It was a sunny day, although not an especially warm one. The air was crisp even at mid morning, with a brisk wind that made it feel even colder. It didn’t bother Fergus that much, he’d long ago got used to the cold. After all, he lived in a stone room and rugs just weren’t practical for the activities he usually did in them, when he wasn’t in the stone room he was generally camping somewhere, which was even worse. So all in all, he could handle the cold.

The clothes – designed for riding in spring, practically cut in a material in earth tones with the ability to breath when necessary – and exercise certainly helped. He’d been reading in depth about the Zerui for so long that he’d worked himself into the restless stage that nothing but getting outside and going somewhere – anywhere – for a while would cure. Although he generally didn’t like straying far from Aedan’s side, if he was in plain sight most of the time he could hardly be accused of plotting his brother’s death in shady corners, he’d secured permission to go.

To be on the safe side, he’d asked a total of seven courtiers, chosen at random from the main hall, to accompany him. The sort of asked which told them that they were coming whether they had other things to do or not. One or two of them were from a camp which he knew didn’t like him, several who did and the rest made up of people he either didn’t know well, who were resolutely neutral or powerful enough for the king to have to accept their word if someone started saying that he was meeting rebels out here.

Once they were out of the gates it quickly became clear that he’d only asked them along as a form of protocol, and didn’t actually have any intention of doing anything with them. On a fine grey horse he rode ahead of the main party, leaving them to talk to each other as he enjoyed the ride. They weren’t likely to kill each other without him paying attention to them every single second, anyway. It would be too messy, and while he was a younger brother he was still currently an heir and they were on what passed for good behaviour.

The wind pushed his hair back from his face as they came to a long, flat stretch and he urged the horse into a canter. Behind him he could hear the corresponding hoof beats which told him that the other nobles had also picked up the pace. With a smile, he pushed the horse to go faster and the already biting wind became stronger as he pushed against it. Although all the horses were very fit they could only run for so long. Regretfully Fergus slowed down to a halt beside a bend in the large Medi River far too soon for his liking, planning to stop for a while here and let the horses cool down and wait for the other nobles to catch up. Having selected them largely at random, he had no idea what their riding abilities were and wouldn’t be surprised if they had to wait for someone.

The sun streamed down, its rays not even attempting to warm her body from the cold air. With Dar walking calmly, Aislin figured she could risk pulling the cloak tighter around her slender body. Another gust of wind threathened to pull her long dark hair out of its clasp. Ducking her head against the wind, Lady Aislin clucked to her gelding. Her hands were kept steady on the reins since he was acting frisky in the cool air.

Lifting her head slightly, the woman surveyed the path before her, knowing she would arrive at the Medi River in a few moments. Oldly enough, sound reached her ears that stood out against the birds chirpping. Sound of people grumbling loudly, laughter, and loud hoofbeats on the trampled bank of the River. Aislin figured a group of riders must have come through one of the other paths.

Slowly Aislin and Dar came into view. She was sure that they were a sight to see. This big frisky gelding and his mistress riding as a man would, and with her hair half out of its clasp. A close to silent sigh was let from her mouth as she caught site of the other nobles. Some had looks of disgust on their faces, some looked completely unawares, and others had a look of happiness about them.

Yet, despite the large group of nobles gathered at the banks, another young man was sitting on his horse, quietly watching the group. He seemed to be measuring them up, gauging them in a way that peeked Aislin's interest. Was he waiting for something to happen, or for stragglers[sp?] to catch up? The man, though she didn't know his name, looked familliar even in his quiet finery. Searching for his name, she nudged Dar closer, and arrived at the banks of the Medi River. Her gray eyes squinted against the sun and in thought, yet the man's name didn't come to her.

Eventually, everyone caught up. Two had apparently been racing because they were pulling up beside him and the one who'd arrived first was looking smug, and everyone else arrived in ones and twos for the next five minutes. The last to arrive was a young girl who looked terrified despite being on one of the most docile mares Fergus had ever met. At least she had a more experienced rider beside her, one of the older men who didn't like Fergus much had apparently decided that it was worth trying to help her. Why Fergus didn't know, but he wasn't especially bothered.

What did bother him though was that after a swift count, and a second and third to make sure that he hadn't made a mistake, he appeared to have gained a courtier. It was no one who instantly sprang to mind so it couldn't be anyone important, but the fact of the matter was someone had joined his invite only trip and it worried him slightly. If people didn't respect him now, when he got to the border and started dealing with the people there they certainly weren't. Not unless he started hacking heads off, which was a road he really didn't want to go down.

Once he'd started looking it wasn't hard to find the addition. A woman sitting astride a horse. Not even Fergus's usually controlled mask could stop his eyes widening slightly. The other nobles were also giving her disapproving looks, some even going as far as to move away. Her hair was almost coming free of its clasp, no less. The quality of her clothes were too fine for a lady of pleasure, as was the horse - although being large and frisky with her sitting astride it, the animal was suggestive in a strange sort of way - but gentlewomen did not sit astride a horse. Ever. Fergus wouldn't claim to be an expert on all matters female, but he did know that much.

