Festival of Roses

Until a few days ago, the event grounds had been a large expanse of lawn. At the head now stood a wooden platform with half-walls and a canvas roof. Seated in the Lord’s box was Bromley and his son, Lysa and Septa Gwyn beside him. Rayley was conspicuously absent for, instead, she was amongst the group that presented themselves before Lord Meadows as he declared the Festival of Roses Tournament begun.

Alicent sat in the stands, watching quietly at the event played out, dressed in mauve for today. She did give Lysa a smile where she sat.

Joining the spectators, as Mari figured Valerian would be quite upset at showing off alongside the ponies and palfreys, one of the Tremaine twins took a seat to watch the display. Dressed in the azure blue of the Tremaines, though with the popular color of gold for accents, she watched the dressage with a polite interest.

She was mostly waiting for her father to show up, but she did pay close attention to the performance of the male riders.

“Lady Mariessa,” a warm voice announced its presence. Standing near her, the sun in his hair making it shine, was Harben Varner. Second son to another of House Meadow’s vassals, and only a few years older, he had been member of the cadre that had grown up around Lysa as a girl. But he had, as had they all, grown apart as they became older, and their lessons and duties to their respective Houses took precedence over play.

“May I sit?”

"Ser Harben?" Mari said with pleasant surprise in her voice and rose to curtsy to him. She made a gesture for him to join her. "Please, I'd welcome the company. Goodness, how you've grown!"

He flushed, slightly, “I might say the same of you, but I doubt such sentiments would be appropriate.” Bowing deeply, he sat beside Mariessa. Harben smelt warm, like a hot summer day when the sun has been beating down and the ground and grass released their fragrance into the air. He smelt of hay, of horses. If the Reach had a scent, it would be the way the young knight smelled right now.

Harben was dressed neatly, as fitting for his station, sitting just below the twins in importance. The sleeves of his tunic were white, embroidered with black tail-tips to resemble miniaturised ermine, the source of his House’s wealth and standing.

Mariessa: please make an Awarness (Notice) Test. TN12.

"Well... I suppose I have grown a lot since we were children," she giggled faintly, shyly taking in the rather pleasant scent of her companion. "Oh... and you recognized it was me and not my sister, even after all this time! Lucky guess, or...?"


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D3 EA Awareness (Notice) TN 12: 4d6 12

“Mari,” the young man - and he was, a man grown now, not a gangly boy all knees and elbows - seemed embarrassed. “Of course I recognised you, I’d know you anywhere.”

Maybe it was the way he said her name, what he said, or the scent that seemed so familiar, but... she suddenly felt her mind almost turn blank for a moment as she was trying to make sense of these sensations that had been following her around the past two days.

Then she realised she probably looked very awkward when she had been looking at him silently for a few long moments.

"Oh... I..." Mari felt her face turn absolutely beet-red. "I'm... very flattered... thank you," she murmured shyly, finally managing to avert her eyes to watch the competitors. The Marten heir was really something when it came to horses, it seemed!