Cherry Chocolate Chip 17, Bubble Gum 7+ Gummy Bunnies: The Meeting of the Lady and the Duke
Author: lady_leia_solo
Story: The Mondian Chronicles (Archive/Index Under Construction)
Title: The Meeting of the Lady and the Duke
Challenge: Cherry Chocolate Chip 17: repute, Bubble Gum 7: fake tears
Toppings: Gummy Bunnies (#11: sunrise from 100_tales, #8 from writerverse Gamma List of Doom: the grass is always greener on the other side, exasperating from this tumble, Prompt #904: foreign from Daily_Prompt on DW, and "new beginnings" from DailyPrompt on DW)
Word Count: 1,003
Summary: You know how those Canillians are, Mica!
Rating and Warning(s): PG-13; Xenophobia
Notes: This takes place in 1089 AW. Jean Michele and Elisabetta are the future parents of the Everart siblings of Generation B and thus the grandparents to many grandchildren.
“Oh please, my darling, don’t go!”
Jean Michele sighed and he walked down the staircase with his mother at his heel. The Dowager Duchess of Cadomiselle had been on his back about this whole situation since he’d first brought it up.
“Mother, you have to accept the fact that I am marrying her.”
“Mica, you know I don’t really like those Canillians. They’re a dangerous sort of people. The women are oversexed and then men aren’t much better.”
Jean Michele turned and faced his mother. Her blue eyes were wide, but her golden blonde hair was neatly tucked underneath her bejeweled hood. Lucille Everart always looked impeccable.
“Suppose I called off the wedding, Mother? I’d have to return the lands in Temra to her father and the girl would be shunned by society. Then there’s the fact that she’s almost here.”
“So what’s the problem?”
Jean Michele grinned and bent down to kiss his mother’s cheek.
“I’m off to meet her. When I arrive back, I want you to behave, Mother.”
Lucille sniffed. “Do not talk to your mother like that, Mica. You might be too old for me to take you over my knee, but I can still punish you.”
“Of course.”
Jean Michele nodded to the guards as they opened the door. Lucille followed him out.
“Make sure she’s clean, Mica! I won’t have any dirt staining the carpets!”
***
Jean Michele rode alongside his brother toward the edge of Ceirise. The sun was rising as they made their way to the meeting point.
“What’s the lady’s name again?” Daniyel asked.
Jean Michele took off his hat and ran his hand through his dark hair.
“Her name is Elisabetta.”
Daniyel nodded. “That’s a nice name.”
Both of them were quiet as they waited. Jean Michele kept looking from his brother to the direction where the Loacharno party would be arriving from.
“Do you know what she looks like?” Daniyel asked.
Jean Michele nodded. “Her father sent me her miniature. She has thick black hair and grey eyes. Her skin is rather dark like most of the Canillians.”
“Mother didn’t seem too happy last night.”
Jean Michele grinned. “I don’t think Mother would be happy with any woman I picked to be the future duchess.
Truthfully I don’t think she thinks anyone can top her.”
“And you think this Elisabetta will be able to?” Daniyel said clearly amused.
“She’s from a long line of Temrian dukes and her ancestor was King Stefano III.”
Daniyel whistled. “She’s got a closer attachment to Monde then I would have thought.”
Jean Michele nodded. “Yes, she’s perfect.”
There was a nigh in the background and both brothers turned. An old carriage was heading towards them.
Jean Michele dismounted and waited for his betrothed to step from hers.
The carriage stopped and the door opened. The footman tried to help out whoever it was, but they pushed him away. He wondered if that was Elisabetta.
The person stepped out. No, it wasn’t Elisabetta. It was an older woman. She had light grey hair and sturdy build. Jean Michele stepped forward.
“You’d be the Duke, I’d take it?” The woman asked.
“Yes, I’m Jean Michele, Duke of Cadomiselle.”
“No, need to state your full title, boy. I’m Teresa, the Lady Elisabetta’s companion.”
Jean Michele nodded and looked towards the carriage.
“Well aren’t you going to help her out?” Teresa asked.
“Oh yes, of course.”
Jean Michele stepped aside and went to the carriage. He looked inside.
His breath caught. The lady, his lady, was sitting inside. Her long black hair was spilling freely down her back. She glanced up at him and he could swear her eyes looked like silver. Then she smiled.
