clatter of boots broke through the bustle as one of her father’s guards pushed through the crowd. He bowed his head low at her.

Maria tilted her head, her green eyes narrowing in mild curiosity.* “Already? I was just starting to enjoy myself.”

But with a good-natured sigh, she handed the wool back to the merchant and dusted her skirts before following the guard through the busy market streets.