She crossed the open space between the gate and the grand entrance. Swiftly moving inside the home with silent steps. Slipping off her cloak to reveal an equally deep red silken gown beneath it. The folds of fabric hugging her voluptuous body as she shook a bit of snow from her pitch black, tumbling curls. Her hair fell from it's loose leather binding, slipping around her svelte frame. Her delicate but sturdy shoulders held back and her chin held high she looked around the gracious living space in which she now found herself. She had been travelling for several weeks and was road worn from the journey. She took off her tall riding boots and picking up her thick woolen cloak sped up the steps with graceful ease. Each movement of her body like a dance step, muscles flexing and relaxing beneath her close clothing.
She checked the first door on the right, knocking softly only to hear a ravenous growl in return. Shrugging and moving down the corridor she checked several other doors with similar result. Most occupied by some sort of beast or creature, several of which she recognized by their individual sounds. Finding an empty room she placed her boots and damp cloak to dry by the bed and continued her excursion. She made her way up and down the hall examining the art and architectural beauty contained within her temporary abode. Back at the stair she proceeded up to the next floor. Remembering the man she had seen and his kindly seeming persona she chose to forgo the appropriate introduction for the meantime and turned her back to the lofty hall ahead of her and strode her way back down the steps to find the library. Her dress poured over each step like a bloody river seeping into new earth. Her gentle hand fell quietly to the railing guiding her path. She felt a bit like a princess, then remembered the truth and let out a soft sigh.
She found herself in the library at last. A glorious room with wall to wall shelves filled entirely with thick volumes and dusty tomes. She gasped at the glorious sight of so much literature in one place. She hadn't seen a collection so complete since her childhood visits to her grandmother's estate when she was a child...it seemed so long ago now. A tear came to her eye but evaporated from her carved cheek before reaching midway to her chin. She wandered around the room but didn't touch anything. How she longed to hold one of the beautiful books and trace the binding as she did when she was a child. She reached out a hand, fingertips hovering just off the delightful gold etching in a particularly large red leather bound novel. It was laid on a nearby table, an ornate lamp illuminating it's enticing cover.
"Veritatis Splendor" she read aloud. Savoring the feeling of the words in her mouth. It had been some time, she realized, since she had spoken aloud.