The seven Duchies of Central Rynmere and their respective baronies, cities, towns, villages, and landmarks each overseen by a Duke of one of the seven noble families and ultimately controlled by the King of Rynmere.
As the Endor tried explaining to her about the mines, Velaine realized that she appreciated the fact that he seemed quite passionate about the topic. She would easily believe that Nathaniel did manage most of their mining business. And if what he said was true, there was no doubt in her mind that this alliance with Endor would prove very beneficial – even if it come from the price of her freedom.
Perhaps the saints weren’t all that cruel. She much prefer a man who knew how to manage his house’s resources. There were far too many noblemen being content with spending their days lounging uselessly in their mansions and eating up until they were fat – not unlike her father. Jersey Krome was hopeless as a leader and a baron and there was no way she was marrying someone resembling him.
Nathaniel surprisingly commented at his mother’s forwardness. “Do you have to be discourteous Mother?”
“I am simply asking a question of the young lady. I am sure she has a wonderful, highly intellectual, refined answer for us.”
It was an expected question, though it did surprised her a bit when Maderson directed right at her. She was sure her mother had already prepared a long, polished answer for it since it was impossible to ignore the heat of her stare even when Velaine was looking at their guests – willing her not to ruin it. While the Krome didn’t know what sort of deal Sophia had offered them to bring them here in the first place, she was convinced that she knew what they wanted.
Making sure her voice was clear and steady, Velaine met the female Endor’s expectant look. “If Nathaniel and I are to be married, I assure that the future relations between our houses will be better than it had ever been before. Should the need arises, Krome will come to your family’s aid. Forgive me if I am being to blunt, but our family are in the direct line to inherit the ducal seat of Krome.” Truth be told, Velaine couldn’t claim to be a master at giving refined answers. She could only hope that she was saying all the right things. “In the meantime, I have heard that Zi’da is harsh in Endor. Krome can provide furs to keep your people warm. And should we be able to, we will supply your mines with more men.”
At her last words, the young woman let her eyes drift to Nathaniel’s green eyes, wondering if she had just sealed their fates.
It seemed that the group was waiting with abated breath for Titania's answer. Nathaniel did not know what to expect, and his personal observation of his mother suggested she was a rabid bear at the moment. If Titania did not give her the right answer, Nathaniel would be the first to head for the hills.
Her answer was not a refined as he would have expected from some woman that were preparing to be betrothed. Did she not know about this arrangement beforehand? Nathaniel frowned ever so slightly at the thought. Were mother's realy that cruel to keep their children in the dark for so long while they crafted plans for grandchildren? What he wouldn't give to get out from his mother's grasp. It was only then that it dawned on him. This marriage would draw him away from Berengar; away from his mother.
Suddenly, he greatly approved.
Maderson went to speak, but Nathaniel cut her off. "I find that answer satisfactory. Men in the mines mean more production. More production would mean more nel for the both of us. Even happy miners work harder. They may be criminals, but they don't like to freeze. What say you Mother?"
She did not seem at all happy with being cut off, but corrected her dissatisfaction quickly. She smiled to the two of them. "I believe Sophia and I can agree to those terms, if not a few others. Why don't you two wander off now? I think you have been enough help to us."
He had exhausted his ability to fight back. If he continued to go against her wishes, there would be repercussions far more serious than he was willing to deal with. Nathaniel conceded and began to stand up. It was getting late and he decided now would probably be the best time to retire. This would permit him to avoid further confrontation with his mother. "Baroness Krome, Mother. Lady Titania. I believe now is a good time for me to retire."
Maderson looked relieved. He turned to Titania, offering his hand. As if he was going to allow his mother to win that easily. "That is, unless you wish to join me for a glass of wine. We can be close in case our mothers need our wisdom again."
The young woman waited for Maderson’s response expectantly, blue eyes churning with green to mirror the conflicting emotions inside her. Did she want this negotiations to truly succeed? She had spent the entirety of last season trying to dissuade her mother from planning a betrothal for her. Velaine didn’t want to think that all she got for returning to Rynmere was to lose the name Krome, shipped out to some noble’s house, produce babies, and do nothing until she grew old.
She tried not to dwell on it too much. Not yet, at least. Velaine had promised herself that she would do anything to secure her house’s stability. This was it. She could accept the price, even if that price came in the form of a striking man with dark hair and green eyes.
Before the baroness could respond, his son deftly interjected. “I find that answer satisfactory. Men in the mines mean more production. More production would mean more nel for the both of us. Even happy miners work harder. They may be criminals, but they don't like to freeze. What say you Mother?”
