For Decorum's Sake [Rouland]

[Griff Aubert]

Normally Griff Aubert would be pleased about doing to the de Archer estate, especially now that he had the pleasure of one day calling one of its inhabitants his wife. Unfortunately, that was not the inhabitant he was there to see, therein lay his lack of enthusiasm. It seemed, for decorum's sake, that he could not officially ask Caitrin to marry him unless he had the permission of Lord Rouland. This was particularly stupid as he'd already asked the lady in question, but where would society be without it's rules? Probably agog with unhappy men, forced into a state of father-in-lawhood.

Perhaps the only thing giving him any confidence about his meeting (ignoring the fact that technically he and Caitrin were already betrothed) was how anti-social Rouland was. He would probably be happy to be getting rid of her, even if that did mean having to welcome Griff into his family - and he used the term "welcome" lightly.

He was currently stood, rather awkwardly because apparently he wasn't allowed to not be awkward whenever he had to speak just to Rouland, while a servant went to inform the man that Griff was here and wanted to see him. It was, perhaps, not the best choice of words. Griff looked upon this meeting as a necessary evil. It wasn't that he didn't like the man, it was just that he was convinced Rouland didn't like him. But he was going to have to endure this conversation if he wanted Rouland's blessing to marry Caitrin.


Tagged: Rouland de Archer
Timeline: Series three, after The Changeling

[Rouland de Archer]

Rouland was busy, well he was always busy, but at the moment he was working through his accounts. It wasn’t that interesting, but he had his wine by his side to keep him company through his paper work. He was trying to figure out what yield his lands were bringing in this year, and it was already giving him a headache. He ran his hand over his face and coughed into the back of his hand. He hadn’t wanted to be doing this at his age, he’d wanted his son to take over, but clearly having an obedient stay at home son was too much to expect. Rouland groaned again, he couldn’t expect Caitrin to help him with all of this, she’d just sit here and annoy him anyway. She’d offered to help before she’d ridden out that morning, but he’d let her go, it was easier that way.

The servant knocked on the door to his study and Rouland turned around and took his goblet in his hand, “Enter.” The young woman curtseyed as she pushed open the door.

“Forgive the instrusion my Lord, but Lord Griff is here.” Rouland half chocked on his goblet of wine and just stared on at the girl,

“Tell him Caitrin’s not here.” Rouland didn’t really have a lot of time for the man, he didn’t dislike him as such, he just wasn’t fond of him being round all the time. After all, it meant he was forced to be sociable at dinners and suchlike, and even then he felt like he was in the middle of his niece and her latest man. Honestly, he’d have to find someone for her to marry if she kicked Griff to the side before long. Then again, she seemed completely smitten by him, so maybe this was a good thing. The servant hadn’t moved, “What is it?”

“He said he’s here to see you my Lord.” Now Rouland was surprised, and slightly annoyed,

“Me?” The girl nodded and Rouland got up out of his chair, he’d rather get this over and done with. Whatever Griff wanted, Rouland was already annoyed by the man, just because he was here, and he was being forced to talk to him. “Where is he?”

“The solar my Lord.” Taking his goblet with him, Rouland started making his way downstairs, leaving the maid to her duties. As Rouland pushed open the door to the solar, he couldn’t help his curiosity burning at what Griff did want. He was more interested so he could deal with whatever it was and get rid of him as quickly as possible. Rouland wasn’t sociable at the best of times, but he was especially unsociable when it came to his niece’s love life,

“Griff, what a... pleasant surprise.” His sarcasm was burning, and he cocked his head at the man. Rouland took a seat, and offered one to Griff, this was probably going to be painful, so he decided to sit down to endure the pleasure. “Caitrin isn’t here, so what is it you want?”

[Griff Aubert]

Griff was fairly sure that Rouland was lying when he said it was a pleasant surprise. Rouland wasn't the most subtle of creatures, and his tone was fairly thick with sarcasm. The feeling was mutual. Griff usually tried to speak to the man as little as possible - it wasn't because he had a particularly problem with the man, but more because he always felt like such a nuisance in his presence. Rouland wasn't eexactly a warm and friendly person, he just put people on edge and probably enjoyed it.

He said down, rather awkwardly because not only was he in Rouland's company by himself, but also because of the nature of his visit. It was nerve-wracking enough as it was without Rouland's sarcasm. Still, it could be worse. He could be having to have this conversation with Caitrin's father. Although he'd never met Payton he was fairly sure Rouland was the lesser of two evils. "I wanted to speak to you actually, my lord." He probably didn't need to use Rouland's title, they'd known each other long enough and if all went well they'd be family in the not too distant future, but he was trying to improve Rouland's impression of him. "It is a matter of some import you see." So far so good, but there was more than enough time for everything to go horribly wrong.

[Rouland de Archer]

Though Rouland enjoyed the peace when Caitrin wasn’t around, he was now regretting her going out this morning. If she’d stayed then this wouldn’t be a problem, he could just excuse himself and Caitrin and Griff could do whatever they did. Rouland gave a sort of awkward cough, he didn’t really like socialising at the best of times, and he especially didn’t like being on his own with Griff. It was clear he didn’t want to converse with the man by himself, so why had Griff called at all? He gestured for Griff to sit down and he took the younger mans lead; a glass of wine still in his hand. He should probably offer Griff one, but he had his suspicions that Griff and Caitrin had had their fair share of his wine. He did notice the odd bottle of wine going missing every now and again, and he knew Caitrin knew her way around his supplies, and it was irritating to say the least. So he was starting to enjoy drinking in front of the man in question.

