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Riding was a way to relax for Marius, and today, he had felt the need to do so. Life was feeling a little monotonous, and the next performance was not for another few weeks, so he had plenty of time to practice. A little break wouldn't kill him or cause the director to wish to do so. He had decided to take a different trail today than usual, feeling in a somewhat exploratory mood, and he had come to rest after a good thirty minutes of writing. The poor horse had needed rest, so he had decided to as he came near a small brook. He tied the horse's reins to a tree nearby and then squatted down and gathered some water in his hands, moistening his face and shaking his hands off before just sitting back and letting one leg more or less rest straight out ahead of him and the other come rest near his body, his arm lazily on it.

This was what he liked about nature and riding. Everything was silent, peaceful, and beautiful, and he could simply enjoy it or make good use of his time and think. Today he was choosing the prior and was about to lay back to take a brief nap when he heard the rapid approach of horse hooves. Slightly alarmed, he pushed himself up, walking over to his horse to try to keep him calm, shushing him and lightly petting his body as his eyes searched for the direction the horse was coming from. Just moments before the beast came into and out of view, he heard the shriek of a woman and took off running in the direction from which the horse had raced. "Hello?" he called out as he did. "Are you alright?" he asked, but there was no answer, so he searched, moving quickly through the foliage.

Spotting the woman at last, Marius rushed over, kneeling down beside her and gently shaking her to try to rouse her. She was breathing. That, at least, was a good sign. His right hand went for the back of her head, trying to make sure she wasn't bleeding. Hopefully she wouldn't get the wrong idea if she woke up right now. He didn't need to get a charge to his name. He could see it now, "Leading tenor attacks girl." No thank you. He would pass that. Satisfied by the lack of blood, he sat back, shaking her shoulder gently. "Wake up," he said almost pleadingly. He really did not want to have to figure out how to take an unconscious woman back into town to find a doctor. There was no guarantee he would be nearby, was there? He didn't think so.
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A wave of relief seized Marius as he heard the young woman groan, and he watched as she brought her hand up to her head to rub her forehead before opening her mouth but hesitating. A thought passed the man's mind that hadn't before. What if this lady only spoke her native language? She was clearly Asian, and he didn't know any other language aside from French and some common words in operas written in other languages. Well, that would make for an interesting time explaining that he wanted to take her on his horse back to town where she could get help finding her horse or that he wanted to help her find her horse now, if she was feeling alright. So, as she said "Merci," a smile formed on his lips, and as she began to speak again only to stop and stare at him, he simply assumed she was in some sort of daze. She must have hit her head. Or perhaps she wasn't very familiar with French and was struggling to figure out how to say to him what she wished to say to him.

"Bienvenu," he said to be polite rather than stare at her. He began to stand and offered her his hand to help her up once he was standing, and she finally spoke again, seeming flustered, but once again, he assumed it was merely due to a language barrier or hitting her head. "Bienvenu, mademoiselle," he repeated. "I was resting, and I heard you scream, saw your horse bolt past me..." He sort of shrugged, smiling a little. "I was relieved to see you weren't too badly injured. Are you in any pain?" He looked her over, looking for any obvious signs of injury. Not spotting any, his eyes returned to her face. It was an odd position to be in, worrying about a stranger, much less one that was a woman. At least she wasn't bleeding to death or screaming in pain or crying. The Lord only knew that he could handle that due to some hard times with his sister over the years, but it didn't mean he looked for it. No, comforting sobbing, emotional women was not high on his agenda. It was only on an "as needed" basis that he did that.

Still, he felt odd being the "savior" of a "damsel in distress." That was a role typically reserved for the stage, if even that. It was something that he wasn't used to nor would he ever, he had a feeling, and he also had a feeling that, unlike the heroes in stories, he would never see this woman again. It was probably just as well. It would distract him from his career on the stage if he had to also focus on someone else, much less keeping the company of women. Not to mention, his reputation might be spoiled or hers. After all, it wasn't proper unless she was a certain type of woman, and he liked to think that she wasn't.
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Mistaken? Marius frowned a moment, trying to figure out what she could possibly mean. Where could he be mistaken in his speech? It would be odd for her to still be referring to the fact that she was in no pain at this point, so it was obviously something else. He went over what he had said in his head quickly. Mademoiselle? Was that it? But surely she would have stressed such a thing, no? Then again, women were strange creatures. They didn't always make the most sense to him. They had these strange ways of operating that many times he didn't understand, but if it was true, and she was indeed a "madame" rather than the prior, he should probably be guarded just in case--not that he was planning on doing something bold and/or rash in the first place.

He nodded a little as she said that proper introductions were in order and she went with the "rash" option of introducing herself. The curtsy itself seemed a little awkward to Marius, but he returned it, nevertheless, with a slight bow. Here would be where he'd find out if she was married, surely. However, Marius had never been one to keep up with the last names of foreign ambassadors or their ages, so the point was missed when she introduced herself. It didn't really matter enough for him to bother asking point blank anyway, for again, he doubted he would ever see her again. "I'm Marius Rousseau," he replied, figuring that in this situation a nom de plume was of no necessity. "I sing at the opera populaire."

He had no idea if she even attended any of the programs at the opera, but it would at least give them something to talk about, if she had. She was a marquise, certainly of a standing that might have seen, but it also put them on completely different socio-economic standings and in different circles, making the conversation, perhaps, limited, he figured. He had never been blessed with money or a title beyond "premier ténor." He doubted he ever would be nor did he truly wish to be, he supposed. No, his life was meant for the stage. The energy from the audience during a good performance was enough to give him a high that nothing else ever had or, he imagined, ever could. Money certainly wouldn't. He had been just as happy doing a simple job, knowing he was keeping his sister taken care of or so he had told himself so many times before returning.
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Marius nodded slightly. First time he'd had that said to him seriously. He'd heard it jokingly, but alright. It made him feel a swell of pride that someone would think that, but he couldn't let it get to his head. He was just starting his career. He could just have beginner's luck, right? No, that was ridiculous, but still, it was a possibility, wasn't it? Just one too many complaints, and they would likely search for someone better, and his days in the spotlight would be over. Of course, one could argue he was the best choice since he was trainable, able to be molded to what they desired, and had proven to be a hard worker during his years as part of the chorus. But enough of that thought process. She was just being polite, and he should be polite in return. "Likewise, Marquise," he replied, offering her a smile.

He stood there a moment, glancing over towards her grazing horse before back to the marquise herself. She seemed in no hurry to head to her horse and get on with her ride or back to town which struck him as odd, but he said nothing. He didn't mind being around someone like this young woman at the moment. It was a change in the usual pace of his life, unexpected and a little exciting. "Have you been in France long?" he asked rather than stare at her like a fool. Staring was probably not a good idea. Women reacted differently to being stared at, after all, and he was not in the mood to test what she would do. He would rather not be slapped or yelled at today, though he had to admit it would be just his luck to say something wrong and end up getting that after "saving" her.

One thing, however, was for certain about this chance meeting. None of the others would hear of it. He did not wish to be the object of the opera's gossip even if he could use it to his advantage. Despite his position, it didn't mean he wanted to live his entire life in the spotlight, just the bit spent entertaining people by telling a story through music and acting.
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