Velaine blinked in surprise. The Endor readily accepted her offer as sound. She was even tempted to think that the man defended her. Fortunately for the both of them, the female Endor deemed her answer acceptable. Sophia nodded towards her daughter, a small sign of approval. While the older nobles wanted to discuss things further, the young woman got the sense that there was nothing else she could do.
Being dismissed for the second time, Velaine simply smiled politely and bowed her head slightly as she stood. That was it. The two older women seemed mildly satisfied with their discussion and she doubted there was anything that might deter their deal. “Of course. It has been an honor talking with you, baroness.”
Nathaniel was as ready to retreat as she was, standing up even earlier than she did. “That is, unless you wish to join me for a glass of wine. We can be close in case our mothers need our wisdom again.”
Without any hesitation, the Krome took his hand and let herself be led outside. “I’ll take you up on that offer, my lord.” She couldn’t help noting Nathaniel’s roughened hand. Not just the calloused hand of a worker, but scarred from something else. As curious as she was, Velaine figured asking about one’s scars was not a good opening for a conversation.
Once they were out of their parents’ earshot, the young woman slowly shook away her built-up tension. “If we are to be stuck with each other for the rest of our lives, I’ll have to insist that you stop calling me Titania. It’s a bit mouthful, isn’t it?”
They had quietly walked out in political hand-in-hand. It was more of a formal connection than anything of romance. Yet. That would, with time, potentially change. He led them to a separate room because he knew full well that their mother's would not need them again. They hadn't wanted them there in the first place. Once out of observation by the barons and baronesses, Nathaniel released her hand to go towards the drink tray. He poured two glasses of wine and brought one back for Titania.'
"What would you like me to call you? Here you go m'lady." Nathaniel offered her the glass before taking a sip of his own. "I prefer Nathaniel, but I suppose you may call me whatever you like. Most others due with disregard to my feelings about it. Nathan and Nate are just...simple."
He waited for her request and explaination before nodding slowly. "I think I like Velaine much better anyways."
He fell silent shortly after that, unsure what to say next. Navigating noblewomen was an artform he had neglected to take a class in. Maneuvering women in brothels and maids in his bed was one thing, but the woman he was now destined to marry? Should he talk about the mines or bloody hunts like he did with the woman he was trying to seduce for that 'one-night-stand'? Would it be better if he allowed her to guide the conversation? Nathaniel might gain pertinent information from that about this land, her family, and her ties to the crown. After the rebellion, he had been a little more uptight until someone either declared for the Crown or not. With a gentle sigh, he conceded. He would just have to trust her at face value.
"You seemed interested in what I do in the mines. Might you want to come visit next season and see what we produce? As an invested lady, you might find something I do not that would bring us more nel."
“I prefer my middle name, Velaine. I think only my parents and the older nobles call me Titania,” she replied, swirling her glass lazily as she took it. She smiled as he, in turn, told her what to call him. “Nathaniel. Nathan. Nate.” Rolling the words across her tongue, the Krome couldn’t decide what sounded right for this man whom she will very likely build a family with. Husband. It had always been an abstract concept for her. Now it was more real than ever.
Taking a deep gulp from her drink, the young woman knew she would probably regret it the next morning. Velaine had never been a strong drinker – in fact, she was a very weak one. Two glasses of alcohol was more than enough to make her lose her sense, but she figured she might need it tonight. Even now, looking at the Endor standing in front of her, her mind had already started conjuring images about their possible future. The wine should help her sleep tonight, burying all her buzzing thoughts temporarily.
Velaine considered Nathaniel’s offer for a moment, caught off guard once again. The Endor had surprised her again and again in their brief interaction. “I think that sounds lovely. I think I’ve only visited Endor once or twice, but I could hardly remember it.” Krome’s land certainly wasn’t the kindest, but Endor’s was known to be the harshest one of all. She was more than curious to see what it was like. “Though, I am not sure I could offer brilliant insights. I am afraid I am not well-versed in mining. If you don’t mind me asking, what do you do exactly?”
Perhaps it was the wine fueling her courage, or perhaps she was just far too curious. Whatever it was, the young woman made herself ask, “What were you expecting when you came here? When your mother told you about me? Because my mother had so kindly warned me about this set up just yesterday and gave me nothing but your name.” Her smile slowly turned into a smirk as she met his eyes. “Are you disappointed?”
"Then I will call you Velaine," Nathaniel affirmed. Granted, he was an "older noble" in comparison to her. At least, he suspected. If they were the same age, she moved through the arcs with finesse. She played with his name in a way that seemed to make him stir. He always like when women called him by his full name. It gave them some sort of power over him. In this situation, less so than others.
