Byron knew that this commoner had him over a barrel. Without her, he, Malachi and House Blanchard were out of the running. She was certainly not like any commoner he had ever come across besides Derrick Werner and his sister Serephine. She did not negotiate terms like a commoner or a waitress. She spoke like a CEO and there was something about the way she presented herself that actually made him afraid of her. She radiated power and strength. She held herself in a stance of power and she knew it, she owned it and radiated it. As he looked her over, he noticed her crest pin and recognized who it represented. He had to agree to listen to and follow through on her terms if he wanted House Blanchard to survive this Social Season. He sighed and then met Reimeiko's eyes before speaking. "Alright Lady Reimeiko, what are your ground rules and terms." the duke asked.
"Well first off I know that you recognize the crest I wear, so you now know who I really am." Reimeiko started.
"Yes, Reimeiko Christyne Amaryllis Thunderis, Crown Princess of the kingdom of Thunderia." Byron said. "The eldest child of Thor and Kyiandra Thunderis. But we will get into that later. Now to your rules and regulations?"
"The rules and regulations are as follows." Reimeiko said. "One, the word commoner is not to pass anyone's mouth anymore. You people spout it off like it is a vulgar word and it is not. Except for a twist of fate, you could have been born into a common family and there is nothing wrong with them. Two, you will not talk down to me or treat me like I am inferior to you, you have to earn respect to gain it. Three, no matter what happens, what I say goes no if, ands or buts about it. I have spent my whole life being trained to be a queen, warrior, defender, protector, wife and mother. I know the rules of court and customs and how to conduct myself as such so only if I need your knowledge elsewhere will I ask for it. Four, the titles will only be engaged during these formal affairs no where else. Titles do not make the person, it is how they act around others that makes them or breaks them. Five, there will be straight up honesty if this is going to continue. You know who I am, where I fit in and where I come from. There will be no secrets here between us. If I detect any falsehood or misinterpretation on your part, I will sever my connection to the both of you right then and there and there will be no turning back. There will more than likely be more rules that come up but for now these are a start. Are we agreed?"
"Agreed." Byron and Malachi said. Reimeiko sensed sincerity and honesty in both men and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Alright, now I want the full story from you about what is really going on with your house and family." Reimeiko said, "I want the truth, no embellished fabrication."
"Alright, like I said." Byron replied sadly. "Perhaps Malachi did not fully explain what is going on, but I will. While he has been around the prince, I have been back here doing the real work of running the house and estate. And that is where you come in, but considering everything you brought to light, maybe we should reconsider our options. You do not need us sponsoring you considering where you come from."
"No, the sponsorship is a good cover," Reimeiko said. "Just like my waitress cover at Russo's. ThunderStarUniversal will cover you financially for now, but because of the delicacy of this investigation I can not reveal everything yet. I think there is more on your family's financial strain than just old man Barnaby's excessive spending. Your finances will be covered in other ways for you two alone. I have my suspicions about what is going on but until I have proof I really need you to trust me."
"It is something we could use right now actually because we are kind of well very broke." Malachi added. "I know I overstep but she said there was to be complete honesty and since she is representing our house, we can trust her because she is trusting us."
"There is no shame in being broke." Reimeiko said. "I have been there. As long as you have the necessities in life everything else does not matter. I guess that explains why I had to buy my own outfits and I guess I will be buying everything I will need here including the gown for the masquerade. But that is okay. As the Princess of Thunderia, I do have help in the financial situation in more ways than one."
"Unfortunately that is precisely so." Byron replied. "We can only afford the bare minimum. No one outside House Blanchard knows how bad things really are for us."
"Cecil is in this upto his ears and we have to know why and how." EnDaryien said. "Reimeiko, using your Knight Thunder powers, do you sense anything out of the ordinary so far?"
"Maybe it is your former brother in law's presence that is making me uneasy, but I am not sure." Reimeiko thought. "I will keep digging to find it all. He is married to Seidre's twin sister Coradae. I am sure that she will remember Reimeiko uh, I mean me." Aloud, she asked. "Do you get money if I end up marrying the prince?"
