24th June,1616
Word traveled fast in Carib. Two days after the attack that had shown such clear holes in the Archon's son's ability to reason, and proven that the young nobleman who straddled north and south was more than capable in his own turn, Princess Elspeth, sister to the soon-to-be-crowned King Henry, rode into Cluaine Mor, her ladies and companions with her. And word had, indeed, traveled ahead of them. The Archon was waiting in the courtyard of the castle, his expression dark as he met his son's gaze. Lorcan was barely out of the saddle before his father gripped him by the hair, marching a full-grown man out of sight to begin sharing harsh words for his foolish actions.
Trying to make it seem as though she hadn't noticed this rather visceral display of parental authority, Elspeth remembered herself just in time, staying seated on the mare until someone came to help her down like the lady she was.
But it wasn't a servant or even her brother who came to help her from her horse, but the man she had befriended along the way. Though they'd been in each other's company for the extent of the trip, they had only been friends for two days, but in those two days, much had transpired between them and within the small group of travelers. Word had spread about the Archon's son's failure to protect the princess, as well as the baron's son's bravery. Miles' gaze met that of Elspeth's as he helped her from her horse, which was no simple feat, considering how he was favoring one arm. He had acted the perfect gentleman these last two days, making good on his promise to both befriend and protect her, even to the point of having words with the Archon's son.
She was careful to lend her weight more to his good arm than the injured limb as he helped her down, her smile still just a little shy as her hands brushed his chest before she stepped back. Though they had confirmed their friendship, Elspeth was struggling a little with unfamiliar feelings when it came to Miles Bradan. She had never wanted, not like this, and his insistence that they were so very far apart in station only added to her confusion. But he had proven himself her friend, and she was determined to keep that friendship.
"Thank you, my lord," she smiled to him, glancing up at the imposing castle they were about to enter. "Will you escort me to the queen and my brother?"
"As you wish, my lady," he replied, offering her an arm once she was standing on her feet and maneuvering to make sure it was the uninjured arm she was taking. He looked weary and ragged from the journey and the conflict that had taken place two days' before, but he'd made himself as presentable as possible, even to the point of being clean-shaven. He smiled a little as he, too, gazed up at the walls of the castle. "A lovely sight, isn't it?" he asked, clearly in awe of the grand view before them.
Lovely wasn't quite the word that sprang to mind for Elspeth, but she smiled and nodded in agreement. Gently laying her hand on his uninjured arm, she glanced back at their group briefly before looking to him once more. "This is my new home," she said quietly. "I hope I do not make too many mistakes in such a volatile atmosphere."
"You will learn, as we all have," he assured her with a warm smile, before turning his gaze to the man and woman at the center of the group gathered to welcome them - or rather, to welcome her. He hadn't missed how the Archon had dragged his son away, and he had even felt some sympathy for the man, but he made no further mention of it. "Your brother appears anxious to see you," he told her quietly, regarding Henry, who looked like he was having a hard time containing his excitement. "Shall we walk a little faster?"
A week ago, Elspeth would have abandoned Miles' arm to run to her brother and embrace him, but things had changed a little. She could tell that the entire group was watching her, judging her on this first impression ....and Henry had rushed off and told her not to hurry on the journey in the first place. "Let's keep at this pace," she murmured to Miles, her smile more of a smirk for a brief moment. After all, what was the harm in making her brother wait another minute or so"
He mirrored her smirk if only for a moment, sharing her amusement, though he wasn't quite sure why she wanted to make her brother wait when he looked practically bursting at the seams to rush forward and embrace her. He didn't dare presume it was because she enjoyed being having him close or being led on his arm. "A regal pace, then," he said as he led her slowly forward.
At the top of the steps, Brynhilde looked like she was trying not to laugh, caught between Henry - who was only just not bouncing up and down in his place - and Baron Bradan, Miles' father, who was anxious to make sure his son wasn't too badly injured.
When, finally, they reached the bottom of the stairs, Elspeth gently removed her hand from Miles' arm and lowered into a deep curtsy, just to annoy her brother a little bit more. "Majesties."
