Arcaea/Dining Hall/Spring Festival/Noah and Desi
Escort to the Festival
Noah was lost, somewhere between Colasan and Taop. He had foolishly sent his men ahead after meeting some particularly interesting women in a wayside tavern. Little did he know, his captain had arranged for them to 'entertain' him as a present for his 20th birthday. In his drunken stupor, Noah had ordered his troops to march ahead to Edairn, telling them he would catch up later, but at this time, that seemed rather improbable. He was heading south, but had no idea where he was. A few peasants informed him he was in Lenamaziel and that Azros was further south, but that was all the help he had received.
He scoured the horizon, looking for Arcaean or allied banners, and much to his joy, he spotted a particularly familiar one. In the distance, he spotted a good two dozen soldiers, carrying the standard of Tapaliez. He squinted and saw the longbows slung over their shoulders. Then, he spotted their commander... Desiderata! He spurred his horse and thundered in her direction, his heart filled with more excitement than he thought he would feel.
"My lady!", he shouted, but his voice was drowned out by the noise of hooves striking earth. "My lady!", he shouted again when he was closer, and this time, she turned her head towards him. "My lady, I cannot tell you how glad I am to find you here!"
"Sir Noah?", she asked, with wonder in her voice. "What brings you here, all on your own?"
Noah now rode at her side. "Ahh... it's a bit embarrassing, actually...", he said shyly. "I, uh... I lost my men."
Desiderate chuckled. "I see... well, such things happen, Sir Noah. You are most welcome to accompany me."
He smiled and nodded... it was an offer he did not have to think twice on. Her choice of words made him realize something else... something that made his heart skip a beat. He stared at the ground for a moment, working up the courage to speak his next words.
"My lady...", he said, and then hesitated. He took a deep breath, and continued, all but blurting out the rest. "My lady... the Spring Festival is soon, and I was hoping you would do me the honor of having me as your escort for the festivities!"
His heart pounded fiercely, and his throat was parched. Had he been too frivolous? After all, she was no ordinary lady... she was his liege, and a good eight years older than him. Still... the question had been uttered, and he could not take it back... he could only hope for a positive answer, or otherwise a light penalty for his frivolousness...
Noah Capet (Knight of Tapaliez)
Desi patted Amandine as she rode in front of her troops. Good men, they were. Not as many as she was supposed to have ... But honestly, that shouldn't matter. For a long time she had not even intended to march south for the campaign, but she had changed her mind at the last minute - as evidenced by her motley group trailing behind the main army. Her men had grumbled a bit, but overall had been good sports about leaving their families to get some glory down south. True, she was probably wasn't as well prepared for the campaign as she would like to be, but she figured she could make up for that in the refit. She didn't want to miss out on the action that was already starting.
She heard a horse whinny, and heard hoofbeats pounding toward her, followed by a "my lady!" She turned her head and saw Noah, one of her knights. She smiled as he approached. It was always nice to see someone familiar. Her forehead wrinkled with a bit of confusion as she greeted him. She was headed toward Lenamaziel, which was certainly nowhere near Tapaliez, and Noah was.. without any men.
"Sir Noah?" She asked with wonder in her voice. "What brings you here, all on your own?" As he explained his situation her smile reappeared and the wrinkle vanished. She laughed softly. "I see... Well, such things happen, Sir Noah. You are most welcome to accompany me."
Noah pulled his horse up next to hers, and Ama snorted as she turned her head to investigate the newcomers. Desi gave the Friesian another pat on the neck. They had only walked a little ways before the man at her side began to speak again. She nodded to him, letting him know she was listening as he began.
And then Desi heard the most peculiar thing. She turned in her saddle to look at him full on. Amazement showed blankly on her face. She could see him grow nervous, interpreting the look as one of offended shock. She lifted her hand in a gesture to calm him.
"No, no! Don't be ashamed of asking; I'm not upset. I'm just," she paused for a moment, searching for the right word, "surprised." She smiled, trying to emphasize that she wasn't offended or any other way negatively affected.
She saw the equal shock on his face as she spoke again. "Actually, I would love to go with you." Instantly a bright blush rose to her cheeks, and she looked down at Ama, who was giving Noah's horse a good sniff. Desi wondered if perhaps she had agreed to quickly. Should she have thought it over more? Should she have appeared to have thought it over more? She wondered at his age and snuck an imperceptible sideways glance at him. He couldn't be more than twenty or twenty-one. She was twenty-eight. Desi groaned inwardly. Stupid... age. She was no longer in her prime. She sat up straight again and looked back at him. Damned if she would act like an old worn-out lady. Twenty-eight was as good as eighteen, and she would prove it!
Desiderata Lisieux Countess of Tapaliez
Noah smiled nervously. He had sort of expected a negative response, but Desiderata had said she'd love to go with him... His stomach felt uneasy as the silence grew longer. He had to say something. Anything.
"Ah... that is... wonderful news, m'lady.", he stuttered. "It will be an honor."
