North America / Kingdom of Yorkania (Crownlands of Manhattan): November 12th, 1517.
(Gia'annie de' Roosevelt's POV)
"Mother do we really have to attend." Asked gia'annie with a worried look on her face as she clenched her luxerious dress tightly with both of her hands.
*PAK*
A mature woman smacked gia'annie's haands and said with a stern tone and look on her face "Yes we must, we need to get into the queen mother's good graces, this should not mark the end of house roosevelt just because your brother was stupid."
"B…but, why me. I don't know anyone and I don't have any friends. I just want to read and write books." Asked gia'annie stuttering with a stressed look on her face.
The mature woman's eyebrows creased and said with a sigh as she looked out the curtain at a luxerious castle sitting atop the edge of a waterfall cliff the carriage was heading toward on a bridge "You are 15 years of age, you are a woman now gia'annie, you must find a husband and if you do successfully find one tonight, you will be able to do whatever your heart is set on with my blessing. I want you to be happy and not just a loner."
"Y…yes mother." Said gia'annie with her head bowed and her bottom lip quivering slightly.
*Bak* *Bak*
The mature woman glanced at the carriage door and asked calmly "What is it."
"We have arrived lady adeline." Said a nasal man's voice from outside the carriage, the door opening.
Adeline nodded and said while stepping out of the carriage with the help of the male servant "Very good."
Gia'annie stepped out behind her mother and Immediately looked up with wide eyes at a absolutely gigantic black, white and gold castle sitting atop the waterfall cliff with huge glass windows, towering spires, golden statues and arthurian, french and english inspired designs carved all around it. The sound of the waterfall crashing below it loudly like a constant warning that one misstep could end everything.
The bridge was full of other arriving carriages.
"H…how can a place like this even exist." Thought gia'annie with a awed and worried look on her face as she held the sides of her dress tightly.
Suddenly a very beautiful older woman with a deep, rich brown skin tone, sharp hazel like eyes, a square shaped face, giant powdered black hair styled with jewels and a luxurious dark green gown stepped out of another carriage and glanced directly at adeline.
The air became heavy.
"Hmph…well if it isn't lady adeline de' roosevelt. I am quite surprised to see you showing your face after the public embarrassment of your house." Said the woman calmly with a slight smile on her face as she held a fan up to her mouth.
Adeline's face Immediately became ugly and she said with a closed eyed smile as she adjusted her gloves "Marchioness ventress. I see your tongue is still as desperate for attention as ever."
The bridge went silent around them. A few noble women slowing their steps while pretending not to listen.
Marchioness ventress chuckled slightly and said while looking adeline up and down "Desperate. No my dear, I am simply curious how a house under suspicion still finds the courage to arrive at the queen mother's first gathering."
Adeline stepped forward slightly and said with a dangerous smile on her face "The same way an aging marchioness still finds the courage to wear a neckline meant for younger women. Delusion."
Gia'annie's eyes widened.
Marchioness ventress's fan stopped moving.
A few nearby women covered their mouths and started whispering Immediately.
"H…holy shit." Thought gia'annie while staring at the two older women.
Marchioness ventress lowered the fan slightly and said with squinted eyes "Careful adeline. Your daughter is of age now. You should spend less time teaching her silence and more time teaching her how to survive a room full of people who know her brother died like a dog."
Adeline's jaw clenched tightly. A vein appearing on her neck.
Gia'annie's face paled.
Adeline suddenly smiled very gently and said while taking gia'annie's arm and patting it twice "My daughter will survive just fine. She reads. Which is already more than can be said for most of the women in your bloodline."
The bridge was absolutely silent.
Marchioness ventress had a ugly look on her face and said lowly "Watch yourself."
"And you should watch your son. I hear he loses coin as quickly as a whore loses shame." Said adeline calmly as she started making her way toward the castle with gia'annie on her arm.
Gia'annie nearly stumbled from how quickly her mother started walking.
Behind them a few women audibly gasped while others started whispering louder than before.
"T…that was terrifying." Thought gia'annie as she looked back and seen marchioness ventress glaring at them with murderous Intent.
