Author's Note: It has been noted that a few feel that things are being rushed. That is what a whirlwind romance is, as mentioned by Mrs. Harper in the previous chapter. Many people meet and marry while on holiday impulsively. Why do you think Las Vegas has so many chapels? I would also like to say that in regards to Noctis already having been married, that he is a royal. Meaning that they are required to marry young by tradition to bear an heir as quickly as possible. So his marrying at 18 or younger, would not exactly, be weird. That he would want to marry again quickly, is not either. The question is, why her? It should also be noted (and another reminder) that I am following a novel and film adaptation. So, if you have any qualms about this, you can take it up with the author. Who, I must point out, is dead.
Maritus is Latin for, "Husband".
Maritus
A very short civil ceremony, which garnered more than one raised eyebrow from both the clerk and the judge, was held without delay right after Mrs. Harper's departure. Noctis had said it would be more prudent and, though he knew I deserved an extravagant affair, he could not wait. As they had not had a chaperone after that and despite the fact that she had no relations to be worried of, Noctis confessed that he would be very vexed were some eager reporter were to paint her as a harlot. Well, there was nothing more to say after that. It was a bit relief to her anyway that their wedding would not be a media circus. She was not extravagant and did not know how to be either and no doubt the press would have wanted something gallant. Another thing she was not. Considering, that she had never planned on marrying to begin with and she certainly had not meant to entice Noctis into marrying her. It still shocks her to think that he had even wanted to. She thought he was being very chivalrous to consider her reputation and saving her the upheaval of a grand affair. So, they had hastened without delay to the small chapel and were married. Before she could comprehend what was going on, it was official and they were both being congratulated on becoming newlyweds.
Noctis seemed so rushed to get the whole thing over and done with that he quickly accepted those offers of congratulations with proper thanks and had herded her out of the door before she could catch her breathe. She supposes that is why they called it a "whirlwind" romance. She had indeed felt she was in one.
"Your Highness!" shouted the judge, once they had reached the ground level of the small chambers. The judge speaks to them so rapidly that she hardly understands what he wants.
"What a disaster that would have been," commented Noctis with a chuckle.
"What did he say?"
"He says I have forgotten the proof that we are married," he smiled, before walking just under the window where the judge had been leaning out.
She laughed at the image of Noctis catching the small bit of paper that was proof that they were legally wed as it floated down into his' waiting hands. Then he had turned to her with one of his rare smiles before he offered her, his arm. She ran to him happily, resting her head against his shoulder as they walked the few feet towards his car.
"Look," Noctis pointed out. "Someone else had the same idea." He motioned to a small procession of celebrators surrounding A happy and beaming young couple that had looked no older than their late teens in the very center of their excitement. She and Noctis had embraced each other as the small, merry group passed them by. Some had been throwing rice and some had helped in holding the veil as it trailed behind the blushing bride. She had felt so happy and hopeful for their sake and her own.
"Isn't she sweet?" she had asked Noctis, settling herself in the passenger side and watching how the bride glowed with happiness.
"Yes," Noctis had replied absently with his blue eyes focused intently upon her face. His eyes had taken on that melancholic look that makes her nervous before he noticed something just out of her line of sight. "You would like something like that, would you not?"
She had looked at him curiously, wondering what he could be thinking of.
"In fact," he had said, his voice trailed off as he left her beside the car. When she had turned around to follow him with her eyes she noticed the cart full of flowers off the side of the small road. Then, to her amazement, he had proceeded to buy all the flowers that the little old lady had been selling and approached the car with a huge armload of exotic blooms.
"Oh Noctis!" she had cried in delight. He had virtually buried her in soft petals of various shades. She had been drowning in the lovely scents of the flowers and there had been no words to express her happiness. "Noctis, how lovely! How perfectly lovely." She breathed them in, feeling such happiness bloom in her own breast at not only being chosen but dotted on as well, by this amazing man. "Perfectly lovely."
What the ceremony may have lacked, was made up for during the honeymoon that had followed. Those days together with Noctis had been the most carefree of her life. Seldom during that time did he get broody and distant. Instead he had been attentive and fun. So much more than the companion who had taken her on such lovely afternoon drives with him. Those nights were just as wonderful but those had been tinged with a sense of... she is not sure how to describe their nights. Having had no experiences nor of heard of any references of what occurred between a man and wife in the bedroom, she can only go by the feelings that had coursed within her when he touched her. The intensity of his stare had her wondering whether he had been really seeing her and not someone else. There seemed a level of desperation in him that gave her the impression that he was almost afraid of something. Sad and afraid and it makes her feel inadequate there too. It had all seemed like a dream in a way. The way he was the dark, burdened hero in a story at those times.
