Giles had sent a letter out to Marie early this morning. There had been no court today or yesterday, and he hadn't been fortunate to cross paths with her the day before either. It had been three days since his eyes had fallen upon her light and when their time together might be only a fee days more, he was determined not to let chance determine the frequency of their encounters.

It was a simple invitation to a late lunch in a public location, Giles was still new to all this and uncertain whether a meeting behind closed doors where people could speculate, or a meeting in public where people could observe would be less acceptable, so he flipped a coin. The Mermaid Tavern won.

So he sat near the front door waiting to welcome his guest, should she deem to arrive, and ready to escort her to a private table near the back of the establishment.

You hear Bertha's happy greeting before you see her, Marie, framed by sunlight in the open doorway. Her hair is done up nicely, and as she steps into the dark of the inn you can tell that she is smiling.

"Giles!" She exclaims quietly. "It is lovely to see you!"

Giles hadn't been to the Mermaid often, but often enough to be familiar with the staff by name if not the intricacies of their lives. "The days without the light of your smile have been as dark as the coldest of Winter nights." He replies matching Marie's volume, as he beams with delight at her arrival.

"I know I promised you your space, but I couldn't abide another day without your grace." He gushes as he allows Bertha to guide them to their table.

"How kind, Mr. de Braose," she says, taking a seat. "Is your brother well? I saw that terrible blow that he took off the Earl of Chester."

"I spent most of last night watching over him." Giles explains as he pulls out the chair for Marie. "His wounds will cause him some discomfort, but he fared far better than Sir Castle did in the joust."

Giles let a smile creep upon his face. "I think this will be the last time he teases me for my delicate ways however. But how have your last few days been. I saw you were quite deservedly the center of attention at court a few days ago."

"The young seem to care for my stories a great deal." She smiles. "And they seem to be catching on among the higher nobility, now. I think I remind Eleanor of the trobaritz in Languedoc when she was a girl."

"Yes, yes we do." Giles replied with a chuckle. "A new generation to esteem your contributions, and the artist who created them. I must admit to not having heard of the trobaritz before however, perhaps a trip to familiarize myself with the style would be pleasant. That would partially explain why she is so fond of you and concerned of your welfare."

"Yes, I think so. She helped to bring the tradition into France from Spain, where these people were quite popular a few decades before she dwelt there. I just hope that my newfound fame doesn't make it more difficult to travel to the out-of-the-way places in the Isles. There are always more stories to collect."

"I imagine that anonymity is a simple enough task, unless one makes the effort to announce oneself, although if travelling in circles where the history of one's name is seen as a prerequisite to the assessment of one's character, that may be a little more difficult." Giles replies with a smile as he lays a small package on the table.

"I had hoped to provide a small token of my esteem today, one that I had spotted in the stalls of London town." Giles continues, his words coming a little faster as he gets a little more nervous. "But if you would prefer to add to your repertoire of tales, I do have a copy of Culhwch and Olwen in the original Welsh in my room that I was working on translating."

"I think perhaps a trip to your chambers might be a little too quick on the draw, Mr. de Braose, but I appreciate your gift. It is most thoughtful." She takes the package. "Would it be gauche to open it here?"

Files blushes bright red in embarrassment almost instantly. "I didn't...I mean...well I could bring it to you." He stammers, obviously tongue tied by his simple conversational defeat.

When her fingers close over the gift though, he regathers his senses. "I am not overly versed in the ritual for offering gifts, but if you wish it, I would take no offense."

If she does, Marie would see a small brooch of gold with blue aquamarines.

"Ritual? This is no church." She laughs. "You want me to have it, and now I do. Be happy for both of us! Now let's see." She opens it, her fingers running over the bands of stones.

"It...is really lovely, Giles. I hardly know what to say."

"You don't need to say or do anything. You are right the joy I get from seeing the sparkle in your eye and the curl of a smile in your lips is worth more than any number of words."

Giles looks relieved that Marie likes the gift, and his grin is as wide as ever.

"Although the world will be a poorer place if I have struck the great Marie tongue tied with such a small tribute."