Author's note: I've decided to have this story take place 400 years
after the characters in Tamora Pierce's books lived. It still takes place
in Tortall, but most of the fiefs names have been changed. Enjoy, and
please review!
Heiress
Unexpected Visitors
Lady Vanessa of Forrester and Gwenllian sat at her window, staring at the clear blue sky, and remembering the events of the past week. The death of her elder brother, Lord Cerin of Forrester, had sent her life spinning out of control. She had gone, in one short week, from being the unmarried younger sister of Tortall's most prominent nobleman to the extremely wealthy and important Heiress of Fiefs Forrester and Gwenllian. Her combined inheritance of two of Tortall's largest fiefs made her the wealthiest landholder in the country. Not only that, but she was unmarried, which left her at an extreme disadvantage. Tortall was man's world. It had been almost four hundred years since the famed Lady Champion Alanna of Pirate's Swoop and Barony Olau, and Lady Knight Keladry of Mindelan had lived. Tortall was, once again, a country governed by men. For most of her childhood, Vanessa dreamed of being a Lady Knight, the first since Sir Keladry had passed the ordeal three hundred and eighty four years ago. When her head wasn't buried in a history book, reading about the adventures of Alanna, Keladry, and Daine the Wildmage, Vanessa went on adventures of imagination, where she defended Tortall against Carthaki and Scanran invaders, fought off Spidrens and Stormwings, and was named King's Champion.
On her tenth birthday, Vanessa's mother, Lady Aravis of Gwenllian, anounced to her daughter that she was sending her to the City of the God's, to learn manners and deportment from the Priestesses of the Great Mother Goddess. Vanessa pleaded to be sent instead to the palace in Corus, to become a knight, but her mother, with her father's support, forbade it. Vanessa spent five years at the convent, and returned home only twice, the first time being when her mother died, leaving Gwenllian to her, the second a year later, when her father, Lord Cedric of Forrester, died, leaving Forrester and Vanessa in the care of her newly knighted brother, Cerin. She left the convent permanently two months past her sixteenth birthday, little over a month ago.
Vanessa sighed, looking down at her lap, where her hands rested, elegantly placed one on top of the other, not moving at all. Lady's hands, Vanessa thought wryly, I guess five years worth of 'Lady Vanessa, do sit still and stop twitching!' actually did some good. She looked past her hands to her gown, made of finest cotton, a deep mourning violet, with silvery grey sleeves and trim. She reached up and touched her grey veil, the symbol of mourning. Vanessa grimaced, remembering the message she had received only five days ago. She had been visiting her manor at fief Gwenllian, enjoying tea with some of her handmaidens, when the squire, out of breath and on an exhausted horse, rushed in bearing the news that her brother had been gravely wounded in a hunting accident, and she must go to him at once.
Vanessa felt tears stinging her eyes at the memory of wounded Cerin lying on his deathbed. Vanessa had barely known her brother, due to the fact that she was only four years old when he was sent to the palace to become a knight. Even so, he had been nothing but kind to her after their father's death, not forcing marriage upon her, and helping her to govern Gwenllian, her birthright, well. He had been trying to find a suitable husband for her, one that she would like, and who would be kind to her, as well as a man who would not abuse his rights as her husband and let her govern Gwenllian as her own. His last breath had been spent warning her to be cautious, to choose the man she felt was right and not let herself be pushed into marriage by the other noblemen. Vanessa, although she was only sixteen, realized that with her brother leaving her with Forrester, and her mother leaving her Gwenllian, she had the most vast holdings of any vassal in Tortall.
A knock at the door sent Vanessa's thoughts spiraling from the past to the present. She sat up, subconsciously straightening her veil and crossing her ankles.
"Come in," she called, wondering who could be knocking at half past three in the afternoon. Becca, Vanessa's handmaiden, entered, dressed in mourning grey, followed by a well dressed woman in a dark blue gown and a handsome young man dressed very finely in emerald green.
"Milady," Becca dropped into a deep curtsy. "May I present Baroness Mildred of Riversedge and His Royal Highness Prince Jordan." Vanessa rose to her feet immediately and dropped a curtsy to the Baroness before turning to the Prince and elegantly sinking into the most respectful curtsy she could remember from the Priestess' teaching. As she rose, Jordan reached for her hand, and bowing over it, gallantly swept his lips across the back of it, before rising and giving her a charming smile. Vanessa felt a flush rise in her cheeks as she smiled coyly back, before remembering her manners and inviting both of them to sit down and sending Becca for tea.