Oh great, so he had actually wanted to speak to him. Rouland had been hoping that the maid who had fetched him had heard Griff wrongly, and that this was some sort of misunderstanding. Well it wasn’t so he would actually have to pay attention now, fabulous. He sipped on his wine and nodded, letting him know that he at least understood that. Something of great importance? Hmm, Rouland was actually intrigued which was a rarity. However everything about his situation was rather interesting. After all, he knew Griff wasn’t enjoying this, so why was he putting himself through it. Hmm, he had a hunch he knew what Griff was going to ask, mainly because he couldn’t think of anything else that Griff would want with him. He doubted the man was cultured enough to want to know about the different vintages for example. He was going to enjoy watching Griff squirm while he decided to ask him whatever it was. “Ask away.” Rouland said, sitting back in his seat as he took another sip of his wine, letting the liquid swim around in his mouth while keeping beady eyes on the man next to him. Now Rouland didn’t want Caitrin to arrive and ruin his fun, as he was rather enjoying this. “What is it that is so important?” He asked with a bit of a smirk, setting his goblet down just for now.

[Griff Aubert]

Griff wasn't feeling any more relaxed - this wasn't a conversation he wanted to have. It was also a stupid question. He'd already asked Caitrin to marry him and she'd accepted, why did they need Rouland's permission as well? The whole thing was just pointless and nerve-wracking at the same time. Sitting down wasn't making him feel any calmer. Instead of pacing he was sat with a leg that refused to stay still. It wasn't enough to feel nervous, he had to look it as well. "Right...yes." He could almost feel Rouland's annoyance. How he hated being stuck alone with the man. He didn't know how Caitrin did it.

"Well the things is..." he trailed off, not quite sure how to word this. He looked up to see Rouland smirking. Griff should have assumed the man wasn't going to make this easy for him. He also should have assumed that Rouland would take a sadistic pleasure in watching Griff sit there being horribly nervous and uncomfortable. "It's about Caitrin." What else would it be about? That was a stupid thing to say. He inhaled. It was probably just better to get it over and done with, maybe, hopefully, let's just go with that. "I came here to ask your permission to marry her." He blurted out and tried not to look so awkward but failing miserably. This was all going terribly well so far...

[Rouland de Archer]

It probably wasn’t possible to express how much Rouland was enjoying this situation. Though he hated socialisation, he enjoyed the effect he had on others; especially Griff. Caitrin didn’t rise to his bait anymore, and she could be rather dull at times, but she’d brought him this man to size up instead. Well, he was sure that wasn’t her actual intent, but still it was a bi-product of her bringing Griff back with her. He was quite surprised that Griff had lasted this long really, Caitrin kicked most men to the side, much to Rouland’s annoyance. He had been worrying about getting her a husband, but perhaps now that was another problem that had sorted itself. He took a long swig of his wine, watching the man as he sat down, looking like a bag of nerves. Rouland couldn’t have ever imagined being this nervous over...well anything really.

So this was about Caitrin, well that was hardly a surprise was it? Rouland continued to sip on his wine, trying not to grin and show how much he was enjoying this. He wasn’t very surprised when Griff finally finished off his words, confirming what Rouland had already suspected. So Griff did want to marry Caitrin. A part of Rouland wanted to start dancing, or sing happily, or something more him... He stood up without saying a word and went over to the table the wine was on and topped himself up. That was an expression of his undying happiness at what Griff was proposing. He had been waiting for this moment for years, when he could finally sign away his responsibility for his ward. It wasn’t that he didn’t love Caitrin, no, as a niece she would remain close to him and rely on him for whatever she wanted, but he had his life to live as well, and he wanted his wine store back to have by himself. Caitrin could go off and become a housewife... Rouland stopped himself laughing at the thought, he couldn’t imagine Caitrin as a housewife, or anything similar, but she would have to learn in some respects of course.

Rouland was getting ahead of himself of course. With his freshly poured wine, Rouland rejoined Griff and still didn’t offer him a drink. Perhaps he would when the deal was sealed, but not just yet. “Let me get this completely right.” Rouland began, and swallowed some more wine, “You want to marry my niece, Caitrin de Archer, and you expect me to sign my permission here and now?” He was resisting the urge of looking too happy about the whole situation, of course he couldn’t think of any reason why Caitrin shouldn’t be married to Griff. She was wealthy of course, but it wasn’t anything to brag about. She was the last daughter of a Mercian nobleman, and Griff was the second son of a duke, it was a good match from all angles. Especially seeing as he wouldn’t have to convince Caitrin to take his hand at the altar, “Why her?” It was a simple enough question, and Rouland’s fun wasn’t quite finished yet, “What future can you offer my niece?” Griff had done this correctly of course, he was sure, but Rouland had to make sure he was completely satisfied as well.

[Griff Aubert]

Rouland was taking an awfully long time to say something, or at least it felt like he was taking an awfully long time. Griff was convinced he was doing this on purpose and didn't much care for it. He was nervous enough without Rouland going out of his way to make him suffer. The man was topping his wine up - which could mean anything from "Oh Jesu, the only solution to this ridiculous notion is wine" to "Hmm. Regardless of the situation I need wine." Neither was making Griff feel better, unsurprisingly. He just wanted the man to say something, anything, even if he objected because well, because Caitrin had said yes so Rouland could just accept it!

