regency au } { of tournaments and social fumbles

[apirateslove]

Miranda: [taking the children to the first tournament is bound to be enlightening. While the proceedings could be quite violent, it should be easy enough to take them to the archery rounds at least, and to take part in the other activities. Sarah's hand in hers, she leads the way towards the stands, glancing back at the boys as they go] Shall we indulge in some flower crowns?

Andrew: Yes, please. I'll take a blue one.

Sarah: [grins as she runs forward to see what's available]

Miranda: What about you two? [she looks to Brian and Grayson]

Brian: Gween!

Grayson: [chuckles] I'll also take a blue.

Miranda: Alright. Let's see what they have.

Sarah: [already has a pink one on her head as she sorts through the rest, taking a blue one and holding it up to Miranda] Got it!

Miranda: We need one more for Grayson and a green one for your brother. [she takes a purple one for herself and slips the vendor some coin for her trouble]

Sarah: [collects the two they need and runs back to the rest of the boys] Here Father, I found a blue one.

Andrew: Thank you, baby. [and he puts it on with a bit of a rakish tilt and looks up at Miranda] How do I look?

Miranda: [smiles back at him] Very dashing, my lord.

Sarah: Will we get to see the knights today?

Grayson: [as he just plops his crown on his head] We shall.

Sarah: Good. Knights are almost as good as pirates.

Grayson: Depending on who comes to watch, you might even see one of those too.

Sarah: Really?!

Miranda: Tournaments do attract all kind of people.

Brian: Chicken! [points at the small flock in the walkway]

Miranda: [laughs] Yes, there are lots of those too.

Andrew: Shall we go and watch the archers?

Sarah: Yes! [and she darts ahead to try and find the ring]

Miranda: [takes Andrew's arm as they continue] She's certainly excited.

Grayson: Sarah, wait up! [and he will go chase after her]

Andrew: She is. I believe that's your cousin's fault as he's been telling her tales of knights and pirates right before their afternoon naps.

Miranda: Yes, well, Grayson and I grew up on a great deal of those and we turned out just fine.

Andrew: You have actual knights in your family. I'm pretty sure if your father showed up in his armor, Sarah would swoon.

Miranda: If she's ceased to be intimidated by him, that is. Wait until she finds out Grayson's father is one of the most romantic knights of his generation.

Andrew: She may demand we live at your manor for the rest of our lives. Or at least until she finds her own knight.

Miranda: We'll see. Perhaps we can recruit a few of our own, once you inherit your father's estate.

Andrew: We may need one when she is older to protect her from the likes of pirates and rakes. [he's chuckling though, not serious to the reason]

Miranda: It's what any wise father would do. [she's also not serious, and eventually they catch up to the stands where Grayson has managed to wrangle Sarah into a seat as she watches the archery tournament with wide eyes]

Brian: [and he is going to clamor over and sit next to his sister, wanting to watch what she is watching]

Andrew: [and he will hold out his hand to help guide Miranda to her seat] I do try to be just that.

Miranda: And you do it well. [she settles into the seat next to him, and they focus on the tournament at hand.]

Bianca: [and about halfway through the set, a gaggle of girls, all looking similarly enough to be sisters make their way up into the stands, and take the empty seats next to Grayson. The oldest takes the seat that's closest, and she flashes him a smile] Scuzi. May we sit? [her Italian accent is heavy and the words feel awkward as she says them but she's working on her spoken English]

Grayson: Oh, yes, of course. [and he will move over a bit to give them room, then refocus back on the archers and explaining things to the little girl beside him]

Bianca: [and she will glance over and watch, amused, occasionally conversing with the sister on her left in Italian. but during a lull in the conversation with Sarah, she takes the opportunity for the opening] Do you have knights in the competition?

Grayson: [looks back over at her, then nods.] Yes, m'lady. Those wearing the crest of the Hales are from my lands. I am Lord Grayson Hale. May I have the pleasure of your name? [it's formalities, nothing more in his inquiry]

Bianca: [oh good, that's one of the people she wanted to meet] Bianca Amato. My father owns the Banco di Amato in Venezia. [so not titled, but her father has lots of money]

Grayson: Venezia. That's in Italy, yes?

Bianca: Si. The one with the rivers? [Venice, she means Venice] And the boats?

Grayson: [nods, figuring that out] I've heard it's beautiful there. Artists travel from around the world to draw the architecture and gardens.

