Chapter Fourteen – Remy
Chapter Fourteen – Remy
Remy stood behind Izzy, his arms crossed behind him as he waited for Laurentino to finish his work. Izzy paced from one side of the corridor to the other. Remy was exhausted just looking at her.
“You’re going to wear a hole in this very plush carpet, Izzy.”
“I won’t. I’ve done it before. The last time,” Izzy replied. It had taken them going all the way across the continent, but he could read her a bit better now. Obviously she was nervous, but there was something beneath that nervousness as well that he was having trouble placing.
“Are you going to be alright?” he asked, taking a deep breath and nuzzling her gently.
Izzy nodded. “I’m fine, it’ll all be fine. It’ll be perfect. I’m sure it’ll be just fine. It’ll be perfect. Right? Right. Of course.”
“You’re being adorable again, Izzy,” Remy said, squeezing her hand gently. “Just trust me.”
“I do. It’s Laurentino that I don’t trust,” she murmured. “The last time that I did this, that I opened myself up, I was deeply, wholly disappointed. I can’t let that happen again.”
“You won’t. We won’t,” he said, leaning down to gently nip at her neck. “I’ll be here for you.”
The doors opened and Laurentino’s equerry looked out at both of them. “Good morning, Princess, Vicomte. The emperor will see you now.”
Remy waited for Izzy to walk forward, and noticed that she was still wringing her hands. He set a hand gently on her back, and was surprised that she stilled. Maybe she was more nervous than he thought. They walked into the central hall, where Laurentino was sitting on his throne, taking a sip of wine as he looked up at both of them.
“Welcome, come in, both of you.”
Izzy moved forwards, straightening her shoulders and her posture as she curtsied in front of Laurentino. “Your Eminence.”
He paused for a moment, examining her before waving her off. “Sister, you know that it’s all right if we don’t stand on principle.”
“This is important, Laurentino.”
Remy bowed in the Aurelian style behind her. “Your Eminence.”
Laurentino set down his wine glass. “You now have my full attention,” he said. “Clearly you both have quite a bit on your mind.”
“Yes, we do. Remy said. “I wanted—”
“I am asking for Remy’s hand in marriage,” Izzy said, blurting it out as Remy was in the middle of his opening gambit.
Laurentino blinked, getting to his feet. “Come again? I’m not quite sure that I heard you,” he said, the casual nature of his posture falling away.
“Marriage. I want to join with him. If I need to get a sponsor, then I’m willing and able to procure one and take care of that,” she said after a moment.
Laurentino looked between both of them, and smiled. “This is an interesting exercise, sister. Are you trialing something for Remy? I know you were close, but surely you aren’t prepared for that so soon.”
Remy moved to stand next to her. “I actually reviewed your rules of etiquette, from Adolfo’s Courtly Manners, Third Edition. Did you know there actually are no set time periods? Perhaps it was Adolfo’s elven heritage. They used to keep time in a different manner. Adolfo, in one of his other works, A Treatise on the Moons, actually detailed his criticism of the Aurelian calendar. He claimed that naming things after the gods that you serve is limiting, and denies further collaboration with other cultures,” he began.
Izzy smiled at Remy, and he felt his heart leap forwards in his chest. Remy decided that he didn’t much care what Laurentino had to say.
If he had to snatch this gilded laurel instead of doing it by the book, then he would.
“So, if you review his works, especially those on romance and relationships among nobility, he stated only the year-long duration of these periods as ‘suggestions from a humble author.’ As such, even your current Legendkeepers like Princess Isabella have asterisks in their books surrounding this topic. If you take that out of consideration, we have addressed every possible scenario, save for the formal presentation which can happen in two months’ time. Per the joining of Empress Iyana Echtarch, Princess Iyana Echtarch at the time, and Prince Arlen Denton of Branch Duncan, it is acceptable to request formal approval from one’s emperor or empress prior to this presentation to ensure the matter runs its course smoothly.”
“I suppose you could do a closer reading of the Adolfo text,” Laurentino murmured, seeming quite uncomfortable. “However—”
“Close reading or no, I have left careful records of everything I’ve done. It seems well in line with everything that other courtiers among your empire must do. I think that you have done a wonderful job, Emperor, of providing Branch Caillan with an intelligent, brilliant tutor. You’ll see that I am also a quick study. At least by the rules, Laurentino, we have ticked every box.”
Isabella turned to him, face softening. Remy moved closer to gently take her hand in his claws, and leaned down and gently kissed the back of her hand.
Laurentino carefully walked towards them. “So you honestly believe you should be together. Izzy, this is absurd.”
