Let The Games Begin!

The next afternoon while Narisa sat at lunch a servant brought her a folded note. Upon it was a seal of blue wax with the seal of ship upon it. Calaren's families seal. His father owned several ships that conducted trade along the Anduin. It read:

'Narisa,
It would be my pleasure to invite you to join me for riding and a picnic this afternoon. I apologize for the short notice but my duties have afforded me this time and I would very much like to share it with you. If you can not attend I understand.

~Calaren'

He had an elegant hand and it was a foregone conclusion that 'she' would need to prepare the picnic if she agreed. She also knew that guards would be attending her also so the likelihood of something physical happening...of Calaren making a move on her was very low.

Narisa hadn't seen Calaren since dinner the night before. She had spent the entire night awake, trying to figure out what to do. This situation was not an easy one for her and would not be as simple as refusing the hand of someone she did not know or care for. Because she did care for Calaren...quite a bit. Like Eagan, they shared a history and her feelings for him had not completely vanished. She knew he would take care of her should she marry him. However, her feelings for Eagan were still stronger and she had promised herself to him.

As she sat at lunch, not really eating, a servant approached her with a note. She picked up the note from the tray and turned it over. She immediately recognized the seal as belonging to Calaren's family. She opened the envelope and removed the note. As she finished reading it she sat there for a long moment, contemplating her decision. She had no excuse for not going with Calaren and she had told him he could court her. She knew that they would not be alone and therefore decided that it would be alright to go with him. She wrote a quick note back to him, in her beautiful script, before going to prepare the picnic. She then changed into her riding clothes before going to the stables to retrieve one of her horses. She chose her favorite, Onyx, her large black stallion. As a foal he had been tricky to handle and had not let anyone near him. It had taken Narisa two years to gain his trust and get him to allow her to ride him. She was the only one who could ride or handle him and he was fiercely protective of her. She removed him from his stall and began to brush him down before retrieving his tack.

Calaren was pleased that she sent him back a letter. it was short and to the point but her hand was very elegant and though she hadn't sprayed it with any kind of perfume he smelled her scent when he held it up to his nose. For himself he would ride Jonquil, a Palomino he thought might be able to keep up with Onyx.

He met her at the West gate, he wore a dark gray suit and black boots shined to a high sheen. His cloak was blue fringed in white as his families colors and he had a round shield off of the left side with the colors and crest of his house upon it. He waved to her as she approached along with her honor guard of five soldiers. He held his disappointment at bay when he saw them then sidled along side her as they fanned out as they began their ride.

For a long while they rode, beyond the field and past the trees and into the next field that was more hillier than those near the city. They slowed and he dismounted to help her out of the saddle. He gestured for his horse to stay while he came around and held her stirrup. Not because she needed help but because it was the polite thing to do for a lady. When she hopped down he was right there quite close to her with his hands upon her sides. His eyes were very blue right then like the river and she saw his cheeks bloom with color as he released her. Obviously he was thinking of kissing her right then. Or imagining her without clothes though he never allowed his eyes to wander from hers as was proper.

In truth he did want to feel her lips on his but it was far too soon. If he was going to win her hand he needed them to rekindle their friendship first and that wouldn't happen if she had had to slap him down. He moved back to take Jonquil's reins and walk beside her as they rested the horses.

"A magnificent animal your Onyx," he complimented. He was going to say more she could tell but he stopped himself then turned to look forward again. He was going to say how beautiful she was but he thought that was too forward as well and stopped himself.

Narisa wore doe skinned breeches and a forest green tunic that was elegantly embroidered with gold thread. Her long, dark wavy hair was pulled back into a braid to keep it from her face as she rode. Despite his best efforts to keep the disappointment from his face as he realized her honor guard would be joining them, Narisa could see it in his eyes, though she remained silent on the matter. Narisa was glad that he had chosen a horse that could keep up with Onyx. Onyx was a difficult horse to keep in pace if he wanted to run. They cantered for a time, moving further and further from the city to quieter areas with little more than the ground around them and the sky above them.

They finally came to a stop and Narisa allowed Calaren to help her down. She, of course, needed no help, but she knew he was only being polite and she held her tongue and thanked him instead. As he helped her down she realized just how close they were and felt Calaren's hands linger on her sides before he ever so slowly removed them. She could see desire in his eyes and could only guess at what he was thinking just then. For her part, she could not deny that there were thoughts of him kissing her in her mind. She felt guilty and yet also angry at Eagan for leaving her alone for so long. She would not be able to wait for him much longer.

As Calaren stepped back she kept her eyes on his for a moment longer before glancing away and then brushing some of the hair back from her face. It had become windswept, but only made her look more beautiful.

"Yes, he is," she replied as she took Onyx's reins and began to walk alongside Calaren. "Jonquil is quite the animal himself. There are very few that can keep up with Onyx and maintain his pace. I was very impressed."

Calaren couldn't help but smile, it was good, in his mind that Narisa had grown form the girl she had been. She was still young but there was something about her that made him feel better about this match. He loved horses just as much as Narisa did. They were apart of him and he was completely at home in the saddle. However though they responded favorably to him, he paused in that thought as Onyx tried to bite at Jonquil's neck and they both snorted irritably. Jonquil shook his neck and his gate shifted over away from the dark horse a step as they walked. Well, most of the time anyway but it was Narisa who held her Grandfather's gift.

"Would you leave all this...finery behind though Narisa? To study under your grandfather?" he asked. Saying it was one thing, actually doing it was something else. His question was a bit off subject but not completely. before she had a chance to answer he did. "I would," he said honestly as htey approached where he wanted to stop to have a picnic. The hills fell off into a shallow valley just below them. The view was breathtaking with the green grass, the trees and the mountains and the clear, blue sky above them.

