The Heart Comes Courting

Astiriz Lionne is a great King. Despite his wish for a son, all he has is his two daughters, and they have come of age to be married. After losing his wife two years ago, he has dreaded this day as he will become a lonely old man. As it is his duty to continue the royal line, however, he has picked out two suitors for his daughters, neither of whom they like. One is a vicious, middle aged man, and the other is clearly a womaniser. Both contain high positions in the Court.
((Best intro I can think of))
Name: Carina Lionne
Age: 16
Description:
Bio: One of the daughters of the King. She is fair of mind and heart, and cannot stand the man she is due to marry.

Name : Joseph "Joe" Ardale
Age : 19
Position : Junior Horse Groom
Description : Long, dark, wavy hair and large, friendly brown eyes. Joe is a shy trainee, working in the King's stables. He has responsibility for the two Princesses horses, although they never see him, as the Senior Horse Groom takes credit for everything that happens in the stables.
Joe adores horses - he has done since he was young. And it's his dream to one day become a mounted knight, serving for his King.


Joe wiped his forehead with his sleeve, as the sweat dripped. He was mucking all the stables out. It was a hard, physical job, but he enjoyed it.

The warm afternoon sun blazed through the gaps of the stable roof, and made the air swealtering inside.

"I can't wait to have a drink." he muttered, grasping the large scoop and carried on with his work.

Carina wandered the grounds, her hands in her long red coat as she thought aimlessly and bitterly of the man she was due to marry. Oh, how she hated him. She had mild loathings for her father too, and contempt for her whole situation. Spotting a log on the ground she sat, looking towards the stables to see if she could glimpse Stellar, the black mare she favoured over all the others her father had bought her. Bribes, so far as she was concerned.

(Hope I can join!
Full name: Sentius Aquila Aurielius
Age: 18
Position: Florist/Gardener
Short description: Fairly tall reaching 6'5, he is a friendly man of a Romanian father, though he never met his mother. He is well educated, and despite what his father wanted him to succeed in, he decided to choose this job.. He had always enjoyed his job as he loved tending to the King's gardens. He never felt underpaid, and drank very little, if any at all. He is not poor, but actually very average as he also possesses leather.

Physical appearence:

Sentius continued his walk through the garden, making sure he had watered each and every one of the plants that day. He glanced over his shoulder at the stable, with a sigh, he continued his work.

((Sure, im actually going to wait another 24 hours before posting again properly so anyone else can join if they like! ))

(Ok, I'll make this post then wait too!)

Joe had just finished mucking out, admiring his work while leaning on the scoop, when the Seinor groom came out. "Take Stellar and Diamond out for exercise - use the paddock field." he shouted, and retreated.

Joe sighed - placing the scoop against the wall, he grabbed two exercise bridles and walked to each horses' stable.

Bringing both horses out one by one, he first took Stellar, tying Diamond to a hook outsidher stable.

Leading Stellar out towards the paddock, Joe patted her neck affectionately. She was a beautiful horse - sleek coat, strong build. He would love to ride her, but he wasn't allowed of course.

Leading Stellar into the paddock, he grabbed the end of the rope, and ran Stellar in a circle around him, trotting, cantering, walking.

Sentius watched for sometime, he put away his tools with a sigh and took off his gloves, sitting down on the ground as he watched the horses being excercised. He closed his eyes, it'd been a long day of non-stop work, he'd only gotten five hours of sleep in the past few days due to other work he'd been performing.

Carina smiled gently as she spotted Stellar in the paddock with Diamond and one of the grooms. A small frown came to her lips as she thought of that word - Groom. Best if she forgot about it, the day would come all too soon as it was. She walked towards the paddock, calling out to the young man. "Hello there!"

Sentius laid there for a moment, until a guard, walking through, saw him "slacking off" and hurried over to him. "Hey-- You! We have no time for slackers. Get back to work." Sentius opened a single eye, then closed it. "Oh- But I'm finished."-"You're finished when I say you're finished!" Sentius stood. "Have it your way..." For a moment, there was silence, then there was a quick yell that was cut off that could be heard.

Joe had gone into a kind of daze as he trotted Stellar, and he jumped when he heard someone calling. He looked ver his shoulder at the girl walking towards him, "Dammit, it's the Princess!"

Joe started sweating and his heart pumped quicker. He was exercising her horse - would she have him sacked for doing it wrong?

"He....Hello." he said as she came closer, forcing a somewhat relaxed smile at her.

She noticed his stutter, and chose to ignore it. "You're the one who looks after my horse, then? You do a great job." she smiled, looking at Stellars glossy coat and bright eyes.

Just then, she heard a yell, and turned towards the noise, barely noticing that no one else even bothered looking up. "What was that?" she asked the young stable groom.

Joe tried to say something back at her compliment, but didn't really know what to say. How did you reply to something like that from a Royal?

Joe heard the noise too, and his eyes widened in shock. "I don't know. I think it came from over there..." he pointed. How strange....what was that?

"We should check it out" she said firmly, hitching up her skirt and walking through the mud in the general direction of the noise.

By now he'd well hid the body in the garden's shed, he wiped some of the blood away on his hand on the inside of his coat.

He hears some nearby footsteps and acted normal.

"Oy! It be the bloody Princess. What can I do for you two?" He asks covering the still blood stained hand with his glove, smiling lightly.

Joe followed the princess, leading Stellar behind him. As he neared the man, he frowned. He glanced at the Princess, not sure who's place it was to talk to him.