Word Count: 42,039
Summary of Events:
Alina attended a concert while still at Viceroy Stryng's estate, although she spent most of its duration wondering about Aifosian music, which she'd never actually heard before. Éoin and Seosamh went on a ride over a cross-country trail and Éoin scraped his ear as he bailed off his horse when she stumbled while landing after having jumped over a newly-fallen tree. Alina bade farewell to Viceroy and High Lady Stryng as her visit came to an end and she set out for Carey Derwent, the estate of Viceroy Magnys . . .
Excerpt of the Day:
Politely Alina waved back until they were out of sight, then she watched as the gates of Carey Dara passed by the windows and they were out onto the streets of Deri, which was the Viceregal Town of Dara, just as Aniger was technically the Viceregal Town of her own Viceregal Territory; it just also happened to be the Royal City of Aifos, one of only two cities on the island, the other being Aldyn, which was the Viceregal Town for Onllwyn on the south coast.
Many people who were out on the streets stopped, doffed whatever they had on their heads, and waved. Alina smiled and waved in return. She thought she heard someone shout something like 'hail the Queen' or 'long live the Queen' but she wasn't sure.
She had to admit that she was glad the people were happy to see her. From what she'd been told by her guard there had been times when Mother had gone on trips that the carriage had been pelted with snowballs.
Although she had technically been Queen, Alina had never gone on any trips with Mother, which she guessed had been something of a safeguard for her life, lest she be killed or accidentally die a child and leave a succession crisis.
In fact, Alina was pretty sure the fact that she had an entire cohort of soldiers accompanying her tour was probably because she was unmarried and heirless. She didn't know if it was actually set into law anywhere how many soldiers were to accompany a monarch anywhere, and if the numbers varied depending on the monarch's age or state of succession, or if it was dependent upon the decision of the General of the Army — who happened to be Viceroy Constyre.
It didn't take long for them to pass out of Deri and into the countryside, which was still quite green, even though the deciduous trees were leafless, and their leaves were no longer a variety of colours, having all faded to brown.
Small piles of snow showed where the sun hardly shone. So far the snow had yet to stick around, but that was usually the cause until it was closer to the end of the year, then the snow would pile up, especially inland, and wouldn't go anywhere until Spring Session.
Alina spied more cattle grazing on the hills, some solid black, some white with black or brown patches, some brown, some white, some more of a red colour. They all looked so far away from her position in the carriage, and she hoped that she might have the opportunity to see them up close somewhere along her trip.
She wondered if any of the viceroys kept cattle on their estates, and if there were some cattle docile enough for her to maybe even touch, as she'd been told that they were a lot more flighty than horses, mostly because they weren't really used as often or in the same way as horses.
Pronunciations:
Dara: dahrah
Deri: dehree
Aldyn: alldihn
Onllwyn: onallwihn
Constyre: cohnst'ayerh
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