The Gaiden Chapters Chapter 25: Noblesse Oblige
The large oaken door of Hierarch Lamont's study opened and his daughter walked inside. "You wished to see me father?" Maribelle asked standing attentively at the threshold.
"Yes, please sit." He gestured to a chair that sat across from the desk he was working at. As the baroness sat down she studied the room. Her father's study was his natural habitat, he could be found there most of the time working or reading. It was off limits to everyone unless summoned or if you were the maid bringing him a meal. The mahogany desk in front of him was a large bulky piece devoid of any sort of pattern or inlaid carving. It was purely l functional and held countless documents. Scattered atop it were parchments and quills. A single, huge bottle of ink lay near his right hand near the official symbol of the barony of Themis. Along the walls of the study were books and ledgers dating back to the founding of Themis. The sole decoration in the room was a medium sized portrait of Lamont with his wife, Maribelle's mother, as well as baby Maribelle gazing up at something out of the frame.
Scribbling down one last sentence Hierarch Lamont signed it with the seal then placed in a pile of other finished edicts. Placing the quill back in the bottle of ink he turned his gaze to Maribelle and lightly laced his fingers together. Lamont wore two hats; he was the baron of Themis as well as her father but never both at the same time. Over the years Maribelle had learned to recognize which one was addressing her. Since he was sitting up straight, his perfect posture on full display, and his face utterly devoid of emotion Maribelle was dealing with the baron. Mirroring his position Maribelle placed both hands down on the armrests of her chair and waited for what was to come.
"I have been in talks with Hierarch Cierra." He began, his tone dryly informative. "I have managed to procure you the hand of her second eldest son, Ledah, in marriage."
Maribelle was dully surprised. Since she was a noble a marriage to another house was always in the cards especially since she was the only heir to the barony. To be quite honest her father had been putting it off for a while. Fighting to insure Emmeryn could reign without the manipulations of a regent as well as advising her on matters of the state had been the sole focus of Lamont's for the past ten years. Now that Emmeryn was dead and Chrom was on the throne he was free to attend to the needs of his house and the most pressing one was getting Maribelle married. This was to be expected and yet Maribelle was a bit put off by the thought of marriage. She didn't have a clue why so she pressed on ahead with the courtesies.
"I am blessed," she admitted "Lord Ledah is a very fine man and the union between us will benefit all of Ylisse. But if I may pose a question…"
For some odd reason such a benign request made her father bristle. His eyes seemed to harden and his whole body tensed up. "What is it?" He tried very hard to keep the edge from entering his voice but a small portion managed to wiggle through.
Taken aback by his unusual aggression Maribelle paused wondering if she should retract her question. Deciding it was best to push on she asked "Why Hierarch Cierra's second son? If I recall correctly her eldest, Lord Ladekhan, is in position to inherit the family's lands and estate." The doubt was implied, had Maribelle in some way unknowingly sullied herself to such a point no one was willing to give her the hand of their heir? While she couldn't think of anything off hand Maribelle knew well that her father was not well liked by the other Hierarchs. After Chrom's father had died there was much political infighting amongst the nobles. With Emmeryn so young the Hierarchs were insistent she need a regent to help her rule. Since the throne could only be gained by descending from the blood of the Exalt none of Hierarchs could ever dream of one day ruling. But regency was different, until the day Emmeryn was seen as fit to rule one of the Hierarchs would help her. "Help" here meaning rule in her place thus allowing them to rule Ylisse via proxy. While the Hierarchs created and splintered alliances as they jockeyed to be the one picked as regent Lamont, convicted by his faith in Naga, chose to help Emmeryn sit on the throne without the aid of a regent.
He succeeded and Emmeryn went on to inherit the throne at the age of thirteen. For his actions he was her trusted advisor and absolutely despised by the other Hierarchs. They had never shown open discontent with him but Maribelle knew better than to delude herself into thinking they didn't hold deep grudges. Hence the reason why she was being married off to a second son who would receive a paltry inheritance and whose children would be forced into subservience under the house of her husband's older brother.