Finally, he spoke, but it didn't make Griff feel better. How was Rouland managing to make everything quite so...well, horrible, really. This was just a not nice situation and Griff woud be only too glad when it was over. But alas, he actually needed to say something. This where it all feel apart. "I do, my lord." Wasn't that enough? Let's be honest here, who else would take on Rouland's mad niece? Rouland should be thrilled at the prospect of getting tid of her.

Why her? Griff just stared at the man. Well that was a question and a half with an answer he couldn't possibly do justice to. Why did Rouland think her? Obviously Griff struck him as just the sort of man who woke up one morning to find himself thinking "My God! I need to find me a ginger Mercian wife!". It was a ridiculous question. And one Griff was probably going to answer horrendously and then he wouldn't have Rouland's blessing. "Well," he bit his lip, nothing he could think of was good enough, "Simply put, I love her. And I've been led to believe she loves me." Surely that was enough? It would be really nice if it was enough because Griff was in danger of saying the wrong thing, as per.

A likelihood that was only increased by Rouland's next question. Oh, he was a bastard. He knew perfectly well that Griff had near enough cut himself loose from his father, and alright, it was a rather practical question but even so. "A happy one, I should hope. Look," he took a deep breath, "I know I'm not good enough for her and I know you probably don't like me, or in the bizarre turn of events that you do, you do a tremendous job of hiding it, but that's besides the point, the point is: I love Cait, utterly and completely and absolutely and lots of other words ending in 'ly'. I believe I can make her happy and I know I won't be able to be happy without her. And I will devote every moment of my existence to giving her everything she wants and needs. I would do anything for her, my lord, absolutely anything." That was a tad more dramatic than he was going for...hopefully it had done the trick.

[Rouland de Archer]

Well, at least he had heard Griff right. He did mean to marry his niece. Really he had been expecting this for months, or at least hoping for it for months. He could tell his niece was totally smitten with this man, and though he would never be able to explain exactly what she saw in him, at the moment he wasn’t complaining in the slightest. In the nicest way possible, he’d been trying to get rid of his niece for years, but either the suitor hadn’t warmed to her in the past, or she had sent the poor man packing before he’d got through the door. He was starting to fear she would never marry, and that it would just be in him and her in this house for the foreseeable future. Now that was a chilling thought. “I just wanted to check I had heard you correctly.” He commented, more for his own amusement than for Griff’s benefit. In truth it was taking all his strength to not jump and get Griff to sign whatever papers he had to so he couldn’t back out of this offer. That willpower probably wouldn’t last much longer.

Heh, Rouland was probably enjoying this more than he should. Griff was practically squirming under his gaze and his words. He would quite enjoy having this boy as his inlaw, it meant he would have endless entertainment. Caitrin never rose to his words, because she had a similar temperament, but Griff was quite fun to wind up. “Well, I suppose if she loves you as well, I assume she has told you as much?” No, Rouland wasn’t quite done just yet. He was only going to get this chance once, so he was going to enjoy this as much as he could.

Rouland had only meant his question in the practical sense, but as Griff began to speak, he felt quite surprised at the young man’s answer. He just stared at him for a few moments while he listened to him speak. He’d never heard anyone talk about Caitrin like that before, he’d heard the slander at court, and comments from odd noblemen here and there, but he spoke with so much enthusiasm that Rouland was almost inspired. Almost. Now he wasn’t quite sure what to do. Hmm. Rouland just looked at Griff, relaying his words in his head before pressing his lips together. He realised he hadn’t spoken yet, and he cupped his jaw in his hand, looking back at Griff, he managed a small grin. “Well, as long as you are completely sure...” He held his hand out towards Griff for him to take, something which meant he had to set down his wine which showed the seriousness of the task at hand, “I consent to giving you my nieces hand in marriage.”

[Griff Aubert]

Rouland was making this any less awkward, not that Griff had been expecting much. His, hopefully, future uncle-in-law, was clearly enjoying the situation. And, to be honest, if it wasn't him going through this Griff would be able to see the humourous side too. Only it was him standing there, and he wasn't seeing the humourous side at all. He was just seeing the increasingly unnerving sight of Lord Rouland. Griff wasn't sure whether a reply was needed, so he just remained silent, hoping that was the right thing to do. He never really felt comfortable in the man's presence anyway, especially on those rare occassions that they were alone, but this conversation was very not fun indeed.

"Well, I suppose if she loves you as well, I assume she has told you as much?"

"Yes, yes she has." Griff replied, his confidence growing somewhat, although given the circumstance there wasn't that much difference. He did feel slightly reassured though - he'd already asked Caitrin to marry him and she'd already accepted him. Whatever Rouland did or said, they loved each other so it didn't matter, they'd just find another way. It was as simple as that.

He was still feeling rather awkward after his speech. It had just all sort of tumbled out without him being able to stop it. He probably shouldn't have been so...well, embarrassing was a good word for it. This was made even worse by Rouland's expression. He was either impressed or thinking up a particularly clever put down. Griff was still suspicious, but he accepted the man's hand. "You do?" He probably shouldn't sound so surprised, but he really had been expecting Rouland to make some sarcastic remark. "Well...erm...thank you, I suppose."

[Rouland de Archer]

“You suppose?” Rouland repeated with raised eye brows. Was the man being serious? He had just given the ownership of his ward over to him (in the crudest way of putting it) and he ‘supposed’ he was thankful. “Shall we try that again?” He asked Griff almost too casually. He was going to enjoy this moment for all it was worth, because he only had one ward, and this wouldn’t be happening again.