“My lady,” Jean Michele said with a little bow.
Elisabetta held out her hand and he took it and placed a kiss on it.
“Your Grace,” she said in a strong Canillian accent.
Jean Michele helped her down the steps. When she reached the bottom, she looked up at him.
Jean Michele simply stared at her. Her portrait hadn’t done her justice. Elisabetta was simply put…a beauty. She had a button nose and small bow shaped lips. Her lashes were long and dark and her eyes shone bright.
Jean Michele heard a cough behind him. He turned and saw his brother and Teresa watching them.
“Aren’t you going to introduce me, Jean Michele?” Daniyel asked with a grin.
“My lady, this is my brother, Lord Daniyel Everart.”
Elisabetta stepped forward and curtseyed slightly. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, my lord.”
Daniyel’s grin broadened. “Not as pleasing as it is to meet you, my lady.”
“Daniyel,” Jean Michele warned.
Daniyel held out his arm to Elisabetta. She glanced at Jean Michele before taking it.
“Would you like to ride back with me, my lady?” Daniyel asked.
Jean Michele followed them. “I thought she’d ride back with me, dear brother.”
Teresa bumped into them. “She’ll not be riding back with either of you. That’s what the carriage is for.”
Elisabetta smiled. “Yes, of course Teresa.”
Daniyel released her and she started to walk back to the carriage with Teresa. She looked back at them and smiled and Jean Michele felt a little flutter in his stomach.
“She’s beautiful,” Daniyel said voicing his thoughts.
“Yes, she is.”
“And you just can’t wait to bed her, can you?”
Jean Michele and Daniyel started back to their horses.
“Don’t be so vulgar, Daniyel.”
“You know I speak the truth. She’ll be pregnant in no time and your son will displace me as your heir.”
Jean Michele stepped in the reins and hauled himself up.
“Of course if I’m lucky, she’ll have nothing but daughters.” Daniyel said guiding his horse around.
Jean Michele grimaced but didn’t say anything. The wedding wasn’t until a week from now and Elisabetta needed to get used to Cadomiselle and the rest of Monde. But the first obstacle would be his mother, but if she could get past Lucille, then she could get past anything.
Story: The Mondian Chronicles (Archive/Index Under Construction)
Title: The Meeting of the Lady and the Duke
Challenge: Cherry Chocolate Chip 17: repute, Bubble Gum 7: fake tears
Toppings: Gummy Bunnies (#11: sunrise from 100_tales, #8 from writerverse Gamma List of Doom: the grass is always greener on the other side, exasperating from this tumble, Prompt #904: foreign from Daily_Prompt on DW, and "new beginnings" from DailyPrompt on DW)
Word Count: 1,003
Summary: You know how those Canillians are, Mica!
Rating and Warning(s): PG-13; Xenophobia
Notes: This takes place in 1089 AW. Jean Michele and Elisabetta are the future parents of the Everart siblings of Generation B and thus the grandparents to many grandchildren.
“Oh please, my darling, don’t go!”
Jean Michele sighed and he walked down the staircase with his mother at his heel. The Dowager Duchess of Cadomiselle had been on his back about this whole situation since he’d first brought it up.
“Mother, you have to accept the fact that I am marrying her.”
“Mica, you know I don’t really like those Canillians. They’re a dangerous sort of people. The women are oversexed and then men aren’t much better.”
Jean Michele turned and faced his mother. Her blue eyes were wide, but her golden blonde hair was neatly tucked underneath her bejeweled hood. Lucille Everart always looked impeccable.
“Suppose I called off the wedding, Mother? I’d have to return the lands in Temra to her father and the girl would be shunned by society. Then there’s the fact that she’s almost here.”
“So what’s the problem?”
Jean Michele grinned and bent down to kiss his mother’s cheek.
“I’m off to meet her. When I arrive back, I want you to behave, Mother.”
Lucille sniffed. “Do not talk to your mother like that, Mica. You might be too old for me to take you over my knee, but I can still punish you.”
“Of course.”
Jean Michele nodded to the guards as they opened the door. Lucille followed him out.
“Make sure she’s clean, Mica! I won’t have any dirt staining the carpets!”
