Queen Aurora II had started a tradition of Debuts presenting themselves to her in a formal ball that celebrated her birthday, which coincided with the start of the social season.
The Presentation Ball allowed Her Majesty first look at all the available men and women on the marriage market, and the Debuts and their guardians could gage her reaction of who was in favor and who were "returns." The ton made allowances for Debuts to return to the marriage market, but only twice. If they were veterans of three social seasons without a marriage, most considered them unmarriable and "shelved."
On top of the popular fashions, there was a dress code for being presented. The attire must be white, with embellishments that could be silver or gold. The women wore three fresh rose flowers in their hair to honor the Crown Princess, which was included in Her Highness' heraldry, with the middle rose being at full bloom and the other two in buds on either side. The richest Debutantes had the rare Aurorian Beauty roses, others had to settle for the closest deep pink they could find. The family also had to find a competent florist or gardener, because it was a strict tradition to have one in full bloom and the other two still in buds. If a Debutante couldn't find flowers in the right stages of bloom, they might as well have stayed home.
The men wore a crown of laurels, at least two rows high but most opted for three to signify their wealth. The leaves were expected to be a vibrant green and fragrant, any sign of wilting or browning reflected poorly on the Debut.
These headdresses allowed for easy identification of who was a Debut, who their sponsors were as the mother or father wore two small roses or a single row laurel crown, respectively. The guardians traditionally wore something off-white, but where allowed any other subtle colour and embellishment that would not outshine or distract from their Debuts.
That year, the Crown Princess had indicated she was ready to seriously consider marriage, and the Queen consented. On the dais stood an elaborate gold throne with the Aurorian heraldic rose carved in gold and embedded with pink Moorian fire diamonds that shifted from a pale peony to a vibrant fuchsia depending on how the light hit it.
"A gift from Her Grace, it's worth at least 100 thousand gold roses," Carlos wasn't sure why his mother thought he cared, but his eyes did widen at the overwhelming display of wealth. Not only of the Queen, but of the Protectoress of the Moor to be able to afford such a gift.
The King Consort's throne to the Queen's left was a bit more subdued, but still probably cost more than everyone in the room's dowries and then some. To honor his heritage from the Summerlands, his throne was done in mother-of-pearl, seed pearls, and champagne blue pearls as large as strawberries, laid in the image of seahorses.
Her Highness's throne to the Queen's right was smaller still, but incorporated both the blue and pink of her parent's colours. Carved was Crown Princess Audrey's personal badge of a rose crowned and slipped with inner blue petals, and dominant outer pink petals with two golden seahorses in support.
This display of wealth and power was all he could see as the herald had called out his and his cousins' name. He was sure no one could miss that none of them had any noble honorifics, and if he had turned his eyes to glance at the audience, he would see them quickly whisper among themselves and their lips would clearly mouth "buccaneer."
The de Vils made their money in the fur trade and recently, with designs that were popular all over London and greater Auroria. Cruella had exclusive contracts with the Queen, King Consort, and the Crown Princess. Her fashion genius was coveted, her place in their society was not. The family was seen little better than grasping merchants, lower than even the landed gentry that were allowed to join the London Season if they could get a noble sponsor. The de Vils had a royal sponsor, but that didn't make them necessarily marriage worthy.
In their eyes, families like the de Vils that had somehow gotten wealthy enough to note and were eager to marry into the nobility were seen as thieves, or buccaneers. Pirates who stole their bounty from the rightful owners. There were a few marriages of the wealthy commoners to noble heirs, but they tended to skew towards heirs that needed the money. Either through mismanagement or the money drying up, it was rare that an heir would choose someone not in the ton.
Ivy and Cruella saw it merely as a business opportunity. To them it was no different than seeing a struggling but promising company and investing in it. It was a foot in the door for the family to gain status.
Marriage was a monetary transaction and anyone who told them otherwise was merely naïve or jealously guarding their own inheritance.
Cruella had hired tutors for them to learn proper court etiquette. He may have thought it all a Cerberus and Pegasus show, but he learned well and executed the walk and bow perfectly, as did Ivy. Even Diego pulled off a passable bow although he could have looked more solemn and less dazzled by the surrounding finery.
Act like you've been around royalty and riches before.
His mother's biting advice had echoed in his head, but he wasn't the type to chide anyone who couldn't follow it. Diego was his cousin, he was not his minder.
The three de Vils were dressed in the finest Auroria had to offer. Their outfits tailored perfectly to enhance each comely feature they had. They wore the appropriate colour, with the fabric treated with some special concoction of P.H.'s making. It made the fabric glean pearl and silver, as if they were walking pieces of iridescent art.
Cruella had designed and commissioned a special circlet for Ivy. Instead of a traditional, and what literally every other debutante had worn, coronet that sat on top of the head and spiked up the jewels were on a delicate chain that draped across her forehead. The diamonds were simple, perfectly cut and clear. Both the jewelry and flowers shown beautifully and complimented each other. Some Debutants had the unfortunate lack of foresight to wear family jewelry that didn't necessarily make it easy to incorporate the blooms. Some had their roses askew with movement, clashed in style, or were eclipsed. Cruella chose to fasten the roses to a camouflaged wire headband that kept them in place. The circlet and blooms matched flawlessly and still showed off their wealth. Ivy looked the epitome of chastity and privilege.
Exactly what every Heir wanted in a wife.
