King's Marshall

Lucan nodded, though his frown didn’t disappear. “I know, I know. I’m allowed to express concern when my brother is departing on a quest, am I not?” He knew there was nothing to worry but every time Bedivere left for a mission, Lucan had to consider that this, in fact, could be the last time he was seeing his brother. That was how things were. “You better be back soon, I can’t be taking care of your horses on top of the servants,” he joked.

In Lucan’s position his feelings would have likely been much the same, so he nodded in acknowledgement that it was okay for his brother to worry for him. “Oh, I will” Bedivere replied in one of his rare moments of jest, “I fear Hazel would be very upset if I didn’t return and I dare say that all of the beast in the kingdom have a wrath far less frightening than that of my niece” 

“As often and as aggressively as I can,” Kay said with a smile, musing briefly on the irony of him of all people giving someone advice on their social skills. Ask the court and the vast majority of them would say that liked Bedivere far better than Kay any day. “Come back soon, or there’s a chance you’ll return to find me in jail for killing half the nobles.”

Bedivere could not help but return his old friend’s smile. He could nearly imagine the conversation between Kay and Lucan as his request was fulfilled as often as Kay could and not nearly so delicately as Bedivere himself would have handled it, “I’ll just have to ask Lucan then to stand in for me and come to your rescue”

“Usually the way to get better at something is to practice,” Kay pointed out, coming a little further inside. He knew Bedivere almost as well as himself and was never angry when he left his notes, but he did always feel … a little disappointed not to seem him in person before he went. “You could just say I’ll see you soon.”

Bedivere knew that he really should work on his socialization more. He spent all of his time with horses and could navigate a brief discussion easily enough but he had always floundered when it came to anything more than that. Saying goodbye to those he cared for shouldn’t be so difficult and it likely wouldn’t have been if he didn’t fear it would be his last. This particular mission wasn’t too likely to bring him an abundance of danger, but that wasn’t always necessarily true. “Alright, then i’ll see you soon” he offered, “Remind my brother to take care of himself, yeah?”

He would read the note eventually, once he got to sit down for a minute in his chamber. “Then consider this me just accidentally walking by the stables and seeing you leave. What are the chances?” he joked with a smirk on his face. “Ah yes, sometimes they bring word on too many things if you ask me. Not saying that it’s not appreciated, but sometimes..” Lucan shook his head. “Does your departure have a reason I should have known of?” He considered simply forgetting, with the amount of work he had lately.

“A creature that was rumored to have been in Camelot is believed to be harassing an ally. I recognize that someone else could have gone, but it doesn’t seem to me as if you’re in a position to lose a helping hand. The stablehands too don’t really need my assistance any longer. I’ve been on this sort of a quest before and I should be back to aid you in no time” Bedivere replied, trying to reassure his brother that all would be well. 

Lucan stood in the doorway, watching his brother with his arms folded on his chest. “Now now,” he shook his head with a slight grin on his face. “Leaving without a word? And why is it that I only hear about your departure from the castle staff?” With a raised eyebrow he stepped closer. “I didn’t know Arthur was sending you on a quest.” Was he really losing touch with what was happening in the kingdom?

Bedivere turned away from his horse so that he could look at his brother, “I shouldn’t be gone long” he ventured, “and I hate saying goodbye. Though by now I should expect that the staff will bring word to you. I did leave you a note just as I always do.” 

“Not taking off without saying goodbye, I hope?” Kay leaned against the door of the stables, watching Bedivere as he readied his horse. He had seen the Marshall crossing the courtyard by chance and had recognised all the signs of someone preparing for a quest.

Bedivere would recognize that voice anywhere. Without turning he gave a nod, “I’ve never been particularly good at goodbyes”. Truthfully, he avoided them at all costs. Before his last quest he had left a note for his friend and brother to let them know that he had gone, just as he had done near about every time he had left them in previous years. 

Bloody hell, her father’s body had barely been placed in the ground and already someone was trying to take her job. Even on a good day Isabella wasn’t the best at keeping track of people or understanding situations involving humans. Still, perhaps, had her heart not been heavy with grief, she would have recognized the Marshall’s good intentions. Unfortunately for both of them sorrow had clouded her reason as well as shortened her temper. “That won’t be necessary, sir. As difficult as it might be to believe, I’m perfectly capable of doing my own job,” she said curtly. “Is there anything else I can do for you, or would you like to clean the stalls as well while you’re at it?” 

“I do not doubt your capability” Bedivere replied softly but firmly in reinforcement of the fact that he had a job to perform as well, “but I do know we are down a hand. Part of my duties is to ensure the care of the King’s horses and the readiness of all steeds should the need of battle arise. We are to work together - just as your father and I did”. He knew from years of experience just how talented she truly was and he had no intent of stepping on her toes. Her father had run things extremely well and he suspected that she would be much the same. 

Maeve stood, ears straining to listen for any signs of movement. She knew the staff in the stable had been greatly reduced since the storm so it could be unlikely anyone would be around at this time. However another voice called out and she let out a sigh of relief. “The horse I’m working on; I think something is bothering his foot. Could you perhaps help me?” she answered him, hoping he would at least take a look.

Bedivere set aside the comb he had been using and stepped from the stall heading in the direction of the woman’s voice. The horse in question wasn’t one he had been able to spend any time with yet today, so he was grateful that it seemed someone else was. “Did you look to see if he had lost a shoe? Or if one of the nails is slipping?” he asked, extending a hand towards the creature muzzle and waiting to see if he would be allowed to pet it. The horse whinnied and lifted his head into the Marshall’s hand. Bedivere smiled as he stroked the beast, “Do you know which hoof or should I check all of them?”