"Not directly." Byron replied. "But we can leverage the prestige to great effect. It would be best to get that leverage before others found out our situation. In the circles we run in, if word got out about our financial ruin, it would be a major scandal. but our name is still worth something here in the royal line."
"Their financial ruin is due to Barnaby's major spending." Marco said through the earpiece. "According to reports, he is in a coma in a major hospital in the West Indies."
Reimeiko switched to Thunderian. "I think that ought to be checked out. Something tells me that if this coma is for real then he would not be squandering the family fortune and there would be receipts of the purchases."
"I will check right into that and send a small group to check out the hospital that Barnaby is supposedly in." Marco said.
"At the very least, we can introduce you to the right people and get you invitations to the right events." Malachi replied. "We can offer you a first rate education in the ways of court, starting with your wardrobe and branching out from there."
"What did I just say about an education?" Reimeiko asked. "I know more about the ways of court and warfare than any of those so-called women in this court. I am about to show those snobs up when I win Karyson back and get to the bottom of this mystery. And what is wrong with what I am wearing? I will have you remember this is the formal uniform of the houses of Thunderia and Galaxia and I represent both."
"I guess one could consider it well, unconventionally adventurous." Byron offered. "The point is whether or not you dress the part. Now it is time to start memorizing the lineage of each great house. No wait. Perhaps it is more urgent to educate you on silverware from the least to the most obscure. You may dress the part but you also need to play it."
"Byron, breathe." Reimeiko ordered. "I am up-to-date on courtly maneuvers, table etiquette, manners, wine tasting, various dinner conversations and otherwise. Furthermore, I was at the top of my class when it came to memorizing and knowing the lineage of all of the kingdoms in and around the Universal Alliance. I know everything there is to know about your kingdom's various great houses and that is including yours."
"Hey, Byron, let us not scare Reimeiko off. She just got here." Malachi replied. "We should show her the more fun side of living here. I was going to take her on a tour of the palace."
"Yes, I suppose that it would not do for Reimeiko to get lost or worse," Byron gulped. "cause an international incident by walking into the wrong room. But the lessons-"
"Maybe while we are on the tour," Malachi added. "You can talk about the royals of the past or something. Teach while we are on the tour. I know that you can walk and talk at the same time."
"I hope that you mean the distinguished history of the kingdoms." Byron replied. "What do you say to a tour guide, Reimeiko? Do you want to see all that the palace has to offer?"
"I would be delighted." Reimeiko said. "I am a learning sponge. I am ready for everything you wish to teach me. Although, I know everything there is to know about all of the Universal Alliance kingdoms."
"Yeah, totally radical." Malachi gushed. "I do not even know where to start, but it does not matter since we are going to see everything."
"Oh heaven help me." Byron sighed. "Now the first stop is the dining room. The Ruby dining room was built in the seventeen hundreds and is a display of the kingdom's great wealth. Everything you see here is made of the finest materials and by artisans at the top of their trade. This room is most renowned for hosting the terms of the peace treaty between Thaddea and the as of yet burgeoning country of Armentaria."
"Armentaria is well known for its overload of military might and the royal family's brute force." Reimeiko chimed. "The present queen Elisha is quite the stuck up little twerp, acting like she is higher and more powerful than anyone else around, but she is also arrogant, spoiled, self-centered, conceited, rude and very obnoxious."
"You seem to speak from having experienced meeting her somewhere along the way in your life and travels." Byron acknowledged.
"Unfortunately yes." Reimeiko said. "I mean, granted, as young as she was at the time, she really had and has no idea how much bigger, stronger, and more powerful the Universal Alliance is compared to her fleet. Her husband is a big blowhard who is all talk and no real action. He talks a big game and can dish it out but he can never take it. He is all big and bad when he is in the lead and is pushing people around, but if the tables get turned on him or someone calls his bluff and takes him down, he runs off like the hounds of hell are on his tail."
"Wow. Now that is what I call calling them like you see them." Malachi gushed. "You really are the Princess of Thunderia and the leader of the Universal Alliance."