Rouland felt like celebrating, perhaps his best vintage was in order. No, such finery would be wasted on Griff, he was sure. He looked over the man, still not sure what his niece saw in him. He didn’t really care anymore though. In his head this was him finally getting rid of his niece. Rouland did love Caitrin very much so, but it was about time she found herself a husband. It didn’t do for a woman to be so free, and he had heard about how she treated the men at court. Perhaps Griff would be able to rein her in a little bit. This was a win win situation. Griff did finally think to take his hand, and Rouland gave a small grin. “Well, welcome to the family.” His hand swiftly left Griff’s as he took hold of his wine glass once more. Draining it, which was obviously in celebration, he stood up again and went to pour himself a glass. He looked back at his guest, and groaned inwardly. This was a necessary evil of course. He poured another glass for Griff, this wasn’t his best vintage after all, and he handed it to the man swiftly. “I won’t be making a habit of this.” He pointed out very quickly. He didn’t care if Griff was soon going to be his nephew in law, he wasn’t getting wine every time he visited. This was a rare occasion, and a rare situation.

Though Griff might speak of love and such things, there was an element of business which came with marriages, especially on the female side. He wondered exactly what sort of husband Griff would make. “I assume you would like to speak about the business side of matter as well?” He asked, crossing his legs and leaning back in his chair. Caitrin’s dowry had been sitting rather idly in his accounts, and of course he would have to settle some sum on her as well to support her through her marriage, should she ever become widowed. That would probably be cheaper than keeping her at the moment though, because Rouland was the one funding her gowns, and nights out and suchlike at the moment, and it would be nice to pass that responsibility along.

[Griff Aubert]

Griff had thought this had been going rather well, after all, Rouland had agreed to give him and Caitrin his blessing. But then obviously Griff had to go and annoy Rouland - something he managed to do surprisingly easily. Turns it out wasn't going as well as he'd thought. Rouland was looking at him with that...that look of his. The one that always made Griff feel even more awkward, because obviously he wasn't feeling awkward enough. Not enough for Rouland's liking anyway. Damn that man. He pressed his lips together. Couldn't he just run away now? He'd got what he wanted from the man, he didn't want to be having this conversation anymore. Surely the feeling was mutual?

"Yes, sorry, thank you, Rouland." Griff said, feeling even more like an idiot now. Caitrin better appreciate just how stressful this was for him. Honestly the things he did for her...and himself, but even so. He still wanted her to be appreciative of his efforts. This was like being back at home, having to face his father after a particularly good day of "dishonouring the family name" - having to stand in front of a proper adult and have a proper conversation and ending up feeling like a child again. Well he wanted none of it.

The young man had a feeling Rouland was not trying to be overly friendly with his "welcome". He looked at the man, trying to work out whether he was being genuine or sarcastic but of course didn't say anything. Say something to Rouland would never end well, especially when he was already nervous and awkward and really, really wanting to be somewhere else. His suspicions were only increased when he was offered wine. Rouland didn't give wine to anyone, regardless of whether they were going to marry their niece. There was something very not right going on, but again, he wasn't going to say anything because he'd already made enough of a fool out of himself. "Thank you." He said and waited a few moments before taking a sip. Hmm. Not bad.

“I assume you would like to speak about the business side of matter as well?”

Oh...brilliant. Griff hadn't actually considered this. The situation may have just got a tad more awkward, which was rather impressive. Griff just stared at the man, unsure of what to say. Did Rouland want to discuss it? He must do, otherwise he wouldn't bring it up... In truth, Griff didn't care one bit about whether there was a dowry or not. He wasn't interested in Caitrin's money, not anymore.

He shifted rather uncomfortably in his seat. It seemed he wouldn't be leaving any time soon. Excellent. "Erm..." his voice was slightly higher pitched than normal. Well that was embarrassing. He tried clearing his throat. "If-if you want...I don't really know...the form..." Obviously he'd managed to convince Rouland of the opposite thus far. Oh, why had he thought this would be a good idea?

[Rouland de Archer]

Well, that was better wasn’t it? Rouland wanted to set the standard now for how he expected Griff to treat him seeing as he would now be seeing a lot more of the man. He knew that Griff would be round here more often because now he had a stake in the estate. Great. His own son, Dristan, had been lost for many years now, he hardly ever heard from his son, so it was likely Caitrin would be named heir in his will. As his ward, Rouland didn’t have to give Caitrin anything, but he would rather it went to her than his brother Payton. A will was a will, and that was that. He looked at Griff and just nodded at his words, “That’s better.” Was all he needed to say really, and that topic was at an end. Wonderful.

He was sure that Caitrin would not have taken Griff into her affections if he wasn’t capable of being a strong husband for her. She needed someone to calm her down, and tell her when she had gone too far. Rouland had tried to play that role, but that usually only fanned the flames of her temper. Fortunately, the de Archer temper was something Rouland had missed, but it shone through Caitrin and made things uncomfortable most of the time. “You’re welcome.” Rouland replied with a small sort of smile because it was polite.

Rouland knew for a fact that Griff didn’t have an estate of his own, as he was all but cut off from his father. This made business rather unusual. At this point, Rouland would be arranging when Caitrin could move in with him, and arrange her own household. However, there might be some small chance, “Do you have an estate to inherit?” He asked rather bluntly, mainly because he needed to know. He could look into keeping an eye out for a small little holding if Griff didn’t have an estate, mainly because he didn’t want them here for the rest of their days. Something was bound to come up eventually, though an estate hadn’t been free in Camelot for years. Rouland wasn’t sure he could wait years. “If not, then what arrangements would you suggest?” If Griff was going to come here, as a man, and ask for his nieces hand he expected him to have some sense about him. Surely he knew it wasn’t as straight forward as just taking Caitrin up the aisle? No, he had to realise that Caitrin would now rely on him, and what he could provide for her, and their children of course, though hopefully they could at least last until after the marriage without her getting big with child... Again, a man could dream.

