I wondered if I needed to change my approach. Perhaps, I mused, there was even a way to turn my new position to my advantage and use it to gain information I could never access before.
“Sorry to interrupt! Ah, so this is Lord Simeon’s new fiancée!” A cheerful voice resonated as an older man approached—one I hadn’t seen before.
I racked my brain to think who it was. After three years spent diligently attending functions and observing the attendees, I had a relatively thorough knowledge of the kingdom’s nobility. I have no recollection of seeing him at all... Perhaps he’s from a foreign land.
He appeared to be roughly in his forties, with a fine, upstanding appearance. He was tall and very handsome. His reddish-brown hair, smoothed down in a very tidy fashion, had some flecks of white mixed in, which I was glad to see as they gave him an appropriate level of refinement suitable for his age.
Lord Simeon met him with a smile. “So even you’ve become a victim of curiosity, Lord Van Leer?” This apparently sufficed as a greeting, and the other gentleman showed no signs of taking it badly.
“Apologies. If my ill-mannered curiosity has caused any offense, allow me to express my deepest regrets. It’s just that I’ve grown very intrigued about what type of person she is, having heard all the gossip flying about. Won’t you introduce me to her?”
“Oh dear, you are indeed firmly in its clutches. Marielle, this is Hubert van Leer. He recently arrived as the new ambassador from Vissel.”
Aha, so he’s an ambassador from a neighboring country. Now that I think about it, I had heard mention that a new one had just arrived.
I gave Ambassador Hubert a curtsy. “Marielle Clarac. It’s a pleasure and an honor to make your acquaintance.”
“The pleasure is all mine. I’m glad I am able to meet you. My, what a sweet and innocent young lady you are. You appear to have taken all the bite out of Lord Simeon, too.”
“I wouldn’t go that far,” I replied, glossing over the situation with an elegant giggle.
Of course I haven’t, I thought to myself. This is an engagement he agreed upon with my father without even seeing my face. To Lord Simeon, I’m nothing more than the daughter of House Clarac.
If I’d been an exceptional beauty, or blessed with any special skills, that might have been fertile ground for romance...but alas, I was just a plain girl in glasses. I didn’t have the slightest expectation of any development along those lines.
Nor did I have any problem with that. Lord Simeon was treating me exactly as a fiancée should be treated, and I had neither any wish for anything further, nor any particular interest.
It’s you that I’m interested in right now, Ambassador Hubert.
“You think so too?” said the crown prince. “I must say, I’m exceedingly surprised to see Simeon fawning like this over a woman.”
“It’s not how he normally behaves?” asked the ambassador.
“Not at all. Don’t be fooled by how he looks—on the inside he’s a harsh man. Many a girl has given him an amorous glance, but all they ever got back was a cold and indifferent smile.”
“Goodness. Then meeting Miss Marielle must have been some kind of fated encounter.”
“You might be right. She must be his destined companion, as decreed by God. As far as I can tell, they really are suited to one another.”
Lord Simeon cut in: “Your Highness, Ambassador, could you please refrain from going so far? You’re making this whole matter seem far too grandiose.”
Their exchange of jokes and diplomatic comments rose in intensity. Then the conversation wended its way towards the political sphere. Out of habit, I stood a few steps back and quietly observed.
I am air. I am an object.
On the surface I was the docile fiancée, keeping my proper place by refraining from butting into the men’s conversation.
All the while, I was merely blending into my surroundings, alerting no one to my presence, while I listened in on everything they discussed. I wasn’t about to let this precious opportunity go to waste. I did my utmost to hold every new piece of information in my mind.
I could have screamed. If only I could write it all down in my notebook! Will I ever be able to remember it all? I must try my hardest. Names I knew were dropped one after another, though some of the connections between them were new to me, and unexpected.
This is...delicious...
I savored all the new information. It was the rare kind that you can only hear in the upper echelons of the kingdom. No half-measures here. They couldn’t broach topics of a truly secret nature while conversing in public like this, but nonetheless, for me the information was the most valuable treasure imaginable.
The discussion reached its end, and Ambassador Hubert broke away. I took that opportunity to leave Lord Simeon and His Highness and make my way to the ladies room.
First and foremost, I attended to the call of nature. Then, in the powder room, I retrieved the notebook from my handbag.
My notebook—the most important tool for my work. I carry it with me wherever I go, just in case I’m able to gather any source material I can use. I rushed to scribble the words down before I forgot any of the conversation I’d just heard.
Royal court romance and politics are inextricably linked. Putting in a serious chapter full of intrigue is a guaranteed way to give a story more depth. However, this element is hard to write based on imagination alone, so using real events as a reference lends a story authenticity, making it much more interesting.
I’m so happy. To think I’d end up in a privileged position like this...