A Queen Redestined

Chapter 7

The king and queen released Marie to her rooms after a short chat about the state of their travels, bidding her to come to see them early the next morning so she could be properly presented to court.

Her intended husband had simply watched them quietly from a short distance, and he gave an elegant farewell bow when it was expected of him. Other than that, he said nothing and did not come up to greet Marie at all. 

After Elizaveta’s shocking description of Alfons prior, Marie had to demanded to know why the prince was so disinterested in their wedding even though he had picked out her portrait from so many other ladies’. But the courtier had refused to say anything, saying that it was not her story to tell, and that she should hear it from Alfons’s own lips instead. Useless for Marie to try getting anything else out of her. Elizaveta was too careful with her words.

”Are the prince and I not allowed to speak before a formal introduction?” she wondered, as they took the endless stairs up the magnificent front hall of Marimiers, servants following behind them with chests. 

Giving them a backward glance, she supposed it was just as well that she had not brought much with her- it would have been very tiring for them to carry several heavy chests and boxes to her assigned quarters. Madam Belrac had informed her that they were at the very back end of the west wing on the third storey, with windows that looked out upon the even more decorative inner gardens and grounds of Marimiers. 

Madam Belrac shook her head.

”There is no protocol there. But it was not unusual that the two of you did not speak, no. The king and queen will see you for a while before court tomorrow- it is likely that you will be properly presented to the prince then, and you will get to speak to him then if you wish.”

How strange. Why would she not want to speak to a person who was betrothed to her? The contracts had been signed, brought back to the king and queen. They were properly engaged now, according to Gadilidan laws. 

But little at Marimiers, apparently, seemed to operate according to what Marie thought was normal.

The palace was vast. Marie hoped she would remember where everything was. Madam Belrac pointed out the various rooms as they passed by the long, wide corridors- a hall of guards, the ballroom, access to the inner west courtyard, the rooms of the Duchess of Cantlin, sister to the king. 

Elizaveta stepped closer when Madam Belrac paused, whispering that she would give Marie a map later, for which Marie gave her a grateful nod. 

Her apartments were located next to Prince Alfons’. Probably unsurprisingly, but the idea gave Marie a slight flutter in her stomach anyway. 

The cold reception she had received had been fairly discouraging. She didn’t know if she could make this work, she had never been naturally social or diplomatic in situations in like this. And to think about being neighbours- and later husband and wife- to a person who didn’t seem to think much of her presence at all...

She took a deep breath, and turned her attention to getting settled into her own rooms instead.

The door opened to her salon, where she would host her future visitors. There, another door opened to a set of five rooms, all linked together through a series of folding doors. There was a private room, for private audiences she might choose to have. A study, to the left of her smaller salon, and finally her bedroom, though of course she would spend her nights in the prince’s room once they were married, Madam Belrac informed her. The princess consort’s bedroom was then often given to their first child after they were old enough to require a room of their own, before they inevitably shifted some rooms around in the palace to give each royal child their own set of apartments. And finally there were two more chambers, where her ladies in waiting and maids could sleep if she so chose.

”We have a lot to do in the next three months,” Madam Belrac said, once the chests had been laid down, and her travel clothing removed for washing. ”There are some dresses in your wardrobes now, enough for a few weeks perhaps, but we really must get you more sewn. Not to mention starting on your wedding dress. You can start writing a list of things you would like to get, or commission. I imagine some weapons will be your first order of business.”

As she droned on, Elizaveta took over noting down what she would actually need, so Marie let herself look over the rooms that were to become her new home.

Like everything else at Marimiers, the rooms were dreadfully ornate. Of course, Castle Vifort was no simple stone fortress, but it looked like a hovel next to the palace. 

For one thing, gold dripped practically everywhere she looked. The cornices were carved in elaborate floral designs, vines interweaving beautifully with each other and culminating in plaster blooms that were either gold or painted softly in pink and orange gradients. The walls were thick paper, inlaid with more gold, painted skillfully in a hundred unifying motifs. More gold in the ornaments that littered the room. 

Where there wasn’t gold, exquisitely made decor of marble, pearls, and heavy wood took up the remaining space. 

