Her home was a cold mountainous country, and she lived in a castle near a steep mountain in a sheltered valley. In the heart of the castle was a well insulated room. It tended to be warm here, as it was in the center of the castle away from the worst of the cold drafts. Through an open door was the library nearby with bookshelves that went from the floor to the ceiling. Her study was well lit by a blazing fire in the fireplace. She deduced it was windy outside, as she was smelling smoke. On good days the smoke went up the chimney without a problem.
Lucretia was curled up on a settee with a book, leaning towards the fire, so the light would illuminate the book. Her body was too short to take up the whole piece of furniture, especially in her curled position. Her hair was in a bun, so that nothing was blocking her view of the pages.
She was reading about a man who survived in the wilderness with only his falcon and a knife. He had been very resourceful, using the falcon to provide food while he used the knife to make a shelter and other ways to provide food for them.
On her desk in the corner were books on national and international law, which she read as part of her education. Her father, although unhappy, had to concede that his wife wouldn't be having anymore children, and he had no legitimate child besides Lucretia to inherit once he was gone. He had only in the last five years begun to prep her for the position she would be inheriting. More pressure was laid on her as her father gave up hope.
It meant more restrictions to her freedom, as she became more valuable, but it also meant she was able to learn what she wished. She also got to travel and see more of her country and other countries. She had a few ladies in waiting who were supposed to make sure she got to bed at a decent hour, however, she easily convinced them to go to bed. They liked to gossip together as they were getting ready for bed. There were a few servants that she was familiar with who might check on her to see if she was in bed, but they had no authority over her to actually try to get her to bed.
Night time was the only time she felt like she had time for herself, and she enjoyed staying up late. There was no one to tell her what to do, and she didn't have to be worried about being judged for the way she spent her time. However, she flinched at every sound afraid that someone was coming to take her to bed and spend an extra thirty minutes lecturing her.
While her soft silky nightgown would have been much more comfortable, it wasn't proper for her to be outside of her bedchambers without proper clothing on. When she felt some wind whistling down the chimney, she grabbed a blanket off of the side arm of the settee. Her eyelids began to droop, and she felt sleepy. However, it would be even worse for her, if she were caught sleeping here. She forced herself to replace the book in the library and hope no one else took it to read it. She began to walk down the dim corriders to her room.
She paused in shock as a man who could only be a servant rounded the corner, and she muttered curses under her breath that she wasn't supposed to know. "Hello. What are you doing out at this time of night?" As long as she wasn't expected to appear before an audience with someone in an official capacity, she was allowed to wear more plain comfortable clothing. Many servants and lower ranked ladies in waiting had taken to wearing similar styles, as they found it more comfortable. Her father was a little disgruntled, but her mother thought it was appropriate that Lucretia was setting trends in her own castle. It was a simple display of her influence, and she encouraged it, so her father didn't protest or get anyone in trouble. Lucretia's brown woolen skirt had green embroidery in floral patterns, while her bodice was dark green woolen fabric. The front of her bodice was laced securely with brown leather. Her sleeves were long and flowy.
She didn't know all the servant's routines, and she didn't recognize him. Would he go find someone to tattle on? It appeared he was going the direction she was planning to go to get back to her room, so she might go hide in the library or her study. Perhaps she could fool everyone, and they would only think she had gotten up really early to study. If he recognized her, she expected nervous stuttering. Servants always preferred to not make eye contact, because they were trained that way. It made her feel awkward when she was speaking to them, but she didn't want to order them to go against their training and then they would get in trouble.
"Is there something I can help you with? I know my way around pretty well, and you look like you are a little lost. It seems rather late for you to be wandering around the castle." She could have bitten her tongue, as it would simply draw attention to the fact that that was what she was doing as well. She tried to draw up a friendly smile, but she could feel how stiff and fake it was. However, hopefully it would keep her tone sounding friendly rather than challenging. If this man was doing something wrong, he wouldn't want to go around challenging other people and asking questions....hopefully. "It's rather drafty around here. I hope all of the fireplaces will be lit. I know that some people consider it a waste of money, but I do like a warm toasty castle. See you around?" She began to walk off.
Winter 
Day Weather: 
