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

King Theolious was nothing but polite to her in every manner of the word, from the way that he talked to her to the way that he treated her. He was going to become a doting and loving husband when the time came, and Ermine supposed that it would be a good thing for her to have a man that cared about her rather than one that wanted an easy woman to wed and bed then forget about until hed had a wine too many. A loving marriage was better than one where she was second to a group of concubines. Ermines parents displayed only slight concern at their daughter going off with her future husband, not because of anything they feared for her safety, but because they worried about her lack of refinery in regards to the art of conversation. She was not a rude child, but she was a vocal child when it came to subjects that she was passionate about and they were about to step into a life of leisure that they could only ever dream of. Freida, her mother, was nervous but went all too willingly with Irmlia, a smile slowly coming across her face as it was brought to her attention that she would have a say in at least some of what the wedding would have. Oh, lovely, madame, She hadnt forgotten her status because of her daughters engagement, but she was aware that she now had a say in things, of sorts, Id be honored to talk about the wedding. I think I could add a touch of home to the decor. Edgar was reluctant to follow, dreading the conversations that he would be stuck a part of until his daughter was properly wed to the king and the entire affair was behind them. He was a man that would much prefer to do things actually productive, like creating things in his forge or cleaning up the neighborhood to make it at least slightly more clean to walk through. Meanwhile, Ermine was given the best view of the castle, her eyes roaming at the lavish decorations and the suits of armor that loomed over her. She had heard of how lovely the inside of the castle was but she had never dreamed of some of the fineries that would be inside of it - her own home was extremely humble. It was a simple abode that was off the main shop - the main area was for the kitchen and dining area, where most of their time was spent, and two very small bedrooms with straw mattresses on the floor. It bothered her to see such rich things used just to decorate while there were people in the kingdom that starved to death, curled up in the streets like they were nothing more than mongrel dogs that had been kicked aside. It hurt her heart to know that the King had suffered none from the famine of the kingdom and had felt none of the pain of his people. He should be a shining example - if they were in poor condition, he should be as well. Instead, the only wear she saw was on his head - his hair was turning white from stress but otherwise okay. The feast was another matter that was an example of how much of a difference there was between the two groups - her own family would eat simple meals that consisted mostly of lumpy breads and some sort of meat. On rare occasions, there would be a fresh vegetable that her father had managed to get ahold of, but most of their food was that which was easy to obtain, whether by hunting or being sold on the market. She was mostly observant of the surroundings, because it was all so much to take in at once, picking at her plate lightly from the pieces that were being served that she could identify. I apologize for my silence, my king. I have never seen such foods as these. I believe that my stomach is not used to such large meals as your court is. She murmured, having eaten only about half of what servants had piled onto her plate, her interest mostly in the bright fruits that she was curious to try and of the venison and bread. Ermine had only just started to sample the wine and feel its warmth when her fiance stood and gave his toast, her eyes staring down at her lap as the entire hall stared at her, intent to take in the woman that would soon be queen. Her mother was particularly staring, her eyes hard and cold as ice with the silent threat that Ermine was to remain quiet and subservient. She had been drilled well of what her place was - she was to be a piece of artwork that was to be seen and not heard. She could stand by the kings side and smile at the people and show that the king had chosen a common bride, but she would not interject with her silly notions of the king stepping in to care for the people. Her outspoken personality was to remain for the bedroom, when the king would require her to be a zealous and giving lover. Her mother had been very insistent that she give her all to him, as it wouldnt do for the man to take on a concubine to satisfy lusts that his wife could not fulfill. Once the speech was over, he sat back down and started a conversation with her privately, every bit as polite and as wonderful as ever. It did irk her a bit that they were all fascinated with the concept of giving away gold for a ceremony. Her mind drifted to the people outside the castle walls -- men, women, and children that were struggling just to feed themselves and survive. She thought of her friends, some of which had died in the plague. Life outside the walls was a living hell in which people struggled only to die coughing up their own blood and drowning in air. Her brows furrowed a bit as she pushed a grape around on her plate with a fork, glancing up to make sure her mother was busy in conversation with Irmlia before she spoke, My king, She hesitated, but the words spilled out against her will, If I may be as bold to say I think that a large ceremony would be a large insult to your people who are dying in the streets. Desperate to fix what she had broken with a simple statement, she grasped her wine and drank of it before trying again, I mean to say that perhaps we should honor the common laws. She tried again, feeling her cheeks grow hot with embarrassment at her outburst.