bakerstreet | Forever in your favor

Forever in your favor

courtly.

Courtly love or domnei was a medieval European conception of nobly and chivalrously expressing love and admiration. Generally, courtly love was secret and between members of the nobility. It was also generally not practiced between husband and wife.

The "courtly love" relationship is modeled on the feudal relationship between a knight and his liege lord. The knight serves his courtly lady (love service) with the same obedience and loyalty which he owes to his liege lord. She is in complete control of the love relationship, while he owes her obedience and submission.The knight's love for the lady inspires him to do great deeds, in order to be worthy of her love or to win her favor. Thus "courtly love" was originally construed as an ennobling force whether or not it was consummated, and even whether or not the lady knew about the knight's love or loved him in return.

The "courtly love" relationship typically was not between husband and wife, not because the poets and the audience were inherently immoral, but because it was an idealized sort of relationship that could not exist within the context of "real life" medieval marriages. In the middle ages, marriages amongst the nobility were typically based on practical and dynastic concerns rather than on love. The idea that a marriage could be based on love was a radical notion. But the audience for romance was perfectly aware that these romances were fictions, not models for actual behavior. The adulterous aspect that bothers many 20th-century readers was somewhat beside the point, which was to explore the potential influence of love on human behavior. The behavior of the knight and lady in love was drawn partly from troubadour poetry and partly from a set of literary conventions derived from the Latin poet Ovid, who described the "symptoms" of love as if it were a sickness. The "lovesick" knight became a conventional figure in medieval romance. Typical symptoms: sighing, turning pale, turning red, fever, inability to sleep, eat or drink. Romances often contained long interior monologues in which the lovers describe their feelings.

tl;dr characters are in a fantasy/medieval setting and having a courtly romance.

How to Play
- Comment with your character, preferences, etc. Also, be sure to include what "role" your character will be taking on in this little affair.

Lord/lady
Knight (gender neutral, of course)
Prince/princess
Bard or poet
Servant
Commoner (for the ultimate "forbidden romance")

-Comment to others, using the RNG to determine your fate.

Prompts

When I First Saw Your Face: You are meeting your liege or your knight for the first time. What you see takes your breath away.
Lovesick: Your pining for your beloved has made you ill! You can't eat, you can't sleep, you're in loves throes.
Playing Hard to Get: If you're of nobility, you at least have to pretend you're not interested.
You're So Coy: The art of flirtation is just getting started, but you have to be subtle about it.
In Your Honor: Be it a jousting match or a battle, you're going to win this for your lord/lady's name!
A Token: You must give your knight something for good luck.
A Gift: This is the reverse of the above. You must give your love something.
Keep a Secret: Kisses behind columns, holding hands under the table. You must sneak away little moments together, but you have to keep others in the dark.
Back from War: Your knight has been away in combat, and now they've returned. You want to shower them with affection.
Consummate: Believe it or not, courtly love could have a physical angle, as well. Sometimes physical afairs happened.
To Defend Your Honor: Someone has insulted your fair lady or lord. You know what that means! DUEL.
I'll Protect You: The lands are under an attack, and you must protect the person you love!
Breaking the Rules: You've decided to abandon the pretense of courtly love and actually be with this person, even if that means running away.
WILDCARD

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[Commoner or servant smarter in ways not considered "befitting" of her sex or station. Also interested in exploring Molly as a Plain Princess; so far down the line of succession that she's ignored or forgotten. Or simply overshadowed by more conventional relatives.]

[Servant or commoner working tirelessly to try to realize ambitions as a knight, or knight who has already worked tirelessly to overcome impossible odds.]

[Could do either Lord or Knight. Open to pretty much any era or AU.]

[Prince, of course. M/M only, please.]

[Interested in trying something with these two again? Two princes, or Rúni can be a commoner? Or even a slave.]

[Lady or commoner, I'm down for either!]

_{[Either prince or commoner from a circus troupe]}

( princess! )

[ Anyone want to woo a member of the Fillorian royal court? ]

[Lady.]

(Could be the Prince, or anything really)

[ definitely the knight, or squire if we're going for a slightly younger perspective.

open to gen stuff for prompt 2 if someone else wants to witness Fareeha being absolutely pathetic. can do something in a fantasy/medieval AU, or just apply the tropes to a modern setting! ]

[probably a knight c: ]

[ lady or princess. ]

( She is going to be one clumsy princess. )

[ knight. Or aged warrior king]

[Interested in being the knight for a spoiled but lovely young lordling? I'm mostly canon-blind to yours.]

[ sure! I hope you don't mind that I'm also totally canon blind as well. ]

[Most people are. Ashley’s obscure, even within his canon.
Assuming vaguely Arthurian court. I’m setting this up as a first sight thing.]

There were many rumors about the younger son of King Raventon. Rumors about Ashley were easy to come by, though confirmation of any of those rumors was rare.

It was said that Ashley was a virgin. It was said that he was a whore, who would spread his legs for any man—and sometimes women—who could get him alone. Half the men of the court—and a handful of the women—claimed to have tasted the inside of his mouth, but only a few braggarts claimed to have done anything more.

It was said that he was a witch, for his blood-red hair, that he wore long and loose down his back. It was said that his mother had slept with the devil and the king had killed her for it, though he did not dare to kill the child. It was said he was a vampire, for his nocturnal habits and his pale skin. It was said he was a hermaphrodite, for his striking, androgynous beauty. It was said that he was mad, or simple, and probably both.

