A/N- Here's another one!
"I hear Lord Slytherin has come to see thee," Helga, Rowena's handmaiden commented as she tightened Rowena's corset strings. Helga, a heavy-set girl, always had a comment in her thick German accent on the goings-on of Ravenclaw castle. "Dost thou knowest why?" she giggled, twirling a curl of golden hair around her plump finger.
"I believe Father wants to arrange a marriage," Rowena replied as Helga tied off the last of the corset strings. "Father believes that the House of Slytherin has the same Gift as us, and demands that we keep the Gifted blood pure. It's a load of rubbish, really. I don't wish to marry, unless I fall in love." Helga gave her a sly look as she pulled Rowena's blue and gold dress down over her head. "It isn't very likely that I'll fall in love, Helga. Dismiss the very thought from thine mind." Rowena snapped irritably.
Helga just laughed to herself. "There are plenty of young bucks 'round here if you would just look around. Especially 'round the stable. All of the stable boys gaze longingly at thee if thou wouldst just notice."
"And have Father punish me for looking for a husband in the wrong place? I ought not trouble his feeble old mind for a little bit of fun. That's all love is."
"Thou willst fall in love someday, m'lady. I can feel in here in my bones."
"Thou canst dream, dearest Helga, but thine prophecies shall never be fulfilled."
"So sayest thou," Helga replied good-naturedly, knowing that her prophecies were never wrong. "Shall I brush out thy hair for thee?"
"Yes. I must look my best for Lord Slytherin, hate him as I will," Rowena sighed airily as she sat down in front of her looking glass.
Once she received the letter from her father that sent for her, Rowena, accompanied by Helga, made her way down to her father's library. There was silence between the two girls as they shuffled down the hallway. Helga, feeling how tense her mistress was, dared not speak lest she provoke some anger in her mistress that would be taken out on the kind handmaiden.
Indeed, Rowena was quite tense. She was so tense that she kept fiddling with her headdress. She couldn't ever get it on right. But she had other things about which to worry. She knew that if it was her father's will that she marry this man, she would have to do it. She prayed that Lord Slytherin wouldn't be too awful. She knew she wouldn't be able to bear it if he had bad breath or if he had hair growing out of his ears or something.
At long last, they reached the library doors. A pageboy announced Rowena and Helga, and they stepped in, unknowing of what lay before them. A thin, pale young man stood in the middle of the library, not quite knowing what to do as they made their way in, but trying to look as though he did. As the two ladies approached him, he swept off his cap as he sank into a deep bow. "Ladies Rowena and Helga, splendid to meet you," he purred, kissing both girls' right hands.
Helga blushed quite prettily and returned with, "The pleasure is all mine." That Slytherin fellow is quite handsome, she thought to herself.
Rowena maintained her composure and returned that she was pleased to meet Slytherin, though it was quite stiff. I don't really like him, Rowena thought to herself. I get the strange feeling we won't get along. I don't want to marry him. I really don't.
Rowena's immediate dislike for Slytherin was only apparent to Helga. Slytherin, though not experiencing love at first sight, was quite intrigued by this girl. She's comely enough, he thought, but I have a feeling she'll probably hold me back from my ambitions. Quite a shame, quite a shame. He smiled warmly and pulled out two chairs for the girls to sit in.
"Thank thee, m'lord," Rowena said stiffly as she sat down. "What is it that thou requirest from me?"
"I would like to know a bit about thee before I give mine consent to thy father to marry thee. He's quite anxious for our union."
"I see. What wouldst thou like to know about me?"
"Art thou good friends with the King? I've heard tell that the King looks upon thee fondly, in particular."
"I've only met the King but once, but he kissed my hand and said that if I were in need of a favor, he would gladly oblige." Rowena folded and unfolded her hands in her lap. Why in Heaven's Name would he want to know that before marrying me? Surely, he's not going to try and gain the King's favor through me? I'm not his puppet! She had to try quite hard to keep her displeasure at this question hidden.
Slytherin smiled on the inside. I've always wanted connections to the King, and now I have one. "What dost thou do in thine spare time to amuse thyself?"
"I quite enjoy reading, m'lord. Sometimes I read three books a day. Although, because they're hard to come by, sometimes I don't read for months on end. If I could read one book a day, I'd be the most content woman on this good Earth."
Slytherin frowned. "Dost thou not sew?"
"Aye, I do sew, but I enjoy reading a great deal more."
"Dost thou play the virginals and sing?"
"Aye. Writing music is another one of my favorite pastimes. The King quite enjoyed hearing me sing when he came to visit last."
"Wonderful!" said Slytherin clapping his hands. Here, he had the perfect trophy wife, aside from the whole "reading thing." He could accept to marry her. "That's all I shall require from thee. I shall see thee on the morrow!" He kissed her hand and abruptly left the room.
"He seemed quite pleased as he left, didn't he?" Rowena weakly asked after a moment of silence.
"I do admit he seemed pleased, but I don't believe that thou wilt marry him," Helga said carefully.
"What makes thou think that?" Rowena asked suspiciously.
"I am having a premonition as we speak m'lady," Helga replied quite seriously through her thick German accent. "I fear there is a plot against thy father."
"If only that were true!" Rowena whispered. "He makes the lives of those here so miserable and dreary! I don't want to marry that awful man. I don't wish to marry!" She wept bitterly. "I cannot foresee happiness if I marry him."
"It's alright, poppet. He shall ne'er marry thee. I'm quite sure of it."
"I hope so."