Going to court! Again!! (Open to all!! Please join!!)

[Anonymous]

Faile felt a rising stab of anxiety but she quickly attempted to squash it.  it's not like I have never been to court before I am practically always at court!!  Calm down  She then realized she was smoothing her skirts without any need.  "My lady, please stop fretting so, you are making me nervous."  Faile smiled at he best friend/maid, "I am sorry, Moraine, I can't understand why I am nervous!!  You are right, and please don't cringe when I say you name?  You are still the Lady Moraine no matter what your father did, why else do you think you are in the courage with silks?"  Her servant Moraine kept cringing though, Faile felt a sharp hot flare of shame and guilt, she really shouldn't keep bringing that up!  She was about to try and comfort Moraine when there was a large bump which made her go flying into the other seat and hit her ehad rather hard, shaking her head she started to stand with the help of Moraine when the carriage lurched to a stop and she and Moraine both fell over.  A wave of dizziness struck Faile as she hit her head, again.  The door opened and sunlight filled the carriage, Faile hurriedly stood making herself presentable and turned to face who ever opened the door, she saw her clerk standing there wringing his hands, "Umm, m'lady, we seem to um... lost a um er...um..wheel, and we..need help getting it.. um...er..well, off m'lady, I am sorry m'lady!!"  With the lasy 'm'lady' he practically flung himself to the ground bowing and knuckling his forehead, he was practically kissing the dirt!!!  All of a sudden the noise hit her, the noise of the city of Arca, beautiful wonderful Arca!!  "Master Norry, please stop with all the bowing, you are going to give me a headache trying to watch you!!"  She then laughed to take any sting he might see in her words, out.  He turned a deep shade of red and bowed, "Sory m'lady I am done!, but er..um.. what about the carriage?"  Faile almost sighed, he was soo upset about this, she straightened her hair to hide her slight frown, when she was 'done' with her hair she had an idea, "Do not worry about it Master Norry, why I have a wonderful idea, why you men fix the carriage I shall take Moraine and go shopping, you know I love to shop, and how soothing it is for me!!  It is the perfect solution, now if you get to the castle before me then, find the right room, it is not the one I always usee, it is right by the Royal Quarters, it is my families section, they have set up the larger one, the one my parents always use, for me, OK?"  He quickly nodded writing everything down, Faile refrained from sighing again, she quickly gathered up Moraine and left to go shopping, wondering if she was going to meet anyone, once she realized she was on the noble street, as many called it.  She was in the Inner Part of town, where all the more expensive and better made products wore she quickly set off, putting on and adjusting her hat with Moraine following behind her.

[Lion]

Willem could not believe the amount of time his caravan took to travel from Cerenis to Arca.  Since Arca was not a seaport, he sadly had to leave the Eternal Rose anchored to the docks of Cerenis until he could make his trip back, taking the next caravan that made its way to Arca and back every so often.  Of course this wasn't the first time, he had taken the caravan but it always seemed it was so much quicker in the previous trips.  Or perhaps there were more bumps and dips in the road that would slow the carriages than there were before?  Though another explanation could possibly be that they just added more stops to the route.  The carriages were more elaborately decorated than before; perhaps these extra stops provided the money for such embellishments. Willem screwed his face with the thought but brushed it away just as quickly.  "Oh I can think about that later."

Stepping out onto the docking platform that led into the market area at the inner edge of the city outskirts, he wiped off the travel dust from his brown cloak.  The cloak perhaps wasn't such a necessary item to accompany one in the morning sunlight of an autumn day, but Willem never went anywhere without it.  He brushed back his hair and braced himself as he walked straight into people traffic.  It amazed him at the amount of people out this morning, but then again this was the market place.  Where else would he find that many people walking about so early in the morning?  People had lives too: places to be, things to do, supplies to buy, food to make -- the whole nine yards.  It was hurting his head just thinking about it.

Willem headed toward the less crowded part of the market area, the Inner City market where the more expensive shops were.  Perhaps there was something for him there as a way to get his mind off of things and maybe buy that new jacket Campa, his first mate, had been wanting for some time now.  Luckily, he had grown quite wealthy from his trade all over the continent, from the smallest fisherman village to cities near and far.  He would buy items for less then they were worth by 'negotiating' and sell them elsewhere for a price much higher than he got the item for.    Sometimes he would buy more than one of a specific item just so that item would be sold out and sell them back to another merchant for two or three times the cost, justifying that that specific item was so rare that it was worth the price he set for it.  Some might call that cheating, stealing, and lying, but he called it making a living.  To him, he worked in an occupation that he considered was an 'honest piracy'.

