William Alexander Stanford's Story

Lord William Stanford had awoken early that morning, as he always did. Despite the chill in the air William stood in the courtyard of Castle Briar, his home and that of countless generations of Stanfords, bare-footed and bare-chested wearing only a pair of comfortable black woolen pants. Firmly grasped in his hands was his sword, which was the sole focus of his attention. He moved across the courtyard in an appearance almost like that of dance, sword and body moving in perfect harmony, as William fought some invisible foe. It was his routine to arise with the sun and spend time practicing the martial arts. It helped him bring peace and focus into his life. We became one with his weapon, one with the world around him. And if there was a day that he needed focus, a day for peace, it was this day.

His sister's, Lady Harriet Rayleigh, had arrived in castle Briar the night before, along with her in-laws. It was good to see Harriet again, the last time he had seen her was last summer and in the current political climate that had seemed far to long. He had barely had any time with her though as Harriet's father-in-law, Lord Francis Rayleigh, had invited William to council with him, his sons, and his advisers. In only a matter of hours the Rayleigh's would be traveling north to Beaumont Loch to have a conference with King Orion Lancaster that would decide the fate of all Seabel. William had mostly held his tongue while in conference with the Rayleigh's. In earlier days he would have been eager to take part in such doings, but now his only focus was on his sisters. Traveling with the King was William's sister, and Queen of Seabel, Amalie. It had been a couple of years since he had last seen Amalie, with the increasing tensions between North and South it would have been unwise for him to have traveled to see her, but he worried about her constantly. As wife of the Queen she was an ideal target for the intrigue and subterfuge that engulfed the nobility. He was happy that the three Stanford sibling's would be under one roof again, one that would allow him to protect both of his beloved sisters at the same time.

But while the prospect of being with Amalie and Harriet filled him with joy, the circumstances of the reunion filled him with dread and worry. If war was to come between the North and the South, it could very easily start in the next few days at the very spot they were all traveling to. The entire situation would be like an agitated bees nest, and all it would take is one misspoken word, one accidental slight, and the entire nation would erupt in to flames. The next few days would not be ones of peace, but for now William had peace as he gracefully moved through the courtyard, the sweat on his body glinting in the early morning light. Just himself and his sword. For one brief moment all was right in the world and William cherished that moment, for such moments are always fleeting.

William's movement came to an abrupt halt as he finished his last attack. Slowly moving the blade in front of his face William closed his eyes and took a deep breath, in through his nose and out through his mouth.

"Well if you're quite done prancing about I do believe there's work to be done." A rough voice said to William's left. With a small smile William turned to he his manservant, Oliver Hastings, standing off to the side holding the scabbard for William's Sword.

"I seem to recall that I left the preparations in your very capable hands." William stated simply has he took proffered scabbard and sheathed his sword.

"Oi, you nobles are all the same. Out here wasting your time playing with you're fancy toys while us common folk do all the work." Oliver responded with a scowl.

"Funny thing, I seem to remember you acting very similarly when you were in a position of authority over me."

"Yeah... Well... That was different. I was teaching to be responsible and the like." William let out a small chuckle, echoed by Oliver.

William had known Oliver since he was 16. Oliver was the man who'd brought William off the battlefield on that fateful day when William had been abandoned by his knight and was one of the few who actually knew the full story, the true story, of what had happened. A soldier by trade, Oliver had taken William under his proverbial wing when he had decided to abandon the path to knighthood. They'd had many adventures before William felt he should return back to the Family Estates permanently at the age of 20 and William had offered Oliver the chance to come with him and become an Arms-men and servant for House Stanford. Short, but powerfully built Oliver had the dark hair and eyes that marked him as a Northerner, but he had run into very little problems from the Southern folk despite the increasing hostility between the two sides. The grizzled veteran was very visibly a man not to be trifled with.

"What else is there left to prepare?" William inquired has they neared his rooms.

"Just you. I've had the other lads take care of provisions and supplies. They should be getting your mount ready and loading things as we speak. I've got you a set of light plate and mail ready, as well as a more elaborate set for ceremonial purposes should the need require, as well as your great sword. I assume you'll want the sword you're carrying for the journey, and I've also had a shield made ready. So really all that's left now is you."

"Well in that case, what do you say to stopping off for a bite of breakfast?"

"I'll never complain about getting food."

"Well in that case, that should be our next destination."

Still bare-foot, bare-chested, and covered in sweat William led the pair through the Castle. As he neared the banqueting room he caught sight of the back of a young woman, he thought it to be Lady Briar Rayleigh, entering. "Good morning Briar, How do you fare this morning?" The voice of his William's Sister brought a smile to his face as he entered shortly after Briar.

"Good Morning Lady Briar, Harriet." William said happily, one of his few truly bright smiles on his face, as he bowed to each in turn with Oliver following his lead. It was good to have Harriet back home. Now if only they could get Amalie. If he could get them both safely under the same roof he felt that he could weather whatever the Rayleigh's, the Lancaster's, and even God himself could throw at him.