OOC-I am currently at a conference, but brought my laptop with me so I should be able to post still.

IC-Narisa gazed out at scenery quietly for a few long moments, just taking it all in. She loved Rohan...she always had. She felt connected to it, not just because she was the daughter of the King, but because Rohan was truly in her blood.

At Calaren's question she looked over at him slightly. "I would," she responded. "I don't necessarily care for finery, though I have grown up with it. I would trade it all though to be with my horses."

She then fell quiet for a another moment before looking down. "My father is disappointed in me."

Calaren stopped what he was going to say when he heard what Narisa had just said. He gave her a smile then looked back down to the valley. "It is their job I think to see our faults," he said as he took it all in. His own father had pushed him, prodded him and sometimes even dragged Calaren in the direction he wanted him to go. that's why he was such a young Captain. He'd never say it was due to his hard work or his ability. "I carry the rank of Captain but that is not who I am. I never wanted to be in the military. Never wanted to be a soldier," he admitted. "But here I am because my da wanted it," he told her with more than a bit of agitation and also perhaps regret that he hadn't just told him no and gone his own way.

"When I wed I will go my own way and do what I wish for once," he told her as he stared off down the slope to the green below. He looked...forlorn or tired right then and his gloved hand slid into hers as if he had needed the warmth of the contact.

Narisa listened quietly to Calaren as he spoke. She could immediately sense that he was speaking the truth and she realized that he knew exactly how she felt. It was nice to know that. In a way it offered her comfort and, somehow, hope. She followed his gaze back out to the green below them. She kept it there as she felt his gloved hand lightly grasp her own. She did not pull her hand away. In fact, Calaren might feel her tighten her grip slightly.

"What would you do?" she finally asked.

"Refuse to settle," he said quickly. "All I've ever done has been settle for the path that was set before me. But now...now I'm going for what I want and settling is not in it," he added as he squeezed her hand and felt hers squeeze his just as hard. "My father may look at this as a match for his advantage...and maybe it is but that's not why I'm here with you now," he said. "I'm here because I want to be here," he said with more than a bit of vehemence in his voice. "I'm not here for anyone, not my father, not your father...I'm here to be with you and that's it,: he said.

Narisa very nearly blushed at Calaren's rather passionate statement. She could not deny he was extremely handsome and very well mannered and spoken, but up until that moment she had not ever seen that much passion from him. It made her look at him differently...with a far greater respect than she already held for him.

"You do realize, however, that should you marry me that you would be marrying into a royal family with many responsibilities that my father does not take lightly. He would expect much from you...much more than you father does now."

Calaren smiled at her words and let go of her hand. He moved forward so that his feet came to rest right on the edge of the hill. The ground beneath him cut off into a very steep cliff that went straight down into the mouth of the valley.

"You do realize, however, that should you marry me that you will go where I go and your father will just have to accept that," he said in response. Eomer was a very important man but Calaren would not live under that yolk. He had plans of his own and it certainly didn't involve sitting at court.

"However, if that is the life you want...to remain here and sit at court...I need to know," Calaren said and turned back to face her. "I'm not asking you to decide today Narisa, but I won't have you accept if all you're doing is appeasing your father. I deserve better then that," he said. "I don't want to have to share you, with anyone and certainly not an entire kingdom," he told her.

Narisa slowly nodded. Sitting at court was certainly not the life she wanted...that she knew for certain. She hated being confined within the walls of the palace, when she much rather wanted to feel the wind on her skin. Calaren deserved better than her. He was a good man...no, a great one. He was destined to become a powerful one as well, that she could see even now.

"May I at least know what your plans are?"

Calaren moved quickly up to her, his mouth to her ear. However just before he spilled everything he drifted back away from her then put a finger up to his lips as if what he had to say was a very important secret. He had that look in his eyes also that telling her now would be a hasty thing to do. As if she hadn't earned his secret...yet.

He composed himself and clasped his hands behind his back. "Perhaps...tomorrow if you agree to see me again," he said plainly. He already knew he was not going to kiss her today. he wanted her to think about it though. Build it up in her mind and then make it such a kiss that her knees would go weak.

Calaren would hear Narisa breath in sharply as he moved quickly up to her ear. She felt his warm breath against her neck and it almost made her shiver. She held her breath as she waited for him to speak, but he said nothing and then slowly pulled back. She was now very curious as to what he would tell her. However, she quickly realized that he had just won another outing with her as a result.

"Well...I'll have to see how busy I am tomorrow," she told him, deciding not to agree right away. Two could play that game!

The meal consisted of cold meats, cheese, bread and a pound cake that neither of them touched. He had hoped for wine but she had held with propriety and one didn't bring wine on a first outing so he had had to go without today. They talked and laughed and spoke of what they knew about the King and Queen and the royal family. He loved to listen to her stories about them and if time hadn't been so fleeting he would have stayed longer if he could.

They rode back side by side and slowed just in view of the gate to talk a bit more before he paused to where they would say goodbye. He let Jonduil dance around her and Onyx, his smile and his eyes letting her know that he did indeed like what he saw. He had Jonduil bow to her as he did. "I had a wonderful time Princess Narisa, perhaps tomorrow bring a faster horse. I'll bet a gold crown I can take you at one quarter of a farthing," he said as he procured one from his belt and flipped it at her.

OOC-New thread?

ooc: new thread. If its too much, please suggest a modification or change it yourself to make it more to what you want.