Chapter 5: A Proposal and a Test
1161 Words
Chapter 5: A Proposal and a Test
A flicker of intense curiosity about the dynamic between the formidable Lord Protector and the radiant Empress sparked within Eleanor, but she schooled her features into a mask of demure respect. She allowed the Empress to guide her back to her seat, her eyes downcast.
"...That creature is truly terrifying," Empress Zheng remarked lightly, gesturing towards the massive hound now lying in a corner of the hall, its head on its paws.
Lord Protector Theron offered no reply. The dog, Sesame, let out a low growl in the Empress's direction, which was immediately silenced by a single, sharp glance from its master. It settled back down with a disgruntled huff.
The Empress smoothly turned the conversation to Eleanor's bravery. "We must again commend your loyalty, Lady Eleanor. To risk one's life for the Queen Dowager... it is the highest form of devotion." She spoke with such convincing emotion that her voice nearly broke.
The Queen Dowager smiled, patting her hand. Theron remained a silent, brooding statue, sipping his tea.
"Your Majesty," the Empress addressed the Queen Dowager, "has a match been considered for Lady Eleanor?"
The Queen Dowager looked inquiringly at Eleanor. "Have your family made any arrangements, my dear?"
"None yet, Your Majesty," Eleanor replied.
"A great many suitable gentlemen come to mind," the Empress said with a brilliant smile. Her gaze, however, flickered almost imperceptibly towards Theron.
The Queen Dowager's eyes followed the glance. Eleanor, sensing the unspoken suggestion, dared to look at the Lord Protector herself. Dressed in austere black, he exuded an aura of contained power, a latent violence simmering just beneath a veneer of royal indifference. A slight frown was all it took to hint at the tempest within. Eleanor quickly averted her eyes.
"These matters require careful consideration," the Queen Dowager interjected diplomatically. "We should not speak of it further and embarrass our guest." She deftly changed the subject.
The Empress, realizing her misstep, smoothly pivoted. "I have heard whispers," she said to Eleanor, "of a remarkable cousin residing in your household. They say her talent and beauty are the talk of the capital. Is the rumor true?" It was a safe, gossipy topic. The Luo family was too new to the upper echelons to normally warrant the Empress's attention, but the tales of the exceptional Miss Bianca had even reached the inner palace.
Eleanor smiled pleasantly. "Your Majesty is far better informed than I, having just returned. But it is true; my cousin Bianca is both gentle and clever. The entire household adores her." She offered no further fuel, perfectly content to let Bianca's manufactured reputation stand for now.
After a brief discussion of other notable ladies of the court, Eleanor judged it time to take her leave. The Empress departed shortly after, even walking with Eleanor a short way.
"Do visit the palace often," the Empress said, her tone gracious. "My duties managing the Inner Court leave me little time to bring joy to Her Majesty. If you can ease her solitude, you perform a great service to the realm." Her kindness was real, but it was the kindness of a queen to a favored pet—a harmless diversion to be rewarded for pleasing its master. Eleanor was beneath her notice as a threat, and therefore worthy of a few crumbs of benevolence.
"And what are your pastimes, Lady Eleanor?" the Empress inquired.
"Aside from reading, I enjoy practicing with a riding crop," Eleanor answered truthfully.
The Empress laughed, a sound like chiming bells. "A scholar and a warrior! How novel." She dismissed Eleanor with a final, dazzling smile.
Back in the Palace of Eternal Spring, the Queen Dowager turned to her son. "They are pressing for you to take a wife, Theron. The Censors badger the Ministry of Rites, who in turn pester the Emperor. Even the Empress feels the need to involve herself."
"Later," Theron dismissed the notion.
"What of Lady Eleanor?" his mother pressed. "She is beautiful, yet her character is composed and elegant—calm and unassuming. But did you not notice? When she stood beside the Empress, she was not overshadowed. There is a rare quality to her."
Theron's frown deepened. "You overestimate her."
The Queen Dowager disagreed. Empress Zheng was renowned as the pinnacle of beauty and grace. For Eleanor, in her simple attire and with her quiet demeanor, to hold her own in such a comparison was remarkable. It was only under the brightest light that the hidden luster of the pearl was revealed.
"And what of this famous cousin? The one with such a towering reputation?"
"A mere cousin who cultivates such renown reeks of ambition and poor character," Theron stated coldly. "Worse than the Luo girl."
"If you remain obstinate, I shall have the Emperor issue a decree," the Queen Dowager threatened, half-serious.
"Then you would be condemning the Lady Eleanor to an early grave. I would not make her a good husband," he replied, his tone flat and final. "A strange way to reward your savior." He paused, his sharp eyes missing nothing. "Speaking of rewards, if she is the cherished daughter of the house, why does she wear yesterday's fashions? Where are the jewels befitting her status? The rewards you bestowed upon the family do not seem to have reached her."
"The reward was given to the Marquisate for the family," the Queen Dowager said, a thoughtful line appearing on her brow. "As the eldest daughter of the legitimate wife, the legitimate eldest daughter and the reason for their elevation, she should be treasured." Yet, Theron's observation resonated. Eleanor's consistent simplicity, even at court, suggested something was amiss. A noble lady could be modest without being poor.
"Instead of playing matchmaker, Mother, why not give her something practical for the New Year festival," Theron suggested, rising to his feet. He whistled, and Sesame sprang up to follow him out.
After he left, the Queen Dowager pondered his words. Protocol dictated that rewards for an unmarried lady be given to her family household. But if the family was not providing for her... Eleanor herself never complained, her face a serene mask that gave nothing away.
She called for her senior lady-in-waiting. "Prepare a reward for the Luo household: one hundred taels of gold, three thousand of silver, along with the latest silks and jewels from the imperial workshops. Issue a specific Edict: these are for the sole use of the Eldest Daughter, Eleanor Luo."
The lady-in-waiting bowed.
"And," the Queen Dowager added, a cunning glint in her eye, "include six bolts of the Luminescent Jade Brocade from the southern tribute."
The brocade was exceedingly rare and coveted. By gifting Eleanor something so visibly valuable, she would create a perfect test. How the Marquis's Mansion reacted to this very personal, very extravagant gift bestowed specifically upon Eleanor would reveal everything she needed to know about the young woman's true standing within her own home.
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