Lord Jeyco Swan & Lady Melinda Swan
Location: Standing before the Princess --> A corner of the hall
Nula, The Sirens of the Sea
There was an apparent line for those nobles and ladies who wished to pay their respects to the Princess Madeleine. Lord and Lady Swan were patiently waiting in line, taking a step every few minutes that brought them closer to the young lady.
“She’s so young,” Lady Melinda whispered in surprise.
“She is,” Lord Jeyco agreed.
“I would never put my child up for marriage in such a manner. What if some old maester competed for her hand and won? Do you think I’d want some wrinkly old prune in bed with her? I’d kill him.”
“He would have to go through her father first.”
“Aren’t you competing?”
“I am.”
Lady Melinda’s hand harshly slapped her lord’s arm. The sudden reaction made him jump in startle and his eye widened at her as though she had lost her mind. He glanced over his shoulder at the noble couple giving them odd stares, and he quickly accused, “She’s a terrible lady. She beats me all the time.”
She whacked him again before she turned her head over her shoulder to address the couple, “I am not!”
Lord Jeyco whispered to his wife when her attention returned, “I’m not competing for her hand. There’s enough abusive women in my life. If a thirteen-years-old ever started beating on me, I might as well hang myself from the mast by my ****.”
“And if you survived?”
“Then I’d jump into a swarm of sharks than continue on this earth as a ****less man.”
He then arched a brow in curiosity. “Would you or the other girls leave me if I was ****less?”
Lady Melinda just smiled brightly as her olive-eyes gazed ahead at the young princess. “We’re next.”
Lord Jeyco’s head snapped in the princess’s direction and he immediately dove into character.
“Aaah…” Lord Jeyco began, spreading his arms before he brought his right arm across his waist and bent low into a bow. To his right, his wife spread her golden gown and bowed her own head as she curtsied.
“My king and queen…” he raised his head to smile at the princess, fancily holding his hand out, palm up in her direction. “My princess…we are honored to be here and standing within your presence on such a momentous occasion.”
Lord Jeyco straightened and brought a hand to his chest to introduce himself. “I am Lord Jeyco Swan, son of Lord Ibrahim and Lady Derga of the same. This is my lovely wife, Lady Melinda. We have come a far distance from our home in the Diovire, and we bring gifts for the princess.”
The kingsguardsmen were already holding their gifts, having inspected them beforehand. The first guard walked what appeared to be a dagger up to the princess and set it before her.
“I present to you, the
Serpent’s Knife. Children of the Diovire learn at an early age how to defend themselves. Both the boys and the girls grow up to be experienced warriors and it is because of this early-learned training that the people have survived for several centuries. I hope that you won’t ever have to use this weapon, but if you do, it will not betray you; and if it bites you, our custom is that you take your blood and glide it along the flat side of the blade. It will never bite you again.”
Lady Melinda glanced to the guard who had her gift. It was wrapped in thin, brown leather.
“I present to you princess, what we call
The Winking Stone. It is a crystal born naturally in the desert, but rare to find. The crystal, you see, captures light very easily, and it matters not if it were day or night as long as there is light. The crystal can be used to signal others if ever you are lost or need help. It comes with a chain, and if you spin the crystal, it will make a ring of light. The people of the Diovire know this ring, and we tend to hurry to the person’s aid. May your people know this ring too.”
The Swans bowed once more and Lord Jeyco mentioned before he would forget: “Ah, one more thing. I do intend to compete in your tournament, and if I am to win…well…”
Lord Jeyco glanced over at his wife with an amused smile before he glanced back at Princess Madeleine. “Well I suppose there won’t be much to meditate over.”
Lady Melinda narrowed her eyes at him before she grabbed her skirts and said to the Ainsworth family: “Pardon me, Your Grace.”
She then strode off briskly and full of temper.
Lord Jeyco, in a worried fluster, watched her go. “W-wait, I only said if I won! Melinda!”
He then quickly bowed to the Ainsworth family and comically scurried after her. He followed her over to a corner of the banquet room, and she stopped to turn to face him with her back to the wall.
“Well that went well,” Lord Jeyco said calmly, dropping his character.
“I almost thought that you were being serious,” said Lady Melinda, crossing her arms beneath her bosom.
Lord Jeyco stepped close to her, peeking over his shoulder to check if anyone were looking, before he posted his hand upon the wall next to her head.
“You must think me a fool. I would never give up such a fine woman,” he said lowly, brushing a finger down a silky lock of her hair.
“Not here,” Lady Melinda said, turning her cheek dismissively and trying to hide the coy smile on her face.
“Why not?”
“Because it’s unbecoming of a gentleman to have a bulge in his pants.”
Lord Jeyco sighed deeply and stepped away from her, his eye rolling up to the ceiling as he silently mouthed a curse. This was why he hated going to formal parties. Nobles didn’t know how to have fun.
“Why did you choose to enter the tournament?”
Lord Jeyco brought his sight down to his gorgeous wife. “Because I’m curious…I want to see how my brother fights.”
“Are you going to kill him?”
“No; of course not. We’re blood.”
“What if he tries to kill you?”
“
Try is right. I am fine with that.”
“There may be matches before that one.”
“No one will get in my way.”
“I hope you find the answer you’re looking for. I will alert the others of your decision.”
“I hope that I’m not disappointed.”
