Taking a walk in the forest [Open/Alexa?]

[Luquin Balin D'Aubigne]

Just yet a boring day in the castle. Luquin hadn't done much today. Just a bit of target practice with his bow, which he by the way had taken with him into the forest. He didn't knew why, he had just felt like bringing it with him.
Now what was he doing in the forest? Simple: he was just taking a walk, he have had nothing better to do that day. The day before he had been walking around in the courtyard, tomorrow he might walk down to look around the stables - he had only been there a few times.

Only a few other people were walking around on the many small tracks leading trough the huge forest. There was alot of tracks, but only few of them lead out on the other side.
The animal life was fantastic, squirrels, birds and a few foxes, that was just a bit of what Luquin had seen. Maybe a badger and some deers were to find aswell?
Loads of animals, but they weren't easy to talk to. He kept walking around in hope of meeting a person being right as bored as him. Or maybe just a person not being busy.

He took the bow of his shoulder, and sat down on a tree stump next to the track he had been walking at. He scouted into the western side of the forest. Not much light came into the deep western part, it was the oldest part. Huge and lots of trees shaded the ground from the sun.
A great place to tell scary stories about.

[Alexa Josephine Heighton]

Dress

Alexa had woken up that morning with a horrible sense of monotony on her mind. Things had just been so uneventful lately, and it was driving her positively mad. So she called her maid and dressed, ate barely any breakfast, and headed outside for some fresh air and quiet time. A few minutes later she had walked to the forest, staying only near the edge where she could see the castle. This was the rule she always had to follow - never ever go where you can not see the castle. If she did was out of bounds and breaking the guidelines that had been set before her by queen she served, Catherine of course, and that was never a good idea.

So Alexa walked along the edge of the woods, holding up the train of her skirt, wary of her surroundings, and taking in the sounds of the birds and the wind in the trees. Nice and proper. Like she was supposed to be. Like she was raised to be. You see, just because she was bored or simply had nothing to do and no one around to see her did not mean she was not supposed to keep up her polite decorum and attitude. That was something that had to follow her everywhere, because as her status in society rose steadily the more eyes were on her, and she could not embarrass herself nor especially the people she served.

A few moments later she spotted someone else slightly deeper in the forest than she was. She could see it was a man, not a hunter or a villager, but a man she vaguely recognized as a part of the court, a knight perhaps. Alexa was not intimidated as she had been slightly when she first spotted the person, but instead was glad to stumble upon someone she knew. In an attempt to catch his eye, she waved delicately at him, not stopping her walk, but glancing in his direction still.

[Luquin Balin D'Aubigne]

Luquin noticed a woman, who were not as deep into the forest as himself, coming towards him with a wave. She was nice dressed - probably of high rank. He stood up and waved back with a smile on his lips. He started walking towards her - he didn't want to be rude, just sitting there and wait for her to get to him.

He thought he had seen her before, in the castle, but he weren't quite sure. Maybe she had been walking around with the Ladies.
As he came closer, he couldn't avoid looking at her dress. She was surely a fine lady. Not what he used to see out there in the forest.

(Sorry, it's not really good - and sorry for me taking so long to reply!)

[Alexa Josephine Heighton]

Alexa approached the oddly familiar man and curtsied daintily, her eyes lowered nice and polite. He seemed, for some reason, to slightly recognize her as well. How very curious this was. She had not bargained on meeting anyone in the forest on her walk, let alone someone she had vaguely met before.

Alexa said, just boldly enough to get away with it, "Hello Sir, I had no expectations of coming across someone out here today." Alexa looked up at him, only her eyes raise. He was rather taller than she was, and even more familiar to her now that she saw him up close.

[Luquin Balin D'Aubigne]

He smiled gladly when she came to him. He was sure he had seen her before, now that he had seen her face up closer. "M'lady," he replied and bowed a little, "nor did I expect anyone. But I was wishing for it though. Now my wish came true," he finished.
Luquin liked making good first-impressions. Especially on the ladies, who most likely would spread the word that he was a nice gentleman.

He thought he had heard her name before, but he wasn't sure. Maybe his mind was just messing with him. Although that was a rare thing for him.
"I'm Luquin", he said.