Bianca: Yes, very beautiful. [she loves her city, for better or worse] Do you like art? My father is, eh - [she pauses as she tries to find the word] - un mecante? He pays the artists to paint.

Grayson: I do. I'm actually an artist myself.

Bianca: [her face lights up at the commonality] Bellisma. What kind of art do you make?

Grayson: Landscapes mostly. Chalk on paper but I've also worked with watercolors depending on what I'm drawing.

Bianca: Have you thought about doing more? Oils or clay?

Grayson: I don't like the feeling of clay in my hands. The sculptor’s life is not for me. Oils are okay, but can be very messy as well. [it's a texture thing]

Bianca: Perhaps when your knights come to Venezia, you may explore the communes. Talk to other artists, si?

Grayson: We typically don't travel that far south. My family's from Norway.

Bianca: Ah. [well that's disappointing] Well, if you do come, I will be happy to show. Artists should meet artists.

Grayson: Don't misunderstand, I would love to go. It just wouldn't be through a tournament.

Bianca: Ah, no. [she pauses because sometimes her English fails her, and if his family doesn't travel there he likely doesn't speak Italian. She just can't find the English words, so she turns back to her sister, who does better with speaking than she does. She speaks to her quickly in Italian, and Isabella nods]

Isabella: My sister says that she didn't want you to feel pressured to come. She's still working on her spoken English, and she hopes she didn't come off too forward by choosing the wrong word.

Grayson: I don't feel pressured, and you speak English very well. [his uncle always made sure that he know to talk to the speaker and not a translator, but he gives Isabella a nod in thanks]

Bianca: Grazi. I am better with letters but I am trying to practice. I am to start courting, and Italian men, no good.

Grayson: Well, I'm sure you will be surrounded by young suitors by the time we reach the winner's feast.

Bianca: Mmm. I still need to be selective. My father has no sons, so I inherit bank. I manage bank. [she does not need a banker] But most men will not let me manage bank.

Grayson: There's a lot of families north of here that are run by powerful, intelligent women. I'm sure there'll be a few sons more than happy to make your acquaintance.

Bianca: I hope so. [as the event wraps up and people move on to get seats for the joust, her sisters prepare to leave. She glances to follow them before getting to her feat] There is a feast, yes? Will you attend? [she's not actually flirting at this point, but she would like to see him again, so they could talk more and she could learn more about him]

Grayson: We might. It depends on the little ones. [he can feel his tunic being tugged on]

Bianca: [nods, before looking over at the small children with a smile] If you do come, perhaps we can talk more, yes? [maybe dance, if he finds that amenable]

Grayson: Of course.

Bianca: [and with that she will nod and let her sisters sweep her off]

Miranda: [eyes her cousin curiously] Who was that?

Grayson: [and he will bow before turning back to his cousin] Lady Bianca Amato from Venice, Italy.

Miranda: She seems nice. [she's not prying, but she's not not prying]

Grayson: Yeah, she is. This is her first time coming this far north.

Miranda: Are you going to see her at the feast later?

Grayson: She'll be there, and I told her if we go, I'll talk with her some more. [why are you so into this?]

Miranda: [it's the longest conversation she's ever seen you hold with anyone, she's curious. Miranda glances back to Andrew] I believe we intend to. His lordship has promised me a dance.

Andrew: And I'm a man of my word. [smiles and leans in to kiss Miranda's cheek]

Grayson: Who's going to watch the kids?

Miranda: Their nurse traveled with us with some of the servants, so they should be well taken care of.

Grayson: Oh. Well, I guess I can make an appearance. [he isn’t a fan of the girls fawning over him]

Miranda: [she knows that] If you find one you want to talk to more than the others, they might keep the rest of them away.

Grayson: Normally that's your job.

Miranda: Normally yes. but since I am now spoken for, perhaps it would help to make other female friends at court.

Grayson: [yeah, that's a look of panic at actually being sociable on his face]

Andrew: It isn't that bad. Just be polite or try to always have food in your mouth.

Miranda: Talking with Lady Amato seemed easy enough.

Grayson: She sat next to me. I was trapped and mom would have my neck if I'm impolite to a lady.

Miranda: You've already spoken to her some. Perhaps she'd be willing to play buffer.

Grayson: Maybe.

Andrew: I'm sure she is nervous too. You could help be her buffer too.

