There was no escaping the wild stampede of nerves that the butterflies in her stomach from this morning had savagely become. Her entire world seemed to be colliding with this new, strange reality and Etana wasn't sure quite how to come to terms with it. There was less than thirty minutes, that was only 1800 seconds until her husband to be would walk through her families front doors! Then what! Oh sweet Merlin, what then? What if he hated her in person? Was appalled by her hair color? Or thought she wasn't thin enough or perhaps too thin?
These were the thoughts that ran through Etana's mind as she sat perched upon a stool in front of her vanity, in the bedroom she'd grown up in these last few years. Her long, dark coco brown hair falling like silk down her back as she paused her motion of brushing it and simply stared at her own reflection. A year ago she had been excited at the idea of becoming a wife, even a fiance had been quite an exhilarating thought but now? Well, now she wasn't so certain she was ready to be a wife and even less a mother. To this, Etana exhaled slowly as she set the brush down on top of her vanity's surface and folded her hands neatly inside of her lap.
Thirty minutes and she would come face to face with the man who she would court for the next few years until she graduated and then eventually marry.....consummate said marriage with and come about to the reality of baring his children. Swallowing hard, Etana knew if nothing else she was grateful for one; there would be years between this moment and her actual marriage. Years to get to know the man she would wed and hopefully at least come to take a liking toward.
Sliding off her stool as she watched her sister Eleora skitter in and out of her room, Etana walked slowly to the door and poked her head outside and into the bustle of the household. As expected, her mother had mastered the art of perfection and done up the house with impeccable decor and finery. She had a way with knowing the best locations to place a specific floral arrangement or a triad of candles that were lit all throughout the house - including the upstairs also. It was a simple design, far from overstating or seeming to boast the wealth of the Asperhand family but it never the less bestowed a pleasing ambiance with the scent of rose and citrus filling the rooms.
The sound of the anxiousness filling the house only proved to further knot Etana's stomach and to keep herself from fainting outright, the young witch pulled herself back in to her bedroom chamber slowly circled the mannequin that currently wore the specially tailored dress her parents had paid a pretty penny to specifically fit Etana flawlessly and be one of a kind as well. Keeping the shawl she wore over her blooms covered around her shoulders, Etana circled the gown and let her fingertips gaze it over with cautious nature. The last thing she wanted after all was to a rip a piece of stitching somehow only moments before Mr. de Vigny showed up.
A second later, Mrs.Asperhand and her leading lady servants came bustling into Etana's room. Their voices filling the once silent walls with 'do this' and 'she must have that' and 'Her hair should be...' as they began to tug her toward the dress and prepare to help her into it. Finding it suddenly rather hard to breath -- and for once not because of the tightly pinched bones of the corset stitch inside the gown itself - Etana managed to speak little more than the necessary responses as questions were directed at her, the dress was slid on and Etana was quickly sat back on the perch of her vanity stool as a lady began to fiddle with the style of how she would wear her hair that evening...
ETANA'S DRESS FOR THE EVENING
The day he had planned for the last year had arrived, and inexplicably Christian felt less than calm, something he hadn't expected. He stood in the drawing room of his immaculate Wellingtonshire house, having dismissed the servants below stairs as soon as he had finished dressing. It was a full hour before the time of the meeting with his fiancee, and he wanted that time to think.
Seated at his desk, he stared up at the portrait she had sent on his request the previous summer. It depicted a young woman seated outside in the act of writing a letter. That letter, he knew, had been the one that had accompanied the portrait, and he had liked what he had seen there. A portrait though, could show only so much, and he knew there had been cases in history where a flattering portrait had convinced a man into marriage to a woman who had been less than attractive. He racked his brains for the name of the English King who had been so tricked, knowing it didn't matter to him in the least but wanting to occupy his mind any way possible. It was still almost an hour before he was due at the Asperhand residence and he had no desire to arrive more than a minute early.
