Banned
Jauna heard Eli's familiar voice call out, "Walls don't count, Jauna!" Keeping the sword pointed at the wall, Jauna casually peered at him over her right shoulder, half her face hidden behind a velvet red curtain. "Is that a challenge?" she called back concealing half of a grin. She observed Eli hop on a horse. "No way! I thought we couldn't have horses on this journey!"
With that, Jauna sheathed her sword and raced across the castle courtyard to the stables. Spying a smaller, sturdy mare with a gray coat speckled with black spots and a mane of purest white, the lady accepted a nearby stable boy's offer of a wooden step stool which he placed beside the horse. He offered her a hand up as well but Jauna immediately plum forgot his existence as she happily mounted the horse in two fell bounds. She did, however, still remember to sit side-saddle. It simply wasn't befitting for a woman of her up-and-coming status at court to debase herself riding like a man. That was one of the few perks of marriage that Jauna idly looked forward to, being able to ride how she pleased when she chose. As she watched the rest of the assemblage seemingly gravitating toward Maize and Rhea, Jauna felt a small twang of jealousy that nobody had any reason to look to her for authority.
She sighed audibly. Of course it was stupid for her to want that now; her experience outside the castle was truly optimistically minimal and pessimistically nonexistent. The only reason she was here was because....well frankly she didn't know other than Eli seemed pleased to have her along. And why shouldn't he? That's right! She would protect Eli with her own life if need be. That....was a disturbing thought. What if they ran into danger? Surely with a party this size, the two of them would probably never come to any real harm right? These thoughts gnawed at her insides as she walked her horse, whom she absently heard the stable boy call Jessie, up next to Eli's mount.