Enya watched yet another suitor ride off from Newbury fiefdom. "Good riddens." she thought as she watched him. She shook her head and turned from the window going over to her vanity and sitting on the little stool. She looked down at the ivory carved brush and mirror set in front of her then up at herself in her mirror's reflection. Why did she have to be cursed with beauty? Perhaps, the suitors wouldn't find her more desirable if she wasn't, and she would gladly accept that for she didn't want a suitor. True, she wouldn't mind finding a man to love and be loved by, but not the men her mother kept picking out. Something in her heart just kept telling her no, and she wished with all her heart she understood why.

She just sighed and decided she wanted to braid her hair today, and she did so working a pretty red and gold ribbon into it that matched the red dress with beautiful gold embroidery. A dress she had made all by herself with no help from anyone. She looked down at the bodice that clung to her womanly curves perfectly. Once again she let out a dissatisfied sigh. Was this her future? Only doing some of the things she enjoyed? Only working in the house and making clothes when she wanted to do so much more? Apparently it was and it displeased her very much. Her brothers were out seeking adventure as knights for the Thiasan Military while she was stuck here with her mother doing chores that she didn't enjoy. The only thing she ever looked foreword to was her horseback rides and her sewing for the day.

But then again, sewing wasn't what it used to be for her. Now all her mother ever talked about was the next suitor that would come calling. It was annoying and always brought on the same argument between mother and daughter. She could almost hear her mother now. "You should have been married when you were sixteen. Here I am two years later still trying to find you a husband and you still shun them away." She shook her head to get the voice out and stood once her hair was finished. She decided she would go for a ride for a while. Clear her thoughts for a bit. It would do her some good... hopefully. Riding around the lands of the fiefdom helped to sooth her ruffled feathers sometimes.

She slowly made her way to the stables and was glad that no one was there to help her. She just wanted a little alone time with her mare. She went to the stall with her dappled grey mare and smiled softly when the dainty yet elegant head popped out. "There you are, my lovely." She said sweetly as she stroked the mare's soft fuzzy nose smiling sweetly. The mare nudged her shoulder gently as if sensing her master's unhappiness. "You always understood me more than anyone else, didn't you?" She asked softly as she started to stroke the mare's neck. The mare bobbed her head up and down as if understanding Enya's words causing the young lady to let out a soft laugh. She then reached into a pocket in the periwinkle and black colored cloak around her shoulders and pulled out a carrot. "How about a treat for my pretty?" She asked softly and crooningly as the mare started to chomp away on the tasty treat. Caoimhe was a birthday gift from their father when she and Lúcás turned 13. He bought each child a horse on their thirteenth birthday. It was a tradition of his really. When Angus died she would go out on long rides on Caoimhe to think about him, but then her mother started to force more suitors on her and her rides gave the suitors an excuse to tag along with her.

She didn’t like that one bit either. Her rides were meant for her and her only. It was kind of like a quiet time where she could try and get away from it all. The suitors and her mother’s insistent nagging, to be more precise. Caoimhe was always there to listen. She could tell the mare all her biggest darkest secrets and not worry about them being spread across the fiefdom. Caoimhe was like the true friend that Enya never had. Once the majestic mare was done munching on her carrot Enya led her out of the stall and started to tack her up making ready for her ride through the fiefdom.

The problem with cheating was, sometimes you got caught.

Conn had been playing dice in the nearby town of Dillingham and wouldn't you bloody know it, one of the fellows was a pat hand for telling loaded dice. He'd seized his winning and run of course, but Freedom was only just over another bout of arthritis, and there was only so far he could get. She needed a stable, and care, and fodder. He hated fiefdoms generally, but from what he'd seen Newbury's was all right. The man was a better master than the damn Lawley and his steward was kind. Oh, the position itself was despicable but it was the way of the world, and he had never been one to let principle get in his way when it came to what was best for his immediate well-being.

But when he slid down from Freedom, who was trembling and sweaty, and led her into the barn, it was quite empty. Damn stable hand was probably asleep. There was a girl, though, cooing over her horse like the animal were a baby. Not that babies deserved the treatment either. Conn tried to stay away from 'em and when he did have traffic with babies he treated them like full-grown people. In his opinion most beings in the world out to get respectful address--but not a tuppence more. Respect came free, after all.