It felt like living in a very crowded painting, the sort that had carefully drawn figures and details in every square inch of it. 

”Well, it’s been a very long journey,” Madam Belrac said at last, noticing that Marie’s attention was waning. ”Elizaveta will be your companion from now on, and take the first antechamber temporarily. Two maids will come up shortly, and they will live in the second antechamber. Don’t worry about the morning ritual yet- it will begin after you have been introduced to the court.”

Despite her constant frustrations with Madam Belrac, the older woman really had done her best for Marie. She was almost sorry to say goodbye to her, after having been in such close quarters for almost two weeks.

”I really appreciate everything you’ve done, Madam,” Marie said, before Madam Belrac could leave, and she could see the small flash of surprise in her eyes. ”I know I haven’t been the best student. All the same, I can see how hard you’ve tried to prepare me for Marimiers, and I can’t be more thankful.”

If she had been in Vifort, she would have a gift for Madam Belrac. As it was, deprived of all her things, the only gift she could give now was to perform a courtly curtsey, as perfectly as she knew how. She could see that Belrac was pleased by her gesture anyway.

”Well, I’ll still be working closely with you in the weeks to come,” she said, patting Marie’s hand. ”I daresay you’ll be entirely sick of me by the time the wedding comes.”

”I don’t doubt it. But I know you’re only doing your best at your job, in any case.”

With the servants and Madam Belrac gone, the rooms suddenly seemed very empty with just her and Elizaveta. The courtier noticed Marie glancing around her, and gave her a reassuring smile.

”It’s just for now,” she said, leading Marie to where clothes for her had been stored in anticipation of her arrival. ”Soon you’ll have people clamouring to be in here all day and all night, and you’ll want to chase everyone out with a broom.”

Marie let out a soft bark of laughter. ”Then I better appreciate the silence while I still have it.”

The armoire in her bedroom had several chemises and various items that were meant to be inner layers, along with a few court dresses. Marie trailed her fingers along the fine material of one of them, wondering how she would look in something this elaborately embroidered and decorated. It was like nothing she had ever worn before. 

Elizaveta took one set out, and laid it on the bed, so her maids could dress her later.

”I think the peach dress would be suitable for a night in,” she suggested, and Marie nodded. 

”I don’t really have an opinion. I’m sure whatever you pick will be fine.” Idly, Marie looked over the room again until something earlier in the conversation struck her. ”Wait. Madam Belrac said you would sleep here temporarily. Why only temporarily?”

”Ladies in waiting are afforded their own rooms with a maid each,” Elizaveta explained. ”But I thought you might be lonely the first few nights, so I said I would keep you company for a while, and go back to my own room once you’re properly settled in.”

Marie couldn’t help being supremely touched. ”You’re really too kind,” she said, only to be met with Elizaveta shaking her head.

”Not at all.”

The maids came in shortly with hot bathwater for the two of them then, to wash off the dirt of travel. 

Marie took the time to soak herself in the porcelain bath, sighing with pleasure at the heat of the water. Even the bathtubs here were stupid fancy, she thought, closing her eyes and letting the maid scrub her skin, after a brief fight where she tried to do it herself and failed. 

The soaps were scented with some flower she didn’t know, while the maid scattered rose petals into the water.

It took a long moment before she spoke.

”Are you one of the maids staying in the second antechamber?”

The maid dipped a curtsey in the middle of scrubbing her outstretched arm, which Marie found ridiculous, but couldn’t criticise. 

”Yes, my lady.”

”What’s your name?”

”Giselle, my lady.”

”Thank you for the bath and scents, Giselle,” Marie said, to the maid’s surprise. Giselle curtsied hurriedly again. 

”Oh, no. It’s only my job. I’m glad you’re pleased, my lady.”

It was on the tip of Marie’s tongue to ask her to stop adding ’my lady’ to the end of every utterance she made, but she decided to let it go for now. Probably time enough to tell her otherwise later.

The court dress felt odd on her still, even though this was a casual dress as far as fashion at Marimiers went; full dress for a normal day at court included a stiffer corset, a pannier to extend the skirt, and at least three to four more layers besides. Now it was just a dress with relatively soft stays and her chemise.

