Heath McLainey's Story

Stepping onto the streets of Canter for the first time in ages since his father's passing Heath took a deep breath in, exhaling with a hearty laugh before striding with great purpose and joviality down towards the central square. "It is certainly refreshing to be back!" Heath cheerfully declared before looking at various marketplaces and shops. One of the shops carried some fresh apples.
"Ah Sybil would love these! Might I have four of these good lady? How much? Six pieces... Very well! You know your trade well Madam! An extra for you, keep in good spirits my dear." With that Heath walked back with his apples toward the palace where he hoped to show the king that he was available for assisting Canter in any future ventures he may have.
"Such a lovely place Canter is! I do believe I shall stay awhile! Indeed indeed!" Heath laughed as he walked up the steps to the main palace.

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Heath looked down an ally before ascending the steps of the palace, he saw a young maiden with long hair, A friendly face! Heath thought before running down the ally way in his blue tunic and brown trousers.
"Aye there fair maid! How doth ye fare this fine day?" Heath smiled broadly at the young woman.
"They call me Heath madam, and what do they call ye about this fine place of Canter?" Heath took her hand and kissed it slowly with a grin. He stood in an open friendly way holding a bag full of apples.
"You like apples?" Heath offered her one.

Fae was taken aback when the man ran up to her, greetings in his voice. She watched curiously, a smile playing on her lips, as he kissed her hand. "I fare well, sir," she spoke, looking to the apple and shaking her head. "I suppose they don't call me much of anything in these parts, but elsewhere from here they call me Fae," she did well not to speak her full name, nor the name of her family, hoping to keep as common as she could. He stood quite tall, taller than her, and was as muscular as the men in the kings guard at home. Perhaps he was a guard here - pushing her to remain anonymous as possible in this interaction.

Having written a message to the king with his trusty falcon he send it. He began riding back but not beore he got the girl a escort, he then rode around the perimetet there was plenty of new comers to this border town of canter, he wasnt sure what this mean "a peace offering i didnt know we were in this dangerous state " he saild to himself as he examined the faces of the people around him he could spot an outsider with ease. He was surprise it was like canter was getting invaded so many visitors at the same time. He rode to the center of town where he stop and tied his horse before walking about inspecting the town he made it down to the market" filthy bars and filthy streets definitely a border town " he said a bit annoyed. He spotted a woman not from canter, but she annoyed at the jewel store clerk and after what had happen earlier he went to investigate that everything was alright.

(Hey Guys!Thanks for joining!It means a lot to me! )

Alexa walked through the castle trying not to worry about this silly 'marriage' thing.Since she was the youngest daughter,and not mention she was the only blonde Treyian(about that,i'm changing her to red-head.).It put her down that her family would sell her.She knew that the Canter would be usually nice about this,and wait till i'm old enough to marry.Alexa sighed and sat on a bench in the Royal Garden.

Heath with a look of confusion about him as the young maid walked on, happily gave her an apple.
"Fae? Why what a beautiful name for a maiden such as ye! I myself go by Heath! I can't for the life of me remember who all I've told my name to, so if I have before I apologize." Heath smiled his broadest smile, his eyes crinkling around the edges.
"Where is your destination this fine day! If you are lonesome I'd love a guide! I'll happily escort ye wherever the winds of fate are blowing ye this day. Besides, I like good company and you seem like quite an upstanding sort."
He closed his bag of apples, three left. He thought with a twinge of regret of not being able to have Sybil here. His usual grin returned as quickly as it left.
"Shall we then!" He took Fae's arm and walked towards the marketplace.

Heath looked to Fae,
"A masquerade? Hah! How charming! Wouldn't that be a venture worth experiencing?! I'd ask you to accompany me however you just met me today! How daft would I have to be to ask a maiden like ye to go with some blunderer like me." Heath laughed heartily before walking on with Fae's arm linked with his.
"I do suppose you're stuck with me awhile! Ha Ha!" Heath clicked his heels together and kept walking with the woman trailing behind him.

