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| Fintan_de_Marin
Posts: 1,511 Status: Duke Karma: +250 [+1] [-1]   |
Subject: Grand Finale | |||||
"Miss Devarla, how good to see you!" Fintan exclaimed as he saw Isabella speaking with another young woman. "Count de Marin!" Isabella curtsied, to keep up appearances. "Lovely to see you again. You know Claire Summers?" The maid reintroduced her co worker. Fintan had met Claire a brief week ago, when he paid a visit to speak with Isabella on highwayman maters. "I am familiar with her. Good morning, Miss Summers." Fintan extended his hand to her. Claire smiled and took his hand, making sure she didn't blush. At least not too badly. "Good morning, Your Grace." she greeted in return and curtsied. The aristocrat kissed the hand she placed in his. "I trust you are both enjoying the festival?" Isabella sipped the cider she had in her hand and nodded at the same time, being asked in mid drink. "Yes..." She managed just after a swallow "I'm having a wonderful time so far....despite some of the unsavory guests...." Her eyes darted to Lady Hanna who was currently attempting to seduce an Arelian Earl. "I'm enjoying it just fine, thank you." Claire replied as she sipped at her own mild drink, not very fond of strong ones. She eyed the lady from across the way for moment, seeing the act then rolled her own green eyes at. "I suppose manners and the words 'keep hands to yourself' doesn't exist in that woman's world." She added lowly, focusing her gaze on something more merry to cheer up. "They do not. But then again, neither does 'trust' nor the concept." Erlise gritted. "That just happens to be Earl Decrine, the wealthiest man in the Daron Provence next to Lord Aeguris..." "Oh, well we all know what she's after then." Isabella retorted with a laugh. "Whore." she added with a smirk as Hanna looked in their direction. "Not like she's better in anything else." Claire smriked, sipping on her drink again. "That's all she knows how to get by and quite frankly, she's not very good at it." Ignoring Hanna for the moment, not caring if she was glaring at them or not, she smiled at the group with her. "And how is everyone today? I should've asked that first." "I am quite well thank you, Miss Summers." A waiter stopped by the three holding a tray of drinks. Steam rolled off the tops of the wine and ale, indicating they had been warmed to further keep the chill off the guests. "Oh, thank you." Fintan took a cup of the warmed spiced wine, then gestured to the tray for the other two. Isabella shook her head gently. Claire politely declined the offer, not wanting to be too tipsy. "No thank you." She smiled and thought back to the duel that had occurred earlier. "That was a very good duel, haven't seen anything like it, at least of that caliber." She had been watching, fascinated by the fight. It was like straight from the stories she read and heard. Granted it was a little spoiled by the call out but she assumed the woman didn't know a good fight if it came up and hit her in the face. "Felt like I was seeing a story being played out in front of me." Fintan smiled "I'm glad you enjoyed it. Will either of you be taking part in the competitions this afternoon? There shall be more duels if you wish to try your own blade." Isabella chuckled and shook her head. "I am quite content to sit and watch." Claire tilted her head in thought, interested in doing so but was hesitant. She knew she wouldn't hold up very well in a duel. She'd be lucky if she did win at all. She smiled uncertainly. "That sounds fun, problem is I don't know how to fight. The only blade I ever wielded was a kitchen knife. But..." she smirked mischievously and shrugged. "I'll give it a shot. Tis all in good fun." "Will you really? I'm impressed, Claire." Isabella stated with a laughing smile of surprise. "Well met!" Fintan exclaimed. "It will be only to a disarm. Can't have blood being spilled on a peaceful day." Fintan took another sip of his drink. "So, what do the two of you think about this little highwayman problem? Silver Rose back from the grave? And Silver Star trying to make his own legacy to surpass Silver Rose? What are your thoughts?" "You want my honest opinion of Silver Star?" Claire stated more than asked, sipping her drink. "I think they are both devilishly handsome." Isabella stated, only to have Fintan choke on a sip of wine. "But yes, what is your honest opinion of it all, Claire?" Fintan was working on not dying as Isabella spoke with a smirk. "Silver Star's an idiot." Claire stated dryly, trying to look like she had no emotion on her face, but failed when she couldn't help but grin and giggle. "He's handsome alright, but conceited and not up to par with Silver Rose. At least from the stories I've heard of Silver Rose." She giggled at Fintan's expression at Isabella's statement. "He can try, but he won't be on even ground. Him and that gaudy outfit he wears. Now as for Silver Rose, I'm glad at least someone with charm and class returns. I look forward to more stories that will float about sooner or later." "Not to mention it says something about a highwayman who can never fire a single shot, and hold up twenty seven coaches, vises a highwayman who must fire at every hold up and kill someone before being taken seriously." Isabella added. "I'm afraid I do not follow you on the outfit, Miss Summers. They both dress rather elaborately. One is simply a Cavalier style the other a Grenadier. But it baffles me to no end that people actually seem to believe that a dead highwayman is riding again. I would sooner believe that a woman was riding as a highwayman." "From what I hear, its seems too... flashy. He's trying too hard with looks, and killing everything that moves." Claire replied, sipping her drink. "Silver Star's far too aggressive to be a highwayman." Though she dropped her tone to a mumble, "Not to mention I met the so called highwayman... not a very good first impression on his end." But the maid dropped the subject for something else, taking a longer sip of her drink