marlowemuses | Fools in Love, for gentry

A few of the younger girls sighed, clearly quite taken with the pair themselves, and the Queen looked even more pleased. "Then," she laughed, "I think it safe to assume that the wedding plans I've begun aren't at risk of being for nothing. While this is an arrangement, I think a marriage without any sort of friendship would be a poor one for the Kingdom."

Gansey raised a brow, "You're lucky you have excellent taste, mother." He kept close to Laurent, smiling from the kiss to his cheek and not at all inspired to take his leave. Slipping his arm around Laurent's back and pressing his palm against the small of it, Gansey pressed a kiss against his fiance's temple in return.

And the ladies sighed. "My wife never does that," one complained as she fanned herself with a satin fan, and another rolled her eyes.

"At least your wife hasn't gained so much weight that she busts out of her britches when she sits. My husband really doesn't try anymore."

"Ladies, ladies," the Queen chided, flapping her own fan in their direction, "there's no need to bore the boys with our marriage problems. Will you be joining us for a while?"

Gansey blinked, recalling his plan. It was really now or never; if he didn't part from Laurent with this grand chance, he never would, half because of their later plans and half because he would give into his desire to not. He cleared his throat, "I have an errand to run in town," he admitted, but the pressure of his hand on Laurent's back remained firm. "I was hoping you would get to know each other in my brief absence."

All cordial smiles, Laurent turned his head to murmur in Gansey's ear. "I love you," he said, smile turning a little bit smug because he was sure Gansey would blush, and the room would be left to wonder what he'd said. "Hurry back," he said, audibly, reluctantly letting go of his betrothed.

One of the ladies moved to offer him the place of honor at the queen's side, and Laurent accepted it, taking a seat and beginning to comment pleasantly on the skill displayed by the embroidery projects. His eyes lingered on Gansey, hating being apart from him even for such a brief period of time. Promised surprise or no, courtesy or no, he wanted to insist that Gansey stay, so that he wouldn't have to suffer the heartbreak of being without him, even for an hour.

He made a show of being perfectly relaxed, even a little bit indolent, among the queen's women, hiding his nerves behind a screen of flirtatious insouciance. "I hope I shan't be terribly in the way. I'm afraid I share your son's weakness for books and horses rather than any kind of productive handiworks, and I fear I shall be irredeemably clumsy, but I am at your service, my queen."

Laurent was right. Between the feeling of those lips he'd become so familiar with brushing against his ear and the words themselves, a light dusting of pink colored his cheeks and the tips of his ears. It was faint enough that, under normal circumstances, no one would notice. These, however, were not normal circumstances. The ladies were paying rapt attention to the pair and noticed when Laurent whispered and how Gansey blushed. On top of that, Gansey noticed when the women noticed. Which made him blush slightly more.

Tugging on his collar like it was simply warm in the room, he cleared his throat again and gave a dazzling smile. Everyone was too polite, to courtly, to say anything. Doubtless, it would be the topic of gossip at dinner that night. What had the foreign prince said that made the heir blush like a maiden? Which was a gross exaggeration, in Gansey's opinion, but gossip tended to do that. Get grossly exaggerated.

"Oh, my dear, you won't be in the way at all. And I'm quite aware of your interests. That was what struck me the most, when considering the match. I thought you two had quite a few things in common." The Queen tapped her fan against her chin and smiled at Laurent before turning her attention back to her son. "Be along, won't you? The prince and I have much to discuss, and you must not keep him waiting longer than you need to."

Gansey bowed grandly, "Of course. I won't be long, I promise." It was difficult to leave. Especially when he felt so cold, so empty without Laurent at his side. He gave his fiance one last longing look before turning, striding out of the room without looking back. If he did, he would cave. He moved as quickly as possible, calling for his horse and grabbing his cloak, intending to keep that promise.