Scattered across his usually neat desk were various letters he had received over the past year. In that time, Miss Asperhand had learned both French and Italian at his bidding, and though she was not quite fluent in either he felt confident that by the time they were wed she would be an asset. Already she would be a pretty little thing to hang on his arm at social events, but with a little more work she could be perfect, he felt.
Thirty minutes to go. He stood and paced across the room and back, oblivious to the tiny figure that crouched in the corner, the only one of his servants who he allowed to remain wherever he was. A smirk came to his features when he considered how devastated the house elf would be on his wedding night when it was banished from its usual place sleeping on the mat just inside his bedroom door. "Come here" he commanded the little fellow, which immediately obeyed and scuttled before its master, bowing so low its nose almost touched the floor "Tell me. Do I look my best?"
The elf took its duties seriously. It stared at Christian for a full minute before raising a nervous hand and pointing towards his head. Frowning, he crossed into the hallway and stared at himself in the full-length mirror there. In the magically-enhanced light a single hair shone white amidst the dark ones, a hair that he took fastidiously between thumb and forefinger and plucked, before holding out to the elf. "Better?" he demanded, to receive a frenzy of nodding on response "Get rid of that and don't tell a soul."
The threat was unnecessary. This elf knew all his secrets, even the ones that he intended to take to his grave. Like, for example, the small matter of a previous, deceased wife, which was something that he was determined nobody would ever discover. Least of all the Asperhand family. Finally, with ten minutes before his expected arrival time, Christian donned his travelling cloak and stepped outside the front door, glad that the weather had remained calm., The last thing he wanted to be concerned with was a hair out of place or appearing less than entirely composed as he arrived at the house.
He knew its location of course. He had passed it many times over the last year, but always on the other side of the road, not looking across lest a certain young lady might be in residence and looking out of the window. Now, he walked up to the front door and hesitated the space of a heartbeat before knocking once, twice, three times. He did not have to wait long before the door was opened.
Representation of his outfit minus travelling cloak.
Up her in bed chambers, Etana's heart all but jumped up into her throat the moment she heard the knocking down at the front door. The young witches features going from a sort of dazed disbelief to full on, wide eyed expression of a surreal epiphany. Part of her had suspected that she would wake up back at Hogwart's, simply sleeping away one evening in her dorm after having fallen asleep while studying upon her bed - but this was no dream and downstairs she could hear her father giving the final few firm but quiet orders to the servants as the butler approached the door to answer it.
Downstairs, Etana's father stood posed and prepared. A flawless, statue of completely confident masculinity and respect. He'd been ready to hand his neck eldest hand away - at least through contract - the moment he'd laid eyes on Christian de Vigny. He was a popular, well known man with a more than respectable career and a family background that would only further to strengthen his own when the two combined through marriage. Seeing as his daughters had been bred to be married as such, he saw no reason to delay their meeting any further even if it wouldn't be another couple years until the wedding occurred.
Standing with his hands loosely clamped behind his back, Mr.Asperhand gave a polite nod to his butler to signal it was alright to permit Mr.de Vigny entrance and offered - what was as far as Mr.Asperhand went - a welcoming expression. "Ah, Mr.de Vigny." Mr.Asperhand very, nearly smiled but not quite as the butler opened the door, welcomed Christian in and offered to take his hat and coat politely before Mr.Asperhand intervened. "May I welcome you once again into my household." Saying this as he offered out his hand in formal greeting, the slightly aging man bowed his head and swept his hand through the air in a motioning manner that directed Mr.de Vigny into the sitting room. "Please, come in, may I offer you something to drink?" He offered with a subtle signal to one of the servants to prepare whatever it was Mr. de Vigny would so desire.
ETANA'S DRESS FOR THE EVENING
The man who stood at the front door of the Asperhand residence was outwardly calm, standing erect with hands clasped loosely behind his back as the door opened. A swift glance was all it took to take in the immaculate figure of the butler and mentally dismiss the man as unimportant as Christian stepped into the hallway of his fiancee's house and permitted him to take his hat and cloak. It was blissfully warmer in here, comfortable enough that the winter air outside could be forgotten the moment the door was closed. Three more strides and he was facing his future father-in-law, shaking the man's hand and then being ushered through into the sitting room.