Willem did not feel the worn belt of the dagger's scabbard being cut from his side.  The hand that cut the belt quickly snatched away the dagger as he finally noticed it was gone.  The state of bewilderment awarded the lithe bodied thief time to make his getaway.  Finally recollecting his wits,  Willem called out at the top of his lungs, "HEY!"  Immediately he was on his feet in a dash that could make a racehorse think twice, his thick, black, leather boots not impeding him in any way.  Looking over his shoulder, the thief, spooked at how close Willem was, forced himself to run faster.  As the chase when on, they both dodged people here and there, occasionally knocking down passers-by.  "Stop! Stop!  Dammit, I said to stop!" he cried out once more but to no avail, the thief led him into the Inner City market district, otherwise known as the noble road.

Cutting a quick corner, the thief ducked into a shop and disappeared from sight.  Willem slowed as he neared the corner and rounded it in a brisk jog.  Spotting someone quickly go into a backroom through the window of the nearest shop, he attempted to quickly go through the door.  However, as he burst through the open door, he didn't notice the young woman and her maid in front of him and knocked into them; not only sending his big body hurtling to the floor but their bags as well.  The fall knocked the wind out of him and he felt as if he just went for a ride on the earth's axis, as dizzy as he was.  Regaining his breath, he climbed to his feet and finally took notice of the two women before him.

[Anonymous]

"See Moraine!  This is soo comforting, you know you  love shopping!  Come, please smile for me? PLease?"  Faile asked her maid, It's been 4 years how long 'till she realizes that I am still her best friend?  I can tell she still wants to be my friend but if I say something it will only distress er!!!"  Arghhh  Faile quickly darted into a shop to hide the crease she felt coming onto her face, that always happens when she is irritated.  When her eyes adjusted to the sudden darkerness, (OOC:  hEHEHE NEW WORD!!)  and she adjusted her hat, she saw she found a silk shop.

She quickly started thumbing fabrics and murmering to her Moraine about which ones she should buy, she found quite a couple for herself and 4 that she would actually be able to get Moraine to wear, she then found herself doing the fun stuff!!  The details (Yeah!!) and the measuring (Uhg!!) when she heard a commotion outside, she quickly finished off the details and left the seamstress money and rushed outside, she heard Moraine tell the seamstress they'd be back regularly to see how far along it is going and pay the rest of the money.  Moraine was then next to her on the street, "Look Moraine, we only just got here and theres already excitement!!!"  Faile quickly told Moraine.  She gathered the bags she had been aloud to carry, and looked up just in time to see a large man rushing towards them yelling and a little man run into the same shop with a.. a.. was that a cut purse?  Oh my that isn't good!!  

She then looked up again to see a flash of black hair and a large muscular body, when all her bags were knocked away and she fell against the house, the wave of nausea coming back then gone, just in time to see the large man fall on his face and Moraine pick her self up and gether the bags, looking very irritated,  Faile rushed over to see if the man was alright and got over to him just in time for him to get up, so she instead picked up a small bag by him and then straightened her skirts, they had ridden up to show people a glimpse of her ankles and bottoms of her petticoats!!!! Luckily the man did notice since he was still face down!!  So she stood there ready to help him if needed, "Hello good sir, do you need any help?  Moraine see if that thief is still there and inform the seamstress there is a thief in the back of her building! Can I help you at all, sir?"  Faile decided it would be a good idead to stop there, so as not to get anxious, she felt a rise of irritation but jumped on it many times to squash it, she felt better.

[Lion]

"Gracious!" Willem exclaimed.  "I'm so sorry.  I didn't see you, and when I did, 'twas already too late."  He bent down to pick up the bags at his feet, also ducking his head to hide the smirk on his face.  Apparently he had noticed her petticoats!  Gathering the last of the bags, Willem quickly cleaned his the sly smirk from his face and handed the rest of the bags to her.  "I'm fine," he said, catching a bag he nearly dropped.  "But are you alright?  I nearly toppled over you there."