Not that his mother seemed to care. She turned back to Laurent once her son was out of the room, observing him with bright eyes. "So, now is the chance to ask me anything you'd like about my son, if you'd like. Or anything else, for that matter. I'm sure you've guessed that Richard isn't quite up to speed with all the courtly games." By which, of course, she meant the backstabbing. No court was without it. Gansey, bless his soul, was often kept out of the crossfire.

Laurent's posture stayed lazy, but his lips tilted with mirth and his brows lifted slightly at her suggestions, watching her in return with sharp intelligence. "I'm confident that anything I wish to know about your son I can extract from him myself. He has taken me entirely into his confidence."

Dragging his teeth briefly over his lower lip, Laurent dropped his eyes, allowing a hint of uncertainty to show as he confessed weakness. "I am forced to commend you and to offer my thanks for your acumen at securing the match between myself and your son. I expect you're aware that I was initially... resistant to the idea." Cheeks reddening slightly, Laurent allowed his hands to fidget, knowing that lowering his guards and showing earnest emotion in front of the queen would help to earn her trust. Particularly since he knew that she was aware of his reputation from the Veretian Court. As much as Laurent had liked the queen when they'd met before, he'd felt betrayed by being sold into a marriage alliance.

"He... has allayed all my concerns and won my devotion to a degree that I never imagined myself capable. I feel deeply indebted to you for entrusting me with a place at his side."

It was the most honest speech he'd ever made in a room full of courtiers, and Laurent's cheeks were flaming by the end of it. Swallowing, Laurent relaxed back into his chair and fidgeted with his hands, trying to save some face and restore the courtly levity. "That said, I would very earnestly be grateful for any information you can provide about the aspects of the court dynamics that Gansey may not have noticed."

The girls seemed to have enough sense to not stare while their lady and her soon to be son-in-law spoke. There was no such thing as privacy but they entertained themselves otherwise, either sewing or playing games, or whispering and giggling to one another about one of the single Duchesses that was currently in look for a wife.

Reaching out gently, the Queen barely touched one of the marks under Laurent's chin that had certainly not been there last night at dinner, "I see. It's rare for my son to take someone so fully into his confidence." Dropping her hand, she began to fan herself with the fan again, nodding her head slightly when Laurent began to fidget.

"If you were adverse to the idea at this point, my dear, I would have absolved the arrangement. From what you say, it sounds like that truly won't have to be the case. Even with Richard away you still sound quite taken with him." She fanned herself a bit more, "And I can only think you honest, your cheeks have gotten so red. It's quite sweet."

The Queen snapped her fan shut. "I will be frank. I proposed this alliance precisely because I know what sort of man you are. The sort of partner Richard needs. He's perceptive and fair, yet tends to trust too easily and is quick to forgive. He's charismatic and attracts all sorts—especially those that are better kept at arms length. There are those in this very court that know his weaknesses and will use them against him. Not to mention that he keeps how he truly feels to himself, often isolating because he feels like he's quite different from the rest of us. Of course, he doesn't think I notice, but I'm his mother. A mother always notices."

She tilted her head, "I'm sure you see how you're the puzzle piece that matches with his, yes?"

"Yes," Laurent agreed, eyes alert and gaze steady on her face. "Even if I felt nothing for him, I would support this match. We'll be loved by the people. I can play the court in a manner that he would not, protecting him and freeing him up to lead. I'm protected and freed in return simply by being at his side."

He sat forward, engaged and attentive, satisfied with their initial plays. He felt he could trust the Queen, and was confident that the two of them could work deftly together. Remaining aware of the courtiers around him at all times, Laurent kept half an ear on them, careful to neither offer nor hint at any delicate information and allowing the Queen to determine what details were discussed aloud.

"I need to know the threats and enemies that he faces, particularly the ones he doesn't see. I've studied the history and bloodlines of the court, and he's given me some introduction to the present factions. What I lack is knowledge of the underside of the court, which he cannot see and which I have not yet encountered."

"I will give you a book to read," she said, lightly, not oblivious to how some of the ladies were pretending not to listen when they very much were, "filled with the most delightful people at court. I imagine it should keep you entertained for a while." One of the girls glanced away when the Queen smiled at her before returning her attention back to Laurent.