*Tak* Tak* *Tak*
The heels and shoes of noble women sounded all across the bridge as more and more carriages arrived. Mothers, daughters, widows, duchesses, countesses, marchionesses and baronesses all stepping out in grand dresses full of jewels, lace, velvet, fur and powdered hair as male servants helped them onto the bridge.
At the massive entrance of the castle stood rows of servants in matching black and white attire.
"Her ladyship, lady adeline de' roosevelt and her daughter lady gia'annie de' roosevelt." Said a servant loudly with his head bowed as the giant double doors opened.
The inside of the castle was even more shocking.
Gia'annie stepped in and Immediately looked all around with wide eyes.
The floors were polished marble mixed with black and gold patterns, huge chandeliers of crystal hanging from impossibly high ceilings, walls lined with massive mirrors, portraits of dead rulers, giant staircases curving like swan necks and armored knights standing like statues between huge flower arrangements and gold trimmed columns.
The women entering behind gia'annie also slowed down. Their eyes wide and mouths slightly agape.
"My word…" Said a middle aged woman softly with a hand on her chest.
A young noblewoman with freckles and big hazel eyes asked in a whisper "Has it always looked like this."
An older countess snorted and said while being guided by her servant "Of course not. Didn't you hear the gossip. The queen mother had half of it renovated two years ago when she first arrived. Tore out half the old furnishings and replaced them with this."
Another woman with a giant blue powdered wig leaned closer and asked with a whisper "All of this in only two years."
"Yes. I heard she called the old design ugly and said the hall looked like a rich man died inside of it and no one bothered to clean it up." Said the older countess with a low chuckle.
A few women covered their mouths to hide their laughter.
Gia'annie listened quietly while looking all around at the grand hallways and thought "So this is the type of woman the queen mother is."
The servant in front of them kept walking with his hands behind his back and said loudly "This way my ladies. Her majesty awaits in the throne room."
The words made the women Immediately straighten their backs and hold themselves with more poise.
The sound of dresses rustling and jewelry softly clinking filled the long hallways as noble women from dozens of houses followed the servants deeper Into the castle. Some trying to hide their awe, others whispering, some glaring at rival families, others trying to make sure their daughters looked presentable enough to catch the eye of powerful men.
Gia'annie kept her head lowered. Her hands clenched in the fabric of her gown.
"I don't want to be here. I don't want to be here. I don't want to be here." She thought over and over again while her heart beat wildly in her chest.
Suddenly the servant in front of them stopped before a pair of towering double doors trimmed in gold and black.
Two armored guards standing at both sides pushed them open.
*BOOOM*
The throne room was full.
Gia'annie's eyes widened Immediately.
The hall was lined with rows upon rows of male nobles in luxurious attire, armored knights, old men with canes, young men with sharp faces, middle aged lords with puffed up chests, servants along the walls and whole families split into clusters like warring birds waiting for a crumb to drop. At the very far end stood the throne raised above them all like a judgment seat.
The noise of the hall softened for only a second.
Then every single eye turned toward the entering women.
The atmosphere shifted.
"Ahem…" Said one old man adjusting his throat as if he had not expected so many noblewomen to actually arrive.
Gia'annie's cheeks heated up from all the staring.
The servant bowed and said loudly "The women of the noble houses have arrived."
Instantly the room started moving.
Mothers and daughters were shown toward their families. Women gliding across the marble floor toward their husbands, fathers, brothers, cousins and house banners while the men either nodded approvingly, stared critically or whispered immediately into each other's ears.
Adeline guided gia'annie through the hall with a straight back and lifted chin. Her face the image of dignity.
Gia'annie could hear it now.
The gossip.
"That is the roosevelt girl." Said a voice.
"I heard she is quiet." Said a voice.
"Of course she is, look what happened to her brother." Said a voice.
"They say the queen mother means to strip more titles tonight." Said a voice.
"I heard daughters will now inherit before useless sons if they're more competent." Said a voice.
"My husband nearly fainted when he heard." Said a voice.
"Do you think she means it." Said a voice.
"It is morgan le fay, of course she means it." Said a voice.
Gia'annie's breathing became shallow.
A young nobleman stared at her too long.
Another glanced away quickly when adeline looked at him.
A older woman whispered behind her fan "The hall feels different now that the women are here."