Hardening his jaw, he walked towards the seamstress who was obviously stunned by the suddenness of the events.  She had been so keenly occupied with sewing she probably didn't notice the little man run into her back room.  She only looked up from her work when he had run into the two women and at the resounding thud from his heavy body landing itself on the floor.  Ignoring her dumbfounded gaze, he asked, "Did you happen to see that man that just ran through here?"  When she shook her head, he sighed impatiently and walked towards the backroom door.  The seamstress opened her mouth to protest but Willem shot his hand up to silence her.  He opened the door without a fight - This must be one of those new buildings - and entered the dusty area filled with crates and dust of ages.  Maybe this place wasn't so new after all...  Shaking the thought from his mind, he shut the door as quietly as he could.

Suddenly there was a crash somewhere towards the back of the room.  Crouching low to avoid detection, Willem walked to where the sound occurred.  As he approached, the thief put his head up slightly to see where he was.  Spotting him, "Hey!"  The thief struggled to his feet in sheer surprise but tripped on his ankle.  He tried once again to get up but Willem was already on him.  "There you are, you little bastard.  Get up!" Willem dragged the little man by this shirt collar and slammed him against the backroom wall.  "Trying to steal from me, eh?! Give me back my damn dagger before I tan your hide!"

  The thief yelped in terror and immediately revealed the stolen dagger as well as an emerald earring to him.  In a voice squealing with fear, he cried out, "Here!  Here! Take it, just don't kill me!"  Willem took both items and, while still holding onto the thief's collar, gave him the hardest head butt of his life.  Instantly the thief was unconscious and sank to the floor.

"That ought to teach him to try and steal from me again..." He spit on the unconscious body and examined both the dagger, which he tied back onto his waist, and the emerald earring.  Willem suspected the thief must have stolen the earring from the young woman in the shop just as he was about to run into the backroom.  Clever little cat purse, he thought and chuckled to himself.  He put the earring into pocket of the dark blue naval coat he wore under his cloak.  Walking out of the store room, he acknowledged the seamstress, boggled eyes and said to her, "I best advise that you call the authorities as soon as possible.  There's an unconscious thief in your store room."  He approached the young woman there and noticed an earring indeed missing from her left ear, her right ear bearing a lone emerald earring similar to the one he had found.  Pulling it out of his pocket, he smirked wryly and asked, "I don't suppose this is your earring is it?"

[Rhindeer]

[OOC: I hate to butt in. x3 But Summer, please check your PMs; I believe Shizzy PMed you yesterday. SotE only allows original characters, so you cannot join and play as characters from the Wheel of Time. Please fix that. ^^;; Thank you!]

[Anonymous]

Faile saw the man quickly get up and mutter something she didn't catch, he then strode off to the back of the shop, ignoring the seamstress, a bit later she saw him come out and hold up a large emerald asking, "I don't suppose this is your earring is it?"  Her breath caught, she recognized the earring, she let out a small squeal of delight and thumbed her empty earlobe, "Why, how did he get that?  He must have very quick fingers!!  Thank you so much!!  These used to belong to my Great-Grandmother!!"  Faile said indicating the earrings, I suppose I shouldn't have worn them!!  Thank you again!!"  She then reached out and took the earring.  Moraine was shooting the man dirty looks as if thinking that he somehow stole it!!  How absurd!!  How could he have tooken it, then again how could the thief steal it?  That is one of lifes little mysteries I guess!!  She thought with a small laugh to herself.

She shot Moraine a look that stated STOP IT!!  Moraine blushed and studied the floor as if it was the most interesting thing in the entire world.  Faile turned back to the man and said, "Oh, I am Lady Faile Torkoras, what is your name?  Would you like to walk with us?  We are on our way to the castle to get settled, you should dine with us!!  Please, I insist!!  After all you got my precious earring back!!  Please??"  Faile realized with a small inner start, why I really really want him to come!!  I wonder why?[/b]

[Lion]

With all the vigor of his twenty-four year old self, Willem now felt like a teen again for reasons unknown to him.  There was a spark in his eyes again self that hadn't appeared in many years.  But the twinkle disappeared as quickly as it came when thoughts of his dead wife drifted into his mind.  No, dammit!  I can't think about that now, he forced the thoughts from his mind.  Forcing a smile, showing his animal-white teeth, he replied, "It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Torkoras.  I am Captain Willem Gerwulf.  Well, I have a bit of my own shopping to do, but I certainly wouldn't mind accompanying you.  I'll be staying in town for a while so it does not matter what I do today I suppose."

