Birds in Spring (5/8, Early Afternoon, Valen/Josephine)

[Valen Alysworth]

Late afternoon in Forsilvra brought a light, fresh breeze in off the sea, and weather far too pleasant for such a tense atmosphere as filled the castle. The Alysworth heir wandered the garden, keeping his own counsel but trying to avoid his own thoughts.
Valen had sought out his father in vain, and spoken a few tense words with his Lady Mother; he'd left her side feeling much comforted, but no less restless. Vesper could have helped, he knew. She could twitter about him like a flock of starlings, take his mind of all these dark thoughts and vague premonitions...but she was still abed - ha! - likely with her lord lack-beard. Valen allowed himself a moment of vindictive smirking, kicking a stone across the path and letting clever insults he might use against his sister's husband swirl in his head. A few moments passed, and even that lost its savour. He wanted Elanor. She'd say something caustic and prick him into a jolly argument, or maybe she'd be sad and resigned, and he could turn his attention to either cheering her or taking her mind off her sorrows another way. Only the castle was shut up tight as houses, everyone in important meetings, in urgent forays into the dark underbelly of whatever had brought about last night's events.

He stomped through a puddle, then found himself crouching at the edge of a lake, his eyes peering to see if there were any new frogs. His mind raced back to younger days, catching tadpoles with Deirdre and tossing them into her family's fountain. A strange smile came to his face, thinking about the silly girl in her pretty silver masque. She was a dear thing - he was glad to have been there, in all the fear and confusion. After all that worry, and rehearsal! The memory brought a wistful, slightly bitter smile to his face. After all that nonsense, he still hadn't managed to really get into what he'd wanted to say...

[Josephine DeLauncey]

It had been a crazy night - and morning - with the attempt on poor King Adrien's life. Josephine just felt awful for the King, not only did someone try to kill him, but one of the Horns had died trying to protect him. She wondered if he wouldn't be able to leave his quarters as much for the rest of the event, which would be a shame. She did enjoy running into him that time...

Her father and mother were of course with the council, so she headed to the Castle, even though she was not sure they'd think her safe there. She couldn't stay cooped up in the manor thinking about everything! They'd lost a Province Lord and nearly the King while here, when it was supposed to be celebrating their new lease on life following the plague. What would happen now? Well, it did no good to worry, so she decided to walk alone in the gardens.

She was so lost in her thoughts that she hadn't noticed she was approaching a young lord. Was it? As she got closer, she was nearly positive it was Valen Alysworth. In all the commotion, she had nearly forgotten - but not quite. He wasn't an easy person to forget. And here she was again, but would he recognize her without her mask?

[Valen Alysworth]

His hair was back to its coppery shine, and already there was a scruff on his chin, his beard refusing to stay shaven for long. He seemed taken in some reverie, a look of mixed wistfulness and pleasant memory on his face. He didn't hear her coming near, at first. When he did, his reaction was quick and strange. He turned toward her, one knee bending to press into the soft gravel that edged the pond. It was a waiting posture, as if he was prepared for anything that may be coming. His hand had gone to his belt, but at the sight of the young girl coming it fell away instantly. His face lightened, and he rose up in one smooth movement, making a passable bow.

"M'lady." he spoke, peering up at her from under his gingery mop of curls. "I hope the afternoon finds you in better spirits."

A leading question, of course - he hoped it led somewhere.

[Josephine DeLauncey]

"I can only say that the evening was mostly downhill from where we last spoke, my Lord." She had considered not revealing her identity this early in the conversation, but she could barely bear to dance around it. It wasn't outright an admission, he probably talked to loads of girls last night, but she hoped he would know.

"And you? How has the day found you? I'm sure it was a busy night for you." She wondered how he'd take that, either that there was much to be done after the unpleasantness, or that she wondered what other girls he found himself with. She intended it as the former, but the latter crept into her mind as well.

[Valen Alysworth]

Quirking an eyebrow, Valen pushed himself to his feet all in one smooth motion. He walked toward the girl - who seemed to know him from the night before - and caught her hand, pressing a warm kiss to her knuckles. He wasn't entirely sure who this one was, not just yet...but that wouldn't stop him from making a sterling impression.

"All too busy, Milady, and not at all in the ways I should have enjoyed." he told her, affecting a frown before giving her a slow, tender smile. "Had time and circumstance allowed, I should have danced with you all night."

[Josephine DeLauncey]

He seemed to not know right away - a sign he had spoken to many girls last night. She looked around, quickly, wondering if there were any other girls that might be following. Well, he certainly probably wasn't dumb enough to have suggested to more than one girl to come to the same place at the same time. Then again, who knew with young Lords?

"I doubt any of us enjoyed the evening as much as we expected, with the unfortunate events that followed... but I am glad to see you again, despite everything." She, too, wished that they had been able to dance all night, but he was the one that had left with another girl... well, she'd see where things went now.

[Valen Alysworth]

It came to him, of course, all in a flash. Yes! The lovely brunette with such witty conversation, and such sweet, amiable ways. He'd hated to turn from her, but the talk with...well, that wasn't something he wanted to remember. It had been ugly enough even before there was blood spilt.

