Spring in the Principality (MT/Applicated/IC)

[Saalenia]

OOC-Thread

Matria - The capital of the principality (March 20, 2023)
The foreign long-distance trains rattled into the overcrowded main station in the city of Matria. March 20th marks a turning point for the Principality of Saalenia every year; From here the spring and summer season begins, which means more tourists. The small country is filled with people especially for the spring festival week that starts today. It has about 430,000 inhabitants and about the same number of tourists flock to the station.


Most of the crowds move by tram from the main train station in the station district of Matria to the market square in the old town. The inexperienced tourist will be surprised when he sees the rather empty streets. The tram dominates the traffic, followed by bicycles, every now and then you see an e-scooter or an e-car and...sometimes classic horse-drawn carriages. The knowledgeable will remember that Saalenia has a ban on internal combustion engines, the ignorant will surely be surprised.On the market square here are various sales stands, rides and performances just waiting to get started. A stage was set up in front of the town hall of Matria, on which a rather small and petite-looking woman stepped up to a microphone and spoke to the assembled audience.

"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen," she spoke in German, but a second person next to her translated her speech into English for the foreign viewers. "My name is Clara Marie von Jacob, I am Minister of Education and Culture and I welcome you all to our humble Principality and beautiful capital. This is the day when we begin the Spring festivities and celebrate how the almighty goddess Gaya wakes up nature from its hibernation. I hereby declare the Spring Festival open!"

Applause went through the crowd and suddenly all the stands opened, the carousels started turning and the first performances began. The crowd in front of the stage dispersed and spread out across the marketplace. The festival was on.

[The Selkie]

Fiona Oliwyn of the Tribe of Navan.
Marketplace of Matria, Principality of Saalenia.
Flight to the nearest airport, then via train into the Principality, then via tram into the old town and finally at the market square - my German, although of Teressian influence, was still good enough to understand what the woman (who looked rather important) had to say.
As a Priestess, it was my duty to be informed about the religious practices of other cultures, to some extend. That, and I had a few vacation days. So, as Saalenia celebrated Spring with a huge festival, much like we did, and at the same time to boot, I had decided to leave Milady Kendra to handling the festivities in Scrín and made off to here.
One big difference became apparent with the speech: The locals were much more aware and keen on tourists. In the Free Lands, we would hold such speeches in Selkie and be done with it - despite more and more tourists coming every year, it was our sacred festival, one of many, and the feast dedicated to one of our most important deities, the fertility goddess Rhiannon. It also served as our collective birthday party.
Or rather rebirthday party.
I still applauded.
Then the festival began.
As a young woman of 26 Springs, I was certainly not the most gifted among my countrywomen in the chest department (I would certainly never find employment at the Donrua Bay Beach Bar), but I knew, that I made up for that in other areas. Curves where curves belonged, muscles where muscles belonged, Milady Caollaidhe had once called me an ideal image of a Swordmaiden, more then worthy of riding with Enya, of Claimhteoir. Shortly after, I had served as Lieutenant to the Guard of High Priest Glynn Uisinn of the Tribe of Westmeath, the High Priest to my Goddess.
In any case, personal moments of pride aside, I was 1.62 metres tall, had purple-red hair with two strands framing my face, brown eyes looking at the world.
Of course, I wore Geansai, the traditional costume of my people, in the colours of Red and White - to those in the know, I was clearly visible as a Priestess of Carman Fea. For those not in the know, I was a Selkie in the iconic skimpy fur dress.
I smiled as the booths opened.
Where to first...? Well, as nice as it was to be out of the Archipelago for a bit, it was decidedly colder around here. And I didn't have breakfast yet.
So, eating stall was first on the list, if it came with a hot tea, I would not be opposed to it as well.

[Alzatia]

I'm using Shakespearean English for my dialogs because I don't speak German, but that's how I imagine Alzatian would sound like to a German speaker.

Princess Veroniek of Alzatia
Market Square, Matria

As the Princess disembarked from her private rail carriage—an elegant and beautifully restored first-class coach, formerly in service with the Imperial and Royal Austrian State Railway before being gifted to the Principality in the late 18th century, along with a matching set of other coaches, and pulled by a vintage Class 109 steam locomotive—she wasn't quite sure what to expect. After all, she'd spent a good part of her life locked up in a castle tower by her cruel and controlling parents, Prince Hinrich-Franz and Princess Jolande of Alzatia (until the two mysteriously died in 2013 from an alleged "hunting accident", and she quietly took the throne with little ceremony or fanfare).

As a result of that, she was quite sheltered from the world around her and its happenings, even by Alzatian standards, and had never ventured out into the unknown until now, when she'd been invited to visit the Spring Festival in Saalenia. Even the antiquated steam train which she arrived in, was an unfamiliar piece of new-fangled technology to the Princess, and she was amazed at the speed it could go, all 60 km/h of it—she'd never seen anything quite like it before. So you could probably imagine her surprise then, to see some of the locals zipping around in strange horseless vehicles—completely silent ones that didn't make any smoke, no less. And it wasn't until after a series of close calls, almost getting hit several times, that she figured out how the traffic worked: a red light meant "stop", yellow meant "caution", and green meant "go".

However, there were some things in the Principality which were quite similar to her own and pleasantly familiar: the landscape, the nature, even the people—who, despite having accents and occasionally mentioning things which didn't exist in her own homeland or culture (such as this Gaya deity), spoke basically the same language as her, plus or minus some grammar and pronunciation differences. In addition, traveling with her was Celeste (52), her maidservant and best friend who spoke standard German fluently along with French and English, so understanding and being understood by the locals wasn't going to be a problem.

Fiona Oliwyn of the Tribe of Navan.
Marketplace of Matria, Principality of Saalenia.
Flight to the nearest airport, then via train into the Principality, then via tram into the old town and finally at the market square - my German, although of Teressian influence, was still good enough to understand what the woman (who looked rather important) had to say.
As a Priestess, it was my duty to be informed about the religious practices of other cultures, to some extend. That, and I had a few vacation days. So, as Saalenia celebrated Spring with a huge festival, much like we did, and at the same time to boot, I had decided to leave Milady Kendra to handling the festivities in Scrín and made off to here.
One big difference became apparent with the speech: The locals were much more aware and keen on tourists. In the Free Lands, we would hold such speeches in Selkie and be done with it - despite more and more tourists coming every year, it was our sacred festival, one of many, and the feast dedicated to one of our most important deities, the fertility goddess Rhiannon. It also served as our collective birthday party.
Or rather rebirthday party.
I still applauded.
Then the festival began.
As a young woman of 26 Springs, I was certainly not the most gifted among my countrywomen in the chest department (I would certainly never find employment at the Donrua Bay Beach Bar), but I knew, that I made up for that in other areas. Curves where curves belonged, muscles where muscles belonged, Milady Caollaidhe had once called me an ideal image of a Swordmaiden, more then worthy of riding with Enya, of Claimhteoir. Shortly after, I had served as Lieutenant to the Guard of High Priest Glynn Uisinn of the Tribe of Westmeath, the High Priest to my Goddess.
In any case, personal moments of pride aside, I was 1.62 metres tall, had purple-red hair with two strands framing my face, brown eyes looking at the world.
Of course, I wore Geansai, the traditional costume of my people, in the colours of Red and White - to those in the know, I was clearly visible as a Priestess of Carman Fea. For those not in the know, I was a Selkie in the iconic skimpy fur dress.
I smiled as the booths opened.
Where to first...? Well, as nice as it was to be out of the Archipelago for a bit, it was decidedly colder around here. And I didn't have breakfast yet.
So, eating stall was first on the list, if it came with a hot tea, I would not be opposed to it as well.

As the Princess was looking around the place and deciding what to do first, her gaze was caught by a woman who looked of similar age to her, with reddish purple hair and dressed in quite a... liberal way, especially given the cool spring weather here (herself, she had long blond hair and green eyes, and was wearing a frilly pink dress with matching pink hair bow, while her maid Celeste went for a more mature appearance, in a dark green traditional dress). What's more, the colors of this woman's dress, red and white, happened to match exactly those of the Alzatian banner. Could this be one of her own loyal subjects? Only one way to know.

