Post by Eleanor Arana on Jan 21, 2015 20:38:38 GMT
The shadows lengthened as the sun hung torpid above the horizon. In some places the temple seemed to have suspended time and its white marble gleamed resplendently and engravings remained unmarred. In other places the marble had dulled to grey and rested shattered upon the worn floor. It had been many a century since the site had been an active place of worship. Now, the name of the goddess or god had slipped out of common knowledge. Eleanor gazed thoughtfully at the empty face of a marble statue. The alter beneath it lay in pieces at the foot of it. Often her family would visit the royal palace, in favour of dining and winning over royal favour. Arana was a town where elegant customs and fanciful gatherings gave way to practicality and simplicity. Eleanor’s formal dress felt stiff and unnatural. She longed to strip down to her soft riding breeches and tunic and ride through the forests behind her city. Instead the tight bodice of the emerald hued dress stifled her breathing. Although bred in finery, her intrinsic nature echoed the backwater girl taken with the simple life. Her family did not seek the same. Their goal was to rise above the simplicity that Arana provided. They proposed new trade routes to bring more wealth into Aurora (and of course, more importantly, Arana). Eleanor was the only child to actively seek the simple life. Much to her father’s disapproval, she disappeared for some days on end and became Nora. The youngest daughter of seven was inconsequential. She had to appear some days in court and the rest of the time her family denied that she existed. The sooner she was to be married off, the better it would be for the family’s image according to them. That was part of the reason for the trip to Byzantir. The court was full of eligible young men to tame her wandering soul. She sighed, tugging angrily at the corner of her dress that pooled out around her. Two more days in this pompous city before she could return home. This temple provided a little peace and a place to hide while her family enjoy the luxuries of the court. She would have until the sun dipped below the horizon until her absence was noted. |