"This place is rather nice."said Malwina, looking around.
She had gone to visit Fayruza at her mother's. Ceres had given her leave to visit her relatives on Earth.
"Since I've met you, I've wondered how concubines live."
"My mother isn't a concubine anymore. Her husband was given a title and money in exchange for marrying her, after Lord Kunzite was betrothed to the Princess of Venus."
"Hmm."Malwina nodded, looking around. "You don't suppose I could, ah, meet the, uh, your mother, I mean. I've never seen, such a lady as that before."
Although Fayruza had told her this many times, she always found the idea hard to grasp.
"She has always seemed just like other people to me."Fayruza looked amused. "At least she looks like other people. Look."
Fayruza left the room for a few minutes and returned with a woman.
"This the Lady Malwina, Mother. She serves Her Grace of Ceres along with me."
Malwina seemed to have forgotten her manners. Fayruza was right when she said her mother did seem like other people, but couldn't seem to stare. She didn't know why she had thought she was different. What had she expected?she thought now. Maybe a difference in her manner? She wasn't sure how to treat her, either. What would the status of a concubine be? She had been able to tell that Princess Larimar did not like her at all, but didn't seem all that different. She even had the same golden hair Minako did, although she had green eyes, not Minako's blue. She dress in yellow.
"I am pleased to meet you,"she finally settled for saying. "ah…"lady?she wondered. Miss? Grace? No, not grace.
"Lady."Fayruza's mother said.
"My stepfather was knighted by Lord Kunzite. A woman takes her husband's status."
"Oh, I see. Yes. I'm here to take you back to court."she said.
Fayruza looked up.
"Back to court? Her Grace said I could take as long as I like while we're here."
"Oh, you take as long as you like, and before you know it, you'll be dismissed in favor of someone else!"
"Favor of someone else?"
"There's someone looking to take your place at court!"
Fayruza stared.
"The Princess Larimar!"said Malwina. "Surely you can see that she wants a place at Her Grace's court, too! There are no places right now, and even if there were, she would expect to have a high position, being a princess of the blood and everything. Well, you are of the blood, too, but she is a princess."
"I would be demoted."said Fayruza.
"Demoted! You would be dismissed! I get the impression she would not want you at court. I don't think she has anything against you, but she would like a position at court. And yours is the highest, yours and mine."
"I thought you said they were always at each other's throats."
"They are, but she does want a place at her court. It's not so surprising, is it?"
"I remember Princess Larimar."said Fayruza's mother with distate. "I served her, after all."
Malwina looked surprised.
"Concubines serve?"
"Of course I served in her household. I wasn't in high favor when I started. And a more unpleasant woman you won't find anywhere. Especially when I obtained favor."
"How could she dislike you if she favored you?"
"It wasn't her who favored me."
"You found her so unpleasant that you left her service? But she never struck me as unpleasant, exactly. Just a tad ambitious, and exasperating, perhaps. She and Her Grace don't get a long too well, just because one exasperates the other. Hence the fact that they're at each other's throats."
"More than exasperating."Fayruza's mother said with distate.
"She doesn't seem to be fond of you."Malwina observed to Fayruza. "Anyone can see that. Odd because one would think she would like you, given that you are Terran, at least. But maybe that's why she doesn't like you. Because she would like your position."
She's rather unlikably and exasperating. That's why I decided to give her no children. Then she would really be mean, maybe even dangerous. People are ambitious for their children. That's why and Ceres don't get along very well, and she's always trying to give her a hard time, trying to become the best of friends, always arguing.
