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"My lady, you must forgive my intrusion but I find myself in rather a spot of trouble."
Hmm was he really, but being the ever gracious host that she should be, she listened and nodded. "It is quite alright my lord, what kind of trouble brings you here?" she asked, out of the corner of her eye seeing Bonnie giving the stranger a curious look. Her maid was always protective of her but even more so now that she was back home.

"I am Richard de Calys of Cantia." he introduced himself, now coming a little closer to her and looking quite nervous as he scanned the courtyard. Romily too also looked around as he asked in a rather hushed tone for help. She looked to Bonnie. "Leave us, but tell Ryle to bring some wine to the solar. Myself and my guest shall be in there should anyone wish to speak to me." Her maid nodded, still looking curiously at Richard before returning inside the house.

"Come" Romily gestured for him to follow, "We shall discuss this more inside where we won't be in the presence of prying ears and eyes." With that she turned and led him into the house, finally coming to the solar and allowing him to pass into the room first before she did. Finding that Ryle had already left the wine there, she closed the door and turned to face him. "Please, be seated. Now...what is it that you are in need of?"

Romily de Braose was making the most of the Carmelide sunshine, for once it wasn't raining and she could freely go out into the gardens and take a walk, without anyone asking of her whereabouts or why she was going. Bonnie was walking with her, having nothing better to do and wanting to be with her mistress again. She had missed her.
"I'll have to speak to cook about the dinner for tomorrow evening, and then I need to see that I have a dress suitable for the Knighting Ceremony next week, oh and I must write to Arthur to tell him of all that is happening..."

"My lady, you must breathe!" Bonnie chuckled, "Everything will be fine, you are doing well as Lady of the Manor."

Romily looked at her, "I know - I just...I haven't been in this position for years and it's a little hard to adjust to this life again, no matter how long I was in Camelot before - I grew so used to being a simple barmaid that I sort of just, well...forgot". Bonnie merely nodded and then looked around, as another set of footsteps were heard on the gravel. "My lady, there is a man at the door asking to speak to you..." she said, bowing her head, "and he seems quite persistant."

Romily's lips turned into a smirk, "Well then, we mustn't keep him waiting - come Bonnie." she instructed, turned and headed back to the house with the maid and servant in tow.

Romily took away the cloth slightly from Aidan's forehead as he flinched when the connection to the wound was made. "Sorry, i'll try to be more gentle" she smiled and continued to dab at the wound a little lighter than before.

“Don’t apologise, I’d rather talk about my non-existent wife than my not being terribly able to deal with pain.” Ah, so he wasn't married, he looked old enough to be though - then again she wasn't getting any younger herself so once again she couldn't make assumptions. at this Romily laughed lightly, "Well I am sure that wherever she is, she is very lucky that you didn't end up in a far worse position."
She wiped some of the dried blood from his cheek and then proceeded to reach for the cloth to put over the wound until the physician could take a look at it properly. "Could you raise your head slightly for me? I just need to wrap this around your head to stop the bleeding" and that was as much as she could do for now.

She listened as he explained that he'd never been to Carmelide before. "Well, we've made an impression on you already" she sighed. He'd had the misfortune of experiancing a group of bandits before he'd even reached the town for business. "I promise that it's not always like this, people being robbed - in fact it's a very rare thing to come across...there..." she said as she finished and looked at her work. "That should do for now, but you'll need to rest."

It didn't take long for Martha to return with some water and cloths, by now Aidan had listened to Romily and had taken the rightful place on the bed. "Thankyou Martha, you may go - but when the physican does turn up, please come and get me." Romily asked as Martha nodded, bobbed her head and left her mistress.

Romily pulled up a stool by the side of the bed and put the basin on the table beside her. She smiled warmly as Aidan was practically saying he was a pathetic excuse for a man. "Oh, I don't believe that" she shook her head and dipped the cloth in the water. Leaving one by the side so she could wrap it around his head after.
She laughed a little at his later words."Well then perhaps later you can show me those, but right now I have your injury to deal with...no hold still, it'll sting a little." she told him and dabbed the cloth over the wound as gently as she could.