"Noble day, fair damsel! How dost thou?" she greeted in the only way she knew how: in her native Alzatian, which would've likely sounded extremely rural or old-fashioned to a modern German speaker. "Veroniek, of the Princedom of Elsass. 'Tis a pleasure to meet thee. Zounds, 'tis a wee bit nippy out today for that there apparel, thinkest thou not?"

(What standard German would sound like, by comparison: "Good day, lady! How are you? Veroniek of the Principality of Alzatia. It's a pleasure to meet you. Gee, it's a little cold outside today for that clothing, don't you think?")

[The Selkie]

[...]
As the Princess was looking around the place and deciding what to do first, her gaze was caught by a woman who looked of similar age to her, with reddish purple hair and dressed in quite a... liberal way, especially given the cool spring weather here (herself, she had long blond hair and green eyes, and was wearing a frilly pink dress with matching pink hair bow, while her maid Celeste went for a more mature appearance, in a dark green traditional dress). What's more, the colors of this woman's dress, red and white, happened to match exactly those of the Alzatian banner. Could this be one of her own loyal subjects? Only one way to know.

"Noble day, fair damsel! How dost thou?" she greeted in the only way she knew how: in her native Alzatian, which would've likely sounded extremely rural or old-fashioned to a modern German speaker. "Veroniek, of the Princedom of Elsass. 'Tis a pleasure to meet thee. Zounds, 'tis a wee bit nippy out today for that there apparel, thinkest thou not?"

(What standard German would sound like, by comparison: "Good day, lady! How are you? Veroniek of the Principality of Alzatia. It's a pleasure to meet you. Gee, it's a little cold outside today for that clothing, don't you think?")

Fiona Oliwyn of the Tribe of Navan.
It took me a moment to parse what the blonde had said. She wore a nice dress, it reminded me a bit of a Princess in some Shikonmanjese Anime or the other, and although pink was not my colour, it seemed to suit her.
She had spoken German, though an older variant or dialect, I could not quite place it.
In any case, I grinned and replied in modern German, with the characteristic sing-song, dropped vowels of a Selkie: "Don't worry, lass, I'm fine - I was taught at the Ironcastle Seminary, the January has a daily mean of -11.5 degrees Celsius. This..." I made an encompassing gesture, meaning the weather. "...is nothing. But thank you for your concern. I'm Fiona."
I bowed my head slightly, raised it again and grinned.
"Wanna see if there isn't a stall selling hot beverages?"
Just because I could handle the temperatures, it did not mean, that I enjoyed them... there was a reason why I returned to the Archipelago after training.

[Motoyasu]

The internal musings of One Yua Saito, LN
Market Square, Matria



Fresh off the boat, well boat in a metaphorical sense, because obviously I didn't take a boat to get here! But in seriousness, I finally arrived in Matria - The capital of the principality and it's currently March 20, ah right on time and perfect to time to finally start my vacation. 2022 was a busy year for me, hitting my 5th year of being a nurse, (yay go me!) and getting my first preceptee to boot! Wow what a wild ride, and well less pleasantly I uhhh sort of broke up with my girlfriend. Ironically, the reason I became a nurse to begin with. Ugh, yeah I'll admit, I didn't exactly go in to nursing with lofty altruistic goals in mind, not even just to escape mundane country life, I went because I wanted to be with my senpai but as such it didn't workout between us. Ah gee, what's wrong with me? But that said, I've grown into the job, I really do love what I do, not that it isn't hard and doesn't take a toll on me at times, which is why it's so good to get away and relax. I could have gone home to see my folks, stay in Yurigahama and just veg out, forget my vacation and make sure my dear kohai/Preceptee is doing okay...Gee I really hope she's doing okay. She's a good kid, bright, reminds me of me fresh out of nursing school, anyway I could have done those things but I thought a trip overseas would be fun. I've been sitting on a small fortune after winning the lottery! Ehehe okay, before you get all excited, I'm not a gazillionair or anything, it was a small-ish prize of 130,000 Sen, or about 1500 NSD. Nothing to sneeze at obviously, a good chunk of change for a single country girl in the big city, but like I said, I'm not rolling in it that I could quit my job and never work again!

Well anyway, upon arrival in the seemingly quaint post-card-esque capital, here we were greeted by a woman whom introduced herself as Clara Marie von Jacob, she spoke in German, which I spoke none of! Ugh I do have a translation book with me to find my way around at least but god help me if I really get into trouble. Whatever she said, it drew applause and cheers so I guess it was a speech worth hearing. Her voice certainly was peppy and happy about it. Well guess things were underway, now I suppose I should see some sights and take in the local culture but what to do first, I pondered. Well, without really thinking it over, I sort of just carry myself along to just sort of observe the world around me, this place is interesting to be certain, it really does seem nice, yeah I think this will be a great vacation.

[Alzatia]

Fiona Oliwyn of the Tribe of Navan.
It took me a moment to parse what the blonde had said. She wore a nice dress, it reminded me a bit of a Princess in some Shikonmanjese Anime or the other, and although pink was not my colour, it seemed to suit her.
She had spoken German, though an older variant or dialect, I could not quite place it.
In any case, I grinned and replied in modern German, with the characteristic sing-song, dropped vowels of a Selkie: "Don't worry, lass, I'm fine - I was taught at the Ironcastle Seminary, the January has a daily mean of -11.5 degrees Celsius. This..." I made an encompassing gesture, meaning the weather. "...is nothing. But thank you for your concern. I'm Fiona."
I bowed my head slightly, raised it again and grinned.
"Wanna see if there isn't a stall selling hot beverages?"
Just because I could handle the temperatures, it did not mean, that I enjoyed them... there was a reason why I returned to the Archipelago after training.

After the Princess introduced herself, so did the foreign woman. It was evident that Fiona, as it turned out her name was, did not hail from the same homeland, based on her way of speaking and her mention of a place called Ironcastle, which didn't exist in Alzatia. She'd also mentioned something about degrees Celsius, which were completely alien to the Alzatian, as the latter had never seen a thermometer or weather report all her life. The Princess thought about asking Fiona what that meant, but decided against it, as she didn't want to open that Pandora's box and get even more confused.

Fiona then suggested grabbing a drink together, which was a relief. Although the Princess had already had her breakfast on the train ride here, this would be a welcome chance to try some of the local treats on offer—and talk about something other than math. "Aye, I'd be elated to! Off to the fayre we go!"

[Saalenia]

Fiona Oliwyn of the Tribe of Navan.
It took me a moment to parse what the blonde had said. She wore a nice dress, it reminded me a bit of a Princess in some Shikonmanjese Anime or the other, and although pink was not my colour, it seemed to suit her.
She had spoken German, though an older variant or dialect, I could not quite place it.
In any case, I grinned and replied in modern German, with the characteristic sing-song, dropped vowels of a Selkie: "Don't worry, lass, I'm fine - I was taught at the Ironcastle Seminary, the January has a daily mean of -11.5 degrees Celsius. This..." I made an encompassing gesture, meaning the weather. "...is nothing. But thank you for your concern. I'm Fiona."
I bowed my head slightly, raised it again and grinned.
"Wanna see if there isn't a stall selling hot beverages?"
Just because I could handle the temperatures, it did not mean, that I enjoyed them... there was a reason why I returned to the Archipelago after training.

After the Princess introduced herself, so did the foreign woman. It was evident that Fiona, as it turned out her name was, did not hail from the same homeland, based on her way of speaking and her mention of a place called Ironcastle, which didn't exist in Alzatia. She'd also mentioned something about degrees Celsius, which were completely alien to the Alzatian, as the latter had never seen a thermometer or weather report all her life. The Princess thought about asking Fiona what that meant, but decided against it, as she didn't want to open that Pandora's box and get even more confused.

Fiona then suggested grabbing a drink together, which was a relief. Although the Princess had already had her breakfast on the train ride here, this would be a welcome chance to try some of the local treats on offer—and talk about something other than math. "Aye, I'd be elated to! Off to the fayre we go!"

Fiona and Princess (March 20, 2023)
There was certainly no lack of stands for food and drinks at this festival, the question was rather where to stand in line for the least amount of time. When the group sets off, the combination of the Selkian priestess Fiona and the Alzatian princess Veroniek, along with their lady-in-waiting, may seem a bit motley and strange, but they didn't stand out in the throng of nations that this marketplace was currently hosting.

