Chapter Five: Stubborn Aesthetics
Aesthetic- n. an underlying principle, a set of principles, or a view often manifested by outward appearances or style of behavior.
Yumi and Aelita gave simultaneous jolts of surprise when the door creaked open. Ulrich admitted the young vassel into the room. He gave an akward bow, as he was staring openly at Yumi's more Asian features.
"His Highness Prince Jeremie wishes an audience with you in the main parlor, and the king wishes me to inform you of a ball to be held tonight in your honor."
Yumi bit back her repsonse of 'Go tell Price Jeremie to boil his head,' instead responding with a mild "Yes, of course, thank you." Ulrich escorted the boy out, casting Yumi a sympathetic look as he did so.
Once the doors had closed again Yumi shifted her attention to Aelita. "You win, Aelita. I suppose I have to give him a chance. I also suppose that this audience is supposed to private, or I would have you accompany me. As it stands, I must face him eventually." Marching purposefully towards the door, Yumi opened it and headed down towards the main parlor.
-----
Yumi found that the vassel had awaited her, and led her to the room, opening the door for her. The wary Princess found that Jeremie was already inside. He rose when she entered, giving her a small, forced smile. Odd and Ulrich came in behind her, taking up posts on either side of the doorway.
"Ah, Princess..." Jeremie trailed off, obviously uncertain of how to continue. "Thank you for joining me."
"Of course," Yumi murmered tamely.
"I thought maybe we could get to know each other better," he offered lamely. Yumi sighed. At least he was trying. Jeremie gestured to the chairs behind him. "Would you care to sit?" Yumi answered bt taking a seat,
prompting him to do likewise.
"Do you want to marry me?" Yumi saw no sense in beating around the proverbial bush. She had to know what Jeremie thought.
"Absolutely!" Jeremie paused, looking uncertain. Finally he admitted in a hoarse whisper. "No, no I don't. Not really." Wringing his hand, the Prince let his head droop.
Yumi smiled smugly. Obviously they couldn't force them into a marriage neither she nor Jeremie wanted. Perhaps this would turn out fine.
"But I have to anyway." Jeremie finished strong. Yumi's jaw dropped and sher gaped at him like a fish.
"No you don't! Why would you marry someone you don't want to?!" The idea was stunning and unfamiliar, and Yumi wasn't initially fond of it.
Obviously Jeremie found Yumi's view as shocking as she found his. "I don't have a choice," he stated in a matter-of-fact manner. "I have to do what tradition dictates. Tradition says I must wed the woman my father chooses. That's you," he added.
"Oh, and I suppose if your father told you to jump off the north tower you'd do that too," Yumi retorted, sounding incredulous.
"This is a matter of family honor! The reputations of both our families are at stake," Jeremie insisted.
Yumi gave a short bark of laughter. "Obviously you are not aware of the reason why my father had to send me to France to find a husband!" She paused, gauging the Prince's reaction. He met her gaze, giving her his full attention. "I'm sort of the black sheep of the family. I'm not what most would consider a 'proper princess.'"
Jeremie nodded in understanding. "That's okay, I'm always getting yelled at for trying to invent things instead of focusing on my studies. That's probably why my father agreed to our betrothal."
Sighing in despair, Yumi rose. "Very well. Farewell, your Highness, I shall see you at the ball tonight." Jeremie was forced to watch helplessly as she strode out of the room, flanked by her guards.
-----
As they marched up the stairs, Odd voiced his opinion. "He didn't seem that bad to me." Yumi was about to tell him to mind his own business, but stopped when she realized that if she let her servants talk freely, the same should apply to the guards. "At least he's nice," Odd added. "Though I must say that wasn't a great start to your relationship there, your Highness."
"Considering neither of us wanted a relationship in the first place and that we are from two completely different cultures I would say it went rather well," Yumi parried. "And there won't be a relationship if I have any say in it."
"Couldn't you at least be friends with him? Or try to be?" Odd gave Yumi puppy dog eyes.
"Friends, not a couple," Yumi put in. Ulrich nodded, giving Odd a meaningful look that Yumi failed to notice.
"You maidservant seems taken with him though," Odd mused thoughfully, putting a finger to his chin. Yumi gasped in surprise, eyes wide as she look at him. Odd gave a cocky smile. "Those doors aren't as thick as they look, Princess."
Taken up in the moment, Yumi laughed. "Very well then! Do you two have any other opinions I should know about?"
They nodded earnestly. "You should try wearing red," Ulrich said.
"It would look good on you," Odd added, causing Yumi to laugh again.
"I will wear my red gown tonight then, I guess," she agreed.
-----
Yumi swirled around in front of the full length mirror that stood at attention in a corner of her chamber. Aelita nodded approvingly in the reflection, obviously pleased with the dress. "Red is a good color on you," she informed the skeptical princess.
Staring at her maidservant's reflection, Yumi asked a question. "What dress are you wearing?"
Aelita gasped. "Me?"
Yumi swirled around. "Of course! You're coming too! I'm not spending the evening surrounded by these French nobles alone! I would suggest you borrow my yellow gown, the one I never wear. It would look nice on you." Aelita didn't move, still shocked at the idea. "Well, go on, get changed!" She shoved Aelita into her ajacent chamber, tossing the dress in after her.