Christian was not subject to the same proprieties that the fairer sex had to obey, and in the seconds before Mr Asperhand had joined him allowed him ample time to take in the decor of the house and mentally compare it to his own. Overall the room met with his approval, though of course he remained standing, his face serious yet not so solemn that it would seem that he was anticipating the evening with anything but pleasure. Of course the room was currently empty aside from him and the other gentleman; while it had been some time since Christian had legitimately belonged in any sort of relationship, he was perfectly aware of how such meeting should work. The Asperhand family would never know he had been married previously, but the experience had to an extent coloured every part of Christian's life since then. In his personal life as well as at work, he insisted upon being in control, though tonight he would not reveal much of this side of himself to his fiancee's father.
"Wine. Red for preference, if you please" he responded, this time offering a smile to the older man. This was the part of the evening that Christian hoped would pass quickly. He liked Mr Asperhand and felt some small measure of respect for the man, but nonetheless he was not here to make smalltalk with his future father-in-law, but to meet the young woman he intended to marry. Nothing in his face or mannerisms suggested that this might be the case, however. Indeed, the casual observer might assume that Christian de Vigny would be happy to wait all night even if the young woman didn't put in an appearance at all.
"I trust you and your family are quite well?" he asked of Mr Asperhand. The sooner the formalities were out of the way, the better.
She could hear the mumble of conversation coming from downstairs, the defining sound of masculine voices partaking in a casual passing of talk. She could imagine of course what was going on, her father the ever dutiful and respectable wizard would make small talk after formally welcoming Mr.de Vigny in to his home and offer him a drink. From there it would be light, a filler type of subject that could easily be interrupted when her mother - who had only just left Etana's company to join them after giving Etana's overall appearance her approval - joined them.
Mr.Asperhand, downstairs, of course replied politely to Mr. de Vigny. A simple "Ah, yes yes, I'm happy to say my entire family has been well." He said sounding convincingly enough. Pausing only for a moment as he listened to the soft sound of Mrs.Asperhand's footsteps coming downstairs and, as she rounded the corner into the sitting room, was quickly pleasant about introducing his wife as well. "...and of course you remember my wife, Mr.de Vigny." Mr.Asperhand announced, gently taking his wife's hand to escort her the rest of the way in to the den to stand before letting her make her quiet hello and polite small talk as well.
It wasn't more than a few minutes later, as the last waving curl of her hair was perfectly set along her shoulders, that Etana was gently ushered out of her room and to the stairs. The hard, unforgiving beat of her heart pounded near painfully inside her chest as her anxiety built with each descending step down the stairs that she took, inevitably bringing her closer to coming face to face with her fiance. Rampant thoughts raged through her mind, fears about his appearance. Her attraction level to him. Was he bald, graying? Was he lean in build or bulging? After all just because a man was wealthy that did not necessarily mean he was good looking.
Stopping short of being in view of Mr.de Vigny, the servant escorting her stepped around the corner of the arched entry into the den and politely motioned Mr.Asperhand with a silent nod of the head. It was a signal that had Etana's throat tightening as she heard her father speak from around the corner inside; "...Now, Mr.de Vigny as intended for this evening," Mr.Asperhand spoke as he slowly walked backwards toward the den's archway and stood just a step outside of it and offered his hand out to Etana. "...It's my pleasure to introduce you to my daughter and your fiance, Miss. Etana Beitris Asperhand."
How simple it sounded to Etana's ears, as her father stepped in to her view and held out her hand to her to take. It literally took Etana summoning up all of her courage to lift her hand delicately and set it into Mr.asperhand's own. That would be the first piece of her he'd ever see, the soft, porcelain like hand that slowly branched out into a slender, elegant wrist, forearm...elbow and so on as Etana's father drew her forth from behind the wall and Etana held her breath as she took that finalizing step out from behind it and into the center of the archway opening into the den.