Heiress
Unexpected Visitors
Lady Vanessa of Forrester and Gwenllian sat at her window, staring at the clear blue sky, and remembering the events of the past week. The death of her elder brother, Lord Cerin of Forrester, had sent her life spinning out of control. She had gone, in one short week, from being the unmarried younger sister of Tortall's most prominent nobleman to the extremely wealthy and important Heiress of Fiefs Forrester and Gwenllian. Her combined inheritance of two of Tortall's largest fiefs made her the wealthiest landholder in the country. Not only that, but she was unmarried, which left her at an extreme disadvantage. Tortall was man's world. It had been almost four hundred years since the famed Lady Champion Alanna of Pirate's Swoop and Barony Olau, and Lady Knight Keladry of Mindelan had lived. Tortall was, once again, a country governed by men. For most of her childhood, Vanessa dreamed of being a Lady Knight, the first since Sir Keladry had passed the ordeal three hundred and eighty four years ago. When her head wasn't buried in a history book, reading about the adventures of Alanna, Keladry, and Daine the Wildmage, Vanessa went on adventures of imagination, where she defended Tortall against Carthaki and Scanran invaders, fought off Spidrens and Stormwings, and was named King's Champion.
On her tenth birthday, Vanessa's mother, Lady Aravis of Gwenllian, anounced to her daughter that she was sending her to the City of the God's, to learn manners and deportment from the Priestesses of the Great Mother Goddess. Vanessa pleaded to be sent instead to the palace in Corus, to become a knight, but her mother, with her father's support, forbade it. Vanessa spent five years at the convent, and returned home only twice, the first time being when her mother died, leaving Gwenllian to her, the second a year later, when her father, Lord Cedric of Forrester, died, leaving Forrester and Vanessa in the care of her newly knighted brother, Cerin. She left the convent permanently two months past her sixteenth birthday, little over a month ago.
Vanessa sighed, looking down at her lap, where her hands rested, elegantly placed one on top of the other, not moving at all. Lady's hands, Vanessa thought wryly, I guess five years worth of 'Lady Vanessa, do sit still and stop twitching!' actually did some good. She looked past her hands to her gown, made of finest cotton, a deep mourning violet, with silvery grey sleeves and trim. She reached up and touched her grey veil, the symbol of mourning. Vanessa grimaced, remembering the message she had received only five days ago. She had been visiting her manor at fief Gwenllian, enjoying tea with some of her handmaidens, when the squire, out of breath and on an exhausted horse, rushed in bearing the news that her brother had been gravely wounded in a hunting accident, and she must go to him at once.
Vanessa felt tears stinging her eyes at the memory of wounded Cerin lying on his deathbed. Vanessa had barely known her brother, due to the fact that she was only four years old when he was sent to the palace to become a knight. Even so, he had been nothing but kind to her after their father's death, not forcing marriage upon her, and helping her to govern Gwenllian, her birthright, well. He had been trying to find a suitable husband for her, one that she would like, and who would be kind to her, as well as a man who would not abuse his rights as her husband and let her govern Gwenllian as her own. His last breath had been spent warning her to be cautious, to choose the man she felt was right and not let herself be pushed into marriage by the other noblemen. Vanessa, although she was only sixteen, realized that with her brother leaving her with Forrester, and her mother leaving her Gwenllian, she had the most vast holdings of any vassal in Tortall.
A knock at the door sent Vanessa's thoughts spiraling from the past to the present. She sat up, subconsciously straightening her veil and crossing her ankles.
"Come in," she called, wondering who could be knocking at half past three in the afternoon. Becca, Vanessa's handmaiden, entered, dressed in mourning grey, followed by a well dressed woman in a dark blue gown and a handsome young man dressed very finely in emerald green.
"Milady," Becca dropped into a deep curtsy. "May I present Baroness Mildred of Riversedge and His Royal Highness Prince Jordan." Vanessa rose to her feet immediately and dropped a curtsy to the Baroness before turning to the Prince and elegantly sinking into the most respectful curtsy she could remember from the Priestess' teaching. As she rose, Jordan reached for her hand, and bowing over it, gallantly swept his lips across the back of it, before rising and giving her a charming smile. Vanessa felt a flush rise in her cheeks as she smiled coyly back, before remembering her manners and inviting both of them to sit down and sending Becca for tea.