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I hear this calling...; John de Vere
Topic Started: Jan 5 2011, 01:45 PM (211 Views)
Alice Browne
Unregistered

The night had progressed quite smoothly. Alice had attended the Queen throughout the meal, offering drink to those held in high esteem and chattering amongst the courtiers, holding conversation with whomever stumbled upon her and wished her company. She was ever polite, ever sweet natured and ever charming, just as she had been schooled to be. Her hair was arranged artfully, curled slightly and held in place with a silver comb. The heavy velvet dress she had picked for the evening was a deep blue, meant to compliment that which the Queen herself wore. She was glad that the Queen had settled upon such a color for the meal.

Alice was naive but she was beginning to see that downfall. The hair at the nape of her neck stood on end each time someone was watching her, but she stood her ground and did her best not to look in the direction of whomever it was. She wasn't skittish, but she wasn't yet comfortable with the attention that being a Lady garnered, but what else was court for than to find a good husband for a young woman such as herself. She was still young and had a lot to offer.

Eventually, the festivities had shifted away from the consumption of food and was now at the stage in the evening for socializing and dancing, music and merrymaking. Alice spent some time conversing amongst the other Ladies about the evening's festivities. A few of the Ladies were led off to dance by their own suitors and Alice and a few others were left behind. They were engaged in conversation every now and then. Alice had been asked to dance twice by that time and she had been more than willing to comply rather than stay seated. It was almost a relief to be able to stand and do something with herself.

But now, as it was, Alice was off to the side of the dancers while the King and Queen chatted amongst themselves with various others. Alice's part of the game was to look pretty, act sweet, charming and sincere and entertain those around her. It was a job that she was quite good at. The young Courtier she had been conversing with was called away from her and with a gentle smile, she let him leave before turning away from him.
She very nearly walked straight into another man who had, apparently, been approaching her, passing through or waiting to speak with her. Whichever one, she could not be sure.

She paused a moment to look up from the man's (whoever he was) chest to his face and she instantly dropped into a deep curtsy. "Forgive me, My Lord Oxford, I did not see you," she said before gracefully rising once more to clasp her hands in front of her. The Lord Oxford had been pointed out to her already earlier that evening, along with a handful of other Courtiers. Alice had done her best to remember which was which, but there were a select few that stuck in her mind. The Lord Oxford was one and she suspected that it was because she had felt his commanding presence even from where he had stood across the room earlier.

Whether he chose to excuse himself or stay and converse with her was entirely up to him.
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John de Vere
Unregistered

late January 1512

Ah, Court. Wine, dance, women, pretty jewels and lavish displays of food. He sighed contently, his eyes set about what was the Great Hall in a sort of calm, perhaps even bored manner. Nothing about his expression, or even the way his gaze moved about, seemed threatening or suspicious. The Earl of Oxford seemed almost tired, relaxed and mellow that maybe anyone could approach him. The thought did seem rather time-wasting, but what most failed to realize that John de Vere was noticing nearly everything about everyone. He had seen about three "subtle" payments leave the hand of one man and find the stained palms of another. He'd noticed a number of women whisked from their places by their knight and taken behind hidden walls; as women would do. The King and Queen seemed relatively content beside each other, the both of them so fakely drowned in their separate conversations. And the honorable ladies-in-waiting, all gossiping or dancing or somehow managing to do both. God, all the frivolity and secretive inquiries to every step made throughout the Hall. It was nearly giving him a headache.

He made his appearance, though, talking with some nobles of note and briefly acquainting himself with a few courtiers. They all knew him by name, though, and paid him the respect he deserved. He kept moving though, through the throngs of people, managing to pick up a freshly poured cup of wine as the servant passed. He sipped it casually, his steps slow but purposeful as he nodded and smiled to those that greeted him. As he neared the table where the King and Queen sat perched on their thrones, the Earl had noticed one of the Ladies leave her peers and start in his general direction. At first he thought he had recognized her, but her small form was soon behind that of another courtier and for a split second he'd lost sight. But in only seconds she had reappeared, this time strides closer and her pale, youthful face staring up at him as if he'd surprised her. He smirked, taking only a moment to study her before bending at the waist and offering her a low bow.

