Bismarck's (attempts at) Dailies

It rained a lot in Faeros. It was the first thing Maja had been told upon arriving in the city for the first time, that and 'bring an umbrella'. She'd forgotten an umbrella today. She tugged her coat up slightly and set out with a slight frown on her face.

The Royal City was beautiful, despite the ravages of the war. Scaffolding adorned many of the buildings and a number of windows were boarded up, having yet to be replaced, but the towering gothic architecture still stood strong. It was a Saturday and the streets were surprisingly empty; the occasional passerby appeared from around a corner and disappeared as Maja walked. It wasn't raining particularly hard, but her bangs were already stuck to her face and she could feel water dribbling down between her shoulder blades. She grunted in annoyance.

"Ma'am! Pardon me, ma'am!"
She turned to see a young boy with a roll of newspapers slung under his arm. He was using one to shield his head from the rain, and now he offered it to her. "Take one for free!" She half-smiled and accepted it, but the boy scampered off before she could thank him.

As she continued down the street back to Castle Faeros, the rain began to lighten up slightly and traffic increased on the streets. A well-dressed man exited a nearby building in a hurry, holding his hat on as he made his way down the street with his eyes on the cobblestones, and bumped into Maja by mistake.
"Oh, pardon me miss, pardon me."
"No it's-" He'd moved on before she could respond. "...perfectly alright." She watched him go for a moment, then turned and went on. She reached the square, Castle Faeros looming against the murky sky. The square was quite busy now; a group of young woman chatted under parasols by the statue of Gaia in the center of the square; a pair of gentlemen were smoking beneath a tree; a musician was playing a guitar in front of a store in the shade of an overhang and a dog panted happily next to him.

Maja stood at the mouth of the castle drawbridge and watched in silence, the newspaper at her side.
This is not home. Gerent whispered in her ear. You would risk everything for people who hardly know you exist? Maja had no answer for him.

"Lady Ordeyos?" A servant approached. "Master Faithbreaker wished to speak with you upon your return." She nodded without looking at the man.
"I'll return in a moment." she said.
"Very good, Lady Ordeyos. Shall I have a change of clothes prepared? Mayhap a hot bath or a roaring fire?"
"No need. Thank you." She heard him walk away. A beam of sunlight broke through the cloudcover and lit on the statue of Gaia in the center of the square, her enigmatic smile seeming to shine beneath her hood.
"Oh knock it off with the symbolism." Maja grunted, and she turned to cross the drawbridge.