Magic of the Marriage Market

It was the first week of June, and thunderstorm season had started; ignoring the other Season already underway in the Capital. Since Gavin wasn't old enough to participate in the one Season, he gladly enjoyed the other. His eldest brother was Hosting a Masquerade at their Capital Estate, necessitating the overhaul of both the ground floor and the exterior of the property. The swings had been tucked away, the training grounds disguised with floral arrangements, and Alaric had even anticipated the weather, finding large connected fabric tents that kept the areas underneath as dry as if they were inside. Clearly heavily magicked and likely the most expensive aspect of the Event, they even had chandeliers hanging from the high points.

Gavin could enjoy the scene his brother had set, but he wouldn't be around to watch it unfold; instead the moment the adult siblings were fully immerses in the Event he had plans of his own to attend. He was meeting Eniola at her house, and they were going to have a picnic in the green house, surrounded by all manner of foreign flower and pollenating butterflies. Her father, Duke Sikali, was on the Queen's Expedition to the Far Eastern part of the Eastern continent; beyond the dominant culture of Tashatia. That left her under her eldest sister, Aquene's, guardianship, but Aquene would be attending the Masquerade to chaperone her other sisters, Brissa and Colena. Leaving Eniola under her only brother, Deshay's, care even though he was only eighteen.

But Eniola had already been told by Deshay that he expected her to stay home and keep quiet if he wasn't there the entire time the others were away. So she knew that meant he was sneaking out to go to one of the 'adults only' gambling halls he wasn't supposed to be allowed in yet, and she'd told Gavin about his absence which had led to their own date being planned. Not wanting to be as obvious as having him come over to her front door, they'd long ago arranged a passage in her fencing, and he'd go right to the butterfly greenhouse.

Gavin stayed on the upper floor, watching the main level and surrounding grounds filling with the glittering efforts of all the adults wanting to participate in the Social Events of the Marriage Market. He understood the cultural hi온라인카지노게임 that had led to these customs, his courses this year had focused on the diplomatic aspects of Socializing, and explained how a century ago women who came of age were presented as Debutantes and carefully chaperones until married off. Familied treated female children like chattel to be traded for money or power. This changed with Queen Akiyama's grandfather, King Fujiwara, the Great King who ended decades of bloodshed. After ascending the throne, King Fujiwara changed Social practices, equalizing the sexes so his daughter, Queen Ebina, could inherit his throne despite his father's objections. King Fujiwara had won his throne when his blood thirsty father had eventually driven his elder siblings to their deaths. The Blood King, Adama, arranged a marriage between the eventual King Fujiwara and a foreign noble from Tashatia, who gave birth to a daughter before both she and the child died from poisoning. King Adama continued to control Fujiwara's life while he was still a Prince; each wife he was married to died after delivering a daughter, and none of the girls born lived to see their first year. Not until Ebina was born. The fifth wife, the fifth daughter, and Prince Fujiwara only managed to save the life of eventual Queen Ebina, the Bloody King Adama imprisoned on multiple counts of infanticide and murder.

Under King Fujiwara's reign, Debuting became the acknowledgement of adulthood for both men and women, and the customs of selling daughters all quickly faded into the annals of hi온라인카지노게임. To encourage internal bonds, King Fujiwara established Debuting families Hosting in the Marriage Season, and the Taroton nobles quickly adapted from there. Once King Fujiwara had assured that his daughter, eventual Queen Ebina, could take his throne without overt objection, he proceeded to not only eliminate the Bloody former King Adama, but then defenestrated himself as an act of punishment for the patricide. Queen Ebina had chosen to marry Azuma Hatsune, from the Ducal family, and gave birth to current Queen Akiyama, before her Prince Consort passed away, Princess Akiyama had been 10 at the time, and Heir apparent.

Gavin's recent hi온라인카지노게임 courses were an in depth look at both Queen Ebina and Queen Akiyama's reigns, but he hadn't completed them yet so he knew at some point Queen Ebina gave birth to a second daughter, but she was hidden away for unspecified reasons. He'd heard Farran and Blair discussing the fact that apparently the Princess was Debuting this year, but none of the woman Gavin looked at downstairs seemed like a hidden Princess. There ere the two Ducal Princesses, one each from Hatsune and Sikali, but Gavin had known Colena Sikali since he was too young to remember. His mother and the gravely ill Duchess had been friends before the Duchess' seclusion, so the familial friendship had endured. Like most people, it was easy to assume the recently adopted Ducal Princess, Banika Hatsune, was the actual hidden Princes, and Gavin could see how many of the guests on the main floor reacted as if it'd already been confirmed.