"Of course it does. Her majesty summoned wives and daughters. That means she intends to make a point of us all tonight." Said another calmly while glancing at the throne.
Gia'annie followed the direction of their eyes.
Her heart thumped loudly in her chest.
The throne sat waiting.
And somehow the entire hall felt like it was breathing in anticipation.
LMother…" Asked gia'annie softly with a nervous look on her face as she clutched her mother's arm for a brief second.
Adeline did not look at her. She only kept her head high and said lowly with a calm smile on her face "Stand straight, keep quiet and watch carefully. Tonight decides which houses survive the queen mother's new world."
The throne room buzzed louder and louder with whispers.
And gia'annie suddenly understood.
This was not a ball. It was a reckoning.
The throne room buzzed louder and louder with whispers.
Young men with sharp faces leaned towards each other with narrowed eyes while old men with canes adjusted there throats loudly and middle aged lords muttered underneath there breaths to there wives and daughters with grim looks on there faces.
"Do you think she truly means to strip titles tonight." Asked a woman's voice softly from out of nowhere.
"Of course she does, it is the queen mother. She did not summon every woman of rank to this place just to admire lace and jewels." Said another older woman's voice calmly while looking towards the throne.
A old man with a huge mustache scoffed and said with a ugly look on his face "This is preposterous. We are expected to parade our wives and daughters before a woman who believes daughters should inherit over son's."
"And what if she does, old fool. At least a daughter can perhaps count higher than ten unlike your son's." Said a mature duchess with a fan over her mouth.
A few nearby women Immediately covered there mouths to hide there laughter.
The men grew louder. The women whispered harder.
The children of noble houses looked around nervously.
Gia'annie's heart beat wildly in her chest.
"This place is to loud. Everyone looks as if they are about to tear each other's throats out with there teeth and smiles" Thought gia'annie with a worried look on her face as she held the fabric of her gown tighter.
Adeline's sharp hazel eyes swept across the crowded throne room slowly and suddenly stopped.
"There…." Said adeline with a narrowed look in her eyes.
At the far left side of the hall stood a very fat and luxeriously dressed old man with a round, heavy bearded face, deep set dark brown eyes, short powdered grey hair and a 5'4 incredibly wide built body in a dark green, black and gold attire covered in jewels, rings and velvet. His walking cane had a golden lion head carved into the top of it. Around him stood 4 very nervous looking young men and 2 older servants.
His posture was good.
His expression calm.
His presence heavy.
It being baron adam de' tribeca. The 71 year old richest man in all of yorkania.
Adeline's lips curled slightly upward.
"Mother…" Asked gia'annie softly with a confused and nervous look on her face as she noticed the sudden change in her mother's expression.
Adeline looked down at gia'annie and said quietly with a calm smile on her face "Stand up straight. Smooth your face and fix your shoulders. You are about to be Introduced to someone of true value."
Gia'annie's eyes widened.
"B…but…" Said gia'annie softly with her throat suddenly dry.
"No buts. Smile, but not like a fool. Be polite, but not desperate. Speak only when spoken to and do not ramble on about books unless he asks you." Said adeline calmly while already guiding gia'annie across the marble floor with her hand on her daughters arm.
Gia'annie's legs nearly stumbled to keep up.
"T…this is bad. This is very bad. I don't know who that is but mother has that look in her eyes." Thought gia'annie with a very stressed look on her face.
The closer they got the more imposing the old man looked.
Baron adam de' tribeca stood like a mountain of silk, jewels and old money. Every noble that passed him bowed there head slightly whether out of respect or fear of his wealth, gia'annie could not tell.
Adeline stopped in front of him and curtsied elegantly.
"Baron tribeca. It is a pleasure to see you looking so well." Said adeline calmly with a charming smile on her face.
The old man glanced down at adeline and then at gia'annie. His face unreadable for a moment before a very mannered and warm smile formed on it.
"Lady adeline de' roosevelt. I might say the same if these old eyes were not so burdened by the exhaustion of too much coin and too many fools asking for it." Said adam in a low yet surprisingly smooth voice while inclining his head slightly.
A couple of nearby men chuckled under there breaths.
Adeline smiled with closed eyes and said calmly "Your wit is as sharp as ever your lordship. May I present to you my daughter, lady gia'annie de' roosevelt."