Now, like all dreams, for their honeymoon was like a dream to her, it ends too quickly. In direct contrast to the extra cab that had been necessary for all of Mrs. Harper's many things, she and Noctis only had one bag of luggage each. Everything had fit very nicely in the trunk of his convertible, which had allowed more carefree travel. He let the top down so that she could enjoy the long and scenic drive that would take them to her new home. The salty seaside air blew in her tresses and the more she took in the land that belonged to her husband, the more her new reality was sinking in. It was easy to forget that her marriage to Noctis meant that she was now in an elevated position of prestige. A part of her was already conscious of that fact, of course. Noctis was treated to only the best of everything, wherever they had found themselves. It is just that, it was easier to forget when it had always mostly been just the two of them alone. Now though, they would be entering his world, his daily life and... it hits her that she hadn't a clue of what to do. Mrs. Harper's words ring through her ears and her hands begin to shake and become sweaty with her anxiety.
Then a hand reaches over to land on top of her own clenched ones. When she looks over at his face, he offers her a small smile before he returns his eyes to the road again.
"Do not worry, luv," he says. "Just be yourself and they will all adore you."
His words warm her through and through and she revels for a moment in his praise.
Until a fat drop of water hits her square on the nose. Quickly followed by another and then a whole wave of more.
"Looks like it is an onslaught," Noctis remarks with a little laugh while he presses for the roof to close.
Of which the roof does not retract fully until after she is thoroughly soaked.
The drive from the main gate to the estate is a long, winding road wrapping around the small forest of trees that granted the residents privacy from the many outsiders that would love to get a peek of their lives. So, it seemed all at once that she is treated to a full view of a house so stunning, her mouth opens in gaping surprise.
"That's it! That, is Manderley," announces Noctis, sounding proud as he speeds up to reach the front steps.
Even through the heavy sheets of rain, she can see how grand and opulent and sprawling the structure is. It was bigger than the resort where they had met, with far more history and heritage. Seeing it in person made any postcard pale in comparison. It was a huge testament to how vast the differences between Noctis and herself. She feels her anxiety increase as they get closer and closer until finally, Noctis pulls the car right up to the steps where a footman is ready with a large umbrella while another was already leaping forward to begin gathering their bags from the trunk.
"Hiya Frith," greets Noctis, when they huddle briefly under the large umbrella that the much older man holds out for them. "This is Mrs. Caelum, the new Princess."
"How do you do?" she asks, awkwardly holding out her hand to shake.
For a very brief moment, Frith hesitates in taking it and she knows she has already made a blunder. A Princess would most like not shake hands with a servant. Before she can pull her hand away, he reaches out and gives hers a brief shake before Noctis leads her through the threshold. They are both brushing off the moisture hurriedly from their coats when she turns to see what looks to be the entire staff waiting in an assembly line, watching them. The many eyes observing her coldly make her acutely aware of how much she must resemble a wet mope and nothing like the demure and sophisticated lady she should be. Her hair is currently sticking to the sides of her face and her clothes are drenched. She does not want to, but she cannot help doing what she does whenever she is nervous.
She fidgets.
"I did not realize that everyone would be here to greet us," mutters Noctis in mild annoyance as Frith helps him out of his coat.
"Mrs. Etro's orders, Your Highness," apologizes Frith in a low voice.
"Oh very well. Let us get this over with, shall we?" Noctis asks her, putting his hand comfortingly on the small of her back. "I promise, this will not take long."
With his warm assurance, she ascends the stairs of the tremendously large, high ceiling room for introductions. None openly welcome her nor do they smile, which makes her fidget even more. They are just approaching the line of servants when a lone, stoic figure steps into her line of view.
"Darling, this is Mrs. Etro, the head maid of the house," introduces Noctis.
"How do you do?"
"How do you do, Madam?" Mrs. Etro greets monotonously. Her face is pale and small with black hair that is tightly pulled back in a strict bun. Her garments are black and reminded her of her old school mistress from her school days. She does not smile either. Her face not one that looked as if it smiled very often. Her black eyes bored down from over her large nose cooly, with no expression but the disapproval is there just the same.
"Good evening," she stammers.
"Good evening," Mrs. Etro replies, in a clipped voice. "I have everything in readiness for you."
"Oh, thank you. I was not expecting anything," she stutters, her hands shaking so much she drops her small purse. She kneels quickly to retrieve it, only to have Mrs. Etro's bony fingers beat her to it and they end up rising to their feet together awkwardly. The older woman calmly hands it back to her and she fumbles clumsily to hold it more securely. "Thank you."
"Now enough of that," says Noctis impatiently and gives her a gentle nudge forward and away from all these curious eyes. "Now that everyone has gotten a good look at you, you need to get warm and refresh yourself. Come along now, Darling." He leads her away to her rooms before anyone can say anything else and she is relieved beyond words at his intrusion. Taking her by the hand, he leads her up the grand staircase to the east wing and shows her to her own special room.