It almost seemed as if there were more foreigners than locals, but there were still some local discoveries to be made. On one corner a violinist could be spotted, who played in traditional Saalnian costume in front of a small audience, mainly made up of children, and had a small cup for a few guilders. He was quite young, maybe just 18, with a clean-shaven face and short black hair that showed just a little under his black triangular hat. His traditional coat was blue in color and his waistcoat underneath was a dark red.

On the other side, a group of five women were spotted walking slowly and majestically across the square between the stalls in a kind of arrow formation (one at the top, the others in two rows behind her). They wore the long, sapphire-blue robes embroidered with gold usually associated with Russian Orthodox priests. The clear difference to these was, of course, that they were all women and they wore no headgear, but loose blond hair. The one in front had long hair that reached about mid-back, the two behind wore their hair shoulder-length, the two at the back had short hairstyles. Some were naturally blond, some bleached. Around their necks they each wore a necklace with a symbol of a tree hanging from the end.

The watching police also wore traditional costumes and could therefore only be recognized by the German inscription "Police" (de: Polizei) on their backs and chests. They looked a little disproportionately fatter, probably having armor underneath their cloth costumes. Their presence was more noticeable now. Has their roster increased since our group got here? Only the keen observer could notice.

Finally there was a food stand that wasn't overcrowded. It was a bit north of the set up stage. It consisted of a small wooden hut that was sold out of and covered standing tables next to it. A sign hung on this canopy with the name "Eva's fine cuisine" (de: Evas feine Küche) written on it. With the people at the high tables, you could see that they were drinking tea and coffee and had bread rolls with butter and spreads, like a kind of red sausage, goat cheese or mite cheese on plates. So you could definitely have breakfast here. A plump, roughly middle-aged (late 40s/early 50s) man with short black hair and a light, black mustache was standing at the stall handing out the goods there.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fresh off the boat, well boat in a metaphorical sense, because obviously I didn't take a boat to get here! But in seriousness, I finally arrived in Matria - The capital of the principality and it's currently March 20, ah right on time and perfect to time to finally start my vacation. 2022 was a busy year for me, hitting my 5th year of being a nurse, (yay go me!) and getting my first preceptee to boot! Wow what a wild ride, and well less pleasantly I uhhh sort of broke up with my girlfriend. Ironically, the reason I became a nurse to begin with. Ugh, yeah I'll admit, I didn't exactly go in to nursing with lofty altruistic goals in mind, not even just to escape mundane country life, I went because I wanted to be with my senpai but as such it didn't workout between us. Ah gee, what's wrong with me? But that said, I've grown into the job, I really do love what I do, not that it isn't hard and doesn't take a toll on me at times, which is why it's so good to get away and relax. I could have gone home to see my folks, stay in Yurigahama and just veg out, forget my vacation and make sure my dear kohai/Preceptee is doing okay...Gee I really hope she's doing okay. She's a good kid, bright, reminds me of me fresh out of nursing school, anyway I could have done those things but I thought a trip overseas would be fun. I've been sitting on a small fortune after winning the lottery! Ehehe okay, before you get all excited, I'm not a gazillionair or anything, it was a small-ish prize of 130,000 Sen, or about 1500 NSD. Nothing to sneeze at obviously, a good chunk of change for a single country girl in the big city, but like I said, I'm not rolling in it that I could quit my job and never work again!

Well anyway, upon arrival in the seemingly quaint post-card-esque capital, here we were greeted by a woman whom introduced herself as Clara Marie von Jacob, she spoke in German, which I spoke none of! Ugh I do have a translation book with me to find my way around at least but god help me if I really get into trouble. Whatever she said, it drew applause and cheers so I guess it was a speech worth hearing. Her voice certainly was peppy and happy about it. Well guess things were underway, now I suppose I should see some sights and take in the local culture but what to do first, I pondered. Well, without really thinking it over, I sort of just carry myself along to just sort of observe the world around me, this place is interesting to be certain, it really does seem nice, yeah I think this will be a great vacation.

Yua Saito -- Market Square, Matria (March 20, 2023)

After the culture minister had finished speaking (with an English translator by her side), the festival began to come alive. The smell of cooked and fried food, the sounds of a crowd of people from different languages, music was also played.

What Yuno should also notice is that vehicles were pulling up at the edge of the marketplace. They may not be able to read the German lettering, but the blue lights and the colors make it relatively easy to identify them as police cars.

Nearby, a violinist in traditional Saalnian costume played, having coins thrown into a cup. He is about 18 years old, clean-shaven and has short black hair under a black triangular hat. Some would call him attractive. He caught Yuno in his eyes, winked at her and started to play a rather slow, rather exotic-sounding song.

[The Selkie]

After the Princess introduced herself, so did the foreign woman. It was evident that Fiona, as it turned out her name was, did not hail from the same homeland, based on her way of speaking and her mention of a place called Ironcastle, which didn't exist in Alzatia. She'd also mentioned something about degrees Celsius, which were completely alien to the Alzatian, as the latter had never seen a thermometer or weather report all her life. The Princess thought about asking Fiona what that meant, but decided against it, as she didn't want to open that Pandora's box and get even more confused.

Fiona then suggested grabbing a drink together, which was a relief. Although the Princess had already had her breakfast on the train ride here, this would be a welcome chance to try some of the local treats on offer—and talk about something other than math. "Aye, I'd be elated to! Off to the fayre we go!"

Fiona and Princess (March 20, 2023)
There was certainly no lack of stands for food and drinks at this festival, the question was rather where to stand in line for the least amount of time. When the group sets off, the combination of the Selkian priestess Fiona and the Alzatian princess Veroniek, along with their lady-in-waiting, may seem a bit motley and strange, but they didn't stand out in the throng of nations that this marketplace was currently hosting.

It almost seemed as if there were more foreigners than locals, but there were still some local discoveries to be made. On one corner a violinist could be spotted, who played in traditional Saalnian costume in front of a small audience, mainly made up of children, and had a small cup for a few guilders. He was quite young, maybe just 18, with a clean-shaven face and short black hair that showed just a little under his black triangular hat. His traditional coat was blue in color and his waistcoat underneath was a dark red.

On the other side, a group of five women were spotted walking slowly and majestically across the square between the stalls in a kind of arrow formation (one at the top, the others in two rows behind her). They wore the long, sapphire-blue robes embroidered with gold usually associated with Russian Orthodox priests. The clear difference to these was, of course, that they were all women and they wore no headgear, but loose blond hair. The one in front had long hair that reached about mid-back, the two behind wore their hair shoulder-length, the two at the back had short hairstyles. Some were naturally blond, some bleached. Around their necks they each wore a necklace with a symbol of a tree hanging from the end.

The watching police also wore traditional costumes and could therefore only be recognized by the German inscription "Police" (de: Polizei) on their backs and chests. They looked a little disproportionately fatter, probably having armor underneath their cloth costumes. Their presence was more noticeable now. Has their roster increased since our group got here? Only the keen observer could notice.

Finally there was a food stand that wasn't overcrowded. It was a bit north of the set up stage. It consisted of a small wooden hut that was sold out of and covered standing tables next to it. A sign hung on this canopy with the name "Eva's fine cuisine" (de: Evas feine Küche) written on it. With the people at the high tables, you could see that they were drinking tea and coffee and had bread rolls with butter and spreads, like a kind of red sausage, goat cheese or mite cheese on plates. So you could definitely have breakfast here. A plump, roughly middle-aged (late 40s/early 50s) man with short black hair and a light, black mustache was standing at the stall handing out the goods there.

Fiona Oliwyn of the Tribe of Navan.
The lass agreed, although she had looked a bit confused at me mentioning Celsius - maybe she was just from Fahrenheit-Land, no problem. My smartphone had a calculator, which could convert the units easily.
But that being said, the festival was getting underway and while I knew, that the three of us were a sight, we weren't the only sights in town. There was a violin player in local costume entertaining kids, he looked cute, but there was a cup in front of him, asking for donations. A quintuplet of priestesses was crossing the square and police was also to be seen - it was like with our Guards, only that our Guards were openly armoured.
In any case, the majority of the lines at the stalls were long, but there was one, which was not as overcrowded, Evas Feine Küche, a small hut for a temporary vendor. Said vendor was no Eva, but a slightly rotund man, who sold hot beverages and breadrolls, by the looks of it.
I steered us in his direction and got in line.
Yeah, another similarity to our Spring Festivals.