Gia'annie's heart stopped for a moment.
She quickly curtsied. A little awkward but still graceful enough.
"Y…your lordship." Said gia'annie softly while keeping her eyes lowered.
Adam stared at her for a moment and asked calmly lHow old are you child."
Gia'annie swallowed the spit inside her mouth and said softly "I am 15 years of age your lordship."
"Hm." Said adam while stroking his beard slowly with his thick jeweled fingers.
The throne room was still loud behind them. Noble voices rising and falling like a storm trapped inside a golden box.
Adeline placed her hand lightly at the small of gia'annie's back and said with a proud tone "She is quiet, well read, obedient and far more sensible than most girls her age."
Gia'annie's cheeks heated up slightly.
Adam's eyes narrowed with Interest and said calmly "Well read you say. That is rare in this kingdom, especially amongst the daughters of houses who care more for marriage contracts than minds."
Adeline smiled and said while glancing down at gia'annie "Indeed. She spends most of her time with her nose in books and ink on her fingers. I worry she may marry a library before she marries a man."
A couple of nearby older women snickered softly.
Adam let out a deep amused sound and looked down at gia'annie again and asked with a very mannered look on his face "And what do you read little lady."
Gia'annie blinked and slowly raised her eyes up at him.
For some reason.
He did not look cruel.
He looked tired.
Old.
Observant.
And oddly kind beneath the silk and gold.
"I…I read histories, ledgers and stories your lordship." Said gia'annie softly while trying not to fidget.
Adam's thick eyebrows rose slightly.
"Ledgers." Asked adam with a curious look on his face.
Gia'annie nodded her head slightly.
"Y…yes. I like patterns and knowing how things move from place to place and why one family becomes richer and another poorer." Said gia'annie softly.
Adeline's eyes widened just slightly.
Adam was silent for a moment and then suddenly smiled very genuinely.
"Interesting." Said adam calmly while tapping his cane once against the marble floor.
*Tak*
Adeline's smile deepened.
Just as she was about to speak again.
*BOOOOOOM*
The giant double doors at the far end of the throne room swung open with such force that the hall shook.
The throne room went absolutely silent.
Every single noble.
Every servant.
Every knight.
Every wife, daughter, widow and lord Immediately turned toward the sound.
Rows of guards in black, white and gold stepped forward in perfect sync with there swords raised upward in front of there faces.
"HAIL. HAIL. HAIL." Said the guards loudly in sync.
Gia'annie's breath caught in her throat.
A guard stepped foward and slammed the butt of his spear against the marble floor.
*BOOM*
"HER MAJESTY. MORGAN LE FAY DE' QUEEN, QUEEN MOTHER OF THE GREAT KINGDOM OF YORKANIA, PROTECTOR OF THE CROWN, LADY OF THE CROWNLANDS OF MANHATTAN, GUARDIAN OF THE REALM." Said the guard loudly at the top of his lungs.
The hall was so silent that the sound of dresses shifting could be heard.
Then she appeared.
Gia'annie's eyes widened Immediately.
A very breathtaking tall woman with a deep, rich dark brown skin tone and striking hazel green eyes slowly stepped into the throne room with a cold and unreadable look on her face. Her natural white hair was enormous, abundant and styled high in a majestic halo beneath a gigantic white and gold jeweled crown-headdress that rose around her head like a holy sun. Her gown was luxerious beyond words, white and gold with jewels, pearls, lace and embroidery everywhere upon it, fitted tightly at the waist and grand at the hips and sleeves like she had stepped out of a painting of some divine empress that did not know mercy.
She was followed by a very beautiful young dark skinned woman with long abundant black coils and worried hazel eyes, it being princess blanchefleur de' queen.
At Morgan's other side walked a very beautiful 6'5 pale skinned man with very long white hair and chartreuse eyes in a luxerious white and gold attire with his arms behind his back. It being lord merlin.
The throne room remained absolutely silent.
No one moved. No one dared.
Gia'annie felt her knees weaken.
"So this is the queen mother…" Thought gia'annie with a awed and horrified look on her face.
Morgan's eyes swept once across the room.
Slowly.
Coldly.