Rouland supposed he was going to have to spell parts of this out for Griff. Had his father not taught him anything about the way of the world? He got an odd feeling for a moment, Rouland had thought his own son Dristan had been tutored well, and look how that had turned out. He took a swig of his wine and sat back in his seat. “We de Archer’s will give you a dowry for marrying Caitrin, think of it as a bridal gift.” He would start simple, he supposed Griff wouldn’t have really gone through this before, “It is quite a reasonable sum, given Caitrin’s father is quite a wealthy man.” Mainly because half his wealth was made plundering in wars, but that didn’t really have to come into this conversation. “And you will use that to secure her comfort, and help to finance your own privacy.” By that he meant a home of his own, no way were they staying here for the whole of their marriage. “And on top of that, I settle a certain amount on Caitrin per year for her own accounts, should she ever be widowed.” He took a swig of wine, leaving his last word hanging for a few moments before putting Griff out of his misery, “But take no offence in that, it is how we have always done things in Mercia, and how thing will continue to be. We’re traditional like that, even if Caitrin is marrying outside the family.”

[Griff Aubert]

Rouland had a habit of making Griff feel rather incompetent and unimpressive, but this was impressive, even for him. This wasn't the first time Griff was reminded that he really was of little consequence. No, he didn't have an estate to inherit. That was for Lucan, wonderful Lucan with his inheritance and his knighthood and all those morals of his. Clearly his brother would be in need of that estate while he was protecting the good people of Camelot. Meanwhile Griff had virtually nothing, then again, if he had anything he wouldn't be here now. He'd almost forgotten about that, back before he really knew Caitrin, when she was nothing more than financial security, rather attractive financial security but still. It was probably a terrible cliché - trying to marry a girl just for her money and then realising actually she was the best person in the world, but what did he care for clichés? He was happy. Or at least he would be if he could relax. Happiness was not easily found in present company.

"Erm...not as such no..." Of course by "not as such" he meant "not at all" but that didn't sound nearly as impressive. It was rather difficult trying to make a good impression when he didn't have a lot going for him. In fact, the only reason why he they were having this conversation was because Caitrin had consented, and most of the time that simply wasn't enough. "I'm currently living with Lord Allard d'Ireby...so...Caitrin would live there..." With Lucan and his uncle, oh that would be fun. It was awkward enough living with Allard without bringing his wife - if they actually got that far. Maybe that was unfair, Allard had taken him after all when he didn't have to, but even so. Once again, Griff wasn't being shown in a particularly flattering light. He was the almost disinherited second son who was having to live with his half-brother's uncle because he had no money. Yes, he really was quite the catch.

Rouland's explanation was starting to ring a bell. He vaguely remembered hearing a similar conversation between his father and Lucan. Their father was always trying to force Lucan into an arranged marriage. It was a rather sudden and unexpected bout of nostalgia. Griff had only been ten or so when Lucan had left, it all seemed like another life, back in Glouchdeon. And then Lucan had left and everything just seemed to have gone wrong. Corneous had wanted Griff to be just like his brother - brave, loyal and honourable. Instead Griff was selfish, stubborn and impetuous, not quite what his father had had in mind. It seemed Griff was just destined to be a disappointment; he'd never been good enough for his father, so why should he be good enough to marry Caitrin?

He bit his lip, trying to dispell those thoughts. Caitrin had accepted his proposal. No matter what her family thought of him, she loved him. That was all that mattered, unlike this damn dowry which was just making him even more uncomfortable, something he hadn't thought was possible. "Right...well...you obviously know what you're talking about...why does this need discussing?" Couldn't Rouland just sort it out? Wasn't that what he was supposed to do?

[Rouland de Archer]

Rouland knew of the d’Ireby estate, he’d ridden past it quite a few times, though it had never mattered until now. However, Rouland didn’t raise his hopes too much, as there was more to this situation. Leaning slightly forwards, Rouland took a sip of his wine, mulling his words over before he spoke. After all, he did not want to get the wrong end of the stick, or so to speak. He would rather have his facts straight before he began to speak. “It is my understanding that the d’Ireby estate will pass to Sir Lucan.” It was common knowledge that Allard had no children, so his next of kin would gain his estate, which was Lucan. This all sounded perfectly reasonable to Rouland, perhaps Griff hadn’t even thought this far ahead. However, Rouland didn’t want Caitrin to have to worry about anything, so each detail would be finalised today about the marriage arrangements, he wasn’t letting Griff off easily. “Or are you trying to suggest that Lucan, his wife-whenever he chooses to marry, and you and Caitrin will all live in the same estate?” That was essentially what he was suggesting in Rouland’s opinion, and he needed a quick rethink; he already had a bad feeling where this was going.