Isabella had always known this day would come. She’d dreaded her father’s death for as long as she could remember, and she now that he was gone she cursed herself for it. No one could deny that she had loved her father dearly, hiss death had stirred a different kind of sorrow within her. She did not know what was worse: the fact that he was gone from her life forever, or the fact that her position at the stables might be compromised now that he was no longer the royal stablemaster. What did that say about the kind of person she was? She’d had weeks to prepare for this, spending her days locked inside caring for her father in his sickness. 

As she made her way to the stables she felt a weight in her chest, with the memory of her father’s eyes going cold still haunting her. She’d never been particularly good with people, and her father had always known that. The truth was she didn’t really know who she was outside of the stables. As she approached the entrance she froze in surprise. “Sorry, I wasn’t expecting to anyone. Can I help you with something?” she said a bit impatiently. She didn’t know how much longer she had to work with the horses, but if her time was limited she intended to make the most out of every remaining second. 

The passing of the stable master had reached Bedivere’s ears fairly quickly. It was Lucan that dealt with the staffing of the castle, but it was secret to no one that Bedivere cared a great deal more for what happened to his preferred animal than his brother did. On a typical day the Marshall spent as much time as he could in the stables anyway, so attending to a couple more horses wasn’t a difficult task. He had just stepped from one of the stalls and was headed towards the tack room stationed near the entrance to the stables when Isabella’s voice met his ears. It was with immediate regret that he realized he should have gone to talk with her to extend his condolences and express how much he would miss a man he had considered a friend. “Princess Eleanor’s horse has lost a shoe, I was going to repair it” he replied instead. 

The stables were one of Maeve’s favourite places to be; there were less people which meant less people she’d have to talk to all the time. So she began to help out more with the daily activities to make sure she was exercising enough. It was while she was working on one of the horses, that she noticed another was distressed and she walked around to take a look. It looked as though one of his hooves was hurt. She stepped out to look down the walkway in the huge stables, “Anyone here?” she called.

@bediverethemarshall

The knight had contributed as much as he could in his efforts to rebuild the stables after the destruction the storm had caused. Many of the horses had been lost and many others had been wounded. Those that weren’t physically affected had become a bit skittish. Bedivere genuinely wished that he had more time to spend working with them, but his duties as marshall were far more important than his simple desires. Though he had far less of it his available time was spent in repair of small bits of the stables. People didn’t come through as often as they used to and most of the stablehands were out building a new paddock, so it was surprising to hear a voice calling out. “Is there something I can help you with?” Bedivere called, not stepping out from the stall he was working on. 

Dindrane gave a little sigh. “More than I would have liked - we had some flooding so a lot was damaged on the lower shelves, and there are some of the archives where we’re still assessing how what can be saved and what can’t,” she explained. “Some help would be appreciated. There are a few heavy chests and shelves that need to be moved.“

“I’ll send you as much help as I can” Bedivere promised as the music around them swelled, denoting that their dance was nearly at a close. His eyes scanned the ballroom for his brother and then again for his own date. “I truly do hope you have a wonderful evening. Little brother is waiting for you, I believe”

“Of course. But if you enjoy something, getting to do it even a little is better than not at all.” Dindrane gave a slightly abashed smile. “Oh, everything I can, really. But my favourites are the stories of the Holy Grail.” 

“I agree” Bedivere replied, falling silent for a moment as the steps of the dance lead them through a series of turns. “Was much lost in the aftermath of the storm? I believe Lucan has castle staff assisting, but I can probably find a couple of Knights to assist as well”

He ran a hair through his hair. “Now now, don’t say that just yet. Maybe you can still be the first,” he laughed almost nervously. “I don’t know. How bizarre is the idea, right?” Though Lucan was n love and feeling like he’s never felt before, the idea of settling down still seemed unnerving. “Is there no one on your radar, brother?” he tried to change the topic.

Bedivere remained quiet as he eyed his brother. He very much knew how things usually went for him, and though he was happy that things had even gotten this far for him he knew better than to push. “Whatever we find in this kitchen is very much on my radar” he jested, catching on to the change of subject while also leaping on the opportunity to not further discuss his romantic possibilities. 

“Yes, very much. I hardly left my father’s library as a child, I was so eager for new stories,” Dindrane said, placing her hand in his, feeling a little less nervous as she talked of a subject dear to her heart. “Do you like to read?”

“I do, but not with immense frequency. I spend a lot of time out of doors, you see. Riding or sparring with my men. I bring a few along during quest” he admitted, before quickly turning the conversation back towards her, “What is it that you read?”

“Never is me who’s the issue,” he teased gently, though, it was far more untrue than he’d like to admit. Floris wrapped up in one word was “issue”. Whether it be a problem with his mother and father, with his Lordly duties, or with his lovers chances are it was simply complicated because Floris was a part of the equation. Yawning slightly he ran his hands through his hair and rubbed his eyes. “Your secret is safe with me, I assure you that.” He nodded looking over at the other searching his visage. “Have you found yourself in love?” He asked with a slow grin. 

Were it not for the fact that duty undoubtedly called for him Bedivere would have likely submitted to the comfort of the bed once again as he’d not had much sleep the night before, but he couldn’t allow that to happen. Turning towards the Lord at his side he propped himself up on his elbow before answering, “Not quite”