It was clear that no one else intended to speak to her, which meant that Fergus was going to have to do it. Really, he had better things to do than talk to people about how they behaved, but it was partially his responsibility to see that everyone was being respectable. Especially as he was in charge of this trip. "Is there some reason for you to be here in such a fashion?" He didn't move his horse, but called over, a frown on his face. Perhaps there was a reason, perhaps there wasn't. Either way she couldn't stay like that if she was tagging along with the party, and he couldn't in good conscience let her continue alone like that either.

As she nudged her gelding towards the river, Aislin could feel the disapproving looks from the nobility around her. She could even hear that some moved their horses away from her. The Lady had been recieveing those looks ever Since she and her father had come to court. It seemed the courtiers thought of her as an outsider. Though, she had an inkling that it was because she came from the countryside and hadn't lived at court her whole life.

Those ill-meant looks had bothered Aislin when she was a child, but no longer. She had learned to hide that hurt and ignore the looks. Yet the courtiers were persistent and had excluded the woman from their groups and had slightly shunned her at parties and things.

Aislin heard someone call out to her, and after she had dismounted, turned back to look. That voice sounded familiar, and it came from the man she didn't remember. As she heard his question, Is there some reason for you to be here in such a fashion?, she finally recognized who it was.

Even though the times he had spoken at court were few, the man had a distinguishable voice. Lady Aislin dropped into a low, respectful curtsy. "Your Highness." she said in a hushed tone.

"I'm not sure what you are talking about, Your Highness. What fashion?" Then she realized, she had been riding astride her gelding and her hair was coming out of the clasp. Before now, the fact that she wasn't acting like a Lady hadn't bothered her, but when pointed out by the Prince, Fergus, she knew it was wrong of her. The Lady bowed her head to the royal man.

As she moved towards the river the other nobles moved further away. Fergus stayed put, but then she wasn't very close to him. One of the nobles actually pulled their horse away from the river when she approached it upstream of them, apparently afraid that they might be contaminated if their horses drank from the same water.

Fergus knew he wasn't the only one who breathed in sharply as the woman dismounted, for a moment revealing a calf. The young girl who wasn't confident on a horse actually squeaked, covering her mouth with a hand when one of the older nobles glared at her. It was no wonder she was out alone if she behaved like that, really, had her mother never taught her anything? Even if her mother had died when she was young and hadn't been able to teach her to behave, her father must have known that this behaviour wasn't acceptable. Fergus couldn't imagine anyone not knowing that the behaviour wasn't acceptable. Although, that said, he had the evidence right in front of his eyes.

At least she knew how to curtsey. Thank the Lord for small miracles. All things considered it was quite a good curtsey, from her behaviour so far Fergus had expected her to drop into it like a stone, as most peasant women did. The hushed tone also indicated that she recognised something was wrong, that he wasn't best pleased. Although he wasn't the king he was the heir, and although his relationship with Aedan was not the best it could have been his position commanded respect, among other things. Most other nobles wouldn't have acknowledged her at all, in fact several with him seemed almost determined not to notice that she existed. He could almost feel sympathetic, but if she went out like this then he also couldn't help but feel that she was to blame as well. Grudgingly he returned a tiny nod, barely visible. While being gracious wasn't actually a necessary part of his job, it did sometimes help. He'd just have to hope that she didn't take it the wrong way.

She apparently didn't even realise. At least until she looked down, then perhaps she realised what the problem was. Something had to be said, and a swift glance over the nobles provided a few scandalised looks but no help from that quarter. His blank face masking his irritation, he turned back to the woman. He wasn't a mother to talk about mannerisms and dress, damnit! Why had no one told her these things before? When he spoke his tone, like his face, was cold and static. One of the nobles who'd known him from childhood thought he detected anger, but with the Prince it was always hard to tell.

"Your hair should be tied back and secured back neatly at all times. When riding you should be wearing a riding skirt. You should not ride unaccompanied, certainly not on a gelding and most definitely not astride." Of that much, he was certain. He was sure one of the experienced ladies could come up with more than the basics he knew from observation. "Who are you, and where are you from?" Very few people managed to avoid answering his questions, especially when he was glaring at them as he was at Aislin now.

Her eyes caught the slight nod of Prince Fergus. Aislin had to fight hard to keep a sheepish look off her face. Although, she couldn't very well keep the blood from slightly draining from her face. Horrified thoughts were racing through the woman's head. What would he do? Is he going to ban me from court? I can't leave Father here. Damn my stubborness and resistance against rules.

Her head was bowed once more when a response came for the Prince. "Highness, I apologize. I do entreat you to see as to my problem. Your Highness I swear I do not mean for this to be amusing, I have always had a certain problem with rules and the authority that come with them. If you asked my father, he would tell you very much what I have said now." Another curtsey was performed and Aislin closed her eyes to ward against the onslaught she was sure to come.

"I am Lady Aislin Aldaine, daughter of Sir Baldur Aldaine. I once hailed from the countryside, which is evident in my manner as you have seen, but now my dearest father and I reside at the Keep." The lady reached and reclasped her hair in a more tamed manner.