Starring at her father for all of but a split second, she knew well enough not to blow this moment and so as her father turned on heel to guide her face forward into the room - Etana as well turned to face the room and for the first time laid eyes on the man she was to marry. All feeling and sensation numbing out for that moment as she walked blindly toward Christian led by her father and found herself somewhat pleasantly surprised. He was no hideous fiend, his belly was neither skeleton like nor bulging and his hairline - minus but a single graying hair - was flawless for a man of his age. "Etana, I'm happy to introduce you to Mr.Christian de Vigny." Mr.Asperhand added in as he stopped himself as well as Etana only a foot in front of Mr. de Vigny himself.
Coming to quickly find her footing, Etana remained lightly gripping her father's wrist as she dipped into a sophisticated and perfectly performed curtsy. The demure expression cast on her features nothing but the honest truth as her eyes timidly shied away from the direct line of eye contact with Christian's and a modest, budding smile graced her red wine lips as she spoke her first words to him in a way she believed that he would appreciate the most;
"Bonjour Mr.de Vigny, c'est un plaisir de vous rencontrer finalement..." She pronounces each word to near perfection, as if it were no less than her own native tongue and on lilt that was nothing but pleasing to the ears. "...and on behalf of myself and my family, I welcome you into our home..." And it was that same moment, that Mr.Asperhand himself would offer out his daughter's hand for Mr.de Vigny to greet accordingly - a swell of silence building around them as anticipation rose to see just exactly what Mr.de Vigny's reaction would be to his young bride to be.
Translation:
"Hello Mr.de Vigny, it is a pleasure to finally meet you."
ETANA'S DRESS FOR THE EVENING
Now that the moment of the actual meeting was imminent, Christian knew that he was experiencing nervousness of a sort, though he was certain it was nothing compared to that of his fiancee. It did not occur to him that he was being judged as well, after a fashion; while he technically still had a choice if he didn't like what he saw tonight there would be no such luxury for Miss Asperhand. Her father's choice decided her future. At least Christian had the advantage of having seen a portrait of his intended; he had been careful not to return the favour in any way. He didn't want the young woman to have any pre-formed opinions before they actually met. He wanted to be the one to form those opinions and tell her what she thought.
He bowed respectfully to the girl's mother, taking in her perfect attire and wondering if all the ladies in the house had purchased new gowns for the occasion. It wouldn't have surprised him, and he was pleased that he was accorded such high regard. The lady was outwardly calm, the very model of a Victorian matron, but he imagined he could see a slight fluttering of her hands as she murmured a greeting. Not that she could be blamed; it must be hard for a mother to meet the man her daughter was to marry knowing that she didn't really have a say in the matter. Though in this case Mr Asperhand had spoken of his wife; she seemed pleased to have her daughter betrothed. No û two daughters betrothed, he reminded himself, for the eldest had already been unavailable when Christian had been making his initial enquiries.
Now he fancied he could hear footsteps on the stairs outside, and despite the conversation with Mr Asperhand. Christian struggled to keep his eyes flicking toward the archway. It was natural to be eager, he reminded himself. His patience had lasted a full year already and there was still some time before they young woman graduated...or turned seventeen. No, what was he thinking of there? The arrangement had already been made; the wedding would take place after Miss Asperhand's graduation. His mind was already on that, drawing a comparision between her father giving her away at some point in the future and the delicate hand that was stretched out now.
Christian realised he had forgotten to breathe. Ludicrous really. This was nothing more than a business arrangement, to obtain him a pretty young thing that would lean attractively on his arm at social events and provide him with an heir û though if he was honest he quite fancied the idea of a daughter as well. One child of each gender would be ideal...though why stop at two once he had begun? Once again, his thoughts were getting ahead of matters as the young woman stepped fully into view. There had already been a few seconds for him to notice her skintone was acceptably pale, almost porcelain; something he already approved of. Then her father drew her closer with words of introduction, and something happened he had not expected.