[Alzatia]

Fiona and Princess (March 20, 2023)
There was certainly no lack of stands for food and drinks at this festival, the question was rather where to stand in line for the least amount of time. When the group sets off, the combination of the Selkian priestess Fiona and the Alzatian princess Veroniek, along with their lady-in-waiting, may seem a bit motley and strange, but they didn't stand out in the throng of nations that this marketplace was currently hosting.

It almost seemed as if there were more foreigners than locals, but there were still some local discoveries to be made. On one corner a violinist could be spotted, who played in traditional Saalnian costume in front of a small audience, mainly made up of children, and had a small cup for a few guilders. He was quite young, maybe just 18, with a clean-shaven face and short black hair that showed just a little under his black triangular hat. His traditional coat was blue in color and his waistcoat underneath was a dark red.

On the other side, a group of five women were spotted walking slowly and majestically across the square between the stalls in a kind of arrow formation (one at the top, the others in two rows behind her). They wore the long, sapphire-blue robes embroidered with gold usually associated with Russian Orthodox priests. The clear difference to these was, of course, that they were all women and they wore no headgear, but loose blond hair. The one in front had long hair that reached about mid-back, the two behind wore their hair shoulder-length, the two at the back had short hairstyles. Some were naturally blond, some bleached. Around their necks they each wore a necklace with a symbol of a tree hanging from the end.

The watching police also wore traditional costumes and could therefore only be recognized by the German inscription "Police" (de: Polizei) on their backs and chests. They looked a little disproportionately fatter, probably having armor underneath their cloth costumes. Their presence was more noticeable now. Has their roster increased since our group got here? Only the keen observer could notice.

Finally there was a food stand that wasn't overcrowded. It was a bit north of the set up stage. It consisted of a small wooden hut that was sold out of and covered standing tables next to it. A sign hung on this canopy with the name "Eva's fine cuisine" (de: Evas feine Küche) written on it. With the people at the high tables, you could see that they were drinking tea and coffee and had bread rolls with butter and spreads, like a kind of red sausage, goat cheese or mite cheese on plates. So you could definitely have breakfast here. A plump, roughly middle-aged (late 40s/early 50s) man with short black hair and a light, black mustache was standing at the stall handing out the goods there.

Fiona Oliwyn of the Tribe of Navan.
The lass agreed, although she had looked a bit confused at me mentioning Celsius - maybe she was just from Fahrenheit-Land, no problem. My smartphone had a calculator, which could convert the units easily.
But that being said, the festival was getting underway and while I knew, that the three of us were a sight, we weren't the only sights in town. There was a violin player in local costume entertaining kids, he looked cute, but there was a cup in front of him, asking for donations. A quintuplet of priestesses was crossing the square and police was also to be seen - it was like with our Guards, only that our Guards were openly armoured.
In any case, the majority of the lines at the stalls were long, but there was one, which was not as overcrowded, Evas Feine Küche, a small hut for a temporary vendor. Said vendor was no Eva, but a slightly rotund man, who sold hot beverages and breadrolls, by the looks of it.
I steered us in his direction and got in line.
Yeah, another similarity to our Spring Festivals.

Seeing all the local merchants selling their goods, as well as the musicians in traditional costumes, reminded the Princess of a typical day (except Sunday, as that day was viewed as holy by the Alzatians, most of whom were devoutly Christian) in an Alzatian town or village. Nice, just like home, she thought.

Then, a procession of five women made their way past in a V-formation, which caught her gaze. They were quite beautiful, and their attire somewhat resembled the liturgical vestments worn by the priests back in Alzatia, minus the headdress. Must be clergy of some kind—definitely not Catholic though, as women were forbidden from the priesthood in that faith. The Princess wanted to know more about who these ladies were... but that could come later, after enjoying a local snack with her new acquaintance.

With Fiona leading the way, they approached one of the stands, where a portly mustached man was serving up pastries and drinks to the crowd. Something about it was apparently a bit amusing for Fiona, which the Princess could slightly tell from her expression. Turns out, the stand was named for somebody called Eva, which this dude clearly wasn't. Veroniek would've laughed at this too—if she were able to understand the words. However, due to the Princess having been forbidden from reading books all her life, this was something she greatly struggled with, although she was quite embarassed to admit it.

As they waited, the Princess decided to strike up a bit of conversation. "Fiona, right? 'Tis a surprise that thou com'st not from mine own land, because the pigments in thy garb match the banner exactly. So where art thou from, might I ask thee?" ("Fiona, right? It's a surprise that you don't come from my country, because the colors in your dress match the flag exactly. So where are you from, if I may ask you?")

[The Selkie]

Seeing all the local merchants selling their goods, as well as the musicians in traditional costumes, reminded the Princess of a typical day (except Sunday, as that day was viewed as holy by the Alzatians, most of whom were devoutly Christian) in an Alzatian town or village. Nice, just like home, she thought.

Then, a procession of five women made their way past in a V-formation, which caught her gaze. They were quite beautiful, and their attire somewhat resembled the liturgical vestments worn by the priests back in Alzatia, minus the headdress. Must be clergy of some kind—definitely not Catholic though, as women were forbidden from the priesthood in that faith. The Princess wanted to know more about who these ladies were... but that could come later, after enjoying a local snack with her new acquaintance.

With Fiona leading the way, they approached one of the stands, where a portly mustached man was serving up pastries and drinks to the crowd. Something about it was apparently a bit amusing for Fiona, which the Princess could slightly tell from her expression. Turns out, the stand was named for somebody called Eva, which this dude clearly wasn't. Veroniek would've laughed at this too—if she were able to understand the words. However, due to the Princess having been forbidden from reading books all her life, this was something she greatly struggled with, although she was quite embarassed to admit it.

As they waited, the Princess decided to strike up a bit of conversation. "Fiona, right? 'Tis a surprise that thou com'st not from mine own land, because the pigments in thy garb match the banner exactly. So where art thou from, might I ask thee?" ("Fiona, right? It's a surprise that you don't come from my country, because the colors in your dress match the flag exactly. So where are you from, if I may ask you?")

Fiona Oliwyn of the Tribe of Navan.
I smiled at the question of where I was from, unpertubed by the 'mistake' of her mistaking my clothes' colours for her country's colours - there were only so many colours and only so many combinations, there was bound to be some overlap.
Anyway...
"I'm a Selkie-lass!", I said with a wide grin and a lot of pride, "From Géilala Island in the Oileánra-Archipelago." My smiled got a bit smaller, but not any way less radiant. "Though nowadays I work in Scrín." Something in the back of my mind told me, that she might not be aware, where those places were. The rest of my mind didn't really care. "I am a Priestess, to our deity of Carman Fea, the Goddess of War and Science and a few other things. That is, where the colours come from - to us, Red and White are Her colours."
Yes, I am a pagan. I had no idea, that she was from a devoutly Christian place, though.

[Alzatia]

Fiona Oliwyn of the Tribe of Navan.
I smiled at the question of where I was from, unpertubed by the 'mistake' of her mistaking my clothes' colours for her country's colours - there were only so many colours and only so many combinations, there was bound to be some overlap.
Anyway...
"I'm a Selkie-lass!", I said with a wide grin and a lot of pride, "From Géilala Island in the Oileánra-Archipelago." My smiled got a bit smaller, but not any way less radiant. "Though nowadays I work in Scrín." Something in the back of my mind told me, that she might not be aware, where those places were. The rest of my mind didn't really care. "I am a Priestess, to our deity of Carman Fea, the Goddess of War and Science and a few other things. That is, where the colours come from - to us, Red and White are Her colours."
Yes, I am a pagan. I had no idea, that she was from a devoutly Christian place, though.