"A gift." That was all she was willing to say in front of her entourage; she loved them well, but trusted them as much as she trusted their husbands and wives that were not present. Which was not at all.

"And speaking of! Darling, did Richard mention my masquerade ball? I throw it every year when the leaves begin to change colors. Of course, this year you will be a guest of honor—I would throw a party just for your arrival but I wasn't sure if you would enjoy such a thing." She sat up straighter, eyes sparkling at the prospect of two grand parties, but decided to focus on the masq.

"It's tradition. Everyone arrives without a partner and in fantastic dress. Dancing, food, games... plus the tradition of the kissing orange and clove. That's always popular. I hope that you will attend. Once that's over we can really focus on planning the wedding."

"I'd be delighted," Laurent said, relaxing into the courtly gossip and chatter now that they'd both shown their hands. "He said nothing of the masquerade ball, of course, you'll be not at all surprised to know that our conversation has been dominated by history and horses." He grinned with fond pleasure, resting his head on his hand and stretching out his legs in front of him: one bent, the other extended long. "If you think it advantageous and pleasant to throw a party for my arrival, I'd be delighted, but I will hardly mind if you do not. We have plenty of other events to plan."

Laurent liked the idea of cementing his new place in the court and showcasing their budding romance, not minding being the center of attention now that he knew he could count on having Gansey at his side. The thought of planning two grand parties and a wedding was overwhelming to him, but he was aware that he had the easy excuse of attending Gansey so he could escape from most of the preparations. Only the wedding was likely to require their direct input, and even that Laurent was happy to leave in the Queen's hands if it pleased her.

"Can you recommend a tailor for me? It's becoming clear that I'll need to adopt local fashions sooner rather than later, and I shall want to begin planning my wardrobe for the masque. I'm terribly curious, what is the kissing orange and clove?"

"Of course. We have several tailors, depending on what outfits you find to be to your taste." She gave Laurent a slow look over, as though she just realized that those clothes were very familiar. And not quite like what the prince had arrived in.

"I'll arrange for you to meet them and browse the different styles."

The second question brought out a coy smile. "A game for young people," she said, cheerfully. "There are actually two parts. The first is the hanging pomanders." She raised her hand and lifted her index finger. "Around the ball room, there will usually be about five. When you find yourself underneath one with another person, you must kiss them. Where is up to the person who first notices the pomander. It may be anywhere."

So if someone was feeling chaste or randy, they could get away with a kiss to the knuckles or something dirtier.

She lifted a second finger, "The second is the passing pomander. There is only one of those. When someone offers you the orange, you have the choice to exchange the clove between your mouths and then share a kiss. Then the one who accepted the clove takes both the clove and orange, and finds someone else to pass it along to."

Sitting back in her seat, she signed. "That's actually how I met Richard's father for the first time. I didn't accept the orange from him. He still reminds me of that to this day."

"I expect I'll be most dreadfully jealous," Laurent said, with an amused smile. "But I expect Gansey and I shall manage somehow. I find I'm fortunate in that my betrothed is also inclined to be jealous and possessive. It won't take the court long to figure out that offering either of us any but the most chaste of kisses is not worth the displeasure it will incur."

Pleased by that, because it made him feel exquisitely safe, Laurent lounged a little more comfortably, eyes straying toward the door. He wasn't certain how long it took to reach the town, and he didn't know how far away Gansey's errand was or how long it would take him.

"What of the wedding? Gansey and I are already agreed that we are happy to entrust the matter largely to your wisdom. It's a political affair, and I would prefer to handle it to the utmost diplomatic advantage. The sooner the better to ensure the alliance. We're perfectly capable of conducting our romance on more private terms, so you may consider our personal preferences irrelevant. The interests of the kingdom and the alliance are paramount."