***
Jean Michele rode alongside his brother toward the edge of Ceirise. The sun was rising as they made their way to the meeting point.
“What’s the lady’s name again?” Daniyel asked.
Jean Michele took off his hat and ran his hand through his dark hair.
“Her name is Elisabetta.”
Daniyel nodded. “That’s a nice name.”
Both of them were quiet as they waited. Jean Michele kept looking from his brother to the direction where the Loacharno party would be arriving from.
“Do you know what she looks like?” Daniyel asked.
Jean Michele nodded. “Her father sent me her miniature. She has thick black hair and grey eyes. Her skin is rather dark like most of the Canillians.”
“Mother didn’t seem too happy last night.”
Jean Michele grinned. “I don’t think Mother would be happy with any woman I picked to be the future duchess.
Truthfully I don’t think she thinks anyone can top her.”
“And you think this Elisabetta will be able to?” Daniyel said clearly amused.
“She’s from a long line of Temrian dukes and her ancestor was King Stefano III.”
Daniyel whistled. “She’s got a closer attachment to Monde then I would have thought.”
Jean Michele nodded. “Yes, she’s perfect.”
There was a nigh in the background and both brothers turned. An old carriage was heading towards them.
Jean Michele dismounted and waited for his betrothed to step from hers.
The carriage stopped and the door opened. The footman tried to help out whoever it was, but they pushed him away. He wondered if that was Elisabetta.
The person stepped out. No, it wasn’t Elisabetta. It was an older woman. She had light grey hair and sturdy build. Jean Michele stepped forward.
“You’d be the Duke, I’d take it?” The woman asked.
“Yes, I’m Jean Michele, Duke of Cadomiselle.”
“No, need to state your full title, boy. I’m Teresa, the Lady Elisabetta’s companion.”
Jean Michele nodded and looked towards the carriage.
“Well aren’t you going to help her out?” Teresa asked.
“Oh yes, of course.”
Jean Michele stepped aside and went to the carriage. He looked inside.
His breath caught. The lady, his lady, was sitting inside. Her long black hair was spilling freely down her back. She glanced up at him and he could swear her eyes looked like silver. Then she smiled.
“My lady,” Jean Michele said with a little bow.
Elisabetta held out her hand and he took it and placed a kiss on it.
“Your Grace,” she said in a strong Canillian accent.
Jean Michele helped her down the steps. When she reached the bottom, she looked up at him.
Jean Michele simply stared at her. Her portrait hadn’t done her justice. Elisabetta was simply put…a beauty. She had a button nose and small bow shaped lips. Her lashes were long and dark and her eyes shone bright.
Jean Michele heard a cough behind him. He turned and saw his brother and Teresa watching them.
“Aren’t you going to introduce me, Jean Michele?” Daniyel asked with a grin.
“My lady, this is my brother, Lord Daniyel Everart.”
Elisabetta stepped forward and curtseyed slightly. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, my lord.”
Daniyel’s grin broadened. “Not as pleasing as it is to meet you, my lady.”
“Daniyel,” Jean Michele warned.
Daniyel held out his arm to Elisabetta. She glanced at Jean Michele before taking it.
“Would you like to ride back with me, my lady?” Daniyel asked.
Jean Michele followed them. “I thought she’d ride back with me, dear brother.”
Teresa bumped into them. “She’ll not be riding back with either of you. That’s what the carriage is for.”
Elisabetta smiled. “Yes, of course Teresa.”
Daniyel released her and she started to walk back to the carriage with Teresa. She looked back at them and smiled and Jean Michele felt a little flutter in his stomach.
“She’s beautiful,” Daniyel said voicing his thoughts.
“Yes, she is.”
“And you just can’t wait to bed her, can you?”
Jean Michele and Daniyel started back to their horses.
“Don’t be so vulgar, Daniyel.”
“You know I speak the truth. She’ll be pregnant in no time and your son will displace me as your heir.”
Jean Michele stepped in the reins and hauled himself up.
“Of course if I’m lucky, she’ll have nothing but daughters.” Daniyel said guiding his horse around.
Jean Michele grimaced but didn’t say anything. The wedding wasn’t until a week from now and Elisabetta needed to get used to Cadomiselle and the rest of Monde. But the first obstacle would be his mother, but if she could get past Lucille, then she could get past anything.