unafraid you can name your scars

who: high lord brannon celtigar and anyone !!  when: queen constanza’s name day celebration, day one  where: the terrace, right off of the great hall, brightwater keep

nobles milled about the great hall, sharing refreshment & small talk about the journey to the capital. brannon himself participated in the idle chatter for the better part of an hour, only now pausing to take in a bout of fresh air. 

he slipped away from the merriment, and stood near a terrace that overlooked the capital. the king was growing madder by the day, and his decisions were beginning to beginning to impact the realm. he was outright refusing to meet with the small counsel, lest at least three of his kingsguard were present in the chamber with him. fearing what, exactly, brannon wasn’t particularly sure. if there was such threat to the king, it would surely follow him beyond the tower of the hand. the fool. just yesterday, king felipe had overruled yet another one of brannon’s appointments, and the high lord was beginning to lose his patience. 

his ponderings were interrupted when he heard footsteps. someone interested to join him. brannon allowed the tension to roll off his shoulders, easing his stance before turning & raising his goblet to them. “a fine day for our seven kingdoms to come together,” he mused aloud, cutting across the silence. “ is it not? ”

“Oh dear -” Lu stopped short as she realized the terrace was not, in fact, empty, and the moment of peace and quiet she hoped to achieve would not be in her reach. It took her a moment to place the man; she had spent a long time without really being aware of the nobles, aside from knowing not to get in trouble with them. And now she was in the capital trying to remember so many names and faces all at once. 

“Good evening, my lord,” she said, curtseying out of habit and then wondering what exactly she was meant to do, and how her rank compared to others now that she was married to the prince. Better safe than sorry, of course. “I certainly agree; it’s a lovely thing at any time, of course, and celebrating her majesty only makes it better. I’m quite excited about the upcoming festivities.” 

It wasn’t really a lie because she was quite excited about everything, even if she was dreading it all a little bit at the same time. “Is there anything in particular that you’re looking forward to?”

Lucretia was not yet accustomed to Kingsport in general or the royal family in particular, and dealing with the celebration on top of it all was quite stressful. She knew how to handle herself, of course; though her family had no titles, her mother had been careful to pass on the right sort of education, so that when Lu found herself in charge of a household, she would be prepared. And it would be even better if she could show to a noble family that she would be an asset. 

The fact that she was now married to the prince was still an odd one for Lu, although she couldn’t complain about it. But still, once the hubbub from the baking competition and other goings-on of the day had died down, Lu was quick to slip away for some quiet. She was on a bench, with her shoes kicked off and her toes wiggling in the grass, when she heard footsteps and looked up with a guilty start. A quick flounce of her dress covered the shoes up and she tried for an innocent smile. “It’s a lovely afternoon, isn’t it?”

eowyn and anyone!!

THIRD DAY ; RIGHT AFTER THE TOURNEY. 

SHE WAS slowly wrapping her hands. today had been eventful. she had won the most victories. there wasn’t any doubt. and most of those that went against her were fit for the kingsguard. she knew they were probably stricken with nerves. she remembered her first tourney. a dirty, orphan teenager straight from the slums… people laughed at her. but they stopped laughing when they saw her up close… and saw her swordsmanship. even if she used a rusty sword– something that belonged to her father. she showed her worth… and she was sworn into the kingsguard.  did she miss it? not so much. she had her freedom now that she left the kingsguard, a sacrifice. she’d never be sworn back… but she didn’t want to be. she was happy to serve the house of kilcarin… to protect briar. she adored her. she just would never admit it. 

“wench!” she heard from across the tavern. a sore loser. the first to lose against her. “you cheated.” he spoke against gritted teach. “a woman can’t win a battle without cheating.” a huff left her as she slowly took a sip of her mead. but when he knocked her goblet out of her hand, a long exhale left her before she stood slowly, quickly grabbing his head and slamming it against the table. “and you think a sniveling rat like you would be sworn into the kingsguard? you can’t even hold your sword, child.” she hissed out as her hand fell on the golden hilt of her sword. “i don’t cheat. i’m a warrior…. unlike you. and you offend the queen on her namesday with petty violence. and i will gut you for that offence…. and knocking my goblet out of my hand.” 

and as she slowly slid her sword out of the sheath, the guy ran off with his punk friends. she scoffed before returning her sword back into the sheath. she looked over at the person watching the event. “what? he knocked my mead to the ground.”

