Soon, breakfast was ready to be served, and Gwendolyn took her place beside Aldwin. Her eyes were bright as she waited for the cue to eat, and she seemed to radiate a happy energy. It was quite a stark contrast from Aldwin, who seemed so... drained. Gwendolyn made a mental note to ask the kitchen if she could make some herbal tea in there later. It might help poor Aldwin get some sleep.

-

MY IDEA FOR THIS is that gwen could knock on the door that is between their rooms that night mb? she will have some soothing tea, and mb they could have like,,,, an actual convo or smthn

idk, just an idea. if not, she could just give him tea and leave :))

Sounds fine to me))

~
Aldwin began to eat as per usual, and his guests soon followed. Chatter buzzed in the air and he thankfully wasn't really spoken to very much. It was a relief, because although he was pretty good at keeping a smile on, he couldn't hide the fatigue from his voice. So he smiled and spoke in short, though respectful, words. He couldn't wait for breakfast to be over so he could take a nap or something. Just a little shut eye would be such a big help.

Breakfast seemed to drag on forever for Gwendolyn, but in reality, it went by quite quickly. Once the meal was over, and people began to disperse, she turned to Aldwin with a radient smile, "My Lord, please try to rest, if possible. Also, as long as I still have your permission, may I be excused to go down to the stables?"

Once breakfast ended, and Aldwin had said goodbye to everyone he had to, Gwendolyn approached him. It was a very odd thing to think of her as his wife, he did not know her hardly at all, and definitely didn't love her. He hoped that one day he might, but he was much to busy to pay attention to her very much, and he regretted that a lot. He did not mean to ignore her, but he had no time to speak to her, he was always so busy.

"I plan on it my Lady, and of course you may. You can go whenever you want, I do not control you. I hope to see you there sometime soon, perhaps later today or something. For now, I must rest, but do have fun m'lady. The stable master should do anything for you that you need him to, and if he doesn't, please tell me, and I'll take care of it. He's a good man, but I don't think he's ever seen a woman truly ride, if you understand what I'm saying."

The stable master was a good man, but he had the same ideas about women that most men did. It disgusted Aldwin, but there was only so much he could do.

Gwendolyn hid her more mischievous smile from Aldwin. Perhaps he did not need to know she'd already visited the stables and had gained the Stablemasters respect, at least to some small degree, "Yes, My Lord, I thank you. I am sure I will be able to handle myself well enough," Gwendolyn curtsied to the King, and with a small wave, slipped out of the dining hall, thanking any maids who she crossed paths with, and requested to bring her compliments to the cooks.

....

After a fast stop by her room - she was getting the hang of the way from her room to the dining hall - and asking for directions down to the stable, Gwendolyn was walking into the stable. She had on her breaches and tunic, and was just finishing up braiding her long hair out of her face.

Aldwin smiled softly as Gwendolyn walked off, hopefully she would have a good time riding. He knew that he always did. A soft sigh escaped his lips as he ran a hand through his hair and returned to his room, where he changed into a robe and passed out on his bed, allowing exhaustion to overtake his conciousness.

ts??

To that night? So you can do your tea after dinner thing?

SHKDDHISDHD I COULD NOT KEEP A FLOW TO

SAVE MY LIFE I AM SO SORRY FOR THIS TRAINWRECK

////

Gwendolyn had been dirty after day-long ride. Mostly everyone was gone, save for the people who lived at the palace, so Gwendolyn figured she could spray some perfume and change clothes for dinner. She had arrived too late to bathe before dinner, so Gwendolyn didn't really have much of a choice.

After dinner, which went by quickly, Gwendolyn asked for water to be brought up for a bath.

Once she was finished, Gwendolyn on a soft robe, and pushed back her hair. A few minutes later, the herbal tea was ready, and Gwendolyn knocked on the door between her and Aldwin's room, "My Lord?... I have made some tea, if you would like

some."

Dinner was as exhausting as ever, and once it was over, Aldwin returned to his room, to his desk, where more paperwork lie. He was exhausted, wanting nothing more than just one good night's sleep. He was fighting sleep when the knock startled him, causing him to slip out of his chair and hit the floor with a dull thud. Aldwin sighed, quickly standing up, bones popping, as he readjusted his robe. He quickly opened the door, hoping that Gwendolyn wasn't going to ask him about children or something embarrassing like that. He didn't think she'd do that, but with his exhaustion, flying elephants were possible.

The offer of tea was a pleasant surprise, and a grim smile appeared on his worried face. "Ah, that would be wonderful My Lady." He didn't quite know if he was supposed to invite her in or something, he was confident in most things, but marriage was a subject he'd never really be good in.