"Ciana"
Aina stood before the Duke. Adorned in the most expensive sapphires, she wore a deep blue dress that complimented her pale skin. Her long hair was half-tied pinned with blue diamonds. The lower half of her hair flowed freely down her buttocks. Her blue gown fitted her silhouette tightly and ended in a mermaid style skirt.
Currently, she was being paraded in the manor like a trophy as they waited for the arrival of Duke Fremont. Aina was anxious. She couldn't help it, she was about to meet her future husband. Though she wore gloves, she couldn't help but to run her nails on the skin on the side of her thumb, a habit she had when she was nervous.
"No matter what happens, remember you are an Evrian, Ciana" Aina was pulled from her thoughts. She faced the Duke who only kept his eyes forward as they stood on the foyer of the manor, the main entrance to the manor was left open as they waited for the carriage that the Duke of Fremont would arrive in.
She didn't know why the Duke was telling her that. Is it to reassure her? She doesn't know. And frankly, the way that nobles spoke in a vague manner will always leave her confused. No matter how many years she had spent as an Evrian, she never got used to socializing and speaking with other noble ladies in society.
"Yes" she answered, hoping that by agreeing to his words, the Duke will be satisfied.
Moments of silence later, the galloping of horses sounded across the front yard of the manor. A huge black and silver carriage rounded the huge fountain in the center of the front yard and stopped just in front of the grand steps that led to the main entrance of the manor. Aina noticed the crest carved onto the doors of the carriage. Ouroboros, a snake devouring its own tail. A crest worthy of the name Fremont.
"Ubi interitus, renascentia sequitur"
Aina turns to the words of the Duke. He spoke in the holy language of the empire and Aina, who never studied the holy language before, had no idea what he just said.
Seeing the confusion in his daughter's face, the Duke explains. "Where destruction comes, rebirth follows. It is the family motto of the Fremonts" he says.
"Oh, quite dark for a family motto" surprisingly, she was able to reply to the Duke without fumbling her words. Perhaps the Sunday dinners she had been having with the Duke and her half-siblings finally made her comfortable enough to be able to converse with them.
Still, nothing could hide the fear in her heart that everything would go back to the way it was.
"Perhaps, but we do not say such things, Ciana" oh, the Duke was scolding her. Very gently, in fact. Aina suddenly remembers the fight the Duke had with Leianna and how he shouted at his daughter with so much anger.
"I'm sorry" she finds herself saying.
"Do not be"
Aina doesn't reply and only follows the duke who walked nearer the doors of the manor and as she hears the steps of people climbing up to the manor, her anxiety grows. She gripped her fan tightly as she closed her eyes and breathed deeply. If the Duke noticed anything in her countenance, he did not say anything.
Aina suddenly wonders how Leianna was doing. Due to her disrespect, the Duke has forbidden her to leave her room for three days, and all meals will be delivered to her. It was a punishment that Aina never knew the Duke would be able to give to Leianna, the so-called treasure of the Evrian duchy. Still, Aina feels guilty that Leianna was punished because she tried to fight for her. But if Leianna couldn't persuade the Duke to withdraw the engagement between her and Duke Fremont, then Aina had no other choice but to reluctantly agree.
Finally, when she was pulled out of her thoughts again, Aina came face-to-face with a tall man in front of her. She had to tilt her head upwards to glance at his face as she only seemed to reach his neck. Duke Fremont, she assumes.
Duke Fremont stood tall. The first thing that Aina noticed was his set of unwavering deep green eyes. They were narrowed as if he was carefully assessing her. Aina swallows thickly at his unnerving stare. His hair was styled, perfectly swept back in a clean manner. His face was flawless, a perfect example of a high-ranking noble. A tall nose, symmetrically thick blonde eyebrows, and a strong jawline. He held his back straight in a manner that showed his complete confidence and authority. The coat he wore was black, ironed crisply and had no signs of creases despite the long travel. He had a white dress shirt beneath his emerald green waistcoat and a white cravat that complimented his whole outfit. In comparison with her extravagance, the Duke dressed much more casually, yet still had that air of elegance that seemed to come naturally to him.
"Welcome to our humble manor, Duke Fremont" her father was the first to speak. He offered his gloved hands and Duke Fremont gladly shook it with his same gloved hand. They both exchanged a calm look, without any sort of joy in their faces.
Aina averted her gaze from them, as she sensed the awkwardness in the air.
