A time to remember

[Ethaline]

George Percy, Lord Hereford

If my father were alive, I know he would want me to marry the daughter of a duke. Or a foreign princess. Well, I know I'm not at that level. It would be more reasonable to think of me marrying an earl's daughter. But I've always been a bit to sympathetic to girls so I've started a once in a life time offer. I will marry an woman, above or below my level, if I like them enough. I'm offering a peasant girl the chance to become a viscountess.

Today it is cloudy, but not rainy, which I count as a blessing. I hate rain, but take no offense from clouds. It's the season for roses, and they're all blooming in red, white, and pink. The gardeners here are fabulous, working patterns with plants. It's a lovely day for a walk.

I turn to the female at my arm and ask,
"Which do you like more? Water fights in the sun, or snowball fights in the snow?"

[Sandreline FaToren]

Sandreline walked arm in with Lord Hereford. He was a pleasant man with an easy going manner not to mention that he was rather handsome. She listened with her head politely as she listened to him talk. She knew for a fact that he was a very eligible suitor and that her parents were looking at him. Her eyes sparkled in response to his question. She turned to him with a smile.

"My Lord, what a tough question you ask of me! Both actives have equal merits of fun and enjoyment but true enjoyment is in the eye of the beholder as you have already state. I suppose I enjoy snowball fights in the snow. These dresses get too cursed heavy when bogged down with water."

Her eyes widened and a red tint began to creep its way onto her face once she realized what she had said. She looked down at her shoes. "My Lord you'll have to forgive me. I did not intend to speak so crudely in your presence. It-it was just a momentary lapse in thought. I truly beg your forgiveness." In her head Sandry was cursing the street boy who had happened to swear one day while she was passing by as a girl.

[Ethaline]

George Percy, Lord Hereford

I laugh. I can't help it, but being a man, I'm so used to swears, I hadn't even noticed when she said one.

"It's not a problem," I say. "Don't worry about it, when you're around me."

I pick a pink rose and sniff it. "I hope you like pink," I say amiably. "I won a bet with a friend, and now I have pink damask. I can't possibly where it though. It's patterned with roses. If you'd like I can give it to your for a new gown?"

Gowns are expensive and with many layers, but I don't mind spending the money. I haven't spent money for anyone in years, and besides, the cloth was free.

I realize I'm holding a rose in my hand. I shouldn't have picked it. What will I do with it now? It would be to obvious I was hinting at betrothal. Besides, I couldn't walk around with it in my hair could I? It would be worse than wearing pink flower patterned damask.

[Sandreline FaToren]

The flush in Sandry's already pink cheeks darkened to a color more maroon in it's description. "My Lord, how very kind of you." Her eyes sparkled wickedly. "That simply would not do to have you gallivanting around in the country side in pink rose patterned damask. Fa! What a jolly site that would be indeed sir. Although I think you might secede in becoming the laughing stock of the court if you were to ever do such a thing. I however am a lady so of course I must be occasionally be prevailed upon to wear the color pink. I prefer teals but I do so adore rose patterned fabric."

She smiled. Her folly from earlier still present but Lord Hereford's easy manner made it easy to brush it aside for the moment. She watch him fiddle with the rose pink rose that he held awkwardly. She knew he had picked it absentmindedly and no had no easy way to dispose of it. To give it to her would be much to obvious of the point he was dancing around like a new courtier in his first waltz. She decided to take pity on him. She plucked the rose from his fingers now twirled it around aimlessly.

"My Lord you have indulged me in polite conversation pertaining to my interests and now I must return the favor." She winked at him. "Which is your favorite game to hunt?" She flirtatiously batted her lashes at him. If this pleasant afternoon would be so fortunate as to land her a betrothal so be it. If not at least flirting with Lord Percy would be enjoyable.

[Ethaline]

George Percy, Lord Hereford

Normally the game in the forest is deer. But on occasion we've found a wolf or a bear. I hate it when we hunt a wolf, because they're such beautiful creatures, I hate to see them get injured. Some courtiers enjoy wolves more because of the excitement they provide. In my opinion bears provide just as much excitement, but it's not as heart wrenching to watch one die. In fact, I don't mind watching one get brought down by one of my stronger dogs. To me, deer are to feminine, delicate, and interesting to kill. When they're cooked and on my plate I don't mind so much.

"Bears," I say indifferently. "Do you like to join the court hunting?"

Hunting is like all other courtly sports. Archery, hawking, jousting. What's nice is that two of the three women can participate in. However, Henry the VII has never been one to give to much towards hunting and dancing, so we don't get that often.

[Sandreline FaToren]

Sandry started to pluck the petals off the flower one by one. She stopped before she had gone to far. It was a rarity in itself. It was the beginning of winter after all. Mayhap it was a sign a good omen. She hoped as much. As they had talked she could see that it would be such fun to be married.

She frowned a bit as her brain continued on this runaway train. It was simply to much. She had already failed in the fact that Lord Hereford had quickly swooped in and captured her heart. This was very unlikely. Normally she allowed herself to flirt and have fun but this, this was breaking every law her dear Mama had ever taught her. She was simply under the spell of his charm. She needed to remove herself for a moment to collect her thoughts and steer them away from their present course.

It was another moment before she realized she had neglected to reply to his question. She blushed slightly again and smiled. "I have never gone with the court. It would be very uproariously frowned upon by my Queen and friends for an un-married lady of my current standing to be with all those men you see. I have gone perhaps once or twice with my dear brother. The chase was quite invigorating. It was...a rush. Oh my Lord you must promise me you will be careful if you go after anymore bears."

[Ethaline]

George Percy, Lord Hereford.

