Mercedes de las Aragonia
Royal
Princesa of Aragonia and Condesa de Lleida
Daughter of Rafael and Colette de las Aragonia
Posts: 1,546
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Post by Mercedes de las Aragonia on Oct 19, 2007 16:38:03 GMT -5
We followed him into the glade, Maria a beat sooner than I. I was too busy looking about.
"That sounds like a fantastic plan." I replied with a smile.
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Post by Landis de Verreuil on Oct 19, 2007 16:44:05 GMT -5
"Pick a place and I'll help you set up," I offered as I slipped from the saddle and fastened a long rope to his bridle so he could wander a bit, as well as drink from the pool and eat from the nearby apples.
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Mercedes de las Aragonia
Royal
Princesa of Aragonia and Condesa de Lleida
Daughter of Rafael and Colette de las Aragonia
Posts: 1,546
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Post by Mercedes de las Aragonia on Oct 19, 2007 18:03:13 GMT -5
I dismounted and set to hobbling my mare. It was one of the things my father had taught me, and my movements were deft. Maria did the same, having learned the same lesson at the same time. We had been friends since we were very young.
I picked a lush patch of grass about halfway in between the pool and the apple trees. I had taken the blanket, and tossed one end to my cousin with a smile as Maria followed with the food.
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Post by Landis de Verreuil on Oct 19, 2007 20:24:05 GMT -5
Effortlessly I grabbed the flying edge and moved to stand parallel to Mercedes, blanket-length apart, and then lowered the straightened edge toward the ground, waiting for her to do the same. "It's a good thing the trees as as a windbreak or we'd have to weigh this down," I remarked.
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Mercedes de las Aragonia
Royal
Princesa of Aragonia and Condesa de Lleida
Daughter of Rafael and Colette de las Aragonia
Posts: 1,546
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Post by Mercedes de las Aragonia on Oct 20, 2007 11:49:35 GMT -5
"Well I believe our own weight should be sufficient for now." I commented with a little smile, sitting down and settling my skirts around me. Maria did the same, and I helped her setting out our lunch.
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Post by Landis de Verreuil on Oct 20, 2007 12:49:03 GMT -5
I waited for them to settle a bit, then sat somewhere that it seemed I would be out of the way as they arranged the food, and opened the bottle of wine that rested off to one side.
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Mercedes de las Aragonia
Royal
Princesa of Aragonia and Condesa de Lleida
Daughter of Rafael and Colette de las Aragonia
Posts: 1,546
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Post by Mercedes de las Aragonia on Oct 21, 2007 1:09:12 GMT -5
If there had been a table and proper dishware, we would have eaten quite differently. As it was, it looked like pork between a couple slices of bread and a good glass of wine. Oh, and the pies. Mustn't forget the pies.
Maria and I had arranged it so that we could all reach everything, and I raised my glass once Landis had poured enough for the three of us. "To new friends." I toasted with a smile.
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Post by Landis de Verreuil on Oct 21, 2007 1:13:21 GMT -5
"To new friends, and hopefully lifelong ones," I replied, matching her smile and resting my glass lightly beside hers.
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Mercedes de las Aragonia
Royal
Princesa of Aragonia and Condesa de Lleida
Daughter of Rafael and Colette de las Aragonia
Posts: 1,546
|
Post by Mercedes de las Aragonia on Oct 21, 2007 14:04:29 GMT -5
I took a sip. "Mm. This is quite a treat. My mother always opens a bottle of D'Angeline wine on special occasions." I told him as I began making up my sandwich.
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Post by Landis de Verreuil on Oct 21, 2007 14:13:43 GMT -5
"I'm glad to hear you like it," I replied, placing some cheese on some bread, and then some meat on top. "I have to admit though that I'm not a connoisseur by any means, and happened to grab this one nearly by accident. Do you know a lot about the subject?"
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Mercedes de las Aragonia
Royal
Princesa of Aragonia and Condesa de Lleida
Daughter of Rafael and Colette de las Aragonia
Posts: 1,546
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Post by Mercedes de las Aragonia on Oct 21, 2007 14:25:50 GMT -5
I shook my head. "Not really. I know enough that I can go into a wine cellar and probably come out with something suitable for a meal, but not much more." I bit into my creation, and swallowed before complimenting. "This pork tastes as good as it smells."
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Post by Landis de Verreuil on Oct 21, 2007 16:09:38 GMT -5
Swallowing my own bite of sandwich I nodded in agreement, then took a long drink of wine. "When it comes to drinks I don't think I'm even that good, so I applaud your greater knowledge," I teased lightly, then gazed toward the apple trees. "Want an apple?"
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Mercedes de las Aragonia
Royal
Princesa of Aragonia and Condesa de Lleida
Daughter of Rafael and Colette de las Aragonia
Posts: 1,546
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Post by Mercedes de las Aragonia on Oct 21, 2007 16:59:52 GMT -5
I followed his gaze. "Only if you promise not to hurt yourself." I replied, unable to see an apple that was within easy reach.
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Post by Landis de Verreuil on Oct 21, 2007 17:14:29 GMT -5
"I promise," I told her as I rose, dusted myself off and walked over to a sturdy-looking tree. "I do this often enough to be good at it." With that I began skillfully climbing, not as graceful as a child or an Eglantine acrobat, but with sureness of grip and steady gaze, reaching a branch about two man-heights from the ground and stood on it, holding the branch above for balance. "Is there any one in particular that catches your eye?"
