Magic of the Marriage Market

Alaric felt ridiculous, attending the Ruma gallery after the week his family had endured, and yet he was gussied up and scowling. Hida was once again injured, far more severely this time, and inflicted from a Knight Instructor on a power trip. According to both witness testimony, and Information Bureau investigation, Knight Denerim had taken in the role of Instructor for Hida's cohort before her return, and in that time three sponsored commoner cadets dropped out. His methodology was aggressive and punitive, and there were multiple reports from the families of the other cadets that the frequency of injury had gone up. And once again, Alaric had only learned after the fact; Hida had never complained or hinted that something as wrong.

"You're always so angry looking Alaric," Aayina Ram's voice lightly taunted, "what did this painting ever do to you to deserve such a dark look?" she'd looked rather fetching in her gown, like most ladies she'd chosen the more day appropriate style to feature her family colour as the flowers embroidered along the hem. Given the bright sunshine of August left even the Capital rather warm, Alaric almost envied the Ladies their light dresses and short sleeves.

"The painting could slap me in the face and I'd thank it for being direct, Aayina; my anger is at myself because for some reason my little sister doesn't feel able to tell me when a grown Knight is being a brutal beast." He'd long given up trying to be the gentleman he should be where Aayina was concerned, not that he meant to be rude but something compelled him to be direct with her like he was no other.

He was grateful she was spirited enough to respond in kind, though they did somehow act proper near others. Mostly. "You've never been a 15 year old girl, Alaric," Aayina pointed out succinctly. "She's training to be a Knight, to withstand the assault so both she and others may live. I may have only briefly know Lady Hida, but if she is your sister I feel safe in assuming that she likely viewed this as an opportunity to hone her craft. You Briggs' may be unique when viewed closely but all of you are so frustratingly similar somehow."

"Your sisters are identical triplets," he pointed out as if she didn't already know it. "I can only tell them apart by the identifying jewellery you each don," Alaric scanned the gallery and spotted not only Derbie with Lady Ban, but also Calvin and Danilo as well as Blair with Clayton.

"All of you are determined and blind all at once," she scoffed at him.

"Blind?" he immediately objected. "I'm not blind," if he was he wouldn't be so obsessed with Aayina's beautiful smiles and wicked eyes, "but being blindfolded. I cannot know what people don't tell me."

"You should follow me," Derbie suddenly interrupted, Lady Ban smiling brightly at them.

"Please, it's just this way," Lady Ban insisted politely.

"Let's go sister," one of Aayina's triplet Debutants took her arm and started walking.

Alaric had the distinct feeling they were being escorted away due to their little...discussion. Not only did Derbie lead him on, but he spotted Calvin and Danilo a quickstep behind them. Something was definitely afoot here, but Alaric couldn't figure out what.

"Bahni, what is the meaning of this?" he heard Aayina hiss at her sister.

"It's for your own sake," Blair seemed to be encouraging both of them equally. "I expected no less of my brother, but I am a little surprised that you are in fact a matched set of oblivious idiots."

"Blair, don't be insulting to Lady Ram," he was personally used to her disrespect but they were out in public.

"We've discussed it amongst the younger siblings," who had to be Chanda Ram spoke up, "and it seems to be true on both sides."

"So here we are, please use this room for as long as necessary," Lady Ban opened the door to a rather dimly lit room. "My sister has graciously assisted with its preparation, it should be perfect."

"Originally, we were going to let out figure it out for yourselves," Calvin surprisingly spoke up, "but it seems you are both willfully ignorant."

"So we decided to interfere," Deepa Ram was with her fiancé Borka Polumenta.

"Get in, and don't come out until you're both thoroughly ruined," Blair smiled at Alaric and shoved him in while Aayina's sisters did the same to her.

And then the door closed and audibly locked.

He'd instinctively reached out to help steady Aayina as she staggered under her sisters' manhandling. Blair wasn't tall, or strong enough, to upset his balance; he'd stepped in to keep Aayina from falling. "Do you have the first clue what they're talking about?" he asked, barely able to see her even an arm's distance away with the lone candle on the table further in.

"How could I possibly?" she demanded right back, stepping away smartly. "I don't even know what this room is."

The door was definitely locked, he tried just to be sure escape wasn't possible. "Look around, see if there's more than the table the candlestick is on."