As he gazed into her face, there was a sudden excitement twinkling in her eyes that made his heart leap into his throat.  Faile's forwardness left Willem dumbstruck, but he smiled nonetheless for various such things amused him as forwardness.  A trait that did not go well for some of the merchants who refused to haggle for prices.  They would occasionally think they could take advantage of this sharp deal-maker by being overtly forward and forcing a fixed price on an item.  But then they would be shocked at the amount of flaws Willem could find on the item to force a better deal.  Inside they would be seething with rage and confusion at the captain's keep eye.  

However, in this situation, it baffled him as to why this Lady had insisted on him accompanying them so intently.  Usually nobility would not even offer him a passing glance, not that he minded though.  Willem certainly did not escape the notice of the maid, who gave him a look that was written in accusation.  But accusation of what, he did not know.  Watching Faile shut her down so quickly amused him as did almost everything that concerned those in power subduing those without it.  Still, there was something captivating about the heart-shaped face of Lady Faile Torkoras that intrigued him to learn more of her.

[Anonymous]

Faile saw the mans eyes sparkle for a moment but then it disappeare just as quickly and left his eyes looking... grim, Why I wonder if I imagined the livliness?  But then the sparkle was back, as he responded, and seemd to grimace, he didn't bow which Moraine seemed offended but she didn't mind, "Oh Captain, please call me Faile.. er.. Lady Faile."  She added at the confused and hurt look on Moraines face, now I wonder why she is hurt?  "Oh, that is marvelous that you will accomany us, so do own a ship, or a fleet?  How many places have you been to, oh, I love sailing!!"  Faile found herself reeling off questions as she set off with him falling in beside her and Moraine trailing behind.  She finally stopped so he could answer.  Through thier conversation she hardly paid any attention to where they were unless he entered a shop or she did, but she watched him the rest of the time.

Trying to see if that grimness would return she realized, after awhile though she found herself relaxing and listening to him talk and herself talk.  This is something I never thought I would ever do!!  How odd!!

[Lion]

Willem listened to her questions intently, his hands neatly held behind his back and watched his boots proceed him forward in succession on the precision-placed cobblestoned streets of the market.  Compared to the ones of the Outer City which were chipped with stones missing in some places, these were exceptionally well-kept, without a stone out of place.  Laughing suddenly when Faile finally gave him a chance to answer her legion of questions, he took a breath to speak.  "I think it would not only be impossible for a lone man such as myself to command an entire fleet of warships but also completely absurd.  However, I do own a ship myself.  Nothing too fancy, but a beautiful merchant's schooner called the Eternal Rose.  I love sailing; it's perhaps the most calming activity in the world."

As the rest of morning passed into afternoon, and as they conversed, they entered various shops along their path.  Willem didn't know where exactly they were headed but simply summed that the two were shopping simply to pass the time.  He was as well.  There were only a few reasons Willem had in coming to Arca in the first place.  One was to purchase some of the things he needed and another was meet up with a certain 'friend' of his.  But that meeting would have to wait until late into the night.  Or perhaps even the following day.  The deal would have to be made soon nonetheless.

The three of them came across a clothing shop where he spotted a jacket in the window.  Suddenly he said something incoherently, eyes wide, "That's it!"  He walked through the door, the bell above the door ringing its irregular customer ring.  He approached the clerk and began to discuss with him about the jacket in the window.  All the while he did not noticed the eyes of Faile on him.  He held the few bags he had in his hands and found himself asking questions like an ignorant child, "Where are you from?"  "Is this your first time going to the castle?"  "When was the first time you have ever been sailing?"  There was an inner curiosity growing in him that he could not comprehend.

[Anonymous]

As the questions spilled out of her she saw him watch the stones beneath his feet and, to her surprise, she saw him clasp his hands behind his back, He looks very official with his hands like that!! She blushed with the thought and was embarassed that she blushed and stopped talking, hopefully Willem would think she had run out of questions, and breath?  She wasn't so sure.
He chuckled when she stopped, Faile discovered it was a nice sound, deep and light, he answered about being a humbke man of one ship, Faile suddenly jumped when he exclaimed, "That's it!!"  She followed him into the shop and talk to the clerk about a jacket in the window, Faile split her attention between him, arguing , by the sounds of it, with the clerk and studying the jacket and picturing him in it.  I wonder what he see's in the jacket, it is just a plain old jacket, it looks wool, not very good for sailing especially if its wet!!  When he was done and they left he started asking questions about her, she giggled when he asked, "When was the first time you have gone sailing?"  She started answering him, "I am from a couple estates all over Serendipity, we have 23, I have been to the castle a lot over the past couple of years.  I first went sailing, that I can remember,oh, I was probably about 6 and we had gone sailing on the large lake in my one estate, my Grandfather and I, and it was wonderful!!" She chatted on about different times she went sailing her own little boat Littlest Swan, and various places she saw and people who she has sailed with, she then went on to ask him many of the same questions he asked her and some of her own, "Where was the farthest you have ever been to?  What is the wierdest thing you have ever seen?  What does the Eternal Rose look like?  How old is she?"  She listened to his answers with earnest and was surprised to see how late it was and how close to the castle they were.

