Chapter 28: Wandering Eye
We sat in the smoking room at Myrddhin House. Quincy lay curled up on a pillow in the corner, nestled into the fur of an aging wolfhound. Myrddhin House swam with dogs. And Quincy had been overjoyed to see his old playmates again. The designers had covered the room in rosewood paneling. The few exposed areas of the walls, they had painted a cream color that has since turned nicotine yellow. The people who smoked in Myrddhin House preferred pipes. I discovered that I preferred the smell of my aunt’s cigars to that of pipe smoke. I hadn’t ever expected to have a preference for types of tobacco smoke.
“They announced our courtship already,” I said.
Fiona nodded, “Yes. Your family announced it. I have not announced it to my people or my allies. Besides, it is an excuse to have a party, and get you into one of your fabulous dresses.”
I giggled, “Well I do like an excuse to put on a good ball gown.”
Fiona nodded, “And I like a good excuse to take off your ball gown.”
I shivered in anticipation at her words, “You’re terrible.”
“You love it,” She answered.
“I didn’t dispute that.” I said, “But I’m not looking forward to performing the same song and dance all over again.”
Fiona nodded, “Agreed. Neither am I. That said, it is necessary. There must be an announcement to both our houses.”
“We should have invited your house to the last party.”
Fiona shook her head, “That would have overshadowed Lynn’s courtship. No, we must do this, and we must do it here. Be brave, beloved, for me.”
“Oh, you're fighting dirty. You are terrible. I was right.” I laughed again and nodded, “But I concede. No more objections. And I will watch out for you if you need to bow out again.”
“That is inevitable. As countess, I will be the one expected to give the speech. But we must plan this.”
“Must we do that now? Or is there time to get to know you better?” I asked.
“I will make time.” Fiona answered.
“You’ll make my heart flutter is what you’ll do.” I said, staring into Fiona’s eyes.
“Then we are on equal footing,” Fiona said. “I am rarely flustered. You fluster me like nobody before ever has. And I confess, I enjoy the flustering. And that is strange to me.”
I felt my lips spread into a smile, “Well, would you mind if I flustered you further?” I began to lean in.
Fiona blushed and leaned forward as well. “I would not mind, Beloved.”
“I don’t know when you started calling me Beloved, but don’t stop.” And I kissed her.
The feeling of butterflies rushed up my body as we kissed. I realized that I had initiated only one kiss with Amy. All other kisses between Amy and myself, she had initiated. I wasn’t certain how to lead in a kiss. It felt amazing, but I felt awkward and uncertain. The feeling of butterflies swirled around my head. And I felt my face flush with embarrassment.
I felt Fiona run her hand up from my hip to my rib and I melted. She lowered me backward until I found myself flat on my back. The loveseat was not big, and my head curled forward along the arm of the loveseat. And I didn’t care. We continued to kiss. Fiona slid her hand under my blouse, and I moaned in ecstatic surprise. Her hand cupped my breast. And even through my bra, the effect was like grabbing a live wire. I squirmed and twisted in pleasure.
“You’re going to make me squirm off this seat if you do any more.” I gasped between labored breaths.
Fiona grinned, showing teeth, “That sounds as though it is a challenge.”
She slid her hand down the waistband of my skirt and it brushed along my panties. Unable to contain my pleasure, I cried out. Fiona jolted backward.
“Was that good or bad? Are you okay?”
I burst into giggles, “That was good. That was shocking in how good it was. I couldn’t hold it in.”
“I should not have stopped then. My apologies. I am unsure how to take the lead beyond what we have already done.”
I grinned, “Then it must be my turn to do that.”
I reached my hand under her poet’s shirt and began to slide my fingers up her chest. Fiona gasped and opened her mouth to shudder. Then the ring on my index finger hooked a stray thread from one of the shirt ruffles. I struggled with the thread, and then gave up.
“I’m stuck,” I whispered, looking away. “Please help me.”
“You’re stuck?” Fiona asked.
“My ring caught in your ruffles.” I laughed in spite of my embarrassment.
Fiona laughed as well as she sat up. She slid her hands under her own shirt, and we fiddled with my ring and the wayward thread. Once we extricated my finger and the offending ring, we paused and stared at each other.
“I guess I’m not very good at taking the lead either.” I blushed and put a hand to my lips.
“We are quite a pair.” Fiona said. “I find you beautiful. I find you arousing. And you see me in the same regard?”
“I do! I do!” I stammered.
“And yet we sit here with no idea how to take the lead.”
“We need somebody to take charge.” I said.
“Then we must accept our current situation. We can cuddle instead.” Fiona pulled me back to a sitting position and took me into her arms as she spoke.
I sighed and melted into her, “That was a good job taking the lead.”