"Brilliant plan." Without an audience to temper it, her tone turned scathing. "Should I tell you to check the door or is it safe to assume you have the intellect to deduce that?"

"The door is locked Aayina, so unless you have a better plan, let's explore," he dryly confirmed.

It was difficult to see her in the limited pool of light the lone candlestick spilled in a room with no windows or reflections. "It's a room of contemplation," Aayina declared before Alaric could put the clues together.

A room of contemplation was a historical artifact in its own right, the practice of acetic self isolation for deep thought had fallen out of favour before Queen Akiyama's grandfather started his bloody reign. Alaric had wrongly believed the noble Estates in the Capital were all too modernized to have such features, and yet here he was; undeniably incarcerated in one. Although it wasn't a prison cell, it did lack extraneous distractions, supposedly to allow one the chance to focus on the problem one had to resolve. But they'd been pushed in together, locked in by both sets of siblings and now they had to determine the reasoning.

"Both your brothers and sister implied that they expected you to be oblivious." He could barely see her expression but the tone made him bite back a smile.

"Blair is incapable of being respectful to me, but this is a first for both Derbie and Calvin," he had no problem admitting. "And let's not forget that your three little Ladies Ram were participating just as vociferously."

"Yes, but all your siblings had their lovers with them, only Deepa has a fiancé," Aayina seemed to believe that had any impact at all.

"Unless you think they showed us in here to help settle your sisters' romantic prospects, that is not the point," he pulled the lone chair out for her to sit on, eyes slowly adjusting to the dim light.

With a huff, and he suspected a roll of her eyes that he couldn't see, Aayina say down. "I do not require your assistance with finding Suitors for either Bahni or Chanda. Just because you somehow rapidly set Courtships for yours doesn't mean I can't figure my own."

Alaric almost laughed at her misconception, "Calvin and Danilo had been in love for years, and I don't think they've figured it out yet, while I learned Blair and Clayton are Courting when they showed up in matching attire. Please do not thing for a moment I've had any impact on either of those couples. I'm simply grateful that Derbie and Lady Ban are progressing more traditionally."

"Some traditions need to be discarded with," she insisted almost vehemently, and Alaric suspected there was a long 온라인카지노게임 there. In the last two generations there'd been many cultural changes already, so he wondered what else she'd want altered.

"Please tell me more, I'm not the eldest sibling who looked to be still hopelessly single while it looks like four of my younger siblings are getting married soon," he tried to sarcastically scathe.

"Four?" she caught his slip up, of course. Only three of his siblings had Debuted.

He didn't want to lie, but telling the truth would hurt Gavin and Eniola. "I'll tell you my secrets if you tell me yours," he teased instead, left no other option than to sit on the flood since they were both resolutely ignoring the narrow bed in the far corner.

"My parents may bring home a husband for me from Tashatia since they're on Expedition there, and expect me to fail at finding a suitable Suitor on my own." Her tone was challenging, as if she expected the news to surprise him instead of devastate him.

"Gavin and Eniola Sikali are having a discreet but authorized urgent nuptial," he saw her frown slightly before understanding flashed across her face. There was only one reason an underage couple was generally authorized for marriage licences, and that was pregnancy.

"So at least four of the Briggs siblings burn with passions, and yet you're a man who glowers at artwork," she critiqued.

Maybe because they couldn't really see the other clearly, it was easier for Alaric to feel free to speak openly, "I know that thanks to my looks I am considered a man of ice Aayina," he couldn't help but laugh, not needing to see her reaction to his inevitable words, "but inside me an inferno rages now, and you are the ember that set the blaze alight." Some part of him had known what his siblings meant by pushing him in here, but he hadn't realized it could be reciprocated. It hadn't been intentional, but he couldn't stop thinking about Aayina ever since meeting her, exasperated, fascinated, and hopelessly compelled to rude honesty with her. But as an eldest herself, Alaric hadn't dared entertain the notion out loud, but still Blair, Calvin, and Derbie had interpreted it correctly, and conspired most spectacularly. "Since the Debut, you have been a tendril of kudzu in my mind, slowly winding and spreading until there wasn't a part of my thoughts you hadn't invaded. On the carriage ride home from the Debut, I wondered how you handled the stress of three Debutants when I struggled with one each year. At Abernathy's when I spotted your table askew with Ram orange swatches, it occurred to me that its only a few shades off Briggs scarlet, and how stunning you'd be adorned with rubies." He closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the wall, "at the Bouts I hung onto every word you said, even when I tried to focus on the fighters, and I thought of the expression on your face long after the night ended."