"Lady Browne," he spoke, recognizing her now as the late Sheriff's daughter. So young, she was; he could see it in her flawless cheeks, her bright eyes and healthy skin. "Do I blend so easily?" He asked with another smirk, his eyebrows lifted if only marginally in playful question. Having straightened his back, he lifted his cup of wine to his lips in one easy movement, swallowing the next and bringing it back down to comfortable levels. The dark hue of his eyes were soft on hers, perhaps intentionally sparing her from his scrutiny if only privately. "I was wondering when I would finally see you here," his gaze flickered briefly over her head and to the Italian Queen, thinking nothing. "And as a lady to the Queen, no less?" John's mouth turned in a comfortable smirk, interested to see how this Alice Browne had come out to be. Pretty, no doubt, but so far she had only proven to have quite the questionable sense of sight. "It seems as if Court fits you well, much better than your country home, no?"
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Alice Browne
Unregistered

"Lady Browne, do I blend so easily?" Alice realized the potential slight there and gave an almost sheepish look. "Of course not, My Lord. I doubt you could ever be discredited so," she commented, a small smile forming on her lips. She wasn't sure what to expect from the Lord of Oxford, but she had heard plenty about him. Now it was simply a matter of discovering which rumors were truth and which rumors were simply that and nothing more. Most rumors, after all, did have a shred of truth to them to begin with.

"I was wondering when I would finally see you here, and as a Lady to the Queen, no less?" Alice couldn't help but wonder why he of all people would have been wondering about her, but she knew well enough to hold her tongue on the matter for the time being. She could ponder over it later. "It would appear that I'm fortunate, indeed, My Lord," she commented. "My brother, at least, must have good faith in me to have worked to procure such a position," she stated. She was more than thankful to her brother Sir Weston for everything he had done to help her along and she wouldn't hide that fact from anyone.

"It seems as if Court fits you well, much better than your country home, no?" Alice considered that for a moment. "Court suits me well enough, My Lord," she commented. It was true enough, but she supposed that she would rather be serving as she was brought up and meant to serve. She played the part of the Lady because it was what was expected of her. She was eager to be a wife for the simple reason that it was what she had been brought up to do and yet, at the same time, the prospect startled her. Her a wife? "As for my country home, there are certainly aspects about it that I do miss. Admittedly, I'm quite fond of the outdoors," she said with a small smile, but that was it. She wouldn't prattle on about her own interests. Not in quite a way.

"And you, My Lord? I've heard a great manly tales in regards to your own deeds and adventures. Perhaps, sometime, you might regale me with a tale or two?" She asked. Having grown up with two older brothers, Alice was no meek mouse when it came to the results of battle and affairs of the like. Perhaps it was unladilike for her to be as such, but she found that she had a stronger constitution against the tales in which a man enjoyed telling, whereas most ladies would have been appalled at the very nature of them.
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John de Vere
Unregistered

Though John had never actually met the young Alice Browne, her father had been a trusted friend for years; in fact, he could recall many a time when the Sheriff of Kent emphasized the beauty of his family. Alice Browne was nothing less than the Earl expected, and the moment he heard of her arrival at Court, John knew it would only be soon until he saw her, came upon her and met her. He could see so much of her father in her flawless features, now that he finally had. "T'is only what every man strides for," he replied, "Is to be credited for something. In some cases, for anything." He shook his head then, knowing well some would go to profound extents to have their name heard and spoken, even with the most ill of tongues. "But in my particular case," he appraised her once more before smiling. "I hope to be credited for catching the Lady Browne's attentions." Despite his words, aimed at complimentary endearment, his face remained chiseled with knightly stoicism.

