[centre][h2]Countryside of Lalrial, The Heartlands[/h2][/centre]

[hr]

	    House Jamais rose to prominence from a relatively humble beginning. Originally a family of farmers in the northern Luzerne, the rural countryside of the Republic of Violette, the Jamais family tended the land at the confluence of the Jamais Sur and Jamais Nur, two rivers feeding into the Bay of Estporte. Over time, the family's lands, situated at a major trade nexus, became a destination for merchants looking to procure Luzerne foodstuffs from the surrounding territories. The Jamais family capitalized on the opportunity, and began to develop their lands into a small village, with grew larger and larger over time, alongside the family's wealth. Eventually, this village turned city, Confluence, became so rich and the Jamais family so prominent, that they began to be treated as nobles. This was not entirely abnormal in the republic. The lines between the rich and those of noble blood barely existed there. Nobility in Violette, after all, theoretically derived from the secular Violette Senate, a body composed of (wealthy) commoners.
    
    Two hundred years ago, as a gift to secure an alliance with Confluence's ruling family, House Gracieux manipulated the senate to bestow unto the Jamais family a formal noble title: Lords of Confluence. From then on, the now House Jamais served as House Gracieux's most loyal and most powerful vassal, helping to secure the Gracieux's hold over Violette. This, of course, came with an added bonus: House Jamais had exclusivity in Confluence. Unlike in Lalrial, or in many other major cities far outside the republic's boundaries, House Gracieux owns nothing, owns no business and harbours no ambitions for Confluence. It was an arrangement that served House Jamais, and especially their coffers, extremely well. Such was the strength of the Gracieuxs and Jamais' alliance that the second son of the Lord of Confluence, Sourire Jamais, was entrusted to serve as House Gracieux's Prime Magistrate in the Prime Estates in Lalrial.
    
    Sourire brandished his rapier, sliding it through the open Heartlands air in clean thrusts. The blade had been a gift from his father, the Lord of Confluence, and the estate on whose grounds he was now practicing with it were a gift from House Gracieux. It was an enviable location, scenic, and close enough to Lalrial for easy access to Sourire's affairs as Prime Magistrate, without being so close as to attract the common classes that clogged the streets of that city. Where Lalrial was dirty, Jamais Estate was clean.
    
    "A pleasure to see you, Prince Aldrick!" Sourire called out, waving to the Prince as he approached on his horse. Sourire was at the side of a small house located on the estate's grounds, which the son of Lord Jamais enjoyed using for sport. He fancied himself rather good at fencing and archery, and quite competitive. He loved to face challengers from Lalrial's courtly life, and when there was no one to duel with but his servants, Sourire was fond of using the relatively remoted located sporting house for romps with the servant girls, without risk of a guard sending a letter back to the Lord of Confluence. Sourire was forbidden vice, but like all young men, that only made him desire it more. What separated Sourire from his lessers was that he could control himself, both his lust and his desire to win.
    
    As the Prince descend his horse, Sourire greeted him casually. "I don't believe you've ever visited this home of mine before, have you? I've been meaning to take you here for a bit of fun sometime. I've heard you're good with a sword, but I'm betting you couldn't tell a bow from a harp! And when I say betting, I mean that I fully intend to put money on it!"
    
    "I'm just barely off of my horse and you're already trying to start a contest" Aldrick commented with a raised eyebrow. He handed the reigns to a nearby servant as he continued "And its good seeing you as well." His gaze shifted to his surroundings for a bit before returning to Sourire. "Very well. Why don't you go grab that harp and try to convince me its a bow then."
    
    Sourire laughed, boisterously, with a hearty smile. He was somewhat of a short man, with a mousy face, but evidently also quite cheery. "You needn't have even left your horse for me to challenge you. The grounds make for a perfectly fine race track, if you'd prefer that. What's the expression, 'pick your poison'? I'm going to be beating you at [i]something[/i] before we have to return to that royal quagmire in the capital, but, guest's privilege, I'll let you pick what!"

    "Oh? Will you now?" Aldrick shot him a wide smile. "Well if you are going to be having [i]that[/i] kind of attitude then I see no reason to go easy on you." His hand came to rest on the sword's hilt he had sheathed on his hip. "How about we have a friendly duel?" He asked as he drew his blade, revealing the Acithan steel blade. He eyed  the blade, its patterns reminiscent of flowing water, before saying "If you beat me I'll give you this blade."