Naturally, the Princess had no clue about any of the place names Fiona mentioned, but she was interested in knowing more about that exotic land. "How 'tis like living in that there place?" she asked. "Hast thou beaches? I've always wanted to see the ocean—alas, mine land hath naught but trees, just trees, everywhere thou look'st. And some grass, flowers and rivers too. But no ocean. Dost thou like living by the ocean?"

Fiona also mentioned that she was a priestess, explaining the origins of the red and white in her dress. "Like a church, aye? In mine land a lot of people go to church. But not me. I've never believed in God—not after all the horrible things done to me by mine own mother and father. God would never let such awful people exist."

[The Selkie]

Naturally, the Princess had no clue about any of the place names Fiona mentioned, but she was interested in knowing more about that exotic land. "How 'tis like living in that there place?" she asked. "Hast thou beaches? I've always wanted to see the ocean—alas, mine land hath naught but trees, just trees, everywhere thou look'st. And some grass, flowers and rivers too. But no ocean. Dost thou like living by the ocean?"

Fiona also mentioned that she was a priestess, explaining the origins of the red and white in her dress. "Like a church, aye? In mine land a lot of people go to church. But not me. I've never believed in God—not after all the horrible things done to me by mine own mother and father. God would never let such awful people exist."

Fiona Oliwyn of the Tribe of Navan.
I smiled, a bit pained as she told of her parents.
"Of course we have beaches! And trees with leaves wide enough to hide under! And beaches of white sand, that might be course and rough and gets everywhere, but it also feels nice and smooth.", I told her, "And yes, I like living by the ocean. Granted, I am not on an oceanfront property, but I am close enough to hear the waves crashing in. At night, there is not a single more calming sound. And by day, once all duties are attended to, a small dip never hurt anyone."
Then I exhaled, my smile dimming slightly.
"People follow faith in their own way. We pray to many different Gods and Goddess, Carman Fea, my Lady, being but one of them. Quite a lot of people don't pray to Her, but to Abhcan or Ladra or Lodan Lir or whoever else they wish to or who can help them in their times of need. Some of these Gods and Goddesses are good people, some of them aren't." I let a beat pass. "I do not know, what your parents did to you. If you want to tell me, my ears are open, though I'd say, that we do that not here, not in public. There's a story, though, a pretty short and ancient one - about Áine, our Sun Goddess. The essence of it boils down to 'where there is light, there needs to be shadow, and where there is shadow, there needs to be light.'"

[Saalenia]

[spoiler=Alzatia-Quote]

Seeing all the local merchants selling their goods, as well as the musicians in traditional costumes, reminded the Princess of a typical day (except Sunday, as that day was viewed as holy by the Alzatians, most of whom were devoutly Christian) in an Alzatian town or village. Nice, just like home, she thought.

Then, a procession of five women made their way past in a V-formation, which caught her gaze. They were quite beautiful, and their attire somewhat resembled the liturgical vestments worn by the priests back in Alzatia, minus the headdress. Must be clergy of some kind—definitely not Catholic though, as women were forbidden from the priesthood in that faith. The Princess wanted to know more about who these ladies were... but that could come later, after enjoying a local snack with her new acquaintance.

With Fiona leading the way, they approached one of the stands, where a portly mustached man was serving up pastries and drinks to the crowd. Something about it was apparently a bit amusing for Fiona, which the Princess could slightly tell from her expression. Turns out, the stand was named for somebody called Eva, which this dude clearly wasn't. Veroniek would've laughed at this too—if she were able to understand the words. However, due to the Princess having been forbidden from reading books all her life, this was something she greatly struggled with, although she was quite embarassed to admit it.

As they waited, the Princess decided to strike up a bit of conversation. "Fiona, right? 'Tis a surprise that thou com'st not from mine own land, because the pigments in thy garb match the banner exactly. So where art thou from, might I ask thee?" ("Fiona, right? It's a surprise that you don't come from my country, because the colors in your dress match the flag exactly. So where are you from, if I may ask you?")

Fiona Oliwyn of the Tribe of Navan.
I smiled at the question of where I was from, unpertubed by the 'mistake' of her mistaking my clothes' colours for her country's colours - there were only so many colours and only so many combinations, there was bound to be some overlap.
Anyway...
"I'm a Selkie-lass!", I said with a wide grin and a lot of pride, "From Géilala Island in the Oileánra-Archipelago." My smiled got a bit smaller, but not any way less radiant. "Though nowadays I work in Scrín." Something in the back of my mind told me, that she might not be aware, where those places were. The rest of my mind didn't really care. "I am a Priestess, to our deity of Carman Fea, the Goddess of War and Science and a few other things. That is, where the colours come from - to us, Red and White are Her colours."
Yes, I am a pagan. I had no idea, that she was from a devoutly Christian place, though.

Fiona and Princess Veroniek (March 20, 2023)

While the group was queuing and speaking, a band found themselves on the stage where the Minister of Culture was speaking, and unpacked their instruments. They all wore red strawberry red jackets, with white shirts and black ties underneath. In front of them, a woman with a baton was talking to one of the stagehands. Everything seemed to be in preparation, but they were planning something. One of the partolating police officers came onto the stage and joined the conversation. He was carrying a walkie-talkie in his hand, which clashed with his traditional attire, reminding viewers that for all the tradition, they are still in the 21st century.

After a short time it was the turn of the two. The man selling the food was not traditionally dressed. He wore a red and black checked lumberjack shirt and a brown leather jacket, typical of the transitional seasons. When the group heard him speaking to others, they could hear his strong dialect. Fortunately, this dialect had no grammatical shifts, but was very nasal, similar to northern German dialects and Ruhr German. Difficult to understand should be some French words and the basic use of the feminine plural noun form.

The man looked at the group with a smile: "So, good morning, would you like breakfast too? Coffee or tea? Sausage and/or cheese?".

[Motoyasu]

After the culture minister had finished speaking (with an English translator by her side), the festival began to come alive. The smell of cooked and fried food, the sounds of a crowd of people from different languages, music was also played.

What Yuno should also notice is that vehicles were pulling up at the edge of the marketplace. They may not be able to read the German lettering, but the blue lights and the colors make it relatively easy to identify them as police cars.

Nearby, a violinist in traditional Saalnian costume played, having coins thrown into a cup. He is about 18 years old, clean-shaven and has short black hair under a black triangular hat. Some would call him attractive. He caught Yuno in his eyes, winked at her and started to play a rather slow, rather exotic-sounding song.

Yua Saito Market Square, Matria

As I moved about the area I could get the smell of what seems like really tasty food. Mmmm I bet it would be good! But besides the food music also rang in the air. Yup, this is a festival all right, not different that ones back home, already I'm having fun! My ears and eyes were drawn to the music a young man in costume playing violin. Impressive, sometimes I wish I took up a musical instrument growing up. He was good looking, seems maybe close to my sister's age. Ah wait, what am I saying? She's a million miles away in Motoyasu! I stood listening to the music and took cues from the others in the crowd and tossed a few of the local currency. Good stuff got to admit.

[Alzatia]

Fiona Oliwyn of the Tribe of Navan.
I smiled, a bit pained as she told of her parents.
"Of course we have beaches! And trees with leaves wide enough to hide under! And beaches of white sand, that might be course and rough and gets everywhere, but it also feels nice and smooth.", I told her, "And yes, I like living by the ocean. Granted, I am not on an oceanfront property, but I am close enough to hear the waves crashing in. At night, there is not a single more calming sound. And by day, once all duties are attended to, a small dip never hurt anyone."
Then I exhaled, my smile dimming slightly.
"People follow faith in their own way. We pray to many different Gods and Goddess, Carman Fea, my Lady, being but one of them. Quite a lot of people don't pray to Her, but to Abhcan or Ladra or Lodan Lir or whoever else they wish to or who can help them in their times of need. Some of these Gods and Goddesses are good people, some of them aren't." I let a beat pass. "I do not know, what your parents did to you. If you want to tell me, my ears are open, though I'd say, that we do that not here, not in public. There's a story, though, a pretty short and ancient one - about Áine, our Sun Goddess. The essence of it boils down to 'where there is light, there needs to be shadow, and where there is shadow, there needs to be light.'"

"Oh, I'm fine," replied the Princess. "They're both gone now. But thank thee for thy concern, kind Fiona—thou art much more of a family to me, than mine own hath been." She then decided to switch the subject to something less depressing.

