The princess and the new knight.

[cloudlion7]

Claud Matosai 18 years old has been excepted into the royal knights charged with the protection of the Royal family of Tarkenna the Estille family. Only the most trusted and skilled warriors of the land would receive this honor of joining the Royal guard. Now Claud waited in the courtyard of the castle waiting with the other guards for the King,Queen,and Princess to arrive so he could offically become a part of this elite guard.

 

[haremfaery]

Princess Katherine, known as Kit to her family, was bored. Another procession. Another survey of the new guards, another audience. Her father was adding new staff. She was to be married to Prince Phillippe of the neighboring kingdom of Loudon in a year's time. Both kings had reached an agreement in terms of dowry. Her father was now beginning to add staff that she would take with her when she went ot her new home. Staff loyal to her, countrymen and women to keep her from feeling homesick.

She was not happy at all with the arrangement. She found the preparations tiresome, and she and her mother had not even begun to plan to actual nuptuals. She sighed.

Her father went first, nodding and speaking words of welcome to the new knights. Recognizing some by the sigils on their shields.

Then came her mother, smiling, assessing. Would these knights be worthy of joining her daughter's entourage?

Last was the princess herself. She looked at the knights without seeing them. Most were somewhat older than she. She had little interest in what families they came from, or how she was related to this one through her cousin once removed, or that one by way of her Aunt's niece's brother-in-law.

"Sir James, Welcome to the palace. I am pleased to have you among us." She intoned yet again to the next knight in line.

But there was one farther down the line, who seemed to stand out form the rest. Taller, broader. Something about him she could not put her finger on. But she looked at him more closely and found him handsome. At least one of her guards was worth looking at.

She held out her hand to him when it was her turn to greet him. "Sir Claud,
welcome to the palace. I am very pleased to have you among us." Her demeanor warmed as she looked at him.

The princess was a child of the Summer with red gold hair and eyes the color of a cloudless sky, but they could turn stormy in an instant. She was slender, but her body held promise to blossom into womanhood. One need only look at her mother to see what form her body would take in a few years with a few children. She was a comely girl and would turn into a beautiful woman. Prince Phillipe was a lucky man. So said everyone. Even if the princess had a temper.

 

[cloudlion7]

Claud looked up at the princess and gasped ever so slightly taken aback by her beauty,her long flowing hair her bright blue eyes and her silky voice made him stare for a moment before he snapped back into reality and inclined his head once more to hide his embarresment.

"And it is an honor to be here M'Lady."

Then as the King,Queen and Princess he looked at the princess and stared till the knight next to himself nudged him sharply in the ribs,whispering sharply,

"Don't get to attached to her she's gunna get married to sum princly guy from another kingdom."

Claud felt himself flush once more,"L-like I really care about that."

Although now that he thought of it it would be nice to be married to her to kiss her soft lips to have several childeren running around their house...
His thoughts were interupted when the king shouted an announcement,"My knights! join me in the great hall for a feast welcoming you all into our castle!"

 

[haremfaery]

Princess Katherine followed her parents into the Great Hall and took her place next to her mother. Various advisers and Lords and Ladies of the court sat at the head table with the royal family. The knights sat at the lower tables according to their rank.

Servants brought out dish after dish of meat and roasted vegetables, flagon upon flagon of the local wine, and loaves upon loaves of bread.

The princess ate with out much interest. She nodded to those around her and smiled appropriately. She was an intelligent girl and could hold her own in a conversation, but most of the talk of of her coming marriage. She was relieved when the musicians struck up a dance tune.

Since this was a feast to honor the knights, the Sargent-at-Arms asked the Princess to join him on the floor. This had all been prearranged. Kit took his hand and let him lead her. Other nobles joined then and a few knights took the opportunity to ask some of the lesser ladies to come to the dance floor.

Kit did love to dance and she was happy to discover that the Sargent was passably good. She teased him for hiding his skill from her for so long. The song came to an end and they prepared for the next dance, when one of the younger knights approached and asked for the honor of dancing with the Princess. She smiled at the ruddy-faced to cover the fact that she could not remember his name. The Sargent mouthed "Sir Michael" behind the knight's back.

"Sir Michael, I would be delighted to dance with you. Anything to keep from going back to the head table and listening to Lady Millicent speak of the latest fashion in braided hair." She danced with him and noticed a few knight jibing with each other. Probably to see if another knight would take the chance to dance with the princess.