Miranda: Ladies at court are taught to behave with a certain amount of ... assertiveness when it comes to men. But I'm sure if you're honest with her, she would be happy to assist. Or you could ask the Hale knights to help as well.

Grayson: Well, she is looking for a suitor that won't be intimidated by her taking over her father's position as a banker. Our knights would understand that.

Miranda: Then you can help each other. Seems like a mutually beneficial arrangement. [though Miranda is aware that Grayson is not the most forward with these things, she does think he could be a good friend. She hopes that maybe helping Bianca might bring him out of his shell more - for friends if nothing else]

Grayson: [takes a deep breath and nods] Okay. I can do that. [he hopes]

Miranda: [reaches over and gives his hand a squeeze] If it becomes too much, I'll be there. But try? [so that she can spend some time with her future husband alone. still, she doesn't intend to abandon her cousin]

Grayson: [squeezes back] I will.

Andrew: [and when the feast comes around, Andrew will be dressed in his finest, walking with Miranda on his arm. He has the prettiest girl in the room, sorry everyone else.] Dance or Eat first?

Grayson: [he trails behind them, awkwardly playing with the cuffs of his tunic coming out from the jacket.]

Miranda: [weighs her options, before flashing him a smile] Dance. [the room opens before them as they enter, and she glances back to Grayson] Will you be alright?

Bianca: [is over in a corner with her sisters, scanning the room looking for familiar faces. she met a few other men at other events, some better than others, but when she sees Grayson in the crowd, a smile crosses her face and she waves]

Grayson: Yeah. Go dance. I'll be okay for now. [he'll go and find a drink, though. When he sees Bianca, he'll give her a small smile and nod back.]

Bianca: [she'll turn to say something to her sisters, before making her way over to him at the drink table] I'm glad you came.

Grayson: [she'll be able to tell he's feeling a bit anxious with all these people around, especially with the female eyes on him. Why he had to look so much like his father, he didn't know.] Same. I'm not really fond of these big events and not knowing most of the people here.

Bianca: Something we have in common, no? [given that this is her introduction to tournament life] Would you like to come sit with me and my sisters? [there's four other girls, three close in age like Miranda, Talia and Patience, and two identical girls who seem to be the youngest]

Grayson: Um... sure. [because swears he can feel people boring holes into his chest]

Bianca: [smiles and leads him over to the other girls.] This is Lord Grayson Hale. Lord Hale, my sisters - Isabella, Maricella, and the twins, Emilia and Vittoria.

Vittoria: [makes what sounds like a teasing comment in Italian, and Marciella scolds her in Italian in return]

Isabella: [rolls her eyes] Ignore them, Lord Hale. Please, sit.

Grayson: Thank you. I'm sorry I don't know Italian. I can speak French and Norse though. [french is a romance language, so he can guess on the meaning of their italian words]

Maricella: It is not your fault. We all know English, it is good for us to practice. Have you been enjoying the tournament?
Benji — 1/29/2023 9:57 PM
Grayson: Honestly, I'm not really into watching people hurt each other for a game. But little Sarah is seeing this all for the first time, and I'm enjoying watching her watch them.
iluvroadrunner6 — 1/29/2023 9:59 PM
Bianca: Men always need to show their prowess. [ rolls her eyes] But it is a good opportunity to meet our peers.

Maricella: Is Sarah your sister?

Grayson: I think I broke my father's heart when I picked up a pencil instead of a sword. He's over it now, of course. And no, Sarah isn't my sister. My cousin, Miranda, is engaged to Lord Sumpter. Sarah is his daughter from his first marriage. He also has a son, Brian, but the kids are already in bed. I'm here to act as her male guardian since they aren't married yet.

Maricella: That is sweet of you, to look after your cousin like that.

Isabella: Was your father a knight?

Bianca: His father is Lord Jordan Parrish. [she answers without thinking before remembering that Grayson hadn't told her that]

Emilia: [lights up immediately] Cavaliere dei Fiori! [Grayson likely knows his father's title in every language]

Vittoria: [looks at her twin] You knew that. It was on Bianca's wall of suitors.

Bianca: [is now turning bright red, and makes a comment in Italian, but unfortunately none of her sisters heed her because they always enjoy making her squirm]

Grayson: [yeah, he gets all of that, and now he feels awkward because he wasn't coming to be flirted with] I think I should check in on my cousin.