The question seemed to relax Lamont; clearly he was worried about some other question she might pose to him. "Lord Ladekhan is not a good heir; he prefers hunting to ruling and has no head for numbers."
"And yet our inheritance laws clearly state that the eldest child is the heir," Maribelle countered.
"Not if he is disowned," Lamont replied "Lord Ladekhan is…" Her father paused trying his best to frame this delicately "Uninhibited." It was an odd choice of adjective but from what gossip Maribelle had heard that was not too far from the mark. "He will be given a small parcel of land to so what he sees fit and Ledah, through our laws, will inherit the house."
Maribelle nodded "It's a good match." The words rang hollow. There was something in her gut that twisted about uncomfortably but she tried her best to ignore it. With Themis, the nation's breadbasket, united with Rozwelli, renowned for rich iron mines, their houses would hold considerable political clout. A comfortable future had laid itself in front of Maribelle. She should be happy.
As if sensing her hesitation her father cleared his throat "Lord Ledah has asked if you would honor him by attending court with him tomorrow." Appearing together at court would be tantamount to publicly announcing their engagement. Her father was moving this along so hastily Maribelle couldn't help but wonder what was driving him?
"I see, Maribelle said inclining her head "In that case may I be excused? I need to prepare for tomorrow."
Her father seemed to relax even more slipping out of the role of lord and into the role of father "Yes of course, should I send in the maids to help you?"
"Only two will suffice." Maribelle said before getting up out of her seat "By your leave…" With a curtsy she left the study and headed for the boudoir. It had been years since she had attended court, not since she had joined the Shepherds. As she opened the door she expected a wave of dust to roll over her. This room hadn't been used in years yet it was just as clean as ever, a testament to the maids' dedication to their work. Aside from the mirrors the room was filled from front to back with racks and racks of clothing. Shoes, dresses, jewelry cosmetics, accessories, and hats were arranged according to style. Her father had been diligent to make sure to keep her wardrobe updated over the years for the moment her membership with the Shepherds ended and she returned to where she was meant to be.
Maribelle steeled herself for the long day ahead and patiently waited for the maids to arrive. When they did they dove at the collection in front of them with a single minded focus on finding the perfect outfit. Immediately Maribelle knew she wanted to wear the colors of House Themis, pink and grey, but aside from that she didn't have a clue. Outfits were compiled, dismissed, mixed, matched, altered, arranged, and combined. There were so many considerations to take into account. IT was the end of the rainy seasons so there still a bit of a chill in the air. Should she wear something with fur and long sleeves? But there would be a fire in the hearth of the court plus everyone would be packed together. She wouldn't want to overheat but being too cold would be a problem too. Naturally she wanted to wear jewelry but how much? Too little would make her house look niggardly but too much would make her look extravagant. What scent should she use? How should she style her hair? Handbag or fan?
It was almost midnight by the time they finished. Panting for breath all three women looked upon the outfit they had crafted with a sense of awe and satisfaction. It was a pink dress with white lace on the collar and sleeves. The cloak was grey with pink flowers sewn on it and a glittering rose quartz clasp. She would wear comfy pink silk slippers as well as white gloves and carry a silk fan embroidered with pink roses which she would carry in the sleeves of her dress. After congratulating themselves all three of them headed to bed for a quick four hour nap before reconvening for the real challenge, dressing.
Once her makeup was applied and her hair was styled they began to exhaustive ordeal known to noblewomen as "the corset." It wasn't completed until the maid's foot was placed on Maribelle's back, her poor fingers chafing as she strained the laces tighter and tighter while Maribelle could feel her ribs contracting so sharply she could have screamed for mercy. With her lungs only working at a third of its typical capacity Maribelle doggedly completed the rest of her dressing. By the time it was done the sun was rising and the carriage was waiting to take her to the palace. As they walked to the door the maids served her a quick breakfast which consisted of two grapes and a sip of water, her stomach was too constrained by the bodice to even dream of another bite.
As the carriage made its way through the streets of Ylisstol Maribelle tried her best to remember anything about Ledah. The only concrete memory was years ago back when she was eight. She recalled a blond boy stoically looking on while Maribelle, Lissa, Chrom, and several other noble children playing games in the courtyard. Ledah had been a very reticent, almost invisible at times. Never once had Maribelle heard a snatch of gossip about him, malicious or benign.