[Alexa Josephine Heighton]

Returning his bow with a gentle curtsy, she replied in shyly, though she was not at all shy, "I'm flattered to hear that sir." Alexa smiled at him kindly, enjoying his demeanor and overall attitude. It was rare to find a man who was genuinely polite, and not just because of obligation. When he told her his name, she responded, "Luquin? What a lovely and original name! I am Alexa." She was really beginning to warm up to this man, he was so pleasant!

She shifted her balance a little, a bit overcome by the warming air that was causing her to heat up a little too much for comfort. Alexa continued the conversation though, she didn't want to stop at all. It was so interesting to meet someone new who was decent. "I hear there is a ball coming up? Are you planning to go?" Alexa, of course, was obligated to go, and she wanted too as well. She was not however, intending on going to sit in a corner all alone. That would be rather depressing, not to mention bad for her social standing.

[Luquin Balin D'Aubigne]

Luquin took a few steps back to pick up his composite bow and quiver, laying by the rock.
He hung the quiver over his shoulder, and the bow aswel.

Alexa. Yes, he had heard that somewhere.
She seemed like the began to like him already, that was good. He was glad he had made a good first impression. "Ah yes, the ball. I will go." He was glad that he had met Alexa, maybe they could go together - if she were going aswel of course. "How about you, are you going?" If they could go together, he wouldn't be alone as he usual was. The King had asked Luquin to watch his back though, so he wouldn't be able to spend the whole night dancing.


OOC: So sorry for the long wait - and my post is so short =[

[Alexa Josephine Heighton]

Alexa's heart flew out of her chest when she heard he was going, though she kept her posture and expression unchanging as she was taught. She knew when Luquin asked if she was to be attending he was only doing so for formalities and politeness sake, for all of the queens ladies were required to attend. She usually was the one who volunteered to stay at the Queen's side in case of Her Majesty's need of assistence, which she always preferred, for it meant she didn't have to exhaust herself dancing the whole time. Not that she didn't like to dance, she loved to dance, but the man of the castle were, well, very intimate with her for some reason. She replied to his question promptly and politely, still hoping for an invitation only he could give. "Oh yes, thank you, I will be attending." Alexa smiled at him, forcing herself to not be forward or begging, for it would atrociously tasteless. Thoughts ran through her head about that night, what would she wear, how long would she stay, oh if he didn't ask her she'd just absolutely die...

[Luquin Balin D'Aubigne]

Wonderful! She was going as well. Luquin thought for a few seconds if he would invite her. He was affraid that she might say no, or she had already been invited by some another man, of higher of rank, for this lady knew of rankings, and she was in the higher end - Luquin could with ease tell that. Not much brain would be needed to do that.
He had made his choice, he would ask her to go come along with him. He needed to be social, making people think
that he was a simple knight. But he was no simple knight, but only he, the King and the Queen knew of that. Anyways, the ball would be a great start to begin showing his face.
Would you maybe care to come along with me, to the ball, Alexa?
He asked with a smile on his lips. In his mind, he crossed his fingers for that she would come along.

[Alexa Josephine Heighton]

Alexa couldn't help but to flash a huge excited grin across her face when he asked her to the ball, but she, being who she was, immediately allowed it to fizzle into a blushing little smile very quickly. She had to be humble and ladylike, and that meant showing as little proper emotion as possible, according to the Queen. But she really couldn't help herself right now, she was just so excited! But she managed to spit out some words that were gentle and calm, just so she didn't seem silly and childish. That was certainly no the attitude she wished to portray at the moment. "I would very much, Luquin, thank you," she said, letting her eyes lower in a very ladylike manner. But then a question popped into her head, and she asked it. "But I do not think, Luquin, that it would be very approved of if someone were to here me calling you "Luquin" or you calling myself "Alexa." Though I do not mind it may be a bit... unmannerly?" She glanced up at him again, a tiny smile flashing across her face, her eyes sparkling. Alexa was really beginning to like this man, he was so... tantalizing, if that didn't seem to foolish a discription. But really, she was quite drawn to him.