The Unusual Lady

Chapter 2

I ascended from my curtsy and stood meekly with my hands clasped in in front of me. My father and the baron launched into a conversation about the roads and travel.

As the two men moved into conversing about things like the weather and crop rotations. The inane talk that had to be done before we could get down to business. I took the time to study the three men before me.

The baron had black hair threaded with silver. His eyes were an odd gray color. Silver almost like the silver in his hair. He was an imposing man. I could tell that he was a natural leader and he seemed to be a man that other men would follow to the ends of the earth. Black boots and breeches adorned his lower half while his tunic was a blue so dark it was almost black. A sword was strapped to his side and the pommel had a large egg shaped sapphire on the end. He also had some wrinkles around his mouth and eyes showing that he smiled much. He had a square jaw that was shaved. There was a small white scar above his left eye. I couldn't tell how tall he was but he was built much like my father. Muscle everywhere and a body like a solid oak tree. Actually if I remembered correctly there was an oak tree in his coat of arms, an interesting coincidence. I had noticed all three men appraising us as we walked in and even as the baron talked to my father he was studying me. Not much seemed to get past those quicksilver eyes.

The next man whom I now knew was lord Gregory had black hair like his father. His eyes were a blue like ice. Also someone that did not miss much. I worried if these imposing men had witnessed my eye roll. Well those were less points for me if they had. He seemed a harder man than his father and fatigued. Like he did not sleep much. There were circles so dark under his eyes they looked like he had been punched. He was not clean shaven but his beard was neatly trimmed close to his face. Though even with the beard his strong and angular jaw was visible. I didn't see any scars on his face but as his tunic was short sleeved and I could see many small scars crisscrossing their way up his arms, as well as one long one that started from the elbow on his right arm and disappeared into the sleeve of his tunic. I had to wonder what it was from. Obviously he took his training seriously. I had always worn protective arm coverings in my training as to not get scars like those. His body was also different from the barons in that he had a trim waist but massive arms and shoulders. His hair was of a shorter length but long enough to have fingers run though it. It was a bit mussed and I assumed it was because of that habit I noticed men possessed. He was wearing an emerald ring on the pointer finger of his left hand. His tunic was black while his breeches and boots were a dark brown. He too had a sword belted around his waist. The pommel was more decorated than his fathers. There was an intricate pattern of squares with sapphires and emeralds in the center of each square. It was truly a beautiful sword from what I could tell. I wondered briefly why his sword was so much more elaborate than his fathers. Then I remembered that a sword can be as beautiful or as ugly as possible. It simply didn't matter as long as the blade was well balanced and if it fits the person wielding it.

I quickly checked back in to the conversation between my father and the baron. They had moved onto a discussion about taxes. I really wanted to get things over with but I knew I had to just stand there and look pretty.

My eyes moved to the third man on the dais. Lord Simon. He too had black hair like his father and brother. His hair was longer and was tied in a short queue at the nape of his neck. He had no facial hair but the same strong jaw was present on his face. He had blue eyes as well but his were an interesting mix of the blue and the silver of the two other men. They also seemed to be laughing at everything he saw. His eyes missed little as well. They seemed to notice other things more than the other men, I'm sure he would have seen the pick pocket outside while his brother and father probably would have noticed gaps in the defenses on the wall more. I sensed he was a trickster and someone that could make life miserable if he wanted it. Not in a harmful way like my father. But in a 'make sure you trip every time you walk down a hallway,' kind of way. He had a scar from the corner of his eye down to his neck. He was smaller that his brother and father. Not necessarily in height but in body. He had more of a leith build. Long but strong. His tunic was an interesting shade of dark almost blood red with black breeches and boots. Since his tunic was sleeveless I saw the silver torque circled around his upper arm. He didn't have many scars on his arms but his hands made up for it. There were so many scars on his hands that I couldn't have counted them all. I noticed he had two long dirks crossed across his back. I knew that he must be a knife master. I didn't notice any other weapons on his body but that didn't mean they weren't there. I carried knives because I couldn't carry anything else. But I was much less proficient with them than I would have liked. I was best with a bow and arrow. How I would have loved to talk to him about his fighting style and get a few pointers. I would have to broach the subject carefully at some time during our stay.

"So Lord Ronald. Let us gets down to the business that brought you here. Your daughter has been silent this whole time. I and my sons will come down and we can leave this formal setting and go somewhere more comfortable. The servants need to set up for dinner anyways. If you will follow me, I will escort your lovely daughter and we will retire to my private sitting room."