-36-
"There's nothing we missed right, Miriel? What about my collar? Is it creased? Anything else we may have forgotten? Are the servants ready? The guards?"
"We have prepared, Uncle. Stop fretting and stand straight." Miriel replied. Though, she too was unsure.
Miriel and Yorn stood outside the gates, with Mark and Louis a distance behind them with the guards at the gate. Each impeccably attired.
As Yorn fidgeted beside her, Miriel too was unable to calm her twitching fingers while she clasped her hands to her front.
As they waited, they saw a shining carriage headed for the mansion from afar. Coated in white and gold, the carriage stopped before them.
The coachman placed the mounting blocks before the carriage door, then the door opened.
Princess Allesol descended from the carriage, escorted down by the coachman. She wore a green dress that grew darker from front to back, her hair shining under the sunlight.
She stopped before Miriel and Yorn and placed a palm on her chest as she greeted them.
"Sun's blessings upon thee, Lord Yorn and Lady Lerkester. You have my gratitude for your gracious welcome."
Yorn put his hand on his chest and bowed, then straightened.
"May fortune be with you, your highness. Uh, welcome to Lerkester. I hope you uh, enjoy your time here," Yorn stuttered as he spoke, "If we may, erm, my niece will guide you to our humble abode."
Miriel stepped forward, and bowed - palm to chest.
"I greet thee, your highness. Allow me to escort you." She said.
"Very well, lead the way." Elle replied.
Miriel turned and guided her to the mansion.
"Have you journeyed alone, your highness Elle?" Miriel asked.
"I left my maids at the palace, that I may most enjoy my time here. Though, the knights and soldiers who followed me will be lodging in the town."
'Hopefully the townsfolk will be easy on them.' Miriel thought.
"Perchance, is the left one of the two in front Mark?" Elle asked.
"It is, your highness." Miriel replied.
"Ah, then I believe it right to assume he shall join us."
"He will, your highness. I would like to introduce you to one another."
"That would be most joyous." Elle said.
Miriel could barely keep her brows from creasing as they walked
-
In the living room, Miriel sat on a sofa beside Mark while Elle sat across them.
"Have you missed me, dear Miriel? Well I have missed you a lot. Always party this, gathering that, meeting this, and my maids held me back each time I tried to come here. Can you believe them? They would not let me join the common folk in their revelry, for the whole month!" Elle said, squishing the pillow she held in her lap.
'I most certainly can.' Miriel thought. She would have done the same were she in the Capitol.
"I did, your highness. Alas, matters have kept me busy in Lerkester." Miriel replied.
"Busy enough that you could not send even a letter?" Elle pouted as she turned her head away.
Miriel's mouth twitched.
"Your highness, we have no runners at Lerkester."
"Very well. But you could still write them. Had you, I may well be reading them right now even."
Miriel sighed.
"Okay, your highness. I shall write and hold them until they reach your hands."
"I shall be very pleased." Elle beamed as she hugged her pillow.
Clouds covered the sun rays seeping into the room for a moment, until they passed and the light beams returned.
Miriel straightened in her seat and turned to Mark, then back to Elle.
"If I may, your highness, this is my betrothed, Mark, a friend of many years." Miriel said.
Mark bowed, hand to chest.
"Fortune's greetings, your highness. I am Mark, once a, uh, soldier at the barricade."
"Sun's blessings, Mark. I am Elle, Miriel's present closest friend as you are now her betrothed." Elle smiled at Mark.
Mark blinked and glanced at Miriel for a moment, who was staring at Elle with her cheeks twitching.
"Your highness?" Miriel said.
"Well, he is your betrothed, is he not? And as I know it, there are no others to take the role."
Miriel turned to Mark - who tilted his head at her - then turned back to Elle.
"Fair enough, your highness."
Elle lightly shook her head and shrugged.
"Your highness, what might be your purpose that you would visit Lerkester?" Miriel asked.
"Hmm," Elle pondered for a moment, then nodded, "Drop the honorifics and I shall tell you."
She smiled.
Miriel kneaded her brows with her fingers.
"Are you here just to visit, Elle?"
"That is correct," Elle nodded,"I am here to play and tour Lerkester, mostly play. I shall be imposing on you for the length I stay."
"Then it shall be so," Miriel sighed, "We have prepared a room for you."
Thankfully, Miriel had the foresight and directed the servants to fashion one of the rooms above just in case.
"Well that is wonderous," Elle bobbed her head, "Though I must say, I am quite parched as the journey was lengthy."
She frowned, with a hand over her throat.
"I shall fetch servants for water." Miriel said.
She stood and turned to Mark, who was shaking his head at her.
She faintly bowed and left the room.
-
Mark watched Miriel leave the room with his hands clenched. His heart skipped a beat as the doors closed.
"How long have you known Miriel, Mark?" Elle said, fingers interlocked on her lap, staring straight at Mark.
Mark turned to the princess.
"Since I was uh, eight or nine, or ten, I think, princess."
"Your highness will be fine. How did you meet?" Elle replied.
"I don't remember, uh, I think I was crying and she stood in front of me." Mark stared at the ground as he spoke.
"How was Miriel, when she was young?"
"Erm, I don't quite know how to say, your highness. I guess she was wild and lively. And very spirited." Mark replied.
"You were together from then until you left for the barricade."
"Basically, yeah." He nodded.
"Was this before or after Baron Lerkester's health declined?"
"It was after, your highness."
"Yet you still left."
"Well, the physician said it was just stress and nothing more serious." Mark scratched his head.
"And when you were at the barricade, were you keeping contact? Did you send letters?"
"No, your highness. I was uh, swarmed with tasks." Mark's hands tightened as his eyes darted around the room.
"Mark," Elle said," You are a commoner, are you not?"
"I am." Mark replied.
"Who would not be presently engaged to Miriel otherwise, if not for my edict."
"Likely, your highness." Mark nodded.
"I admit I expected nothing of that particular clause, much less for a feudal noble to employ it. Nonetheless, you stand as a beneficiary."
"So," Elle continued, " I shall deign it upon myself to ensure your pairing. Or, if necessary, your parting."
"You do understand what I mean, do you not?" She narrowed her eyes at Mark.
"No, your highness. I don't understand what you, uh, are talking about."
Mark's palms were sweating, he struggled to still his shaking foot.
"How was your time at the barricade, Mark?" Elle asked.
"I was lucky your highness. It was uneventful and uh, mundane."
"Perchance it was. Yet you are plagued by what you saw there, are you not?"
Mark's eyes widened, he stopped breathing for a moment.
"Your highness I…"
"I am aware that people who return from that place suffer such predicaments, covered as it afflicts commoners. Who, in turn, keep to themselves."
"Yet it is not hard to tell if one knows what to look for."
Mark blankly stared at the princess, neither replying nor reacting.
"Though you need not worry, the nurses and healers at the barricade hardly remember their patients. And I know of no other with such a keen eye."
"Now. Mark," Elle continued,"Do you believe it appropriate that Miriel is paired with someone with such problems?"
Mark was silent, staring at his hands.
"No, your highness." He weakly shook his head.
"Indeed," She nodded, "Nonetheless, it shall be. I stay my hand as it seems Miriel is aware but still wishes to push through. If not, I would split your betrothal. That is, unless she changes her mind."
"Do take note as I shall be watching." Elle said and stood up.
Mark stood up and bowed.
"I will keep that in mind, your highness."
He watched as the princess left the room.