Izzy stiffened and turned.
Remy took a step back, allowing her to approach her brother.
“Laurentino. Are you asking me whether I’m doing this as some joke? Do you really think I would bring that to you? Do you think so little of me?” She gave a small huff, settling her skirts, and moving to meet Laurentino where he stood with enough presence to make Remy take a step back. I want you to hear this from me, Laurentino, even though Remy could speak for himself. I want to have this conversation plainly. My whole life, I’ve been in your shadow, I’ve laid down most of my life in service to the crown, your crown. You forced me to give up Gustavo. You told me to wait my turn, that someone would come that would be my match. Remy is my match. His reputation among his people is flawless, and he has already provided wonderful insights.”
“Oh, simply wonderful. Another Isabella then?”
“Yes, another Isabella. Perhaps that’s just what you need. Clearly I’m not getting through to you in a meaningful way, so perhaps someone else who is my peer, my contemporary can.”
Laurentino took a deep breath, looking at both of them. “I will need time to think about this. I may be ready to provide my judgment soon, but I sent you to Onson to teach them our ways, not to get into bed with someone.”
“That is rude, brother. And, first of all, I did teach them my ways. But they also taught me theirs. They don’t wait for love. They find a good match, a suitable match, a love match, and then they go after it. And it doesn’t take three years. So forgive me if this seems a bit rushed on the Aurelian timeline. But on an Onsonian timeline, this is business as usual. If you know that someone is your match, your person, why on earth would we wait any longer than we have to? Laurentino, I am not some fresh-faced girl on the cusp of coming of age. I’m mature enough to know what I want. And I want him. With every fiber of my being.”
“And, to be fair, your Eminence, we are not asking for your permission. We were asking for your blessing. But if you do not provide it, we are going to be married anyway,” Remy added.
Laurentino scoffed. “My, you are bold,” he said and sighed. “You are truly forcing my hand, then. Not the most promising entry into our kingdom, that is certainly for sure.”
“But not the worst either.” said Remy. “I’m fairly sure that was reserved for Branch Mollia, who had to be rescued when the Sunset Delta flooded. A bunch of waterlogged half-orcs were not nearly as promising as my people. We, at least, brought a sizeable influx of gold with us. Remember that when you start asking me about dowries. Because I know that’s what’s next.”
Isabella moved closer to the dais and looked up to Laurentino. “I want to go through you as our sponsor because you’re my brother, and you’re important to me, but if you stand in my way, I am sure I will be able to find someone else.”
Laurentino opened and closed his mouth a few times, and then straightened his shoulders and cleared his throat. “I will think about it, Isabella. And I will have an answer for you before you return to Onson, Vicomte.”
Remy nodded and bowed. “Then if you will excuse us, Your Eminence. I have promised Izzy quite an evening and I still need to prepare,” he said.
Izzy took his hand and walked out, trying to hold her head high. Remy watched her shoulders relax as she moved down the halls further away from Laurentino’s quarters and towards the front foyer. She moved fast, making Remy actually have to work to keep up with her. Then she took a left turn and was out of a secret doorway. She made a beeline for the white garden, holding a hand up to Remy.
“Are you shushing me?”
“Just for as long as I need to until I’m sure we’re not in range of my brothers,” she said. She led him to a small bench overlooking the cliff side before she finally gave a small shriek of delight. “I can’t believe we just did that, I can’t believe that just happened. Can you believe that? We just stood up to the emperor. The emperor. How did this happen?”
“Well, we walked in there and told him how we felt, and—”
“Don’t start with me, Remy, I’m certainly not in the mood, she said, burying her face in her hands. “I just can’t believe that we did that. Are we going to be excommunicated?”
“No, I doubt we’re going to be excommunicated. First, becauseyour emperor isn’t tied to any recognized church. Exiled, perhaps. But I doubt that as well. You are the Caller, after all, and Nyman knows that your brother does not want to attempt and herd all these chickens on his own. Also, an insult to me is an insult to Lysander. Regardless of whether Laurentino is the emperor or not, I doubt that any of his advisors would want to immediately anger a branch that recently came in and doubled the amount of gold in Aurelia’s coffers. Sometimes gold speaks louder than words.”
“I suppose you are right,” Izzy said, and then looked over to the gardeners, who were hard at work changing over the flowers from early to late spring blooms. “I just feel for you so strongly. I’ve never done anything like this before,” she said.
Remy nodded. “Well, now we wait. And I’m not going to sit around on this bench with you when I can take you anywhere in the world. So tell me where you want to go, Princess. I want the best tour of Vinitore through your eyes.”