Gansey, on his end, was almost finished up with his errand. Luckily he'd managed to avoid his friends in town or else he'd end up dragged off to the bar; something he was very much not in the mood for when he had a beautiful fiance waiting for him back at the castle. Tucking the package into the pocket of his tunic, he thanked the smith and swung himself back onto his horse, eager to return to the castle. And worried about what embarrassing things his mother might be saying.

The Queen nodded, as though she had already surmised as much. Her son would not care about political wedding plans and she hadn't been completely sure about Laurent. His answer, however, was pleasing enough to her ear. Any excuse to entertain, no?

"Very well. It will be an affair that will solidify several alliances, and put several other families into our debt. Quite useful." She remained quiet for a moment before eyeing Laurent again, "While we are on the subject... what of your own family? Shall I issue them an invitation or would you like to write something in your own hand? I am sure your brother would like to hear from you."

Very sure, considering she had promised to send a message of Laurent's safe arrival to his brother the moment they'd arranged the alliance. Which she had, of course.

"Both, I think, if it isn't too much trouble." Laurent smiled, just a little self-deprecating. "I am very sure that Auguste would appreciate a word or two of correspondence, though I find myself inclined to be distracted, in all the excitement, and I shall have to figure out how to, ah, indicate that I'm utterly besotted without allowing excessive opportunity for my sibling to say that he told me so. He's insufferably smug, as I think most siblings are, whenever he's right."

Wrinkling his nose a moment in fond annoyance, Laurent was soon smiling again. "I trust you'll let me know if I can be of use to you in any capacity. I've already privately expressed my vow of loyalty to your son, and I trust that you and I will almost always be in agreement as to what constitutes his--and the kingdom's--best interests. I remain a prince of Vere, but my loyalty is foremost to my betrothed and my new kingdom."

He had few doubts about his new alliance with the queen. They understood each other, and they had two very significant shared loyalties. He expected that he could trust entirely to her judgement and that, with time, she would increasingly come to trust his in turn. She'd required very little of him so far, though he was interested to see how the details of their new alliance would develop.

"And as long as you remain loyal to us, nothing will ever touch you."

She smiled again, a more peaceful smile rather than one of her coquettish ones. It was a promise as much as it was a fact. Her tone showed no waver, no doubt that it would be so. She knew it would be. If Gansey was as smitten as he seemed to be, he would probably die before he allowed any harm to come to Laurent. Which was cause for concern, perhaps, considering that the well-being of the king was... well, king. But it was also terribly sweet.

Before she could say anything more, there was a knock on the door that was quickly followed by Gansey himself entering the room. His hair was mussed from the wind and his cheeks pink from the ride, eyes glittering and all smiles as he entered.

"I hope I didn't take too long," he said cheerfully, eyes on Laurent first before returning to his lady mother. "Went as fast as I could." Which was obvious from out of breath he was. He'd dashed in from the stables.

His mother shook her head, "Already taking him away? A shame. It's been a delight; thank you for the company." She offered her hand to Laurent as Gansey smoothed down his cloak, more than ready to steal his beloved away like his mother accused.

Laurent lit when Gansey reappeared, unmistakable and undeniable to anyone who was watching. He didn't even try to hide it--their romance made them both more likeable, and secured Laurent's place in the kingdom. Rising smoothly to his feet, Laurent met him with a kiss--as brief as he could bear to make it--and kept hold of him as they spoke to the Queen.

"The pleasure has been all mine. Thank you for taking charge of me while my betrothed was otherwise occupied." All smiles, Laurent bowed and kissed her hand, eyes lingering for a moment on her face with genuine fondness before he let go and refocused his full attention onto Gansey. "Shall we?"

Gansey grinned, happy to be the center of Laurent's attention once more. It was amazing how his heart sang just seeing the other man."Yes," he said, still breathless, but they could not leave before he gave his mother a sweeping bow. "Thank you, mother. We'll see you at dinner."

The Queen waved them off playfully, "Yes, yes. Run along, darlings." There was a sparkle in her eye as she began fanning herself again, pleased that the visit had gone so well.

