Thread: Rags, Riches, and Rumors [ Bear & LordBesar ]

The moment that the King had stood and taken the attention of the small group that was gathered around them, Freida looked as if a protest was sitting at the edge of her lips that she dare not let loose, instead opting to quite literally bite the tip of her tongue, her eyes heavy and watching as Ermine followed the man away from the table politely. Edgar was quick to attempt at pacifying her by laying a soft hand on her thigh, knowing that the woman was only worried about Ermines tongue, which was sharp and often too quick for her own mind to stop and consider her manners prior to speaking. Ermine could feel the womans eyes boring into hte back of her head as she was lead away, her shoulders relaxing a bit as they turned the corner and headed onto the grounds. The castle itself was a beautiful sight but it was nothing in comparison to the well cared for grounds that surrounded the place. She had often heard whispers that the gods themselves had come to nurture the plants that were in the gardens so that the flowers grew in colors that commoners could only imagine and so that they smelled so sweet that the king couldnt smell the dead and the dying. She knew now that it wasnt that he was unaware of the plight of the people, but more that he was bound by duty and by manners as much as she was. He had a reputation to uphold and though his word was law in the kingdom, he still had to consider the possibility of betrayal in his own house and worry about the others in his counsel. The choice wasnt as easy as waving his hand and he would be able to fix everything that was in his reign. Ermine didnt pull back from his touch as he grasped her other hand, her eyes meeting his slowly. His words weighed heavy on her shoulders, not because they were hard for her to hear or hard to understand, but because with great power there was always a great responsibility. She was a nobody that was becoming somebody finally and her voice would go from one of the many that cried in the streets to one of the ones that could help. She had the power now that she would be able to save, to ease some of the pains in the people. I,-- Thank you, my lord. She said finally, I will bear that on my mind with every word. And that much was true, as she now had a chance to do something rather than sit in the middle of the situation and feel like a hopeless child. Her mind was full of thoughts of what would come after marriage, not just the night of but also what would be expected of her and what she would have to do in order to do things without seeming to overstep her bounds. During htis time, she was thankful that hte king took the lead and showed her around the garden, pointing out all of the different herbs and plants that were there, some ones that she could identify and others some that she had never laid eyes on before in her life. The part that brought her swirling thoughts to a hush was the flowers - they were lovely blooms that were almost breath taking in their beauty, equal parts gorgeous as they were fragrant. She was drawn to them, her fingers stroking the petals in soft admiration of the small slice of heaven they had planted here in the castle grounds. She could hear him telling her of the history of the gardens and the flowers, the history every bit as new to her as the blooms. He lead the conversation slowly away from his own familys history after telling her about his father, now moving to ask about her own history. Her own story was by no means as lavish as his, and nowhere near as interesting. She debated quietly all of what she should tell him before deciding that blatant honesty was probably the best of routes. I dont think I have a history as you, my lord. She didnt feel comfortable yet with calling him Theo, even in the privacy of the gardens, as it felt foreign on her tongue to speak to the king as an equal, My sisters are by far more remarkable than I. The oldest is Annice, and she is a wonderful seamstress. She bore her husband two sons, Daniel and John, and is an excellent cook. The other sister is Della, she wed a fisher and assists the baker. Her womb is barren but she hopes that the gods will one day bless her with boys as they have Annice. She had talked more about her sisters, but they were as much a part of her as everything else. Though Annice and Della were both sweet girls overall, they were harsh in the way they tried to get Ermine to work harder at being good wife material. They had worked hard with her to teach her to sew and to bake, but it had been in vain it seemed, as she was never truly good at any of it. Ermine silently wondered if the gods had made her terrible at those so that she would learn one feminine art - speech, that way she may one day speak for her voiceless people. My sisters are much older than I so they did not play with me much as a child. I spent most of my time around the adults and learned to listen to their conversations quite well. It was at the lap of my elders that I learned I am no good at things most women are expected to be decent with, but I do know the art of speaking with others, though mother believes that my tongue is too sharp for my place and often runs ahead of my manners. She smiled just a bit, My mother is most likely worrying herself sick that I become an unruly child without her careful eye. That was a funny thought, to think of Freida squirming in her seat next to the Kings mother, dying to be in the conversation of the king and his wife to be. I think I will enjoy working in the garden, She admitted, her eyes moving back to the flowers, I cant cook or sew but when mother and father would lay down at night I used to sneak into the forge and craft I enjoy to work with my hands like that and see what I can make. I think gardening may be similar, just more of a wait. Her hand cupped a bloom gently and she ran her thumb over it, smiling softly mostly to herself. I do worry that I may not be fit to live in a place such as this, She admitted, sounding a bit sheepish, The fletchers son Thomas told me that the castle was full of wolves. He swore that hed heard them at night and had seen them. I was fool enough to believe such a silly tale. She laughed at that, shaking her head a bit, I feel silly that I even believed it at all.