Lakeside Conversation

[Lord Jasen de Winter]

The letters exchanged and the location and time confirmed, Jasen prepared for the ride in the morning of the twentieth, setting a leisurely pace for his horse as he waited for Lady Carissa to join him. He had seen the Lady a couple of times before, but perhaps times had changed the looks and demeanor of his northern neighbor much like it had all of them, especially if they resided at Court in Triadon, so he’d have to be careful with what he said and what was left out. Still, there was no reason for worrying right now unless one could consider the pressing need to meet his siblings soon.

For now, the meeting with Lady of Shalefort would show him just how further action on his end would develop. The feeling of unease had been growing for some time, though nothing definite could be found just yet. Still, the possibility of a plot against his family, especially with Katalin’s warning last time they spoke, was likely, so he wouldn’t be putting his unease to rest unless he could find out more on the happenings, but that was for later consideration. Yet, Jasen would’ve been surprised if there were none between the nobles, whom, if he remembered correctly, liked to plot against each other practically all the time. Perhaps it was time to put Katalin’s plan to action and see if anything would happen. It was a thought to consider. For now, however, this meeting would help him determine how to act in cases of others. It shall be one of most informative sort.


Lady Carissa de Vere

[Lady Carissa de Vere]

Taking care with her appearance, all the moreso for the gravity of the rumors placed in her lap by the anonymous author, Carissa rode forth to join the Duke of Oakdale. Mounted on her favorite chestnut mare, her gaze skimmed over the lakeshore in search of the gentleman, whom she had not seen since prior to him taking the ducal seat. She had met with his father on several occasions, attended the Duke's funeral, but spent little time getting to know his heir. Carissa intended to remedy that now, the better to assuage her rising concerns over the stability of Oakdale and the intentions of the Duke himself.

Spotting him, she picked up the pace to approach him, her face schooled into a pleasant, neutral expression. "Good day, Your Grace," called to him. "I hope I have not kept you waiting too long."

[Lord Jasen de Winter]

The pleasant, neutral expression was nothing unexpected from the Lady de Vere, as she approached riding a chestnut, and the greeting was neutral enough, so Jasen had no reason to suspect anything amiss. Yet, he met the lady some time back, and only briefly, so that called for caution. “Your Grace, good day to you, as well,” he greeted, once the rider approached close enough to speak without shouting. “Not at all, I only just arrived myself.” Honest truth to that statement, since he set his mount to a leisurely pace, the less to wait once he got where they were now. “Shall we start?” The suggestion was both to the conversation that was to follow and the ride that would commence once both of them were at relative ease with each other, though ease was, perhaps, a wrong word to describe their meeting. Still, he would find out once the actual conversation had started.

[Lady Carissa de Vere]

Carissa reined in when she reached a comfortable enough distance for speaking. She didn't want to crowd the man, nor present any sort of threat to him. They were relatively unknown to each other, so caution was best employed. Keeping her hands where he could see them - an ages old trick her father taught her to inspire trustworthiness - she inclined her head politely. "Lead the way, my lord." She meant it both literally and metaphorically, despite being the one who requested the meeting.

Admittedly, she was curious as to whether he had an agenda of his own, but time would reveal that. Thinking on the letter delivered to her, she did not know where to begin her own, preferring to gauge the man before she ventured into more political territory. Clearing her throat, Carissa kept to politeness for a moment. "I hope your family is well? I caught a glimpse of your sister attending the King; you must be very proud."

[Lord Jasen de Winter]

Noting the motion of the woman’s hands, Jasen slightly moved his own so she could see he was holding nothing but the reins of his mount, for to topple off a horse was not how he intended to spend the afternoon doing. “Indeed, My Lady, though it had been a tradition of de Winters that one of the family members attend the Royals for quite some time now. Perhaps you might’ve seen my brother Christopher among the guards as well? Both of them seem to enjoy their positions despite the challenges imposed by each station. How about you and yours? I believe your uncle and niece are now at Court, as well?”

It had been hard not to catch a glimpse of Lady Marisa de Vere when she made her presence most obvious at Court, though the other was proving difficult to do so. Then again, from the rumors, Lord Rupert had an important position which made ability to hide an all important one, so Jasen wasn’t at all surprised at not being able to see the man unless the other made himself visible on purpose. A useful talent to have, especially in times that were growing troubled, as did these. Setting off at the gentle pace, so they would be able to talk and ride at the same time, Jasen slightly turned his head so he was facing the Lady Carissa, allowing her to keep pace with ease if she so wished.

[Lady Carissa de Vere]

She considered, then nodded, recalling the tall, dark haired knight. "I have seen Sir Christopher a few times, yes, though we have not had occasion to speak. No doubt you are extremely proud of his accomplishments." Carissa smiled gently, the better to indicate her words were sincere, not sarcastic. To achieve rank in the Royal Guard was no easy task, and required diligence, patience and a fair amount of drudgery.

The mention of her own family made her laugh softly. "My uncle and cousin, yes. Lord Rupert, as you know, serves on the King's Council, and my cousin Marisa was fostered to Princess Fiona to help her navigate court. I believe she has cut quite a swath through the Court as a consequence." Marisa was undoubtedly the most public face of the de Vere family right now, though she was keeping a close eye on both of them. Her mare matched his steed's pace, allowing them to talk easily and comfortably. "Have you been at court long yourself?"