"Oh look, we're here! What art thou going to get? I think I'll have a bit of everything, hehe. It all looketh good!"

Fiona and Princess Veroniek (March 20, 2023)

While the group was queuing and speaking, a band found themselves on the stage where the Minister of Culture was speaking, and unpacked their instruments. They all wore red strawberry red jackets, with white shirts and black ties underneath. In front of them, a woman with a baton was talking to one of the stagehands. Everything seemed to be in preparation, but they were planning something. One of the partolating police officers came onto the stage and joined the conversation. He was carrying a walkie-talkie in his hand, which clashed with his traditional attire, reminding viewers that for all the tradition, they are still in the 21st century.

After a short time it was the turn of the two. The man selling the food was not traditionally dressed. He wore a red and black checked lumberjack shirt and a brown leather jacket, typical of the transitional seasons. When the group heard him speaking to others, they could hear his strong dialect. Fortunately, this dialect had no grammatical shifts, but was very nasal, similar to northern German dialects and Ruhr German. Difficult to understand should be some French words and the basic use of the feminine plural noun form.

The man looked at the group with a smile: "So, good morning, would you like breakfast too? Coffee or tea? Sausage and/or cheese?".

Pretty soon, it was the group's turn to order.

Veroniek went first. "Aye, I'll have mine with both the sausage and the cheese, and tea to go with it. Thank thee!" she spoke in her homeland's dialect, which somewhat resembled a combination of Bavarian and Swiss accents, with its own generous share of French loanwords, but still largely understandable.

Celeste ordered next. "Good morning to you too, Sir. I would like to have just a coffee please," she spoke in nearly perfect Standard German, and in a more formal style than the Princess.

Then they waited for Fiona to make her choice.

[The Selkie]

"Oh, I'm fine," replied the Princess. "They're both gone now. But thank thee for thy concern, kind Fiona—thou art much more of a family to me, than mine own hath been." She then decided to switch the subject to something less depressing.

"Oh look, we're here! What art thou going to get? I think I'll have a bit of everything, hehe. It all looketh good!"

Fiona and Princess Veroniek (March 20, 2023)

While the group was queuing and speaking, a band found themselves on the stage where the Minister of Culture was speaking, and unpacked their instruments. They all wore red strawberry red jackets, with white shirts and black ties underneath. In front of them, a woman with a baton was talking to one of the stagehands. Everything seemed to be in preparation, but they were planning something. One of the partolating police officers came onto the stage and joined the conversation. He was carrying a walkie-talkie in his hand, which clashed with his traditional attire, reminding viewers that for all the tradition, they are still in the 21st century.

After a short time it was the turn of the two. The man selling the food was not traditionally dressed. He wore a red and black checked lumberjack shirt and a brown leather jacket, typical of the transitional seasons. When the group heard him speaking to others, they could hear his strong dialect. Fortunately, this dialect had no grammatical shifts, but was very nasal, similar to northern German dialects and Ruhr German. Difficult to understand should be some French words and the basic use of the feminine plural noun form.

The man looked at the group with a smile: "So, good morning, would you like breakfast too? Coffee or tea? Sausage and/or cheese?".

Pretty soon, it was the group's turn to order.

Veroniek went first. "Aye, I'll have mine with both the sausage and the cheese, and tea to go with it. Thank thee!" she spoke in her homeland's dialect, which somewhat resembled a combination of Bavarian and Swiss accents, with its own generous share of French loanwords, but still largely understandable.

Celeste ordered next. "Good morning to you too, Sir. I would like to have just a coffee please," she spoke in nearly perfect Standard German, and in a more formal style than the Princess.

Then they waited for Fiona to make her choice.

Fiona Oliwyn of the Tribe of Navan.
Though a bit surprised at her declaration, that I was more family to her by now then her own, I smiled and nodded, accepting her words. It did not seem to be water under the bridge for now, though.
In any case, it was our turn.
Veroniek ordered first, then her Handmaiden and then it was my turn: My Teressian German with Selkie-Accent produced and interesting, but understandable mixture.
"A tea and a breadroll with a sausage, too, please.", I ordered, smiling, then placed my elbow on the counter as the man supposedly went to work, "Though, among the four of us... where can a girl have some fun around here? Especially today?"
My hand went for my belt and the wallet held there to pay.

[Saalenia]

As I moved about the area I could get the smell of what seems like really tasty food. Mmmm I bet it would be good! But besides the food music also rang in the air. Yup, this is a festival all right, not different that ones back home, already I'm having fun! My ears and eyes were drawn to the music a young man in costume playing violin. Impressive, sometimes I wish I took up a musical instrument growing up. He was good looking, seems maybe close to my sister's age. Ah wait, what am I saying? She's a million miles away in Motoyasu! I stood listening to the music and took cues from the others in the crowd and tossed a few of the local currency. Good stuff got to admit

.

Yua Saito, Matria Market Square (March 20, 2023)

When the young violinist finished playing, a small crowd clapped and the children rejoiced. He bowed gallantly several times, twirling his hand while the other was crossed over his stomach.

"Thank you, thank you," he began in German, switching to English immediately afterwards. "Thank you. Thank you to all the kind people, the young friends, the strange gentlemen and the noble ladies..." he looked at Yua at the last part. "...for all these wonderful gifts in the form of the coin. Unfortunately I can't continue now. As you can see, the music on stage will soon be much louder". He was referring to the small orchestra that was preparing on the stage that had been set up. "The most important moment of the festival for the Saalenian is coming soon. That's why I recommend keeping an eye on the stage and the music in your ears. Thank you very much."
He bowed again. His swollen way of speaking sounded a bit rehearsed; Although it was noticeable that he mastered this language form very well, his ability was lost in the translation.

The crowd started to break up and now eyed the stage with interest. It was easy to distinguish between locals and foreigners here. During the violinist's speech, it was the Saalenians who nodded knowingly and in agreement, while the people who didn't know what he meant could only be foreigners. Standing alone now, Yuna watched the fiddler count his money and seemed to put it away and pack it up.

[spoiler=Alzatia-Quote]

"Oh, I'm fine," replied the Princess. "They're both gone now. But thank thee for thy concern, kind Fiona—thou art much more of a family to me, than mine own hath been." She then decided to switch the subject to something less depressing.

"Oh look, we're here! What art thou going to get? I think I'll have a bit of everything, hehe. It all looketh good!"


Pretty soon, it was the group's turn to order.

Veroniek went first. "Aye, I'll have mine with both the sausage and the cheese, and tea to go with it. Thank thee!" she spoke in her homeland's dialect, which somewhat resembled a combination of Bavarian and Swiss accents, with its own generous share of French loanwords, but still largely understandable.

Celeste ordered next. "Good morning to you too, Sir. I would like to have just a coffee please," she spoke in nearly perfect Standard German, and in a more formal style than the Princess.

Then they waited for Fiona to make her choice.

Fiona Oliwyn of the Tribe of Navan.
Though a bit surprised at her declaration, that I was more family to her by now then her own, I smiled and nodded, accepting her words. It did not seem to be water under the bridge for now, though.
In any case, it was our turn.
Veroniek ordered first, then her Handmaiden and then it was my turn: My Teressian German with Selkie-Accent produced and interesting, but understandable mixture.
"A tea and a breadroll with a sausage, too, please.", I ordered, smiling, then placed my elbow on the counter as the man supposedly went to work, "Though, among the four of us... where can a girl have some fun around here? Especially today?"
My hand went for my belt and the wallet held there to pay.

Fiona and Princess Veroniek (March 20, 2023)
"All right, mesdames, I'll put everything together for you, then you can take it with you to one of the bar tables.", he then tinkered around a bit and put a large plate on. The spreads were arranged in a ring on the plate. One half wasthicker slices of raw sausage, reminiscent of salami, but a little firmer. On the other side were two types of cheese in slices, one of which was rather light and soft, the other rather dark and crusty. In the middle were four buns and butter morsels.

He also placed three small, white cups on saucers. One was filled with black coffee, with milk and sugar in small doses next to it. The other two were filled with greenish tea, in which a tea bag went and also pieces of sugar on the saucer.