For Carlos, he wore enameled laurels with gold edging which was accented by rubies. Debuts were supposed to be modest, no matter which gender. Cruella thought her son could afford to be daring for the Queen, and he was the only one to wear any red and made the laurel leaves opulent. They were preserved at peak freshness and had the vibrant green they all aimed for. He even wore a thin line of khol which accented his dark eyes.
Cruella's hope would be that her son would stand out and stand out he did.
Diego, he was tall and skinny with a fair amount of his boyish looks still retained despite seeing 17 birthdays. He wore a laurel of silver trim, on his right ear a cuff of matching silver wrought into vines and a rose, to honor the Queen on her birthday.
The three were still low before the Queen, and she deigned to rise to go down to meet them.
She loved Cruella's designs. They were audacious and fearless, and she respected a self-made woman. The designer's Debuts had performed perfectly, just as good if not better than the ones born into nobility. Aurora knew exactly what Cruella was after, and she felt the woman deserved a chance. Even the most ancient and noble houses started somewhere, who was she—even as a Queen—to tell anyone they couldn't rise to great heights? Aurora could count a shepherd boy amongst her ancestors. The rule had been short and catastrophic, but no one could deny that he had gone above what anyone in his station would dare dream of. King Stefan had not been remembered fondly, but his daughter was and their legacy stood strong.
Queen Aurora was curious, and perhaps a little bit bored, at what the de Vils could accomplish.
So, in front of the ton, she tenderly cupped Carlos' and Ivy's cheeks and told the three before her,
"Well done, my dears," and that was high praise from the Queen herself. Along with the term of endearment, the Queen even affectionately kissed each of their foreheads.
That certainly got the ton talking, the three ignored the room and continued on as perfect Debuts and acted as if it were just another day.
The de Vils had just become the talk of the ton.
Carlos did not know if that was a good or bad thing.
Dear Readers, This Author confesses to contemplating moving to Auradon for the scandals are a plenty and the grounds as fertile for gossip as the Moor is for crops.
It seems the King of Auradon is just as canny as the Duke of Charmington. This Author thought it rather odd that the Crown Prince of Auradon would befriend the title less issue of a morganatic marriage. Some have said it is simply the nature of the Prince, as his mother is renowned for her own kindness to the commons. Queen Belle, who lives up to her name as it means "beauty" in the old dialect of Auradon called French, pushes for education reform and has started massive libraries in each county of their kingdom. She hopes that even the lowliest kitchen wench or chimney sweep will be lettered in Auradon.
The kindness of Crown Prince Ben might be more due to a kindship of mixed blood because it has come to This Author's knowledge that Queen Belle is basically a commoner herself.
Her father was a Duke, but records show he was the first Duke of Conques. Letters patent rarely ever give a reason why someone is lifted to the peerage. They merely state who is newly entitled, their title, what lands they are being given and what they're worth for the maintaining of their dignity, and lay out the entail of who may inherit. As most know, Auradon was the last to join in the rest of the civilized world of equal primogeniture. The Duke, entitled a mere 20 years ago, was the first whose patent included female heiresses. When King Adam wed Queen Belle, she was in line to inherit the dukedom and become a duchess. An heiress to a wealthy dukedom is a perfectly acceptable bride for a king, especially since every kingdom had proclaimed royal heirs and heiresses did not have to marry other royals. They had learned their lesson from the disastrous incestuous intermarriages of the Hapsburg royal dynasty of the Summerlands. I will not bore you Dear Readers with a history lesson, but we all know the tragic fate of Charles II, as well as the prevalence of the "Royal disease" hemophilia. We are quite proud of our Dornröchen dynasty which can boast nary a family intermarriage in more than six generations. Although We hear Schönenblume has been clamoring for a marriage between our Crown Princess and the Duke's heir Lord Andrew Dornröchen. The Duke has gone as far as to write to the Healer's Guild to get a paper published as to the safety of marrying between 6th cousins. Of course, Our Queen and Princess Consort have no intention of setting a bad precedent.
This Author has uncovered the interesting reason for King Adam to invest the Duke of Conques with his title. The Duke was an avid inventor before coming into the peerage, and apparently so impressed with one of these inventions that the King granted him a title as high as a Duke. What is this marvelous invention?
A stove powered wood cutter.
Read that again Dear Readers. Have You ever seen or even heard of this machine? This Author has not. While other Dukes gained their title through military glory in defense of King and Country or of having lesser titles then given because of exceptional work for the Crown, the Duke of Conques invented a machine that failed to gain notice and has not been seen since its debut at the county faire more than twenty years ago. One would think if it were such a spectacular invention then it would be used kingdom wide.
This Author suspects that King Adam fell in love with Belle before her father was granted his title, and the King found the first flimsy excuse to grant a dukedom to her father and make her a worthy bride.
Given Crown Prince Ben's poor choices and dubious parentage and blood, This Author believes in the first time in recent history a royal is not a worthy catch of the season.
Chad sat fuming as he read Lady Magnolia's scandal sheets, so mad he balled up the offending paper and threw it to the ground.
"I cannot believe Queen Aurora would allow such salacious tripe be written about her subjects and even other royals. How can such a conniving bitch be allowed to spread such vile stories?"
"Chad" Crown Prince Ben chided his best friend. The Prince knew he ought to be just as angry, but it wasn't in nature to lash out so. "These aren't 'salacious tripe'…these reports are true."
"That doesn't matter," Chad insisted, "This is no one's business but our own. What right do the commons or even the ton in either kingdom to know our family business?"
