675-10-05 - An Undeniable Rift
| An Undeniable Rift | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summary: King Barret and his daughter Barbeta have another talk, which once again shows they have differing opinions. | |||||||
|
An early morning it is, and a lone figure is on the battlements, brown eyes below furrowed brows scanning the far mountain range of the Great Barrier to the west, before they drift towards the Fields of Perescan to the southwest. King Barret Brais is clad in a moderately fine tunic in red and black, along with breeches in dark grey. A woollen cloak against the early autumn chill is worn above his attire, and right now blown about his impressive frame by a sudden gust of wind. The crown on his head is absent. He usually only wears this particular regal accessory only when it is required.
For now it certainly is not, with most of his subjects still asleep in the castle, when the morning dusk is slowly lighted by the pinkish tone of a morning sun that has just managed to peek over the horizon.
Barbeta sighs, taking a breath of some fresh air, when she gets on the top of the tower. Her black gown fits closely to the body until the midhip and then widens gradually to the hem. The neckline is shaped like the top half of a heart, stressing out her young forms. The wide and posh silver necklace attracts the gaze to her chest even more. The black as a burned stump stone is inlaid in the middle of the necklace.
The girl opens her eyes then and sighs again, noticing her father. She offers a curtsy, but then walks to the other side of the place and steps close to the edge to look what is going on in the city. People look so small down there,that it makes Barbie giggle quietly, but then she just closes her eyes again.
Esther is standing behind her Princess.Guards are not needed inside the castle, when the guards are all over the place.
The king looks up when he hears that sigh, brows furrowing even more when he notices his daughter. For now he remains quiet, after all when last they spoke they did not part on the best of terms. What Barbeta may notice about him may be a new found determination in his posture, his back is straight, hands clasped behind his back, and his head held proudly. His gaze follows that of her, and lingers briefly on the activity that can be glimpsed below in the city of Farris.
The intention to remain quiet is soon given up, when Barret Brais clears his throat and offers a quiet "Barbeta" in greeting.
"Your Highness," the girl answers quietly for the King. Esther bows deeply for the man too, but then she withdraws a little bit. There is some joy in her eyes, that, finally, she is not needed to translate anything! A true feast, indeed.
Barbeta clasps her hands behind her back too. She is standing in an equal determination, her back is straight, chin raised proudly. A true daughter of the King Barret Brais.
She does not say anything for now.
"I am your father, as well," Barret comments, the dry sound of his voice cutting crisply through the air. "Even if you have accused me of failing there." This is added with more than a hint of reproach in his tone. "As a king, however," he adds, "I am glad we solved that misunderstanding with your betrothed. As a father... it is of course my wish to see you happy."
And here he falls silent, turning again to let his gaze drift over the beautiful scenery of the Fields of Perescan bathed in the red rays of dawn.
The girl grinds her teeth for a moment. She mumbles really quietly, "Father, who...." It's hard to understand, how she finishes her sentence, when she is standing on the other side of the place. But when she looks up at the man and adds, "Talking about my happines..." She straightens even more if possible, "I wanted to ask if I could have my wedding on 11th day of this month? Still my marriage will be not finished till I marry Patrician Agostino in his lands too. So, I would like to get married here this weekend and then leave as soon as possible to my home. I am sure that Agostino agrees. We need your agreement. Nothing special. No feast. Just the tiny ceremony. No guests."
The request is enough to draw Barret's attention, a low sound of surprise escaping him as he turns and looks at Barbeta. "We are speaking of a wedding in five days?", he inquires, his voice trembling in an incredulous chuckle. "I am not sure that would do the meaning of this marriage justice, ch... I mean Barbeta." The way she stresses the words 'my home' when referencing Ningo lands is noted of course, and there may be a hint of pain in Barret's gaze when he averts it briefly from her.
It takes him a few moments to ponder the request before he sighs and nods. "If that is your wish." His arms crossing before him as his gaze remains fixed on the Great Barrier far to the west.
The girl curls her fingers into the fists. She trembles a little bit, watching how her father turns his gaze away. She bites her lip firmly. Maybe even a bit too firmly. The lip turns white from the red. Though, the girl doesn't say anything for a while. If not that biting, she would cry. Yes, she would start crying, that her father still doesn't change his opinion, that he does not understand her, he does not understand anybody! She wants to cry. But she can't. And here the girl bites her lip even more. A few drops of blood shows up. One flops on her chin and the other inside, on her tongue.
