Post by Queen Amedessa of Conté on May 12, 2007 16:54:17 GMT -5
Gideon took his time readying his gelding for that morning's ride. The air, which had been growing increasingly hotter as the weeks went by, was reasonably cool and moist for a change. After he finished saddling his mount and secured his hunting weapons, Gideon led him outside the palace stables and with the ease that only years of practice can bring, swung into the saddle. He nudged the horse into a trot and briskly started off down one of the palace roads. En route to one to the Royal Forest, Gideon rode by many sorts of people; palace workers, commoners, a few early morning nobles. He nodded genially to nobody in particular, knowing that a smiling face was expected of him.
While it was not an unpleasant jaunt, Gideon was eager to get to the edge of the forest and meet up with Eles. A few days earlier they had planned this hunting trip, and it was to be the bright spot of Gideon's week. He felt slightly guilty at feeling this way, but being with Malin had become a little depressing. The empty space between them was vast, and whenever he was with her Gideon could almost feel cold radiating off her. It was so refreshing to be with someone who knew him better than anyone else, and to just relaxed and be himself.
Since it was early morning, the palace paths weren't too congested, so Gideon could ride fairly quickly along the palace pathways. After a short while, he turned into one of the various riding fields. Now free of the danger of running into someone, Gideon kicked his gelding into a gallop charged through the field. The wind swept through his hair and whistled past his ears. Ah, this was life! Grinning a little, Gideon rode out a small exit at the other side of the field, almost directly opposite from the entrance. This led him out to the small grassland area the bordered the Royal Forest.
Squinting slightly, Gideon could make out Eles and her horse's form against the backdrop of the forest. He urged his gelding onward, and they dashed across the field. He slowed to a canter when he reached her, but Gideon, instead of stopping, circled her, over and over and over again, a playful smile on his face. If only he could this happy and playful with Malin. As soon as the thought came to him, he immediately swept it aside. Perhaps later in the day he would talk about Malin, but not now.
Returning his thoughts to the present situation, Gideon slowed his canter to an easy gait, and continued to lazily circle Eles, saying, "Eles! What a pleasant surprise! I didn't know you'd be here! Why, you have hunting gear. What a coincidence, since I have mine as well. What say you to a hunting trip together?" {Shell}
Amedessa was accustomed to rising early––especially on the days that she laid aside for herself to do something she enjoyed. This particular morning wasn't any different in that aspect: she rose early, dressed briskly and tidily, ate a solid breakfast and attended a few matters and left notes for what she wanted her chief courtiers to have discussed during her absence.
Heading out for the stables, she walked with a precise and deliberate pace, tugging on her riding gloves and adjusting her tricorn neatly over her brow. The previous evening she had sent a message to the head stableman that she wished her favourite hunter, her best four foxhounds and her new hunting musket to be prepared for her at half past five.
Arriving there, she was met by four bounding dogs, their tails twirling and their tongues lolling with excitement. Stooping, she gave each an affectionate scratch behind the ear or light kiss on the snout before buffing them fondly on their sides, straightening, and heading in to the stable. There she found a stableboy slipping the bit into the mouth of her hunter––a fleet-looking ruddy bay with brilliant white stockings on each leg––her hunting rifle cleaned and neatly slung from the saddle. She spoke cordially with the stableboy when he had bridled her hunter and let him out, but as soon as she mounted and thanked him, was off at an eager canter from the yard.
Amedessa wasn't worried that she would be late meeting Gideon; if anything, he was only just making it down to the stable himself at this hour. She wanted to give her gelding and the dogs a good warm-up run before starting off on what could be a long hunt. A little past six, she and her companions found themselves trotting along the border path of the Royal Forest. Gradually, she slowed her gelding to a walk as the path gave way to tall grass––she had come to the clearing where she had agreed to meet the duke. At her assent, the hounds began to explore the meadow, stirring up birds and romping about.
By now, the sun had crested the horizon and shone warm and fresh over the dewed world around her. A blanket of thinning mist still rested over the majority of the meadow, pillowy and light as a cloud. Birds in the forest had begun to wake and gossip amongst themselves pleasantly, stretching the smile of contentment that had rested on Amedessa's lips since she had departed from the stable over a half hour earlier. Slowing her gelding to a halt and allowing him to snip at the grass, she acknowledged to herself that it would not be long before Gideon would arrive. She was slightly loathe for him to appear, because it meant that she could not reflect in quiet.
As she had been riding, Amedessa had thought about Gideon a good deal. Gideon had been a constant figure in her life as long as she could remember, only now his marriage to Malin interfered with that. Her opportunities to be alone with him were very few and far in between, and it was something that troubled her profoundly, because she had grown so used to seeking him out whenever she needed counsel or company. Now he owed his wife that counsel and that company, meaning Amedessa was thrust into a position where she could only seek it from him publicly, openly and properly. Perhaps it would have not troubled her so much if she knew that there was affection between them––then she could have understood it. But Malin's lack of exactly that was what kept Gideon ever the more determined to be present in her life and to please her. Amedessa detested the girl for it, because she felt that she deserved Gideon's attention more.
Sighing, Amedessa peered into the fog for some sort of outline that would signal his arrival. Sure enough, a murky shape moved through it, becoming more clear as it speedily closed the distance of the clearing. Gathering her gelding back onto his reins and whistling her hounds to attention, she found her expression warming with a broad, familiar smile. She laughed as he cantered toward her and begun to steer his mount in a playful circle around her. Her hunter danced a little, but she held him firm in place, turning her delighted features to follow her friend as he circled her 'round and 'round.