"And this must be…" Duke Fremont's eyes turned to Aina who came into her senses immediately and faced the Duke properly.
"My youngest daughter, Ciana" her father placed a hand on her shoulders, and that was her signal to step forward.
Though unnerved by the observing stare of the Duke, Aina managed to raise her hand just above her waist as is written in high-society etiquette. "Your grace, I'm pleased to make your acquaintance"
Aina barely hides her disgust as her hands shook in the air. She really couldn't stand physical contact with a man. Although her phobia was much more manageable as she wore gloves, Aina still couldn't take men kissing the back of her hand, regardless of etiquette or not.
Aina's hands were shaking as Duke Fremont bent down, taking her hand and placing a kiss just above her knuckles. He smiled politely upon letting go of her hand and straightened his back once more when he said, "I'm pleased to make your acquaintance as well, Lady Ciana"
.
.
-
Currently, Aina sits in the receiving room in their manor. It was almost late afternoon, and the autumn air was creeping in, therefore, the Duke ordered for the fireplace to be lit. The warmth of the room, and the sounds of fire crackling against the burning wood manages to somehow send a calming energy through her. Aina sips on the tea, barely allowing the liquid to hit her throat, before settling the teacup back on the table.
Aina could hear the murmurs of the arrangement her father was deciding with Duke Fremont. The dowry, the date of the wedding, and the priest who would officiate. They were deciding matters that she should have been involved in. At the same time Aina couldn't find it in herself to be interested in such matters. They could decide everything, and it wouldn't matter for her anyway.
This is just a political marriage anyway.
"It seems Lady Ciana is getting tired of this conversation" Aina looks to the source of the voice, Duke Fremont. He has a smirk playing on his lips, a smirk that could indicate a thousand meanings.
"Forgive me, your grace, I was simply distracted for a moment." Aina was not mannerless nor was she stupid enough to not realize he was making fun of her. She grips her fan a little tighter as her patience runs.
"Then, would it be alright for Duke Fremont to have my daughter accompany you to the lake? It is simply marvelous at this time of day" her father turns to her and Aina hides the terror in her chest as she smiles politely. "Ciana, please show the Duke to the lake" he added, and Aina wanted nothing more than to run away.
"Of course." Aina still doesn't call the Duke 'Father'. The Duke froze but immediately caught himself and motioned for her and Duke Fremont to go on.
No doubt, this was a ploy for them to introduce themselves to each other without any chaperones. Aina tightens the black silken shawl around her as she stands. It was cold outside and she didn't want to get sick again. She looks at the fireplace, warmth she will probably miss moments later when she's at the lake, in the middle of Autumn, freezing to death. Aina had always run colder than normal people.
She was someone who always basked in the sun.
"Please, call me Lorian, your grace. We shall soon be family anyway" Duke Fremont flashed a smile that was too perfect for Aina's liking. In fact, everything about Duke Fremont was too perfect. And Aina doesn't believe in perfection. From the start till the end of time, humans always had flaws. She once read that 'there is nothing perfect in this world', and Aina believes that to be a fact. All humans are flawed, and she wondered why this man in front of her tries to hide his by copying perfection.
"Of course, Lorian" the Duke doesn't allow Lorian to call him 'father-in-law'. If he had any dissatisfaction with that, he certainly doesn't show them.
Lorian smiles even more.
"Ciana" Aina looks at the Duke. "A guard will be following you, though he will be 10 steps behind for your privacy" so I am allowed to scream if anything goes wrong. Aina thought they would be unchaperoned. It seems she was wrong. On a normal day, Aina wouldn't realize the Duke's intention behind his actions, however, in that moment, the concern in his face was evident with the way his brows came together and his eyes glistened with worry. He's worried. But why? Didn't he want this marriage to happen?
.
.
.
"Alright, father." It takes a while for her to answer, and it took even more to decide to call the Duke 'Father', something she hadn't done ever since the incident that happened when she was ten.
Her father's eyes widened for a moment, and they shared a look that made Aina's chest tighten to a certain degree. It wasn't the pain she felt before when she was sick, no, this was warm and light. The Duke smiles, and it looked so natural on him that Aina knew it was the kind of smile he easily shows to her half-siblings. A smile that she can't even remember if she ever witnessed herself when she was young.
"You may go," he says gently and Aina nods, heading towards the door of the receiving room, the steps of another person quietly following behind her.
Lorian Fremont.