The prospect of a safe marriage (an engagement) with its pros and cons, where Aelis had mostly been looking at the pros, had led her to not quite think about the cons. She was fairly sure that at her eighteen years of age and the Duke's twenty-three, there would be very few problems in the marriage. With the responsibilities that came with his position, it was highly likely he would be at the Queen Regent's beck and call, or even better stuck with his administrative duties in the Palace Complex. She had no interest in performing her wifely duties though she was very eager to perform her Duchess duties - organizing banquets, setting up fairs, and managing the dukedom's more intricate affairs.
But of course, she would need to learn more about House Emeral and get ready for whatever cons would follow.
With these thoughts running through her mind, she wondered how she should go about gathering information as she paced back and forth in her room. The meetings with the tailor and the seamstress had just concluded, having had to be dragged even after lunch - she had made sure to order several practical clothes in addition to the garish outfits she would have to wear as the Duke's fiancée. The fastest way of procuring information would be collecting gossip from the staff who lived with her.
She decided to take a quick look into the kitchen.
"Is Donna here?"
Owing to her father's wealth or lack thereof, they had brought only four staff members to the house in Orira - a cook, a scullery maid, a proper maid, and her father's butler. The cook answered in response, bowing a little as she continued to ladle a bowl - preparations for dinner,
"She should be coming in about now, my lady."
And as was told, Donna, the proper maid did stumble into the kitchens in a few moments, her bonnet slightly askew and her cheeks flushed red.
"Goodness Miss!" she swallowed, "Might I get you anything?"
"I was wondering if you could help me tidy up my room," Aelis said, leading the way. It would be much simpler to have a conversation in her room.
As they were climbing up the staircase, they ran into Orsha making her way down. She grinned at Aelis and traipsed down.
"What is she so happy about?" Aelis felt her annoyance rise.
"The governess," Donna informed her, "Mrs Deirdre is taking her leave as of today my lady."
The little monster will be running free now.
Aelis said nothing.
"What would you like help with my lady?"
"Please help me re-arrange the table," Aelis said, "And I wanted to ask you, what you think of the Duke."
"Goodness, my lady! I am of no station to have an opinion on a man as great as the Duke!" She curtsied deeply.
"Well, I don't know much about the man despite my ardent love for him," Aelis said with a face so straight that Donna blushed, "Wasn't his family involved in some sort of a scandal five years ago?"
"Five years ago? Would you happen to be talking about the Emeral Family Murders?"
The Emeral Family Murders?
"I think so?"
"That was quite a great scandal," Donna bit her lip, "I remember I was just starting out with your household. The whole village shut down that day. I couldn't buy milk anywhere. Mrs Yadledo forbade me from going outside."
"Isn't our estate far from the dukedom?"
"It is," Donna said, "But the murders, my lady. They were not quite normal, from what I remember."
"Not normal?"
"Well, his entire family, except his lordship himself, was dead." Donna paused trying to recollect details, "But there was something very magicky about the whole thing. The family was said to be cursed."
How in the world did Lord Remonn Emeral, Duke of Lurris manage to flip that reputation? Aelis didn't say anything. She doubted Donna would know or remember more details about this particular thing.
"Do you think," Aelis decided it would be prudent to change the topic, "Duke Lurris indulged in love affairs before me?"
"I am very sure you are his first true love!" Donna clutched her hands together.
"Donna..."
"Alright, well, I did hear that he has rejected several proposals that came to him in Orira this season and the last. But well before that, it would appear," she frowned, "That there was a woman, the Duke was keen on."
"What happened to her?"
"I don't quite know. I only heard this in passing, but they seem to have had some sort of falling out after which the Duke became a huge -" Donna smiled apologetically at Aelis, "He became a huge flirt, but he didn't quite go so far as to have an 'affair', but this is only as much as the maids have heard."
Aelis nodded in understanding. She wondered if this past woman of his would be a threat to her, after all, Lady Fughal who had almost no connection to him, caused such a huge ruckus the other day. As Donna chattered away about other inconsequential things as she worked, Aelis's mind continued to wander.
Ever since that day, all her appointments were held at her house.
If there was anything that needed her to travel, the Duke had situated two of his soldiers to stand in as her guards.
Although a part of her wanted to complain that this was over-the-top, she knew that these measures were needed, considering she wasn't even entirely sure about the politics and circle of the Duke. These were details that a mere maid wouldn't be able to procure, and Aelis would need to do it herself. She wondered if she would be able to squeeze in a trip to the Archives - at least to get more information about the murders.
It was a sore enough point that women weren't allowed to practice magic, which prevented her from accessing a whole half of the Archives - which were restricted for the Followers of the Arts. It would be annoying if she couldn't even make it to the non-magic portion.
"My lady," Donna said, and Aelis snapped out of her reverie. The door was open and the Butler was holding out a silver plate with a note.
'We are riding at dawn. Please prepare yourself and your sister accordingly. - Remonn.'
He had begun to sign his notes and use his personal seal so as not to have a repeat of the affair. She frowned at it. The plan was to leave in three days. And Duke Lurris was preponing it suddenly. She wondered if something had happened for him to make this move.
This meant no Archives!