Fiona smiled, “I lowered the stakes. This I can do. Though I do wish I were closer to your height. It is hard to feel protective of somebody almost a foot taller than myself.”
“Well, this is wonderful,” I smiled. I basked in the feeling of being held by my little knight in shining armor.
We held each other for an hour or more. But Fiona had to begin to prepare for the party. And at that point I headed back to Castle Octavian to choose an outfit for the day.
* * *
On the evening of the party, I arrived at Myrddhin House with Lynn, and my sisters: Catherine and Katarina. I had dressed in a canary yellow ball gown with a puffy bouffant style skirt. The gown’s bodice featured an off the shoulder sweetheart neckline with a keyhole. I was showing a lot of skin up front and was a little self-conscious. But I was aiming to make an impression.
Lynn wore a pastel purple sheath dress with a deep neckline. It exposed her decolletage down past her breastbone. Lynn was also covered in jewelry. She wore chandelier earrings, a cameo necklace, several bracelets, and rings. As we were both courting, these daring choices were acceptable. But Wulfric would not be at this party. Fiona had elected to not invite him. And as Lynn knew this, I wondered who she was dressing up for, or rather for whom she was undressing?
Catarina had on a cranberry red A-line dress with a Queen Anne neckline. Catherine had chosen a sapphire blue trumpet gown with a boat-neck collar.
“You’re still committed to Wulfric?” I asked.
“I am,” Lynn answered. She stopped for a moment. Then she took a breath and kept talking, “We are trying to avoid war. Kat and Cathy don’t follow politics. But they both know what war with Hyperborea would mean. Right ladies?”
Catherine nodded, “They’re the wild men of the north, right? So, it’d be scary bad to go to war against them, you know?”
Katarina reached into her cleavage and removed a flask. She unscrewed the top and took a gulp. Then she screwed the top back on and replaced the flask between her breasts. She looked at me, “War is bad. That’s it. That’s all I’ve got.”
Lynn nodded, “You see my point? I love Ys. I love the history and the culture of Ys. I love how vibrant the stories, our stories, are. I’ve always loved the idea of Ys, but now I love the reality of Ys.”
“That's a weird thing to say, cousin,” Katarina said.
“Ren understands my meaning.”
And I did. Lynn loved the richness of the world building in the Moonlight Hearts game. It was clear that the designers had other games planned. There was too much there otherwise. And Lynn had loved it from day one. Sure, a lot of it was cliched. Sure, it was a hodge-podge of disparate ideas. But it resonated with Lynn. And now this world and these people that she loved were real. And felt she felt burdened with a duty to protect them.
We reached Myrddhin House and exited the carriage. I knocked on the door. A dark-skinned gentleman in a khaki Nehru jacket and trousers answered the door.
“Good evening, Ladies,” He said, then he looked at me. “I presume that you would be Lady Ren Octavian?”
“I am, how did you know?”
“The countess provided a very precise description.”
“Are you her butler?”
“No, I am Cyrus. Her chief counsel. Both she and her butler are quite busy, but her excellency did not wish you left on the front steps.”
“Well thank you. I appreciate you doing something beneath your station.”
“I do what her excellency asks of me. And assisting a lady whom her excellency is courting will never be beneath my station. Now if you ladies could follow me.”
“Ren! Good to see you.!” Vincent said rounding the corner. "You look stunning. I am very jealous of Fiona."
Vincent wore black breeches and boots, along with a black clawhammer jacket. Beneath the jacket he wore a slate gray waistcoat and a white linen shirt.
“Hi Vincent. Thank-you, that’s sweet. Ladies, may I introduce, his excellency, the Count Vincent Metternich of Agartha. Vincent, you know Lady Carolynn. These are my elder sisters, Lady Katherine Octavian and Lady Catarina Octavian.”
Vincent stepped forward, bowed, and performed his almost hand kiss to each of us.
“Cyrus told us that Fiona is still busy,” I said, “Is she directing the decorating?”
“No, Wentworth- her butler- is doing that. She’s standing in front of a mirror practicing her speech.”
“Is she nervous?”
“It’s hard to tell with Fiona. She hates public speaking. She’s good at it, especially if she has to do it on the fly. But tell her ahead of time and it becomes a monster that keeps growing.”
“So, I guess I won’t see her until the party starts?”
“Pretty much,” Vincent said.
Vincent produced a small alchemical case from a belt pouch. As I watched, he plucked a small pill from the case and slipped it under his tongue.
“What’s that for, Vincent?” I asked.
“Medication for a chronic condition. I used to take it by hypodermic syringe. But the alchemists managed a pill form a few years ago.”
“What does it do?”
