It says much about Melanie that this is something she considers a major event in her life.
Not long ago, Captain Sir Ricarre Conterie dipped into his savings to buy a huge bouquet of flowers, a few bottles of good Anguirle wine, and passage via the rainbow gate to Mirror Point to surprise Melanie. Melanie was out hunting, but the castle staff recognized the token she had given him and granted him hospitality. In a doomed but valiant attempt to ward off the onrushing disaster, the staff attempted to keep Ricarre busy settling himself in and touring the castle until someone could warn Melanie, but he insisted on going out to find her himself, despite all warnings about the rough terrain and dangerous wildlife.
Unfortuantely, what Melanie had gone out hunting was Master Molcayre, and Ricarre arrived just the wrong length of time after she caught him. An entirely predictable scene ensued, culminating in a fistfight that Melanie had to break up by main force to save Ricarre's skin. Ricarre retreated to Quin' Roi in a cloud of injured male pride, and Melanie fled to the Silver City to avoid having Molcayre be stoic and understanding at her.
Despite what Ricarre is currently saying about her, Melanie does not really bed down with every man who catches her eye. It's just that she is a very kind and generous person who enjoys giving people things that make them happy, and if a man, having caught her eye, makes it clear that what would make him happy is her, then kindness and vanity add their weight to desire and, more often than not, nature takes its course. Although these men often become very attached to her, Melanie has not found anyone for whom she feels more than kindness, vanity, and desire, and refuses to marry until she does, no matter how much her advisors implore her to make an advantageous marriage and produce an heir.
For an opposing view, we quote Sir Ricarre, who is currently cruelly abusing a perfectly good Vincalian pear brandy and muttering things like "I've known Herring Street whores could keep their legs together more!".
This file was last modified at 1457 on 27Apr99.