As the castle loomed in the distance she felt the butterflies began to flutter in her stomach. Resisting the urge to peek out the window Maribelle took three breaths to calm herself down and put on her most regal look. She could hear the coachman as he jumped off the driver's seat and landed with a whump on the pavement. The heels of his boots clacked loudly as he approached the door. With a click he opened the door and Maribelle gazed out at the morning light. He was standing there on the steps patiently waiting for her. The blond boy of her memories had grown up into every girl's dream. Tall but slim, with a pretty face that must have been carved by angels. His fair face was framed by a golden mane of hair and set with two sapphire eyes that seemed to glow in the sunrise. As fitting as the lord of house Rozwelli, Ledah was richly decked in their colors, crimson and blue.
The coachman offered his hand and Maribelle took it. Dazed by his beauty, or it might have been the corset, Maribelle fought hard to keep a stoic look on her face. "Milord," she said and curtsied.
"Milady," he acknowledged with a nod then offered his arm "Shall we?" She took it and together they entered the throne room.
Court was about to convene so they were fashionably late in order to make a statement. Pausing at the door they waited for the crier to announce their arrival. "Lord Ledah Rozwelli and Lady Maribelle Themis!" His trembling tenor resonated off the marble floor and walls drawing everyone's attention toward them. With matching strides they walked through the entryway and made their way to their seats. All eyes were on them and Maribelle could hear the hushed whispers of the other nobles as they passed by. Preening under the attention she took her seat in the gallery and looked for Lissa. The princess wasn't present for court today so the baroness resolved to locate her after court and tell her the good news. As soon as they were settled the bells above the chapel began to ring signaling the beginning of today's court. The door at the back of the throne room opened and Chrom stepped out dressed in a silver cassock on the Exalt's miter. Respectfully everyone rose to their feet until Chrom took his seat on the throne. Accepting the royal scepter from Frederick, Chrom placed it across his lap and looked to the attendants at the door. "Escort them in."
For the next six hours petitioners entered the throne room one at a time to plead their case before the Exalt. Sometimes it was a noble asking for a tax break or looking for permission to buy or sell a part of his land. Sometimes it was a commoner with a grievance against a tax hike or looking for justice. Typically a village magistrate would mediate between cases but sometimes a case would become too convoluted and they would consult the Exalt for his opinion since all laws came from Naga.
Court tended to be boring and today was no exception. Still it was nice to be back, Maribelle had missed the pageantry and the gossip. Leaning slightly to her right she got an earful of news. One of the things she hated about the Shepherds was the lack of gossip. Sully wasn't type, neither Sumia nor Lissa were very good at it, and Miriel didn't understand how to gossip. The biggest news was, naturally, Ledah and her arriving together and all that implied. The compliments flowed like water as well as the envy. Plenty of noblewomen had their eye on Ledah and who could blame them? Maribelle could feel their bitter stares boring into the back of her neck which brought a spiteful smile to her face.
At the break she was promptly mobbed by her peers who dragged her away from Ledah's side. "Oh my stars! You are the luckiest girl alive!" Lady Priscilla squealed "He is such a dream." In unison all of them sighed in delight.
"So is it official?" Lady Cassandra asked.
"What sort of question is that?" Lady Miranda snapped elbowing her peer in the side "They appeared in court, it doesn't get much more official than that."
"Well yeah but…You never know…" Clearly Lady Cassandra was in denial about Ledah being engaged.
"I'm sorry but yes, it is official." Maribelle replied with a nod "We haven't set a date for the wedding yet but he's set to ask me to marry him in the next few months."
"It'll be the event of the year!" Lady Sophitia exclaimed clasping her hands "I can't wait! We just hired a new dressmaker too! Oh gosh, what am I going to wear?" Immediately the conversation focused on what the ladies were going to wear to the up and coming wedding. While it was nice to chat with her peers Maribelle was ever mindful of their two faced nature. Their fathers had once sought to be regent and that dream was crushed by Lamont's actions. No doubt they harbored their own grudges over that as well as the fact she was marrying the most eligible bachelor in Ylisse.
