So. Crown. Discuss.
I got to see Ix fight the best he ever has yesterday.
I felt like it was a good day. I was ready to handle the responsibilities we signed up for if we won. Everything felt right. I felt *hopeful*. Life was good.
One nice surprise was the request to pose for a picture before the first procession. Turns out that they gave each couple a picture frame to put the picture in. I have ours, it's on my curio bookshelf. Another nice surprise was that Terrae Finis set out two chairs around a table for us to sit in to watch the tournament in. Unfortunately, he was always fighting on the other side of the room, but I got to sit in it and it felt good. Had to get used to sitting on the right side. After we got a warning from the list table about reporting in after a bout, I started doing all the reporting to the list table. It was kinda fun - something I could do, since he was already doing so much for me just by entering with me into the tournament.
I also had some friends come up to specifically volunteer to make things for us when we win. I have tubs of fabric that just need labor applied so that will be a big ball of fun to go through when it's time.
Lastly, Duchess Katherine recommended that I borrow something from Baroness Caroline de Mercier. Apparently, she borrowed a scissors from Caroline at the Crown Tourney that Palymar won. So she loaned me a sewing kit for luck. Apparently it worked!
As the day went on, and he went 4-2 in the first round of fights, everything still felt right. He only lost to the people he fought regularly. I asked for his girlfriend to stand with me when he fought. Through the whole day, my kids were off doing whatever, unless my son wanted money. :D I didn't see them most of the day.
Then we 16 finalists processed in again, in consort order. It was also amusing to find that we are only 5 people apart in the whole kingdom order of precedence. I was 4th out of the 16.
He wound up drawing someone from the first pool as the first combatant in the tree. He won that one. Then the next one. Then the next one. Undefeated into the quarterfinals. He's only done that once before: the first time he fought for me. Everything still felt right, like when you have a hunch how things are going to go, and things go that way automatically.
Then he drew Lutr and won again. Still felt hopeful, and like all was right with the world. We were all in one corner of the list and had to be presented again. I was seated next to the Queen. My kids finally wandered in and I had them sit by me to watch. He won the first bout, lost the second, and then the third happened. Ix with two swords vs. Savaric's sword and shield. Through all three bouts they were joking with each other, and questioning blows quite closely. Still felt hopeful, and like all was happening according to proper order. At the last, Ix landed a blow, and fell.
Then NOTHING HAPPENED. FOR A LONG TIME. Seemed like eons, but was probably about 2 minutes. People were starting to cheer. The marshalls were watching, I turned to the Queen and asked if this meant we had won. She said she thought so. Ix was still up, Savaric was still down. I cheered and jumped off the podium to go hug Ix. When I got close, that's when I heard Ix ask, as if not for the first time, if the shot was good. So I grabbed my kids and went back to the podium, explaining that it wasn't over yet and we had to wait.
As we got to the podium and we sat down, I heard Ix yell that they'd have to fight it over again. They did, and Savaric won. There was a declaration, and it was over. Savaric said just before we went to process in as the finalists that 20 years ago he had started fighting for her, so it was an anniversary for them.
I'm happy for them. I got to think we won for a minute, and it was quite a nice feeling, anticipating the fun to come, the fun we could generate for everyone. Best dress rehearsal ever. He had to be comfortable with his win, or the he would have been miserable, and that would have been no fun. I'm glad he questioned it then, rather than letting it slide. He doesn't want to win that way, and neither do I. It's gotta be a good win, or nothing.
Some of Ix's friends were not so pleased, and the kids were disappointed. Ix was beating himself up over it more than anyone else ever would, so no one else needed to pile on. It just wasn't the right time. The kids got over it. Nothing has changed, we just didn't win the lottery yesterday. There will most likely be more chances to do this. Nothing was lost, but a very fun day was gained. Even if we never get that far again, I'm happy.
I did hear two things afterwards. I had two very nice ladies tell me that some of the Ladies of the Rose weren't happy with my exuberance. It appeared like I was cheering for me, not for him. (who ever it was must not know me very well). They like more restraint in their consorts. I let both of them know that I was happy for *him* - he had never had a better day at a Crown and I was very happy for him, and not disappointed at all with the way things turned out. And I'll try to keep the restraint in mind in the future.
The other was that I need to learn protocol - it ain't over until the marshalls declare it. I didn't know - most of the last crown tourneys I've been at have been quite conclusive at the end so the declaration came very soon after the fight ended, and the consort did rush out to meet the combatant for a hug. I didn't realize the declaration was missing. It seemed so much like he had won that the internet was informed by several people that it was us, and then had to post retractions. I posted on facebook my error and my hope to be better next time. And now this is the last time I'll mention it. Talking or thinking more about it won't change anything so I'm done.
So hopefully I can be forgiven for both by whoever was disappointed. I'm told that at least one is a recoverable error, so good. I don't want anything I do to reflect badly on Ix. I'm not going to apologize for being furiously happy tho. That's just how I am. I have only so much energy, I'm going to use it on being happy, not on angst or drama. (for definition of furiously happy: http://thebloggess.com/2010/10/furiously-happy/ and then http://thebloggess.com/2011/07/and-then-i-stage-a-live-zombie-apocalypse-in-utah/)
All in all, it was a very good day. Life is still very good. Hopefully we'll get another very good day and that time, win. But until then, I'm still gonna enjoy the memory of yesterday. Ix gives me a gift every time he fights for me, and I will always love him for that.