He cashed. It's six guilders for each one. At first he didn't know how to react to Fiona's question. "Fun? Well, here at the festival we have a lot of beer stands and Saalenian beer is really the best. Of course there are also stands with games or the like. But if you're looking to party away from this folk festival, then I can recommend the small Kronstraße recommend a club and bar area not far from here." He mused, "The clubs tend to open in the evenings, but you can go to a bar, or if you just want to be among the ladies, go to a saloon. A pub is more for non-women. Of course, you're not forbidden to go in there, but it might unsettle the men".

[The Selkie]

[...]

Fiona and Princess Veroniek (March 20, 2023)
"All right, mesdames, I'll put everything together for you, then you can take it with you to one of the bar tables.", he then tinkered around a bit and put a large plate on. The spreads were arranged in a ring on the plate. One half wasthicker slices of raw sausage, reminiscent of salami, but a little firmer. On the other side were two types of cheese in slices, one of which was rather light and soft, the other rather dark and crusty. In the middle were four buns and butter morsels.

He also placed three small, white cups on saucers. One was filled with black coffee, with milk and sugar in small doses next to it. The other two were filled with greenish tea, in which a tea bag went and also pieces of sugar on the saucer.

He cashed. It's six guilders for each one. At first he didn't know how to react to Fiona's question. "Fun? Well, here at the festival we have a lot of beer stands and Saalenian beer is really the best. Of course there are also stands with games or the like. But if you're looking to party away from this folk festival, then I can recommend the small Kronstraße recommend a club and bar area not far from here." He mused, "The clubs tend to open in the evenings, but you can go to a bar, or if you just want to be among the ladies, go to a saloon. A pub is more for non-women. Of course, you're not forbidden to go in there, but it might unsettle the men".

Fiona Oliwyn of the Tribe of Navan.
While the vendor prepared our order, he told us of beer stalls (the Teressians would like to have a word about the best beer thing, though) and game stalls (...please let one be archery...) and then we came to the interesting parts.
Hangouts, clubs, bars, saloons for the girls and pubs for the lads - who would be unsettled if a girl marched in. I wondered how unsettled they'd be, if a girl in a skimpy fur dress would walk in...
...anyway.
I put the corresponding amount of money for all three of us on the table, plus a little extra with a small wink. "Thank you for the help, pal. See ya around!"
And with that, I nodded to the Princess and took my stuff.

[Alzatia]

Fiona and Princess Veroniek (March 20, 2023)
"All right, mesdames, I'll put everything together for you, then you can take it with you to one of the bar tables.", he then tinkered around a bit and put a large plate on. The spreads were arranged in a ring on the plate. One half wasthicker slices of raw sausage, reminiscent of salami, but a little firmer. On the other side were two types of cheese in slices, one of which was rather light and soft, the other rather dark and crusty. In the middle were four buns and butter morsels.

He also placed three small, white cups on saucers. One was filled with black coffee, with milk and sugar in small doses next to it. The other two were filled with greenish tea, in which a tea bag went and also pieces of sugar on the saucer.

He cashed. It's six guilders for each one. At first he didn't know how to react to Fiona's question. "Fun? Well, here at the festival we have a lot of beer stands and Saalenian beer is really the best. Of course there are also stands with games or the like. But if you're looking to party away from this folk festival, then I can recommend the small Kronstraße recommend a club and bar area not far from here." He mused, "The clubs tend to open in the evenings, but you can go to a bar, or if you just want to be among the ladies, go to a saloon. A pub is more for non-women. Of course, you're not forbidden to go in there, but it might unsettle the men".

Fiona Oliwyn of the Tribe of Navan.
While the vendor prepared our order, he told us of beer stalls (the Teressians would like to have a word about the best beer thing, though) and game stalls (...please let one be archery...) and then we came to the interesting parts.
Hangouts, clubs, bars, saloons for the girls and pubs for the lads - who would be unsettled if a girl marched in. I wondered how unsettled they'd be, if a girl in a skimpy fur dress would walk in...
...anyway.
I put the corresponding amount of money for all three of us on the table, plus a little extra with a small wink. "Thank you for the help, pal. See ya around!"
And with that, I nodded to the Princess and took my stuff.

The Princess reached into her dress pocket, fumbled for a bit and counted 6 Saalenian guilders, which looked a lot like their Alzatian counterparts—when Fiona beat her to it, and paid for the whole group. "Oh, that's so kind of thee!" she said. "I can pay thee back if thou want'st." She too picked up her plate and Celeste's coffee, and all three went to have a seat.

[The Selkie]

The Princess reached into her dress pocket, fumbled for a bit and counted 6 Saalenian guilders, which looked a lot like their Alzatian counterparts—when Fiona beat her to it, and paid for the whole group. "Oh, that's so kind of thee!" she said. "I can pay thee back if thou want'st." She too picked up her plate and Celeste's coffee, and all three went to have a seat.

Fiona Oliwyn of the Tribe of Navan.
I shook my head.
"No need to. I do have a bit of a travelling budget saved up.", I told her with a grin as we found a standing table. "That being sad, I also have to spend some of that on souvenirs..." I shrugged. "My most respected mentor, Milady Kendra, certainly can use a pick-me-up in the times she is currently living through..."
I leaned forward.
"Stepped in the room as her husband was... busy with another woman, if you catch my meaning." I sighed. "Of course, the two are getting a divorce right now and that raises the question of their two sons. Galen might be an adult by right and law of my people, but Nuada is twelve on the day, Middle School Second Year. Aside from this custody battle, they also have a house and a small plot of land. Got her the best lawyer I knew, but it is still difficult for her."
I considered for a moment.
"You know, I'll get something nice for the two lads as well.", I decided then and there.

[Alzatia]

Fiona Oliwyn of the Tribe of Navan.
I shook my head.
"No need to. I do have a bit of a travelling budget saved up.", I told her with a grin as we found a standing table. "That being sad, I also have to spend some of that on souvenirs..." I shrugged. "My most respected mentor, Milady Kendra, certainly can use a pick-me-up in the times she is currently living through..."
I leaned forward.
"Stepped in the room as her husband was... busy with another woman, if you catch my meaning." I sighed. "Of course, the two are getting a divorce right now and that raises the question of their two sons. Galen might be an adult by right and law of my people, but Nuada is twelve on the day, Middle School Second Year. Aside from this custody battle, they also have a house and a small plot of land. Got her the best lawyer I knew, but it is still difficult for her."
I considered for a moment.
"You know, I'll get something nice for the two lads as well.", I decided then and there.

"Mine God!" replied the Princess with a little surprised gasp. "So sorry to hear that, hope they get justice served. Divorce existeth not in Elsass, for Christendom is the church of the land, but unfaithfulness and bedding out of wedlock are both illegal under pain of death. Sodomy was as well, but I wrote away that law, because folks shouldn't be punished for loving others of the same kind, or being born a certain way."

For the Princess, this was her second breakfast of the day. Fortunately, the first had just been a ham sandwich and a glass of juice, so she still had room for some more. She decided to start with the sausage and cheese slices. It was quite delicious indeed, and similar to what one could find in her homeland. "Oh, this is wonderful!" she said between mouthfuls. "What thinkest thou? 'Tis good, aye?"

She took some more bites, then paused to take a sip of tea. "Uh, pardon mine ignorance, but what's this 'school' thing, thou speakest of?" she asked quietly with a slight whisper. Although they were at the table and away from the main crowd, she didn't want anybody to overhear and think she was stupid, for not knowing something that was (probably) common sense to them.

Pretty soon she was finished with the sausage and cheese, and moved on to eating the bread rolls.

[The Selkie]

"Mine God!" replied the Princess with a little surprised gasp. "So sorry to hear that, hope they get justice served. Divorce existeth not in Elsass, for Christendom is the church of the land, but unfaithfulness and bedding out of wedlock are both illegal under pain of death. Sodomy was as well, but I wrote away that law, because folks shouldn't be punished for loving others of the same kind, or being born a certain way."

For the Princess, this was her second breakfast of the day. Fortunately, the first had just been a ham sandwich and a glass of juice, so she still had room for some more. She decided to start with the sausage and cheese slices. It was quite delicious indeed, and similar to what one could find in her homeland. "Oh, this is wonderful!" she said between mouthfuls. "What thinkest thou? 'Tis good, aye?"