Fae smiled at Heath's compliments, and watched as his eyes crinkled with his smile. He was beautiful, in the way a wild animal could be beautiful. Dangerous to ones self, but intriguing. She looked away from his face and collected herself. There was no time to think of such things, wasn't her place to think of such things. She was here by her namesake, her steps were not her choice. However, when Heath wrapped her arm around his she didn't put up much of a fight, following him along the path.
"Don't have much of an agenda today," she mused. It wasn't entirely a lie, but she didn't want to tell him that she was looking for someone. For the kind of man he is, she was sure he would offer to help - and ask who it was, or inevitably find out. She kept that quiet, and scanned the people around her, watching for her sister in the crowds.
While she watched, absently listening to the small talk, ever aware of her hand placement, she heard him talk of a masquerade. Held by her family? Word ran fast, she was only just at her housing hours before, and there was no speak of that before her leave. "I'm sure I'll be attending, so I'll see you there, and I suppose I'll need an escort, being a lady." she smiled up at him, trying to keep her answer open, not definitive, but a small part of her hoping it would be so. "What brings you to these parts?" she inquired, feigning a mere mild interest, but listening intently. Depending on his stature, this interaction could go many ways.

"I would happily escort a lady like yourself to the masquerade! To be completely honest with ye ma'am I ain't ever attended one me-self. What brings me here . . . Indeed," Heath's face crinkled slightly as they walked "I am here on a, well a mission of sorts I suppose Miss Fae. I'm here to offer me services as a knight of honor to the royal family here. You see I came from a kingdom far from here, all of the kings representatives are off on ventures. Although he needed one here so he sent me to play envoy. Ha-ha I'm not very good at the political-side of person relations to be totally honest with ye mum." He looked at her, scanning her face. Lovely indeed. He smiled and walked on, finding a necklace made of precious red-gems he held it to the sun, the lights reflecting on her skin.
"I do believe this belongs with ye ma'am Fae." Heath turned to the merchant. "I'll be buyin' this for my lady escort. She's a dear ain't she?" He laughed buying the necklace and putting it on Fae gently, carefully minding what is respectful.
"Ah, absolutely perfect If'n I say so, anyway. . . Shall we head to the sights of the plaza Milady?" Heath asked with a nod of his head towards the plaza.

Fae chuckled, adjusting her hand on Heath's arm. "Parties are a bit of a thing with my family, ever since I was a child there was some gala to go to." Leaving out the part that her family was host to most of them, she let her sentence trail off as she scanned the faces around her. Alexa was among none of them. She looked to the sky, squinting up at the sun. Past high noon, the day was beginning to settle. There was every possibility that her sister had already returned home, unknowingly taking a route around Fae's eyesight. "Knighthood is a very honorable path, sir," Fae replied, turning her thoughts back to the present, "and politics are quite the bore." She watched as he looked at the necklace, squinting her brown eyes as the golden light danced across her face.

"I've grown up on these lands and lands a horse ride away, so I'm afraid I know not of many other kingdoms. Are there many wars where you come from?" Wars have always been a constant thing in her upbringing, thinking of a life without them seemed like thinking of a story from a book the maids would read. She shifted the bandages covering her tattoos, and pushed a strand of hair from her face before looking up at Heath when he spoke to her. Belonged to her? Surprise covered her features as he purchased the necklace and reached around her neck to put it on her. "Oh, sir, surely you don't have to.." she spoke, watching his arms as he finished latching it. Old Treyian habits itched to the surface, making her weary of the kindness of strangers, but she pushed them back. It made her sad when her younger siblings would take a situation into question, their strong upbringing making them untrusting to any outside the royal family. When your parents find war and enemies all around them, the children have no choice but to believe that everything their parents say is true. The sadness in her heart, as the eldest daughter, comes from the fact that her younger sisters don't enjoy the simple miracles of human kindness.

She placed her hand over the necklace, right at her collarbone. "Sir, I don't know what to say.. I suppose thank you is one of them." She smiled and pushed the hood of her cloak farther back on her head, opening up more of her features, to look down at the necklace. For the simple miracle of human kindness was beautiful..

Heath smiled proudly at the lady.
"I am happy to report to you madam," He said brushing her hair away from her face carefully "there aren't any wars where I come from, we are a happy kingdom of peace from the far-far east, beyond the sea. I came here from there. A three months trip. Ah, it is splendid on you, as I had imagined. Please my lady, no thanks required. I find beauty should go with beauty and so on. However when something not as beautiful or maybe even dark finds beauty or kindness, I find kindness and beauty prevail in every ending. . . I am boring you aren't I?" Heath walked her from there towards the plaza.