Honestly, Rouland felt like he would be better off banging his head against the table and speaking to the wall. He would have voiced such opinions if the man wasn’t doing him such a favour. He wasn’t going to insult Griff now, he’d been waiting to marry Caitrin off for years and he wasn’t about to blow it now. Even if his peace was being compromised somewhat if they had to come and live with him, Griff probably hadn’t got that far in his thought processes yet. Rouland’s mind worked quickly though, it was one of his favourite traits. “Because you need to understand how this will work. I can see your father hasn’t prepared you for this, though that is a fault on his part, not yours.” Honestly, had his father taught him nothing? Then again, Rouland wasn’t going to get into family politics with Griff because Rouland couldn’t stand his own family, he wasn’t about to get involved in someone else’s. “And one day you will have to think about this and discuss these matters with suitors for your daughters, if your marriage is that prosperous.” This was thinking way ahead of this little meeting, but it still had to be pointed out. Like it or not, Griff would be the head of his family, and he was going to have to take charge eventually. Caitrin would eventually be subdued with the challenges of being a mother, and perhaps then Griff would then find himself thrown into this role.

Pressing his lips together, Rouland realised that he really was going to have to spell this all out for Griff. That was irritating, he felt like he was lecturing his son in a way. Well, he and Griff would be relatives soon enough anyway so he was going to have to start somewhere. “I can offer you a suggestion as to the issue of the lack of an estate.” Rouland had thought this through, and he had been considering this for some time, “Are you aware that I have a son?” He began, because not many people did know he had a son, Dristan had been gone for many years now, “Naturally my estate was meant to pass to him, but I may have to reconsider this...”

[Griff Aubert]

Yes, alright, Lucan was the better Aubert. He'd been well aware of this fact the majority of his life, he really, really didn't need to be told right now and especially not by Rouland. Did they really need to discuss every single one of Griff's assets, because apart from being accepted by Caitrin, he couldn't think of many. He wasn't so naive as to think Caitrin's agreement would be enough but even so. This meeting was quickly turning into Rouland just listing all the ways in which Griff was completely inadequate. "No, that would be...well, I'm sure you know what that would be." Griff was quite certain the man had already formed quite a few opinions on the matter, none of which would paint him in a particularly positive light. "Luc will inherit my father's estate and the title of duke so he will live in Glouchedon."

Griff and Lucan had already discussed this, shortly after Griff had told him about his and Caitrin's engagement. Apparantly Lucan had already, or was going to, discuss this with Allard and everything seemed to be going according to plan. It seemed like quite a good idea, until he had to explain it to the man in front of him and suddenly it sounded like a ridiculous idea, but it was the only one he had. "So...essentially...Caitrin and I will live at the d'Ireby estate with Allard and Lucan until...well...until my father and Allard die." Now there was a cheery thing to be discussing. These nobles with money and lands...they were all so morbid. First born sons just seemed to spend their lives waiting for their fathers to die in order that they could claim their inheritance. Second sons, however, they had to find their own way in the world...or just marry someone with money. But that was beside the point. Griff wasn't exactly sure what his point was, but his thoughts were distracting him from the matter at hand, so they were more than welcome. Unfortunately, it seemed Rouland was determined to stop any distraction and so the young man was pulled back into the conversation.

Griff just looked at him, a rather confused and uncomfortable expression on his face. Wasn't it a little premature to be discussing what he was going to be doing with his daughters? He and Caitrin weren't even married yet! And anyway, he was going to have sons so it wasn't an issue. His parenting days would simply involve going to taverns and teaching his mini Griffs to charm their way towards free alcohol. He just coughed awkwardly, as if that was an acceptable answer because he really didn't know what to say, or whether anything was supposed to be said. He could never tell when Rouland was being rhetorical. It seemed his response was satisfactory, as Rouland quickly moved on to an even more fun topic.

Rouland's son might have been mentioned before, Griff wasn't actually sure. It was the sort of thing that might have been brought up into conversation and he'd either forgotten or not been listening in the first place. Either way, he was quite ignorant when it came to Dristan. He wasn't going to tell this to Rouland though - the man thought he was an idiot already so he was going to pretend that he knew this information at least. "I think Cait mentioned him." he replied vaguely while trying to work out where exactly Rouland was going with this.

[Rouland de Archer]

Rouland couldn’t really understand how Griff was processing this situation. After all, Rouland couldn’t have imagined anything worse than having to share the home with his new bride with his brother. Alright, Payton was a psychopath, or at least in Rouland’s opinion he was, but the point still stood. Who wanted their siblings under the same roof whilst married? As well as this, it would mean that Caitrin would have little to do, as Camila would be Lady of the house, not her. Rouland was trying incredibly hard not to be patronising, but Griff was making this harder and harder to achieve. It was unfair that Lucan would inherit both estates, but that was the way of the world. Payton had inherited all the family lands in Mercia. Had it not been for their mother then Rouland would be a beggar under Payton’s guidance, but instead he had married a rich woman in Camelot, and this was all he had to show for his life now. A son who hated him, and a wife he’d buried many moons ago. Though the estate was important, Rouland was trying to make this easy for Griff, so it wouldn’t be the cornerstone to his and Caitrin’s relationship. Caitrin was used to a reasonable amount of comfort and income, and if Griff couldn’t supply that then one thing would probably lead to another. Plus, they needed money and land if they were to have children. “I see.” Was all he could think to say. Really this wasn’t an ideal match from the financial side of things, both Griff and Caitrin were the youngest siblings in their family, therefore the last in line to inherit everything.