He only nodded politely in further response to her, briefly pondering just how the heir-apparent of Thomas Browne ruled now as head of their family. Well enough, seeing that Alice was now beneath the black wings of the Italian Queen. "Does Her Majesty not allow you trips past Court Grounds?" He asked with a single arched eyebrow. "Perhaps, then, I shall have to escort the Mistress Alice through the woods, where His Majesty's men take a strong like to hunt." He smirked, albeit almost unnoticeably, as his gaze flickered to the Queen and her bundle of surrounding ladies. "But if it's your country home you desire, then I'm afraid to admit I am far too busy to assimilate that sort of...vacation." He chuckled breathlessly and merely shook his head.

Once she mentioned his adventures and deeds, John had straightened from his earlier light humor and was now eying her with what seemed completely bereft of any amusement. He was pleased she had heard of him, and though John de Vere was proud, he was not arrogant. He flashed her a small smile and simply bowed his head. "If such things interest you, then I would be most glad." As he stood there, John could feel nearly every one of his scars across his body, could hear the cries of battle and could even smell the delicatessen gunpowder and the sweet, sweet clashing of steel. The edges of his lips flickered with a sort of somber grin; how he longed to be thrust back into the battlefield. And if the graces of God went his way, war with France would soon be there for the taking. Almost as if on a silver platter. Could those things really be the interest of a woman? Better yet, should they?

"When you find yourself free of the Queen," he continued, his eyes finally coming to a rest on her face. "Feel free to call upon me any time, though I am in no position to make promises.." he smirked mischievously then, perhaps the most expressive his face had reached since meeting her. "But I shall endeavor to please you and your fascinations with adventures and deeds." John nodded then, suddenly extending a hand and bowing towards her. "Though I think it better for now we dance."
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Alice Browne
Unregistered

She gave a light tinkle of laughter when he made the comment about some men wanting nothing more than to be credited for something. Alice could certainly credit the Lord of Oxford for many a thing. "But in my particular case I hope to be credited for catching the Lady Browne's attentions." Alice lowered her eyes a moment and blushed a little. She couldn't help it, not when she was faced with his compliments as such. "I think it's quite safe to say, My Lord, that you have most certainly caught my attention," she told him quite simply.

Perhaps Alice was simply hero worshiping the Lord Oxford in the moment, but she couldn't help but be impressed by the man through and through. Even when he was standing there, complimenting her and yet giving away nothing about his own emotional appeal, he was every bit the soldier she had heard from him. He was quite spectacular to behold in the flesh, she had to admit. Her own brother and father had praised the man though her father had been the one to have spent the most time with him. Alice would have to ask her brother about him when she wrote to him again, for she had to admit that she was more than a little curious.

"Does Her Majesty not allow you trips past Court Grounds?" She blinked at him a moment. "Of course she does, My Lord. I simply haven't found the time to make it that far as of yet though, admittedly, I have spent a good amount of time out in the gardens, even in the cooler weather." She shrugged a dainty shoulder. "Sometimes it's simply nice to be outdoors even through the cold of winter. Not my favorite time of season." She replied. "Perhaps, then, I shall have to escort the Mistress Alice through the woods, where His Majesty's men take a strong like to hunt." She tilted her head to the side and then smiled brightly. "I would like that a great deal, My Lord. Of course, I would never wish to put you out, though."

"But if it's your country home you desire, then I'm afraid to admit I am far too busy to assimilate that sort of...vacation." She laughed a little at that and shook her head. "I think I've spent more than enough time there, My Lord. It's time that I broaden my horizons a little, I should think." She commented. She wasn't so sure she was talking about simply exploring the lands around the palace anymore. She had been sheltered a goodly deal, having been the only surviving girl in their family and the last child their mother had birthed. Her brothers and father had raised her to be an obedient young lady, but had always given her the respect and drive to accomplish the simple tasks she wanted to complete. She was, after all, a Knight's sister and Sheriff's daughter, at court and a Lady to the Queen nonetheless. She wasn't sure how Weston had managed it, but she thanked him daily in her prayers.