She took some more bites, then paused to take a sip of tea. "Uh, pardon mine ignorance, but what's this 'school' thing, thou speakest of?" she asked quietly with a slight whisper. Although they were at the table and away from the main crowd, she didn't want anybody to overhear and think she was stupid, for not knowing something that was (probably) common sense to them.

Pretty soon she was finished with the sausage and cheese, and moved on to eating the bread rolls.

Fiona Oliwyn of the Tribe of Navan.
I let the comment about execution in case of divorce pass - Christians do Christian things, it was not mine to interfere or to comment. I was glad, though, that there was divorce allowed in the Free Lands, especially in such cases.
I was about to take a bite, when she asked about what school was.
I paused.
Well, maybe it had another name in her country, I reasoned.
"School is a place, where teachers, usually specially trained for that, teach their students, usually kids, things they will need in their life, like reading or mathematics.", I told her, looked to her, then to her maid, looking for signs, that they knew, what I was talking about, but that it had another name in their dialect or that their English was on a fritz again. "Although many students would beg to differ, it's quite the nifty place."
Then I took my bite.

[Alzatia]

Fiona Oliwyn of the Tribe of Navan.
I let the comment about execution in case of divorce pass - Christians do Christian things, it was not mine to interfere or to comment. I was glad, though, that there was divorce allowed in the Free Lands, especially in such cases.
I was about to take a bite, when she asked about what school was.
I paused.
Well, maybe it had another name in her country, I reasoned.
"School is a place, where teachers, usually specially trained for that, teach their students, usually kids, things they will need in their life, like reading or mathematics.", I told her, looked to her, then to her maid, looking for signs, that they knew, what I was talking about, but that it had another name in their dialect or that their English was on a fritz again. "Although many students would beg to differ, it's quite the nifty place."
Then I took my bite.

"Nay, we haven't such a thing in mine Princedom," came the Princess's reply. "Most folks see not the worth of learning the book arts, for they work as farmhands, millers and blacksmiths. Even physicians and apothecaries need not know the letters, for they can hire scribes to read and write for them."

She took another bite of the bread rolls, then continued.

"Some families, if they're wealthy, might hire a tutor or governess to teach their kids the book arts, as well as Latin, French, geography and music." She switched to a hushed tone again. "Mine own mother and father never gave me any of that. They had wanted a son, so from mine birth they cast me aside, treated me as a failure. Kept me locked away in a tower for all of sixteen years until I did the unimaginable, God forgive."

"But luckily I have Celeste here," she said in regular volume again, "who hath been kind and patient enough to teach me. Anyway, how's the food?"

[Motoyasu]

When the young violinist finished playing, a small crowd clapped and the children rejoiced. He bowed gallantly several times, twirling his hand while the other was crossed over his stomach.

"Thank you, thank you," he began in German, switching to English immediately afterwards. "Thank you. Thank you to all the kind people, the young friends, the strange gentlemen and the noble ladies..." he looked at Yua at the last part. "...for all these wonderful gifts in the form of the coin. Unfortunately I can't continue now. As you can see, the music on stage will soon be much louder". He was referring to the small orchestra that was preparing on the stage that had been set up. "The most important moment of the festival for the Saalenian is coming soon. That's why I recommend keeping an eye on the stage and the music in your ears. Thank you very much."
He bowed again. His swollen way of speaking sounded a bit rehearsed; Although it was noticeable that he mastered this language form very well, his ability was lost in the translation.

The crowd started to break up and now eyed the stage with interest. It was easy to distinguish between locals and foreigners here. During the violinist's speech, it was the Saalenians who nodded knowingly and in agreement, while the people who didn't know what he meant could only be foreigners. Standing alone now, Yuna watched the fiddler count his money and seemed to put it away and pack it up.

Just as soon as I was drawn to the lovely music it ended. He made an announcement, at first starting in German than switching to English, well that's better I can speak English decently. Well I do know some German, we use it quite extensively in medicine but those are very specific words so hardly conversational. Anyway, he mentioned music on stage would start soon, well time for music and celebrations? Maybe later for now I wanted to give a tip to the musician, ya know, money. Handing a couple of bills I recently had converted, I handed some to him with a smile. He is pretty cute I'll admit, if I swung that way. Granted, too young for me but probably about my sister's age. "Thank you" I think managed to muster that much at least.

[Saalenia]

[spoiler=Selkie - Fiona]

Fiona Oliwyn of the Tribe of Navan.
I let the comment about execution in case of divorce pass - Christians do Christian things, it was not mine to interfere or to comment. I was glad, though, that there was divorce allowed in the Free Lands, especially in such cases.
I was about to take a bite, when she asked about what school was.
I paused.
Well, maybe it had another name in her country, I reasoned.
"School is a place, where teachers, usually specially trained for that, teach their students, usually kids, things they will need in their life, like reading or mathematics.", I told her, looked to her, then to her maid, looking for signs, that they knew, what I was talking about, but that it had another name in their dialect or that their English was on a fritz again. "Although many students would beg to differ, it's quite the nifty place."
Then I took my bite.

"Nay, we haven't such a thing in mine Princedom," came the Princess's reply. "Most folks see not the worth of learning the book arts, for they work as farmhands, millers and blacksmiths. Even physicians and apothecaries need not know the letters, for they can hire scribes to read and write for them."

She took another bite of the bread rolls, then continued.

"Some families, if they're wealthy, might hire a tutor or governess to teach their kids the book arts, as well as Latin, French, geography and music." She switched to a hushed tone again. "Mine own mother and father never gave me any of that. They had wanted a son, so from mine birth they cast me aside, treated me as a failure. Kept me locked away in a tower for all of sixteen years until I did the unimaginable, God forgive."

"But luckily I have Celeste here," she said in regular volume again, "who hath been kind and patient enough to teach me. Anyway, how's the food?"

Fiona and Princess Veroniek (March 20, 2023)

The raw sausage tastes very intense of pepper and coriander, but is not particularly hot. The soft cheese tastes like caraway but is otherwise quite mild and the crusty may seem a bit strange to the untrained tongue, it is very strong, but also a bit bitter and smells strongly of salmiak.

You actually eat all of this with butter on the bun, which is why there may be a few confused and a few understanding looks from the die-hard Saalenians when the princess eats it off the plate.

The tea is a simple peppermint tea at first glance, but at second glance it was amazingly waking up, as if caffeine was in it.

Yua Saito, Matria Market Square (March 20, 2023)

Yua Saito, Matria Market Square (March 20, 2023)

The musician looked up when Yuna gave him the money. He started smiling too. "I have to thank you, dear lady," he said. "It's nice to see that my music is also pleasing to foreign ears. I hope you've enjoyed your stay in the Principality so far".

He packed up his violin and sealed the packaging, then turned back to Yuna. "May I ask where you're from?"

For everyone on the market suqare!

The small orchestra on the stage started playing, which could be heard across the entire market square and therefore attracted the attention of all people, both visitors and employees. Many Saalenians dropped their food, interrupted their conversations or closed their shops at short notice. They all ran to the stage, leaving mostly puzzled tourists behind. The song played by the orchestra could be recognized by those in the know as the Saalenian national anthem.

From the west entrance to the market place arrived a carriage which can be traced back to Victorian times. It was drawn by two bay horses and the flags of Saalenia waved from the corners of its roof. The national coat of arms was embossed on the sides. As this carriage, escorted by a police escort, made its way through the crowd to the stage, it was cheered on as if it were an international rock star.

When she got to the stage, the coachman got down and opened the door. A beautiful woman in a black dress and a typical German princely crown on her open blond hair stepped out, who, with a little knowledge of Saalenia, can be recognized as the princess and head of state of the principality, Katarina II. As she got out, the cheering grew louder. She was followed by two young people, a man and one in their 20s, who looked quite alike and were probably twins. They were followed by a young lady, maybe 18 years old, who wore the typical German count's crown on her head. All were blonde.

They all came on stage waving while the orchestra played the anthem incessantly. Katarina II approached Clara Maria von Jacob and shook her hand, with the minister leaning slightly forward. Then there was a small conversation between the two politicians.