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Mercedes de las Aragonia
Royal
Princesa of Aragonia and Condesa de Lleida
Daughter of Rafael and Colette de las Aragonia
Posts: 1,546
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Post by Mercedes de las Aragonia on Oct 21, 2007 17:30:27 GMT -5
I rose and watched as he climbed. At his question, my eyes scanned the limbs. "That one," I said, trying to point. "On the branch that curves like an S. Please." I added belatedly.
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Post by Landis de Verreuil on Oct 21, 2007 17:48:23 GMT -5
Nodding, I cocked my head sideways, looked at where she pointed, and made my way over easily enough. Soon I had the apple in hand, though not yet pulled and turned to look at her again, grinning. "This one?"
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Mercedes de las Aragonia
Royal
Princesa of Aragonia and Condesa de Lleida
Daughter of Rafael and Colette de las Aragonia
Posts: 1,546
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Post by Mercedes de las Aragonia on Oct 21, 2007 17:58:54 GMT -5
"Yes please." I replied, his grin making me smile. He was much too charming for my own good.
"And the one beside it for me please senor." Maria called. I looked back to her, seeing the blush and sent her an encouraging smile. She was usually quiet, but now she was so self-conscious about the language that she was barely speaking.
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Post by Landis de Verreuil on Oct 21, 2007 18:42:25 GMT -5
Nodding and smiling even wider for Maria's added input I gave the apples a slight twist, first popping off Mercedes' and tossing it to her, and following with Maria's. Then, I moved further toward the weaker end, grabbed a particularly red and juicy fruit, and made my way back down holding it between my teeth.
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Mercedes de las Aragonia
Royal
Princesa of Aragonia and Condesa de Lleida
Daughter of Rafael and Colette de las Aragonia
Posts: 1,546
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Post by Mercedes de las Aragonia on Oct 21, 2007 20:18:07 GMT -5
I caught the tossed fruit with both hands, then watched with my heart with throat as he went out further to grab an apple for himself. I breathed a sigh of relief as his feet touched the ground again, and went and sat back down.
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Post by Landis de Verreuil on Oct 21, 2007 22:06:25 GMT -5
Without preening- after all, I'd only climbed a tree- I still smiled in gratitude at Mercedes' concern and sat back down on the blanket, setting down the apple to finish my sandwich. "See, I can be somewhat entertaining," I teased.
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Mercedes de las Aragonia
Royal
Princesa of Aragonia and Condesa de Lleida
Daughter of Rafael and Colette de las Aragonia
Posts: 1,546
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Post by Mercedes de las Aragonia on Oct 21, 2007 22:12:30 GMT -5
"In the heart-in-your-throat sort of way, sure." I teased back. I took a bite of my apple. "But it was well worth the worry." I said appreciatively.
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Post by Landis de Verreuil on Oct 21, 2007 23:26:09 GMT -5
Nodding in agreement I picked up my apple again and took a new bite. "I think apples are best off the tree," I said after I'd swallowed. "But that could be because I just got done climbing a tree." At that I gave the pair of girls a wink.
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Mercedes de las Aragonia
Royal
Princesa of Aragonia and Condesa de Lleida
Daughter of Rafael and Colette de las Aragonia
Posts: 1,546
|
Post by Mercedes de las Aragonia on Oct 22, 2007 0:40:19 GMT -5
"I take it you've had some experience in apple tree climbing then?" I asked with a little smile. Maria giggled, more at ease.
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Post by Landis de Verreuil on Oct 22, 2007 8:38:41 GMT -5
"A bit- what sort of explorer would I be if I didn't take on every challenge that presented itself?" I asked with a raised brow, then grinned before finishing off the wine in my glass. "I take it you didn't climb any?"
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Mercedes de las Aragonia
Royal
Princesa of Aragonia and Condesa de Lleida
Daughter of Rafael and Colette de las Aragonia
Posts: 1,546
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Post by Mercedes de las Aragonia on Oct 22, 2007 8:41:50 GMT -5
"It's nearly so graceful a process in skirts." I replied with a little teasing smile, taking another bite of fruit.
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Post by Landis de Verreuil on Oct 22, 2007 8:45:03 GMT -5
"Oh, I'm sure," I said innocently. "Not that I would know, having never worn a skirt."
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Mercedes de las Aragonia
Royal
Princesa of Aragonia and Condesa de Lleida
Daughter of Rafael and Colette de las Aragonia
Posts: 1,546
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Post by Mercedes de las Aragonia on Oct 22, 2007 8:53:19 GMT -5
"I'm glad to hear such a thing." I replied with another smile. "I tried to climb a tree once, before I knew any better. My nurse caught me at it, gave me such a scolding."
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Post by Landis de Verreuil on Oct 22, 2007 8:55:21 GMT -5
"That's sad to hear- it should have been amusing, I think, to see if you actually could have done it with all that bulk," I teased. "Just think, you could be a better tree-climber than me and not even know it."
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Mercedes de las Aragonia
Royal
Princesa of Aragonia and Condesa de Lleida
Daughter of Rafael and Colette de las Aragonia
Posts: 1,546
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Post by Mercedes de las Aragonia on Oct 22, 2007 8:59:22 GMT -5
I laughed. "That I seriously doubt cousin. You've been up and down trees quite a bit, without anything but your own arrogance to trip you up." A grin showed I was teasing.
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Post by Landis de Verreuil on Oct 22, 2007 9:04:17 GMT -5
"Oh, that smarts," I said woefully, putting a hand over my heart as though it were hurt by her jesting barb, smiling all the while. "I find that arrogance only trips you up if you stop to wonder about its existence. So long as i keep thinking I'm only confident I will prevail."
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