to hide her smirk and thought of taking up such an idea of Riding. "I like your way of thinking Miss Summers. I would say he will be killed within months, or he will be facing the noose in a fortnight. It is Rose that we must be wary of, or his ghost, which ever it is. I highly doubt it is a woman riding as Silver Rose though..." "How do you know it's not a woman though, Fintan?" Isabella laughed. "I beg your pardon?" "I suppose I should confess. I! I am Silver Rose! Now, stand and deliver!" Fintan smirked and laughed at Isabella's joke. "If you will both excuse me. I must tend to the other guests. It has been a pleasure, as always Miss Devarla." Fintan kissed her hand, before offering his hand again to Claire. "Miss Summers." He kissed her hand as well, when she placed it in his. "You're right, Star's too predictable, Rose is the one that no one knows what he thinks of next." Claire laughed as he kissed her hand again and smiled. "And a pleasure to chat with you again, Count de Marin." Lady Hanna had just failed horibly at seducing the Earl, and decided on a consolation prize. When Fintan walked in to the manor to speak with guests, she moved. She walked over to where Claire and Isabella were standing. "What got you two ladies in the Count's favor? I he still sleeping around with commoners?" Claire narrowed her eyes, sipping her drink to refrain from saying the many words that ran through her mind, instead started selecting choice terms that wouldn't be too rude. "No, it's called talking to guests and making sure they're having a merry time at a festival." the maid managed with a calm tone, despite wanting to smack the vampiress. But that was what Hanna wanted, and Claire would be damned to fall into such a trap. "It's known as being friendly with others. You should take notes on it, you can use the lessons." "The only one on these grounds who sleeps around, is you Lady Hanna." Isabella drained her cider and set the mug down. "Which you really should stop doing. It makes it very hard for me to find a good man who has not been tainted by you. I have exhausted my search in Westland, and will most likely have to start looking in Arelia." Hanna's eyes widened in utter surprise that she was spoken to in that way. "You insolent little humans. I should-" She was cut off by a scream, up at the other end of the grounds. Hanna turned around, shadows swarming around her hands ready to disappear if trouble appeared. Isabella's hand went in to her skirt folds where she produced a small silver pistol. "Not like the men enjoyed themselves while in her-" Claire was cut off and jumped in surprise at the scream and looked toward the source of the scream. For a moment she glanced at Hanna and the shadows in her hands and sighed. "Coward." Claire muttered with a flat glare but then refocused on the matter at hand. A group was gathering around a young lady who had just ran out of the woods that surrounded the manor's grounds. It was too far away to be heard by two human girls. Hanna's eyes widened and she allowed the shadows to swarm her. "Damn you Silver Rose." She muttered before she disappeared. From the woods, a horse thundered though the grounds. A large gray stallion galloped out of the woods, a rider in green on it's back. Claire blinked in surprise by the words, ignoring the fact Hanna had just vanished. "Silver Rose?" she murmured in confusion, "Why would he show himself up here...?" The maid looked toward the rider, raising a brow in confusion and suspicion. "Let there be no mistake!" Silver Rose yelled as he galloped through the festival. "I have returned! The cry of the people have reached my ears, and I once more Ride to end their hardships! As long as the aristocracy feed on the coffers of the poor, I shall feed upon their coffers on the highways!" The guards of Fintan's manor ran out, muskets at the ready. They unhesitatingly opened fire on the highwayman. It seemed however, that every shot missed. After the smoke cleared from the area of the musketeers, Silver Rose was riding towards the gate. He stopped just for a moment near Isabella and Claire, his horse turning around several times. He gave the pair a wink and tossed a pair of silver roses down on the ground. Fintan stepped out of his manor and fired a shot at the highwayman. "DON'T JUST STAND THERE! ARREST HIM! MAYBE HE'LL HAVE A FAIR TRIAL AT OUR HANDS!" The shot hit the cloak of the highwayman, who spurred off the instant it did. Claire blinked in surprise then blushed as she picked up the rose. "Did we just get flirted with?" She smiled though, happy at getting a glimpse of the highwayman while she could. Never mind the fact it was ghost, considering nearly every shot missed, except one. But at least she knew now that even in death, Silver Rose still had charm. "The bards will have a field day with this... but the festival got a very interesting moment." Isabella picked up her rose and put it in her bodice with a grin. "I think we might have." Isabella went off to get more cider as Fintan hurried up to Claire. "Are you alright?" He looked at the rose, and rose a brow when he was there was an inscription on one of the pedals. It read simply 'Do not dare to dream, dare to Ride' "Cheeky bastard he is..." "Yes, I'm fine..." Claire muttered looking at the inscription. Fintan signaled over to his wife to wrap up the festivities, "Ladies, you must excuse me. I plan to give chase to this highwayman, hopefully he will have a fair trial at Arelian hands, where as the Westland court shall be tainted." He kissed the hands of both Claire and Isabella and stepped away briskly. "Ladies and Gentlemen!" Iliecit called from her spot at a table. "It saddens me to state, this festival is now at a close. Our host has become incapacitated with Silver Rose, and it seems foolish to continue when the head judge of the competitions is not here. I thank you all for coming, and offer my most sincere apologies for the events that had occurred." And with that, the party began to breakup. |
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