“It helps me retain my muscle mass.” Vincent answered.
“Oof,” I said, “That doesn’t sound fun.”
“I only take it once every two weeks. I’ve gotten used to it. And it beats the alternative. Here, I’ll introduce you around.”
I spent the next half hour walking with Vincent. He introduced me to the various members of House Myrddhin.
“Lovely to meet you, you’re such a sweetie.”
“You’re the Lady Karen Octavian? I was expecting somebody more, well, combative.”
“You’ve got quite a catch with our Countess Fiona. You treat her right.”
“Fiona has been talking about you. So wonderful to meet you.”
Once we finished, Vincent and I waited in the great hall. The hall was less extravagant than the Castle Octavian great hall. But I preferred it. Castle Octavian featured massive marble pillars and overdone marble stonework. This great hall had clean blue and white tiles with walls of plaster and wooden beams. It looked dignified rather than pretentious.
I also noted fewer depictions of the House Symbol. The Octavian red and gold counterchanged hunting dog covered our great hall. This great hall had two banners with House Myrddhin’s blue falcon on gold.
Other guests started arriving, members of houses allied with House Myrddhin. I still had not seen Fiona yet, and I was becoming worried.
“Ren, Great to see you! Glad you came.” Duke Leon Delmar weaved his way through the crowd. He was again wearing his dress uniform.
“Hi Leon.”
“Actually,” Leon said, “I guess you need to be here, don’t you? It’s an announcement of Fiona courting you, after all. I’m sorry.”
I smiled, “It’s fine Leon. You know we love you.”
“Hey Leon, how goes war on the high seas?” Vincent asked.
“Another smuggling vessel got away from us. The numbers of smugglers are up. And I don’t like it.”
“You think it’s part of something larger?” I asked, thinking about the conspiracy.
“I hope not,” Leon answered. “Ys has enough problems. We don't need some new player in the local organized crime ecosystem.”
“What if it isn’t organized crime?” Vincent asked.
“If it’s not, then I don’t know what it could be,” Leon said, “Has anyone seen Fiona?”
“She was practicing her speech,” Vincent answered.
“I hope she’s done that by now,” I said, “She needs to have been getting dressed for a little while now.”
“There’s your answer,” Vincent said.
I looked to the stage and saw Fiona. She walked up the stairs to the stage in a classic red strapless mermaid tail evening gown. I would have bet against somebody as short as Fiona looking good in a mermaid tail gown. And she didn’t look good. She looked glorious. She shone as she walked to the center of the stage. Cyrus walked beside her holding an empty wine glass and a spoon. When they reached center stage, Cyrus tapped the wine glass with the spoon. A clean ringing tone filled the hall. All conversation died. And Cyrus spoke into the silence.
“Her Excellency, Countess Fiona Myrddhin.”
The crowd applauded. He stepped back and Fiona stepped forward, “Thank you Cyrus. My lords and ladies, let’s take a moment to show appreciation for my chief counsel- Cyrus Hasuras.”
She waited while the crowd applauded Cyrus. Once the applause had died down, she continued.
“My lords and ladies, you know me. You know I hate giving speeches of this sort. And so, if I am inviting you to listen to a speech, you know that what I have to say is important. You have heard by now. Word travels fast. I had presented myself to court the Lady Carolynn Octavian. But while meeting the Lady Carolynn, I also met her cousin: The Lady Karen Octavian.”
She paused and looked out into the crowd, “I neglected to collect her before ascending the stage. Lady Ren, would you please join me on stage.”
I made my way through the crowd to the stage. People murmured and whispered as I passed. I climbed the stairs and approached Fiona. I stopped three feet back and curtsied to her. She nodded and then stepped forward and gave me a kiss on the lips. It was a quick and chaste kiss, but I hovered into the air anyway. The crowd gasped and Fiona turned back to face them.
“Let me not delay any longer. I have asked the Lady Ren for permission to court her. She and her father have given their assent, as has her uncle, the Baron Octavian. And so, as you have seen, we have begun to court. And so, I welcome you here to celebrate this announcement. Thank you for attending and have a wonderful time.”
Fiona led me off the stage, “I have been missing you all day Ren. This day was miserable, made bearable only by the thought that it would lead to seeing you. You look beyond amazing.”
I blushed, “You know how to make me feel wonderful.”
“Then let me continue that process,” Fiona stepped forward and kissed me on the lips once again. But this time she held the kiss. My heart fluttered and I felt like I couldn’t breathe in the best way possible. People around us applauded a third time.
“I notice that we both chose strapless tops tonight,” Fiona said.
I blushed, “I was showing off for you.”
“As was I. Did it work?” Fiona asked.
“Oh yes.” I said.