Gansey offered Laurent his arm, "I do believe I promised you a tour of the castle. We can visit Butternut after, if there's time." He was eager to steal Laurent away from his mother and into the hallway where he could speak more candidly.

"I hope she didn't say anything too... motherly." He laughed, a little breathlessly, wearing the boyish grin that Laurent's presence so easily pulled from him.

"I would never reveal her confidences," Laurent teased, accepting the arm only until they reached the hallway. Safely out of the view of the gossiping ladies, Laurent slid his arm around Gansey's waist, kissing his cheek and tucking himself against Gansey's side. "I don't care if it's ridiculous of me--I missed you hopelessly every moment you were gone. And not only because your mother is very intimidating."

As they headed down the hall, Laurent pulled Gansey into the first quiet alcove he found, pressing close against him and kissing him with all the heated yearning that he'd built up from the scant half hour that the two of them had been apart. He felt utterly starved for Gansey, wanting to take in every moment, every inch of Gansey that he could.

The feelings were mutual. Gansey sighed, brushing Laurent's hair back from his face once he had the chance, "Then we are ridiculous together. I missed you, too." And Gansey knew very well how intimidating his mother could be; even he found her to be too much, at times.

Along their way, the first quiet alcove was in one of the winding hallways by the greeting rooms. A circular groove in the wall where there was a window drawn with curtains and a small bench left beneath. Not many people used the quaint little spot or the small privacy it offered from people glancing down the hall in either direction, but Gansey was instantly grateful for its existence when Laurent pushed him into it.

He uttered only a soft oh before their lips met. Gansey's arms slid around Laurent's waist and he kissed back, just as eager and longing, not caring in the slightest that he was acting as lovestruck and foolish as the heroes in Helen's favorite romantic novels.

Tilting his head while he kissed, Gansey made it his business to explore as much as Laurent's mouth as possible. Rolling his tongue and pairing it with gentle, teasing nips, clearly he wanted just as much as Laurent as he could get. He had to remind himself not to get carried away; he was attracted to Laurent like a heart attack, and the last thing he needed was to get hard in the middle of the hallway.

"I won't be leaving you alone again."

"What, ever?" Laurent teased, watching Gansey's face from close up. He radiated happiness and affection, hopelessly infatuated with his beloved Gansey. "I can't say I object, though I'm not certain it's feasible."

Glad to have him back, Laurent hugged tight to him. He thought, for a moment, that it probably wasn't good that he was so emotionally dependent upon Gansey, but he couldn't bring himself to care. Gansey was the center of his world, and Laurent was in love.

Untangling carefully, Laurent took his arm again, even though he felt cold all over from the few inches of distance. "The tour. Before I become irresistibly tempted to drag you back to bed. I fear we'd never leave."

Probably not feasible, but a man could dream. That was what fantasies were for, no? He knew well enough that they hardly even belonged to themselves, having been born into royalty, but every once in a while he might be tempted to succumb to the notion that they were just people. With desires. Like dominating his fiance's time.

The hug was delightful and left him aching for more. Ah, it would be a magical thing, to return to the morning where they were tangled in blankets and each other.

But there were other pressing matters. "You say that like it's a bad thing." His lips quirked into a smile, "The tour it is, then. You're already familiar with the banquet hall and the stables... hm. Shall we work our way up from the basement, or work our way down from the top floor?"

He pressed another kiss against Laurent's forehead before he stepped back into the hallway, where people might see them.

"Your choice."

"Concentric circles," Laurent said, with a smile of playful challenge in his eyes. "Starting from this point and moving outward." He gave Gansey's hand a squeeze, grinning as he waited. He wasn't sure whether or not Gansey would take him seriously and try to meet his challenge, but it was too amusing an opportunity to miss. "Probably best if we end in the stables, otherwise we'll be there forever."

At that answer, Gansey laughed.