    His sword already in hand, Sourire nodded, smirking and getting into position next to Prince Aldrick. "Now, if I hurt you, be sure to scream and cry very loudly and womanly. I want to be sure I notice, so I don't harm you too badly."
    
    "I think its about time I showed you who wears the pants in this relationship!" Aldrick shouted as he lunged forward, thrusting his sword at Sourire's chest. When his attack was parried he quickly pulled back, raising his sword to halt Sourire's overhead swing. The two men kept their blades locked together for a moment before Sourire forced his blade down and to the side. The two men disengaged, backing away and looking for another opening. 
    
    This time Sourire initiated the attack, stepping forward and swinging his blade in a wide horizontal attack. Aldrick stepped forward and met the incoming blade with his own, using his superior strength to bring the blade to a halt. He was about to try and force Sourire's blade further to the side so he could make an attack of his own when he heard something approaching.

    Trotting lesiurely across the estate was a solid white horse, of Dreibene extraction, heading towards the sporting house from the main building. Riding atop the steed were two exceptionally pretty and somewhat pale young ladies, clearly of Northern extraction, with long blonde hair, bright green eyes, and dressed in very light, airy white gowns. As the horse came to a stop a few feet from the paused duelists, one of the girls cheerily hopped off the horseand ran to Sourire's arms, embracing him lovingly. Sourire sheathed his rapier, awkwardly, around the young maiden, and then held her to him closely, turning his gaze to face the prince.. "Aldrick, I'd like you to meet Alise, a companion of mine here at Jamais Estate. And her lovely young companion..." The second girl on the horse, identical in appearance to the first, exited it more shyly, slowly approaching Prince Aldrick with her hands entwined behind her back. "...is Vanna, her sister. They were born, what was it, five minutes apart?"
    
    Alise kissed Sourie's cheek and corrected, "Six".
    
    "Six! Six minutes apart. Vanna is the younger sister. Been in the Heartland about three months, same amount of time you've spent here I think. Came to visit her sister and decided to stay to have some coin to bring back to her family. We pay our employees well in Violette. Treat our friends and allies even better."
    
    Vanna smiled shyly at Aldrick, withdrawing one of her hands from behind her back to give an awkward wave. "Hi!" she stated, simply, trying to sound enthusiastic as she stood admiring the beautifully crafted steel of the Prince's blade. Evidently she was familiar with Acithan steel. "That sword is beautiful. Are you a warrior?"
    
    Sourire Jamais couldn't contain his sly smile as he led Alise to the horse, climbing onto it alongside his lover and adjusting the steed's direction towards the main estate. "You two should chat, get to know each other. The sport lodge has a bed if you think the grounds are too beautiful to leave for today. Be seeing you!" Without another word, Sourire and Alise rode off, petting amorously as their horse gallopped off towards Sourire's bedchamber.

    "All northern men are warriors" Aldrick told Vanna. He waved to Sourire as the other man made his exit.

    Vanna shook her head. "I mean a proper warrior. Someone that doesn't farm in the summer and fight in the winter. A professional warrior that lives for battle and supports his family with his blade."

    "I'm certainly no farmer" Aldrick said with a chuckle. "And I wouldn't say that I 'live for battle', but I have fought in my fair share of battles and I did so because it was my duty to do so." He slowly sheathed his sword, halting just before the blade was fully hidden from sight to give Vanna one last glimpse. 

    True to Aldrick's intent, Vanna's eyes were locked on the waves of the Aciithan steel. "I've seen those before I think. You're Acithan, or you bought one of their swords. My mother was from Acitha. She was from the north she said, and she moved to Tellaria to be safe from the Nordheim. She met my father there, on his farm near the border. Have you ever used that sword against one of the barbarians?"
    
    "This sword has only ever tasted Nordheim blood" Aldrick answered. "And I have only fought in the defense of my homeland. Our homeland." With a clank he finished sheathing his sword. "This blade was a gift from my father." He rested his forearm on the hilt of the blade. "As is tradition for all Zarands who come of age."

