章節 19: Presentation
Mona's jaw dropped.
Aadhira was dressed – willingly! – in a green silk dress with stylized flames chasing each other up either side of a center panel featuring mirrored crescent moons. The moons and the narrow vertical strips outlining the center panel appeared to be made of copper, to match her hair, which was pulled up and sculpted in delicate waves to frame the green and gold tiara that was far more intricate than the ones that Aadhira normally balked at.
Where Aadhira's short hair normally made her look boyish, the cut of the dress matched with the way her hair was made up connived to show off how delicate her uncharacteristically clean neck could be made to appear if she allowed it.
A brocaded collar with designs ranging from red, to copper, to gold, in a sea of green, swept down between the moons that served to distract the eye from the flatness beneath them; and alternating rows of green and red gemstones made their way down her arms on ladders of gold and copper, to where they met with simple long green silk gloves.
From the waistline, slashes of orange peeked out from within green pleats leading down to where embroidered flames jumping up from a hemline of dual copper lines completed the bottom of the ensemble, underneath which green slippers could be seen peeking out when she moved.
The only thing distracting from the elegance of her attire was the look on her face. She looked nervous, maybe even a little queasy. Then Mother whispered into her ear on one side, and Cassandra tightened her grip on her arm on the other; and she took a long, slow breath, which seemed to help.
"Well, I'll be," Mona breathed.
"I think I know what happened to Rechel," Luna said.
"I think for once Aadhira is showing you up," Lucine added.
"She's welcome to it," Mona replied seriously, standing to her feet and crossing the room gracefully to her sister.
"Are you okay?" Mona asked once she was next to her.
Aadhira's warm tan skin couldn't quite hide the paleness threatening underneath it. "I don't think so," she croaked.
Mona's eyes bounced back and forth between Cassandra and Mother before she stepped forward and took the arm Mother was holding. Mother would be moving to the seat designated for the queen before too long, after all.
But for now she followed the girls as Mona led Aadhira to a seat next to her in the gallery. The fact that all eyes were on her was seemingly not lost on Aadhira. She walked stiffly, not looking to the left nor the right, and appeared to shrink into her dress after falling into her seat.
Some of the nobles in attendance didn't seem to realize anything was out of the ordinary besides being overdressed, but many of the nobles kept stealing glances at Aadhira from time to time. A few even looked sympathetic as they did so.
"Okay," Mona whispered harshly at last. "What is going on here?"
"Can't I just decide I want to look my best for court?" Aadhira asked innocently.
"No." The word was echoed by a chorus of three sisters, one mother, a tutor, and half a dozen of the closest nobles. A few of them even added, "you can't."
When Aadhira gave an uncomfortable shrug and refused to say any more, Mona looked at their mother, who also shrugged.
"Don't look at me," she said. "She found me this morning and asked if I had anything pretty to wear to court this afternoon. I've had versions of this dress waiting at Simmons' Seams for just such an occasion for years."
Mona nodded. That made sense. Except for the part where Aadhira actually wanted to wear something pretty.
Mother left the gallery – her proper entrance was with Father – and Cassandra took her own seat. Next to Luna, which was interesting. But on second thought, even if Mona had thought to invite her, she had departed training rather suddenly today.
At Aadhira's provocation.
Mona eyed her little sister as the conversation turned to other matters. Aadhira had never shown any interest in boys as anything other than partners in crime or sparring partners; and while Vilim filled both of those roles admirably, court was not his natural environment.
Nor could Mona picture Aadhira pining after anyone who might call court their natural environment. She had never had anything but disdain for the environment or its denizens.
Present company excluded, of course.
So what could have prompted Aadhira of all people to – her heart went out to the poor girl when she saw her hand twitch in such a brave effort to resist ripping off the unaccustomed costume –
?
Mona felt like she was close to making a connection; but unfortunately her musings were interrupted right then by Trenit Rizier, the royal herald, walking into the audience hall through the door behind the throne, accompanied by his wife, Renna, the court stenographer. Trenit waited until Renna was seated and ready, and then officially began court.
"All rise for His Majesty Tidus and Her Royal Highness Tera, King and Queen of the kingdom of Luna, Protectorate of the Lunar Isles."
All present stood.
The door behind the throne opened again and the King and Queen strode out, arm in arm. Those who were watching for it noticed the King's gaze gravitating towards Aadhira, followed by a widening of his eyes and a hesitation in his step. He turned to his wife and whispered something inaudible as he recovered, then escorted her to her seat next to his throne.
He helped her into her seat today. Some gossips among the nobles were sure to read something or other into this choice, as only by his express leave was anyone in the room allowed to be seated before him.