[Lion]

What a curious lass! he thought, continuing to listen, yet lost of all time and place.  "I was born and raised in Connlaoth, in a lordship a few miles from the capital, but had to leave after growing up because of a magical ability I somehow developed in my youth.  And as I traveled, I began to favor Serendipity of all the kingdoms and do most of my business here, but I have never been to the castle.  I have been around all over the continent, from Hyoite to Cerenis and various villages near and far.  My ship is quite an impressive vessel in it's own right.

"I remember winning her in some card game from a rotten scalawag who was far too drunk to even speak clearly.  It was about six years ago, I was eighteen then, when I first saw her anchored out in harbor as if waiting for me.  I transformed her from a rat-haven battleship to the most beautiful merchant schooner you'd ever seen.  It has three tall masts, whereas most ships of its type only have two, painted red with gold trim.  A small, fast, and durable ship it is.  Certainly the pride of my sailing years."  Willem finished finally realizing how long he had been out.  Though it was still daylight, he was weary to the bone and could use a good meal at this moment.  In the distance he could see the bleak outline of the castle up ahead.  He intermittently was awed by the sight and and the rumblings of his stomach.  He turned toward the Faile and said, "Wow, I've never actually seen the castle up close.  It's as beautiful as I could have imagined.  Well, I suppose this is where you take your leave...  Unless there was something you wanted to ask me?"  As he looked at her, there was a hopeful gleam in his eye, that sparked in tune with the rumblings of his stomach.

[Anonymous]

Faile listened intently to the story of his life, also oblivious to the time of day, when he finished she found herself asking, "You have magic?  I do too!!  What can you do?"  She then stopped when she saw him look at the sky and blink in surprise, or at least that is what she thought it was, that was when she herself noticed the time of day.  Holy cow!!  How is it so late already, AGHH!!  My stomach hurts, I am HUNGRY!!!  She saw Willem look at the castle, awed by the size of it, he then turned to her and spoke in his deep voice that she realized was a rather nice voice, "Wow, I've never actually seen the castle up close. It's as beautiful as I could have imagined. Well, I suppose this is where you take your leave... Unless there was something you wanted to ask me?" It took her a couple of seconds to realize the pleading note in his voice and eyes.  "Well, yes, as I said before and I still mean it, would you like to dine with us, it is my first night this trip and the first night is always the most boring and, well, it is interesting to learn about a....Captains life on the sea, please, oh you must we can have anything you feel like having, please?"  She was surprised to hear an almost pleading note in her own voice!!  Well what is done is done.  She then stopped and waited for his response while Moraine slipped off to make sure the coach, etc, got there and to get her suitable clothes unpacked and ready, and get a dinner set up for two.  Oh I hope he says yes, why else would he actually plead? She turned and started to walk, slowly, to the castle.  Practically holding her breath, waiting for his answer anticipating the yes yet afraid of the no, she watched for any expression on his face and his eyes switched from emotion to emotion, happy, sad, frustrated, distressed, sparkling, etc.  She waited expectantly.

[Lion]

"Well I'd certainly love to!" Willem exclaimed, smiling naturally.  A nice roasted duck would just hit the spot for him.  Following her lead, he walked through the castle gates as the guards eyed him suspiciously.  I suppose they think I'm not worth having here, not being a noble and all.  Well, if they think so, to hell with them then!  I'm sure I make more money in a month than most of them do in a year.  The speculation made him grin to himself, though he was more than sure Faile noticed as well.

Once inside the gates, the effect of the building structure had a more profound effect on him than seeing it from a distance had.  Such beautiful and detailed architecture left him appalled.  He certainly could have something like this built for him with the amount of money he saved over the years.

"Tell me, Lady Faile, what's the best meal you've ever been served here?"  He wanted to make an attempt at polite conversation but was intrigued at curious taste her name left on his lips.

[Anonymous]

(OOC:MOVING TO THE CASTLE!!!  ABOUT-FACE!!  HEHE!)