Should her father come in right now then he would surely assume the worst, but right now she didn't care. She had a patient to look after. "I know I am no physician, but hopefully this will help you feel a little more comfortable" Romily carried on, "No doubt that your wife will have something to say about it when you see her." Was he married? He looked the type to be married. Immediatly she looked away and focused on soaking the cloth again. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't assume so quickly."

In the end the only other option was to change the subject. "You said that you were meeting your father in Carmelide? Have you visited here before? I know it's not as brilliant as Camelot, but I suppose it does have it's own aspects of beauty." Not that she had seen any of that, apart from the countryside surrounding her home. Her father had never even allowed her near the town.

It took her a while to actually calm herself before answering Arthur's question. Romily didn't think that she would be reacting this way should this day ever come - which it now had done. She fiddled with her hands in her lap and shifted into a more comfortable position. It was as though she couldn't keep still for a few moments. Instead she now took a breath, and looked to Arthur.

"The letter was delievered to me this morning..." she began, "at first I thought that it was from my father - given the fact that one of the Knights from the Carmelide court had brought it to me. I opened it and it wasn't from my father but instead from King Leodegrance." Now that had been shocker.

"My father is dead, and I am under orders to return to Carmelide again. Apparently my father left everything to me. His money, his home...but i am sceptical as to whether I should return. For me it would mean that my status is finally restored but then again, it would mean that I would leave my friends behind to live alone in a house that holds far to many unhappy memories, rather than happy ones."

As she'd thought of earlier, yes she could make happy ones there - but with who exactly? She would have Bonnie back, as well as a few other servants who she had been quite friendly with, but other than that? She had never made any connections to any noble families in Carmelide. For her to be under orders that she come to court now scared her the most.

She sighed, "I do not know what to do." Her eyes kept their gaze on her lap. "I have made so many friends here and now it seems as though I am to be taken away from them."

At least he was the type of man who could lighten the awkward moments with humour so it seemed. The subject of fathers also seemed to be one that they did not share joy about. From the sounds of it - Aidan wasn't appreciated enough, a bit like herself. Now he was dismissing the whole subject and she could only go along and agree that it was indeed a conversation that could only go in one direction.

"Indeed...although it appears that you will most likely meet mine once we get back to the house. Then again he's always locked away in the solar so hopefully you will not." she smiled as they carried on up the path. "You must allow me to repay your kindness when I am fit, I never forget a favour." Romily looked at him and shook her head. "I do not need repayment. Just seeing you recover will compensate for that."

They finally reached the house, Martha hurrying up and meeting them with a shocked expression on her face, which subsequently turned to relief when she saw Aidan standing next to her. "Oh my lady! I am so glad that everything is ok!" she stammered, her face then turning a little blank, "however the physican is not able to come to..." he looked at Aidan for moment, pondering on how to address him, "his lordship until he finishes his buisiness at Lord Ferria's, it appears his youngest son fell from his horse whilst out hunting, in a bad way apparently"

"Yes, yes enough Martha...wasn't there anyone? Not even his assistant?" Romily asked hopefully. Without a physician to tend to the wound, it could become infected - she knew that much. On seeing Martha shake her head. "Very well...help us inside, is the guest room prepared? Lord Aidan will need to lie down."

"Yes my lady..." Martha said, helping the pair up the stairs and to the guest room. "Is there anything else you need my lady?" she asked, hovering by the doorway.

"Some water and cloths. The wound needs to be tended to, but that's the best that I can do." she smiled gratefully as the servant hurried off in search of what had been asked. Romily's attention then turned to Aidan, who must've thought all this was going rather quickly. Better to be quick and healed than to be slow and perhaps nearing death. "Lie down my lord..." she instructed, "I will do my best to clean the wound until the physican comes."

“Yes, I brought my niece, Caitrin along with me. I hope that that isn’t an inconvenience?”

"Of course not!" Durwin brushed this off, Romily could see Rouland looking her up and down but chose to ignore it. Obviously he wasn't impressed at the fact that she was actually still here in the room with them. The men tended to prefer the company of their own gender rather than talking about embroidery or dresses with women.

