regency au } { of missed intentions and secret admirers

[impetere]

Stiles: [when he's at the manor, he makes it a habit of coming into the town every other day to see his dad and Jody. When he gets there, it's just Jody and he smiles] Need any help?

Jody: [glances over with a smile before holding up one of the baskets of vegetables she just finished picking] Take these into the kitchen?

Stiles: Sure. [and he goes to get the basket]

Jody: [once he takes it from her, she'll scoop up the second before leading the way inside] So how is it, living up at the manor?

Stiles: It's different. I still need to really define my space there. Right now everything there belongs to another.

Jody: You'll get there. You're still new to all of this, but you'll find a way to make your mark. I'm sure of it.

Stiles: Yeah, well I'm more hoping I just won't mess things up.

Jody: I'm sure you'll be fine. You're a smart kid.

Stiles: Sometimes I don't feel like I am.

Jody: How do you mean?

Stiles: [he puts the basket up on the table, his fingers playing along the handle] I've messed up my own courtship.

Jody: [she almost laughs, because teenage love is such a contentious thing, but she manages to hold it back before asking] How?

Stiles: She is afraid to let herself love anyone. I got scared about something else and it just... the conversation was not one I’m proud of. She doesn't want to see me anymore.

Jody: Have you tried apologizing?

Stiles: She went to live with her uncle in the summer castle. So I have not had the chance to. I'm not sure it will even do good any more.

Jody: And why is that?

Stiles: I don't think she intends to allow herself to marry.

Jody: I have a feeling her uncle may have some say in that.

Stiles: Yeah, I know. He wouldn't let me withdraw my courtship proposal.

Jody: So whether she intends to or not, she will eventually be married.

Stiles: I don't know. She turns eighteen soon. And her sister is now Lady of the manor. I don't know if Lady Laura would force her sister into marriage.

Jody: [sighs as she gets a knife to peel one of the potatoes, before moving to sit at the table] Do you still wish to marry her?

Stiles: I don't know. Right now everything just hurts when I think about her.

Jody: What went so wrong with this conversation?

Stiles: [he just shrugs] Everything.

Jody: [she sighs] If you want my help, Stiles, I'll need a little more than that.

Stiles: No really... it was everything. That day was just a disaster.

Jody: [gives him a look before gesturing in a way that indicates for him to explain]

Stiles: [and he is just going to explain what happened with the horseback ride, to the bear, to his fears and the conversation from hell and knowing his fear made his words not come out right]

Jody: So why break the courtship? Why not apologize and see if she will accept it?

Stiles: [and he just shrugs]

Jody: [pauses as she leans back with the potato] Aside from conveying your feelings - which I assume you have - what exactly have you done to woo this girl?

Stiles: I've tried to spend time with her. But anytime I try to, it feels like she just wants to be friends, or wants to escape the room before I talk to her.

Jody: There is more to wooing than time spent together. She isn't going to fall into your arms simply because you're there. You are the lord of a manor now, you can set your sights a little higher. Send her gifts. Give her flowers. Write her letters. Prove how well you know her heart already.

Stiles: [goes to sit at the table] I don't know how to do that. I was not in a position to know how to woo someone. And I don't know how to woo someone who is determined to not be.

Jody: Wooing is not a matter of stature. My first husband wrote me poetry - terrible, terrible poetry which is not worthy of being published in any bulletin, but it made me laugh which in the end is what won my heart. If you know this girl well enough to be in love with her already, then you know enough to woo her. Just stop overthinking it and follow your own heart.

Stiles: And what if she no longer wants anything to do with me?

Jody: Then you have seven months to try and change her mind. Giving up will not get you what you want, Stiles. Determination, on the other hand? That will get you far.

Stiles: [nods, but he's not sure about it at all.] I will figure something out.

Jody: [she watches him for a moment] Giving up when you meet a little resistance when it's something you want or need is not a good quality of a lord, Stiles. This is just as much a test as anything else your uncle will put you through. Having money and comfort does not mean things are easier, it simply means there are different struggles. If she has not rebuffed you completely yet, it means there is something there, but anything worth having is worth being fought for. If you believe she is worth having, then fight for her - even if you are fighting her.

Stiles: How does that work - fighting her for her? Because I would think respecting her choices would be the right thing to do.

Jody: There's a difference between demanding her heart and winning it, Stiles. Has she said that she has no feelings for you whatsoever?

Stiles: No.

Jody: Has she told you, under no uncertain terms, that she does not wish to marry you?

Stiles: She doesn't know that I asked her uncle. Her uncle felt it better she not know.

Jody: Then say you were to apologize for your behavior and she were to accept, how is it going against her wishes if you continue to attempt to win her heart - this time through more ... subtle means?

Stiles: [nods] I think I can do that. The apology should be in person, that I know. [he wouldn't want to apologize for that by letter]

Jody: [she nods] But you shouldn't sit idle either.

Stiles: But if I send things before I apologize, why would she accept them?

Jody: She doesn't have to know they're from you. At least not right away.

Stiles: [thinks, and then nods] I think I know what I can do then.