"If such things interest you, then I would be most glad." She smiled and nodded. "They do, quite, My Lord." Alice was an interesting young girl, often living vicariously through the lavish lives of others and the adventures of those around her. She knew well enough her role and lot in life, but that did not mean she didn't enjoy hearing about the adventures of those around her and their accomplishments. She found them quite interesting to say the least.

"When you find yourself free of the Queen feel free to call upon me any time, though I am in no position to make promises.." She smiled and lowered her eyes a moment before looking back up at him once more. "I appreciate the offer, My Lord. It would be most pleasurable to share your company in the future," she replied. Normally, regardless of whomever it was she spoke to, she would have made the same claim, but she wasn't terribly surprised to realize that this time around, it was truth. She found the Lord of Oxford to be quite the interesting man and she looked forward to hearing more of him and his adventures. He went on to say that he would do his best to entertain her with his tales, but then did something she hadn't expected.

"Though I think it better for now we dance." And he bowed and held a hand towards her. Alice's eyes flickered from his extended hand to his face for a moment before giving a small sheepish look. She slipped her petite hand into his and gave a small curtsy. "If it would please you, My Lord, I'd be most honored."
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John de Vere
Unregistered

So the Alice Browne liked the outdoors and war stories. Could she be anything less as the Sheriff's daughter? John thought not. She seemed to be everything Thomas Browne had esteemed; how could any man have doubted him? Certainly not John de Vere, and certainly not after seeing the man's "last gift from his wife." The Earl could only sympathize, having his single and only gift from his beloved late wide. "Do not worry, Lady Alice," he replied. "I wouldn't have offered if it were an inconvenience." Surely he could find the time for his old friend's daughter, no? Of course he could.

"And perhaps then I could share the adventures you so wish to hear of." He smiled pleasantly and gently clasped her hand as she gave it, standing straight and pivoting smoothly on his heels to lead her to the dancing procession of courtiers. "You will soon learn, my Lady," he began, releasing her comparably smaller hand and taking his place. "That any man who asks for your dance will always be pleased at your acceptance. Otherwise why would they have bothered?" He smirked kindly then, bowing deeply to her just before the music began. Then, at the very next moment, he and the other men straightened their backs and rose into step. Each time the dance brought he and his partner close, John would give her a pleasant smile and soft, polite hands about her waist. "And especially when they see what a fair dancer the Lady Alice is," he commented lightly as they spun and stepped about the ballroom.

Once the music had ended, the men sealed the dace with one last bow and the women left smiling and giggling as if fillies in the spring. John smiled and once more drew a bit closer to her, having led her from the floor and back closer to where the King and Queen sat. "Though the Sheriff's daughter seems so very fair," he began, enjoying the goodness in her that the English Court, with its new Queen, had slowly but surely begun to lose. "I can only hope you have not fallen victim to Her Majesty's ladies of gossip and indiscretion." It was nothing of the unknown that the Queen's ladies, some of them heretics no less, all had their tongues poisoned by triviality and inconsideration for those bitten and wounded by stupid, stupid rumors. He hoped to near have to hear of the Alice Browne tainted by such a thing.

"I have no doubt your father and brother have taught you well," he continued, smiling, remembering that even without his wife the Thomas Browne tended to his family as any good father should. "Do promise me, Lady Alice, that you will keep your head tight on your pretty neck and shoulders. For if you go about losing it," he began, eying her, "Then you just might very well lose it." John grinned, the dryness of his humor nearly parching the air around them.
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Alice Browne
Unregistered

She looked at the Lord of Oxford as he made the comment about not having offered if it would have been an inconvenience to him. Some people offered despite the fact that they really didn't want to. It was a matter of propriety. But there was something about John de Vere that told Alice that he was being quite truthful. The man likely didn't do anything he truly didn't want to unless it was at the request of his King. Then it was a matter of whether or not one wanted to live to see the following morning...