She caught Caitrin's soft smile at her, this was already quite awkward and she really wished that she wasn't here to witness it. “Do you know my Uncle well, my Lord?” she heard the young woman ask her father. She seemed well educated in the art of making conversation - something Romily felt that she lacked in considering her father allowed her to talk to no one, or even join them during feasts that were held at their home. "Very well indeed - why...it's actually too many years for me to remember" Durwin answered, taking a goblet of wine that Romily had now offered him. Rouland was already set so it seemed like the two men were going to reminice about old times.
"Have you been staying with your uncle for long? Rouland, you should have sent a message to tell me you were visiting!" he turned to his friend on that, "At least then I would have been able to have something prepared for you to eat, and to have my daughter looking a bit more decent."

Romily's gaze kept fixed to the floor, as Durwin looked over his shoulder and up at her, patting her hand that was holding the back of the chair. She smiled down at her father, not saying anything. She was too tired to speak back and it would be improper in front of Lady Caitrin and Lord Rouland to do so. She had become so used to comments such as these that she no longer bothered letting them get to her. She knew she was a disappointment and so did he. That was the end of it.

She brushed out another tedril of hair as she tried to decide on what style to have that day. Bonnie was busy lying out her dress and talking about how her hair was just lovely down. Romily's father liked his daughter to wear her hair up, or at least half up when they were in company. She didn't know why but she did it all the same. As far as she knew, today they were not expecting to receive anyone, so she was free to wear her hair as she liked it.

"Keep it down my lady, you look just like your mother with it like that" Bonnie looked over from fussing with her clothes.
Romily rose from the vanity and fiddled with the hairbrush in her hands. "Then down it shall stay" she smiled at the older woman. "And if anyone does decide to spring a surprise visit on us, then I shall have to rush to change it."

"Visitors or not my lady, they will not mind how you wear your hair"

Romily dressed and sat down by her window, whilst Bonnie pottered about, straightening up things, fluffing the pillows and collecting the laundry. Breakfast was on the table, and Bonnie spied her mistress picking at it from time to time. The poor girl needed to eat more, otherwise she would hold a reminder of the late Lady de Braose in her last days. "What are you thinking Bonnie?" she asked, seeing the maid's expression.

"Nothing Miss..."

"That look is not one of 'Nothing' Bonnie and you and I know that..." She was vut off by Ryle, one of the servants knocking before poking his head around the door.

"Im sorry to disturb you my lady, but I could not find Lord de Braose - there is a man and young lady downstairs in the hall..."
Romily frowned, looking to Bonnie who mimicked the same expression. "Thankyou Ryle, I shall come down and meet them for myself. In the meantime, find my father and notify him of this."
Ryle bowed, "Yes my lady."

Romily headed out in the hallway and down the stairs which opened out into the entrance hall. There was indeed a man and woman standing there. He had a quizzical expression whereas the red haired lady beside him just looked confused. she headed down the last few steps, one hand sliding gently down the banister. "Im am sorry to keep you waiting..."

You'll regret saying that when I'm lying on top of you,"

She immediatly averted her eyes and cast them down to the ground, feeling a flush in her cheeks as Aidan was now trying to correct his error of a sentance. She looked back a little shyly - never really having heard such a statement before. "Should you fall or not, I'll do my best to catch you - but I can't promise too much."

At his gentlemanly manner, she couldn't help but mirror his smile, then frowning slightly. "How so my lord?" she asked a little curiously. Of course he seemed like a man all for court life and no doubt the formalities that came with it, but that statement had made her all the more curious as to why he had said it.
"I must confess I have not heard the name, I rarely travel outside Camelot," Ah so he rarely travelled either? "That makes two of us then, well - me not travelling outside of Carmelide, or my home for that matter." she sighed, "My father does enjoy keeping a tight leash on me." By how he was now describing Camelot, it made Romily all the more eager to see it for herself. "Then perhaps one day I shall have the advantage to experiance that for myself too." she replied, "but for now I am to be kept hidden away until...well...until my father wishes for me not to be."

"This is very generous of you, I really don't want to be too much of a burden."

"Don't be ridiculous! Of course you wouldn't be! I would rather have you stay until you are well enough to travel again, than to just let you wander off without the knowledge of knowing that you will be alright - besides, I don't really have anyone to talk to..." she trailed off as she did realise that she was infact, quite alone. Not having any friends really - just Bonnie, her maid to talk to. Oh and her father when he was in a 'talking' mood. Either way those conversation weren't exactly interesting.