[Lord Jasen de Winter]

Giving a fond smile at the thought of his siblings, Jasen inclined his head in agreement. “Indeed, I’m quite proud of accomplishments of all three of them, for their hard work had paid off in achieving what they strove for,” he noted, before listening to the lady’s words with a note of interest. “That is rather a helping hand that your cousin secured, no wonder she managed to leave a mark on the court she had,” he mused, remembering the lady’s few but memorable appearances.

Taking some time to phrase the answer, he continued to ride along, taking care to avoid the slightly uneven ground that could be damaging to his horse’s legs. “No, not long – in fact, I arrived fairly recently myself, just in time for the spring masque. It had been a fairly eventful stay so far, however, and I have to say I am grateful for continuing silence of our large neighbor. While it worries me greatly, right now it’s on hand that I can leave my lands long enough to spend some time with my family here.” Silence of Arton Empire was always a cause for concern, and he wondered whether Lady de Vere was more of a mind with him on the topic. Still, he was likely going to learn shortly enough.

[Lady Carissa de Vere]

Memorable indeed; that was the most frequent adjective applied to Marisa and precisely why her elder cousin was diligently watching over the young woman. Marisa could be... flamboyant; had she shocked this conservative-seeming western duke? Carissa would not be surprised in the least, equally dividing her attention between her horse and her companion. "It is a matter of significant concern to both of us, I'd have to say. The silence worries me more than the usual rumblings, however." She looked over to catch and hold his gaze briefly. "It strikes me as more of an unnatural silence, the kind that prefaces a storm. They are planning something, though I can't begin to speculate what or where." The thought cost her more than one sleepless night as well.

Their horses continued to match paces as the road unfurled before them, the conversation slightly formal but open enough. "Have you had word of any movements near the passes that are in your lands? I have not had the opportunity to speak with Lord Stratford, but perhaps you have?" The man was Oakdale's vassal and certainly should have heard anything from Stonegate first.

[Lord Jasen de Winter]

Jasen inclined his head in agreement with Lady Carissa’s words. Had he been called away by some meeting of minds in his duchy, that wouldn’t be as worrisome as the continuing silence. “Indeed, My Lady, we can only hope that it’s just the turmoil within their large territory than any type of plan going on. For I, at least, would enjoy time of relative peace, however it would be granted.” An amused look cast toward her at the mention of Lord Stratford, Jasen made a point of the name. “Not yet, Your Grace, though people I’m connected to otherwise in his lands report peace and quiet. I admit it worries me, especially due to all else going on. Perhaps we might hear something from the man himself if opportunity arises.”

Pausing to see if she had anything to add to the latter, he slightly tilted his head to the side, considering it. “In fact, I believe the incoming celebration should be an ample opportunity. Perhaps a few potential meetings to consider allies to help us with our neighbor could be made possible?” Posing it a question, he wondered how Lady Carissa would take his words. At the very least Jardinier and those others bordering Arton should be aware of the ongoing silence, but they would have to be cautious and avoid stirring up the big nest. He had no wish for more trouble than they could handle, after all.

[Lady Carissa de Vere]

She rode in silence beside him for a few minutes, allowing his words to sink into her mind as she composed her reply. The blue eyes were intent as they gazed ahead briefly, swinging back to rest on her fellow Duke, a man of some few years her senior. "I had proposed to Lord and Lady Jardinier that we seize the advantage of the Festival to hold a meeting where the six dukes could meet with our respective advisers to discuss matters of concern, conduct initial sorties of alliance or resolve conflicts. And to broach the two most pressing topics - the onslaught of smuggling and the shadow to our west."

Said almost too simply, Carissa watched Jasen's face for his initial reaction, aware that she had nearly everyone's agreement except Lady Rose... and his to such a meeting. The acceptance of the Jardiniers, of Lord St. Claire and Lord Lancaster had not been a surprise, but she was dealing with relatively unknown quantities in Rosewine and Oakdale.

[Lord Jasen de Winter]

Jasen mulled the suggestion over. The festival was, indeed, a good place for such a meeting, and there was rarely another opportunity for it. “If everyone else is in agreement, My Lady, then such a meeting as you propose would well be of benefit rather than detriment, and you’re right, both of those issues will have to be addressed.” He was uncertain whether he’d be able to guess correctly, however, so saved anything that could be handled at the time. For now, the man chose to stay quiet, waiting to see if Lady Carissa had any news on her end of things. Perhaps a different perspective would offer some input. He has noticed that the lady seemed to be watching him for some sort of reaction, but wondered whether his was a correct one. Time was going to tell, it looked like. “Do you intend to organize, and would you like assistance to such?” He asked, slightly curious whether the meeting would prove of needing help. Sometimes, such meetings would require help, and he was wondering whether it would be needed this time around.


Lady Carissa de Vere

[Lady Carissa de Vere]

"They will," she agreed, "and sooner rather than later. One of the early events scheduled for the Festival, I believe, is a display of the various duchies, hosted by the ducal Houses. Is de Winter and Oakdale planning to participate?" Carissa deemed it a safe enough question, though she could feel his gaze on her, measuring, watching, waiting for the true topic of discussion to arise - the state of the border held by de Vere against any advance by the Artonians. "I thought perhaps the morning after that event might be best for our meeting, as we will tentatively all be present by then. The efficiency of it will appeal to several of our fellow Dukes." Carissa's smile turned wry, thinking of Lord St. Claire. The man did not like to waste any time he didn't otherwise have to.

His question surprised her, her expression flickering for a moment before she smiled. "If you are willing to lend your aid, I would be foolish to refuse, Lord de Winter, thank you. I have barely begun to organize the matter; I thought it best to secure agreements and interest prior to issuing the invitations."

Lord Jasen de Winter