The maid had taken away her boots to be cleaned, leaving heeled court shoes instead, and Marie eyed them skeptically. She’d never worn anything like these, so she hoped she didn’t trip.

Dinner was, perhaps unsurprisingly, a ritual of dishes brought to them in order and in the most ornate ware Marie had ever seen. First they had dainty little appetisers of carved boiled eggs and roe in fluted glass cups. They were followed by elegant little cubes of beef with sprigs of herbs, bits of pheasant in a rich wine sauce and various root vegetables roasted in butter, all decorated so well Marie almost couldn’t bear to eat them. 

”I thought you said this was going to be a casual dinner,” Marie accused, to Elizaveta’s by-now familiar placid smile.

”It is. These are just what’s left after they’ve plated everything else for the king and queen’s private party tonight.”

”Good grief.”

After dinner, Marie left Elizaveta to her own devices, opting to wander the area around her apartments and gain some sense of direction. A passing maid directed her to the stairwell that would take her to the inner garden of the wing she now resided in. 

It was coming up on summer soon, but the evening air was still cool for now. Marie took a deep breath, stretching and tilting her head back. The sky was beginning to darken, and she could see the stars starting to twinkle in the pale blue-grey.

Footsteps to her left startled her, and she whipped around, only to come face to face with her betrothed.

”Prince Alfons.”

”Lady Marie.”

Belatedly, she remembered to curtsey, which the prince returned with an effortlessly elegant bow.

”I didn’t think I’d meet you before the formal introduction tomorrow,” she said, and the prince shrugged lightly.

”Nor did I. I simply came for a walk.”

”Likewise.” 

It seemed incredibly awkward and difficult to talk to him. Marie found herself casting about for a subject, but it was hard, especially when Madam Belrac’s rules bounced around her head like so many marbles scattering onto a floor.

Alfons seemed to take pity on her hesitation, and gestured to the path before them.

”Come. Walk with me a little.”

Marie noted that he did not offer her his arm, as the proper etiquette would have dictated. She was grateful for the breach though. Having to hold on to his arm while walking awkwardly through the garden together would have been awful.

”I did not get to speak with you earlier today,” she ventured, after they had walked in silence a bit. He seemed to stiffen slightly at that. 

”My apologies.”

”I wasn’t seeking one,” she said, turning to look at him, wondering what he was thinking. But his face seemed carved out of marble, utterly impassive. ”I was just thinking that it’s good to have met you now in private. Just to be able to talk a little with you.”

At that, he relaxed again, shoulders let down.

”What do you wish to talk about?”

”I don’t know. I’ve never been betrothed before, so I don’t know what betrothed couples are supposed to talk about.”

Was it just her, or was that a small amused huff she heard? 

Alfons remained quiet for a moment longer.

”How is your family?” he asked, after a while. Marie slid another glance at him.

”Fine. They were sad that I was leaving. But I suppose I’ll see them again in a few months’ time.”

”And are you sad?”

What a dangerous question. The proper answer, of course, would be to say no, that it was an honour to become princess consort, of course she was happy and excited, and that outweighed any sadness she would feel at leaving her family home. 

But Marie felt, instinctively, that aside from Elizaveta, this was the second person in the entirety of Marimiers she should not placate with polite lies.

”I cried the first few nights,” she said, and Alfons seemed to startle at that. ”But I suppose the sadness has lessened. And as my mother liked to remind me, this was always inevitable.”

”Becoming a princess consort?”

”Marrying outside of the family lands,” she corrected. 

Another long silence, as they walked. The garden, though just a small inner courtyard one, really was beautiful. It might have been even more beautiful if she had been alone to appreciate it. 

”Well, it was good meeting you,” Alfons said abruptly, another few steps in, and bowed low to her. She returned the curtsey, somewhat bewildered. ”I am glad to have met you before your formal introduction tomorrow. I look foward to getting to know you better in the weeks to come.”

Then he turned and just about fled the garden, leaving Marie entirely mystified. 

If she had thought the prince was aloof, now she could add ’odd’ to the short list of descriptors she had of him. 

”Good to meet you too,” she said aloud to the empty garden. ”I think.”