A Queen Redestined

Chapter 12

”It’s almost time for lunch,” Elizaveta said, after what seemed like hours of promenading around the menagerie. All this, and Marie hadn’t even seen much of the grounds yet, if the flock of noble younglings around her were to be believed. ”Lunch is a freer meal- you can choose whom you wish to be with you and where to have it. The king will be busy in court, and the queen likely to be attending to business as well. But you must return to the great hall for dinner, always.”

”And the prince? What does he do during lunch?”

”Off with the count Littori and the young lord Cyprae I imagine,” one of the girls, in orange ruffles replied. ”They’re the only members of court he actually seems to tolerate.”

”He seems to have a reputation for disappearing from the court’s view as often as he can manage it,” Marie noted, and several of the group nodded fervently, to her amusement.

”Oh, good heavens, yes! It’s so hard to find a chance to even talk to him.”

”And even when you do find a chance to speak to him, he gives you a one-worded answer before he makes some excuse to leave!”

”My father keeps telling me to get in his good graces,” Lucien said gloomily, ”but how am I supposed to accomplish that when the prince pretends we don’t exist?”

”Well, my father said I needed to make a shot at being the crown princess consort, but heavens knows the king has been dying to make alliances with the South,” Jean muttered, fanning herself furiously. ”No offense, Lady Marie.”

”None taken,” Marie replied, stifling an inappropriate laugh. ”It’s not as if I’m in love with him. I’m sure the whole court knows it’s a political marriage- and I’ve barely been here two days.”

”Even so, it’s not polite to say so, is it?” Elizaveta’s eyes held a stern look, and Marie looked elsewhere, pretending she hadn’t just had a slip of her tongue. Her warning look went out over the abashed group as well. ”Really, I asked you lot to entertain Lady Marie and to show her around, not gossip about her intended.”

”We’re not gossiping,” the feckless Lucien defended himself. ”Lady Marie doesn’t know the prince so well yet, don’t you think she should be more prepared? Prince Alfons is so cold, she might think it was her fault that he doesn’t speak to her, when it isn’t.”

”It’s sweet of you to think of me, Lucien,” Marie interjected, seeing that Elizaveta was about to give the poor boy a scolding. ”But I’ll be alright, I’m sure I’m made of sterner stuff. What was that about lunch, Elizaveta?”

Elizaveta merely huffed, and gave Marie a list of options as to where she could take her lunch, and with whom.

Since the young nobles seemed so intent on getting to know her, Marie decided they could all have lunch together in the gardens, and she would return to her rooms afterwards to face down the formidable dowagers Madam Belrac had acquired to introduce to her.

A few of the noblelings apologetically took their leave, having had prior appointments with other courtiers or their families- Marie noted that the silent, sour-faced girl was among them, and she was decidedly less apologetic than she should have pretended to be.

What an interesting person. Marie was definitely keeping an eye out for her.

Elizaveta brought them to a large, airy pavillion settled on a raised terrace near the back of the palace, and arranged for food to be brought to them.

It was a decidedly more informal, light affair than the political rigamarole of breakfast. Marie found herself enjoying it, especially since the young courtiers seemed rather less practiced at playing court games, and rather more interested in enjoying themselves as much as their privileged positions allowed them.

They played and laughed over their food, bantering and shrieking gaily at playful offenses. Servants came bearing trays of fresh, warm bread and butter, with plates of sausages, mutton drenched in mint sauce and creamy fried fish as accompaniment. Platters too, of fresh fruits and pastries came after, not to mention copious amounts of wine and beer.

For the first time in weeks, Marie found herself laughing with them, enjoying the mindless, frivolous atmosphere. In the relaxed environment, even Elizaveta said nothing when Marie borrowed a sword to fence with, easily toppling Lucien back onto his rump despite the unwieldiness of her skirts. Instead, she clapped encouragingly for Marie, and sent another of her friends to spar with her.

Marie had to bow out regrettably as servants came to inform her that Madam Belrac wished to see her now. If only she didn’t have to leave this group of fun-loving courtiers, who were all at least around her age.

But after all, she was here to be a princess consort, not merely to play.

Smiling, she promised to see them after morning court again the next day, and allowed Elizaveta to straighten her dress, before they made their way to Marie’s apartments.

”You have interesting friends,” she observed to Elizaveta, as they climbed the steps up from the gardens back to the west wing of the palace. ”Are these your closest friends here?”

Elizaveta hummed thoughtfully. ”I don’t think one could really say I have any especially close friends at Marimiers... But I do spend the most time with these friends, yes.”

Marie slid a sideways glance. ”One of them didn’t seem to like me much. The girl in the rose silk dress.”

Only two weeks’ spent in Elizaveta’s company could have given her enough insight to see the flicker in her eyes. Another person wouldn’t have noticed the change in expression at all.

”Adelena is merely slow to warm to new people. You will see her more often- I’m sure she will become more amenable as time passes.”

Would she? Or would Elizaveta have words with her before the next time they met? Marie was somewhat apprehensive, although she let the subject drop. She would certainly unravel more of the mystery that was Adelena, whether she wanted to or not, in the coming days.

”So who is it that Madam Belrac wants me to meet? Do you have any idea?”

Elizaveta hummed thoughtfully.

”I can’t entirely be sure, but I think she would have wrangled the duchess of Angsgot, Lady Ibota and possibly Princess Aalis if she can manage it.”

”Princess Aalis?”

”One of the sisters of the king. She’s unmarried, so she resides at Marimiers.”

Oh. Her aunt-in-law. This was shaping up to be a proper introduction alright. Marie probably should have recognised her name off the bat- this was a person Madam Belrac would have made her memorise on the way here, but it was a little difficult to remember all the nobles she should have. It had been a very long list.

”And the other two? Why does the good madam want me to meet them?”

”The duchess of Angsgot is... shall we say, very loose-tongued, but very beloved amongst the older courtiers. She is very well-connected. As for Lady Ibota, she was the old king’s mistress, before he died. Yet she is here still, without his protection, and thriving. So I suppose Madam Belrac wants you to learn what you can from her political aptitude.”

They sounded like a triumvirate of very formidable women.

Marie already missed the easy-going attitudes of Elizaveta’s younger, careless companions.

But ah well. If they didn’t learn to be like these venerable women Madam Belrac wanted her to meet, there would be a lot of trouble awaiting them in the future.

Elizaveta paused before they entered the west wing.

”Hmm, I should probably warn you as well... Many courtiers are likely to have hitched on to the three ladies’ skirts. I don’t know exactly how many there will be in attendance today...”

Marie managed a smile. ”Three, or three hundred- I’ll still have to go in, won’t I? Come on, let’s not keep Madam Belrac and the ladies waiting.”