(Log) Meeting of the minds
Who: King Varvenis Westerveldt of Pentacles, Princess Maricosa Westerveldt of Pentacles, Queen Elizabeth of Swords and Prince Liam of Swords
When: Thursday morning
Where: Swords Castle
What: A marriage is arranged
The conversation had been a short and tense one. Liam had seen something like this coming for years. Elizabeth had informed Liam that his Uncle Varvenis was coming with Maricosa and they were to discuss a possible marriage arrangement. Elizabeth told Liam that she would give him as much time to come to terms with it, but it was basically finalized. "Why do you do this to me mother?" Liam asked holding his head in his hands. "All I want to do is read my books and travel."
"Sometimes my dear son we must make sacrifices to ensure a brighter future. And we must all do things we don't want to do to ensure the suffering of our enemies," Elizabeth said simply.
"What enemies?"
Elizabeth only smiled. The precious Queen Bariah couldn't possibly put one of her own children on the throne if Maricosa was still in line to the Pentacles throne and Liam could have two armies behind him if he was ever in the need. It was a win-win. So Elizabeth arranged everything to make sure Varvenis and Maricosa would be comfortable. She had tea and sandwiches made and brought into the two rooms that they would be occupying.
Liam and
Elizabeth sat in two high backed chairs as they waited for their guests.
When Varvenis had informed Maricosa of their travel plans, and the reason for the sudden visit, she was over the moon. She began packing immediately, directing the servants to prepare her finest gowns so that she may impress her betrothed, and to retrieve her travelling cloak from storage.
Varvenis had allowed her to choose a necklace from her late mother's parure for the occasion, and after a short argument she was permitted to take her tiara. The king preferred to travel without his crown; lest it be lost or stolen. The argument over the cat, however, he won. It would not travel with them.
The Ayatollah was summoned to bless a chest of coins which would be taken along as the traditional dowry. The King could not remember if a dowry was still custom in his siblings' kingdoms, but it was in his.
After much fuss, the party left Pentacles Castle; King,
Princess, and a slew of servants and guardsmen. A two-day ride found them in Swords territory, and, after another day's ride, within the gates of Swords Castle. The Swords Guards greeted them most impressively as they passed through to the entrance hall, dismounting to enter the castle itself.
The small entourage was greeted by Elizabeth's personal assistant Lily who brought them into Elizabeth and Liam's personal sitting room. "Brother," Elizabeth stood, she was genuinely glad to see Varvenis, it had been quite some time since they had seen each other. "How are you?" she asked giving him a big hug.
Liam stood and shook his Uncle's hand. "Uncle," he said solemnly.
Varvenis hugged his little sister back; he was always glad to see her. "Being driven to the depths of madness!" He replied in response to her question, before taking his nephew's proffered hand and pulling him into a great bear hug. "Good to see you, my boy!"
Maricosa stood behind her father shyly. It had been years since they had last visited with their Swords relatives, and she had not seen Liam in all of that time anyway; Finn had taken him and Ebilene goose hunting and left her in the castle. She thought him quite a handsome young man, and envisioned a grand wedding.
After a few moments of being ignored, she kicked the back of her father's boot to induce him to present her.
Liam hugged his uncle back and was not surprised by his uncle's strength. He laughed a little bit as he stepped back and noticed the girl standing behind his uncle. "Good to see you uncle," he smiled.
Elizabeth saw her niece and remembered vaguely that although the girl was quite a beauty she was a handful once her mouth opened. She smiled kindly, hoping to coax her out of her shyness.
Mari needed little more invitation than that; flinging herself into her aunt's arms. "Lady Elizabeth, I missed you so much!" Elizabeth had made sure Maricosa was occupied that last summer she had visited, teaching her how to shoot a bow and arrow in the courtyard and admiring her amateurish attempts at embroidery. The mere memory of her attention was far more motherly than her stepmother's actual presence.
"Daddy," she hissed quietly.
Varvenis took the hint. "Prince Liam," he said formally. "May I present to you my daughter, Princess Maricosa?" He took Mari's hand and brought her to his side, before the young prince.
Elizabeth hugged Maricosa back, although she could be quite a bit sometimes, Elizabeth had grown fond of her. "Look how you have grown," Elizabeth admired her as she stepped back.
"Princess Maricosa," Liam said quietly. He stood awkwardly for a moment. "It's so very nice to meet you," he was never very good with formalities, he rarely ever introduced himself with his title so it was all very strange to him indeed. "You're looking... well," he decided to add on at the end. All he wanted to hit himself in the forehead but contained his composure with a forced smile.
Mari could not wipe the grin from her face, though she tried very hard to act like a young lady meeting her betrothed for the first time. She curtsied and batted her eyelashes at him shyly. "My Lord. You can call me Mari if you like."
Again Liam stood in stock silence trying to think of anything to make the situation less awkward. "Um... alright... Mari," he smiled again. "You my call my Liam," that was one thing that would make him feel more comfortable.
Elizabeth placed a hand on her son's shoulder. "Why don't you take our dear Mari to your reading room and show her the books," she suggested. Varvenis and she had some logistics to discuss and as much as she knew Liam would rather be a part of that discussion she knew it was best for them to carry on alone. "It's right over there," she said pointing to the open double doors so that Varvenis knew nothing inappropriate would conspire. "And outfitted with tea and sandwiches," she added with a smile.
Liam nodded. "Right," he said. He started to turn but remembered it might be best to offer his arm. As he did he smiled again. "Would you like to accompany me to the reading room?"
Mari looked over her shoulder quickly for her father's word on the matter; he nodded almost imperceptibly and she joyfully linked arms with Liam, clinging to his side like a favourite sword.