Finally, he took her hand and began leading her towards the dance floor. "That any man who asks for your dance will always be pleased at your acceptance. Otherwise why would they have bothered?" Those words actually made her give him a sheepish look. "I'm fairly certain, My Lord, that you'd be surprised in regards to that statement at the number of young men at court who have no desire to do what is required of them and yet do it anyhow," she said almost dryly. "However, I'll do well to remember that in your presence, as you certainly don't seem the type of man to do anything that he does not wish to do." She stated simply.

"And especially when they see what a fair dancer the Lady Alice is," She blushed once more at the compliment. It was quite true that dancing was something that Alice thoroughly enjoyed. She simply liked the structure of it. Everyone had their part to play in the dance and everyone played it. Most of Hampton Court were quite skilled in their abilities and let it show in the way they danced about the floor around them.

The dance ended and he began escorting her from the floor once more. "Though the Sheriff's daughter seems so very fair I can only hope you have not fallen victim to Her Majesty's ladies of gossip and indiscretion." She sighed sadly. This topic of conversation was not somewhere that she enjoyed venturing as most in court had a tendency to look upon the Ladies of the Queen quite curiously now. "Gossip is something that a Lady should forever endeavor to keep her head clear of, My Lord. I have friends in fellow ladies that I keep close counsel with, but I assure you, we reserve our time for lady-like activities. Not gossip." She commented. For most, that likely would have been a lie, but honestly, it was rather true when it came to Alice and her close friend Elizabeth Spencer. The two of them were both some of the more quiet ladies, both being new to the fold, as it would be. They spent more time singing and chattering about their needlework than paying mind to what everyone else around them was doing.

"Do promise me, Lady Alice, that you will keep your head tight on your pretty neck and shoulders. For if you go about losing it," Alice was a little insulted at his words and tilted her chin up a degree to show her defiance to the unspoken reference. "I would never insult my brother, nor my father's memory so much, Lord Oxford. As you said, I was taught well."
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John de Vere
Unregistered

"Why, you speak as if you've been here at Court all your life," John smirked perhaps a bit challengingly, questioning just how much the young Alice Browne knew of His Majesty's palace and its young men. He chuckled breathlessly and shook his head, holding his arms behind his back with one hand holding the other's wrist. "But even in your shorter time of having my acquaintance," he went on, smiling now more softly. "You have pinned me quite easily." He bowed then, as if to say touche, and grinned kindly. The sight of her blush warmed him, so glad to see his late friend's daughter lively and receptive. If only the Thomas Browne could see her now, no?

To hear that she kept her mind and tongue free of gossip, the Earl could only nod. Something told him, though, that any woman on this God-given Court gossiped, and Alice Browne was no exception. Yet she seemed for the most part discreet, mannerly and goodly. He liked that. He would expect nothing less from the Sheriff of Kent. "So it seems." He replied simply to her mention of having been taught well, her brother and father making their minds strong to make sure the youngest of the family retained proper education and wholly upbringing. Ti's only a good English woman, he thought, and was pleased to see one amongst the both foreign and native bunch of harlots the Queen called ladies.

"Well, Mistress Browne," he went on, smiling and dipping his head. "I should not keep one of Her Majesty's ladies astray for too long.." he paused and eyed her and her bright youthful features closely, perhaps somewhat playfully. "For the goal is to remain off the vile tongues of your peers, no?" The Earl bowed again, taking her smooth hand and pressing a gentlemanly kiss upon her knuckles. He released it gently, straightening his back with his expression held smoothly and contently. "As one of the Queen's ladies I have no doubt we will meet again. Now that I know who you are," he smirked, "It shall not be of difficulty to find you, if I find the need." John let out a quiet, breathless chuckle. "The same goes for you, as well, Lady Alice." He dipped his head one last time before seeing her off.

END.
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