Miles stepped back a pace when Elspeth let go of his arm, allowing her to greet her brother and his betrothed before presenting him properly.
Henry looked like he could hardly contain himself, going so far as to sigh in mild annoyance at his sister's insistence on following decorum, though he knew they both were going to have to get used to it. "Do you think it would break with protocol too much to afford your only brother a hug?" he asked her.
"Rise, sister," Brynhilde said in amusement. "Embrace your brother before he abandons all decorum and throws you over his shoulder."
Laughing, Elspeth surged up from her curtsy, running up the steps to throw her arms around her brother, delighted to find him well and whole, and so obviously content with the great event that would take place very soon. The barons' side of the court clapped politely; the horse lords howled their approval, filling the courtyard with sound.
"I would not go so far as that," Harry assured them both with a slight roll of his eyes. A grin followed quickly after as he opened his arms to his sister's embrace. "I am glad to see you, Els," he whispered as he returned her embrace. "You have been missed," he added, speaking not only for himself, but for Bryn, as well.
"As have you," Elspeth pointed out, kissing his cheek affectionately. She squeezed him a moment longer, turning to embrace Brynhilde in her own turn, glad to be among family again. But she didn't forget her escort, waiting patiently at the foot of the stair. "Your Majesty, brother ....may I present my champion and friend, Miles Bradan, who risked his life for mine on the road." She gestured for Miles to come closer as all eyes turned to him.
Brynhilde masterfully managed to hide her own smile, enjoying Elspeth's telling turn of phrase even as she looked at one of the first men to have sworn fealty to her. "Welcome back to court, Lord Bradan," she welcomed him.
"Thank you, Majesty," Miles replied as he stepped closer, pausing a moment to offer the royal couple a respectful bow. "It is good to be back," he added, which hinted at the hardships of their journey, though he couldn't deny he had enjoyed Elspeth's companionship and was unsure how their friendship would fare now that they had returned to the capital. He turned to the man at the queen's side, who would soon be king. "It has been my honor to escort the princess safely into your care, Your Grace," he said, with another bow of his head.
Word traveled fast in Carib. Two days after the attack that had shown such clear holes in the Archon's son's ability to reason, and proven that the young nobleman who straddled north and south was more than capable in his own turn, Princess Elspeth, sister to the soon-to-be-crowned King Henry, rode into Cluaine Mor, her ladies and companions with her. And word had, indeed, traveled ahead of them. The Archon was waiting in the courtyard of the castle, his expression dark as he met his son's gaze. Lorcan was barely out of the saddle before his father gripped him by the hair, marching a full-grown man out of sight to begin sharing harsh words for his foolish actions.
Trying to make it seem as though she hadn't noticed this rather visceral display of parental authority, Elspeth remembered herself just in time, staying seated on the mare until someone came to help her down like the lady she was.
But it wasn't a servant or even her brother who came to help her from her horse, but the man she had befriended along the way. Though they'd been in each other's company for the extent of the trip, they had only been friends for two days, but in those two days, much had transpired between them and within the small group of travelers. Word had spread about the Archon's son's failure to protect the princess, as well as the baron's son's bravery. Miles' gaze met that of Elspeth's as he helped her from her horse, which was no simple feat, considering how he was favoring one arm. He had acted the perfect gentleman these last two days, making good on his promise to both befriend and protect her, even to the point of having words with the Archon's son.
She was careful to lend her weight more to his good arm than the injured limb as he helped her down, her smile still just a little shy as her hands brushed his chest before she stepped back. Though they had confirmed their friendship, Elspeth was struggling a little with unfamiliar feelings when it came to Miles Bradan. She had never wanted, not like this, and his insistence that they were so very far apart in station only added to her confusion. But he had proven himself her friend, and she was determined to keep that friendship.
"Thank you, my lord," she smiled to him, glancing up at the imposing castle they were about to enter. "Will you escort me to the queen and my brother?"
