Cheshire Cat grin on Her Majesty.

And here's the scroll and medallion! (see, I told you it was shiny.)

Congratulations to the Falcon Heirs, Ostwald von Riesetoten and Kaye of Gordon!

Finals were Ostwald and Anton, best two out of three in greatsword, polearm, and sword and shield.

Semifinals were Anton vs. Thorbjorn and Valens vs. Ostwald. Both Thorbjorn and Ostwald had to win twice in order to advance.

Remind me to never flip off a comment that could actually give someone a bad idea.

This is why.

(10:37:51 AM) zephyrofgod: Just as long as the baronies don't fight over who gets me, I'm fine. :P
(10:41:26 AM) zephyrofgod: But anyway.
(10:42:33 AM) Cathus: Last I heard they were going to do a double-elim tourney among the baronial champions to decide who gets you. I know there was some discussion about allowing the shires and colleges to "hire" champions as well.
(10:43:14 AM) Cathus: TRMs champions are not allowed to participate, because they already have you
(10:43:56 AM) zephyrofgod: ...ow.
(10:44:11 AM) zephyrofgod: That hurts my head.
( tourney-planning for dummies )
(10:55:31 AM) Cathus: The tourney for snort-inducement of Constantia
(10:55:49 AM) zephyrofgod: And you know, every damn person who knows me would be lined up to compete.

No more will I travel, No more will I roam.
No more will I wander on salty sea foam." - Leaving Song, Andrixos Seljukroctonis

Home is a wonderful place, and I felt at home with this event. Thank you, Vatavia.

One. I know too many big words. But not as many as baronnemelisend.

Two. Valor was amazing. And I am so happy I got to go.

( and away we go! )

In short, amazing, awesome, and incredible.

And so I can mention everyone I saw and hung out with (so no one feels hurt), I'm listing them. Ha. Ha ha ha ha.

In alphabetical order: ( my silly bit of silliness ) Phew.

Yes, technically, I've posted this already. But, after this weekend and a conversation that newcastleepl, ermenrich, and I had, some things got fleshed out.

"Let's say that today, in Court, someone begged a Boon to elevate you to any one of the three Peerage orders...what would you want for your Peerage ceremony?

Who would you have speak for you? Present the regalia? What about the vigil? Ceremony style?"

Okay. I'm not going to plan too much more of what I'd want, mostly because I am too easily changeable. But, after talking with newcastleepl and ermenrich about who we would have to speak for us, if, by some weird fluke we had been announced for the Peerage today, who would we have speak for us. Of course, this is totally up for change. I don't expect to get a Peerage for a while, nor do I look for the recognition. I want to learn more, have fun, love lots, and look good while I do it.

So, here goes.

Chivalry: Baron Sir Duncan Fearmach, HE Sir Erich Hlodowechssun fon Hocheichhallu or Conde Fernando Rodriguez de Falcon
Laurel: (One of my hard ones!) Mistress Fionnuala, HE Sir Erich Hlodowechssun fon Hocheichhallu or Mistress Tsire.
Pelican: HE Elasait or Cts Lyriel. All righty. Considering I live on the other side of the state, there's a ton of B3R folks here. Goodness.
Royal Peer: Cts Elspeth of Stonehaven, Cts Isabeau, or HG Hywela.
Populace: (The other hard one for me!) Ewen Macleary, Ermenrich von Duisburg, Cathus the Curious, Rhodri ap Hywel or HE Mirabel Wynne.

...I know too many people. This could be a problem.

It's a start. And I know I won't ever get to a point where I have everything figured out. I know me too well. And seriously, I know this is a long way off. I've learned very quickly that expecting stuff, even if you feel you deserve it, just leads to broken-heartedness and eventually hard-heartedness down the line, and I don't want that from something I love too much.

(Compagnia homework from Jib. I'm just now getting around to it. Feel free to comment. It helps the brain think things through.)

---

[[Since I'm the only guy on the list...I can say Queen... ;) ]]

Sooo ladies...here's a little homework for you...to be completed between now and the time that you really do become Queen. *heh*

Read through the West Kingdom Royalty Handbook: http://www.westkingdom.org/files/RoyaltyHandbookRev9.PDF

I'd like to hear your thoughts on what you would do if you were Queen. I'd like to hear ideas of what you'd want for largesse, what style of scrolls you'd want, etc. etc. ad nauseum. This is basically a chance for you to put on the fantasy hat and think about everything that you would want or need to be Queen.

I'd like this to be an open discussion for you to contemplate things and ponder what it would mean to be Queen.

Until the next time,
Jibra'il.

---

I figured I better get around to it.

I think a lot would depend on who my King was. I'm all for the Byzantine Coronation in purple and gold (yeah, that's pretty damn nifty), but I'm all for bringing in influences from his persona's culture, especially if it's one that would have had contact with the Byzantines.

I've been joking about making my reign a full family affair with the Compagnia, but honestly, I'd seek out dependable, organised people to do their jobs. I'm keen to have my Chamberlain and Herald to be close, but distant enough to keep themselves occupied properly. Possibly even people who had done the job before, and had done it well.

I'd style myself as Queen in the proper Greek way: Basilissa.

As for tokens, I'd love etched beads or even pewter coins. If I could wrangle some kind of small pectoral pendant with an angel* on it...yeah, I'd be one super-happy camper. Hell, even little pewter or brass repoussé angel pins or pendants done in the style of an icon would make me super, super happy.

Largesse is hard for me to figure out, as I'm one of those pragmatic people when it comes to gift-giving a large amount of the time. I'd love to be able to give things that the reigning monarchs of kingdoms could get great use out of (the stationery idea is awesome!), but I also want to make sure that it's also going to be able to get several uses out of it. I might have to come back to this.

