Thomas and Ella Stark had extended their invitations to all manner of lords and dukes alike to attend the Coming of Age party for their eldest son's birthday. The Stark family, a proud lot in the North, had an overwhelming number of replies to those attending.
"Even Gavrel DuBrulter is coming. I haven't seen him since our wedding day," Ella went on, affectionately turning away from the letter to her husband. "Gods.. has it truly been so long you and I have been wed?"
Lord Stark moved forward and stroked his wife's cheek.
"Aye, and you're still as pretty as you were back then you know."
"Oh... you are the charmer, always were," she went on and shook his hand from her cheek. She picked up the next scroll and began to open it. "I still can't believe how young we were when we married."
"I know.. you were only fourteen," Thomas said with a playful leer.
She feigned an exasperated sigh, but Ella Stark still looked to her husband the same way she always did. "And I never once regretted it." And they leaned forward to kiss warm, to kiss sweetly; just as their daughter walked into the room.
"Am I to expect the announcement of another baby brother? Because having two brother's isn't enough of a hastle," she teased her parents. They both turned to her, all smiles.
"You should consider yourself lucky to be a girl, Petrin," her mother said.
"Why?" Petrin asked, approaching the table full of scrolls.
"Because girls are the bringers of life."
"Yeah, but we can't pee standing up, and I want to pee standing up."
And that's when Lord Stark tossed back his head in a laugh.
"Aye, and I too am glad we didn't have all boys! We'd be out of all the fun of our quick tongued daughter!"
Petrin bowed and smiled broadly with her teeth.
"So I see there are many letters for Toma's party."
"Aye, that there is," her mother agreed. "Seems like we might have an even bigger turn out than our wedding.
"That's because we're having this so early int he spring. We're too far north.. the ice has only melted, but a lot of people around here just want an excuse to get out side," Petrin went on, fetching an apple from the fruit dish nearby and taking a bite.
"Toma is well received by everyone," her mother agreed. "And the timing is well... I think there are a lot of family's seeking out an alliance with us." She turned to her husband. "I wouldn't be surprised if Toma ends up engaged."
And at that, Petrin began to choke on her apple.
"I hate this." Toma blatantly states as his handmaiden helps dress him for his special occasion.
Giving a concerned look, she replies. "Why is that m'lord? You are now an adult, and next in line to rule this province."
Toma releases an exasperated sigh. "That is exactly why. If I am to be an adult, if I am to rule, then why can't I make my own choices? I mean for Ansgar's sake Elise, the only reason you're here is because mother wanted to make sure I wore this outfit."
Elise, finished and steps back, giving Toma a sympathetic look. "Well you know that they're only looking out for your best interests."
Looking over his outfit with a slight frown, he turns to the handmaiden. "You mean they're looking out for the family's best interests. Don't get me wrong, I love my family to death, and would do anything for them, but I want to help in my own way. All I wanted was to have the day in peace to study my tactics. The more knowledgeable on the battlefield I am, the better I can protect them, but this...this celebration is leaving the family dreadfully open to assassination."
Knowing that Toma would go non stop on every weak point of the party, Elise cuts him off. "Well maybe you'll meet a general's daughter to elope with, and that way you'll have a professional tactician as your father in law."
At that mention, Toma's eyes lit up. "Ah yes! Of course! There will be plenty of fair maidens here, one of them is bound to be fathered by a general!"
Elise chuckles at his response. "So now that, that gloom is done away with, you better not keep your guests waiting."
"Petrin, the guests ought to be arriving soon. Can you go check on Toma?" her mother asked.
Once her daughter had the apple under control, she gave her mother a nod and a laugh.
"I suppose I could! Who knows, he might need some help with his skirts!"
Her mother's eyes widened, but she couldn't help her laugh.
"Petrin!" her mother tried to scold. "Really now..." And suddenly Lady Stark found the half eaten apple tossed into her hands while Petrin was moving towards the exit door. Her mother sighed as she watched her disappearing form.
"Whatever shall we do with her, Thomas?" Lady Stark sighed.
"She'd make a very handsome throw rug," her husband suggested.
"Thomas!" She smacked his arm. "Really now, you're as bad as she is! But now I remember where she gets it from!" But no more protesting could come from her lips when her husband rose from his chair to steal a kiss from his still, very attractive wife.
"We've got some hours left before the guests arrive..." Lord Stark flirted. And from behind the heavy door, Petrin gave a call back to them,
"Behave you two! The bell is ringing! An early bird guest has arrived!"
And with that, the red head dashed up the stairs to her brother's room. She didn't even bother to knock when she pushed the doors open and gave her brother a lopsided grin.
"Mother sent me in here to help me with your dress," she told him, and made herself right at home on his bed.
The ruckus Petrin made caused a very young Seldon's interest to be peaked. He came charging from across the hall as Petrin reached the top of the stairs, following her into Toma's room and flopping onto his bed aswell.