The way she was drinking made him suspect that she was nervous. He had not poured them a ample amount of wine; certainly not an amount he would drink in a bar or a brothel. It was the respectable amount of drink that nobles should be maintaining during negotiations such as these. He was already stepping towards the decanter of Venoran red as he spoke. "Would you like a refill?"
He would certainly not let her drink alone. He came over to her with the large, stylized glass jar in hand to fill her glass a bit more before doing his as well. Then it was set on a table nearer to them. Her words about Endor were certainly those of the general opinion. He liked to think that Endor was tame in comparison to some places. It might also be that strong men and women lived in Endor and were simply used to the harsh underground work. "My official is 'foreman'. I supervise the criminals within the mines and tell them where to dig. My job is to ensure that we are producing at a level that will sustain our people. My personal goal is to get the men to work harder than that so that my people never have to worry again. I incentivize them by knocking trials off their sentence if they perform well. If they don't, they will go to the stocks where coal and shoddy ore can be pelted at them by my people. Sometimes they learn their lesson there. Sometimes they don't come back. It depends."
He paused, trying to recall the last time he did that. His palms seemed to subtly ache at that time. The last time had been that specific thief. That man had died a rather gruesome pelting of stones. "That has not happened in a long time. The men have learned I suppose. I hope that some will come to work for me once they have served their sentence. If I can turn them into honest men that do honest work, then I have done this kingdom a service not many are capable of doing."
Nathaniel was fully prepared to continue to talk about the mines, but this pause had given her opportunity to change the subject. Sophia had apparently kept her daughter in the dark about as long as his mother had. "I found out trials before you. They told me that we were heading toward Krome. Since it is an 8 trial carriage ride here, they were obligated to tell me. Needless to say, I had plenty of time to think about you and this arrangement our mothers concocted."
Much like a predator - more wolf-like than bear-like - he circled her critically. What had he been thinking while confined with his parents for 8 trials? By the same general opinion that she assumed Endor to be harsh, he had thought Krome to be neanderthals. Instead of dressed in crude furs, she was impeccably styled. After circling but twice, he stepped up close to her. Maybe it was a form of intimidation; maybe it was to see how his body reacted to being so close to her.
Nothing yet.
"You exceed my expectations. I do not think I can give credit to your parents for the behaviors and cognition I saw tonight. Whomever trained you, did it right," He wasn't even sure if that made sense. It did in his mind. Based on Sophia's glares and slight change in stature while sitting, he suspected she would have raised an obedient daughter. "Are you disappointed?"
She let him pour more wine into her glass. The young woman could already feel the alcohol spreading in her system, its warm flush painting her cheeks red. Velaine had never liked how the wine made her mind turned dull, but just for this time she welcomed it. All this was too much for her to process right away. She knew by the time the sun rises again, her betrothal with the Endor might already be official. In fact, their parents could already be shaking hands on the deal as they speak. The mental image was enough to make her down another glass before returning her attention to her future spouse.
The Endor said he was a foreman. Somehow, it wasn’t too difficult to imagine the bear of a man leading a group of criminals deep into the earth. It was reassuring that Nathaniel knew what he was doing, knew what he wanted. Definitely not the sort of man to do sit idly by. “That sounds slightly… brutal.” Velaine wasn’t the sort squeal at the first mention of violence, but the thought of someone being stoned to death was a grisly thought. Inexplicably, her eyes rested on his scarred hands. “Dangerous work, isn’t it?”
Following, her question the Endor moved from his perch. Her gaze followed him as Nathaniel circled her. It made her feel undeniably vulnerable – his heavy gaze on her – but Velaine was too stubborn to show it. It might be a show of his dominance, it might not be. The Krome held her body still, thinking she would lose if she backed down. She didn’t even know what she was losing at. The alcohol was definitely muddling her thought process.
Still, Velaine was unflinching even when Nathaniel approached her. “I trained myself as far as I can tell. Though my parents would have been much happier if I was a more agreeable girl. Honestly, I thought most men share the sentiment.” They were definitely standing too close for it to be proper. It was difficult not to notice the heat coming off of him. She tilted her head up to look at him, wondering what he could possible want from this exchange. “From what I can see… no. Not yet.”
As soon as she finished her sentence, the Krome immediately noticed the lightness in her head. She turned to look at the door and the room spun out of control as a response. Without thinking, her hand shot out, grabbing hold of the man’s arm to steady herself. “Forgive me, Nathaniel, but I might need to return to my chambers.”
The young woman tried to take a step back, but stumbled instead.
She regarded his scars for the first time this evening. He clenched his hands tightly. To talk about the event that made him who he was this early in the relationship was probably not for the best. Especially since that was the last stoning that had occurred and she considered the punishment to be brutal. "That's a story for another time m'lady."