A very charming room with a lovely view of the flower gardens and more space than she has ever been granted and had no idea what to do with. With promises to see her at dinner in an hour, he leaves her to sort herself. A young maid is already waiting there, with her evening dress laid out. A sweet girl, who is the first to actually offer her a smile named Alice. Before long, she is dressed and feeling much better about herself. When she is running a brush through her newly dried hair, there is a knock at the door.
"Oh Noctis! Come in!" she cries excitedly, eager to see his face.
Only, it is not Noctis that walks through the door.
It is Mrs. Etro.
"Oh," she says, her expression falling at the appearance of the chilly woman. "Good evening, Mrs. Etro."
"Good evening, Madam," Mrs. Etro's monotonous voice replies. With a jerk of her head, Alice scurries away and leave them alone. "I hope Alice was satisfactory, Madam. She will have to do until your own maid arrives."
"Alice was just fine," she says nervously. "I am sure she will be good enough for me."
"I am afraid that will not do for very long, Madam," says Mrs. Etro. "Alice is a parlour maid. It is required for ladies in your position to have your own personal maid." The demeaning tone is missing but the statement stings just the same. There was no personal maid to be sent for, when she had none. Which means that she would have to find one, making it even more obvious what sort of lowly background she was from. "I have come up to review the menu for this evening, Madam."
Mrs. Etro holds out a small card with selected dishes for the upcoming dinner and she takes it from her unsteadily.
"It looks lovely," she says, unfamiliar with some of the names.
"You notice that I have not chosen a sauce. The former princess was very particular about sauces."
"Oh. Um, well I will let you choose whichever one you think she would have preferred."
"Thank you," Mrs. Etro replies directly. "I hope the room is suitable for you, Madam."
"Oh yes, it is very nice. I hope you did not go to too much trouble."
"I did only what Prince Noctis instructed."
"Did you have to alter it much?" she asks. "What did it look like before?"
"It had an older curtain and browns were more prominent."
"Was it Noctis' room before?"
"No Madam," Mrs. Etro answers, as if such a notion were unimaginable. "He has never used the East Wing before. Of course, there is no view of the sea from here. There is only the one room in the West Wing that has the best."
"The garden view suits me just fine," she reassures. "The room is very charming and I am sure I will be quite comfortable."
Mrs. Etro gives a small nod of her head before opening one of the windows for her to let some of the cool evening air in.
"So, have you been here longer than everyone else?" she asks, trying to get a grasp on a conversation. She so dearly needed an ally.
"Not so long as Frith, the butler. He was here when the old King was living."
"And you came after that?"
"I came when the first Mrs. Caelum was a bride," Mrs. Etro says bluntly and a touch resentfully too.
Which could only mean that she had been the former Mrs. Caelum's personal maid. A large pit grows in her stomach at the knowledge and she understands where the coldness comes from. She rises from the bench she is sitting in and moves to stand beside the older woman.
"Mrs. Etro, I would really appreciate your help. This sort of life is new to me and I do want to make a success of it. I want to ensure that I make the prince very happy. I hope I can leave all the household arrangements to you."
"Very well, Madam. I have managed all this time and his Majesty has never complained."
"Thank you," she says, smiling as warmly as she can but it is difficult when the recipient does not smile back. "Well, I think I shall go downstairs now."
Mrs. Etro offers her a small bow and waits for her to exit the room before following silently behind her as she makes the stairs back down to the library. The stairs stop midway down to split into two directions, one to her where her rooms are in the east wing and another towards the West wing. When she reaches that segway, Mrs. Etro stops her.
"That room in the West wing that I mentioned to you earlier," the intimidating woman says. She inclines her head to the ornate double doors that are visible from the staircase. "It is that room there. The most beautiful room in the entire house with a view of the sea."
She stares at the doors curiously, noticing a lone pooch, lying just outside them as if waiting for its master to come.
"It was the Princess' rooms."
Her entire body flinches at those words and she hurries down the steps for dinner.
The most beautiful room in the house.
The most beautiful room in the house and it had belonged to her.
She tries not to think about it as she sits in her designated chair at the longer dinner table across from Noctis a little while later. The table is so long that they cannot talk to each other without their words ringing out to the servants. No conversation in an echoing room and she does not think she has ever felt so intimidated. She reaches for her napkin, only to feel a stabbing sense of inadequacy to see that embroidered into the fine linen were the initials, "R. Caelum". A large lump forms in her throat, but when she looks up and sees Noctis offer her a shy smile from across the long table, she smiles back just as warmly before they both tuck into their evening meal together.
A quick update for Kals. :)