He pressed closer against Petrin, snuggling her arm as he watched Toma with big, almost admiring, eyes. He had always looked up to his brother. He was strong and smart. He was able to protect the small Seldon. In his eyes. Toma was a hero.
As for appearance. He seemed to be everything but ready for the party. A sloppy tunic with several holes in it due to Seldon's playfulness when they were outside. Completed with skinned knees, scraped elbows and several bruises.
Petrin's sudden intrusion caused Elise to step back letting out a surprised gasp. Toma tenses up, immediately loosing the inspiration in his eyes, he turns to his bed pressing his thumb and pointer finger on the upper bridge of his nose. "I may not agree with mother's fashion decisions, but as you can see this is no dress. It's just flamboyant attire for a male noble."
The youngest Stark Seldon, soon charged in after his sister, joining her on Toma's bed. At this the eldest sibling relaxed his posture, letting out a deep breathe he drops his hand. He couldn't get angry while Seldon was here, he sees him the same way Toma saw his father at that age.
"Well obviously this means its time for me to come down, Petrin, Seldon, I suggest you two should stop dilly dallying and do the same. Also Seldon, I suggest you change, mother will have a heart attack if she sees you like that."
"Yeah," she went on, giving Seldon's ear a pinch. "Do I have to scrub you myself? Not sure mother would be pleased, considering most times you get in the bath I end up half bathed myself! We can't have her furious at us both, so I'll ask Mattie to wash you up. We know how much you love her!" she teased, knowing the old maid Mattie was the rambunctious boy's least favorite person!
"Owowowow-" Seldon blinked, some tears gathering in his eyes as he looked up at Petrin, before giving her a rather mischievous chuckle about just what happened when he had to take a bath with assistance of any of his siblings. "N-Not Mattie!" He exclaimed with another soft pout, glancing away, his attention already lost. "I don't like Mattie," he murmured softly.
((Note. I am -very- bad at roleplaying children. So, sorry if things seem off. This is good practice))
"Ah, yes well while you two settle this matter, I must attend to my guests. Oh how I wish I was young again." With that Toma left, Elise following quickly behind to return to her chambers.
Walking down the stairs, the young noble was greeted almost immediately once he reached the bottom. There stood a fine dressed, balding portly man, but what he lacked in head hair, was redeemed by how finely maintained his handlebar mustache was.
Shaking Toma's hand eagerly, the man began speaking. "Ah it's so nice to meet the illustrious Toma Stark! I've heard great things about you! I'm Lord Winton, a friend of your fathers! He must have told you about all our stories together!"
Toma has no clue who this Lord Winton was and guesses that he's just some minor lord trying to claim notoriety. "Ah yes! Of course, you rest so dear in my father's memories." This left him with a grin most likely tailored on his face. Finishing the encounter, Toma continues. He left himself wide open for an attack, he was too focused on my face. If I had a hidden weapon he'd be dead for sure. He thinks to himself.
While Toma was left to his 'guests', Petrin grabbed her younger brother roughly by his wrist.
"Come on," she urged with a roll of her eye and slipped off the bed, pulling him along.
"If you're good and quick about it I'll help you," she started. "But our parents won't be happy if they learn I ended up bathing with you. You know how long it takes my hair to dry and mother spent all morning on the braid."
Seldon looked up at Petrin with big eyes as he was pulled along, nodding vigourously. "Bye Tommy!" He called after Toma, before he was dragged down the hall by Petrin. He murmured something barely audible under his breath about being good.
Dragging Seldon into his room, the servants were already pouring in a warm, oil scented bath for the young lord. Releasing her hold on her younger brother, she closed the door and turned to him.
"Okay, now off with your clothes and into the bath. Gotta make this quick, okay? Or mother will kill us both! We're already late for Toma's big day."
His eyes widened in disbelief when Petrin claimed mother was going to kill them. Sure. He could be naughty, but he always got off with a spanking. Wich, for the record, he extremely disliked. But killing?! He got frightened at the thought alone and started to pull his clothes off rather abruptly. And inefficiently.
Petrin finally grinned to see him make haste.
"Good!" She helped him by unbinding any complicated ties before urging him,
"Hurry up now and get in the tub!" She turned to the servants. "Are his clothes ready? Mother wanted him to wear his green suit. The new one with the gold embroidery."
Halfway through having pulled his pants off, he quite literally stumbled into the tub, getting a nice and big splash of water on the nearest servant. Keeping Petrin dry, for the time being that is.
He let out an annoyed moan as he heard the green suit.
Anything but the geen suit. The green suit looked icky.
Petrin took a step back and sighed.
"Hurry up and scrub down with the soap, Selly. Don't need you to be all smelly!" she taunted.
