A duty to my country, a devotion to my people

She had only been thinking of its present location, but that wouldn’t do forever. She gives something of a shrug in reply, knowing that would not satisfy her brother.

"Precisely, Rosalinde! It's best just to let it go."

Perhaps she could be persuaded. The thing was only tiny; she couldn't have had it for long. With any luck, she wasn't yet attached to it. It would only cause trouble if it stayed.

Especially if word got out.

"Does anyone else know about this?"

nataliegerthofer

.the Devil (medieval picture)

#Demons and the Devil

eadfrith

A psychadelic Zebra? (maybe, minus the mane) from The Queen Mary Psalter - folio 109r

Origin; England, possibly London - Date 1310-1320.

Royal MS 2 B VII, Images from The British Library Manuscript website.

http://www.bl.uk/manuscripts/FullDisplay.aspx?ref=Royal_MS_2_B_VII

#Scriptures of study

"It won’t." She said, defiant as ever. "She’ll be good and you’ll not stop her from becoming so by taking her away." She just had to find a way to make Tala good.

"Of course it will! It is a wild animal. You cannot take a wolf pup from the forest and raise it like a dog. It will turn and bite you, eventually."

And a dragon would do worse than a wolf. Never mind bite, more like consume entirely. And burn the castle down while it was at it. It might be small now, but that thing would grow to gargantuan proportions.

"Where would you even keep it?"

got-it-in-the-neck-deactivated2

Ser Duncan the Tall in trial by combat by chasestone

#The Knight Life #[ANTLER HELMET IS SUPER COOL]#[Like totally not practical for battle]#[but /awesome/ to look at]

got-it-in-the-neck-deactivated2

Nomad by jameszapata

#The Knight Life

"It should." Here come the excuses, and the singsong voice to accompany them. "She’s not like other dragons." At least, not in the terms of being able to burn any of their belongings just yet.

"It should not."

Usually he was willing to allow himself to be talked around by Rosalinde, but this was far too serious a situation. As much as upsetting her was something he hated to do... This just couldn't stand.

"It will be like other dragons as it grows."

"The kind looking to make an impression." She muttered before raising her voice to a more audible level. "It wasn’t a proper dragon at the time." Just an egg that happened to hatch by Year’s End.

"Oh, I suppose that makes it just fine, hm?"

Snippy.

It wasn't Rosalinde's fault. Well... Not the majority of it. Not the receiving of the dragon, nor the taking of the gift (because that is what polite company does, after all), but she should have gotten rid of it soon after!

He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Rosalinde, it can't stay here. It's dangerous!"

arlathhan

St Martin of Tours by Lawrence OP

This stained glass window from Chartres Cathedral depicts the charity of St Martin. I recount the story in my sermon for today’s feast, which can be read here.

St Martin is the patron saint of soldiers. May he pray for those who have died in this profession. May they find eternal rest in God’s peace.

Playing with cloth wasn’t going to erase the fact a question had just been asked of her. “You said you wouldn’t get mad.” She lifts her gaze a moment, a shoulder rising to touch against her cheek, lips forming to a pout. The look doesn’t last long though as a rushed sigh breaks apart the appearance, a roll of the eyes up to Heaven adding to her apparent reluctance to answer. “From a suitor.”

"I promised I'd try, I think this is asking a bit much!"

He wasn't even certain if he was mad... Stunned, certainly. He was perhaps to shocked at the moment to be outright angry. If a little frustrated at the lack of common sense that Rosalinde was displaying.

Though speaking of a lack of sense...

"A suitor!? What sort of suitor courts a woman with a dragon!?"

Then, she’ll begin clasping at his hand again to take the lead forward. It wasn’t polite to leave people waiting for prolonged periods of time, even if particular siblings did not wish for or appeciate such company.

He allowed her to lead him, walking just one step behind her, an arm outstretched where his hand was caught in hers. Rosy seemed... Not excited. Expectant, was perhaps the right word.

He had already forgotten the name of the man he was supposed to meet.

As well as his title.

"Who is he again?"

The fleeting look of bemusement is accompanied by Rosa’s own fleeting feeling of the hope there was acceptance to be found in the situation. But the claims to follow only cause the feeling to transform into anxiety, and a clasping of creature and cover closer than before.

"No. She’s not going anywhere."

Marcus stammered for a moment, unable to find a grasp of his words and resorting to gesturing pointedly at the creature. Had his sister gone mad? It was a dragon.

They were dangerous.

"You can't keep it! That's ridiculous!"

It had to be disposed of. At the very least, it had to be let loose. There was no place for a creature like that in a damn castle.

"You didn't answer me, where did it come from?"

#Faceclaim #The King #[This still amuses me]#[This is Marcus and Edmund summed up]

nataliegerthofer

.page from medieval book #4

#Scriptures of study

natalicdormer

ritasv

_D2P2343 by Nico Nieuwstraten

#The Knight Life #Noble Steed

"And to judge him, you’re not to forget." He wouldn’t, of course. It was his main occupation, next to being heir to the throne of Mariona. She couldn’t help to say so, though and to allow that smirk to grow a little more to clear visibity.

"My dear, if you could count on anything, you can count on that."

Judgement of his sister's suitors was not a task he took lightly. It wasn't really a task he was supposed to take on at all, but he was glad he got chosen to do it so often.

So far, he hadn't warmed to a single one.

Begs the question of why he kept being asked to meet them, but there you are.

"Lead the way then, Rosy."