He had plenty of time to observe her while he circled. Their closeness was intriguing to him. It did not necessarily arouse the inner beast he was known to be with women. Instead, it smoldered in a polite fashion that one might consider a romantic interest. There was arousal in the face of a woman that was destined to be in his bed for a single night based on the sole reason that he was a man. Then there were unknown territories to him such as passion and love. Nathaniel would not consider this strange feeling either but regarded it in a possibility that it could roar to life in either. "I am not surprised you trained yourself Velaine. I quite like that about you. As for agreeable women, I am surrounded by too many of those. You are unique..."
He paused, pondering his next statement for a moment. Did he like unique? At this moment, he quite liked that she defied her mother as much as he did his. So, unique was good. In that time, she confirmed she had not been disappointed. "...so far I like unique. We shall see if either of us disappoints the other in the future."
Her next reactions genuinely concerned him. He stiffed his arm, tightening the muscle and sinew beneath as she grabbed for him. She was clearly a lightweight in her drinking habits. It really had not been that much wine. "I think that would be wise Lady Krome," Nathaniel soothed, patting her hand.
When she went to step back and stumble, he reacted quickly, pulling her to him without hesitation. It was a brief connection; in his mind, it kept her from making a tumble that could have been painful. Moving into a more appropriate position, Nathaniel switched her hand to under his arm. With it tucked neatly in his elbow he would be able to aid in her stability. "Lead the way my lady. I'll escort you to your room and then head to mine. As a couple barely betrothed, I do not believe our mother's would find it humorous that we share a bed this evening. Later."
Oh, the plotting of noble parents for their children ... haha. I enjoyed this thread: you two wrote your scheming mothers so well amid the awkward, expectant conversation about marriages and arrangements. I especially enjoyed both Nate and Velaine's internal dialogues, the way they each thought about the other person.
Velaine Krome
Points
XP:
15 | These points can/cannot be used for magic.
Fame:
+5 A Noble Betrothal
Loot
Nathaniel Endor: Future Husband
Injuries + Overstepping
N/A
Knowledge
Skill Knowledge:
Discipline: Composing Yourself in the Face of Anxiety
Discipline: Unflinching Before an Intimidating Man
Politics: Pushing Aside Your Needs for the Family
Politics: Improvising during Negotiations
Politics: Nel for Marriage
Politics: Being Blunt Works Too
Politics: Knowing When to Back Down
Politics: Joining of House Krome and House Endor
Psychology: Reading the Mother and Son Relationship
Psychology: Alcohol Dulls Your Mind
Etiquette: Playing the Proper Noblewoman
Etiquette: Excusing Yourself Before Getting Too Intoxicated
Leadership: Taking Your Marriage Negotiations in Your Own Hands
Leadership: Standing Up to Your Mother
Other Knowledge:
Nathaniel Endor: Not Unlike a Bear
Nathaniel Endor: Foreman
Nathaniel Endor: Scarred Hands
Nathaniel Endor: Thinks You’re Unique
Nathaniel Endor: Your Betrothed
Maderson Endor: Fond of Her Son
House Endor: Solution to Krome’s Problems
House Endor: Offers Nel for Your Hand in Marriage
House Endor: Brutal Mines
House Endor: Uses Criminals as Miners
Nathaniel Endor
Points
XP:
15 | These points can/cannot be used for magic.
Fame:
+5 A Noble Bethrothal
Loot
Velaine Krome: Future Wife
Injuries + Overstepping
Knowledge
Skill Knowledge:
Politics: Negotiating a Betrothal
Politics: Being a Part of Negotiations
Politics: The Benefits of House Endor's Mines
Politics: House Krome has Furs and Men
Politics: Aligning Houses Together
Politics: Marrying for the Good of Your Family
Business Management: Explaining the Business to Another
Business Management: Trading Money for Power
Business Management: Mining and How it Aids Rynmere
Etiquette: The Formal Bow
Etiquette: Acknowledging Your Elders
Etqiuette: Excusing One's Self
Psychology: Assessing the Mother/Child Relationship
Seduction: Proximity to a Woman
Other Knowledge:
House Krome: Lady Titania Velaine Krome
House Krome: Baroness Sophia and Baron Cameron
House Krome: Travel is 8 Trials
Velaine Krome: Hates the Name Titania
Velaine Krome: Betrothed to Nathaniel Endor
Velaine Krome: Lightweight Drinker
Velaine Krome: Not an Agreeable Woman
Velaine Krome: Not Disappointing
Location: Fort Krome
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