"Cooing to the horse for want of a lover, then, milady?" He leaned against the stable wall, Freedom's reins in his hand, grinning at her. "You might be disappointed, that'un's a mare."

Respect, of course, could mean different things in different places.

She voice behind her caused her to still. She took a deep breath and turned her head to look at the man. She let out an amused snort of laughter and shook her head softly. "Or lack there of." She retorted as she eased the bridle onto the mare's head gently. The mare let out a snort and her ears flicked to a fro towards the new voice. "I'm well aware of that thank you very much." She remarked testily as she picked up the saddle blanket and adjusting it on the mare. "She is my horse after all." She said gently turning to the man looking at him through dark disgruntled pools of sapphire.

He did not seem familiar, but Newbury Fiefdom often saw visitors since they weren't that far from Thiasa Keep. It wasn't a surprise to see strangers all that often, but she kept her guard up before she bent over to pick up the mare's saddle then hoisted it up onto her back and started to tighten the girth. "You're not a local to Newbury Fiefdom, I presume." She said looking at him over her shoulder before she started to hook on the other extra little straps that made the saddle a little fancier looking.

She looked to the mare stroking her nose softly before she looked to his own. His horse looked to certainly need a rest. She shook her head at the sight of the sweaty trembeling mare. It was a sad sight indeed. "Your horse needs a good bit of rest." She remarked softly Caoimhe's reins and leading her towards the barn door. For some reason she felt compelled to stop next to him and turned her head to look at him. "Shall I call one of the stable hands for you?" She asked gently watching him curiously before glancing to the worn out mare.

"Much obliged, milady." Conn ducked his head, as close as he'd get to a real bow, and set to untacking Freedom, smoothing the rumpled lathered coat back into place once he'd gotten the saddle off. Even without a bridle, Freedom was biddable after long years with Conn. And though he'd soon have to change her for a new mount, he couldn't help but weigh her sweet behavior against her iffy hocks and judge it, at the last, far more important.

"And no, I'm hardly local. Fact is, I'm local to nowhere in particular." He turned to look at her, saddle propped against his hip, then set it down on a nearby bale of hay. Last year's crop had been as green as sage-leaves even dried, not the yellow it sometimes was, and that boded well for the prosperity of every creature in Thiasa, equine or human. Freedom appreciated the green hay too, and lowered her ponderous head to snatch a bite of the fodder.

He took the opportunity, while her head was down, to undo the bridle. "I just need to ask where to stable her. I could just let her wander, but she's a fearful troublemaker." He tossed her a rakish smile and a rather wicked wink. "Something she gets from me, I must admit." He gave a little nod of his chin at her decorated saddle. "So are you going out for a ride, milady, or on parade?"

She almost rolled her eyes at him, but she resisted the urge. She listened to him curiously and her head tilted to the side in that curious manner of hers. "A wanderer then? Doesn't it get lonely not having a place to call home though?" She asked softly yet sincerely looking at him. She could only imagine what his reaction to that would be. He didn't seem to hold all that much respect for nobility, but of course not many people who weren't nobility did. She just kind of shrugged it off.

She smiled softly and turned away from him and opened one of the stall doors to reveal a cot. "Buea, come help this man tend to his horse." She said sweetly in a soft voice. Not soon after a boy maybe thirteen or fourteen came out and glanced from her to the horse. Buea knew that she always tended to her horse herself so he knew it wasn't Caoimhe that needed tending to. She walked over to a mounting block and looked up at Conn.

She rolled her eyes at his remark and then looked at him with a small smirk. "I hve no doubt of that, Sir." She said gently before she gracefully mounted the dappled grey mare. She looked down at him and smiled gently. "I'm not really one to be found a parade." She said smiling gently down at him, but her sapphire blue eyes twinkled with a playfulness. "I hope your mare gets enough rest." She said bowing her head softly before she steered the mare out of the stables and once she was clear of the doors she kicked her heels into the mare's sides and sent her into a fast canter out of the stables' courtyard just in a simple direction to go about the fiefdom.