Curiosity-
Even though he had an heir, his eldest twins being a son and daughter, Morcant Horizon longed for another boy. By the time the twins Nerissa and Assana came along, his hopes were fading. As they grew, the barely first-born of the two, with her tousle of red hair and prolific freckles, proved to be an obvious spitfire and tomboy to her core, while Assana, a quiet blonde, was more reserved and careful. There was a saying in the family; when the twins found something fun to do, Nerissa would dive on in head first, while Assana would wait to see if Nerissa survived before she gave it a try. He didn’t have another son, but Nerissa, at times, was pretty close.
After seeing that wide-eyed look on Assana’s face one too many times, the one that meant Nerissa had almost killed herself trying yet another ‘fun’ thing, Morcant and Cora discussed a way to channel the girl’s energy into something that would appeal to her as well as help her learn to make more ‘informed’ decisions before diving him.
And so, on top of the swimming and basic boating skills that all the Horizon children learned, the youngest twins studied archery, tracking and hunting with a Ranger hired by Morcant. The twins were soon making a mark at local archery competitions, and Nerissa upped her game a little by teaching herself to shoot from horseback. Assana became the better tracker of the two, but Nerissa was the stealthier, the better hunter once quarry was sited.
Infatuated-
It was at one of the faires where the Horizons met with one of the vassals of a Greenshire noble, and Nerissa instantly developed an attachment with the noble’s son, a handsome and athletic youth of her age. The son, for his part, didn’t seem to object to the redhead’s attention, and, in fact, returned it in good measure. The alliance was beneficial for the families, and it’s always considered a bonus when one doesn’t have to browbeat children into accepting a betrothal. The banns were set, with both children in full accord.
Nerissa actually took some interest in clothing (something that had been of little importance to her before), wanting her wedding gown to be perfect for the occasion. An invitation to her betrothed to be presented at court was further cause for excitement, as it would increase the status of both houses, perhaps not as much for the Horizons, but at least some. It also increased the likelihood that Nerissa herself might some day go to Darfield and meet the royal family.
So, it came as quite a shock to both families when the young man returned from court… married.
In thinking with the wrong head, he had a notion that he had made a better political match than the one with the Horizon family, and the he would be able to convince his father to go along with the signature he had forged on the wedding contract. He realized his mistake too late when his father insisted he either annul the marriage or be disinherited. The bride’s family spared him the necessity of having to choose when they realized the invalidity of the marriage contract, by reclaiming their daughter and bride price.
Disillusioned-
At first, Nerissa had refused to believe that he was married, then when she realized it was true, she set out to throttle the young man. For once, Assana’s cooler head prevailed, assuring her that he would receive plenty of punishment, which he did. The damage with the family Horizon was done, they refused to reinstate the betrothal. The father’s anger towards his son was quite harsh indeed, as it will be some time before their honor be restored enough that another match can be made.
Although she manages to be happy for Assana, and is helping plan her wedding, Nerissa is sour on the idea of marriage for herself. Men, to her, are now creatures that go around siring as many bastard children as they do legitimate ones, with no idea of respect or fidelity to their wives. The ones that don’t sire bastards are just the ones that don’t get caught. Men are skirt chasers that follow their heads (not the one on top of their necks), and feelings are words used to catch whatever skirt is their flavor of the hour. The only man currently exempt from this judgement is her father.