Ben only partially agreed with his friend. Some things should be kept within the family, but if they themselves valued legitimacy and legacy, then shouldn't anyone who may join their family be aware of potential questions as to the accuracy of that legitimacy and legacy? He knew his father would certainly be wroth if a potential bride of his had lied about her lineage. Although it would be hypocritical given the King's own efforts to lift up Ben's mother.
"Auroria was supposed to give us a clean slate, what are we to do now?" Chad questioned his friend as they were both trying to outrun their scandals. It seemed they would be given no quarter in their neighboring kingdom.
"I think we stay the course. We've already rented out these accommodations for the season, I doubt embarrassment is a good enough reason to break the lease and get our money back. We've already written both Queen Aurora and Crown Princess Audrey of our intention to stay. I say we act as if we've never heard of Lady Magnolia, and the ton will be too polite to say anything out loud, much less to our faces. Regardless of what Lady Magnolia writes, I am still the Crown Prince of Auradon, and the ton of Auroria will treat me as such. We still act as if we couldn't find suitable and agreeable Debutants in Auradon and our parents gave us leave to find love matches, which is the truth. I'd rather brave the gossip than run away back to Auradon like whipped dogs with our tails between our legs."
While Chad still raged, he agreed with his Prince. He refused to be cowered on top of his less than perfectly noble lineage.
By rights, he ought to be considered an Heir. He had the money, the land, and the newly built New Hope Palace in the county of Enchantment. His father had depleted the lands of Charmington to barely accommodate Leverre, the Charming family seat. New Hope palace was as grand as any royal estate, filled with the art and furnishes of Leverre, gifted to Chad as a birthday gift. Rumors had it that other nobles had started the process of putting all of their artwork and furnishings as part of an entail to force future heirs to keep all the riches of their title tied to the estate and prevent them from doing what the Duke of Charmington did. So, no individual person owned the family treasures and could sell land at a whim. Solicitors across Auradon were busy rewriting new entails for estates, some so strict that the next inheritor no longer legally owned the estate but were merely tenants for life and could only enjoy the income. There were more than a few Heirs in Auradon that were wroth with the Charming family, as their power over their inheritance was hobbled. Title holders forced their Heirs to sign these strict entails with threat of giving the inheritance to a younger sibling, or to cut off their allowance. Most Heirs signed begrudgingly, but knew it was better to enjoy an estate and its wealth for their life than to stand some principle.
The Duke's great efforts to secure his son's future could only be done once, and the ton of Auradon learned from his efforts. On paper, the Duke was destitute and was relying on the generosity of his untitled son. His wife had a jointure to rival a queen dowager, partly in compliment of his brother, the Duke of Weithershire. Weithershire supported his brother's marriage, much to the surprise of the ton. He had married the princess Snow White, whose duchy had been absorbed into Auradon but still held her title. She had never bore the Duke an heir and he seemed indifferent about it, also to the surprise, and with no little horror, of the ton.
It seemed the Charming family men were romantics at heart and valued love matches above their riches, much to the confusion of the nobility.
Lady Magnolia wrote truly, if Cinderella had been born of anyone of rank, even as a daughter of a baron, then Chad would have been in line to inherit two dukedoms and the highest-ranking peer in Auradon and would have been an equal to Marchioness Connel, the Heiress to the Protectorate of the Moor. But Fate had other plans, and according to the law he could only inherit what his father cleverly bestowed to him while he was Duke.
The Duke discreetly inquired about who the next heir would be, and it was a distant third cousin who was not of the ton and of the working class. Doug Albern was a barrister who specialized in mining rights for the royal mining company. He made a decent living and could support himself. He was not, however, raised to be a gentleman. It galled Chad that a cousin who was born a nobody would become a Duke when he had been born the son of a Duke and raised as such, but could not inherit simply because his mother was not born nobly.
Why could a commoner inherit because his parents always married within their social class, but he could not because the law decided his parent's marriage was morganatic and his mother and her issue unworthy?
It was twisted and cruel, but there was nothing they could do about it. Doug would inherit the title and Leverre but would have no way to support such an estate with what was left of the land. Chad doubted his cousin would be able to support the estate on a lawyer's salary, no matter how good a job it was for a commoner. He figured someone from the working class would be glad to have a title and could rent out Leverre for more than he'd make in a lifetime.
The problem was that men were ambitious, and Doug could turn bitter and hateful for what could have been his.
Chad's main concern was how dangerous was his cousin? In the past, wars had been fought over land and titles. For lesser lords, claimants to the estate and title were fought behind the scenes. Was Doug underhanded enough to use poison? Or perhaps hire an assassin with promises of payment when he inherited Chad's wealth? Would other nobles help Doug because they saw Chad as a usurper?
Chad's financial future was secured, but he couldn't help but feel his father painted a target on his back.
Both of his parents said he could marry whomever he wanted, they dreamed of a love match, so he'd be as happy as they were. As a technical commoner, everything he had would go to his first child without issue. He could even split the estate and money amongst his children, he had nothing to entail him to give his first child everything. There was a certain freedom to not being part of the nobility, but he saw the consequences of marrying beneath him.
He loved his mother, he truly did, but he would not wish the paranoia or legal gymnastics his father resorted to in order to secure his future. Doug might not be able to do anything now, especially since he was still ignorant of his impending inheritance. But that didn't mean he couldn't contest Chad's inheritance once he became the Duke. He already was a lawyer; he would probably find ample law to support that the wealth and land was his by rights by the spirit of laws regarding peerage.