And with that, the party began. Fiona and I gravitated to speaking with Leon and Vincent. I somehow felt we’d bonded by our experiences. We were not left alone. That didn't surprise me. Fiona was the head of House Myrddhin. Leon was the local Duke and royalty. And I was the reason for the whole party. And so, we found ourselves approached throughout the evening. It wasn’t constant, there were breaks between people, but we weren’t left alone.
During a break in the parade of people, a voluptuous silver haired black woman swept into the great hall. She wore a pearl and rose gold ballgown with a wide crinoline and a bustle. She swept people away as she moved through the crowd. To her left walked two large tanned men with iron gray handlebar mustaches. They wore gorgeous tailored suits. To her right walked two mature beautiful women in form fitting evening dresses. They carved a path through the crowd like geese in a V formation.
“Who is that?” I asked Fiona.
“That is Baroness Olivia Wander,” Fiona answered. “Her barony rests adjacent to Myrddhin County.”
Leon grinned, “She’s a force of nature. She’s a retired battle ax. I mean, that sounds bad. The other monster hunters called her Lady Battle Ax in her youth. She was a great monster hunter. Ask Fiona, the Baroness trained Fiona in the art of monster hunting.”
I put a hand on Leon’s shoulder, “Leon, I did ask Fiona.”
Leon chuckled, “Yeah, you did, didn’t you. And I stepped all over it.”
“It is part of your charm,” Fiona said, “If there were any ego in your comments, you might become tedious. But there is none. Thank goodness. So go ahead. It is what we love about you.”
“Eustace dear, would you fetch drinks for us ladies?” The Baroness said above the murmur of conversation. Peter honey, can you find Fiona? She has a new beau, and I want to meet them.”
Fiona raised a hand, “Peter, over here!”
The Baroness and her four assembled with Leon, Vincent, Fiona, and myself.
“Fiona, darling! Which of these wonderful little snacks is your new paramour?”
“Hello teacher,” Fiona said and then pointed at me. “May I introduce Lady Karen Octavian, but she prefers Ren to Karen.”
Fiona then continued, “This is the Duke Leon Delmar. This is the Count Vincent Metternich.”
Olivia grinned like a mad woman, “Vincent? Is this that dear same Vincent you courted years ago? I’ve always wanted to meet the dear boy!”
“Yes, this is that Vincent.” Fiona said, “Could you introduce your spouses? I don’t believe anyone else knows them.”
The Baroness spun in a slow circle, “Why darling, I would love to introduce them! This is my husband Lord Eustace Wander. This is my other husband, Lord Peter Simon Wander. This is my first wife, Lady Eleonore Wander. You can call her Elle. And this is my second wife, Lady Emily Wander. Emily and Elle are also married. And so are Eustace and Peter. We’re one big happy family!”
I could hear the whispering. The baroness ignored them. Instead, she flourished her way through the introductions. I stood stunned. She married four different people. And was making it work.
“Your Ladyship, how long have you all been married?” I asked.
“Heavens no! That won’t do. Call me Olivia, I don’t stand on ceremony!”
I nodded, “Olivia then, how long have you all been married?”
“Elle and I got married first. We’ve been together 35 years this year! We got married at 25! Then we met dear Emily. Both of us had sordid little affairs with her. And then we both asked the other about inviting her into the marriage. Such a comedy of errors. We learned so much about open communication then. That was, what, about fifteen years ago? Fifteen. Sixteen? Emily spotted dear Eustace. She doesn’t go in for the beefy set, but she knew what kind of man I liked, so she put me on the scent! I seduced him away from his boyfriend, like the home wrecker that I am. That was eight years ago. And then Eustace started to crave some protein in his diet. And so, I went out hunting again and came home with Peter, and that was that. Peter joined what, about five years ago. Five sounds right.”
I shook my head in disbelief, “Don’t people talk?”
“My dear Ren,” Olivia’s voice dropped to an icy calm, “People will always talk. Ignore the talk. Talk is the enemy of happiness. Gossip is the opposite of love. If you have time to talk, you don’t have time to love.”
The change in the baroness was so sudden, that I stepped back in shock.
“Nothing is more important than love my dear. Especially not the panicked objections of small minds.”
After that dramatic exchange, conversation settled into more conventional topics. We talked for forty-five minutes, and nobody else approached us during that time. When the clock struck midnight Oliva seemed to remember something. And she straightened up.
“Now I have to go darlings, but I had a vision this morning and it involves each of you. And so, I know that you’re all going to need my advice. So, when you think everything has fallen apart, come see me. That’s why I’m here. It will be ok. I promise lovelies. I’ll be staying at the White Rose Hotel. Look me up when things seem darkest. Darkest before the dawn and all that.”
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