"Mn'aww.." Seldon pouted at the teasing, the servants heading to work to scrub him down as he obviously wasn't planning on doing it himself. "Petrin smells like fart," he answered, unable to come up with any wittier response.
"Nice come back, think of that one all by yourself?" she quipped, smirking satisfyingly as her brother's was scrubbed head to toe. "Don't forget between his legs!"
He laughed loudly, "Petrins smells like farts~!" He started to chant between laughs, not caring in the least just where these servants were scrubbing.
And that's when Petrin threw one of his bed pillows at his head!
With a loud pomf, it smacked against his head and dropped into the tub.
And, she is met by a weak, yet wet return of the same pillow.
When the soaking wet pillow came flailing her way, she had managed to doge it, but the water that spiraled off of it got everyone wet, and soon even the servants were chastising the young boy. And Petrin stood there, a bit horrified that her clothes were all wet.
"SELDON!" she screamed. "That's it- I'm getting Mattie!"
Seldon's eyes went wide at Petrin's yelling and the chastising servants. "Bu-bu-.." He started as his eyes went teary. "Y-you started!" He cried out loudly in return.
When the initial greeting of early guests waned to a close, Toma headed to the dinning hall for a official declaration, and signify the beginning of his celebration. This action leaves him very vulnerable, making the young noble reluctant, but it's proper etiquette and he doesn't want to disappoint his parents.
Taking his seat at the head of the table, he fakes a smile towards his mother and father who sit at the two seats closest to him.
"So son how does it feel to sit at the head? Don't get used to it though, I'm not going anywhere any time soon." Lord Stark gives off a hearty laugh at his own comment.
Toma's mother shoots her husband a disapproving glare, then looks towards her son. "Well in a more serious matter, we have many guests planned to arrive, and they'll surely be bringing their unwed daughters. You are eighteen now, and really should think about finding a spouse."
"Are there any generals coming?"
Slightly taken aback by her son's blatant redirection, Lady Stark responds. "Well yes, but only one of them have a daughter that has yet to marry." She pauses for a moment before continuing. "But I would not recommend her, there are a few unpleasant rumors circulating her."
Toma's false smile quickly fades at this. "And what rumors are those?"
"Well I've heard rumors of her having fits out of nowhere, and talking to herself from time to time. Some think she's mad, and others believe she's possessed. Either way, it would only get our family caught in needless affairs if you were to court her."
"Very well." Toma left his response vague to not worry his mother. The young noble very well intends on finding this woman. Protecting his family is more important than political affairs to him.
Mattie was summoned, and the old maid made her way into the little lord's chambers and everything seemed to grow colder, quieter. She of course, tsked at the young lord and took over, although not without scolding the young lady Stark, first.
"Be off with you, my lady. Towels up and have your servants see your dress is proper." And she turned from Petrin who cast a cat like grin at Seldon before she disappeared into the hall. The large woman moved towards the bath.
"Alright, up with your arms so I can inspect them. And I want to see them fingernails, young lad. Can't have you showing up at your brother's special day with dirt in your nails! Now 'urry up, we ain't got much time!"
Seldon stuck his tongue to Petrin when Mattie was turned to her.
He looked up to Mattie as Petrin left, raising his arms reluctantly.
The younger Starks were off being prepared, Petrin now in her room with ladies fussing over her hair and dress. Naturally, her parents thought it fitting if she wore white. She hated white. She never thought it looked good on her, but the green and gold embroidery was lovely, and so was the family's crest that hung off a gold chain around her neck.
It had been her grandmother's, handed down to her a month before she had passed. She had always been close to her, and in fact, had been named after her. The bonds with her, her mother and her grandmother were very close...
And she still missed her.
But she supposed she could visit the crypt on another day.
"Are you finished with the ties?" Petrin found herself asking, impatiently.
"Just about, my lady."
Petrin sighed and looked back into the mirror. And though she wished she could be getting joy out of Seldon's plight in dealing with Mattie, she herself, felt a bit nervous for this outting. Because though her parents were seeking a perfect match for their son...
There had also been talks about pairing her up as well.
(I'm so sorry for such a late response! >.<)
Lady Stark looked around impatiently as she discreetly tapped her foot. "Seldon and Petrin should very well have been here by now."
Lord Stark laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry I'm sure they are fine, probably just giving the handmaidens a little bit of trouble."
"They need to learn punctuality sooner or later, but right now we must begin the festivities." Lady Stark gave him a quick glare.
With her irritability acknowledged, he raised a glass of wine and any current banter went silent. "Ladies and gentlemen! Lords and ladies! May the ceremony of my eldest son Toma's birth commence!"
Petrin had barely made it to her parents side after her father's announcement, and though she didn't see Seldon yet, she wasn't completely surprised. She gave her mother an apologetic look before beaming at her brother Toma. This was his day after all. And did he ever look handsome.