    Vanna raised an eyebrow suspiciously, but nonetheless seemed interested. "You're from House Zarand? Alise told me you were a noble, but this estate's owned by House Jamais, from Violette. I didn't know Veletians and Acithans got along. Prove you're a Zarand! What are your House's words? Who's the King of Acitha?"

    "Families aside Sourire and I get along quite swimmingly." He raised an eyebrow at Vanna's request that he prove he was a Zarand. Any noble from a major house would know his House's words and who the king was. "We stand ready. And my father's name is Lorant. Would you care for me to start listing my brothers and sisters?"
    
    "Truth be told I don't know much more than their words and their king! I've only ever left Tellaria to come here and see Alise, and I just went through the Heartlands for that. Acitha's where my mother's from, but she always told me it isn't safe there for people. The Nordheim never stop coming no matter how many of them bleed on your fancy swords. Anyway, what different places have you been to?"

    "Its a rugged land" Aldrick agreed. "But we are a rugged people. My travels have been somewhat... limited I suppose you could say. I've been north of the city of Chave, almost crossing into uncivilized lands. Beyond that my travels have been limited to within Acitha and here I suppose. Unlike some of my siblings I don't have the most glorious of tales to tell, but I have done my duty. But enough about me, I'd like to hear a bit about you. How have the southern lands treated you?"

    "Oh it's lovely here! Very warm and sunny. And of course there are some advantages to living on a nobleman's estate besides just the pay. Getting to meet dashing young princes, for instance."

    "All dashing young princes need a beautiful lady to escort" Aldrick said with a smile, offering her his arm.

    Vanna took Prince Aldrick's arm eagerly, a light blush emerging from her soft cheeks, their whiteness making it easier for Aldrick to detect. She laid her head against her newly discovered prince and sighed happily.

[hr]

    The inside of the sporting lodge was surprisingly spacious, and seemed, strangely, to have purpose built for exactly the activities Aldrick and Vanna had engaged in inside, and not at all for any kind of sport. Vanna suspected that her engagement with the Prince was not the first time that a man and a woman had enjoyed each other's company here, and she was nearly sure that she was a blood relative of the woman to have first made such a use of the lodge.

    "As much as I would love to enjoy your company further" Aldrick said as he brushed an errant strand of hair out of Vanna's face, "I'm afraid I must take my leave." Even as he rose from his bed his eyes revealed a deep desire to remain. "Duty calls" He said, both for her and his own benefit. "But perhaps we can meet again?"

    Vanna pouted slightly, and pulled the blankets from her body after the Prince had finished speaking, her pout turning into an incredibly suggestive smile as her naked flesh met the air. "I'd like to talk awhile, if you have any time at all."

    "For you?" He reached over and playfully poked her. "I'll make the time." His eyes drifted to her bare form momentarily before focusing on her smile. 

    The Tellarian girl pulled Prince Aldrick against her, covering the both of them back underneath the covers of the luxurious bed. She stared at the ceiling of the lodge, holding her Prince close. "I would like to be able to live in Acitha one day. To bring my mother back to her homeland and be able to stay there, in safety and in peace. Do you think your family's kingdom will ever be a safe place?"

    "Someday we will triumph over the Nordheim" Aldrick said. "And when we do all of the north will be safe. I would like to show you an Acitha at peace" He whispered into her ear before giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. 

    "How? How will you triumph, and how will you make your lands safe? Is it just a matter of giving a lot of men a lot of swords and attacking them? If it was that easy, why have they persisted so long?"

    "There is nothing easy about war. And it is not always the answer. Acitha itself was once an uncivilized land. And now... its a bastion of the Empire in the north." He paused for a moment before reluctantly saying "I'm afraid my duties can wait no longer. I hope you will forgive me."
    
    Vanna nodded solemnly, allowing Prince Aldrick to leave her embrace. "Make me a promise, Prince. Pledge to me that one day, I will be able to visit the birthplace of my mother in safety. Promise me that one day, before I die, Acitha will be safe."

    "I shall not rest until our homeland is safe" Aldrick answered with a smile. "You have my word."


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[b][Collaboration between myself and [url=http://www.roleplayerguild.com/users/darkspleen]Darkspleen.[/url]][/b]