Aiedail Announcements

[skywraith]

Samuel reached the old Thorne estate, as much as it was, on the outskirts of the town. It was not much, a couple acres an old barn and a small cottage with a small room attached which was used has his mothers workshop. Samuel put up his mount in one of the stalls. He looked around a found a lantern, which he started. The barn was fairly clean, evident that Elizabeth or Liz, as he called her, was keeping the place up. Entering the house, he saw that was clean and well cared for as well. He peeked into his old bedroom. Sitting down on his bed remembering some the fun time he had here, as well as some of the not so fun times. Returning to the main room, he saw a light outside. Dousing his own, he hid behind a door, prepared to defend this place and watched, wondering who it might be, for there was not anything of any real value here. He rolled his eyes when he became aware who it might be. Living in the Empire had made him more paranoid then he wanted to be. Lowering his staff he stepped around the corner and waited, but, still was alert, just in case it was not her. The door swung open, to one side stood a woman in her mid thirties. In many ways she was the copy of Samuel, only with brown eyes and, the obvious fact, she was female. She was carrying a long staff in one hand and a lantern in the other, also prepared to confront whoever entered her family's home.

"Hello Liz." was his dry remark.

She raised the lantern to get a better look at him. Lowering he staff, perplexed she asked, "Sam? What are you doing here?" Then a knowing look crossed her face as she sat the lantern on a table, "Oh - lovers quarrel..."

Samuel sat down in one of the chairs and sighed, "It has gone far beyond that," he burred his face in his hands and bemoaned, "Gah! Why am I such a blockhead!"

Elizabeth sat down besides him, "Well, if you tell me about it, I may be able to help."

Samuel recounted the incidents of the day, while Elizabeth sat there and listened.

"I am surprised it has gone as smoothly as it has."

Samuel gave her the 'you-can-not-be-serious' look.

Liz smiled at his look, "You both are blockheads, her, because of her position and you, that is part of your nature. Think about it, she has been queen for so long, it is second nature for her to take charge. You need to understand that. In time she will understand she does need to be in charge all the time, as you need to learn."

Samuel nodded.

She sat back and patted him on his knee, "you two have too much in common as well as very diverse differences. You have no real middle ground. For this marriage to work, it will take serious work from the both of you. But, if you two succeed, I doubt if the Aspects, combined, could separate you."

She got up and started a small fire, before leaving. But as she reached the door she turned around and looked at her twin brother, "my recommendation is a good night rest far from the madness if the capitol, gather the largest bouquet of flowers you can carry, present them to Mjor and apologies profusely for being a blockhead."

As she exited and closed the door behind her, Samuel smiled. That was the best advice he has herd in a long time.

Heading to the master bedroom he wondered just where he could get a large bouquet of red roses. He flopped down on the bed, exhausted from the days events and fell quickly asleep.

[Wyrda]

<<Honestly Mjor, you're going to wear the floor out if you keep pacing like that.>> Mjnerva sighed, looking up from her book. Mjor paused and ran her hand through her hair again. <<I screwed up.... all I've been doing is screwing up our relationship.>> She went to grab a decanter of wine, but her mother stopped her. <<Get your head on straight girl. Both you and Samuel are dominant types, you're use to being in control and Samuel.... well, all men are born with that mindset. It's time you, mentally, stepped down from being Queen. Samuel is what is important to you now.>>

Mjor sighed and sat down. <<How do I make it up to him though? I've acted so childish around him.>> Mjnerva smiled and kissed her on the forehead. <<Just go to him and tell him how much you love him. Just be you, not queen, for now.>> Mjor sighed, <<I guess you're right. But... what do I say?>> <<Listen to your heart.>>


It had been cycles since she had last visited this homestead. Of course, her sudden appearance in the stables always startled the animals. Samuel's horse shrieked in surprise. "Shh!! It's ok!" Mjor quickly said, trying to calm the horse. The steed quieted down. Mjor smiled, then climbed up into the hayloft. The musty scent reminded her of many fond memories. "I wonder where he is..." She climbed out the window and swung up onto the roof.

She got a clear view of the house from the roof... and also a good view into Samuel's room. She noticed he was asleep. "Ah... went to bed." She sat down, watching him sleep from a distance.

[skywraith]

Samuel rolled out of bed to hit the floor. He sat up from the rude awakening and sighed, "the way things are going, I should not have been surprised." He got up and went to the kitchen. No food was to be found, which did not surprise him either, since, no one was living here. He shambled over to the barn, still not quite awake yet, up to the loft where he snagged a flake of hay, to feed his mare. He feed her the flake and checked her water before tacking her up, putting on her headstall after she was done eating.

"Ok, girl, I only hope old Betha is still alive, she is the only person I would trust with something this important."

He mounted up and headed to downtown Trant. Although there were a few new businesses, most of the town was like he had remembered. Tib's candy shop, the farmers market, Merta's tailor shop, they were all there. Around the corner was Betha's flower shop, just as he remembered. Dismounting he tied her up and went inside. The smell overwhelmed him, even the tinkle if the little bells on the door brought back old memories of an simpler time. He expected Betha to appear in the doorway, to his surprise a young girl in her mid teens. came out.

"May I help you?" he had to smile, because of her bubbly personality.

"Is Betha still here?"

"Grams, sure. I will..."

From the back an old, but familiar voice called out, "Sammie, is that you? Come back here and give old Betha a hug."