Varvenis heard her say 'I like books!' as they departed for the reading room, though he couldn't for the life of him recall the last time he'd seen her pick up a book. He supposed she was doing her best to make a common interest.
He turned back to his sister. "She has been as gay as a spring parade since I told her the news. Let us hope Liam can handle her."
Elizabeth laughed warmly. "He's the strong, silent type, I think they might even each other out," she said. "Come sit with me," she motioned to the empty chairs and made herself comfortable. "Mari is such a nice girl and has grown quite a lot since I last saw her."
"It has been nearly seven years." He hadn't traveled with his family since... well. Not with his new wife and daughter. There were tensions in the family.
He switched subjects quickly. "You've taught her well; she's a fine archer. Striking moving targets at a distance, just like you." He had amusing memories of his sister's potential husbands being chased from the Arcane Castle by a flurry of arrows from her bedchamber window. In that way, she was not like Maricosa at all. "If only she had taken to leisurely pursuits so well. But, to the matters at hand."
Varvenis produced an enormous iron-bound chest from the folds of his cloak. "A dowry. If you will not accept it, I will gift it to the children."
Elizabeth smiled, she loved seeing a woman able to protect herself with a bow. "She was a most excellent student," Elizabeth knew that under the guidance of her new step mother she would probably not be allowed to practice such arts.
"I admire her romanticism," Elizabeth said honestly. She didn't know how the girl could have such ideas in her head after everything the pentacles had gone through. "It's endearing," she said.
She saw the chest before her. "Perhaps the children would find a better use for it than I. I'm just a simple woman, you know me, no need for such gifts."
"Very well." Varvenis had been fairly certain that his sister would not accept the token gift. "They can use it to start a household. Is there no compensation you will take?" Though on paper their children were an ideal match, he could not help but wonder if the match was being made at the expense of Liam's own wishes; perhaps he was already courting a lady. Varvenis had himself been lucky enough to arrange his own marriage to his first wife, whom he had truly loved.
"I expect Mari will become a citizen of Swords? Liam would be expected to convert to Temperance should they settle in Pentacles territory; and I'd not force that on him."
"As long as our children have an assured future and are healthy I will be happy," Elizabeth said. She was sure that Varvenis would not want to force Liam into a marriage without compensating but she also knew that Liam would not except a gift.
"Liam has expressed his wishes to stay in the Kingdom of Swords as he is in line to the throne and feels he has a duty to the people. I hope Mari will feel at home here." Elizabeth thought to herself that the girl would gain the same freedom as the women in the swords kingdom. As much as Elizabeth loved her brother, she could never live under the rules of his kingdom, it was far too strict and stuck behind the times for her.
Varvenis nodded. "I am certain she will. She likes to dance, and run wild unchaperoned. It won't raise eyebrows here, as it does at home." He thought on the necessities. "Mari's handmaidens will stay with her. I can provide a household of servants should they settle in the manor in the south of Swords." The Pentacleon people were not terribly adventurous, and did not like to stray far from their native territory.
"Of course, whatever she needs," Elizabeth said. "Liam prefers to do his own housework so I think however many you think Mari will need should suffice," Elizabeth said.
"Liam and I have been talking about where he would like to live but he would like to discuss it with Mari. He is a very sensitive young man and doesn't want to just throw Mari into a completely new situation where she has no say."
"I do not think she cares, so long as she is able to play attentive wife," he confided. "She would move to the battlefront if that is where she found a husband. Though, it is hard to say whether she will bow to her ideal of married acquiescence or give in to her independent demands."
"I feel comfort that it is Liam she will be with because I know he would not take advantage of her acquiescence," Elizabeth said honestly. She hated to see a battered or dependent wife.
"I feel that she may grow to love independence in our home," Elizabeth smiled. "Especially under my guidance."
Varvenis laughed heartily. "I have no doubt you will find more than enough independence in her, waiting to be cultivated." Her mother had been so, even adhering to strict Temperant law.
"I cannot offer your son a title; the Pentacleons only recognize patrilineal ascendancy." This meant that while his son's theoretical wife could become Queen of Pentacles, his daughters theoretical husbands could not. "He would of course be recognized as Mari's titled husband, but I cannot give him a Pentacleon title."
Elizabeth smiled, it was good to know there was an independent fire inside the young girl. Maybe Liam would end up being happy with her in the end.
"Liam is not looking for any more titles," Elizabeth said sincerely. "He barely goes by the title he has here."
"Then it is settled! We have a most agreeable arrangement. For when shall we plan the most happy occasion?"
"I don't want to get the poor girl all excited and do this to her but I think it would be best to give them some time to get used to the idea. Perhaps a year would be best, then Mari would be slightly older, most of our girls get married around sixteen or seventeen and it would give Liam some time to figure out where they should live," Elizabeth suggested. "And of course we should have an engagement celebration very soon to soften the length of the engagement."
"Of course." Varvenis couldn't imagine Liam wanting to sign his freedom over right away anyway. He was an eligible young bachelor; a prince at that-- he had much playing around to do, much sowing of seeds. The time would come for him to settle. And Mari; though she wished so desperately to be wed Varvenis couldn't stomach the thought of such a young child-- his daughter, furthermore-- performing... wedding night duties. "She will understand; though she may fuss to begin with."
Elizabeth was relieved as she remembered bits of last nights discussion with Liam again.
I will not consummate any marriage with her! She is far too young! He was right but it really was the best option for him. "Then it's settled," Elizabeth said. "With the help of my personal assistant and the royal entertainer, my two very best friends, we should be able to pull together a party by the end of the week."
