The Hottest Pecs in Atlantia....

Disclaimer: I understand that I have not undertaken a survey of sufficient number as to be statistically significant. Therefore, I apologize in advance to those who believe themselves to be the rightful recipient of this honor.

The Atlantian Twentieth Year Celebration held in a monsoon resulted in one of the most miserable event experiences of my SCA career. Duchess Niobe had returned for a visit and I had taken the week off to be with her as she travelled about to see friends and family here. She was sans husband and boys and enjoying what I know to be one of the rare and beautiful times when you are a mom...an opportunity to be just you without layers of role expectations. We travelled North to the Coast of Maryland in a gentle rain and did not realize this was only the beginning of the precipitation we would encounter.

We were in a hotel (thank God) and prepped to go to site in the rain in the hopes that it might not be too bad indoors or in the pavilions. We had both brought favorite (prissy) garb and were having a wonderful girly time getting ready.

Niobe had AnneLouise with her and rightfully could not be in the weather so I found myself making multiple trips to and from buildings and the car. Each time the cotton velveteen of my Ren soaked up a bit more water until I was sodden to above my knees. But no, this was not the worst of it. I was here to fore unaware that when you sit in such a dress, the moisture wicks onto your unmentionables thereby soaking them through.

So here I am with a cool breeze off the river, soaked to my _____ and only wanting to go back to my hotel. But, there was Niobe, happy and having a fantastic time. And, I love her. So, I knew it was one of those suck it up times.

I go to sign our names on the dread sign in sheet for dinner and there is Theodora. "Do you have your sticker?" she asks. "What sticker?" I reply. "The one you both got in your envelope at troll," she answers. "You mean the one in my CAR?" I answer (trying not to rip her head off cause she is my husband's boss and we like her and I am a Peer and she is not responsible for my wet underwear).

I start to insist that I could just write in our names when I decide that I was being petty and bitchy and I need to (yep) just suck it up.

So, out into the rain I go cause what does it matter if my chest gets wet cause good grief, my butt already is. And because I am a girly girl and I am DONE, I cry.

I think I am being subtle as who could tell I am crying in a downpour. I think I am safe and can just let it all out before I get back when I round a building and there is Bryce under an umbrella.

He is very courteous, asks me if I am all right (I try to lie but not too well as I am obviously a drowned crying pitiful princess type) and he offers me room under his umbrella even though what does it matter now?

But there I am under his umbrella and he is GOOD LORD!! wearing DRY WOOL and he hugs me and I have my hands on his chest and my head kind of on his shoulder and....

Before I know it I realize that he is radiating heat out of his pectorals straight into my hands. Right on the heels of that delicious realization came others and I lept back and told him thanks and scooted away before I could finish any of the thoughts crowding my mind.....

So, I learned two important things at 20YC.

1) I MUST have dry underwear to enjoy an SCA event.

2) Bryce de Byrum has THE HOTTEST PECS in Atlantia.

So now you know the rest of the story.