He inhaled, expecting the same faint odour of cleanliness and cooking that was common to most houses, and instead his senses were greeted with the unmistakable scent of vanilla and lavender that couldn't come from anywhere but the young woman who now greeted him. Her hair was perfectly arranged, in a style even a man would recognise as being the height of fashion, and yet he knew she would look beautiful even if she were not perfectly turned out and in an expensive dress. Yes, even in a nightgown, staring down at her own feet, nervous and unsure of herself...
No, it was far too soon to think of such things. Her voice was soft and demure, but the words were more than he had expected. Christian knew that her French had been improving at his request, but that her first words spoken would be in his native tongue...somehow he suspected that had been the young woman's idea rather than her parents. The thought pleased him, as did she. She was attractive, obedient...yes, he could be happy with this one. "EnchantÃ, Mlle Asperhand" he responded, his own voice not yet betraying the accent that was immediately obvious when he spoke in English. There was the briefest of hesitations when the young woman's father offered her hand. Had he been in France there would have been no question of his reaction; despite having lived in Britain for several years Christian wasn't entirely sure what was expected here.
He chose the simplest option, the one that felt most natural to him. He took her hand, bowed over it, brushed the back of her hand with his lips for the briefest of seconds. "Regardes-moi, mademoiselle" he whispered, his eyes on her face. He wanted to see her properly, regardless of propriety, no matter that her parents were in the room. Common sense prevailed though and he released her hand, inclining his head in her direction as he waited for her reaction. The scent of her skin had been even more noticeable in those brief moments when he had been closer to her. Once again the thought slipped into his mind about bringing the marriage forward.
All he said though was "It is a delight to meet you at last, Miss Asperhand", his voice rich yet not deep enough to be intimidating. He would have said more, but he was a guest here. It would be up to her father to decide the course of this meeting, and just for once, he would follow that lead.
[OOC: Translation - "Enchanted, Miss Asperhand" "Look at me". Its years since I wrote French - sorry if I've got the verb tense wrong!]
Poor Etana, she hadn't really realized she'd stopped looking at the man she'd soon call husband himself and had latched her attention solely on to the way his hand held hers. Seemingly infatuated with the sight of it, Etana had also not really noticed that she'd been holding her breath since that first moment Christian and accepted her hand. A fact that did not change even as he brought his face downward, her hand up and brushed his lips across her skin. It was a rather stunning revelation, realizing that those very same lips were the ones she would be wed to for the rest of her life. That her future children might bare similar mouths to Christian's own as well as his other features.
Needless to say his whispered words to her in french immediately spurred her utmost attention. Deep, dazzling green eyes blinking away the state of surrealism and aptly came to meet Christian's stare upon his request to look at him. Etana was certain her father hadn't minded the kiss, in fact from her peripheral vision it seemed but he and Mrs.Asperhand were beaming with appeasement over the fact Mr. de Vigny seemed to be taking kindly to the appearance of their daughter. However, she was also certain they had not heard his quiet, french command as they seemed quite oblivious to it as the engaged pair seemed to take a moment to greet each other amongst themselves.
Coming to softly study her fiance's features, Etana at least felt a wave of relief that he was not some hideous, balding wizard. He had in fact quite an attractive face, even if his eyes were slightly hardened and there was the beginning tell tall of age in the form fine lines on the outside of his eyes. She could have done far, far worse than the man she was looking upon but for the life of her, Etana still could not shake the desire to pull her hand back from him and do what it took to ruin the arrangement all together. Marriage would come, surely it would but he was so much her elder and she had yet to even graduate!
Letting the connection of their fingers linger, Etana made sure to hold the line of eye contact no matter how soft or timid her gaze may have seemed. Trying her very best not to upset him or her parents, Etana let the slightest smile peek up the corners of her mouth for a heartbeat before whispering in return; "Pour qui est-ce que d'autre j'aurais des yeux, monsieur?" Trying to prove to herself, if not also to her husband to be that she could be a doting, devoted wife of sorts.
Translation:
"Pour qui est-ce que d'autre j'aurais des yeux, monsieur?" - "Who else would I have eyes for, sir?"