What was known of the young prince was a shorter list. He was uncommonly beautiful. He was petulant and spoilt. He was bookish and reclusive. He obeyed no one but his older brother, the heir, Prince Arkady.

~

Bored and restless, Ashley nursed his wine, watching the court through low-lidded eyes. His father’s court seemed interminable, and Ashley was achingly bored of it, but he had no better prospect than returning to his room with a book, which had already occupied his entire day. His brother had neglected politics for the day, locking himself in his laboratory. Ashley had coaxed his way in for an hour, then been thrown out for being a “menace and a distraction.”

Flicking irritably at the edge of his plate, the delicate silver plate scooted further than he had anticipated, knocking over his wine and spilling it across the table.

The entire court’s attention turned to him. The sea of faces reflected disapproval, disdain, lust, mockery, sympathy, pedantry... Ashley curled his lip at them, flashing a glare as he rose to his feet and made his way toward the exit of the great hall.

There were just as many rumors about the old knight that stood guard at the doorways and watched over the room while everyone else ate and drank their fill. He was the child of some illicit union between orc and human. He was half giant. He had slayed a dragon. He had once been a slave in the fighting pits. He was actually 300 years old. His armor was cursed. The list went on and on but he ignored it all as he always did. Rumors and truth were seldom the same and he had a job to do. A job that was important to him.

Though he had been forced off the battlefield due to his age and made to play guard to the spoiled royals, he did it with the same dignity and pride as he had done everything else in life. They may have stolen away his chance at a glorious death on the field of battle but they would never take his dignity.

He would stand at that door to the great hall with all the pride he had. His one good eye scanning over the revelers and the members of the court, considering how all the food being wasted could have been used to feed the hungry in the villages. Perhaps later, he could sneak to the kitchen and fill a sack with left overs just for that. A knight served the people even if he was also beholden to the king.

The king and his young sons. He sees how attention is suddenly moved towards the beautiful young man. Unlike the others though, that stare, his attention immediately goes to see if there is cause for concern. Always on guard for attack. The huge shield standing right at the door.

He looks away when the young man stands and continues to stay at his post until the young prince is nearer to the exit. Only then does Reinheart move. For a man so old and so large and clad so finely in the robes and flimsy armor of the palace guards, he still moves as if he's just left war behind. He moves not to bar the young man's escape but to get the door for him.

"My lord. I will see that dinner is brought to your room at a later time." he even bows low, not because he's a simpering toady but because he honestly believes in showing respect to the royalty he serves.

Ashley paused at the door, intrigued. He'd noticed the giant who guarded the room before, but his attention had never been caught enough to linger before.

Curious enough to forget his embarrassment, Ashley smiled slightly, tilting his head. The low bow brought the massive guard down to a more manageable level, and Ashley liked the rush of power it gave him, the respect from such a powerful being.

"Personally," he said. It was soft, not intended for the ears of the court, and had a lilt to it, so that it might have been a request, or a query. Or a command.

With an enigmatic smile on his lips, he tossed his head so that his long, perfumed hair whipped within an inch of the guard's bowed head, and then he sailed out through the door.

He returned to his room, curling up in the windowseat and opening a book on his lap, but the words failed to hold his attention. He was curious about that guard. The power of him. The obedience. The respect. Would he obey? Was he susceptible to temptation, to flirtation, to beauty?

The pages of the book were crisp beneath his restless hands as Ashley remembered the brief interaction, as insignificant as it was, and yearned for more.

He remained bowed properly even as the word was said. He remained that way even as hair sailed far too close to his face. He didn't flinch. He didn't move. He might as well have been a stone golem with how solid he was. He didn't return to standing until after the prince had swept away, leaving behind that sweet perfumed scent and lingered and teased him.

He has to wait though. His duty was to the nobility gathered. As much as he wanted to go, he had said later. Later it would have to be. Until much later in the evening than he would have liked. When he was finally was able to go, he wondered if perhaps it was too late. He should go back to guard's quarters and rest because for him morning duties come before the sun is even up. But he had promised and Reinhardt would never break a promise, even one offered abruptly.

He gathered bread and meat and wine. Paired it with succulent fruits and sweets and laid them all on a silver platter to carry to where the prince's chambers were. He could go there because he was a royal guard. Surely he was on duty, even if it was just carrying food.

He balances the tray on one large hand and carefully raps on the door with his other. Though he is careful, with his great strength, the door seems to jump a little with each knock. "My prince, as you requested. May I have your leave to enter or should I just leave your dinner outside the door for you?"

Ashley's heart leapt into his throat at the knock. It seemed to reverberate the entire room and leave him trembling with anticipation. Their interaction had been so brief, so inconsequential, and yet Ashley found that all of his attention now revolved around it.

Closing his book and setting it aside, Ashley crossed to the door with no great urgency. He opened it himself, leaning against the doorframe and studying the guardsman through his long red lashes. After a moment, he moved out of the way, leaving the door open and going to lounge upon a couch. There was a little table near the couch, where he expected the guard would set down the tray.

Everything about the old guardsman was massive. Ashley was intrigued about the inevitable musculature under the flimsy ceremonial armor. Old though he seemed to be, the power of him was undeniable. And enticing. Ashley's fingers itched to touch, to explore, but he didn't reach out. Anticipation was a delicious treat all on its own.

He didn't allow his eyes to linger, mostly aware of the guardsman through his peripheral vision, since he didn't want to show direct interest.

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