Announcement

[royal_obligation]

Edarial makes a list of necessities for a wife. He has Zevros check it over, who promptly rips it up and throws it at him. He is of the opinion that if Edarial doesn't actually want to marry a specific person, he shouldn't, and Zevros will have nothing to do with any of it. Edarial sighs, rewrites it, and keeps it and a copy of it away from his twin in the future.

He makes the announcement to various interested people that he will be looking for a bride. Just saying it makes him feel sick. Edarial manages to keep it together long enough to give a list of the qualities he's looking for before he flees. He says he's busy, no one will look twice at him being curt and disappearing to get work done. So no one comes after him when he hides in his room and locks the door.

Face buried in his pillow, he realizes that there's no way he can be personable to his - whatever they are. Potential brides, suitors - whatever, he doesn't care. He'll hire someone to vet them, so he doesn't have to torture himself dealing with women trying to persuade him to marry them.

Comments

[come_midnight]

"I imagine he does know where my cat is," says Iobel. "I really don't think asking nicely is the sort of thing that will help, though knock yourself out if you want to try it. I got as far as finding where they were hiding him, the other day, and I got my head slammed into the floor a few times by the guards for my trouble, and then they moved him I know not where, and if I annoy the wrong person the wrong amount the implied threat is unmaking."

[aestrix]

"What?!" cries the woman. "Unmaking? That doesn't sound like him at all, are you sure it's him?!"

[come_midnight]

"Do you want to read his proposal?" asks Iobel, plucking the letter from the bedside table. "Here, read that in the context of me trapped here, guarded night and day, cat kidnapped."

[aestrix]

Read, read.

Then she makes an 'Eep' sound, and drops the letter.

"Oh all-knowing one above, oh my god! This is against your will and the prince has forced you here?!"

[come_midnight]

"My cat," Iobel adds, "was poisoned when I was packing to leave the country because I didn't like being ordered here, and they took him when I brought him to the fountain."

[aestrix]

"Oh my god," repeats the woman, both hands closing over her mouth and looking terrified. "And they still have him?!"

[come_midnight]

"Yes. I found him the first night, knocked out two guards on my way, but they said they were going to move him after that."

[aestrix]

She nods, shivering. "I'd - in a normal situation I'd get the prince, but that won't work here, do you think I should get - Zevros or, or - oh, no, no no he would be on Edarial's side, wouldn't he, they're always on each other's side..."

[come_midnight]

"I wouldn't know. I've never met my future husband or my future brother-in-law."

[aestrix]

The woman makes a little frightened but sympathetic sound. "They work together on everything, they act like they fight but it's fake, they don't have actual fights at all, oh god I can't get Zevros. The - the former king's useless, no actual power, oh my god I don't know what to do," she squeaks.

[come_midnight]

"Apparently what you're supposed to do is pretty me up for the wedding," says Iobel.

[aestrix]

"B-But - but you're - you're a hostage, you shouldn't be here!"

[come_midnight]

"Yes. I know. Do you think you can get me my cat? Because if you can't I still have to get married."

[aestrix]

"... I-I could try but I wouldn't know where to look and if he's guarded I wouldn't know what to do! I'm not a spellbinder, I've - I've got no experience with weapons or - or anything, I'm - I'm so sorry, I'm so, so sorry..."

[come_midnight]

"I could turn you invisible. I was working on something to walk through walls but I didn't get it finished in time."

[aestrix]

"... I'd still have to open doors. If he's guarded then it would be in a - room or something, they'd notice me opening the doors..."

[come_midnight]

"Yeah. That was my problem, too."

[aestrix]

"I - can look during the - the wedding, maybe? Or - no, then you'd still be married to him..."

[come_midnight]

"I currently expect to get him back after the wedding, and then I'll see - if it's bad enough to risk running away. If they don't give him back..."

[aestrix]

"I-I can help look?" offers the woman, shivering a bit with fear.

[come_midnight]

"Maybe. What's your name?"

[aestrix]

"Zephrys," says, apparently, Zephrys. "Zephrys Birch, it's um - nice to meet you, but not under the circumstances."

[come_midnight]

"I understand the feeling. Okay. What am I wearing?"

[aestrix]

"A pretty dress? I was all prepared to get excited about it before but now it's just..."

[come_midnight]

"Of the things that bother me about this situation the dress isn't really one of them. We might as well get on with it. I don't want anyone to think I'm stalling so I can put together a grand cat rescue plan and have them decide to jump the signal."