It still made him wince slightly that Griff was pursuing this line of thought, because it was incredibly impractical. “But Lucan would still inherit both estates.” Rouland mused, because he needed to stress that point, or at least he felt like he needed to stress it. “Do you really think it ideal for you all to be living under the same roof? I know yourself and Lucan are close, but I wonder about how Lady Camila and my niece will get on, what with cohabiting.” He finished with a raised eye brow and began to sip his wine again. Rouland couldn’t see how that would work, and he couldn’t see Caitrin agreeing to it either. Of course if Allard’s estate was to pass to them once Allard had died and Lucan and Camila had gone back home, then that would be fine. However, in the short term it really wasn’t going to work. Or at least not in Rouland’s opinion.

Well of course Rouland didn’t go around bragging about Dristan. There wasn’t that much to brag about, and by any stretch of the imagination it was a boring tale. Well, it was to Rouland anyway. However, they were going to have to have this conversation, because there was no way that his estate was going to pass to his brother, Payton, or any of his sons. Jesu only knows what they were like. At least Rouland knew Caitrin was semi-normal compared with her kin. “Well, he’s my only child, but he’s been estranged for years now, and he has no interest in my estate.” Griff probably hadn’t caught on to what he was going on about yet, Rouland was just starting to accept these things now. “So I have been considering now to gift the estate to my youngest niece, on the occasion of her marriage.” That should be simple enough for Griff to understand. Rouland would of course still be living in the estate, and aiding in its running, but he could at least take a back seat then. Caitrin was practically the Lady of the house anyway, and all that would remain would be for Griff to aid Rouland in the running of the estate. “That would mean that you and Caitrin would run the estate for the most part, I will of course still be here.” And probably still doing most of the work. “But it should give you some aspect of independence, that is, unless you want to live with your brother, his wife, and his Uncle.”

[Griff Aubert]

No, of course it wasn't ideal, any idiot could see that, but what else was he supposed to do? As everyone in the whole world knew, Griff didn't have an inheritance. He was living off a man who he wasn't even related to, waiting until the day when Lucan came into both of his damned inheritances to Griff could at least live off the chairty of someone of the same blood. It wasn't an ideal situation at all, but it was the one they were in and, well, damn it, he loved Caitrin and he wanted to marry her and spend the rest of his life with her, no matter where they happened to be living. Naturally, he didn't voice such an opinion to the man in front of him. Hardly any opinions were voiced in front of Rouland; he'd quickly learnt the stupidity of such actions. Griff just swallowed and tried to think of a satisfactory answer. He was, however, of the opinion that nothing would be a satisfactory answer. Oh why had he come here? Everything would have been far simpler if he and Caitrin had just eloped or something. "It's...it's not ideal, no, but, well..." he trailed off, there was no point reminding Rouland just how hopeless a suitor he was proving to be.

For a moment or two, Griff was just confused as to why he was being told about Rouland's son. Was this relevant? Was this the best time to start going on about yet another son with an inheritance? As far as Griff was concerned, it was hardly in good taste, which, probably explained why he was being brought up. It did not take long, however, for Griff to realise that perhaps that wasn't actually Rouland's intention. The young man just stared at Rouland for a few moments, trying to completely get his head around the situation. Caitrin would have the estate, that was fine and dandy, except, where Rouland was presumably going with this, Griff would be living there after they were married. Well that was another way to puncture his pride. So if Rouland had his way, Griff wouldn't be moving on from the charity of his brother's uncle to his brother, he would be moving on to his new wife's uncle - what was it with him and uncles?

The man was waiting for a reply, but Griff was still trying to decide which situation would be worse. Living with Rouland really wasn't an appealing idea, but he supposed Caitrin would probably prefer this arrangement and that was more important. He could put up with Rouland if it meant Caitrin was happi- hang on...was Griff actually putting someone else's wants and needs before his own? Gosh, maybe he was ready to be married after all. This was quite the revelation. Well, this was good, this was progress. Right then. Caitrin's happiness it was then. "Well, that is erm, I mean, I'm sure Caitrin would prefer this arrangement. If you're sure..."

[Rouland de Archer]

Rouland sat back and took another sip of his wine, mulling over the situation. He wasn’t sure how Griff would be feeling right now, Rouland never had been one for reading the feelings of others, he’d never really had to, so he didn’t feel any great need to. He did feel a twinge of déjà vu though, because Rouland had been in a very similar situation, at a young age, in terms of inheritance. It was always hard being the youngest son in a family, or just anything apart from the eldest son because you were always expected to just fend for yourself. It was always a sink or swim situation. He frowned slightly as he polished off his goblet of wine with ease. There had been so many times in Rouland’s youth that he had felt like he had been in his brother’s shadow, and that that was such a bad thing. Now he actually, properly thought upon it, it hadn’t been a bad place to be in at all. Payton had been a brute, even as a child, and while he had been out in the fields training, Rouland had been reading his books, and getting a grasp of the histories of Albion and it’s kingdoms. He had become his own person rather than trying to be his brother, and now he was an adult, he could see that he was probably the better person for it. Why on earth would he have wanted to be like Payton anyway? This was besides the point, at least he and Griff were in some agreement that the proposed arrangement wouldn’t really be that ideal. “It isn’t ideal, no. I’m sure you wouldn’t want to share your home with another set of newly weds?” He didn’t want to sound like he was reprimanding Griff like he was some sort of naughty child, no, he was just trying to reason with him.