Aesthetic- n. an underlying principle, a set of principles, or a view often manifested by outward appearances or style of behavior.
Yumi and Aelita gave simultaneous jolts of surprise when the door creaked open. Ulrich admitted the young vassel into the room. He gave an akward bow, as he was staring openly at Yumi's more Asian features.
"His Highness Prince Jeremie wishes an audience with you in the main parlor, and the king wishes me to inform you of a ball to be held tonight in your honor."
Yumi bit back her repsonse of 'Go tell Price Jeremie to boil his head,' instead responding with a mild "Yes, of course, thank you." Ulrich escorted the boy out, casting Yumi a sympathetic look as he did so.
Once the doors had closed again Yumi shifted her attention to Aelita. "You win, Aelita. I suppose I have to give him a chance. I also suppose that this audience is supposed to private, or I would have you accompany me. As it stands, I must face him eventually." Marching purposefully towards the door, Yumi opened it and headed down towards the main parlor.
-----
Yumi found that the vassel had awaited her, and led her to the room, opening the door for her. The wary Princess found that Jeremie was already inside. He rose when she entered, giving her a small, forced smile. Odd and Ulrich came in behind her, taking up posts on either side of the doorway.
"Ah, Princess..." Jeremie trailed off, obviously uncertain of how to continue. "Thank you for joining me."
"Of course," Yumi murmered tamely.
"I thought maybe we could get to know each other better," he offered lamely. Yumi sighed. At least he was trying. Jeremie gestured to the chairs behind him. "Would you care to sit?" Yumi answered bt taking a seat,
prompting him to do likewise.
"Do you want to marry me?" Yumi saw no sense in beating around the proverbial bush. She had to know what Jeremie thought.
"Absolutely!" Jeremie paused, looking uncertain. Finally he admitted in a hoarse whisper. "No, no I don't. Not really." Wringing his hand, the Prince let his head droop.
Yumi smiled smugly. Obviously they couldn't force them into a marriage neither she nor Jeremie wanted. Perhaps this would turn out fine.
"But I have to anyway." Jeremie finished strong. Yumi's jaw dropped and sher gaped at him like a fish.
"No you don't! Why would you marry someone you don't want to?!" The idea was stunning and unfamiliar, and Yumi wasn't initially fond of it.
Obviously Jeremie found Yumi's view as shocking as she found his. "I don't have a choice," he stated in a matter-of-fact manner. "I have to do what tradition dictates. Tradition says I must wed the woman my father chooses. That's you," he added.
"Oh, and I suppose if your father told you to jump off the north tower you'd do that too," Yumi retorted, sounding incredulous.
"This is a matter of family honor! The reputations of both our families are at stake," Jeremie insisted.
Yumi gave a short bark of laughter. "Obviously you are not aware of the reason why my father had to send me to France to find a husband!" She paused, gauging the Prince's reaction. He met her gaze, giving her his full attention. "I'm sort of the black sheep of the family. I'm not what most would consider a 'proper princess.'"
Jeremie nodded in understanding. "That's okay, I'm always getting yelled at for trying to invent things instead of focusing on my studies. That's probably why my father agreed to our betrothal."
Sighing in despair, Yumi rose. "Very well. Farewell, your Highness, I shall see you at the ball tonight." Jeremie was forced to watch helplessly as she strode out of the room, flanked by her guards.
-----
As they marched up the stairs, Odd voiced his opinion. "He didn't seem that bad to me." Yumi was about to tell him to mind his own business, but stopped when she realized that if she let her servants talk freely, the same should apply to the guards. "At least he's nice," Odd added. "Though I must say that wasn't a great start to your relationship there, your Highness."
"Considering neither of us wanted a relationship in the first place and that we are from two completely different cultures I would say it went rather well," Yumi parried. "And there won't be a relationship if I have any say in it."
"Couldn't you at least be friends with him? Or try to be?" Odd gave Yumi puppy dog eyes.
"Friends, not a couple," Yumi put in. Ulrich nodded, giving Odd a meaningful look that Yumi failed to notice.
"You maidservant seems taken with him though," Odd mused thoughfully, putting a finger to his chin. Yumi gasped in surprise, eyes wide as she look at him. Odd gave a cocky smile. "Those doors aren't as thick as they look, Princess."
Taken up in the moment, Yumi laughed. "Very well then! Do you two have any other opinions I should know about?"
They nodded earnestly. "You should try wearing red," Ulrich said.
"It would look good on you," Odd added, causing Yumi to laugh again.
"I will wear my red gown tonight then, I guess," she agreed.
-----
Yumi swirled around in front of the full length mirror that stood at attention in a corner of her chamber. Aelita nodded approvingly in the reflection, obviously pleased with the dress. "Red is a good color on you," she informed the skeptical princess.
Staring at her maidservant's reflection, Yumi asked a question. "What dress are you wearing?"
Aelita gasped. "Me?"
Yumi swirled around. "Of course! You're coming too! I'm not spending the evening surrounded by these French nobles alone! I would suggest you borrow my yellow gown, the one I never wear. It would look nice on you." Aelita didn't move, still shocked at the idea. "Well, go on, get changed!" She shoved Aelita into her ajacent chamber, tossing the dress in after her.