"As you wish, my lady," he replied, offering her an arm once she was standing on her feet and maneuvering to make sure it was the uninjured arm she was taking. He looked weary and ragged from the journey and the conflict that had taken place two days' before, but he'd made himself as presentable as possible, even to the point of being clean-shaven. He smiled a little as he, too, gazed up at the walls of the castle. "A lovely sight, isn't it?" he asked, clearly in awe of the grand view before them.
Lovely wasn't quite the word that sprang to mind for Elspeth, but she smiled and nodded in agreement. Gently laying her hand on his uninjured arm, she glanced back at their group briefly before looking to him once more. "This is my new home," she said quietly. "I hope I do not make too many mistakes in such a volatile atmosphere."
"You will learn, as we all have," he assured her with a warm smile, before turning his gaze to the man and woman at the center of the group gathered to welcome them - or rather, to welcome her. He hadn't missed how the Archon had dragged his son away, and he had even felt some sympathy for the man, but he made no further mention of it. "Your brother appears anxious to see you," he told her quietly, regarding Henry, who looked like he was having a hard time containing his excitement. "Shall we walk a little faster?"
A week ago, Elspeth would have abandoned Miles' arm to run to her brother and embrace him, but things had changed a little. She could tell that the entire group was watching her, judging her on this first impression ....and Henry had rushed off and told her not to hurry on the journey in the first place. "Let's keep at this pace," she murmured to Miles, her smile more of a smirk for a brief moment. After all, what was the harm in making her brother wait another minute or so"
He mirrored her smirk if only for a moment, sharing her amusement, though he wasn't quite sure why she wanted to make her brother wait when he looked practically bursting at the seams to rush forward and embrace her. He didn't dare presume it was because she enjoyed being having him close or being led on his arm. "A regal pace, then," he said as he led her slowly forward.
At the top of the steps, Brynhilde looked like she was trying not to laugh, caught between Henry - who was only just not bouncing up and down in his place - and Baron Bradan, Miles' father, who was anxious to make sure his son wasn't too badly injured.
When, finally, they reached the bottom of the stairs, Elspeth gently removed her hand from Miles' arm and lowered into a deep curtsy, just to annoy her brother a little bit more. "Majesties."
Miles stepped back a pace when Elspeth let go of his arm, allowing her to greet her brother and his betrothed before presenting him properly.
Henry looked like he could hardly contain himself, going so far as to sigh in mild annoyance at his sister's insistence on following decorum, though he knew they both were going to have to get used to it. "Do you think it would break with protocol too much to afford your only brother a hug?" he asked her.
"Rise, sister," Brynhilde said in amusement. "Embrace your brother before he abandons all decorum and throws you over his shoulder."
Laughing, Elspeth surged up from her curtsy, running up the steps to throw her arms around her brother, delighted to find him well and whole, and so obviously content with the great event that would take place very soon. The barons' side of the court clapped politely; the horse lords howled their approval, filling the courtyard with sound.
"I would not go so far as that," Harry assured them both with a slight roll of his eyes. A grin followed quickly after as he opened his arms to his sister's embrace. "I am glad to see you, Els," he whispered as he returned her embrace. "You have been missed," he added, speaking not only for himself, but for Bryn, as well.
"As have you," Elspeth pointed out, kissing his cheek affectionately. She squeezed him a moment longer, turning to embrace Brynhilde in her own turn, glad to be among family again. But she didn't forget her escort, waiting patiently at the foot of the stair. "Your Majesty, brother ....may I present my champion and friend, Miles Bradan, who risked his life for mine on the road." She gestured for Miles to come closer as all eyes turned to him.
Brynhilde masterfully managed to hide her own smile, enjoying Elspeth's telling turn of phrase even as she looked at one of the first men to have sworn fealty to her. "Welcome back to court, Lord Bradan," she welcomed him.
"Thank you, Majesty," Miles replied as he stepped closer, pausing a moment to offer the royal couple a respectful bow. "It is good to be back," he added, which hinted at the hardships of their journey, though he couldn't deny he had enjoyed Elspeth's companionship and was unsure how their friendship would fare now that they had returned to the capital. He turned to the man at the queen's side, who would soon be king. "It has been my honor to escort the princess safely into your care, Your Grace," he said, with another bow of his head.