"Gideon, what will I do with you?" she demanded in a tone of mock-exasperation. "Since you've clearly 'forgotten' that we arranged this little date a few days prior, I will remind you disapprovingly,"––a scowl of mock-disapproval––"dismiss your error and gladly go hunting with you at present. Now stop circling me––you're making me dizzy. To think that you are Tortall's most respected statesman!"
While it was not an unpleasant jaunt, Gideon was eager to get to the edge of the forest and meet up with Eles. A few days earlier they had planned this hunting trip, and it was to be the bright spot of Gideon's week. He felt slightly guilty at feeling this way, but being with Malin had become a little depressing. The empty space between them was vast, and whenever he was with her Gideon could almost feel cold radiating off her. It was so refreshing to be with someone who knew him better than anyone else, and to just relaxed and be himself.
Since it was early morning, the palace paths weren't too congested, so Gideon could ride fairly quickly along the palace pathways. After a short while, he turned into one of the various riding fields. Now free of the danger of running into someone, Gideon kicked his gelding into a gallop charged through the field. The wind swept through his hair and whistled past his ears. Ah, this was life! Grinning a little, Gideon rode out a small exit at the other side of the field, almost directly opposite from the entrance. This led him out to the small grassland area the bordered the Royal Forest.
Squinting slightly, Gideon could make out Eles and her horse's form against the backdrop of the forest. He urged his gelding onward, and they dashed across the field. He slowed to a canter when he reached her, but Gideon, instead of stopping, circled her, over and over and over again, a playful smile on his face. If only he could this happy and playful with Malin. As soon as the thought came to him, he immediately swept it aside. Perhaps later in the day he would talk about Malin, but not now.
Returning his thoughts to the present situation, Gideon slowed his canter to an easy gait, and continued to lazily circle Eles, saying, "Eles! What a pleasant surprise! I didn't know you'd be here! Why, you have hunting gear. What a coincidence, since I have mine as well. What say you to a hunting trip together?" {Shell}
Amedessa was accustomed to rising early––especially on the days that she laid aside for herself to do something she enjoyed. This particular morning wasn't any different in that aspect: she rose early, dressed briskly and tidily, ate a solid breakfast and attended a few matters and left notes for what she wanted her chief courtiers to have discussed during her absence.
Heading out for the stables, she walked with a precise and deliberate pace, tugging on her riding gloves and adjusting her tricorn neatly over her brow. The previous evening she had sent a message to the head stableman that she wished her favourite hunter, her best four foxhounds and her new hunting musket to be prepared for her at half past five.
Arriving there, she was met by four bounding dogs, their tails twirling and their tongues lolling with excitement. Stooping, she gave each an affectionate scratch behind the ear or light kiss on the snout before buffing them fondly on their sides, straightening, and heading in to the stable. There she found a stableboy slipping the bit into the mouth of her hunter––a fleet-looking ruddy bay with brilliant white stockings on each leg––her hunting rifle cleaned and neatly slung from the saddle. She spoke cordially with the stableboy when he had bridled her hunter and let him out, but as soon as she mounted and thanked him, was off at an eager canter from the yard.
Amedessa wasn't worried that she would be late meeting Gideon; if anything, he was only just making it down to the stable himself at this hour. She wanted to give her gelding and the dogs a good warm-up run before starting off on what could be a long hunt. A little past six, she and her companions found themselves trotting along the border path of the Royal Forest. Gradually, she slowed her gelding to a walk as the path gave way to tall grass––she had come to the clearing where she had agreed to meet the duke. At her assent, the hounds began to explore the meadow, stirring up birds and romping about.
By now, the sun had crested the horizon and shone warm and fresh over the dewed world around her. A blanket of thinning mist still rested over the majority of the meadow, pillowy and light as a cloud. Birds in the forest had begun to wake and gossip amongst themselves pleasantly, stretching the smile of contentment that had rested on Amedessa's lips since she had departed from the stable over a half hour earlier. Slowing her gelding to a halt and allowing him to snip at the grass, she acknowledged to herself that it would not be long before Gideon would arrive. She was slightly loathe for him to appear, because it meant that she could not reflect in quiet.
As she had been riding, Amedessa had thought about Gideon a good deal. Gideon had been a constant figure in her life as long as she could remember, only now his marriage to Malin interfered with that. Her opportunities to be alone with him were very few and far in between, and it was something that troubled her profoundly, because she had grown so used to seeking him out whenever she needed counsel or company. Now he owed his wife that counsel and that company, meaning Amedessa was thrust into a position where she could only seek it from him publicly, openly and properly. Perhaps it would have not troubled her so much if she knew that there was affection between them––then she could have understood it. But Malin's lack of exactly that was what kept Gideon ever the more determined to be present in her life and to please her. Amedessa detested the girl for it, because she felt that she deserved Gideon's attention more.
Sighing, Amedessa peered into the fog for some sort of outline that would signal his arrival. Sure enough, a murky shape moved through it, becoming more clear as it speedily closed the distance of the clearing. Gathering her gelding back onto his reins and whistling her hounds to attention, she found her expression warming with a broad, familiar smile. She laughed as he cantered toward her and begun to steer his mount in a playful circle around her. Her hunter danced a little, but she held him firm in place, turning her delighted features to follow her friend as he circled her 'round and 'round.
"Gideon, what will I do with you?" she demanded in a tone of mock-exasperation. "Since you've clearly 'forgotten' that we arranged this little date a few days prior, I will remind you disapprovingly,"––a scowl of mock-disapproval––"dismiss your error and gladly go hunting with you at present. Now stop circling me––you're making me dizzy. To think that you are Tortall's most respected statesman!"