Briar turned about on hearing her name with an automatic smile on her lips. Upon seeing her sister-in-law, Briar gave her a curtsy in greeting, stopping to allow her to catch up and walk beside her, these last few steps until they were truly considered 'inside' the hall. "Lady Harriet, what a pleasure. I am marvelous this morning - and yourself?"

Her slow, measured steps led to the banquet, quite content to delay breakfast for moments when she could have conversation. "It is rather more frigid than I expected, however. I am unused to the temperatures."

Briar's smile became more natural the more she spoke, though it was kept polite and kind. She turned around, half-startled, when she heard another voice, and dropped into another curtsy to greet Lady Harriet's brother. "Sir William," she said, and she could feel her cheeks heat up when she noticed the state of undress he was in. Politely, she averted her eyes towards the other man he was with, and gave him a cordial greeting as well.

It seemed like breakfast time for many stomachs, apparently. Bree had been on her way to find her father... but she could always find him later. Or even perhaps he would arrive at breakfast, if she had not already missed him. That would be too bad if she had. She didn't expect to see a lot of him in coming times - Lancaster dislike was a bit of a family trait and prolonged orbit of the two would certainly lead to stress, which was bad. She pursed her lips at the thought, then shook her head to shoo them, smile returning.

"Food never fails to lure, apparently. Would you care to join me in breakfast, Lady Harriet, Sir William, Sir?" she inquired, manners flawless. She hadn't actually extended the invitation to Lady Harriet - ah, there was a flaw, but it could be ignored - and she felt it was proper to include the two men as well, despite their state. Perhaps more would come and they could have a proper breakfast party as well. It never hurt to hope.

The sun was bright against his closed eyelids, and he squeezed his eyes shut even tighter to block it out. Mycah wasn't ready to wake up yet, he still felt exhausted. He had been up late, way too late, flirting and chasing after one of the handmaids. And all his efforts had been for nothing. She had left him alone in the early hours of the morning, admitting she needed some sleep, for she was needed extremely early to wait on her lady. He had been extremely disappointed, but had let her leave. He liked women, but he was never the type to force one to be with him. He was just about to drift back to sleep when a soft knock came, accompanied by the squeak of the door opening. "Milord?" a gentle voice whispered, sounding slightly frightened. He pounded a fist into his covers, not happy to be woken. He sat up in bed, the covers falling around him to leave his chest exposed.

He was pleasantly surprised to find the handmaid from the night before peaking into his room. She averted her eyes immediately at his exposed skin. A smile lit Mycah's features as he noticed precisely who it was. "Ah, so you couldn't stay away after all," he said somewhat cockily. A flush crept up her cheeks, making them a warm, rosy pink. She shook her head instantly, denying him once more. "I've been sent to fetch ya, milord," she said somewhat breathily, still only peeking her head into the room. Obviously she didn't want to come in. "Yer late fer breakfast, and yer family will leave within the hour." With that she curtsied, although he couldn't really see it because she wouldn't come inside the room, and her head disappeared, the door closing behind her. He instantly bolted out of bed, cursing aloud. His father was going to be upset at his lack of preciseness, he had a feeling.

He decided to throw on a soft white cotton shirt, with a leather jerkin over top. A pair of simple brown cotton breeches as well as brown boots completed his look. He took a look in the mirror, and wasn't as horrified as he thought he would be. His hair was normally styled in a haphazard manner, and his bed head didn't look much different. He ran his fingers through his hair a few times to smooth down any runaway hairs. After a few moments, he was pleased enough with his appearance to go downstairs to his family. He was only going to be travelling a majority of the day, so his appearance wasn't as much of a priority.

Mycah left the room, and found the first servant he could. "I need my things packed and carried down to the carriages right away," he said with authority, stopping only momentarily to address the girl. "Yes, milord," she responded with a nod, and he walked off, leaving her to the job. He made his way downstairs to the large banquet room, where he knew most of his family would be gathered. As he entered, he saw that his father was present, as well as his little sister, Lady Harriet, Sir William, and another man he didn't know. "Father," he said curtly, giving him a nod. He hoped to escape without being chastised for his late arrival. He walked over to Briar and Harriet, a smile on his face.

His little sister was easily his favorite sibling, if not his favorite person in general. They were the two youngest, and had always stuck together at a young age. Even though as he got older and spent more time on ships, he was always happiest to see her when back on land. He was fiercely protective of her, and was happy to know she was still generally naive for her age. He hoped it stayed that way. He walked up behind her, and playfully messed her hair. "Morning, sister," he said cheerfully, giving her a tight hug afterwards. He gave Harriet a warm smile and nod. "Good morning, Lady Harriet. I hope the both of you slept well." His eyes trailed over to William, whose state of dress was in disarray. Yet, dare Mycah say it, he looked good. He was strong and had more muscle than most men Mycah had seen. He knew William stuck to a strong training schedule. "Morning William," he called, giving the man a wave.

Honestly, he was famished, and sat down at the table to begin eating. The table had more food selection than necessary, but Mycah didn't complain. He grabbed an assortment of choices, and dug in. He wanted to be able to get his fill before they were forced to leave and head for Beaumont. "So, how is everyone this morning?" he asked to no one in particular.