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

[royal_obligation]

Edarial's ruminating on why in the world his wife seems to hate his guts. Was it the letter? Did he word it badly? As he does, he wanders the halls, hoping that he won't run into anyone who will ask awkward questions.

He thinks he hears something, as he walks - he thought it sounded like 'Iobel,' repeated, but that - can't be right. It's his head playing tricks on him.

But he goes to investigate, anyway.

[aestrix]

And he runs into another person who's wandering the hallways for an entirely different reason. She's trying to find a cat.

She stares at Edarial, in surprise.

[royal_obligation]

"Hello, Zephrys," says Edarial, politely.

[aestrix]

That is when she slaps him.

[royal_obligation]

Edarial is more confused than angry, or even hurt. "... Why?" he says, stunned and holding a hand to his now stinging cheek.

[aestrix]

"You know what you did!" exclaims Zephrys indignantly. "Bastard!"

Then she turns and storms off.

[royal_obligation]

"I beg your pardon?" murmurs Edarial to a soon empty hallway. "... What did I do?"

He's... Just going to stop wandering the halls and go hide in his room. The great soon-to-be king of Marlatia, hiding in his room. How utterly fitting.

Edarial curls up with his familiar and tries not to cry.

[come_midnight]

"[Oh my brave kitty. Are you okay? Did they hurt you?]"

"[No,]" purrs Cricket, pressing himself into her as though he is a much heavier cat. "[No I am fine I did not even murder them though they would have very much deserved it are you okay he didn't touch you did he I will make him BLEED -]"

"[No,]" says Iobel, "[no, he didn't, I'm - I'm fine. All that and he's not going to touch me, looks like. At least until it's about time he had an heir.]"

"[Will we run away?]"

"[I don't know yet. Not today.]"

[aestrix]

There is a frantic knocking on the door.

"Iobel! Iobel, it's me," says a familiar voice. "Let me in, are you okay? Please be okay!"

[come_midnight]

Iobel opens the door, clutching Cricket to her shoulder with the other hand. "It's okay, we're fine," she says.

[aestrix]

"... Ohmygoodness you have him back!" says Zephrys with a smile. Then it drops and she looks fearfully over her shoulder. "... I also just did something really stupid!"

[come_midnight]

"...What?"

[aestrix]

"I may have um - slapped the prince. It was in the heat of the moment! He was just looking at me like everything was normal and I was so angry at him and I just -"

[come_midnight]

"I assume you mean the king," says Iobel dryly. "I don't know how much protection I'll be, but if you can get yourself assigned to work for me or something..."

[aestrix]

"Oh! Yes, um - king, the king. I slapped him. I'm not even sure I can be protected at all! Oh all-powerful one above, what if he has me executed?"

[come_midnight]

"I don't know what I can do," says Iobel, "but if I can do something I will and if you're nearby it will be easier to notice if I can."

[aestrix]

"Okay - um, maybe you can ask for a personal servant and I could - do that? And hide behind you and pray the king doesn't see me again?"

[come_midnight]

"Who do I ask?"

[aestrix]

"... Him, I guess? Or someone in charge?"

[come_midnight]

"The only people in this palace I have met are the guards who took Cricket, and the king, and you, and an incompetent little bureaucrat who told me a week ago he'd look for my cat and never came back. I don't know who's in charge. Who are you reporting to right now?"

[aestrix]

"Um. Mrs. Lyre, who reports to the king."

[come_midnight]

"Okay. Can you show me where she is?"

[aestrix]

Zephrys nods. "Yes. Follow me?"

[come_midnight]

Iobel nods, still holding Cricket; he's purring in her ear.

[aestrix]

She leads her to a wing of the palace that seems to be set aside for servants - there are quite a lot of them, all around. Zephrys leads Iobel up to a woman who's currently barking orders at people while doing what looks like paperwork. She waits until a moment when she's not barking order to address her.

"Um. Mrs Lyre?" says Zephrys.

"Hmm?" asks the stern looking woman, not looking up from her paperwork.