I suppose, if you looked back at it from an older year, you'd see that I'm just like every other overconfident cocky young courtier there is. Gambling to much, dancing with ladies, completely forgetting caution. Whatever you would like to call it.

So naturally when the lady tells me to be careful, I throw my head back and laugh. "You needn't worry, we're all quite safe." As I watch the lady move, turn her head, my idea of betrothal seems to solidify a bit more.

"Are you in a relationship?" I ask, a little bluntly. Forget hiding my intentions behind a layer of sugar. I am going to say straight and clear I want a betrothal. The sooner the merrier.

[Sandreline FaToren]

Sandreline blinked up at Lord Hereford in surprise. She was dumbfounded. Her face was a mask of shock. Could it be? Was George Percy the Lord of Hereford offering a betrothal to her? She wanted it so bad but oh her mind was jumping to conclusions that she must not dare to make for the fear that they might be ripped from her finger-tips. She gathered her composure for her response. "No my Lord I am not presently in any relationship." She looked deep into his eyes. "But I'd like too." She dared not blink at this point.

For all the wealth of the kingdom she prayed that this was not some devine joke meant to make her the laughing stock of the court. If it was it was some cruel joke she wouldn't be able to appear at court for months. She would have to beg the mercy of the Queen for her disapearances. She could simply not put up a polite face is this man broker her heart. She couldn't do it.

[Ethaline]

George Percy, Lord Hereford

It was as if a large rush of impatience had swept over me. I needed to get this done and over with. I wasn't going to wait for another lady to flirt herself in front of me.

"Are your parents anywhere near?" I ask, glad to hear she isn't betrothed. For someone my rank, the king's blessing is bound to come to a marriage he doesn't even know about. Indeed someone will ask him about it and he will say yes without even comprehending the words.

And the betrothal itself will be small. Some of my family, some of her family. We are not important enough to expect to have large crowds of nobles come to witness the bond.

I hope to enlarge my fortune eventually, though. The way to do that would not be to marry a girl lesser than you, but I want to get my riches in ways other than the cheap practice of marriage. Marriage should be for love, not money.

[Sandreline FaToren]

Sandry's eyes widened yet again. "My parents are staying with my dear Uncle in town here. They feel they must follow the court around. I belive it has something to do with fact that Rosalie and I both made it into my Queen's court." Sandry's eyes danced. "My dear brother says it is simply because we are Mama and Papa's only daughters and they fear for our viture amoung the court. They would never admit as much to any of our friends or aquantences but now they will see that all the worry was for naught. They will love you. I see no reason why Papa might object. I shall send a rider with the message at once unless of course you would rather take care of that business yourself. You probably do anyways. Don't mind me I am just overly excited. You cannont begin to fathome the depths of my happiness my Lord."

Sandry smiled up unabashedly at him now. What luck she was having! In her first love struck afternoon as well. Sandry imagined the reaction of Rose and let out a giggle. Her sister would be so dissapointed that she was not the first one to win a man's heart. Life had always been a competition between the two of them and for once Sandry had won. She was getting a husband and a handsome and kind one at that!

(Fyi rose is sandry's twin sister)

[Ethaline]

(kk)

George Percy, Lord Hereford

I smile. "Well, I think you've already guessed it, but I am going to ask for your hand in marriage. I'm depending on your previous words to think that you said yes."

I think I will send my page boy to her parents sometime later. I want to hunt today, or go riding with Mistress Sandreline. Or we can go sailing, it's such a nice day. There are no court festivities today. THe king, I've observed, is not a throwaway when it comes to money. He has saved up a vast fortune and a prosperous kingdom for his son Arthur. I hope that I will have a son as fine as our prince of Wales.

[Sandreline FaToren]

Sandry shook her head with a laugh. "Of course it was a yes. I can't think of any reason why I should have answered otherwise. " Sandry couldn't keep a smile off her face. She was so happy. "Might I sugest we take a ride before the day gets too cool. I have it on high authority according to the court gossip that there's a storm moving in today and I rather fancy a ride today. Especially if it envolves a handsom lord." Sandry winked.

Her grandmother would have turned over in her grave if she had heard Sandry's last remark. No one in the family except Rose and her brother aproved how she spoke her mind to friends. In high society she could be ostrasized for the majority of her remarks.

[Ethaline]

George Percy, Lord Hereford

I grin. Forwardness, I suppose, is my thing. I was never for the quiet shy women, or even the way to forward prostitutes you find in town. I like it somewhere in between.

"Well, Lady Hereford," I say enunciating the name with a smile. "I would never say no to such and invitation. When the weather is nice, no matter what the surroundings, I cannot but help to be on a horse. There is no satisfying my thirst for sport."

[Sandreline FaToren]

Sandreline smile widened even further a feat that she didn't think possible. The grin was so wide by this point that her sister would have been prodding her telling her to remove it before her face was stuck like that. The thought caused a small giggle to escape her lips again. Today was certainly one of the happiest of her life and she was possitively giddy.

"Well Lord Hereford I propose we make haste towards our ride so that we may temporarily provide relief to your thirst." Sandry's eyes sparkled as she started to stride briskly (or as briskly she could) in the gown before rememebering more of the rules her grandmother, mother, and aunts had pounded into her and Rose's head. You must always let your companion set the pace. Sandry slowed her pace a triffle.

Sandry's Horse

[Ethaline]

George Percy, Lord Hereford

I smile and play with the cuffs of my sleeves. They're delicate silk, must've taken someone hours to make. I got them as a birthday present from my sister ages ago.

I keep my pace with the lady and hold my arm out for her. "Surely you don't walk without a man's arm?" I tease in order to get her to be embarrassed or to blush. My horse is a cheap one, that I'm don't show, I just ride it. Only a mare, and a smallish one at that. A brown coat and a well groomed tail and mane.