Rouland couldn’t see how such an arrangement could have stood up at all. He knew that although Caitrin, self righteous as she was, would still want to be the Lady of the Manor, and he was sure Griff would want some command in his own house. He did not mind taking a back seat for them to do that at this estate. He would probably enjoy the break. The fact that Griff was being quite accommodating and thinking of Caitrin’s security and happiness, as well of his own. It was quite nice to see, and made Rouland quite sure that Griff would make a suitable husband for his niece. “I am sure, and the estate would be in your name.” In truth, Rouland had a small gain in all of this as well, because his brother would not be able to place any claim on the estate if it was in the Aubert’s hands. “Griff,” He pressed his lips together, not really sure how he was going to word this. Suddenly Rouland felt like had gained a son, in a strange and weird way that he really didn’t want to even think about. Rouland didn’t want to patronise Griff, but neither did he want him to think that he was alienating him and seeing this as an amusing situation. “You don’t have anything to feel ashamed, or bothered about in terms of how you will gain the lands you will pass onto your children. I didn’t have an estate to inherit either, these were my wives lands, they were mine, and now they are yours. Not everyone is fortunate enough to be born to great fortunes.” He shrugged and stood up, feeling slightly uncomfortable. He hadn’t given advice that honest and sincerely in a long time. Jesu, he really was getting old.

Pouring some more wine into his goblet, he brought the wine back with him as he sat opposite Griff. If they were going to live together then it was better that they got along. Well, Rouland wouldn’t stop teasing and jesting with the man. He needed some sort of entertainment didn’t he? He looked over the man, wondering what to say. “Does Caitrin know of your intentions to marry yet?” He asked curiously, for some reason he doubted that he had come here first before asking for Caitrin’s hand himself.

[Griff Aubert]

Griff was no longer feeling as though progressed was being made, in fact, he just felt like they were going around in circles. How many times was he going to be told that the situation wasn't what Rouland expected? That he wasn't the brother with the inheritance and how this wasn't good enough. He already knew this, hell, he'd known he was never going to be as good as Lucan since he was a child. This was something he could see with perfect clarity, they could move on now, because Griff was started to get rather frustrated with the man. What the man want from him? There was nothing else to give, he had literally nothing - no home, no inheritance, nothing of value except the love of a good woman.

No, he wouldn't particularly want to share his home, but if the situation was reversed and it was Lucan in need of a home then Griff would welcome his brother into his. It was the only thing he could offer, and yes, he knew how undesirable it was, how undeseriable he was. He didn't reply to Rouland's question, it was probably rhetorical and even if it wasn't, they both knew the answer.

The young man was more than a little taken aback by Rouland's words. He was almost being...nice. Rouland was never nice, especially not to Griff. He just sat there with his wine making comments. It was more than a little unnerving, but at the same time he was feeling a little better. He'd forgotten that Rouland was also a younger son, and presumably had been in the same position when he had married. No wonder he was so focussed on Griff's lack of inheritance or fortune. He scratched his neck, not quite sure how he should respond to that. Rouland sounded, and looked, sincere, which wasn't really helping him feel any less unnerved. "Well...thank you, I suppose." He pressed his lips together, the awkwardness was returning.

Did Rouland genuinely think that Griff would be having this conversation if he wasn't sure whether Caitrin would except him or not? He wasn't insane. Caitrin would not be pleased at all if he'd spoken to her uncle about marriage before he spoke to her, and there was no way he'd put himself through such an uncomfortable situation without the knowledge that Caitrin wanted to marry him. "Yes," he replied with a smile because it was impossible not to smile whilst thinking about Caitrin, "Yes, I asked her first."

[Rouland de Archer]

Rouland was still in some shock that Griff had been as happy as he was to just suggest him and Caitrin joining homes with Lucan and Camila. Caitrin had told him her opinion of Griff’s brother a few times, and if Griff was ignorant of his fiancée’s own views to his family then that was his problem, really it was lucky that Rouland was here. If Griff had suggested living in the same home as Lucan to Caitrin, well, his niece had one of the fiercest tempers in Camelot, and he wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of it. He couldn’t see the attraction anyway, not for all of Mercia would Rouland have lived under the same roof as his own brother, not for a second longer than he needed to be. He had hardly visited his brother for similar reasons during their adulthood. Payton was a brute, and Rouland was glad that he had sent Caitrin to Camelot, out of his reach.

Rouland just looked across at Griff as he took a sip of his wine, because it had been parted from his lips for far too long now. He mulled the liquid over as he smiled at Griff’s words. It wasn’t a wide smile, mind you, it was just a little flicker, just to let him know the thanks was appreciated. “Of course, you will have to completely take over the estate.” Rouland pointed out reasonably, “Which will include the administration, and ensuring the tenants and crops are looked after.” It sounded like a big task, because it was, but Griff would learn; Rouland would show him what his father had clearly neglected to do. “But I will show you how to do all that, and only step back once you are ready.” Griff would need to look after everything, because if one crop failed then everyone suffered. That had never happened on the estate before, and Rouland wouldn’t ever let it happen.

He had expected no less really, as Caitrin was quite a temperamental woman to say the least, so gathering her consent before seriously broaching the topic was probably the right thing to do. It wasn’t conventional, but Rouland was willing to let that one slide; this once. He nodded and finished off his wine, “I thought as much.” The answer was obvious, she must have said yes or else Griff wouldn’t be sitting here would he? He poured himself another goblet of wine, deciding he was quite enjoying this, “Be glad that you’re having this conversation with me, and not Caitrin’s father.” Rouland said in a serious tone, watching Griff carefully. The man wasn’t jesting, Payton would have had Griff dragged off the estate by his ankles and thrown to the dogs for having the cheek to ask his daughters hand in marriage when he was only the second son. “My brother is not the friendliest of inlaws.”