Cadeau d'Amour 1/1
by Kristen Fife


Happy Valentine's Day one and all! Here is a short
vignette set in medieval France. It is an IB story
based on the custom that young boys and girls would
draw lots and give a momento, poem, or gift to the
person whose name they had drawn. There are some links
at the bottom that you can read a bit more about
Valentine's Day customs in history. Permission granted
to archive at the FTP site, the IB site, and the
fkfanfic/fkfanfic2 sites. Anyone else, just email me. 

=========================================

Janette gazed up into the night sky, the gibbous moon
a soft pearl among the diamantine stars. Wisps of
clouds occasionally scudded across the calm perfection
of the night. The sound of a lute from the revel
behind her sounded a spritely tune. She turned her
head slightly toward the sound, picking up the giggle
of a young girl who had just been picked in the lot by
the son of one of the chevaliers attending the
festivities. She smiled slightly at the whimsy. Her
gaze returned to the heavens in contemplation. 

A moment later, Nicolas was beside her, sliding his
arm around her waist. She could sense the humor
thrumming along their link as he leaned in and kissed
her neck.

"Why are you out here alone, my Love?" His breath in
her ear sent a shiver of pleasure through her. She
leaned into him, the velvet of his sapphire
houppelande soft beneath her cheek.

"I was just musing on this quaint custom that seems to
have sprung up. Have you seen the little dog that
Guillaume's son gifted young Jehanne de Louver? He
could hardly have produced a puppy so quickly based on
a "chance".  He has been mooning over Jehanne for
weeks. I believe that this lottery is not random at
all." She sniffed. 

Nicolas kissed her temple. "Perhaps not. But it is a
sweet custom, this giving of tokens d'amour." He
reached into his belt pouch. "This is for you." He
handed her a small red silk bag. 

Eyes wide and a smile on her face, Janette looked at
the bag and carefully opened the ties. She tipped it
and a large brooch fell into her hands. It was a large
cabochon sapphire set in gold surrounded by pearls.
"Nicolas! It is beautiful!"

Nicolas took the brooch out of her hand and pinned it
to her shoulder. It shone against the pristine white
samite of her surcoat. The ermine fur along the edges
of the garment enhanced the glitter of the brooch. He
took her hand within his own and brought it to his
lips. 

"No jewel is as lovely as you, no sapphire more blue
than your eyes. No pearl can compare with your lovely
smile, and no adornment can make you more beautiful
than you are." He bowed gracefully over her hand and a
rush of love caressed her mind.

Janette took his face within her hands and kissed him
tenderly on the lips.

"Je t'aime, mon chevalier. Come, let us retire for the
nonce." She took his arm and they left the balcony to
return to their chambers and celebrate this night of
love and the mysterious Valentinus from so many
centuries ago.
===============================================
http://www.camlann.org/st_valentine's_day.htm

http://www.literary-liaisons.com/article053.html

http://familycrafts.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://www.
pictureframes.co.uk/pages/saint%5Fvalentine.htm


"The price for this gift is the darkness of the night, and the blood
of humanity to sustain you." -THICKER THAN WATER, Kristen Fife in
progress
See my blog at http://spaces.msn.com/members/landinn/