Welcome to Hickstead, home to both Seven Oak Stables, and Blue Acre - two rival stables. Both offer opportunities for their clients to reach the highest level of excellence. Each stable differs from the other, so choose wisely and never forget, loyalty is everything... Meanwhile as the stables battle it out, there's trouble brewing at the university. Be careful, if you don't pick a side you may get caught in the cross-fire...
This is an chilled out rpg with a super friendly and relaxed atmosphere! Remember to sign up with your characters full name in all caps and don't forget to do your claims! Thank you and Welcome, we've been established since 10th March 2009 but unfortunately have had to close guest view of our boards due to multiple sites ripping off our hard work, such a shame! Come chat to us in Discord before joining if you like!.
The car turned into the parking spot and came to a purring silence. As the engine shut down, Milo glanced to his left, cautious about what he'd see. It had been a somewhat silent ride to the nearby city with Katerina after their rather unexpected night a few days ago. No, not that kind of night although things were certainly heading that way and every time the memory surfaced, he felt some sort of beast inside him growling with disappointment. But it had felt so wrong even as it felt so right...
Turning back to the dashboard of the car, he made note to find a gas pump on the way home and grabbed his shades. "We can start with an old Antwerpen jewler just down the block and see if there is anything you like?" He smiled as he got out of the sports car, stretching and leaning over the roof to look at the blonde. "Or there is a Spanish jewlery maker a couple streets down."
Katrina had gotten herself stuck in her head for the past couple of days. She had always been a thinker, and liked to work through problems and look for solutions - thinks like puzzles were great - but she knew she was ridiculously overthinking this. They'd had a night, the other evening - a wonderful, surprising and romantic night which had resonated with Kat and caught her out. She hadn't expected things to go that way - not all the way, she'd had it drummed into her since childhood that marriage came first regardless - but it had felt so natural, and she hadn't been in her head questioning everything or freaking out.. she'd just ...felt. Now though? She was questioning. Her feelings and her motives, as well as his.
She'd been quiet but not on purpose - she'd tried to act normal as much as possible but it was hard to know what normal was now. Normal before had been acting friendly and sort of skirting around each other a bit, sort of spending time together - now, every accidental touch felt like an electric shock and every glance or word felt loaded. But she couldn't figure out why. She was hoping being out together today would clear the strange tension. "We can start with an old Antwerpen jewler just down the block and see if there is anything you like?...Or there is a Spanish jewlery maker a couple streets down." She climbed out, pulling her coat tighter around her lithe frame to keep out the cold chill of the Winter air. "I'm happy to go with Antwerpen first? I'm sure they'll be something pretty," She smiled; she had never been big on jewelry, but she was the kind that liked simple things, sweet designs; no giant big rock for her.
"Of course," he smiled, slipping on his favorite Armani shades and locking his yellow Mercedes. Rolling his shoulders in his wool-lined denim jacket, he stepped away from the car and started down the street, guiding Katerina lightly with a hand on the small of her back. As soon as they ended up on the straight street, he pushed his hand into his pocket, unsure if Katerina still wanted him to be so open with his hands. It wasn't that the night had gone badly but....he didn't want to make it worse. They seemed to be off ever since and he couldn't yet place the right way of acting.
The way to the Belgium jeweler was as quiet as their car ride had been - both were focused on their inner thoughts. Milo's mind raced between planning the wedding, keeping his family at bay, coordinating the guests and their arrivals to Hickstead, mirco-managing Katerina's parents (alright, her mother) to give the young girl space to plan the event to her liking and ensuring his new rider, some Austrian American girl named Caroline, knew his preferred routines, schedules and approaches when it came to his horses.
"After you," he held the door open for the young woman as they entered a classically decorated store of mahogany wood paneling and large, scarcely filled display cases. A pleasant, warm light filled the interior, reflecting off the countless precious stones embedded in earrings, rings and necklaces of traditional designs, ranging from simple everyday pieces to more intricate, flashy and empowering masterpieces.
"Good morning. May I help you?" A middle-aged woman impeccably dressed in a wool suit and a silk scarf approached them with an easy smile. "My name is Madeline and I am the manager of Antwerp Boutique."