Samuel cringed and blushed a little as she called him her pet name, but even that was music to his ears. Entering the back where she had her workshop and greenhouses, he gave an old lady in her late 80's a a hug, as well as, looking suspiciously at the cluster of red roses on her table.

"Well, you might as well know, Liz told me about your problem and asked me to make an 'I am sorry I was a blockhead' bouquet for you. We figured the sooner you got back to your lady, the sooner you could patch up things.

Samuel rolled his eyes sheepishly. He should have figured Liz would grease up the grapevine and get things moving.

"Now shoo and give me about an hour to finish your bouquet."

He thanked her as she was shooing him out. Heading down the street he decided to have a long breakfast/lunch at a favorite inn. He sat down and orderd, wondering what was going on with Mjor.

[Wyrda]

Mjor must have dozed off sometime during the night, for she woke up lounging on the roof still. Her shoulders and back were cramped from the awkward position she had been sleeping in. After stretching, she looked at the house and noticed Samuel's room was empty. "Guess he went out somewhere."

Bored, Mjor swung herself back inside the hayloft through the window and poked around, finding very little of interest. She picked up a scrap piece of wood and unsheathed a knife from her belt, then sat down in the large hay stack, arranging it a bit into a comfortable nest, then began carving the wood, all the while humming to herself.

[skywraith]

During the meal, Samuel wrote a small note.

---

Mjor:

I am truly sorry for the way I have been acting. I love more then anything else. If I had to choose, between you, the throne or the clan, I would give up the throne, abandon my kins just to be with you.

Your most humble blockhead,
Samuel Thorne.

---

He finished up his meal and returned to the flower shop. True to her word, there was a box with his name on it. He thanked Betha, whoe promptly shooed him on, "now get you to your lady friend and mend those breaches, or all the flowers I've been collecting for you wedding would be wasted. Now get!"

He carefully put the box in one of the saddle bags. It was a tight fit and it stuck out, but these bags were very roomy, designed for carrying books and other large objects. On his way back he decided to see the homestead just one last time before going back to Dragon's Keep. The truth was he was not looking forward to returning to the castle, with all that intrigue and stress.

He turned up the path that led to the house. Dismounting he led he mare into the barn, only to get the another shock, Mjor was there.

"Mjor, what are you doing here?"

Just as soon as those word left his mouth he blushed deeply and planted his face in his hand, "that was not quite what I wanted to say. I just was not expecting you here, not after the blockhead things I have done lately."

[Wyrda]

Mjor nearly dropped her carving, a small dragon, onto the ground. After a few awkward seconds, she regained her composure. "Um.. well, I came to apologize. You were right... I have been acting rather childishly and... and you deserve better." She looked away, flushing slightly, tail curved in a tight hook and hands clasped behind her back, knife and carving lying on the ground. "I...I'm sorry."

[skywraith]

Samuel felt a bit awkward for a few moments, then steeped up and took her in his arms.

"Actually, we both have acting childish. I was too busy playing king to take care the the most important thing in my life, you." He kissed her on the cheek, not daring enough to go for the lips. Sheepishly he said, "I was coming back to apologize for may actions." Releasing her and walking back to his horse he removed the box and unwrapped it. Inside was a ornate vase with a ring of roses a black and five red with a golden yellow in the center. Presenting it to her he knelt, "Will you forgive me?"

[Wyrda]

Mjor took the vase, smiling. The roses smelled lovely. She carefully set it aside and embraced him, pressing her lips lightly against Samuel's. "Of course I forgive you." She kissed him again, being more serious this time.

[skywraith]

Samuel returned both the embrace and kiss. He held her foe several moments savoring the warmth and remembering what it was like the first time.

Whispering into her ear, "thank you and you are forgiven as well." After a moment he whispered, "let us stay here for a while. There is nothing that needs our royal decisions on. It is time we stop being Queen and King and just be Mjor and Samuel for awhile."

He leaned back and smiled. "Deal?"

[Wyrda]

She smiled as she leaned forward to kiss him again. "Deal." came her reply, playfully nipping at his bottom lip. She would have, probably, gone further, but stopped herself, taking a deep breath. "Celibacy, right. I'll behave myself." She nuzzled her cheek against his with a soft sigh.

[skywraith]

It was Samuel's turn to sigh, "If my traditions stand in the way, then, maybe, it is time for new traditions. All I want is for you to be happy and content - well - as happy and content one can be in this world."

[Wyrda]

"You don't need to change anything for my frivolousness, Samuel." Not that she really meant that. Keeping her arms around him, she fell back into the pile of hay, dragging him along. She laughed as the stack jumped and sent bits of straw up into the air. "I love you, Samuel. Forever and always."

[skywraith]

Samuel smiled as she called her desires 'frivolous', nothing about her was frivolous, at least, not to him. He startled as he ended up on top of her. He laughed in response to hers.

"If we keep this up, I might have to cut me celibacy short," he winked impishly.

He snuggled up as the straw was settling around them. "I love you above all..." he quickly turned ans sneezed. Turning back blushing, "sorry, the dust got to me." With a warm smile he continued, "as I was saying, I love you above all others." He gave her a deep heartfelt kiss.

[Wyrda]

"Now you're putting ideas in my head. You know how dangerous that can get." She chided playfully, returning his kiss passionately. Her arms circled around his neck and she twined her legs around his. Mjor smirked deviously...

((momentarily shuffled elsewhere))