As the note had promised, a majestic carriage pulled outside the Damaran led by expensive black horses. Aelis wasn't entirely sure what breed they were, but from what she could see from her window, they looked very fancy.
"Are you sure you are not forgetting anything?" her mother asked fluttering about the room. Aelis didn't think she did.
She was wearing one of her older fine clothes, a lovely dress in grey, somewhat old-fashioned with a high neck that tapered to a slim waist. She didn't quite want to wear the diamond necklace on the dresses, so she decided to just wear the diamond studs, that sparkled in her black hair which she had arranged stiffly on her head. She adjusted her grey hat over her head.
"The carriage is here, my lady." one of the staff announced.
Ignoring her mother's tittering excitement, Aelis mustered all the elegance she could swishing down the hallway. She was sure the Duke would be waiting for her in the carriage - he had no intention of paying a social call to her parents, but she still wished to make a proper impression on his staff, who she knew would be watching her every move.
"If it pleases my lady," the Duke flashed her another of his brilliant smiles as he took her gloved hand to his mouth for a kiss. What was he doing here? He seemed to have been exchanging a few words with her father, who was sheepishly standing behind an ornate chair. "We must hurry."
"Indeed, my lord." Aelis offered a deep curtsy and nodded at her parents - her father seemed to have a surprised but pleasant expression - she followed the Duke of Lurris outside to his waiting carriage. He helped her get in, before following her and closing the door. "What did you say to him?" Aelis found herself asking once they were comfortably seated facing each other. The afternoon sun gleamed on his face shining through the windows as they set off.
"Well, nothing he would feel any distress over."
"Please don't keep me in the dark," Aelis said, frowning at the man whose smile had not gone yet.
"I requested his permission in allowing to travel with me to the estate." He was still smiling.
"Travel?"
"Yes, travel. We shall be heading to the dukedom in a week or so."
What?
Heading to the dukedom?
What was he talking about?
"My lord -" Aelis began to protest. She had been under the belief that the Duke would see his mistake of engaging himself with someone of such low status and break off the engagement. In all honesty, Aelis had been relying on the aftermath of that event to boost her own status and get married well. Did he actually mean to marry her then? Nonsense!
"Do you not want to get used to your future residence?" He reached for her hand before stopping himself.
"It's not that but -"
"Shhh," he smiled with his cold eyes, "Your presence will help me revive the estate. It simply hasn't been the same since my mother and sisters passed away. A woman's touch - the future mistress's touch is what it needs," His smile sagged, "So will you do me the honor of coming to my estate to spend our engagement period?"
While it was not unheard of for women to live with the men they were engaged to, it was still only allowed within certain reasonable limits - such as consent of both the parties, consent of both the families, assignment of a chaperone, external circumstances and so much more. Did he simply want to give more gossip to the people? Or did he seriously want to revive his estate?
"This is too sudden, my lord," she said folding her hands on her lap demurely.
While it was true that as a lady from a lesser-known noble family, she had never even laid her eyes on a dukedom, much less have the expected knowledge of 'reviving' it, she however, had studied - the methods, ways, and expectations of managing an estate - something her mother had forced her to do irrespective of their social standing.
Thank you, mother.
"Do consider it." He said as the carriage trotted to a halt. "I would love to have you by my side as soon as possible,"
Aelis felt her cheeks get warm and before she could respond, the door cracked open and they found themselves stepping down in front of the Queen Regent's Palace. While the entire Royal Quarters was dedicated to the family of the ruler, it was more or less a collection of buildings, a city onto itself, where the Queen Regent resided in one of the smaller palaces towards the rear. The Duke must have sent an envoy clearing through the security ahead of him because their entry had been pretty smooth.
The Queen Regent was waiting for them in her gardens and they followed one of the smartly dressed servants to the area, catching barely a glimpse of the palace's exquisite beauty. Duke Lurris seemed pretty unfazed, perhaps he had seen it all before, but Aelis didn't know if she would ever get the chance to soak in this beauty, so she walked with a fan over to her half-open mouth staring at everything in deep fascination.
"Remonn Emeral," an announcer announced breaking her stupor, "The Duke of Lurris! And his betrothed The Honourable Aelis Damaran!"
And then Aelis saw her.
Surrounded by delicate roses and rose branches growing around her, almost as if she herself was a rose, Her Royal Highness, Queen Regent Oranxe Exalos beckoned at them towards the delicately set tea table in front of her. She was barely in her mid-thirties, her youthful face betraying the almost childish playfulness in her eyes. Her dark blonde hair was curling and twisting into an elaborate hairdo decked with rubies. She was wearing a brilliant red dress with a low neckline, which her mother would have said was far too inappropriate for a tea party.
Aelis suddenly didn't know where to look.
The Duke bowed to her, and Aelis followed him into a deep curtsy. "Your Majesty," he said with, yet another of his flashy smiles.
"What a delight that you two could make it!" she smiled through her brilliant red lips. "Do have a seat, and my dear," she addressed Aelis, "That dress looks simply brilliant on you!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty," Aelis bowed, feeling her cheeks go warm.
Although she was glad she was not wearing her red dress - imagine having a color clash with the Queen Regent! - she still felt a bit mortified that she was wearing her old piece. She had assumed that this would be a dignified affair, not a fashion show. Beside her, she felt the Duke's gaze on her and she decided to pretend it didn't bother her.
"I heard Kilma make such a fuss the other day," the Queen Regent was saying, turning in her seat so they had a full view of her beauty against the roses, "She has been pestering me to set up a meeting between you and her sister for ages! And then you go and get engaged to, pardon me, your name?"
Shit, shit, shit.
"Aelis Damaran, your majesty. Daughter of Baron Damaran."
"You see?" The Queen Regent turned a mocking face at the duke as if to show how forgettable her family name was.
Shit, shit.