"If you have time I'd love to talk with you and walk with you around this fair city, and I wouldn't mind your company either."
Heath smiled and stood proudly, yet not arrogantly, he made a vow to never become arrogant or callous, thus defiling all his family before him had striven so hard to build up.

Fae let him lead her to the plaza, absentmindedly toying with the necklace. "Not boring me, you're putting words to feelings I've been having a hard time teaching to my younger sisters. War is a constant here, and oftentimes it's hard to see that there can still be happiness after the fighting." She imagined a kingdom with no wars, no city or population damage, no projects of repair to work on, no parents weeping in the streets for the loss of their only sons. At a young age she used to sit in her window, hiding behind the drapery, giggling as children do when their being naughty, and stay quiet as the maids would rush about, squawking about the whereabouts of the princess. She used to look out into the vast ocean and try to imagine land on the other side, a world beyond the one behind the kingdom. Very soon she was unable to hide behind the curtains, unable to have unadulterated imagination of far of lands, for the maids quickly caught on to her hiding spots.

There was a war brewing soon, yet again, and she knew she had duties and strength training, responsibilities and worries. Now there was a new show, the masquerade, and she was sure, somehow, the maids already had an outfit for her, to match her hair, to match her eyes, to make her freckles stand out on her pale skin. Back home she was a warrior, her bow an extension of her arm, herself being a deadly weapon. But now, quite possibly, she could pretend with this knight from across the waters, that there wasn't a war, there weren't parties and flashy dresses, or political games to be had. If they needed her they would summon her. But first they would have to find her new hiding spot.

"I've enjoyed our talks so far, no reason to stop now. Tell me about your home, what is it like?" She asked, looking up at him.

He began riding to the ball, he took a couples hours perfect timing the ball had started, he waited for a guest to pass the lonely road. Once he spotted hs victim he said " sorry i really am I'll repay you later " he said knocking the guy out and taking his invitation. He sighted and hit both the person and their horse. Once he had an invitation secure he moved to the ball, he put his fox mask on a grey mask with intricate details, he was dressed sharp he got pass the guy checking the invitations, he walked to the big room everyone was socializing, he grunted and bit and quickly scanned the room he found a nice dark corner he could keep tabs on everyone from. He watch as the night settle and the people poured in the dancing had begun, great he thought as he wasnt the best dancer and hope no one would notice him there, he was also looking for the king and the royal family to see what the treyians next move would be.

"Oh, I see, haha well then Ma'am Fae, I do believe I will share a bit about my country. What is it you wish to know Madam? Anything at all? Ask away fair maiden." Heath grinned as they trod along the winding cobbles of the plaza.
"'Tis great you try and learn your sisters right. And it's a damned shame that war has marred this country, with such beauty as yourself, and the palace alone! 'Tis a shame indeed." Heath shook his head in genuine concern. Then smiled.

"'Ey if we're lucky then maybe my countries good luck will rub off here, and maybe some of my kindness too." Heath ruffled Fae's hair gently before relinking arms and walking on. Heath would occaisonally attempt humor, although not his forte. He'd laugh merrily and make jokes with families, and talk to children with genuine interest on their way around the plaza.

What did she want to know? It was hard to put into words; 'what is it like' seemed a bit rash. Something she could go home and tell her sisters, tell them of a place where war isn't childhood stories and people are happy. "What do you do there?" she asked, "For fun, I mean." She saw someone looking at her intently and pulled her hood forward over her face more and pulled on the bandages on her arm, testing to see if they were staying in place. "It's hard to imagine streets that are always beautiful. Every new moon homes and shops are destroyed in the wars here and need repairing." She pushed a rock with her foot, probably an old piece of an old home from long ago.

Heath's expression turned sad, "war. . . 'Tis an awful, awful thing indeed. However in my homeland, a land called Dunlith, there are no wars, not since it's creation. The streets are filled with bards singing, and kids playing, market shops all around. Now Dunlith is a fairly small kingdom mind ye, yet it is warm and happy. Everyone knows everyone and there aren't many crimes, though we have a few minor scrapes here and there, the usual. Vandilisim, why when I was a lad I did my fair share of that me-self. Haha! I was the youngest O' three, which made me kinda ornery I'm afraid." Heath noticed her fidgeting with her hood and bandages... She may be royal, or wanted. . . Let's hope it's option one.