At last he came to stand before his throne, looked out among those assembled, and took his seat.
"You may be seated," Trenit intoned.
And with the seating of the gallery, court commenced.
The kingdom of Luna had robust judicial and public works systems. There were judges and dignitaries to handle the overwhelming majority of disputes, petitions, and matters of state.
But there were always matters that lower dignitaries did not have the authority to adjudicate or standing to attend to, from difficult or unprecedented judgments, to commitments and contracts involving state resources, to recognition and administration of nobles and their affairs.
Today's docket did not have any criminal matters or civil disputes, but there was a report from the fisherman's guild concerning the recent decrease in food production. The King listened to the report, but as there was clearly nothing he could do to affect the whims of the sea, he took the report under advisement and asked the guild to keep him apprised of any changes.
The next item on the docket was the presentation of a visiting noble. Mona caught Aadhira leaning forward out of the corner of her eye, her dress-related discomfort apparently gone.
"Your Majesty, lords and ladies of the court, I present to you Adrian Brower, heir apparent of House Brower."
And just like that, Aadhira's nervousness entered through Mona's mouth, made its way down to her stomach, and began building a nest.
Mona was glancing over her shoulder at the Five Seats, the area of the gallery reserved for the heads of the five highest ranking noble houses in the kingdom, before she realized. Three of the seats were empty, as was to be expected on any day short of those containing the most anticipated of business.
The seat for House Brower was not empty. What's more, Getlin Brower, Adrian's father and head of House Brower, was staring back at her, an inscrutable expression on his face. She got the uncomfortable impression that his gaze on her was not a recent occurrence.
Mona suppressed a shudder and turned back to the audience hall.
Adrian was already kneeling in front of the King when she looked back. Mona had heard the courtesies they were exchanging a thousand times, yet she had trouble following them as the sound of her own heartbeat seemed to fill her ears and her vision blurred.
Then a hand was grasping her own. She looked and followed it to Aadhira, who was looking at her with concern on her face. And no small amount of bewilderment.
Of course. Aadhira had been too young. She didn't know what had happened. She likely didn't even remember the things that hadn't been kept from her.
Mona took a moment to focus on her breathing and consider. Looking at her baby sister, for once more at ease in a sea of fabric than she herself was, she understood. Aadhira must have misread the emotions shown last night, the connection shared by Adrian and herself.
In a way it was flattering, that while Aadhira would never willingly subject herself to such attire for her own sake, she had apparently not hesitated for a second as a show of support for her.
If only her show of support wasn't so misguided.
Then Mona's name was spoken from somewhere among the blurry images in front of the throne. Desperately she cast back in her memory for what had been said as the entire gallery turned their focus toward her.
"The gift is for you," Lucine whispered in her ear.
Mona blinked. It was customary for a noble presenting themselves at court, either upon reaching majority or after an extended absence – or sometimes to curry favor, or for no reason at all – to present a gift to the Throne as a show of fealty.
Coinage was about the only gift that was generally considered gauche; usually a noble would give a gift of a small amount of resources, commodities, or trade goods from their holdings. Sometimes gems or jewelry would be presented, or other manufactured products.
On rare occasions mementos of a more personal nature might be presented; at such times the gift might be given to a member of the Royal family rather than the Throne itself, though this was rarely done outside of attempts at courtship.
Mona knew for a fact that nobody from House Brower would ever want to court her.
But everybody in attendance was now staring at her. So she composed herself as best she could, and strode from the gallery to the audience hall proper, taking her place next to her father.
Adrian bowed to her formally, seriously, and held out a smallish but long enameled wooden box to her with both hands.
Mona gulped. A strange mix of bewilderment and a certainty that she couldn't quite name threatened to bring a lump to her throat.
Not bothering to take the box from him, she worked the clasp and raised the lid.
The lump in her throat quit threatening and manifested full force. She couldn't quite resist reaching out to trace with her finger the familiar lines on the hilt of the knife contained therein, or lifting it reverently out of the case.
"Asa," she breathed.
She carefully returned the knife to the case, closed the lid, redid the clasp, and hurried out of the audience hall before she burst into tears.
創作者的想法 
Trevortni
Trevortni So much to say about this chapter, but I will limit myself to the dress:
I do not like describing clothing. I find it difficult to think in terms of fashion and what people would be wearing. But Aadhira willingly donning a dress seemed like reason enough to step out of my comfort zone.
Don't expect many more detailed clothing descriptions like this one. (But do let me know what you thought of Aadhira!)
每周推薦票狀態
-- 推薦票
榜單 
-- 推薦票