Rafe was trying not to look too awestruck but he was quite certain it was a losing battle. The competition today had been amazing - he preferred watching as much as possible, and learning through observation. Besides, he had his position and didn’t need to earn it. Just watching brought enough of a thrill to him, and watching Eowyn Faerite fight had been a highlight of the event. He’d come out for a drink with some of his friends and didn’t expect to see her at the pub.

The ruckus was also unexpected, and certainly didn’t reflect well on the other man involved. Rafe watched from his spot a short distance away and had to keep from cheering as Eowyn put the man in his place. “I think you let him off lightly,” he said, grinning when she turned to him. “And I’d be happy to buy you another. I’m Rafe Allard.”

Heloísa smiled at her sister in law, glad for the company she offered. Lucretia was everything a noble woman should be, though Heloísa hadn’t formed an opinion on her prospects as queen just yet. Still, she wouldn’t let such thoughts muddle the day, and she offered the woman a grin before reaching out for a second plate. “My dear, each new offerings makes me forget all those before it.” She laughed, her voice lilting as she shook her head. “Mother certainly has quite the task ahead of her.”

Lu laughed softly. “I suppose that’s fair, isn’t it? When they’re all so good.” She glanced at the sweets in front of them thoughtfully, although she didn’t reach for another plate. “I do not envy her that task. But perhaps she’s suited for it, with her wisdom.” Lu didn’t know her mother-in-law well - or any of her other in-laws, or her husband really. She kept hoping it would turn out for the best though. “Do you have a favorite so far?”

Calida made her way across the grounds, her riding gloves in one hand and an apple for her horse, Mairsil, in the other. The hem of her skirt was getting wet from the early morning dew, and with any luck, she’d make it back to the castle in time to prepare for the day of festivities. Her long hair had been pulled into a braid, though there were already some pieces escaping and falling around her face. Upon hearing a greeting, she turned, smiling as she watched Rafe approach. “Rafe, hello!” She greeted, continuing her walk as he fell in pace. “I didn’t expect to see anyone this early.”

She was beautiful, and Rafe had to work to keep his expression polite rather than letting it slip into something inappropriate. “I’m an early riser,” he said with a shrug. And he wanted to see her, but again, he needed to be appropriate. “And I wanted to be sure I caught you to let you know in person that Mairsil has been in the best of hands while awaiting your return. I trust you had a pleasant journey here?”

hearing his answer, emeline joined in with a laugh. “better to be busy than not, in my opinion. besides, i’m sure it won’t be too bad this week with certain nobles in town.” she gave him a knowing look, hands finally falling off to her sides. “as good as they could go, but no trouble thankfully. just long.” she turned back towards the pub for a second before looking back at rafe. “shall we?” catching up over dinner seemed like a better option than standing outside. “i must say, you haven’t changed one bit in the past seven years. kingsport, on the other hand, seems like a completely different place.” 

Em hadn’t changed in the slightest; his face warmed up with the teasing, although he tried to ignore the fact that his face had to be turning pink now. It wouldn’t be safe to really acknowledge the statement though, not in public when anyone could hear. “I can’t really argue with that, actually. I prefer it this way, especially now that half of my letter writing time will be negated.” A smile crossed his face; writing to Em had been wonderful but this would be much better. “I’m glad to hear that. I was worried about it. And yes, after you.” He began walking again, with a sidelong look at Em and a satisfied smile. “Aye, the city has changed a lot, but I’m glad I haven’t. You’ll find your way around again in no time, I’m sure.” The changes had seemed so small as they came over time, but he could recognize the sum of them. As they reached the door, he opened it and waited for Em to step inside. “Do you think you’ll be able to settle in easily?”

for the whole duration of her travels back to kingsport, all emeline could think of was reuniting with her brother. while they had kept in touch via countless of letters, it had now been seven years since they last saw one another. so many things could happen in that amount of time. making her way to the pub they had agreed to meet at for dinner, she turned around at the mention of her name, the voice sounding much too familiar. seeing rafe’s figure jog up to her, the corners of her lips stretched into a grin as he got closer. “oh, rafe!” she opened her arms to welcome him in a hug, putting in all the effort to close the gap between the two. “how have you been?” she questioned, leaning back a bit to get a good look at his face as her hands rest on his arms, not wanting to let go.