Her suspicions were founded when she excused herself to go to the powder room. As she approached she could hear two people discussing her recent engagement. "What is Hierarch Cierra thinking Marrying her son off to that slumming shrew?" From the voice Maribelle guessed it was Lady Priscilla, her true colors revealed now that the baroness was out of earshot.
"I can't believe Hierarch Hector is doing nothing to stop her." Her companion answered. It sounded like Lady Melodia, Hierarch Elmdore's daughter. "He had the most to gain by becoming regent; you'd think he'd be foaming at the mouth with his closest ally hitching her son up Hierarch Lamont's daughter."
"But Hierarch Cierra has a lot to gain with the marriage." Lady Priscilla replied playing Grima's advocate "Plus it's not like Hierarch Hector can actually stop her. She's too important to his coalition to try and force her to break the engagement." This was news to Maribelle's ears; Hierarch Hector had formed a coalition? While the Hierarchs had significant power they still couldn't stand completely up to the Exalt even if they were united. What was he trying to accomplish?
Melodia sniffed "You underestimate his influence." After pausing for a second she sighed "Perhaps there is some kind of upside to having them marry. Hierarch Hector is a crafty one."
"If so, I certainly can see it." Priscilla admitted snapping her cosmetic case with a snap. "But why did have to be Ledah? Couldn't Ladekhan have sufficed?" They both sighed in disappointment. Maribelle could hear them exiting so she withdrew into a nearby room and closed the door. Waiting until their footsteps faded down the corridor Maribelle left her hiding spot and entered the powder room. It was oddly refreshing to hear such open displays of venom. With the Shepherds she could be open about what she was thinking but this was court and even the most benign comment could be twisted into a weapon.
Bracing herself for the rest of the day Maribelle exited the powder room and returned to her seat. She found Ledah sitting there patiently. Court wouldn't reconvene for a few more minutes so now would be a good time to talk to him. He hadn't said a word to her since this morning and Maribelle knew very little about him.
"Milord," she politely addressed him "you dress impeccably well."
He inclined his head in agreement "Thank you," he gave her outfit a once over "You did passably well."
A small blush leapt into Maribelle's cheeks, she had worked very hard on this outfit. Gnashing her teeth she swallowed her anger. "I will try better next time." She promised him "Court is fairly lively today." It was a benign remark but idle small talk was all she had to work with at the moment.
"It's always the same," he sniffed "I had better things to do today."
"Like what?" Maribelle asked pouncing on any chance to extend the conversation.
He eyed her critically "It's rude to pry."
The baroness bowed her head "Forgive me," she replied. 'A lady should never pry into the affairs of others!' she could hear her governess chide her. Twiddling her hands she tried to think of something else they could talk about. "So…what does milord think about our impeding engagement?"
He shrugged "What's to think about?" He looked at her critically "Are you always this chatty?" Cowed back into silence Maribelle clenched her fists in her lap and waited for court to reconvene. After five more hours of court Chrom called an end for that day and left, as the others filtered out Ledah pulled a scrap of parchment out of his coat. "Here is what I will be wearing for the next week. Please make sure you are matching. I will see you tomorrow morning." And with that he got up and headed for the exit.
Folding the list in half Maribelle stashed in her sleeve. The thought of having to repeat this day over and over was already making her tired. Still before she left she wanted to tell Lissa she getting engaged. The guards at the rear entrance to the throne room knew who she was so they let her through without saying a word. Inside Chrom was already undressing out of his cassock and into a loose robe and pants while being helped by a few servants.
He nodded at her "Hello Maribelle, glad to see you in court today. Congratulations on your engagement."
"Thank you, Your Grace." Maribelle replied with a curtsy "Have you told Lissa yet?"
"No, I didn't want to deprive you of that." Chrom said as he tied the sash around his waist to keep the robe in place. "She's in the courtyard with the governess."
Maribelle did another curtsy "If you will excuse me…"
"Go on, she'll be thrilled." Chrom said with a smile "Will I see you tomorrow?"