Unlike any other Social Event, a Masquerade was the one chance to discard familial colour and choose on the theme selected. To assist the less fortunate families, Allaric had gone with a historical theme, allowing for attires inherited through the generations. And wearing suits or gowns with your familial colour dominating it was a more modern trend, so the outfits Gavin could see were all varied styles and a spectrum of colours.

Truthfully he found it fascinating, how the styles of clothing had changed so greatly and yet not a single person down below wore anything that matched another unless it was done purposefully. He spied gentlemen in huge puff sleeved jackets, someone in a cloak of feathers, and a gown that somehow looked made out of stained glass. He knew Derbie and Lady Ban had coordinated their outfits, and he grinned when he spied his big brother wearing the multi-layered gossamer aesthetic with Lady Ban. They looked like wisps amongst all the heavier fabrics, and if Gavin hadn't been studying that decade in his courses he wouldn't have realized it was only two generations old. Alaric had opted to wear on of their grandfather's suits, a strangely short jacket with long tails trailing behind it. For once Blair was attending a Social Event, and Gavin wasn't in the least bit surprised that she'd chosen to wear her favourite modern dress despite the theme. He knew she'd keep it a secret if she spotted him sneaking out. Calvin was with Danilo out back, the two men using each other's wardrobes for tonight's costumes. Danilo wore one of Calvin's Debut suits, looking smart in Briggs scarlet while Calvin had on Polumenta gray. Since Calvin was the only Briggs to have hazel eyes, the darker colour suited him.

But once Gavin spotted the Sikali arrival, wearing an almost ancient series of dresses, he knew it was time to stop gawking and start sneaking. He headed back to his room, carefully locking the door before he changed clothes. With guests he'd been wearing the appropriate evening clothes, but for the rest of the night he'd need a bit more mobility. Gavin donned his riding clothes, but eschewed the proper jacket for one of his combat training coats that allowed for movement and was water resistant wool, all while being far more discreet than scarlet. He couldn't sneak out the back way he normally used, there were far too many people in the yard, so Gavin had carefully set up a knotted rope to hang out his window. He'd used on of Farran's fabric dyes and made it look as much like the Ivy crawling along the house as he could, and all day it had been draped; overlooked and unseen.

Of course a thunderstorm pelting both rope and building with wind and rain added a rather dangerous element to the ordeal. Gavin's grip on the knotted rope was all that held him from a treacherous fall as his boots slipped and skidded against the rough but wet stone. The ivy he'd disguised his rope as also meant hear was often tangled and had to shake free before he could continue down. He'd done physical training and combat training, and could even somewhat spar with Hida, but Gavin's hands burned by the time he set boots on puddle strewn ground.

Even with wind, rain, flashes of lightning, and the irritated grumble of thunder, Gavin's spirits were undampened; his steps quick as he all but ran the distance to the Sikali's Estate. It would have been more convenient if they lived across the boulevard like the Polumenta family did, but as they were an original Duchy they lived far closer to the Queen's castle. Taking a carriage would have made it too easy to get caught, and if he took a horse than the stable hands would know, so he pulled his hood up and walked swiftly in the thunderstorm.

As Eniola had long ago arranged, the gap in her property wall was still there for him to slip in through. If he got much broader though, they'd have to find a new way or enlarge the passage, but with all the rain slicking both route and Gavin, he passed through without a hurtle. The Sikali Estate was large, able to hold far more than the smaller properties further away. It also left Gavin an acre of garden and yard to cross before he was able to slip into the butterfly greenhouse.

In the dark, illuminated only by the occasional flash of lightning while the storm obscured the light of the moon, Gavin's heart was in his throat; excitement at seeing Eniola combined with the adrenaline of their clandestine actions. He'd been in her capital home enough times that he knew the layout, and still his steps faltered and his fingers shook until they landed on the warmed glass of the greenhouse. He slipped around easily then, finding the latch to the door and flitting in like a shadow.

Before he could step away from the entrance, a weight collided into him, arms wrapping tightly around his neck and lips pressed roughly to his as Eniola threw herself at him. And then retreated swiftly, "you're soaking wet," she hissed at him, as if blaming him for the weather and how all the rain dripping off of him would ruin her satin dress.