He threw his arms around her for a tight hug; Rafe didn’t begrudge his family their happiness, and had been glad for Em to pursue her craft just as he’d been glad for his parents to move to Belhaven with their new partner. But it did his heart good to see Em again, and know that he’d get to see her again so much more frequently now. He had no more wish to let go than Em did and kept his arms looped around her, in a slightly looser grip now. “Busy, and I know it won’t get any better,” he said with a laugh. “But since you’re here, everything is better. How did the travels go? No trouble?”

who: lady joanna strickland and anyone when: queen constanza’s name day celebration, day four where: the central courtyard of brightwater keep, at the baking competition

JOANNA SHIFTED FROM FOOT TO FOOT, unsure of how to stand. she straddled the edge of the courtyard, finally deciding to sit against a fountain’s edge. a gaggle of noblemen and women had formed a crowd not far off, electing to watch as the most eligible ladies in the realm hurried around a makeshift kitchen & kneaded, pressed, filled, and ornamented their cakes. it was unlike for her to so self-conscious, but she wasn’t used to any of this. she was a northern girl after all, and was not yet accustomed to the sunny south. 

she had been in the capital four days now, and still had yet to do all she planned. while playing the role of the mystery knight had been excellent fun ( she had to stop herself from breaking out into a savage grin whenever someone mentioned the knight of the broken tower ) she was still stuck following protocol & attending silly events. like this, she thought, who cares if a noble girl knows how to bake? it’s not like she’s going to spend much time down in the kitchens anyways. 

but someone had pulled her from her musings, stepping away from the crowd and beginning to make their way towards her. she called out to them “ if you’ve come to ask why i’m not participating in the festivities, you must know i have quite a good reason, ” she said brightly. “ if i were to set foot near all that i’m quite afraid the whole courtyard would end up in flames. ‘tis for your own safety, really. ”

The thought of participating in any of the festivities - aside from spectating - had been far too much for Lu to entertain for more than a moment. She didn’t want the attention or the eyes on her, and she was more than happy to be a demure figure in the background. It suited her. The bustle around the competition was enough to send butterflies swarming in her stomach, though she masked it with a polite smile. 

She knew of Lady Joanna, if nothing else, and supposed it would look better if she were conversing with someone rather than standing by herself. After a quick look around to see if any of her family were nearby and coming up empty, she moved toward the other woman. Her lips quirked up as she spoke, and Lu shook her head quickly. “Given that I am not participating, I’m hardly one to question anyone else about it. I’m sure you can’t be that bad though,” she added politely. “I think that it will be more fun to enjoy the fruits of their labors anyway, don’t you?”

Rafe would not admit that he had risen a little earlier than normal so that he could catch Lady Calida on her way for her morning ride, but it was precisely what he had done. He just wanted to greet her, and assure her that he’d kept his eye on her horse when it arrived, as he always did. If he took a little extra care in brushing his hair . . . well, no one would know that unless he told them, which he obviously wouldn’t do. His path took him directly into hers and he called out softly, “Good morning, my lady.” It wouldn’t be a long conversation, but it was better than nothing.

Starter. Milla & open

Fourth day. 

Milla had truly meant to bake just one cake, after all only one was needed to enter the competition, but it had been the enormous amount of options that had proved to be the bane of the lady. Rohoan was rich in many ways, but thanks to the ever ligering cold of the land there were few greens or fruits to be harvested, meaning Milla often had to settle for what was available for her sweets.

Such was not the case of Kingsport, from the moment she entered the kitchens, she was overwhelmed by the sight and scent of ingredients she had only dared dream of. Without even thinking, she started baking, ending with an amount of cakes and sweets so big that she couldn’t just choose one to sign for the competition. She still hoped people would be hungry enough to finish all her sugary treats.

