A Noble arrangement....

Seraphina rises, eyes red rimmed from absent sleep.

Dawning day begins with   monstrous effort

Feet on cold stone floor feeling for warm comfort…

Laid before her ruby,red silken gown..

and in honour of proceedings soon

the edgings trimmed with rusty red fox .

Undergarment, chemise and hose in close proximity,

all newly woven and sewn.

Abandoned on the floor… her ‘poppet’

So belov’d since babyhood…..

But now a brutish reminder of her changing status.

Brushing burning tears, she washes in the scented water,

Her maids scurrying, flustering, blustering..

Leather and velvet shoes buckles gleaming.

Her thoughts stray to yesterday…

a lifetime, almost years, away.

Sun glinting on the tumbling stream

where grass stained feet would skim the shiny stones;

and the cool waters would soothe her soul.

‘Poppet’ always in tow and held to her breast as though

Never to be let go.

But let go she must,for today she fulfils her parents bond.

Dowry paid, nobleman chosen.

Told his name is Gorvenal…my Lord Gorvenal..

A memory stirs somewhere in the dim beyond

of when she was small the sight of a noble of the name

Thrusting his lance at the Quintain,

and when all went well he roared with  savage delight but when

he failed the target his squire  would feel his might.

She felt fear  even then and turned her head away..

Now she must show forever allegiance to this man today.

Alone she faces a future unknown,a contract drawn between two friends

Her mind still not  yet fully grown, today she knows her childhood ends.