He had his own lawyer on retainer, ready to fight anything Doug threw his way. Besides that, there was no law barring the Duke from what he did, he figured he'd play up Doug's own common background. Shouldn't the man with the closest noble heritage inherit?
He could see a judge leaning either way, so he would not help the future Duke in any way. No one was going to alert Doug of his inheritance, and they would take their time "finding" the next heir once his father died.
To safeguard his future, and to give his children the titles they had a right to by ten generations of nobility behind him, he would marry an Heiress. He chaffed at being designated as a Debut, but he'd swallow his pride to safeguard his future children. He intended to bring a title back to his bloodline and be sure to instill the importance of marrying well to his heirs.
Love was sweet, but it did not protect them from the real world.
Mal was dressed rather simply, she wore no luxury adornments and from the casual onlooker she was another member of the working upper class; someone who was well off but without any trappings of the nobility. Only those with a keen eye could discern her noble Moorian purple hair, carefully hidden under a fashionable bonnet that looked perfectly in place in the working-class area she found herself. The Marchioness even wore a traditional empire waisted day gown, something she was unlikely to do since she preferred the feminine tailored pants and coats. Only wealthy Heiresses could get away with dressing in traditionally male clothes, and she did not want anyone to know her status.
Even her parasol was plain, something the daughter of a factory manager could only get on her birthday. It worked well enough to not only keep the sun off of her, but further hid her identity if anyone cared enough to look closely at her.
Most were too busy walking briskly down the bustling street to get to their appointments or other such duties of their work to pay any attention.
Mal slipped into The Silk Lotus, the dressmaker and haberdashery that specialized in Northern Wei silks and mother of pearl buttons. Those items were traditionally higher end, but the store catered to clientele that would save up for extra special occasions to afford such luxury items.
Mal stepped into a world of ribbons in a rainbow of colors that hung from apparatuses on the ceiling that could be lowered in order for a client to examine with their discerning eye. The walls were stacked with small drawers with buttons glued to the front to advertise their contents. The back of the shop had stacks and stacks of different fabrics for anyone's taste and need, to make anything from embroidered tea towels to an entire trousseau or layette.
Mal overheard a mother and daughter chattering excitedly, the girl would have her debutante party. With the burgeoning upper class, they tried to emulate the nobility as much as they could. Their parties of course were much more subdued and probably just the one instead of several through the spring and summer months, but making good marriages were on everyone's mind.
Mal made a mental note to add a few extra gold roses to let the girl get the fetching fuchsia sash that her mother was reluctant to spend extra for. The girl didn't try to wheedle her mother for more than they could afford, and given how she had witnessed her fair share of tantrums when her fellow nobles didn't get their way, she thought the soon to be debutant ought to get a reward for her grace.
She made her way towards the back, where she knew there were fitting daises and mirrors. There were a few mannequins with readymade dresses in the latest fashions. Mal was surprised to see a rather bold ensemble. Most debuts were decked in demure and soft colors, the black and red dress was rather daring and almost looked dangerous with its pointed sleeves and collar.
It was a dress made to be noticed and as if someone was going to war.
Rather fitting as Aurorian balls could be a warzone of sharp tongues and backstabbing.
"It is a de Vil design, Miss., and is available to be fitted if you so wish," a demure voice cut through Mal's admiration of the piece. "If the fabric is not to your liking, we have a newly arrived shipment of Northern Wei silk in lighter colours. We have a most fetching shade of peony pink," she ratted off the season's most popular shades, and thought it would do well with Mal's complexion.
The royals and nobles could enjoy such fashions, but it was a rare commoner who was brave enough to wear such bold colours.
"I shall think on it, thank you. Is Mistress Lonnie around? I have an appointment," she told the shop girl. Each girl that worked in the store wore a simple empire wasted gown in a creamy light yellow, each embroidered with the store's signature Lotus. It helped the customers see who worked there on sight.
The shop girl stood just a little taller and her voice had gotten even more courteous, as Lonnie was their most senior seamstress and the owner of the shop. If the woman had an appointment with her, then she had to be one of the wealthiest costumers they had.
"Please follow me, she is ready for you in the back," the shop girl led Mal to the private back rooms, the ones where customers could get the most private and attentive service. The rooms were connected to bells that would call dedicated employees that would fetch whatever Mistress Lonnie or the customer needed, from tea to fabrics, to full luncheons if they were making a day of shopping.
The shop girl did a proper little curtsy to her senior and employer, then introduced Mal. Lonnie wore a more elaborate gown to show off her station, and it was done in the finest silk the shop had to offer. Her long black hair was in an updo and pinned with a gorgeous enamel flowered comb.
Lonnie recognized Mal and had been expecting her,
"Mistress Bertha, it's always a pleasure," they had done the customary greeting. "Lily, please set up the phonograph," she ordered her shop girl. The girl immediately went to work and soon the room was filled with soft melodies from the phonograph that sat right next to the door.
Mal observed the large bell flower shaped horn and marveled at the invention.
Crown Princess Audrey and the Queen had both purchased their own phonographs, a remarkable invention to her estimation. Each royal enjoyed music in the privacy of their chambers, but for events and everyday enjoyment in public they still hired musicians. Mal had debated with herself on whether or not to get one. They were particularly expensive, and she didn't like the idea of putting musicians out of work.
Seeing as how Lonnie used it as a cover to give them privacy and prevent eavesdroppers from listening at the door, Mal thought it might be a prudent investment.