"Your Highness!" Esther gasps and as a mother cleans the drop of blood with her thumb.
That wakes up the young Princess, "Yes, your Highness. I need to go home before stranger's smell will banish my mother's memory from these walls. Her soul will have to find new home. She will be welcomed there, behind that dark forest. I talked with my husband-to-be. He will allow me to build mausoleum for my mother. I need to hurry, before she will be banished."
Then she turns her look away from the King.
King Barret turns when he hears Esther's concerned gasp, and when he sees blood on Barbeta's chin he takes a step towards her, his hand extended as if to offer her ... something. A hug, perhaps. That is until he hears her hateful tirade and he freezes where he is.
"Your mother!" The words break free from the depths of his chest, when brown eyes stare at the younger princess in disbelief at what she has just said. "Your mother is the late Queen of Two Rivers. She rests here in the King's Crypt below Mergorand Castle. I will not allow you to move her. She is my... was my... wife..." Words trail off when his voice breaks, the pain suddenly so evident in his gaze, and the expression of his face aghast. "How DARE you, Barbeta. To put my love and admiration for your late mother into question?"
"SICK. It is a sick thing to suggest I would... banish her by any means! She is a woman of Two Rivers. She will stay in Two Rivers." His voice returns but it does not sound anything like the usual reassuring tone of the king. "Go then," he says, flatly. "I assume you would not like to attend the wedding?" This referring to the other impending wedding, of course. "You don't have to come. I will invite your husband, though. As manners and decorum demand it."
The rift between them is undeniable, when Barret Brais inclines his head in a polite nod to Esther but offers Barbeta little more than a bland gaze. "I suppose you would not want me to attend your wedding ceremony either, alas, protocol demands it, and I do not see a reason to show disrespect to your husband-to-be."
"I don't need her body to have her soul, your highness," Barbeta answers to the man's outburst, "Differently, I am glad to leave her body here. Maybe its presence in the Crypt will keep her memory alive enough to loom over your conscience, reminding you and all others that it was wrong all the way to ever think of having her replaced? Of course, if you won't forget to visit that place. After all,your new wife will be alive, more beautiful and will bring you proper children, yes?" Her eyes have something really dark sparkling inside. It may be anger, disappointment, a grain of madness? Who knows! But the girl is obviously very very angry.
"You know, I heard about some tribes far far away behind the Golden Lion, where females are so worthless, that just some are left alive in order to be some kind of an animal, who exists just to bring as many children as possible in the world. Others are tossed away from the mountain as sacrificies for the Gods. Sometimes I dream how Luanda is falling into the dark abyss. Sometimes I am falling there."
The girl swallows the bite of bitterness, before continuing, "You are the King. You can do anything you want, not even asking for the will of your people. You can be anywhere you want. Though, there were too many funeral in my life already, so I will skip this one. I lost my mother, I lost my brothers, I can't... I can't bear the fact, that I lost my father too."
She sighs briefly, before adding, "Though, I could guess so. It was obvious..."
Barret cannot help but shake his head at Barbeta's words. "You should see a healer if you have such dreams," is all he comments on the Golden Lion nightmare. "I am by no means tossing either of you into an abyss. We ARE Royals. We are not free to choose, and often have to do what is best for our KINGDOM, instead what would be our personal choice. You speak of children that may never be born. Why, we do not even know if you will give birth. Your chances may be better. You are younger than Lady Sigrid, and I am old. But... I OWE this to my people, so I HAVE to give it a try - or risk the kingdom will perish in a civil war."
"Uncle's Argon's wife is pregnant already. Indeed, Luanda is young and she will be married soon. I am young and almost married too, your Highness. Did you ask your nation, what your nation wants or you just decided what will be best for your nation?! DID YOU ASK THEM?" She shakes her head, "Please, throw some kind of elections and ask them if they want a child of a stranger to be their next King? They don't know that woman. Maybe she is crazy? Maybe she killed her husband? Maybe she is sick? Maybe she is greedy? Does she know our history? Does she understand our traditions? Does she know the name of the baker behind the corner? Does she know what troubles has our blacksmith? NO, she doesn't. What if she will give birth to a crazy and cruel boy, who will slaughter half of our nation or give us to the Estoria, because his mother will ask so? Indeed, you are old. Don't you see, what are you doing? You are bringing a stranger to our home, you may give her a child and then leave us all. You will leave your own daughters in the hands of Estorian woman. You will definitely die, father, before the child of hers will be able to take over the throne. If she will give birth to the boy. So, who is a regent usually? The mother. What if she will decide to marry someone else? What if it will be a man from Estoria? With these marriage you are ready to sell our Kingdom!"
