tuesday, may 15, 2001
expressions: rialla!

summer is coming and along with it the traditional time to plan the family vacation. usually we all have the dream vacation and then we have the vacation we have to settle with. this month, plan your dream vacation but go an extra step. instead of looking at going to hawaii or paris, plan your vacation in your favorite novel setting.


rialla! the rialla is coming! and saxy and i are booked to go. i have to plan and pack. maybe we'll be lucky and see the dragons. even if we don't, we have an extra week when the rialla is over. maybe we can travel a bit and see some of the beautiful places melanie rawn talks about in her wonderful dragon prince novels. we won't go to the long sands, we want to escape the heat not land in the middle of the desert.

looking over the rialla schedule, i decide we can come in a day late. we don't need to watch all the nobles arrive or be tempted by the market too early. there will be a few days when the nobles will be busy hammering out the treaties for the next seven years and we will have plenty of time to peruse the faire. the high prince is due to arrive midmorning the second day, there is to be an opening mid-afternoon banquet that same day. my understanding is that the high prince is a horrid man and is never on time, but his entrance is usually worth it. besides, he is hosting the banquet and saxy loves food. it would be very rude to go after being absent from his grand entrance. so we should be there the evening of the first day. that will allow us to set up the pavilion and rest.

we'll need clothes for the banquet, but something just above everyday wear will do for the prince's arrival. i need to make a list of things we'll need. back to the itinerary. the next two days are unscheduled. good. we can use those those days to shop and play like we used to when we first met. i think a moment. as i recall, there's a perfect trysting spot by the river. i think i will find a way for us to use it. day five is horse races. we won't be able to bet anything, knowing us, but i love horse racing. then another clear two days. the map reveals a nearby town, so i make plans to ride up, spend some time sight seeing and coming back before night the second day.

the last day of the rialla is a busy one. a signing ceremony during which the lords sign their treaties watched over by the lady of goddess keep, followed by a lunch, opens the day. later is the knightings and wedding ceremonies. while the signing ceremony would bore us to tears, i make a note to definitely be present for the latter events. finally, there's a closing feast, that even the cooks will argue over for the entire rialla. this year it will be hosted by rohan and his legendary sunrunner, sioned. it would cost a fortune to be properly dressed for that but we just have to go.

then we'd have about ten days to travel. goddess keep is too far, but isel is right across the bay. the islands were rumored to be quite beautiful. in this case, one island shared by two lords. yes, kierst~isel would be a nice ending to our vacation.

i hope saxy doesn't get seasick!