"The de Vils," Lonnie told Mal as the woman admired her phonograph, "the lot of them are half mad with genius."
"Cruella de Vil invents things on top of designs?" Mal was rather impressed.
"No, her cousin, P.H. He's the inventor, rather queer as he is still a bachelor and has no intention of marrying ever. And what's more, that Cruella lets him."
Mal did think that odd, as it was rare that anyone from a well-off family would allow one of their own to not marry. She certainly wasn't in a rush to the alter, but she would never get away with never marrying even if she did have others of her blood that could inherit. It'd be one thing if he had married at least once and attempted his family duty then was widowed. No one was ever expected to marry twice if they weren't inclined to.
The Marchioness took off her cotton gloves and made herself comfortable. She wasn't actually there for a fitting, as she rarely bought anything from Lonnie for herself.
"She does have three Debuts out at the same time, does she not? Perhaps she knows a losing battle and has other priorities. Besides, if he has inventions and makes his own money, and quite a pretty rosette to boot as I know those things are expensive, then he probably just has to threaten to leave completely."
"Money is freedom," Lonnie acknowledged.
"To a certain point," Mal reminded her of the responsibilities of the nobility. "I guess Lady M is doing rather well if she can afford such a luxury," she motioned towards the phonograph.
Lonnie smiled as they shared their little impish secret. The owner of the Silk Lotus sat back and relaxed, Mal never bought anything for herself from her shop. The Marchioness' clothes were made by her personal retinue of seamstresses. If she did purchase something, it was always in donation.
"There's a commoner Debutant in your shop today, she wants some pink sash or something or other. Everyone should be ecstatic on their special day," Mal proved her point when she threw a bag of money at her. It was enough to dress the entire East End. The Marchioness didn't give enough information for Lonnie to discern who she was talking about as every commoner Debut wanted an accent of pink as it was the Crown Princess' favourite colour. She was also pretty certain that Mal thought any thin strip of fabric was a sash, there was no way to know what she actually meant. It wasn't the first time Mal was skimpy on the details, so she would use the coin to buy every Debut that came to her shop a bonus pink accent at cost. With what was left over, she'd give to the London Orphanage. It should tide them over for months if they were frugal with the donation.
No matter how much she immersed herself in the noble and royal world, Lonnie still marveled at how they threw money about. The money in the coin purse could change the life of someone walking down the very street her shop, and Mal had it as pocket money.
"Now that the Protectoress has finally lost her patience, shall I write a…glowing recommendation?" Lonnie guessed why Mal had come.
"No," she scoffed. "I think I can get away with a couple more years of genuine rejection. I won't dictate what you write."
"That's why you're my favorite patron."
"I'm your only patron. Besides, you keep me humble. I think all of us could use a knock or two to get our heads out of our arses. We're so rich we mistake wealth for a personality."
Lonnie snickered as it was an apt observation.
"So, who else will make an appearance at the Opening Ball?" she referred to the ones who Lonnie might not have thought to mention
"Why, Lady Connel? Are you actually going to attempt courting?" Lonnie was most intrigued as Mal could barely call enough energy to show up for the hour she did show up for most balls.
"Even if I can put it off, I do have to be leg shackled at some point. If I happen to find someone acceptable this season then I'll take it. I don't want to be left desperate."
Lonnie had seen men walk towards the gallows with less grimness than Mal at the thought of having to get married. She refrained from rolling her eyes, as she thought it rather dramatic that any noble whined about getting married.
Mal tossed another coin bag to Lonnie, this one meant to pay for her efforts in spying on the nobility and information.
Much like the Crown Princess who paid for advanced copies of Lady Magnolia's Society Papers, Mal knew the value of information. Lonnie could even admire how Mal thought herself so secure that even scandals written about her could not topple her from her high perch in the ton. The Marchioness had money for several lifetimes, if anything was so salacious to ruffle her feathers then she simply could go abroad and wait it out.
Lonnie didn't think Mal would ever be so stupid as to do anything that would scare the noble out of Auroria or the Moor, and as far as she could tell the noblewoman didn't have such vices that anyone wouldn't glaze over if she eventually settled down. Like with any Heir or Heiress, there was some leeway given for a passionate youth and all could be forgiven once they conformed to polite standards.
Heiresses will be Heiresses, so the saying goes
Lonnie knew the only way Mal could ever be run off was if she had run afoul of the Royal Family. As with the first Aurora and Maleficent, the ruling monarch of Auroria had close and almost familial relations with the Protector of the Moor. Their children looked to follow in their footsteps. She had spied on Mal and Audrey enough to know their taste in bedpartners differed, she couldn't ever see man coming in between them.
Mal was secure, and nothing Lady M wrote, short of making something heinous up, would ever truly bother her. Lonnie also respected the Marchioness. Mal was the first noble to look and know their servants well enough to spot her in her disguises. Mal also had a keen artist's eye for detail and was able to deduce who Lady M was rather quickly.
Lonnie could have been arrested and banished if Mal so chose, but instead she surprised Lonnie by being amused and started to patron her. The noblewoman saw an opportunity to use the Society Papers to her advantage. Not by dictating who would be cut by the sharp tip of Lonnie's pen, but by allowing Lady M to write the truth and not be caught.
If the ton is so embarrassed by the truth, then they are free to stop behaving thusly. Most of the time the embarrassment stems from their monumental hypocrisy of speaking one way and then acting another. I see no reason to guard their fragile egos.