He heard slight movement from where she sat on the chair but kept his eyes closed; he didn't think she'd hit him with the chair even if she did want him to shut up. "At every outing, I'd look for you, at all Events I seek you out, like a compass finds north. I can pretend that I am oblivious to how desperately I desire you because I cannot burden you with my Courtship; you are to be the next Viscountess Ram."

Her laughter made his eyes fly open; it was a sound of merriment, hysteria, and relief. Accustomed to the flickering candlelight, he could see Aayina laughing so hard there were tear tracks on her cheeks, her hands wrapped around her abdomen as if afraid she'd fly apart with each huff. Of all the reactions he could have fantasized or feared, this had not been one he'd anticipated. It was, frankly, a little insulting.

"It seems my misplaced affections amuse you," he bit out.

"Oh shut up and come kiss me you oblivious man," she bit right back. "I need to know if it lives up to my expectations or not."

His brain couldn't process the sudden about turn. Had she really said that, or did he fantasize it?

"You told me you burn for me, Iceman, so I demand a demonstration," she wasn't laughing.

He only had to be told twice, after that Alaric stood up and swiftly walked to where she sat, upright and challenging. From the moment he'd begun orbiting her this Season, he'd resisted so she wouldn't have to politely reject his Letter of Intent, he'd told no one of his near obsession with her and yet it had somehow been obvious to his siblings and hers. But given her words just now, and the insistence her own sisters used to lock Aayina in here with him, Alaric seized the opportunity to kiss Aayina like the world was ending. Like every catastrophe could happen at once after, as long as he had the chance, just once, to kiss her with all the devastating passion he'd held in check.

Suddenly it was a lot easier to understand how Gavin and Eniola had gotten carried away in their own romance. Alaric's passion was matched, a conflagration of epic proportions, and as Blair had taunted, any 'reputation' was thoroughly besmirched. And as they held each other close in the tiny bed the room provided, physical intimacies were not the only things shared. Alaric stripped away both his clothes and his pretences, being exposed and vulnerable as he would with no other, and he cherished every whispered secret between kisses and caresses that Aayina gave back in return.

Morning brought with it no awkwardness or discomfort, merely gentle kisses and slow redressing, their passion filled prison unlocked but thankfully without a waiting audience. Given the conspiracy level plotting that had led to it all, Alaric wasn't in the least bit surprised when both his adult siblings, and Aayina's were at the breakfast table with a heavily pregnant Lady Aoki Ruma and her family. Three different families had come together to plot a whirlwind romancing, Alaric was actually impressed. Though he did wonder how poorly of a chaperone he'd truly behaved, given that all of his siblings' paramours had also seemingly spent the night. Derbie and Ban sat next to each other, Blair and Clayton were openly laughing at him, and even Calvin and Danilo seemed almost aware of their own romancing.

Thankfully, Alaric and Aayina had actually discussed matters during the night, after passions had cooled and rational minds returned. They'd both been too afraid to try and Court the other, as they both believed it would be rejected. But with the conspirators involved, Aayina had accepted Alaric's Courting most thoroughly last night, so she had an announcement to make to the table at large.

"Thank you for your generous hospitality, Lady Ruma. We can only repay it by sharing the announcement of our betrothal to your table first. Though, I suspect that is a fact you greatly anticipated, all things considered," Aayina seemed comfortable teasing Lady Ruma lightly, even as the rest of the table reacted.

They were congratulated and cheers were given, a toast of light wine poured despite the early hour of the day. And as they sat down to eat, Alaric learned that Bahni Ram had been the brains behind it all, her willingness to assume the mantle of future Viscountess freeing Aayina to be with Alaric as his future Countess. It felt surreal, like a living dream, to realize that despite trying to even avoid acknowledging his attraction to Aayina that he was enduringly romanced by her, and enthusiastically planning to continue romancing her as their lives together progressed.

She already knew all his secrets now after all.