Then, he realized he really knew nothing about this Spring Festival, apart from tales and rumours he had heard along the way.
"My lady,", he asked, "I'm almost embarrassed to say this, but... what exactly is this Spring Festival?"
Noah Capet (Knight of Tapaliez)
Desi smiled and laughed quietly again. Truth of the matter was she wasn't one hundred percent sure either. "Well, I believe it is simply a gathering for all Arcaeans to celebrate the coming of spring. There's dancing and drinking, songs and poetry. I heard that there is even a hunt. I believe they have tournaments as well. But you know, since we're marching south, that is rather impractical this time. I think they've been rescheduled."
They rode a little longer in silence, before Desi brought up the inevitable: horses. She let out a girlish giggle as she asked, "So, um, what's your horse's name? I'm really, well, into horses. I love the creatures. My mare is named Amadine. I just call her Ama." She was about to babble on some more before she spouted out, "Oh, and you can call me Desiderata, or Desi, if you like." Again a blush rose to her cheeks as she realized she was shedding formalities quicker than she could shed a soggy unwanted overcoat.
Desiderata Lisieux Countess of Tapaliez
"My lady, that would be highly inappropriate...", Noah protested. "You are my liege, I could never be so friendly with you."
Another awkward silence took place before he answered her question. "My horse's name is Primus, my lady. He was named so as he was the first son of his father... reportedly the horse of a famous general, but I'm sure that was just a sales pitch from the breeder. He's a good stallion, but still young... he can be a bit brash and disobedient at times, which is why I do not ride him in battle just yet..."
He paused for another moment, subtly taking in all of Desi. "My lady... I assume you are good with horses... perhaps you can give me a few pointers as to how to properly train Primus? I know he is full of potential... but I am not expert enough to bring it out myself..."
Noah Capet (Knight of Tapaliez)
She nodded to him, not arguing further about what to call her. She would talk about that later, as in private she really preferred to be called Desi. She smoothly continued on to talking about her favourite subject.
"Well, I do have men who specifically train horses, so I'm not an expert. But I do aid with the training, especially after a horse has been broken. One key thing: Always be consistent. If you are inconsistent, not only may he fail to learn what lesson you are teaching, but he may also learn to do what is incorrect. Also, do not let him get away with any stunts. Although it may be amusing once or twice, it will soon develop into an awful habit if you let it continue."
Desi paused to take a good look at handsome, midnight stallion, Primus. It was clear he was hotblooded, eager for any task set before him. The legs were long, and sturdy with strong muscle. He was lean, but not skinny. The neck was a bit thin, and it seemed that might thicken a bit as the stallion aged. "How old is he?" She asked as she continued to examine Primus. While the legs were long, the horse was not overly tall. Perhaps Amadine was still taller than the spirited, younger horse.
Desiderata Lisieux Countess of Tapaliez
"About two years old, my lady," Noah replied. "My father bought him a year ago to this day, as a gift for my birthday, but he was too young for me to ride then. I'm afraid I have neglected his training a bit... I just left my stable master in charge."
Noah leaned forward and patted Primus on the neck. In response, the horse reared and almost threw Noah off his back, but the young noble managed to stay seated.
"Ah... you see what I mean, my lady...", Noah said, his cheeks blushing a bit from the embarrassment. "Primus needs a steady hand, and I'm afraid I don't have one just yet. I never did train often with horses when I was younger... my father believed more in swordfighting and archery as necessary skills for a nobleman... yet I wish I could be a true cavalry commander someday, like my cousin Amaury... He is a prodigy... only a few years older than me, but for as long as I can remember, he has been riding horses and practicing his jousting... Perhaps I can one day be as good as him... or better, if I have some skilled trainers to assist me..."
Noah then realized he'd been babbling, and quickly shut his mouth to allow Desi to get a word in as well.
Noah Capet (Knight of Tapaliez)
Desi nodded as Noah answered her question. "I figured he was about that old. He has a bit more filling out to do, but not much."
Primus reared when Noah went to pat him. Ama snorted unhappily and side-stepped. Desi's men halted for a moment, not wanting to run into the rearing stallion. Desi watched, mild panic entering her eyes as she hoped Noah was a good enough rider to stay on a rearing horse. The two came back down to the ground, and Desi relaxed. She laughed a bit as the young man's cheeks grew red.
She listened quietly and patiently as he spoke first of Primus, then of his cousin Amaury. Genuine interest showed on her face.
"Well, he'll calm down a bit as he gets older. Just relax and I'm sure you'll learn together as you go. As for your cousin, Amaury. I believe I know him -- well, I know of him. My sister, Danielle, has mentioned him once or twice in her letters to me. He is, I believe, lord of Ciarin Tut, in Pian en Luries? Far away on another continent, Dwilight. Have you heard of my cousin Danielle? She is Amaury's knight." Desi smiled as she realized she had babbled a bit, like Noah. But then, she was excited to find a new commonality between them.
Desiderata Lisieux Countess of Tapaliez