Her mind was so put on balancing the pile of small cakes in her hands that she didn’t pay attention her steps, walking straight into the figure in front of her. “Oh Gods!, Please forgive my clumsiness,” she apologized, trying to make sure neither her dress nor the other’s attire had been soiled with glace.

Rafe was on the move all day, as was to be expected during an event like this. He didn’t mind - he liked keeping busy, and he had some bright spots in his time now to make up for the added stress. He was on his way to find a quiet spot to sit for a moment, a well-deserved rest, when he felt the collision. He turned in alarm, hoping that no harm had been done through his carelessness. 

He didn’t recognize the figure, aside from noting that she was clearly one of the nobles and he offered a quick bow. “I’m sure it’s my fault, my lady. Are you all right?” He caught sight of the cakes and smiled involuntarily. “Those look wonderful - do you need any help?”

who: princess heloísa darosian and anyone when: day four of queen constanza’s nameday celebrations where: the baking competition

Heloísa smiled in a vague direction, before reverting her attention to the cake in front of her. Though her own opinions meant very little to her mother when it came to the judgement, the young princess was allowing herself a bit of indulgence. It’s what such celebrations were for, after all. She turned to her company, offering a gracious smile.

“I was not allowed to enter, for fear that my mother may have some impartialities. However, I feel quite certain that I could not have stood a chance against the ladies who did submit. Have you tasted this one yet?”

Lu still felt a little out of place at events like this, when people looked at her like she was a princess. She was a princess, but the reminder was a little unnerving. However, the prospect of the cakes was enough to lure her out despite that. As soon as she spotted her sister-in-law, she moved toward her; safety in numbers, and Lu wanted her in-laws to like her. “I know I certainly couldn’t have had any hope,” Lu said with a laugh. “I haven’t tried this one - is it as good as the others?”

Rafe had hardly believed the news when Em wrote that she was coming home again, but his excitement could hardly be contained now. Thanks to his reputation, he’d managed to score an evening off tonight - in exchange for working later in the celebration - and he was to meet Em in the city, at a pub where they could have a fairly private meal. He was just a little late as he made his way to the pub; Em was just up ahead and his pace increased to a jog. “Em!”

a historical / fantasy / period / medieval friendly character survey.

reblog and bold your muses preference.  ~ Rafe

roses / cherry blossoms / orchids / tulips

winter / summer / autumn / spring

thunderstorms / sunshine / snow 

indoors / outdoors

meat / fruit / sweets

extravagance / traditionalism / minimalism

god fearing / non god fearing

cats / dogs / horses / birds

sunrise / sunset

day time / night time

fire / earth / water / wind 

reading / writing

rising early / sleeping late 

wine / ale / neither

fur / silk / satin / lace 

rubies / pearls / sapphires 

horse back / walking / carriages 

love / power

having company / being alone 

lakes / rivers / oceans 

knife / sword / bow / poison 

a historical / fantasy / period / medieval friendly character survey.

reblog and bold your muses preference.  ~ Lucretia

roses / cherry blossoms / orchids / tulips

winter / summer / autumn / spring

thunderstorms / sunshine / snow 

indoors / outdoors

meat / fruit / sweets

extravagance / traditionalism / minimalism

god fearing / non god fearing

cats / dogs / horses / birds

sunrise / sunset

day time / night time

fire / earth / water / wind 

reading / writing

rising early / sleeping late 

wine / ale / neither

fur / silk / satin / lace 

rubies / pearls / sapphires 

horse back / walking / carriages 

love / power

having company / being alone 

lakes / rivers / oceans 

knife / sword / bow / poison 

♛ 𝐖𝐄𝐋𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐓 ♛ — LUCRETIA DAROSIAN NÉE WOODMERE the PRINCESS of AROS. tales of this 29 year old CIS WOMAN tell of their LADYLIKE and DETERMINED nature, but beware, for they are also RETICENT and STUBBORN. the gossips whisper they use SHE/HER pronouns and look strangely like NATHALIE EMMANUEL. but i’ve also heard they bring images of FABRIC BRUSHING HER LEGS, THE SCENT OF STRAWBERRIES, AND A QUILL SCRATCHING AGAINST PARCHMENT to mind. how will their story unfold?