Jody: Good. [a beat] Feel better?

Stiles: A bit.

Jody: Good. [she starts peeling the potato again] You can figure this out, Stiles. Just don't give up on her. She's just as scared and uncertain about this as you are.

Stiles: I just wish it was something that the tutors were able to prepare me for.

Jody: Love isn't something that can be taught. It's something that comes from learning to trust your instincts.

Stiles: I used to get whipped for following my instincts. [.... yeah.]

Jody: [yeah, she doesn't look happy about that either] Well, you won't anymore.

Stiles: I know, but it has left it's scars. [mental and physical both]

Jody: I know. And I'm sorry.

Stiles: [shrugs] I really don't want to speak more on that. Can I do something to help you with dinner?

Jody: Any good at peeling potatoes?

Stiles: Surprisingly, yes. I used to help the kitchen staff when there were holidays.

Jody: [nudges the basket towards him and hands him a spare knife] Get peeling.

Stiles: [and he is going to do so in silence, his mind trying to figure out what he could do to try and earn Cora's favor while she was in the summer castle. It was probably going to involve Liam and Malia, but those children were sneaky little bastards. They would enjoy the challenge]

Jody: [they would. and like her sister, Cora does enjoy flowers]

Stiles: [he knows that. And reading. And so Stiles will go to the town bookseller and find a few books that he thinks Cora will like, and send Malia and Liam a "mission" letter first that when they get the book, there will be a coin in it. Use the coin to buy a flower and leave the flower on the page the coin was in, and then leave it at her bedroom door. And if she asks where it came from, they can only say that it was delivered and said to be left there - which isn't a lie so they won't get caught]

Cora: [which Cora will ask because she doesn't get a lot of deliveries]

Peter: [and he read the letter this the kids before he gave it to them, approving of the courting maneuver. And the books do arrive with no information as to the sender, the letter having been the only explanation.]

Cora: [and eventually she gets curious about it and tries to cut them off at the pass to get to the courier themselves]

Courier: [flustered] M'lady?

Cora: I was wondering if you could tell me who has been sending these packages for me.

Courier: I... I know not, m'lady. They come on the ferry ship that comes up from the Holy Roman Empire each week.

Cora: And there is no return address at all? What if the package is damaged?

Courier: I know not, m'lady. it is just given to me from a traveler on the ferry and said for me to deliver it to Hale Manor with a coin for my service. I usually see one of the children playing and they tell me that they will deliver it.

Cora: Do they.

Courier: Yes, m'lady.

Cora: How curious. I suppose I will have to see what they know about it then. Thank you.

Courier: You are welcome, my'lady. [and he does hand her the wrapped book]

Cora: [takes it from him with a smile, before retreating back into her room with it to open it]

Stiles: [and a coin will drop out from one of the pages of The Expulsion of the Triumphant Beast by Giordano Bruno. A very rare find and controversial book in the Holy Roman Empire]

Cora: [glances down at the coin, picking it up and balancing it between her fingers for a moment, before flipping open to the page it fell out of]

Stiles: [and the mun having never read this book, but the summary talks about the Greek gods wanting to remove constellations that remind them of their evil deeds, and assume there is a page talking about Neptune looking to remove Andromeda from the sky]

Cora: [her fingers run over the page for a moment, but none of this gives a real answer as to who's behind this]

Stiles: [nope. The hints are so subtle. he's sneaky like that]

Cora: [sighs and goes in search of Liam or Malia instead]

Liam: [and he's going to be sneaking out of the kitchen with a pastry and stop seeing Cora and crap] Hello, Lady Cora. [nothing behind his back, nope, not at all]

Cora: [raises an eyebrow] Relax, I'm not here about your pastry stealing habit.

Liam: Oh, okay. [and before she can change her mind, that pastry is going right into his mouth. Can't take it back now.]

Cora: What I am here about is those little deliveries I've been getting.

Liam: I don't know anything about them. [totally lying. And spoken around the food in his mouth]

Cora: The courier gave you up.

Liam: [swallows] I just get the package and put it at your door.

Cora: Do you know where they come from?

Liam: They don't have any name on the packages.

Cora: Then how do you know to give them to me? [she then holds up the coin between her fingers] And why was there coin where the flower usually is?

Liam: [yup, that's a big step back because damn they're busted] I don't know.

Cora: [eyes narrow] You're not in trouble, Liam. I just wish to know who it is.

Liam: But I'm not supposed to tell.

Cora: Why not?

Liam: I'm just not supposed to tell. It's a secret.

Cora: [she sighs] Do you know who it is?

Liam: I'm not supposed to tell.

Cora: If I gave you a letter, could you send it to them for me?

Liam: Um, I could try?

Cora: [she nods once] Then I will get you a letter.

Liam: Okay. [and he will end up talking to Peter and being like WHAT DO I DO?!?!?]

Cora: [and she will go back to her room and get started on her letter]

Stiles: [nope, has no clue what's going on. Peter finds it amusing]

Cora: [as well he should. and I will write the letter later as I have to do some proofing right now]