The girl shakes her head, "Ask your nation, walk around the city, ask your people. Maybe they would be the most happy, if the first born son to either of your daughters would be the heir. It doesn't matter who, just first born grandchild for you... Ask your people what they want, before you done a mistake, father. All I want is to keep our Kingdom safe in the hands of these, who will honestly love our people, who know our people and our traditions. But as I said, You are the King. You do whatever you want, even if actually, you would have to serve for your people..."
"I know our people do need a Brais heir. So far there is only Argon, but who knows if he will have any living children?" Barret replies, really trying to maintain a calm tone. "And we serve our people best if we provide such heirs. I am not shying away from my responsibility. And even Luanda and you are not. Which would be helpful indeed, as I am not sure what the future will bring. A new marriage will not make you less of a daughter to me, Barbeta! I really need you to understand that! You will always be my daughter, as Luanda will be as well. The dead shall not be forgotten. But we owe it to them to look ahead and do what we can to keep the peace and the reign of House Brais intact!"
He clears his throat. "You say any heir born to me would be a stranger? When indeed you would have more in common than you think? The mother will be of House Gylkrohn, in fact, Sigrid is the niece of your mother!" Barret grows quiet when he hears Barbeta's angry avalanche of questions.
"I have seen her twice before, she seems like a quite sensible sort," he remarks then with a sad smile. "It is you who does not know her. I don't know why you get these ideas. Crazy and cruel boy? Give us to Estoria? What a thing to assume for a young woman who has Estorian blood running through her veins!" Again ashake of his head is given. "We have laws, Barbeta. If you had cared to pay attention in your lessons you would know, that a heir before coming off age will be aided by the King's Council. His mother will have no say at all. That is why we have laws, Barbeta."
Then a snort follows. "What do you suggest? To ask the people? No way I will do that. The common folk lack the understanding of all the problems plaguing our kingdom. They lack the political finesse. No way could I let the common man decide our fate, when that is a task that rests heavily on my own shoulders."
A weary wave of the hand follows. "But as I am sure you have once again not really listened to any word I say, you may as well go, daughter. I will attend your wedding. And I accept you will deny my that same favor." And with that he turns his back to Barbeta, choosing instead to study the impressive scenery of the landscape of Two Rivers laid out before him.
When the man turns his back to Barbeta, she slowly approaches the man, if allowed. The girl tiptoes a bit in order to be able to reach the man's ear and she whispers for the King, "First, maybe Luanda and I will be your daughters, but will we be her daughters?" Her voice is quiet, "Second, I am the Princess of Two Rivers," So, she will never call Estoria her home. There is a lot of pride in her voice. Then she hisses the last comment, "Third, when I hear your opinion about your own people, all I want to ask is, what type of the King you became if you think so low of your people? They are the true power of each Kingdom. I wonder, who actually forgot his lessons?"
And then the girl turns to leave. If not stopped, she will do that.
There is a low grumble coming in response to Barbeta's questions before the King turns and shoots her a glance.
"One... You two are old enough not to be dependent on a mother's guidance. You could be friends, but... hearing the harsh opinion you already have on her without even having met her I truly doubt that is your wish." He pauses, before he continues, his voice low, and lacking some of the angered emphasis from before.
"Two. You are a princess of Two Rivers, true. Just like she will be a Queen of Two Rivers. And any children she /may/ have from me, will be princes and princesses of Two Rivers as well. But even if you will be soon married to the Patrician of the Ningo, your own children will have Two Rivers blood and I am sure you would not want to deny them that. Like you carry the heritage of your own mother as well!"
"Three." Here Barret pauses and shoots his daughter a weary glance. "I do not think low of my people. But I am a realist. There is a reason the crown is given to one man alone, and he is not allowed to shy away from the weight of responsibility. Were I to do what you say... what answers may I receive? One half telling me this, and the other half telling me that? Politics are not that easy to grasp, and there is a reason even I have my advisors."
He will not stop her when Barbeta leaves, but he will shake his head as his gaze follows her until she has vanished from his view.