Mal had no shame, so it was easy for her to shake off any gossip and it served her besides. Her Grace could hardly blame Debuts from steering away from her hedonistic daughter, and she suspected that the Protectoress had her own wild youth and wouldn't begrudge her only child a little fun. Lonnie could admit to herself that she was biased enough to not want to embarrass Mal if she ever courted a big enough scandal. Not only did Mal protect her secret, but she also genuinely liked the Marchioness. She thought the woman a bit dramatic when it came to marriage and her responsibilities, but she never truly shirked them. Mal might begrudgingly accept them and carried out her duties with a petulance and bad grace, but she did them.
The Marchioness was also generous to a fault. She was probably one of the only nobles who was aware of how obscene her wealth was. She spent coin like water, but never on frivolous vices. Her servants were paid above and beyond what most other nobles deemed appropriate and her charities were well endowed for generations to come. Others hoarded their wealth like jealous dragons upon their golden mounds, but Mal made sure to take care of her people. Lonnie herself had several family members in the Healer's Guild due to Mal's recommendation and had paid their apprentice fees. All she asked for in return was for their service of the poorest parts of the Moor and Aurora for the same amount of time they had in schooling with a reasonable stipend. It was more than fair exchange, and it benefitted both parties.
"Well, if you want an honest opinion, I would suggest either Chad Charming or Crown Prince Ben as possible suitors."
"I have no interest in a morganatic marriage nor to be princess of a foreign crown."
"Despite his lack of even a courtesy title, Chad has ten generations of Dukes behind him and he's eager to win a title back for his future children. I would argue that he's no different than a younger sibling who would not inherit. A Debut is a Debut, and despite the distaff side he is still the son of a noble. There are no nobles available that are equal to your status besides. And, isn't her Grace more concerned with beautiful grandchildren? Chad is rather handsome."
Lonnie had a point, the Protectoress was second only to royalty and as Audrey had no brothers, any potential match would be of lesser status than Mal. Maleficent was of the opinion that Consorts should be seen, virile or fertile, and not heard, and only concerned about a title if it denoted their bloodline. Would the Protectoress prefer a first-generation Baron over the son of a 10th generation Duke?
In the case of Chad, did his blue blood outweigh a lack of title that would be subservient to Mal's regardless?
"He comes with a substantial dowry, and he has his own…appetites for women," Lonnie went on, a parade of princess' and noble girls' names that marched through her head that had been connected with him. "Given his eagerness for a title and his own preferences, I think he may be open to a freer marriage once he has two heirs of his own body."
That certainly piqued Mal's interest. Even if Chad was opposed to an open marriage, if he had a weakness for women then she could always set up an encounter with a beautiful woman to force his hand. Assuming they were both healthy and fertile, she could be free of him in under five years if she got an heir and a spare in short order.
"And the Crown Prince?"
"He is as the commons say, a door mat. He gave power to a petty kingdom's princess to make her happy, and this was all before he even broached a betrothal. His father had to step in."
"That actually happened? I thought it might have been a slow day for Lady M."
"Nothing Lady M publishes is false or an exaggeration, the truth is stranger than fiction. Given his eagerness to please, you'd be Queen Regnant in all but name. I'm sure eventually the Moor could expand its borders."
"I'm not that ambitious, I'll let Audrey know," it felt odd to Lonnie to hear someone speak so familiar about the Crown Princess. "She has more of her great, great grandfather in her than she'll admit. She's the one who has dreams of a United Kingdom across Disneos, with the Dornröchen's as the ruling Royal Family."
Lonnie made sure to tuck that little tidbit away.
"There's also Crown Prince Ben's more altruistic side that you may find to your liking," Lonnie pressed.
Mal raised an eyebrow in curiosity.
"Besides the disastrous appointment of Princess Anxelin as the Auradonian Minister of Kingdom Defense, the Crown Prince also has lofty ideas of saving wretched orphans."
Lonnie always got a rush from having insider information, if she had been born in the ton she would have been the one everyone would have gone for gossip. Mal was still processing how a Crown Prince could be so soft headed to put a foreign princess in charge of their kingdom's defense…a princess whose own petty kingdom had no standing army.
"Auradon has a penal colony off the coast of Belle Bay. Any enemy of the Crown is sent there, from thieves to traitors, basically anyone interesting. Auradon doesn't discriminate against men or women when it comes to banishment. They call it Île des Perdus, and it's part of the Crown Prince's principality."
"Isle of the Lost?" Mal scoffed and rolled her eyes, Auradonians were so dramatic.
Lonnie smirked as she agreed, although she wasn't sure if Mal had any leg to stand on when it came to being dramatic.
"The Isle is over twenty years old, and with time men and women will…be men and women. There have been children born there, but the Isle is filled with thieves, not farmers or healers. The Crown provides some food, but it's mostly rotted leftovers their farmers can't sell and isn't fit for cattle feed. No one on the Isle knows how to farm and it's not that fertile of an island to begin with, it had originally been a fishing town called Castaway Cay. Of course, the Crown does not want them to have boats, so fishing is limited. Children and adults starve, there is no Healer's Guild, so many women have died in childbed. King Adam is rather heartless and is willing to let it be, but his son is trying to at least get the children out of the Isle."
Mal didn't have the greatest opinion on King Adam and her opinion had gone even lower. Mal thought Auradon was a backwards kingdom run by a tyrant. King Adam had been vocal about his disdain for the Healer's Guild and equal primogeniture in general.