OOC:
No worries! I don't speak french - I'm just cheating and using a translator! XD
ETANA'S DRESS FOR THE EVENING
The small hand in his own was soft and delicate as he would have expected; clearly nothing more taxing than needlework or piano practise had been demanded of the neatly tapered fingers he currently held. He was oblivious to anyone else in the room for the moment; for truly he hadn't expected there to be an instant attraction to his future bride. Of course he had expected to find her somewhat attractive, biddable, and polite, but this was more than he had hoped for. When she obeyed his first spoken command and looked up at him he was startled anew at her eyes. His mind turned to the portrait she had commissioned at his behest; truly the artist had not done her justice, and yet he couldn't blame the unknown person for he doubted that exact shade of green could be duplicated on paper or canvas. They called to mind emeralds, the deepest oceans when viewed on a stormy afternoon from a clifftop, the Beauxbatons trees in the height of summer.
He smiled, approving of her response and of more than that. There was no trace of rebellion in her eyes and poise, though in truth he had not expected to see anything of the kind. Nor was there open fear in her expression, which to tell the truth, he had been slightly concerned about. It wouldn't have made any difference to the arrangement, but he preferred that he wouldn't have to take an unwilling bride. Releasing Etana's hand, he turned to her parents, a slight movement that left him still partially facing her and yet in a position to speak respectfully to her father.
"Mr Asperhand, I can see you and your good wife have devoted every care to raising your daughter" he complimented them, though already his mind was elsewhere, rushing ahead to the future. He would take her abroad soon after they were married, he decided, and let her have a season to delight in Italian society and the finest diversions that Paris had to offer. It would be right to allow her a few months of frivolity before she was expected to settle down and produce an heir. Another thought ran on from that though. Would the thought of unlimited socialising be enough to tempt her into an earlier wedding - and more importantly, what would it take to convince her father?
No, he was most certainly getting ahead of himself now. This was certainly not the time to make such advanced plans.
"Indeed. Myself, I could not imagine wishing to look elsewhere" he responded to the young woman "and might I say Miss Asperhand, your accent is exquisite. I see you have been a devoted student."
Etana wasn't quite sure when she'd become so capable of offering up answers that a person wanted to hear most. She had never been so slick tongued in her life before and yet there she stood before her future husband, saying everything she knew he would have wanted to hear. Had she come so far over the last year with him that she could already predict what pleased him as far her intellect and conversation went? Despite the fact that most of what she was offering him was partially a lie. Despite her relief and slight appeasement to his handsome good looks, Etana held the secret truth deep inside her heart; she did not want to marry. Not for business and not as young as she was. No matter how handsome, well spoken and rich her fiance may have seemed.
Softly studying his features as he gently released his grip on her hand, Etana's focused remained upon Christian as he spoke to her family and could suddenly feel the weight of the moment piling up on her shoulders as all three sets of eyes in the room turned and looked upon her expectantly. Naturally her parents wanted to be on her best behavior, to exceed their expectations of her and please them best by being a good, devoted wife. Christian however, the look in his eyes was somewhat indefinable. Not having had the opportunity to look within them before, she couldn't know exactly what it was that was going through his mind exactly but at least to some leveled she suspected he was pleased.
Nodding her chin gingerly to his compliment, Etana's eyes dipped modestly to one side as she offered a small, demure smile in his general direction. "...and I am very glad you're pleased with it, Monsieur de Vigny." was her short, polite reply as her eyes slowly shuffled to her parents as she casually slid her hand that he had been holding in behind her back, out of fight, so she might rub away the odd, lingering essence of warm, slightly calloused hands and the odd way it had felt to be held by a man at all. Naturally, this was done with the utmost discretion. More of a reflex than a genuine need, after all it was not as if she thought him putrid - rather just that she hadn't expected the fervor of such a simple touch. Surprising to say the least.
