The banners of Toussaint rippled in the warm breeze, the vineyards stretching golden under the sun as nobles and peasants alike gathered to see the spectacle. The grand lists gleamed with polished wood and steel, knights in brilliant armor assembled in orderly ranks before their duchess. Anna Henrietta, resplendent in silk the color of deep wine, stood upon the dais, her expression regal but her eyes alight with mischief and defiance. Her husband was away in Cintra, “diplomatic reasons,” they called it, though whispers of his indiscretions were hardly whispers anymore. Let him have his affairs; she would have her own diversions.

Rising, she rised from her seat, her voice ringing across the field:

"Knights of Toussaint, champions of honor and glory! Today you do not fight for war or crown, but for the splendor of our land and the joy of its people. Follow the five virtues and let it guide you to victory. Let steel ring and banners fly, and let no man here say that Toussaint grows dull while her duchess yet draws breath."

She lowered the cup, lips curling in a faint smile, her gaze sharp as it swept over the armored host.

"Show me valor. Show me chivalry. Show me that my faith in you is not misplaced, for if wine is our lifeblood, then courage is our soul."

The trumpets sounded. The tourney would begin.