Scrolls would be partially dependent on my King. I love C&I, and I love the idea of an early period scroll and an later period scroll, depending, of course, on how late later period is.

I'm not sure who I'd have make my county coronet. TE Jane and Angelo have amazing coronets, but I'm far too rough and tumble, I think, to handle the nice pretties for long. I love TG Valens and Susannah's leather coronets, and that's something I could handle. (Maybe, eventually, one of each?) Then again, Drachenstein Treasures does amazing work, and I might be convinced to not be quite so rough and tumble for one. For a metal one, I'd be happy to see lapis or amethyst or even moonstones on it, maybe with angel wings around the brim.

Stepping down, I would style myself again in Greek: Komitissa.

As for stepping down, I think it'd be cool to see the individual devices of the outgoing King and Queen. I'd also adore having a heraldic surcote for that occasion, even if it is just -slightly- out of period for me. Or at least, something to change into afterward. (No, I'm not a garb whore. Really.)

I think that's all I've figured out. A lot of it's up in the air, I know, but I'm more apt to not stand out too much, especially in the role of Queen. It's a partnership, as far as I see it.

-Constantia

*per device acceptance. Yes, I'm thinking about an angel on my device. It's my own little way to cant the crap out of it, given my name ("Constantly of good character"). Angels also show up a ton in Byzantine artwork. (Yes, I went to Einarr's class on heraldry for non-heraldic cultures. Fascinating stuff. God, I'm such a herald.)

Jib is a great Brother.

He even gave me a new nickname.

Lady Brat-child.

You can now return to your regularly scheduled evening. Day. Whatever.

According to Jib, I never do anything half-assed.

I got apprenticed this weekend. This is true.

However, I was also awarded my AoA, which means you can call me Kuria Constantia Kaloethes now.

The funny thing is I was in Morning Court, and after the mesnies had processed in, my name was called first. My mind, in about fifteen seconds, went through the following: "Hey, that name sounds familiar. They even pronounced it right...holy CRAP. That's me!" I looked over at newcastleepl, told him he was in big trouble, and went down to kneel in front of Their Majesties. Her Majesty told me that it was hard to track me down (which is true. I don't do events often, nor do I really do stuff with a local group. I -am- my local group), and that I could be seen serving, doing work with the artisans, and being joyful and exuberant.

His Majesty handed me my scroll and made a comment about how distinctive my laugh is and nearly made me snort in Court. I wagged my finger at him for that.

I'll write more about this amazing weekend later. I'm sleep deprived, probably need a shower, and a little hungry, but I'm glad to be home. Where there's a flush toilet. :P

Waking up early on the day of the event (after getting there at ten or so the previous night), I helped Cathus and Rowan with getting things packed up, then got in garb, helped summersdream and spikedearheart into garb and accessorised and all and then we headed to site. Site... *sigh* That site was gorgeous. Won't lie. Beautiful church in downtown St. Louis. There, we found that the church had been transformed into a small medieval village (of sorts), complete with merchants of all kinds, music, and activity of all kinds. I scouted out the location (I do this most places I go if I can. It means I don't get lost as badly), and found out where everything was, from fighting, to A&S, and even the classroom I was to teach in for the first dace class of the day...immediately after morning Court.

Speaking of morning Court, HG Alethea made a presentation on the new vigil box and items...and then asked a boon of Their Majesties, Luther and Maerwynn, to make HE Honoree (who was Onora) a Pelican, putting her on vigil immediately after court. I was excited, and honestly, she deserves it. The amount of work and service she's given to this kingdom is incredible.

Afterward, I taught my dance class with Lady Hanne. I was only able to teach one dance: Rufty Tufty, which I suppose I was all right with, but I do wish I was slightly better prepared for teaching (caffeine!). I know it wasn't my best job, and I need to bear in mind how to better communicate the steps and do it in a faster time frame. I did take some of Azenari's ball prep class, thn went to go exploring.

I was a girl with big jugs as I bore water on the fields, and helped with Troll a bit, though much of it was being teased or teasing ruaidhriprime and ld_hrothgar.

After that, I went to go check up on summersdream and spikedearheart, and med up with some gentles from Crescent Moon: Simon, Phoenix, and Jacquette. All of us socialised a bit, and then I remembered I had business to attend to. I found purplellamaboi, gave him stuff I had found him, and dealt with business that day (eh. I'm a Byzantine merchant persona. Everything is business!), so got that done and spent a large portion of the time before Court hanging out with Phoenix and huscarl105 and summersdream and spikedearheart.

About this time, we were told by some other young adult Calontiri that were were "rabble-rousers" and that we needed to go sit in the balcony with everyone else. Yes, we made lots of comments during Court. It was bad.

Evening Court was loooooooong. But it happens. turnberryknkn was made a Calon Golden Swan, cantigajoy was made a Baroness (and you should see that coronet. It's amazing!), and HE Honoree was made a Pelican.

After this, we didn't go to feast, but rather Schafly's Tap Room. And waited. And waited. And waited. And freaked people out. It was GREAT! (I dig the whole garb thing.) Some people even took photos with other patrons. Had the wait not been so long, and Court not been as long as it was, we would have danced. But the Ball was cancelled (it happens), and so we headed to post-revel. I mostly sat with Phoenix, and watched others do silly drunk things, though I confess that there were things that I did that added to that general sense of Calontiri mayhem.

I love my kingdom and I love to see my SCA family when I am able to be with them.

And wow, this ended up being much longer than I thought!

-C