Houses and Heraldry

[Gifted]

"Thank you very much for your genorous hospitality my lady, but I'm afraid I have to decline. I shall return in the evening, however."

[Raven]

"Very well, I will see you then." Lady Cassandra stood, nodding to her. "Have a good day, Madame."

[Gifted]

"You too, Lady Nagarr." Madame Guillotine left. She traveled out the gates and found a place where she was sure no one was watching her before disappearing on the wind. She reformed further away than any spy could expect her to be as she very clearly did not own a horse, and began digging herself on who this man was and why Lady Cassandra wanted him dead. It was mostly a precaution, to see just how much Lady Cassandra would tell her.

[Raven]

The man was a peasant, living on his own except for one daughter of thirteen years. The family didn't have a good reputation, but there was still no apparent reason for Lady Cassandra, the noble of their land, to care so much about him. It took her ages to find anything of him, and then it was merely luck due to the fact that he lived in the town directly to the south of Dragon's Keep. Some people claimed his problems started when his wife disappeared, but far more believed he'd had problems long before then.

[Gifted]

She didnt mind too much that there wasn't much information on him. She gathered what she could and then returned to Lady Cassandra's castle that evening.

[Raven]

Lady Cassandra told her the name of the city where he resided and gave several physical descriptors. "You're to harm no one else in the household."

[Gifted]

"That can be arranged. He shall be dead by first light." She would need a horse to get there and back by first light, but it was theoretically possible.

[Raven]

"Wonderful. Your payment will be delivered when you return."

[Gifted]

She nodded, bowed, and took her leave again. The man was dead in half an hour, and then she found a place to sleep until morning.

The next morning, Rodrick had made sure his men had his and John's horses all ready to go. He'd taken the necessary precautions for him to leave his land and was ready to ride out to meet Aaron. "You excited for the trip, John?"
"Yes my lord. I look forward to going." John answered, because that was the correct answer. Rodrick smiled his mischievous smile and the two set off for the other lords home.

[Raven]

Lady Cassandra knocked lightly on her daughter's door early that morning. "Roseanna, I have some news for you."

It was a long ride, but when they arrived, there was fanfare and a great welcome. They were shown into the castle, and the Lord and Lady welcomed them themselves, the young lord they were meant to take with them accompanying his parents. "It's wonderful to meet you, Lord Rodrick Ashford, this is my wife, Lady Megan, and my son, Kenny," Aaron said.

[Gifted]

"Yes mother?" Roseanna was playing with her still-young dragon when her mother came in the room. When she put her arms down and looked over, however, her dragon got the hint.. It took off and flew up onto a beam in her room where it usually slept and looked down on the women from above. "What is it?"

"The pleasure is mine, Lord Aaron Clark." Rodrick leaned in towards Aaron and shook his hand warmly. "You have a wonderful family." He let go and gestured with open arms to his only companion. "Allow me to introduce my most loyal knight, Sir John Arlyn."

[Raven]

"I've heard of Sir Arlyn," Aaron said, looking the man up and down. "I take it he is to train my son?"
Kenny was looking in fear at the two men before him. Kinsey had said he would find anywhere better, but surely she hadn't expected him to train with the usurper who had driven her from her home.

Cassandra smiled, glancing at the little dragon before coming to sit beside her daughter on her bed, stroking her hair. "I believe I may have found you a husband, little one."

[Gifted]

"Yes, Sir Arlyn will train your son. I have complete faith in him." Rodrick smiled, looking at John.
John, feeling the need to say something, piped up. "Lord Rodrick flatters me. I serve my lord to the best of my ability, no more no less."
"Your son will be in good hands." Rodrick nodded solemnly to Aaron.

Roseanna smiled. "How much land is he inheriting?" She knew marriages were primarily tools for power, and her mother would only marry her off to a man who had plenty of it.

[Raven]

"I believe you. He looks extremely capable." At any rate, it was mostly Rodrick he was after. "Shall we eat? My other son will join us in the banquet hall."

Cassandra smiled at her Rose's intelligence. "He's the Clark heir." Her daughters would, of course, know of the five major houses outside of their own.

[Gifted]

"That sounds marvelous. Why isn't he out now?" Like Rodrick didn't already know.

Rose lit up. "You're marrying me to the Clark heir? Oh, this is wonderful!" She hugged her mother. "Do you think he'll be difficult?"