Pauline De Lucy had life figured out she was an elegant refined woman of 25 beautiful and well established in her career her family was well to do, owning half of the farmland bordering Redmont Fief. The family had just inherited this from her grandfather and she had taken to the area quite well though she was still getting to know the regulars and the hierarchy. Her parents were quite proud of her achievements,... well all but one as of yet Pauline was unmarried and that just wouldn't do. Her parents had brought before her an ample amount of suitors and she had turned them all away distastefully. She was an independent woman she had no need nor time for a man in her life, much less one who would make her settle down and bear him a small flock of children. But the more suitors she turned away the more adamant they became it finally reached it's peak one night during a dinner preceding the harvest festival. The family sat together at the long solid wooden table eating quite the exceptional dinner.

Pauline entered the room "sorry I am late it took me a little longer to meet with the Baron than I anticipated" she quickly hurried to her place near her mother and settled gracefully into her seat "you have really out done yourselves, this is quite the meal."

"We are celebrating my dear daughter" her father said raising his wine glass to which her mother and aunt eagerly followed.

"Celebrating? The festival is tomorrow" Pauline said confused.

"Not the harvest festival dear" her mother said softly.

"Your betrothal!" her aunt said quickly unable to keep her mouth shut any longer being the bicker pot she was.

Pauline froze mid sip and her glass hanging in mid air in her hand "betrothal? to whom?!"

"One of 4 very fine men of Redmont Fief" her mother stated.

"I do not wish to marry anyone much less some suitor" Pauline said distastefully.

Pauline's aunt tutted "such a silly girl marriage can bring you many things think of the status boost for your house."

"I don't care for status" Pauline said plainly.

"Of course not you are being quite selfish they are fine men and you aren't getting any younger" her aunt said turning her nose up.

"Then why haven't you wedded them" Pauline said testily.

"Enough!" her father said setting his heavy cup down "Pauline you have turned away every suitor who has come here seeking your hand and we have tolerated it till now. You will chose one of these men at the harvest festival and you will wed him or we will choose for you. Now let that be the end of it" he said.

"We are only trying to do what is best for you, dear" he mother said softly.

"May I be excused" Pauline said scooting out her chair from the table.

Her mother nodded and she quickly left the table and moved swiftly to her room. She settled on her bed quietly light tears falling from her eyes. A short while later there was a soft knock at the door. Pauline quickly wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Yes? Come in" she said.

The door creaked open softly and a young maid walked in with a small tray "some tea and biscuits my lady? I hear you have had a rough night."

"Oh yes Gretchen thank you, would you join me?" she said softly she didn't like placing herself above the help she saw no point they were all people.

"Yes my lady if you would like" she set the tray down and closed the door behind herself.

Gretchen poured the tea and added sugar serving Pauline first "I heard you are to be betrothed. That is exciting" she said with a smile.

Pauline looked down at her tea "I supposed it should be."

"My lady does not wish to be married?" Gretchen asked.

"It is not that I do not wish to marry... I just suppose I wish to marry for love and happiness not necessity" Pauline said shaking her head taking a sip of her tea.

"That's romantic" Gretchen said with I smile "I married my Thomas for love, he's a good man he works hard and provides for us as best he can."

Pauline smiled "you are lucky then Gretchen you have what so many never find. Who knows what these men are like they could be deplorable."

Gretchen's face shifted to her tea and she avoided eye contact. Pauline caught this immediately she had sad through plenty of negotiations with people who knew more than they would admit.

"Do you know who they are, Gretchen?" she asked setting the cup down.

"I promised not to tell, my lady" she said.

"I am going to have to spend the rest of my life with one of these men Gretchen at least do me the favor of telling me who they are and what you know of them" Pauline pleaded gripping the girls hand.

Gretchen studied her face and nodded "alright then" she set her cup down "there is Sir Rodney he is the battle master of the fief he is a larger fellow quite loud and boisterous but kind and loyal, there is Sir Nigel the scribe master he is a quiet bookish man not overly social tends to keep to his studies and is slightly awkward and studious, Master Chubb is the kitchen master he is a slightly round man and quite abrupt but I have heard he is quiet the master of his skill."

Pauline seemed appalled by the options she had been given not because the men where bad but because she did not have the slightest romantic spark for any of them though they had all been kind and gentile to her they were people she hoped to befriend not marry "but wait that is only 3 who is the fourth?" she asked quickly.

"I do not know much about him, the fourth is the Ranger Halt he is quiet and a little gruff, keeps to himself mostly... most of the village folk think he is some sort of sorcerer albeit a hero" Gretchen said.

"I have seen him once I don't think I've ever heard him speak" Pauline said "I suppose I have a lot to think over before tomorrow."

Gretchen stood and collected the tray "best of luck tomorrow my lady" she said then bowed out of the room.

Pauline lay in her bed awake till the moonlight shown brightly thinking over the list and descriptions that Gretchen had given her trying to picture herself married to each of them in turn and wondering how it must have been for them to be asked to be a suitor for her hand. She imagined three of those men taking it quite well but one person caught in her mind. Halt. She wondered what he was really like he had been polite to her though silent he had a more rugged handsomeness to him but the real question that was on her mind was why was he on the list in the first place.