“Then we have to get tea,” she smiled.
“Tea? We get tea every day,” Remy chuckled.
“But not like this. Come with me,” she said, and got to her feet.
Remy followed her closely, towards a carriage that was very similar to the one in which he’d fallen in love with her. Izzy took a seat on one side of the carriage. And for the first time, Remy sat next to her. It was a tight fit, but he enjoyed the feeling of her thighs against his. He relished the feeling of his arm linking with hers, squeezing her hands tightly. He settled an arm around her shoulder and drew her closer to him.
“Remy?”
“Yes, love?”
Isabella smiled up at him, squeezing his hand gently, her eyes soft. “Yes, love? Is that what you’re calling me now?”
“Would you prefer I call you something else? Perhaps ‘temptress’ instead?”
“Ooh, I do like the sound of that.”
“Or I can call you Caller?”
“Just Izzy. Isabella... or love. I like love quite a bit.”
“Then my dear, love it is.”
~*~
“No, this is just too much, Remy.” Isabella said, looking at the piles and mountains of gold. “Really?”
“Lysander was quite specific on what he wanted, he said, looking out into the box. It was an ostentatious thing, considering this was where the Onson contingent would sit at court. The only one that might have been more ornate was the Echtarch box, where they sat above the other branches overlooking the hall’s floor, in the shadow of the great tree.
“When we first got here, Carmine said, ‘oh, I can’t wait til you all show up, being carried in on your piles of gold’,” Remy said with a snicker. “And so Lysander was adamant that we take into consideration just what Aurelia thinks of us. Like dragons hoarding treasure.”
Isabella sighed. “It just seems a little gaudy, mm? Look, our box has the beautiful grape vines and leaves throughout, and look, Branch Mollia’s box is on the water, with these brilliant cypress trees. Shouldn’t you all do, oh, I don’t know. Crocuses or something? a few of those delicate little white weeping-bell plants? Or some of those gorgeous White Ash trees? Does it have to be… rocks and money?”
“I don’t make the rules, Izzy.”
“You do, in fact, make quite a few rules, Vicomte and Foreign Ambassador,” Izzy said, puffing out her cheeks with a bit of indignation.
He pulled her close, eyeing the gold and sapphire ring on her finger. He’d put it there nearly three months ago now, and he still couldn’t wait to replace it with something even better later. “Well, Princess and Imperial Caller, perhaps you should have put it on the slate if you wanted it to come to a vote,” Remy said, pulling her close and gently nuzzling her neck with his snout.
Isabella softened at his touch, reaching up with her hands to shyly stroke at his spines, teasing across the webbing of them. Remy hissed, pleased, the argument soon completely forgotten. Or, almost. She set a hand on his chest. “Before we get too carried away, I have something for you,” she said, moving towards the stairs leading up to the Echtarch box.
Remy followed her with curiosity up the stairs built into the side of the Great Tree, reaching the landing where the thrones for the emperor and his imperial retinue were placed in a rough semicircle surrounding the Caller’s lectern.
She knelt down, withdrawing a medium-sized velvet box and presenting it to him.
Remy opened it, withdrawing a brilliant amethyst bloom with a flawless diamond in the middle. Remy gaped, looking at her.
“Branch Caillan’s epithet is the Canopy of Rare Blossoms. So for my gift of mind, I thought it prudent to dedicate this to you. It’s the artifact that will allow speakers from your branch to enter the floor and present to the hall. I had it commissioned. I figured, with your house’s flower being the crocus, and our gemstone being the amethyst, it would be a good match. Besides, I think we should add a little color. Some gemstones will make all that gold pop.”
Remy carefully held it in his hands, feeling the magic thrumming through it. “This is beautiful, Izzy.”
“Beautiful, and yours. Branch Caillan will get their own, but this one is yours. Make sure to use it wisely.”
“Whatever you say, love,” he murmured, carefully pulling her even closer. “One day you’ll be sitting with me there, and we’ll both get to use it. It shines nearly as brightly as you do.”
Izzy beamed, settling into his embrace. “You certainly have a way of seeing parts of me that I didn’t even know were there.”
“They were always there. Just hiding. Now it’s there and plain for everyone to see,” Remy said softly.
Isabella pulled Remy closer by his lapels, carefully leaning over and nipping him on his neck hard with her teeth. It was more cute than it was rough, but the intent behind it was enough to make Remy’s spines flex. “Good. Let’s be bold together then.”
“For you, love, always.”