"I did run over through the storm for you," he admitted, following her moving form through the dark until the little will'o'wisp that was her magic glowed around a picnic blanket.

"Here, I thought you might need a towel," she had though that far ahead, everything ready and waiting. "But you should take that coat off and let it dry over there."

Gavin shed the waterlogged wool coat, laying it out on the bench Eniola had indicated. He heard Eniola's surprised, dismayed gasp as it revealed his shirt had become all but transparent from the rain as well. "Thank you for the towel love, do you think we can try that hug and kiss once I'm dried up a bit?"

They were very careful in public, seen by all the adults as children still, so their 'sweetheart romance' was allowed. They could go on chaperoned 'excursions' but not call them dates, they could call each other love and send gifts but no physical intimacies were allowed. At least not where the adults would see it. "I'll cover you in kisses, just go dry off first," Eniola promised with laughter in her voice.

Gavin towelled off, his hairstyle ruined, his shirt still transparent but no longer sodden, and he even took his muddy boots off well away from the blanket. Eniola was lounging, watching him with a pleased smile as she waited for him to join her there. Eniola wore a house gown, something normally only worn around the family members, and it felt all the more appealing to Gavin for its simple satin skirt and light beadwork; the beading in Sikali orange while the dress was a lighter peach colour. She looked lovely, the colours making her dark complexion glow.

"Sit down so I can kiss you," she demanded with a playful pout, "and I don't want you to do anything but let me kiss you!"

"As my Princess commands," Gavin teased, sitting on the blanket with his legs stretched out in front of him, weight braced back on his hands.

"I'll show you Princess," she taunted meaninglessly before scooting herself close so she could once again kiss him.

Gavin allowed himself to only touch Eniola with lips and tongue at the moment, all too aware he had very ungentlemanly urges where she was concerned. And Eniola pushing his restraint at every opportunity; she peppered kisses to his temple and forehead, brushing his damp hair back to kiss his jaw and then his nose. When she kissed his mouth, it was a long and deep kiss, a temptation all its own. One day he would marry her, but until that day this was where they had to frustratingly stop.

Eniola seemed as discontent to that necessity as he felt, flopping back onto the blanket away from him with a hand thrown over her eyes. "You're too gorgeous, all wet and kissed like that," she despaired and Gavin laughed.

"I take it you've been reading Brissa's romance serials again?" he teased, knowing the red covered romances were considered risqué.

"Gavin!" Eniola objected, "I'm far too young and innocent to read a bodice ripper; is that what you think of me?"

Considering the number of love bites she'd left on his neck this year alone, he knew the actual answer to that. But he also knew not to give it, "of course not my Princess," he immediately played along. "I am but a lowly seventh child of a Countship, you are the fair moon to my tiled soil."

The comparison left Eniola giggling too much to continue, "tilled soil?

"I was trying to reference that horrid book Briss had; the Ploughman's Seduction," Gavin read them along with Eniola, sometimes inspired to try sequences out but only so far.

"Oh," Eniola obviously recalled, the look now one of amusement and disgust, "yeah mud went places in that one."

"I've certainly never looked at a field of grain the same way again," Gavin agreed, it had been a descriptive book; unfortunately.

"Now you have to take my mind off of it," she shuddered, "especially while we're in here. Tell me, who wore what?" she settled next to him, leaning her head against his shoulder.

Gavin slipped his arm around her, getting them to lay back against the blanket so he could hold her close. He tried to focus on accounting the regalia of the Masquerade, the attire and masks supposed to offer anonymity and yet somehow all were still easily identifiable. His every intent was to simply luxuriate in the chance to spend time with Eniola without the constant weight of eyes watching them, judging them, and determining what was right or wrong with their love.

But for all that Gavin had chaste intentions, he still held Eniola improperly close; kissing her at every opportunity. And she was just as lascivious, stopping him mid description for a long, drugging kiss. The dark greenhouse slumbered around them, the butterflies dormant in the storm while inside Gavin and Eniola raged in their own way.

Gavin had chaste intentions for the date they'd planned. But despite his proper upbringing, he found himself wrapped in an intimate dance wit Eniola, the soft sounds of her pleasure driving them past all bounds of propriety. They loved each other, truly and deeply, and both of their families agreed that they would be married after Debuting; so in their hearts they were already husband and wife. They still had three years left before Debuting, and it would be even harder after this ultimate intimacy to pretend to still be childish sweethearts in the public eye. Not when he know how his love looked and felt as she cried out for him.