[color=A0A0A0][h2]Fleuri Jodeau[/h2][/color]

It's almost time, Fleuri thought as he hiked up a hill that overlooked the tournament grounds.  The Valours Tournament was back, the biggest tournament in Thaln.  Fleuri had competed a few times- he was by his own reckoning a massive fool in those days but they were good times nonetheless.

The Flower of the North would soon be making his return to the tournament scene.  He didn't want to make himself known on the field [i]just[/i] yet, however, as he intended for it to be a bit of a surprise debut, with new armor and heraldry to better represent what he had become.

Fleuri had been preparing for the tournament for a while now.  He had been practicing his swordsmanship, breaking in his new armor, and even had been brushing up on jousting.  Everything he had gone through with the Iron Roses in recent months had honed him into a much more capable warrior than he had been as a tourney regular, but that was no excuse to not make meticulous preparations for the most prestigious contest of arms in the kingdom.

It'd be good to see and catch up with the other competitors.  Not all of them approved of his decision to leave the competitions to join the Roses- but with how far he had gone as a fighter, perhaps he could convince them to reconsider their thoughts.  Of course, even if he [i]wasn't[/i] under a geas, it's not like they'd believe him about the true nature of his training with the Roses even if he could tell them.

Then again, they have no doubt also been improving their skills.  In the time since he left, perhaps they too developed some new tricks with which to surprise him.

As he summited the hill, he saw that Sir Gerard had the same idea, to come here and gaze out at the tourney grounds.  From what he could recall, this would be Gerard's first entry into a chivalric contest of arms.

"Hello, Sir Gerard, I didn't expect to see you here," Fleuri greeted his fellow Reonite.  "Come to get a good view of the Valours Tournament before the festivities begin?"

Fleuri pointed out at parts of the field.  [color=A0A0A0]"I have some good memories of that field.  That spot right there was where I made good on my promise to Sir Westier to defeat him using just the pommel and hilt of my sword after he insulted my sister.  All talk and no tassets, that one."[/color]

[color=A0A0A0]"Or over there, a few years ago, Dame Hildebrand and I faced off while wearing each other's heraldry and colors as mock chivalric favors.  I lost that fight- neither of us got very far that time- but what really mattered was that we got a lot of people talking about us."[/color]

One couldn't expect to win every tournament, but one could always put effort into make their participation memorable.  As an Iron Rose he'd be expected to behave with a bit more class nowadays, but that didn't mean he couldn't go out of his way to be showy.

[color=A0A0A0]"Speaking of which, Sir Gerard, do you have your heraldry in order for the tournament?"[/color]

[@HereComesTheSnow]