I felt like it was a good day. I was ready to handle the responsibilities we signed up for if we won. Everything felt right. I felt *hopeful*. Life was good.
One nice surprise was the request to pose for a picture before the first procession. Turns out that they gave each couple a picture frame to put the picture in. I have ours, it's on my curio bookshelf. Another nice surprise was that Terrae Finis set out two chairs around a table for us to sit in to watch the tournament in. Unfortunately, he was always fighting on the other side of the room, but I got to sit in it and it felt good. Had to get used to sitting on the right side. After we got a warning from the list table about reporting in after a bout, I started doing all the reporting to the list table. It was kinda fun - something I could do, since he was already doing so much for me just by entering with me into the tournament.
I also had some friends come up to specifically volunteer to make things for us when we win. I have tubs of fabric that just need labor applied so that will be a big ball of fun to go through when it's time.
Lastly, Duchess Katherine recommended that I borrow something from Baroness Caroline de Mercier. Apparently, she borrowed a scissors from Caroline at the Crown Tourney that Palymar won. So she loaned me a sewing kit for luck. Apparently it worked!
As the day went on, and he went 4-2 in the first round of fights, everything still felt right. He only lost to the people he fought regularly. I asked for his girlfriend to stand with me when he fought. Through the whole day, my kids were off doing whatever, unless my son wanted money. :D I didn't see them most of the day.
Then we 16 finalists processed in again, in consort order. It was also amusing to find that we are only 5 people apart in the whole kingdom order of precedence. I was 4th out of the 16.
He wound up drawing someone from the first pool as the first combatant in the tree. He won that one. Then the next one. Then the next one. Undefeated into the quarterfinals. He's only done that once before: the first time he fought for me. Everything still felt right, like when you have a hunch how things are going to go, and things go that way automatically.
Then he drew Lutr and won again. Still felt hopeful, and like all was right with the world. We were all in one corner of the list and had to be presented again. I was seated next to the Queen. My kids finally wandered in and I had them sit by me to watch. He won the first bout, lost the second, and then the third happened. Ix with two swords vs. Savaric's sword and shield. Through all three bouts they were joking with each other, and questioning blows quite closely. Still felt hopeful, and like all was happening according to proper order. At the last, Ix landed a blow, and fell.
Then NOTHING HAPPENED. FOR A LONG TIME. Seemed like eons, but was probably about 2 minutes. People were starting to cheer. The marshalls were watching, I turned to the Queen and asked if this meant we had won. She said she thought so. Ix was still up, Savaric was still down. I cheered and jumped off the podium to go hug Ix. When I got close, that's when I heard Ix ask, as if not for the first time, if the shot was good. So I grabbed my kids and went back to the podium, explaining that it wasn't over yet and we had to wait.
As we got to the podium and we sat down, I heard Ix yell that they'd have to fight it over again. They did, and Savaric won. There was a declaration, and it was over. Savaric said just before we went to process in as the finalists that 20 years ago he had started fighting for her, so it was an anniversary for them.
I'm happy for them. I got to think we won for a minute, and it was quite a nice feeling, anticipating the fun to come, the fun we could generate for everyone. Best dress rehearsal ever. He had to be comfortable with his win, or the he would have been miserable, and that would have been no fun. I'm glad he questioned it then, rather than letting it slide. He doesn't want to win that way, and neither do I. It's gotta be a good win, or nothing.
Some of Ix's friends were not so pleased, and the kids were disappointed. Ix was beating himself up over it more than anyone else ever would, so no one else needed to pile on. It just wasn't the right time. The kids got over it. Nothing has changed, we just didn't win the lottery yesterday. There will most likely be more chances to do this. Nothing was lost, but a very fun day was gained. Even if we never get that far again, I'm happy.
I did hear two things afterwards. I had two very nice ladies tell me that some of the Ladies of the Rose weren't happy with my exuberance. It appeared like I was cheering for me, not for him. (who ever it was must not know me very well). They like more restraint in their consorts. I let both of them know that I was happy for *him* - he had never had a better day at a Crown and I was very happy for him, and not disappointed at all with the way things turned out. And I'll try to keep the restraint in mind in the future.
The other was that I need to learn protocol - it ain't over until the marshalls declare it. I didn't know - most of the last crown tourneys I've been at have been quite conclusive at the end so the declaration came very soon after the fight ended, and the consort did rush out to meet the combatant for a hug. I didn't realize the declaration was missing. It seemed so much like he had won that the internet was informed by several people that it was us, and then had to post retractions. I posted on facebook my error and my hope to be better next time. And now this is the last time I'll mention it. Talking or thinking more about it won't change anything so I'm done.
So hopefully I can be forgiven for both by whoever was disappointed. I'm told that at least one is a recoverable error, so good. I don't want anything I do to reflect badly on Ix. I'm not going to apologize for being furiously happy tho. That's just how I am. I have only so much energy, I'm going to use it on being happy, not on angst or drama. (for definition of furiously happy: http://thebloggess.com/2010/10/furiously-happy/ and then http://thebloggess.com/2011/07/and-then-i-stage-a-live-zombie-apocalypse-in-utah/)
All in all, it was a very good day. Life is still very good. Hopefully we'll get another very good day and that time, win. But until then, I'm still gonna enjoy the memory of yesterday. Ix gives me a gift every time he fights for me, and I will always love him for that.