"Milo Jaeger and this is my bride," Milo was surprised how easy the words came to his lips. "We wanted to look at engagement rings."
"Of course," She smiled and settled in to step beside Milo, letting him take the lead she was tempted to slip her arm through his but hesitated. It felt very couple-y, and she guessed they weren't really, not right now. Perhaps one day when they were older and long married they might finally get there - she feared maybe they wouldn't, but she hoped. She felt a hand on her back, guiding her next to him and she relaxed into his touch, feeling reassured by him there. She thought they must look like quite a couple - Milo had a habit of walking down a street or into a room and commanding it, like he owned the place, Kat didn't have that kind of presence but she was quietly confident and she knew that she was alluring in other ways. It didn't help that they were also incredibly well-dressed.
She peered around as they headed to the jeweler, curiously peeking into other shop windows as they strolled back - this seemed to be the higher end of the market, and she tried not to blanch at the flash of the price tags she caught sight of. It wasn't like she didn't have money - her parents were incredibly wealthy, and by proxy so was she, though she hadn't earned any of her wealth. Still, she knew Milo's wealth trumped hers by a mountain. "After you," She smiled and ducked her head slightly. "Danke," she said and headed into the warmth of the store.
The store practically glittered, so much shine as the lights hit the beautiful stones on display beneath the cabinets. "Good morning. May I help you? My name is Madeline and I am the manager of Antwerp Boutique." Katerina felt a douse of shyness, but she knew Milo would naturally step forward and take charge, allowing him to do so. "Milo Jaeger and this is my bride, We wanted to look at engagement rings." Kat felt the strange swoop as he said 'my bride', confusion quickly following as she wondered why she enjoyed it so much. "Hi," She followed, though it sounded small after Milo's introduction, and they moved toward the counter as the rings were brought out to see. "Oh wow," She breathed, her yes widening at the sight.
"Do you see anything you like?" Milo allowed Madeline to guide them to one of the display cases, pulling out a tray with an assortment of rings, all flashing brilliant diamonds, most clear though a few came in exotic shades and cuts. He watched Katerina's face light up in awe as she looked at the jewelry, her blue eyes going slightly wide. Madeline smiled knowingly before offering one to the young woman.
"May we try this one just to see what size you will need, miss?" she offered a rather simple band with a small stone on it. Leaving the pair to look at the engagement rings, Milo strolled to the more secluded displays, curiously looking at beautifully crafted earrings, delicate colliers and bracelets. A few tiaras rested on velvet display cases behind thick glass.
"Sir, can you take a look at this one?" Madeline's voice brought him back to the pair looking at a particular ring.
Katrina poured over the selections - it felt strange, and a little off to be looking at rings. This was something you normally did with the love of your life, and she should be excited - but she wasn't. It was hard to drum up the feelings she knew she should be having. Instead she felt a little awkward, biting her lower lip as the price tags loomed at her. She felt odd spending Milo's money, surely he felt resentment spending money on a woman he didn't love? This was orchestrated by their family, it wasn't real. Maybe that's where her weird feelings were coming from, the other night had felt real, and had really resonated as something she'd wanted growing up - a genuine moment between them, where feelings had carried them, not thoughts. Then she'd woken up and remembered the truth and it stung a little.
"Do you see anything you like?" She hadn't heard him approach, staring unseeing at the rings as her thoughts carried her away. She blinked and glanced up at him, hesitating. "Uhm, not yet," She flashed him a ghost of a smile and looked back down at the choices, looking straight past the ridiculous one's with huge stones. That would weigh her hand right down and looked absurd. She didn't want one that screamed money. It was so desperate. "May we try this one just to see what size you will need, miss?" Kat nodded and offered her hand, letting the woman slide it on and decide what size she was. Her eyes continued to glaze over the rings until she paused at one.
She pointed at it carefully. "Could I take a look at this one?" She asked, and the woman carefully removed it so that Kat could take a better look. It was a simple band, with a larger stone in the centre and smaller one's to either side, but it wasn't giant, it was pretty and unoffensive and she thought she had to have one, this one might be the one she would pick. "Sir, can you take a look at this one?" She heard Madeline call Milo over as she was encouraged to slip the ring on to see how it looked.