Even if she didn't personally dislike King Adam, she would have financed an Isle orphanage regardless. The fact that it would probably undermine and enrage the despotic king was just a bonus. At least his son seems to be more humane, even if he was almost criminally naive.
"I believe Seabrook is the closest town to Belle Bay," Mal mentioned the closest Aurorian town to the Isle. "I have a rather substantial beachside estate, Leymoor, it's usually for Lefay summer holidays but we haven't used it for years. It's normally rented out for weddings and local balls. Give me the numbers for children, and young adults born to the Isle. We'll refit the estate to house them, one wing for children and the other for young adults and then further split by sex. I'll send a discreet steward to oversee them and hire tutors to school them."
And just like that, Mal gave away what would probably be a massive seaside palace and gave it to the poor.
"Shall Lady M write a glowing exposé on the Marchioness' generosity?"
"No," Mal was full of surprises. "I especially do not want any insipid Debut to fawn over me because of it and pretend they suddenly care about the poor."
"They'll find out eventually once they know Leymoor is being used to house them."
"Then they'll have to work for that bit of information instead of Lady M spoon feeding it to them. I suppose you know Crown Prince Ben's personal secretary and can send him a message?"
"Of course."
"Then please write to him, as Lady M, and tell him his Isle project has a financial backer. All he has to do is sign off on releasing the children from the Auradonian Crown's custody."
"And if he refuses? Or if his father stops him?"
"Then I think Lady M might sell a lot of papers if she writes of their cruelty towards innocent children."
"I think it's more likely the Crown Prince will want to be personally involved."
"Which is why I'll hire someone to deal with him and not me."
That was how Mal normally dealt with people, so Lonnie would put things into motion.
"Do you have an appropriate disguise for my man to meet with you, and then you both meet with the Crown Prince's men?" Mal asked of Lonnie.
"I think my 'accountant' disguise will suit, and its male" Lonnie mulled over her various aliases that could help create an orphanage.
Auradon was backwards enough that she knew she'd need a male alias if she wanted any traction. Crown Prince Ben was luckily in Auroria for the season and could probably approve everything while abroad. If he were home and his father underfoot, the project would take years to complete. Without the interference of King Adam, she was certain they'd be able to get established by the end of the social season.
In order to hide Lady M's identity, Lonnie would write as her but then meet people with "intermediaries." She didn't trust anyone to actually meet on her behalf, so she had different disguises that met her needs.
And with just a few minutes of conversation and perhaps a healthy dose of spitefulness, Mal was able to fix children's poverty on the Isle. Lonnie wouldn't be surprised if Mal ended up patroning a few to become barristers that would move to Auradon and work on prison reform. There wasn't much Mal could do as she was a foreign Marchioness and it wasn't really her place to dictate policy of a neighboring kingdom. She could, however, send commoners to do her bidding as payback for enriching their lives.
Lonnie idly wondered what it'd be like to be so wealthy that she could change the course of history or an entire population's lives at her whim. She was just thankful that Mal was more likely to change things for the better, and not either squander her fortune on vices or to make things harder on the working class or poor in order to enrich herself even further.
While she thought Mal dramatic and a bit whiney at times, she could be generous enough to admit that talking with members of the ton could be excruciatingly boring.
Her thoughts were interrupted when Mal tossed her another bag of coins.
Where does she keep all this money?
Lonnie was a talented seamstress, but she could not for the life of her figure out where the Marchioness could have hidden the substantial bag of money in the feminine empire waisted dress. The design was billowy by design to be as modest as possible, but she didn't think it roomy enough to hide enough money to live off for years.
"What's this for?"
"I figure if I'm helping Isle children, I should help some local ones as well."
"Any particular children you wish to help?"
"The dirty ones," Mal stated as if it were obvious.
"Dirty ones?"
"Yes…the dirty chimney children…I see them all the time," she gestured around her as if she couldn't toss a rock without hitting one.
"Ok, I'll make sure to help the 'dirty chimney children,'" she assured the Marchioness while she decided to split the money between the Young Mother's Fund and the soup kitchen that mainly catered to impoverished families.
Damn rich people.
Evie didn't need to read what Lady M wrote of her, the ton was not shy about openly gossiping about her or her mother. When she was younger, most assumed she'd make a splendid match on her looks alone.
Whatever could be said about Ravenna, no one could deny she had been the most beautiful Debut in her generation. Time and childbirth had not made a dent in her beauty, it was a boon to Evie's prospects if they thought they could have both a beautiful spouse and children.
What they did gossip about her, however, was that they suspected she would be a spendthrift as well and was on the hunt for the wealthiest Heir available. There was even conjecture she would settle for a wealthy Debut with no title in order to satiate her appetite for material things.
Evie cursed her mother's frivolity, as others cast her in the same mold. Even the wealthiest of Heirs had no desire for a wife that would waste his coin. A consort was counted upon to maintain their dignity and spend according to their station, no one respected a wastrel that sought to live above their station or to endanger their legacy.
The fact that Ravenna had wasted her dowry and her husband's fortune on something as eccentric as mirrors just made them more of a laughingstock.
What's worse was that in any other situation, Evie would have been considered an appropriate wife for any Heir. She had completed school and excelled at sums, was frugal with her money and made her own dresses, she was even an accomplished alchemist.
All anyone could seem to remember about her was her mother and they feared Evie would follow in her example. Her accomplishments paled in comparison to what they feared she would turn out to be.
