#bergen_county

"Well, I mean...okay, I helped. I caught a glimpse, then fed him some glamour. Right of rescue, right?"

"So, anyway...sorry, Nadeen, when did you say your saining is? Are you doing it here?"

"November 8th soon" (OOC Subject to change ) "Very soon. " A breath

"Oh, wow. That is soon. So...what are you going to ask for?"

"It will be at Caer Falken"

"And.. I don't know... perhaps a dowry"

Sylvi nods. "Smart. I mean... you know, you're sidhe. It makes sense to go to the Count for your boon."

"A dowry?"

"A...dowry?" Sylvi looks surprised.

"Isn't that, like, for weddings?"

"So I am a better marriage prospect, yes."

Adam goggles at her slightly. "Marriage?!?"

Sylvi binks at her. "Um. Wow."

"A political marriage"

"What?"

"Nadeen. I...." Sylvi pauses. "Is that what you want?"

"Really, Adam. You make so much of knights and nobles.. surely you realize the sacrifice that comes with the title?"

"Yeah, of course, but... marriage??"

"My House needs to advance. I have no proper dowry. I do not even have a knight. When my father returns, if he has not already, I will need to advance his agenda. Some other nobles have shown interest in me. I must put myself on the block."

"Whoa, wait...what other nobles have 'shown interest'? I mean...the way you say it sounds creepy."

"I feel like I missed something."

"Oh, don't villify them, Sylvia, I'm as culpable as they... there's a Baron in Feathered Serpent who has beach front property. Perhaps Siv could visit and bring Dagmar? or z.. well who knows"

Sylvi turns to Adam. "She's talking about herself like she's only valuable for marriage, which is just awful, but maybe it's the way sidhe do things, I don't know."

"But whatever it is, you don't sound happy about it at all, Nadeen, and that's not okay."

"I'm not happy regardless, Sylvi." A sigh "I thought you at least would understand. The Chieftain cannot afford to keep a fully sained Sidhe Baroness here. It would alarm her subjects. "

"Yeah, I get that Sylvi, I just don't see why she doesn't do something else to help her father."

"Right?" she agrees with Adam, and then looks to Nadeen. "Sure, okay, if you're a baroness, then that might get tricky, but maybe...maybe you could ask for the boon of a quest to gain your own barony? Not through marriage, but because...because you kick ass on your own?"

"Yeah." Adam agrees.

"And where in all of Bergen would I carve out a barony? " indelicate snort

"Shall I war with Teaneck? Seize the bale at Hackensack?"

"Well, I don't know! I mean...maybe...not here...but maybe he knows somewhere...?" Clearly grasping at straws.

"I mean, you already said you're willing to move to Feathered Serpent."

"Well, wait, what does your dad need?"

"A place, power, influence, these are things. any noble might need if they do not have it."

Sylvi puts her hands on her hips. "Well, let him get them himself!" Angry on Nadeen's behalf.

"And Sylvi, if the Count knew of a hold for the taking, he'd mention it to a fellow Gwydion. Or at least a Seelie House's member"

Nadeen sighs "it was a mistake to mention this to you. None of you could understand. Even Dagmar woudln't understand and she has been my.. even she would not understand"

"It's not a mistake. I just..." A frustrated sigh. "There's gotta be a way."

"I'm just saying, why not get those things with, like, questing or earning them somehow instead of marrying for them? Don't you want to love the guy?"

Dagmar is walking home, wearing horse-gear. Between school, sports, Star & Stormwake, she's had little time for leisure.

"Love is a weakness I can ill afford" Then she sees Dagmar

"Hey! Dagmar!" Sylvi waves her over.

Adam looks at Nadeen like she's grown a second head.

A pause as she looks up, then a little smile. "Hey."

"How ... how are the horses?" Nadeen says

Adam looks over (and up as needed) and grins. "Hey Dagmar...." He approaches as she heads over, taking her hand.

"Stormwake is still a bit tetchy about the mane, but I think it's growing back."

"Hey Adam." She bites on her lip when he takes her hand.

"Vain stallion. Star is certainly fussing over him though last I saw?"

"Yeah. Not that she'd admit it. They're both proud and stubborn."