Milo's long stride carried him to stand behind Katerina, looking over her shoulder at a delicate golden band slipped onto her hand with seven diamonds elegantly set in a flowery motive. It wasn't bold and bright - not that Milo thought that was the style she would ever go for - but high quality and classy, with a personality that seemed to match his bride. Though he still knew so little about her, he could see why this particular piece attracted her attention.
"May I?" he asked softly so that only Katerina could hear, his lips close to her ear before gently taking her hand to examine the ring closer. He decided to ignore the spark of electricity that ran through his fingers the second they touched her skin or the way his heart skipped a beat, focusing instead on the jewelry and the way it complemented the young woman's skin.
"Questo ti fa piacere?" Milo's eyes met Katerina's, curious. He certainly liked it but he didn't want to put any pressure on her decision. It wouldn't be fair to oblige her to wear something day in and day out that she would hate, the ring a constant reminder. The old engineering ring on his own pinky that was passed on to him from his uncle had been a constant reminder of his destiny as he had competed over Europe. He hated it for years before coming to terms but even now, it brought him no pleasure, just sadness.
She felt Milo at her shoulder, hyper aware of his presence behind her and she tried not to react - focusing instead on the ring on her finger and how it looked there. It seemed to fit, more than she'd thought it would and though she was trying to ignore the expensive price tag it was certainly less than most of the others. She was the same with her jewelry, she liked simple pieces, nothing too in your face or ridiculous - her dad had brought her a lot over the years but he'd seemed to know what she liked and she'd been able to stop returning them to the stores for being too outlandish and had taken to wearing them instead.
"May I?" She shivered slightly to find his lips so close to her ear, the warm brush of his breath made her feel something akin to the other night together - and now was not the time or place. She cleared her throat slightly at the touch of his hand on hers, she really needed to get a handle on herself before he noticed; if he hadn't already. "Questo ti fa piacere?" His Italian was improving and she smiled softly, glancing from the ring back to him, realising their faces were closer than she realised and looking back down again to avoid thinking of the last time they were so close. "Si, it's beautiful." She murmured, admiring the ring a moment longer before slipping it off to return it.
"Would you like to look at some others?" Milo asked as Katerina returned the ring. The jeweler delicately nodded, going to pick out a few more options for the young woman and leaving the young couple to discuss the purchase privately. As the young man could guess, couples much stranger came to the shop and the workers have long established a protocol of behavior - tact and discretion were crucial to successful sales. Turning back to his bride, he smiled. "Please, you can be honest with me. Don't look at the price - I want you to like it when you look at it."I want you to think of me, his mind added silently but he only waited.
As Madeline approached them with a small tray containing similarly-styled pieces, Milo leaned back on the counter, observing his bride and waiting for her approval. He already decided that while the Atwerpen makers were ideal for an engagement ring, their style was too grand for simple wedding bands and while he would happily acquire anything Katerina asked for, he preferred the simple golden artistry of the Spanish. Besides, there was a cute restaurant that he was hoping to go to with the Italian.
"Would you like to look at some others?" Kat nodded, thinking it was probably best to look at others anyway - she'd always been told it was best not to buy the first thing you saw. She felt she was likely to come back to this one though, there was something about it that felt like her. "Please, you can be honest with me. Don't look at the price - I want you to like it when you look at it." She gazed up at him, caught by the blue intensity of his gaze. He knew her already- the price was a huge factor when looking at these rings. She knew that he could afford it, but that didn't mean he needed to pay it. She'd take a plastic one out of a cracker if it had sentimental value; not that her parents would allow it.
"I do quite like this one," She admitted, blushing faintly and dropping her eyes. She couldn't look at him too long without remembering what it felt like to kiss him, and thinking that she might quite like to do that again. "It feels like... me?" She hoped that didn't sound ridiculous, but she wasn't flashy, and this was pretty even with it's simplicity. Kat glanced over the other options that were brought out for her to check out, taking them in and pursing her lips curiously, but none of them pulled her eyes quite like the other one and she glanced back over to where it was, comparing. "The first one still, I think."
"If it makes you happy," Milo turned back to the vendor who was delicately waiting for a decision, her hands folded in front of her and a soft smile gracing elegant features. "Can we have the first ring? No tags - I believe my fiancée is long overdue for one. I will have the box on the side."
