Queen Natalya Rose Macias de'Marteau was out in the small courtyard of Collindor Castle. It was in the center of the kingdom of Terracor and assumingly the safest, luckily for Natalia it was also the most decorated and beautiful.  Golden hallways lined with full length windows, tapestries and portraits. It had hundreds of magnificent bedrooms, and also sported a gigantic ballroom lined with mirrors and statues that had just recently been used to celebrate her marriage with King Ancel de'Marteau barely a month ago.  The courtyards had been kept...presentable, but Natalya made sure that the one closest to her quarters was kept to a very certain standard.  It was almost like a secret garden, except, it wasn't private, though beautiful none the less.  She had several different types of flowers growing there, including all colors of Rose's, which were her favorite.  She was there with her dogs playing a game of chase after having escaped from all of her 'attendants'. The yipping and yapping of the small herd of miniatures, would eventually alert to their location, but Natalya didn't mind. A few minutes of freedom was better then nothing.  With such a beautiful afternoon, who wouldn't want to be outside?<br/><br/>Her fun was brought to an unceremonious halt with the appearance of Natalya's father; Duke Marquis Macias. He was standing at the entrance to the courtyard, arms folded over his chest, watching the little scene with a look that could only be described as contempt. Natalya's smile dropped immediately at the sight of her father, her eyes went downcast, but her dogs were less willing to quiet down and begged for the game to continue, a few of them even venturing over to greet the duke who ignored them. After a painful, but short silence, Marquis spoke to his daughter.<br/>"This is the third time I have heard about you running off, Natalya, and it will be the last time." He paused only to harden his gaze upon her.  "Your ladies are waiting for you in your room.  Go to them now, and prepare for your husbands arrival.  He should be here any minute now."  Her father's voice left room for little argument, but Natalya wasn't going to offer any.  Through marriage, she outranked him, but her father had always held a tight leash with her, and even though now she was Queen, she knew that wasn't going to change any time soon, especially not in private.  In public, her father always had the proper respect for her, but it was simply an act.  She belonged to another man, but she was still taking orders from her father, and being disciplined like a small child.  It upset her to a point, but there was little she could do about it.<br/><br/>With a quick curtsy, she hurried past her father, and back into the castle, making her way to her quarters, her dogs following close behind.  Just like her father had said, her ladies were waiting for her, as agitated as a flock of birds.  As soon as she stepped into the room they rushed to greet her, some concerned, some upset.  They began chattering away about how she shouldn't run off like that, and what if her husband found about her disappearances, but Natalya wasn't listening to them.  She was thinking about how much her life had changed since she had married, and how much she didn't like it.  Her ladies helped her change her clothes to a crushed red velvet gown with gold trim.  The spiral curls that had been put in her night black hair that morning had begun to fall due to her previous activity, but Natalya had no intention of sitting still long enough for her ladies to fix them, so after they fitted the small gold crown upon her head, Natalya was up and off to wait for her husband in the throne room, her animal entourage replaced by her female one.<br/><br/>The hallway to the throne room crossed the main entrance hall of the castle, and it was there that Natalya realized she wouldn't have to wait long....or at all.  As she neared the main entrance she heard a bit of commotion and then her husbands voice. "Where is she, where's my Queen?" The tone of his voice didn't sit well with Natalya, so she picked up her skirts and her pace to put a quick end her husband's search.  "I am here Your Majesty."  she called to him comfortingly, as she rounded the corner coming into view.  "Whatever is the matter?"  She asked him softly, her brows furrowed in confusion and concern.<br/>(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v237/missshai/Redgown.jpg)