Bianca: [panics and says something to Isabella, and the other girl reaches out]

Isabella: Our apologies, we didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. We didn't mean anything by it, only to tease our sister. She is not trying to force interest. [a brief pause as she tries to determine phrasing] Our father demands that we marry into the peerage, but we lack the background to know the obvious information. Bianca is just trying to catch up.

Grayson: I understand, but I'm not looking for a marriage. Your time would be better spent talking to those who are. [and he stands, giving the ladies a bow] I do wish you luck on your endeavors, Bianca. I'm sure you will find a suitor who will respect your position and allow you to follow in your father's footsteps.

Bianca: [she does seem disappointed by that, not because he doesn't want marriage but because she would have been content with simple friendship if that were the case. but she nods, and lets him go] Enjoy your evening, Lord Hale.

Grayson: You too, Lady Amato. [and with that he's going to retreat not only away from the ladies, but straight out of the feast tent and into a small garden nearby to just refocus his breathing]

Miranda: [sees that from the dance floor, and as the song ends, she gives Andrew an apologetic smile] I should go check on him. I'll be back in a moment.

Andrew: Of course. We'll continue when you return.

Miranda: Thank you. [she presses up on her toes to give him a kiss on the cheek before following her cousin out into the fresh air] Grayson?

Grayson: [and he was sitting on the edge of a fountain, staring up at the stars now that he was calmer. He hears Miranda and sighs] Over here.

Miranda: [makes her way closer, and moves to sit on the side of the fountain next to him] That bad?

Grayson: She knew who I was, and about Father. She came with a list of prospects in mind. [looks over at her] This is why I don't like going to tourneys.

Miranda: [sighs] I'm sorry. [she knows this has never been easy for him, and Bianca seemed so promising] Some women take this very seriously out of necessity. They don't have the good fortune of parents who will let them choose for themselves.

Grayson: I thought escorting you to Andrew's lands would give me space away from all this. I hate feeling like there's something wrong with me because I'm not interested at all in women or marriage. I just want to live in the tower with my books and art materials.

Miranda: There's nothing wrong with you. [she believes that firmly, and being a man, he has the luxury of not being a commodity, especially as the second born. Amelia is both marrying well and inheriting Laura's power. Grayson doesn't need to marry if he doesn't want to] There are many single bachelors who do not marry. Though ... some of them prefer other kinds of company? [is that something he wants?]

Grayson: I prefer no company. The idea of intimate contact with anyone makes my stomach turn.

Miranda: Then that is your right. [and she does believe that, she would hope that he would believe the same for her in return] But you can still make friends in court, Grayson. That is all I want for you. And the more friends you make, the more it will spread that that is not your interest, and perhaps it will head some off at the pass and these incidents will lessen.

Grayson: ... Perhaps I could. Maybe Andrew could introduce me to a few men who aren't looking for marriage so I'm not alone?

Miranda: [nods] I can see if he knows anyone. I'm still meeting his connections in court.

Grayson: That'd be good. [he looks over and smiles] The two of you are good for each other.

Miranda: I'm glad you think so. Especially since you are the one who is going to have to be stuck with him more than most. [because her best friend and her husband should also get along]

Grayson: Maybe Andrew will give me a tower with books and art supplies then. [grins]

Miranda: [she laughs] Only if you agree to let your work be displayed once we have control of the manor.

Grayson: I think I can let a few pieces go.

Miranda: Good. [she smiles, before leaning in to kiss his cheek] But if you no longer need me, I am going back to dancing.

Grayson: Yes, go back and enjoy yourself. I may come back, I may not. We'll see how hungry I get.

Miranda: [nods with a smile] You're still my favorite. [and with that, she head back to the dance floor and the intended she left behind]

Andrew: Is he okay?

Miranda: He is. He struggles with court because so much of it revolves around people seeking unions and marriage and that's not what he wants. [she pauses as she takes his arm] Would you happen to know any other men in your social circle who are in a similar situation? That are not seeking marriages who he might be able to befriend?

Andrew: One or two. There's a Duke I know who plans on never marrying or having children to spite his father.

Miranda: I just want him to feel like he has a place here, regardless. If you could make an introduction, I would very much appreciate it.

Andrew: I'll write Hastings then and see when he will be in the area again.

Miranda: Thank you. You have my gratitude.

Andrew: Anything for you.

Miranda: [her smile widens, and she takes his hand] Another dance, my lord?

Andrew: Of course. We can dance until the musicians leave if you wish.

Miranda: Wonderful. [and with that, she lets him sweep her away into the evening]