"Yes, I imagine I will be present at court for a while." Maribelle replied making sure to keep the annoyance out of her voice. "Until tomorrow." She turned right and headed deeper into the castle. It was drizzling so Lissa and her governess were underneath the pavilion. Pulling up the hood of her cloak Maribelle crossed the courtyard.
Lissa looked up from her studies with a huge smile "Hi Maribelle!" Such greetings had been scarce since Emmeryn had died but Lissa was overcoming her grief. Jumping up out of her seat the princess wrapped her arms around her soaking wet best friend.
"Hello darling!" Maribelle replied giving her a kiss on the crown of her head "It has been far too long. I have big news."
"Excuse me, Lady Themis." The governess sniffed "but milady was right in the midst of her studies. She still has another hour more before we break for the day."
"Oh c'mon Fran!" Lissa whined "We've been studying all day! Can't we end early?"
"No! Milady needs to put more effort into her studies." The governess chided her "The Exalt, long may he reign, is hale and hearty now but fate can be cruel. These studies prepare her for the day when she might have to step into the role of Exalt in her brother's place." She meant to be pragmatic but came across cruel. The possibility of Chrom dying sapped the life right of Lissa's face and once again Maribelle was forced to look upon the gaunt specter of grief stricken Lissa. Resisting the urge to slap the governess silly Maribelle decided being impetuous was slightly less childish. Discreetly reaching back behind her she loosened her corset as best she could, she couldn't very well pull this off with it constricting her lungs.
"I see, well I have only one thing to say to that…" she paused for drama then leaned forward and stuck out her tongue "Nyaaaaah!" Grabbing Lissa's arm she ran pell-mell out into the rain with the governess' protests following them. Surprised by the sudden action Lissa screeched as the freezing rain smashed against her jolting her out of her dour mood. With a giggle she began to run forward too and they made their way to their secret spot nestled in the north section of the courtyard garden. Crawling under the azalea bush they made their way to the middle where the vines thickly grew in such a way as to shelter them from the storm.
Aghast at the muddy mess she had made of her dress Maribelle was on the verge of regretting her decision when she spied Lissa beaming back at her. It was an expression she hadn't seen in what felt like forever and it was worth all the dresses in the world. Free from any sort of social convention the bosom friends nestled together side by side like they used to do when they were young. "I've got a secret!~" Maribelle announced partly lying. Everyone but Lissa knew but childhood tradition had to be upheld.
Lissa's eyes lit up "Ohhh, Ohhh, Ohhh! What is it? Tell me!" she shook Maribelle's arms until she relented.
"Fine, but it has to be a blood secret." Maribelle insisted invoking a silly game from their past. When they were young they had heard that if you wanted someone to keep your secret you had to make it a blood secret. If the other person told some your secret then they would drop dead right there. For the life of her Maribelle couldn't remember where they had heard that but ever since whenever one of them had something to tell the other they would make it a blood secret. Reaching up to the shrub ceiling Maribelle felt around for something thorny. Her hand snagged a bramble and when she plucked it out it turned out to be a red rose, how fitting. Poking her thumb with one of the thorns until it bled she passed it to Lissa who did the same. Touching their thumbs together they uttered the incantation.
"I swear upon my very life this secret shall stay secret and if the one entrusted breaks that trust they shall wither and die like the flower we swore upon."
After dripping three drops of blood on the rose's petals Maribelle cupped her hands together and whispered into Lissa's ear "I'm engaged."
"Oh my stars! Really!?" Lissa asked the joy exploding on her face. Maribelle nodded but before she could continue Lissa tackled her with a great big bear hug. "Congratulations! You'll be the most beautiful bride ever!" She looked up "Are you going to marry Gregor?"
Shocked Maribelle looked at Lissa "What? Why would I be marrying Gregor?"
Lissa also looked appalled "I…I thought there was something going on between the two of you."
"Where in the world did you get that idea?" Maribelle asked.
"Well you did hang out with him a lot when you were with the Shepherds." Lissa explained "You were always scolding him but he always smiled and said something to make you angry or to make you smile too. You guys were battle partners for awhile. Oh! And don't forget that night when we celebrated freeing Ylisse from Plegia. You two were dancing all night long."