"Of course sir," the woman smiled, taking the tray of options away and going back to the display that held the original ring Katerina liked. Turning to the young woman so that the vendor couldn't overhear, he pinched the bridge of his nose.
"I believe the wedding bands you'd like will be at the other vendor," he stated simply, "It's a bit of a walk but if the weather holds, it should be nice. Are you hungry?"
"If it makes you happy," Kat nodded, looking down at the ring again and picturing showing it to people - it fit, she had always liked simple designs, it was more about meaning to her, not money or size. "I don't honestly need a huge rock," She said lightly, knowing she had joked about it - she'd been a little worried he would take it to heart and come back with something similar to the heart of the ocean in Titanic, but thankfully not. "Can we have the first ring? No tags - I believe my fiancée is long overdue for one. I will have the box on the side." She blushed faintly, it was technically overdue but their engagement wasn't the usual way of doing things - you didn't normally show up to a stranger's house already engaged.
"Of course sir," She smiled at the woman and gave a polite but genuine, "Thank you." she'd been very professional but kindly, not pushing. Some places would nudge you toward the most expensive they could find if they knew you had money, she'd found that before. She leaned closer to Milo, inhaling his welcoming, homely scent and peering up at him. "I believe the wedding bands you'd like will be at the other vendor, It's a bit of a walk but if the weather holds, it should be nice. Are you hungry?" She nodded, knowing that he would have a better understanding of the places to go, and now he knew her taste. "A little," She admitted, "Perhaps...lunch?" She asked, thinking it might be nice to make this a day whilst he wasn't working.
"Of course. There are a few lovely cafes on the way - I think one of them would be quite pleasant," Thanking the vendor and tucking the small box into his pocket as he payed for the purchase without another glance, Milo opened the door for the young woman, allowing her back onto the charming street of the central town. Taking a look at the sky above, he nodded to his own thoughts. The sky would hold and there may even be some breaks in the cloud.
"This way," offering her his arm, Milo started down the street, careful to match his stride to the woman's. There was one specific café he liked, a small charming inn that now offered patio seating facing the river and the swans that lived there year round. The food was hearty and delicious, a bonus to the picturesque location. Glancing over at Katerina from the corner of his eye, he watched her, his mind racing back to the intoxicating night.
"Of course. There are a few lovely cafes on the way - I think one of them would be quite pleasant," Kat smiled and nodded, stepping through the door before him as he held it open and took in a breath of the hopeful Spring air. "That would be nice," she agreed, there was enough warmth in the air that the walk would be nice and it might even be nice enough to sit outside for a brief minute.
She felt better now that she had the ring, it felt more set - but it didn't scare her anymore, she was starting to know Milo now, she liked him, she was attracted to him, and she'd been able to pick the ring herself. He knew her too, he was attracted to her too, and it felt like they were becoming a more natural couple. She relaxed, settling into his company.
"This way," She smiled again and took his offered arm, slipping hers around his and drawing a little closer as they wandered through the quaint street. "This is lovely, thank you," she said, knowing she didn't need to thank him but she was enjoying herself. She could see this in the future - the two of them going out for afternoons, the sun warm on their backs, just enjoying each others company. Her mind slid through a few different topics as they strolled, "Should we... talk about the other night?" She asked curiously, knowing that it was still sitting there awkwardly between them, a small elephant.
Milo nearly tripped at her words - frankly, he had been avoiding the incident and had expected it to come up at one point. He had hoped that point wasn't today. Lady Fortune was fickle and had decided to abandon him at this moment however. Pinching the bridge on his nose as he pondered it for a minute, he stopped infront of the small café.
"Let's get seated before we breach that topic, shall we?" he offered her the door, allowing her to go in first before following. Asking the hostess for a table on the terrace, he followed both women to a picturesque booth with a fantastic view on the river and the old part of town across a bridge. Thanking the woman as they were left with a pitcher of water and elegant menus in plain leather binding, he poured them both glasses before running a hand through his hair.
"I...I am sorry I hurt you," Milo tried to catch the blonde's gaze. "I hope you know it was not my intention."