There were also whispers of her mother had "light skirts" when she was courting Earl Tabor. Some Debuts where more impatient than others for a marriage and would "hurry" things along via seduction. It was a gamble of this method working, as some Heirs had more honor than others. Ravenna would never admit to such tactics, and she knew her father to be honorable. However, Evie could also count the months between when her parents married and when she was born as well as anyone in the ton. The timing was close enough that she could simply be a honeymoon baby where her parents were eager to wed because they loved each other. It's also possible that their rushed wedding had something to do with an expanding waistline, Evie would never know for sure, but the ton had made up their mind.
Most Heirs had access to tansy tea or sheepskin condoms, the latest in birth control from the Healer's Guild. It allowed families to safely space out children and saved women from some of the dangers of childbed. But it also allowed Heirs to be rakes without having to be forced into marriage. In generations before, the mere implied act of sexual impropriety was enough to force a marriage. Those days, there had to be a pregnancy before an Heir could be dragged to the alter. There were some more ingenious Debuts that supposedly knew how to overcome these methods and trap their intended Heir.
Lady M did recently report the surprise nuptials of the Baroness Gothel, who had been almost as notorious as Mal in her dalliances. The ton knew that only way the Baroness would be leg shackled would be that her new husband, the new Baron Consort Cable Gothel neé Frollo, had tampered with her tea. Now both were sequestered in the country and unlikely to come back to London in the near future. It was best to spend some years away from society and any child born in the interim wouldn't be able to readily to determine if they were born a few months sooner than proper.
Lady M hadn't outright said Evie would use dubious methods to entrap an Heir, but she had implied it and of course the ton loved a villainess. Evie wondered if she should put off her debut for a few years. Try to reign in her mother's spending, make some money on her own, and then try when people have hopefully forgotten her mother's indiscretions.
But she knew the ton didn't forget that easily, and she didn't have years to put off marriage. As a Debutant, time was not on her side. Her mother also couldn't be controlled, if she could then her issues would have been taken care of long ago.
Marriage was her escape from home, for she had no means to support herself and societal convention said that Debuts lived with their family before marriage otherwise their reputation would be in doubt.
If she wanted to have any chance, she needed to stay with her mother. She wished she had a better relationship with her half-sister, but that was a dead end. Snow White would do right by her sister by providing a fair dowry, but no more.
Most attendees of the social season had a house in London, where they would stay during the summer to keep close to where everyone was holding their balls and other social events.
Evie and her mother were not welcome at Weither House, even though Snow White had no children of her own yet and wasn't attending the London season that year. Her aunt Freya didn't marry well enough to have both a country and city lodgings. Ravenna had been estranged from her brother Finn, the current Baron La Verne for some years. She had borrowed money from him one too many times and had yet to pay him back. It was one of the loans Snow White refused to honor, adamant that the debt was not hers or the estate's.
Their current lodgings at her aunt Freya's cottage was about a two-hour carriage ride away from London. Not an impossible commute, but one that was highly inconvenient. She would have to choose the balls she would attend carefully. Not only would she have to make the long commute, but she had a limited number of dresses. Whatever face paint and rouge she applied, she had to hope would last through the carriage ride and the party.
She learned a hard lesson at the Presentation Ball of how to time dressing and the carriage ride. The de Vil Debuts were the talk of the ton, and she was barely worth a mention.
It was fashionable to do intricate braids and updos, but she no longer had her own lady's maid and her mother didn't know how to do hair. Evie opted to have her hair simple with two braids to pull it out of her face, but otherwise her blue waves were down.
Her father had bought her some jewelry which she was allowed to keep, and her mother hadn't gotten desperate enough to sell them. Her mother was selfish, but she also had hopes for Evie's marriage. She wouldn't be able to find a husband if she went to balls looking impoverished.
She opted for a deep sapphire blue dress, a bold colour in line with the daring fashions of House de Vil. It was cut in the modest fashion of the empire waste, embroidered with black branches and ruby accents that reminded her of apples. There was a gossamer black cape sewn in the shoulders that fluttered behind her.
The gold and ruby hair comb mimicked a tiara, with heart shaped stones. She had matching choker and earrings. She wore blood red satin gloves and matching shoes.
Every other Debut would be wearing light colors, she couldn't afford to be in popular fashion she needed every appearance to make an impression and stand out. She learned her lesson at the Presentation Ball, as she was one among many others in a sea of demure cream and white. She wore minimal make up as she was certain it wouldn't withstand the hours carriage ride then hours ball. She simply accented her long lashes, a spot of rouge, and the darkest rose lip paint she could get away with without looking like a prostitute.
Sultry and exotic, that's what she looked like. They thought she'd be seducing Heirs regardless if she wore all white and no makeup, she might as well use the allure she naturally had. If her mother and father had taught her anything, a beautiful woman could end dynasties. She'd prove herself a more capable and frugal wife later.
Her mother droned on and on about who would be there, what they made yearly, and how big their country estates where. Of course, her mother made no mention if the young Lords and heirs were of good character or if they were handsome, that was not important to her.
Unfortunately, that wasn't that important to her either. She was that desperate to get away from out under her mother. Earlier at home, she had done some last-minute review of the miniatures of the available Heirs. As it was the Crown Princess' Opening Ball, it was guaranteed every Heir would be there, as it was considered social suicide to snub one of the royals. The only one who could potentially get away with it was the Marchioness of Connel, and even she would need a good excuse. Evie would make her rounds and focus on those who did have a known substantial estate.
She only hoped she didn't find the male version of her mother, as it would be jumping from the proverbial frying pan and into the fire.