9 Planning

"Well," Jason mimicked with a soft laugh, "I never thought the day would come where I would be helping my sister court men," he said, now laughing louder as he leaned back into the couch with his glass of red wine.

Maria covered her face and groaned with a laugh before she clapped her hands onto her lap and asked, "Where do we even start?"

"With some wine for you," he chuckled as he got up to pour his sister a glass of her favorite white wine.

He walked back over to the couch she was sitting on and handed her the full glass before he sat back down on the couch across from her with his glass.

She took the biggest sip of wine she could hold, and looked up at the ceiling before she swallowed.

After she was satisfied, she placed the glass down and looked back towards her brother, eager for him to say something.

"I think we should start with Henri," Jason said, knowing she was waiting, "he seems to be the friendliest and he will probably keep you at ease".

She nodded her head because she knew that he had a point, and asked her brother what activity he thought they should do together.

Jason suggested a walk through the gardens because it was simple enough that Maria could really focus on her time with Henri without worrying about anything else.

Maria decided to agree with her brother because she knew that he probably knew best since he had been on plenty of dates himself.

After the first date, planned for later this afternoon was set, Maria wrote a note on some parchment that was to be an invitation for the suitor.

"Henri, I would like to invite you for a stroll through our lovely gardens at three this afternoon. I will meet you at your room at that time. My best, Maria," she signed before she handed it off to be delivered by the guard named George who had been ordered by the King to follow Maria around while the suitors were staying with them.

"One down, four to go," said Jason after George had walked away.

It did not take long for the siblings to plan four more dates that would take place in and around the palace over the next couple of days.

Since Jason was so well traveled, he happened to know a lot about the five princes, even with having met them each for the first time just last night, because they were all popular among the locals in their prospective kingdoms.

The second date was reserved for Prince Rafael of Spain, who loved to dance more than he loved anything else.

Maria was nervous for a date that seemed so intimate, but her brother assured her that dancing was just a part of his culture, and that it would probably be the best way to get to know him.

Date three was for Julien, and Jason was surprised when Maria said she knew exactly what their date should be.

She decided on baking desserts together, and she knew that it was something he would enjoy.

Leonardo from Italy earned date four, which Jason said should be a fencing match.

While it was not common for ladies to partake in sports such as fencing, Jason had needed a sparring partner when he was young and learning, and it just so happened that his sister was quite the competition.

"Are you sure that won't make him look at me differently?" Maria asked her brother, concerned.

"On the contrary, I think it will make him like you more. At least it will if he's a man that deserves you".

With that Maria smiled and said, "Now for the last one-- Prince Arthur".

"He's always been somewhat mysterious since he tends to keep to himself like you, so I never heard much about him when I was in France," he pondered.

They thought for a moment before Jason asked, "How about a boat ride? That way if you decide you do not like him then you can just push him off and row away".

Jason remembered the way Arthur introduced himself to his sister last night, and he still was not sure if he could trust him; he wanted to make sure his sister was protected.

"I suppose," Maria said as she finished writing the last of the invitations that she would hold onto and have delivered on the days of the dates.

"It is settled then," said Jason before he gave his sister a reassuring smile and walked out of the room still holding his wine glass that he had replenished three times now.

"I guess," Maria exhaled before drinking the rest of what was in her glass and getting up to refill it.

She quickly drank another full glass of wine in hopes that it would calm her nerves, and she retired to her room to have lunch before her date that was scheduled for later that day with Henri.