"Oh? Well, if that's what my beloved wants, I shall make it happen somehow." The castle didn't entirely lends itself to concentric circles but Gansey would not back down from the challenge without some sort of attempt. "And yes, that's probably best. So seeing as we'll be at the stables last..."

He turned, gently resting his hand on the small of Laurent's back as he lead him, "Then we'll need to begin this way. To the right, here, is the glass plate room. My mother's favorite glass plates all in one space." Gansey pushed a door open to show Laurent the expanse of glass plates on shelves but made no moves to go inside. They could pass that one quickly.

"And on the left here is the way to the chapel. I don't know if that interests you."

"Not unless it's of particular architectural, historic, or tactical value," Laurent said, with a wry smile, grateful that no one had yet attempted to persuade him into any religions.

He relaxed into the touch, enjoying being so close to Gansey as they made their way through the castle. It was a pleasure to see Gansey's world through Gansey's eyes, and Laurent loved the romance of being toured around. The simple intimacy of Gansey's hand on his back made Laurent feel safe and protected, willing to trust to Gansey's guidance.

His gaze frequently wandered to Gansey, looking at him more often than at the marvels of the castle that he was supposed to be touring.

Edited (new icons yaaaas) 2016-08-29 02:29 (UTC)

"Mmm.. well, it was built with the castle, but I don't think I'd say it has incredible architectural or tactical value," he admitted with a small shrug. "It's merely... peaceful. If you're ever in need of a truly quiet place, that would be it." Gansey didn't consider himself particularly religious but sometimes it was a place that would quiet his thoughts if they were being too loud.

They moved along promptly. Moving in circles meant that they turned away from where Helen's old rooms were and toward the door to the basement.

"There's not too much to see down there," he said as he pointed to the door leading to the downward winding stairs. "Scrolls, some archived things, and all of that creepy clutter I think I've mentioned before. Ah, and the holding cells. Those are a bit fascinating."

Gansey hardly noticed that Laurent was looking at him more than the marvels of the castle. He greatly enjoyed talking about the little historical facts and pointing out the way the castle was constructed; his eyes glittered bright green and his grin was never-faulting. Clearly, not much delighted him more than history, adventure, and puzzles. At this point, the only thing that might top his list would be Laurent himself.

"Show me the basement," Laurent insisted, curious about the holding cells. It was his opinion that you could tell a lot about a kingdom--and a ruling family--by their dungeons and their policies on executions and punishment. He wanted to know what kind of skeletons the Raven Kingdom kept in its basement, and hoped that at least something in their basement would be more weighty than a room full of creepy dolls. "I want to know what's so fascinating about the holding cells."

As they descended the steps, Laurent stayed close against Gansey's side, careful about his own footing and Gansey's. He'd become extremely careful on stairs ever since a flight near his rooms had been buttered. The incident had cost him nothing more than some bruising, but it had instilled in him a habit of graceful wariness whenever he descended a flight of steps. "Are there any secret passageways in the castle? Escape routes or hidden rooms?"

"There are," Gansey said cheerfully, delighted by the question. "In the castle, that I know of, there are five. One of the hidden passages is caved in—not sure what happened, but it would take a lot of time and energy to dig it out, so it's been left alone. That one is near the kitchens. There's a hidden room down here in order to hide anything valuable. There other passages are near the banquet hall and, as it happens, by your rooms. The passage out of the castle to the hills down here I used often when I was younger."

He lead his fiance to the end of the basement toward the cells. The things they passed were, as Gansey said, mostly storage. Scrolls, some carefully wrapped books, other sentimental things that had no real place in the castle. There was a green tinted hallway that went downward, made of stone and stone alone, that lead to the holding cells.

Clearly, they were old. Iron bars and benches, kept clean, no windows and the faint sound of water dripping on stone. At current, they were all empty. No squalor but no luxury, either.

"What's interesting," Gansey explained, "is the stone. It's different from everything that the castle was built out of. The journal I gave you tells us that this was here before the castle was even built. They found it while digging and decided to connect the two. Imagine, finding a big empty stone room already made underground?"

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