As if weighing every single life in it.
And somehow.
The entire throne room felt even smaller than before.
Morgan's eyes swept across the room once more and then she started moving.
*Tak* *Tak* *Tak*
The sound of her heels against the polished marble floor echoed throughout the throne room like a quiet warning. Every noble Immediately lowered there heads or straightened there backs even more as she passed them by with blanchefleur and merlin following at both sides of her.
Gia'annie did not dare breathe.
The queen mother did not look left. She did not look right.
She simply walked as if the entire room already belonged to her and everyone inside of it was just waiting for her permission to continue existing.
"T…this is terrifying." Thought gia'annie with a dry throat as she watched the queen mother's huge white and gold gown drag grandly behind her like the tail of some divine predator.
The throne room was absolutely silent.
Morgan reached the steps of the throne and slowly made her way up them with perfect calm. Merlin stopping at the right side of the throne with his arms behind his back and a unreadable look on his beautiful face while blanchefleur moved to the smaller seat placed beside the throne and sat down with graceful slowness. Her worried hazel eyes sweeping nervously across the room.
Morgan turned and sat down on the throne.
The entire hall seemed to freeze.
She leaned back slightly into it. One jeweled hand resting on the arm of the throne while the other adjusted a fold of her luxurious skirt with complete ease as if she had not just made an entire hall full of nobles feel like condemned prisoners awaiting a sentence.
Merlin stood tall and still beside her like a pale ghost carved from white marble.
Blanchefleur folded her hands in her lap and tried her best to keep a composed expression on her beautiful face.
The throne room remained silent.
Morgan looked down at all of them for a moment and then said calmly with a slight sigh "Well. You all came. How deeply unfortunate for those of you who hoped cowardice might still pass as dignity."
The hall stayed still.
A couple of older women lowered there eyes Immediately. A few men clenched there jaws. Some younger daughters looked at the floor with nervous faces.
Gia'annie's heart was pounding so loudly in her chest she was certain someone would hear it.
Morgan rested the side of her face lightly against the back of her left hand and continued calmly "I had heard rumors on my way here that some of you believed this evening to be a ball. That is adorable. No. This is a room full of people dressed in silk and jewels waiting to find out whether there names still mean something by the time I am finished speaking."
The throne room was absolutely silent.
Adam de' tribeca slowly stroked his beard with one jeweled hand. His face calm.
Adeline's posture became even straighter.
Gia'annie felt her knees grow weaker.
Morgan's eyes swept over the crowd again and she said calmly "Still, I am not entirely heartless. Music will be played. Wine will be poured. Daughters will be displayed, sons will posture like decorative horses and old men will no doubt spend the evening pretending there opinions still matter. So yes. We shall call it a ball if that helps the slower minds in the room endure it with less fear."
A few women subtly covered there mouths.
One young nobleman's face turned red from either shame or anger. Gia'annie could not tell.
Merlin's mouth twitched slightly at the corner.
Blanchefleur looked down for a brief moment as if trying not to react.
Morgan crossed one leg over the other and said calmly with a cold unreadable look on her face "Tonight you will dance, smile, whisper, flatter and scheme as noble people always do when they sense the world changing beneath there feet. The only difference now is that I am the one deciding who rises with it and who gets crushed under it."
The hall was silent. The atmosphere heavy and suffocating.
Gia'annie swallowed the spit inside her mouth and thought with wide eyes "This really is not a ball. It is a execution with music."
Morgan lifted her chin slightly and said with her voice rising just a little in pitch "So then. Let the first ball of my reign begin. Try not to embarrass yourselves to severely, though I understand for many of your houses that is less a risk and more a family tradition."
The throne room remained absolutely still for one long moment.
Then a servant near the wall raised his hand shakily.
Musicians at the far corner of the hall Immediately began to play.
Soft elegant music filled the throne room.
Servants moved all at once like black and white shadows across the marble floor carrying silver trays full of wine, crystal glasses and small delicate foods as the nobles slowly began to breathe again.
The whispers started. The movement. The game.
Gia'annie stood frozen beside her mother with her heart still hammering wildly in her chest as the entire room slowly came back to life underneath the queen mother's gaze.
And somehow.
That made it even more terrifying.
…
THE END…