janestarz | “What say you: praise or satire??”

At 16.35 I was in the train, with my outfit in a big bag and my sword in my hand. I found the frethouse (sortof, they were nice fretpeople though!) and quickly changed into outfit. All new people and no Migs because he was lost in Utrecht.
After I had unbraided my hair to get the explosion coupe I was aiming for, he arrived. Big hugs were exchanged, and then he quickly changed into his kilt and leather.

Oh I love a man in leather

His costume(kilt, brown leather armour) was just perfect for his role of Lord Penn, my character’s husband. I played Lady Branwen, and not Queenie. Mariska took over that role and she played it well. Even had me jealous there for a bit.

Dinner was served which was more or less (un)officially Time In. We shared a table with noble warriors. I had some trouble really becoming my character but thanks to Yvonne (Akasha, and yes she’s seen that film) and of course Migs I managed to soon be Lady Branwen, just in time for dessert. Then the real play started.
[from this point the entry will be from my IC point of view to clarify some things for myself as well]

During dinner our son Gwydion was praised by his father as well as put down. Gwydion was a bit shy of the praise but also was very proud of his heroic deeds.
After dinner, Kyliama, our daughter, approached me. She seemed confused and told me of her deeds in service of the Queen, Athea. Gwen the healer had traveled with her and I asked Gwen whether Kyliama was alright. Gwen stated it was just the effects of battle and death all around her.

After some more mingling with the commoners and talking to Lord Aggravain of Caer Math, who was our host, Kyliama warned me that my husband wanted to see her married and a housewife. I was torn between my husband and my daughter! I wanted to make my daughter happy which she is on her horse in battle, but I didn’t want to upset my loving yet temperamental husband either. So I tried to mediate between them. I told Kyliama that I’d try to postpone the marriage for about five years. I convinced Lord Penn that I should be the one to find a suitable husband, in the hope to win some time. He agreed, but insisted on looking around the hall for a man. Luckily for Kyliama, all the men there were married and Lord Aggravain’s sons were still toddlers.

Queenie proved her reputation once again, by gossiping to me about a man who might have been suitable, while Lord Penn was convincing our son to train a commoner with the aspiration of becoming a hero. Kyliama later warned me of her father becoming more “friendly” with Queenie, who herself is married to Old MacDonald.

Our foster-daughter, Morgan with the iron hand, told me she wouldn’t mind marrying in the hope to assist Kyliama with this. Lord Penn however considered the latter a priority, because he never sees Morgan as a true daughter.

During the bard contest that Lord Aggravain had organized, I saw my husband spending much time with Queenie and they seemed to be getting more intimate. I believe Queenie tried to ride his leg, but when I demanded to know what was going on they had a lousy excuse. The stories of the bards-in-training amused me as I kept my husband close-by.

Kyliama then approached me with a possible solution to her problem. If her father and I would consider another child, maybe it would satisfy Lord Penn’s need of hearing the patter of little feet. It could convince him to postpone marrying her off. I thought about this. With my children away from home and little space for leisure (the grounds surrounding Caer Math too dangerous for a woman alone to ride) my days seemed empty. Another child would keep me busy and might keep my dear husband away from Queenie.

When I carefully suggested this to Lord Penn, he got very excited indeed. “It will be a boy,” he boasted, “and we’ll name him after the champion!” Immediately he gathered our children around and began telling them about the baby we still had to make (“and I suppose we’ll need a bit of practice too…”). He was more agreeable to Kyliama indeed and told Gwydion he should train our soon to be born son, and then pronounced a toast. After this little ceremony, he called Lord Aggravain and Lady Esselt, to announce the good news and drink to it.

***

At this point, the other plot, one of warriors, quests and riddles, nothing for a Lady, was also played out and Time Out was called.

Migs had warned me that nobody could put up with him as a husband IC for more than three hours, but either he was easy on me or he’s not too bad at all. Besides the getting started-problems I could completely live the role of a Lady, including the loving glances and hands-on-hands-on knee that come with married-IC-life.

Around three, I think, we left Utrecht. At four we arrived at #2, lots of mist and searching at the highway later.