He gave a gentle tug to bring her toward him, and shook his head. "Despite everything - you make the day brighter. I...I'm glad you came." and he ran a hand through his curls, back to their natural copper. "Glad you could recognise me, too." He gave a look around, before lifting her hand to his lips once more, looking into her eyes over her knuckles.

Girls loved that.

"Last night was...awful. I worried you would not come. I wouldn't have blamed you, but..."

[Josephine DeLauncey]

"To be fair to you, it's a lot easier for me to recognize you when I was the one who won the game of our identities... but yes, much has been on my mind since, as all of us. But you haven't left it, either." She hoped that was not too forward, but wasn't this how you played the game? Skirting the edges of propriety?

She blushed lightly as he kissed her knuckles, meeting his blue eyes. "Of course I came, my Lord of Alysworth. But now that you've seen me in my natural colors," She was back in DeLauncey maroon, with silver accents, "don't you wish to know my name?"

[Valen Alysworth]

He hadn't left her mind. She was forthright, in her quiet way, and seemed sincere. Valen had liked this girl instantly; she'd spoken to him with real thought behind her words, and wit in how she used them. He kept her hand, disinclined to release it before the lady insisted.

Ah, now she blushed! It was rather fetching, and at her words, Valen decided a bit of poetry might be in order.

"Your name..." he nodded, and pulled out a bit of poetry he remembered from his days in the 'Mark. It was a chunk of love sonnet he'd learned during his time with the pretty DeValle girls - which was likely why it was inscribed forever in his memory.

"Your name is a golden bell, hung in my heart. I should break my body to pieces to call you once by your name..." he quoted. The merry sparkle in his eyes said he knew the piece was a bit overwrought...but it was passionate and sincere, and so got across what was important.

[Josephine DeLauncey]

"A clever verse to bring out - I know it well. But - you can speak my name whenever you like. I'm Josephine DeLauncey." Was taking the mystery out of it going to make it less fun? Josephine didn't think so, but she never knew how young Lords could be. She wondered if he would remember her from his time with the de Valles, or if he would have been to distracting by the de Valle daughters. She could hardly blame him if he were.

"So you were right, in thinking I was from the Mark. I couldn't let you know that, of course, where's the fun in that?"

[Valen Alysworth]

"My lady has a ready wit, and knows well the value of games and gambits." he replied, tugging her just a little closer. Would she be as quick and clever with courting as she was with wordplay? Valen found himself hoping so, with a suddenness that surprised him - though it shouldn't have.

"My days in your country were the brightest and sweetest I've ever had." he told her, his fingers stroking over hers. "And yet...I can't help but think they'd have been sweeter still with you in them." Another kiss to her knuckles, and his eyes were still merry.

"Ah, but past is gone, and here you are, now. I'm glad for it. Will you walk a while with me, Lady Delauncy?"

[Josephine DeLauncey]

"Of course, I'll walk with you." Josephine had never been spoken to this way by a man, and it was exhilarating. Was this what it was always like, flirting with Lords and Knights? Perhaps she should have done more of it long ago...

"And perhaps I would have visited Goldenmoore more often if I had known then they would hide you within their walls." She had seen him there, and they had both been young, it was before the plague. He must have gone home when the plague hit... but she wondered, if it hadn't, and if he had continue to ward with them... well, it would have been nice. If Valen had been around...

[Valen Alysworth]

Valen shook his head, slipping his arm about her waist, a hand gentle at the small of her back. Just like a ballroom promenade.

"Ah, but then, I was but half-grown." he replied, leading her through the gardens. "Like a child, lost in a mine." a smile. "I had not the eyes to noticed a rare gem when I saw it, nor the sense to treasure it properly." he looked over at her, his metaphor about the treasure utterly transparent.

"Now I am a man, and finding a precious jewel so close, and so shining beautiful..." a gentle sigh, his eyes taking in the sky and clouds before returning to her. His voice was soft, low - just for her.

"Now, I know just what to do."

[Josephine DeLauncey]

His metaphor was perfectly clear, and Josephine had enough control of her face to not widen her eyes... on the outside. Josephine, frankly, did not precisely know what to do with these situations, and it seemed that Valen did. Well, there was always time to learn, she assumed. This was exciting and new, and Josephine was just trying to enjoy it.

"And for that I am glad, my Lord." She happily walked alongside him, taking in the situation and the atmosphere. "So why did you choose here, for us to meet?"

[Valen Alysworth]

He looked around, at the lovely sky and the lovely gardens...and the lovely girl that walked by his side. Of course, it was her wit that had drawn him - when they met, he hadn't even seen her face! Still, her smile and eyes were a thing he liked, he decided.

A thing he'd like to see more often.

"The gardens are lovely, are they not?" he asked, gesturing with his free hand. His other let his fingers gently stroke over her waist. "So, I wanted to bring you here." a warm smile. "It seems meet that beautiful things should go together."

[Josephine DeLauncey]

"They are. I haven't had nearly enough time to see them, and now word is we'll all be returning to our homes soon enough." The gardens in the Hollows were even more beautiful to her, but objectively, the capital had a lot more resources and exotic plants from all over Forsilvra and beyond. And she had zero complaints about the company she had here.

"I lived here, you know. A long time ago." To her, it seemed like a lifetime ago, although she supposed for an older person it wouldn't be nearly so long. Valen wasn't so old though, he probably felt like his time in Goldenmoore was ages ago, too.