<strong>Name:</strong>Alveena<br/><strong>Status:</strong>Queen, House Schomeck<br/><strong>Location:</strong>Queen's reception room<br/><strong>Tagged:</strong>Open<br/><hr/><hr/><br/>Striding down a staircase and through a short passage, Alveena approached the back doors to to her reception hall. Standing there, waiting fore her, were a pair of middle aged women, wearing the light blue livery off free servants. They bowed and as she came to a stop before the door, they offered a bowl of water, so that the Queen might wash her hands or face and then a towel to dry with. Once she had refreshed herself, they stepped back, set down their burdens and pulled the doors opened. It seemed, that with the silent opening, all conversation from the hall beyond was snuffed out. A quiet hung in the air, stifling all noise. Young women in simple underclothes went to bended knee, as royalty entered.<br/><br/>Well almost all of them. Right away, she picked out a couple that did not bow or kneel. First and foremost was a tall woman, with a strong body and long, braided hair. By features and defiance, she knew this one's name or was fairly certain. This had to be Aldis, of the Algere people, from the north. The youth looked like one of those barbarians to be sure, crude raiders but good fighters, when they could be forced into a stand up fight. It always seemed though, that they would melt away from armed troops and reappear at an unguarded village, sacking it and retreating over the sea before knights and men-at-arms could arrive to give battle.<br/><br/>Still, only a fool would call them cowards and the queen tapped her chin lightly, as she studied the barbarian for a moment longer. A strong swordarm, was always an important part of the Companions but there were always other factors. She wondered if her son would like her. Like everyone of the King's sons before him, since the dawn of the Kingdom, Randolf had been kept too busy training, to be able to chase after girls and like everyone of her sons, she wasn't sure what he liked in them. To be sure, Aldis was attractive, with a pretty face and curves on her strong body but would her son look upon her and see beauty?<br/><br/>Then Alveena's gaze swept the room and focused on a young lady she did know, almost personally, her cousin Ladondra. A serious young girl, the few times they had met, she had heard she had been forced into the Sisterhood, even though she was too old. For a moment, she wondered how much that had cost her cousin Jaqc, as she looked upon young Ladondra, who appeared to be lost in thought at the moment. A slight smile graced her lips, part amused by this but only because she was a distant blood relative and part at an old memory, of her and Randolf playing as children. Any other and they would have been dismissed by now for such a lack in attention. Then consider the fact that she was grew up running a household and more then likely kept Jaqc from poisoning old cousin Nathaniel.<br/><br/>Her eyes turned back to those kneeling and her mind was a jumble of names. She had heard of all of these girls before, else they would not have been here but now she had to try to connect names and faces. It had been easy with the first two but now? The first she was able to confidently put together was Diane Thorne. A tiny girl with curly black hair and a touch of makeup to make her pale skin stand out, couldn't be any other. Pleasing to the eye though and a nice difference from Aldis, with a talent for healing, or so it was said. Then was a slim and trim blonde girl, who matched the description of one of the few women among the sisters, who could weld a longsword and disdained armor. What was her name? It was on the tip of her tongue, starting with a B? Bella maybe? No, was it Beatrisa? Wait, it was Beatrix! Yes, Beatrix von Winterfeldt.<br/><br/>Another caught the Queen's eye, a dark haired woman with a nervous fidget. The more she studied the young woman, the more she was convinced that she resembled the history's account of what the Ahdenii looked like. She looked like one of almost pure Ahdenii blood but what family after so many generations, wouldn't have intermarried enough to reduce the pure features of one of the old tribes? Then it came to her, the Reynaud's of Red Harbor were some what famous for being very picky about those they married, to produce heirs. Could she then be, Corrine Reynaud, daughter of Count Fredericks? If so, then she was a crack shot with a crossbow and could teach her son, more then just few lessons about men and women, if what she had heard was true.<br/><br/>"Rise my sisters" said Alveena in a strong, commanding voice, gesturing for all those around to stand, "For from this moment, until you leave, we meet as equals. You stand in the ranks of those most promising of our order, as I once did and with such honors, you stand upon a knife blade. Should I choose you to guard my son, then everything in this world and the next, that you care for, is nothing compared with his life and his becoming King. Men and our own sisters, will try to kill you, to reach him. You may have to cut down those you stand with tonight and even your own brothers and fathers, to see your duty done."<br/><br/>"Now" she continued in a softer tone, "Approach and introduce yourselves. Tell me why you should stand with my son, Prince Randolf."