Maribelle sat back, her mind racing. That explained it, that was why her father had gotten her engaged so quickly and had been so tense when he told her. He thought she was in love with some low born sellsword! It was the stuff of sappy romantic novels other noblewomen liked to read. Giving a dismissive chuckle Maribelle patted Lissa's hand "Oh my dear, sweet, silly, treasure. There's nothing going on between me and that oaf. I'm getting married to Lord Ledah Rozwell. He's so beautiful." She sighed, like a love struck girl was supposed to, but it felt a bit forced.
Lissa wrinkled her nose "Ledah? But he's so stuffy! I don't think I've ever seen him happy about something once."
"He's tall, dark, and mysterious!" Maribelle insisted "He's not supposed to grin like a moon calf! He's supposed to have…secrets. Dangerous secrets." Honestly Maribelle didn't really care if he had dangerous secrets or not, she wanted her best friend to like her fiancée.
Lissa didn't look convinced "Well…if you're happy…"
"I am," Maribelle insisted "I am."
After an hour or so of talking Maribelle sent Lissa back inside before she could catch a cold before heading to the palace entrance to ride back home. Sighing she tried to brush the mud from her dress but it did little good. Hopefully the maids would be able to clean it off. Trying to ignore how terrible she looked Maribelle stepped outside and scanned for her driver. To her right she could hear someone snickering at her.
Pivoting Maribelle rounded on them "I will have you know it isn't right to-!" Leaning up against the wall of the palace was Gregor.
"Gregor not knowing court was so much the roughhousing." He commented between guffaws "Maribelle look worse than Gregor when he come back from doing job in Regna Ferox."
Offended Maribelle huffed "I will have you know I ruined this dress for a good cause!" She couldn't explain to him what that good cause was but a lady should never lied. Then she realized who she was talking to and for some reason she got butterflies in her stomach. Horrified she tried to get angry again. "What are you doing here?"
"Gregor was looking for Maribelle." The sellsword explained "Cook in Maribelle's house very nice. He give Gregor food and information that Maribelle be attending the court today. He also tell Gregor Maribelle be making with the engagement to someone."
Maribelle rolled her eyes, typical servants. They could never keep their mouths shut. 'I wonder how he feels about my engagement?' Shaking such silly thoughts from her head Maribelle nodded "Yes, I am getting engaged, to the lord of the Rozwelli house too." She doubted he knew who that was but right now she was using her engagement as a talisman to try and ward off the memories that had begun to plague her.
"Well you did hang out with him a lot when you were with the Shepherds."
'Oddly gallant, for a sellsword that is.'
Oh! And don't forget that day when we celebrated freeing Ylisse from Plegia. You two were dancing all night long."
'I'm just tired.' She consoled herself 'I was up all night and didn't get much sleep.'
"Gregor has come to congratulate you." He piped up happily "And to say the goodbye to Maribelle."
"What? Where are you going?" Maribelle asked.
He quirked an eyebrow "Gregor is swellsword, yes? Where there is monies to be having Gregor is there. Is job, yes?"
Maribelle mentally smacked her hand against her head, what a stupid question! "I see…" she said "I suppose with the Shepherds disbanding that makes sense."
To her surprise Gregor lurched off the wall and gave her a hug "Gregor will be the missing you Maribelle. Swellest swords work alone but Gregor was happy with you as Shepherd partner." The baroness tensed up when he hugged her; he was so large his very embrace seemed to overwhelm her. For a second it was nice and subconsciously Maribelle noted that she liked his scent of leather and steel. Then reality came crashing down. If someone saw them here embracing like this there would be huge trouble! Pushing him away Maribelle coughed lightly and tried to force down the blush rising on her cheeks.
"W-well then…" she stammered "I will pray for your safety."
Gregor gave her a wistful smile before nodding and walking away. As she stood there on the steps of the palace Maribelle was utterly stupefied, a rare state for her. Her mind was in a jumble but even then she noted that the future looked oddly bleak.