Politely, Mr & Mrs.Asperhand smiled and gestured a thanks to Christian about the compliment of the daughter before motioning toward Etana with a gracing sweep of Mr.Asperhand's arm; "Etana darling, be a dear and escort Mr.de Vigny to the dining hall. Your mother and I shall follow in no less than a minute once we ascertain dinner is ready." To this, Etana felt her gut tighten, though she did little more then lift her chin and gently nod it obediently to her father before turning the pressing green essence of her eyes into Christian's own - yet another reality that had the butterflies in her stomach fluttering once again. "Mr.de Vigny?" Etana spoke softly as she took a short step forward, closing a bit of distance between herself and her fiance and turned a palm supine and elegantly motioned to the door with a subtle sweep of her hand in that general direction. "...Would you allow me the pleasure of showing you to your seat?"
ETANA'S DRESS FOR THE EVENING
Christian missed the gesture that Etana managed to subtly use as she rubbed her hand against the back of her dress. While he might have felt less than pleased had he realised what she had done, it would still be understandable. Almost certainly this was the first time a man had ever held her hand apart from her own father, and the instinctive reaction made sense from that viewpoint. All the same, it was best that Christian didn't see what she had done, for his expectations that had already been high had increased still more in the few minutes since he had first laid eyes on his future bride.
Already his thought had turned to the future, but for now he chose to concentrate on the present, and the rather surprising suggestion of Miss Asperhand's parents. Truly, he hadn't expected to be trusted this completely tonight; even to be left alone with his fiancee for a few moments wasn't something he had planned for. Nonetheless, he thanked Mr Asperhand immediately, though his mind had turned to the possibilities he had now been allowed.
The thought of taking any sort of advantage of the situation simply didn't cross his mind - at least not in the physical sense. He had no intention of taking her hand again tonight, but rather he would charm her with words. Christian's plans turned towards how he could convince her utterly of the rightness of what they were intending to do; for he recalled that many years ago he had been in a similar position, though there were considerable differences. The woman he had been forced to marry, the woman he would never mention in public or private, had been physically repellent to his eyes, and he had seen no expression of revulsion from Etana. Little did she realise that was why he had insisted she look directly at him; he wanted to read her gaze. In the long run, it would have made no difference, but if she found him acceptable, even somewhat attractive, it would make the creation of an heir much easier when the time came.
"I should be delighted, Miss Asperhand" he told her, bowing slightly at the waist before they left the room - together. He felt a small thrill of pleasure at the way things were turning out, though he suspected his fiancee would have preferred not to be entirely alone with him at this stage. All the more reason to win her trust.
He would speak entirely English for the rest of the evening, he decided. Not only would it lull his fiancee into a sense of security, but as he didn't know the accomplishments of his host it was more polite that way. "Miss Asperhand, I confess that I am entirely pleased to make your acquaintance" he told her once they were in the corridor that presumably led to the dining room "That will not come as any surprise to you, knowing the arrangement I made with your father, but I had not expected to find a young lady so mature and sophisticated. I feared I would need to teach you a great deal, but I am glad to admit I was wrong in that regard." As he spoke he stepped a little closer than she might find comfortable, as if entirely by accident, just to see how she would react "However I must ask you to be entirely honest with me, even this early in our acquaintance. Am I less than you expected?"
It was a cruel question and he knew it. Whatever Miss Asperhand believed, she would have to answer favourably. In that sense, even if she was less than pleased with their meeting so far, it was good training for her in always doing what her husband desired.
Completely taken back by the fact that her parents had let them alone, Etana did her very best to hold tight to her composure. No matter how much she was beginning to question her readiness for marriage and the contract entirely, she also understood there was very little to be done about it. Mr.Asperhand had spoken and when he did it was expected that you simply obeyed without question - something that Etana was also beginning to re-consider as she started to grow with self confidence. A year ago she'd been such a child to believe in all the fanciful things that she had upon finding out about her contract but now? Well now Etana was starting to feel like a caged bird. She could certain see through the 'bars' of her prison but it seemed to only make her miss her former 'freedom' even more.
Taking her time as they strolled, Etana kept the slim lengths of her fingers interlaced and her palms softly pressed to the flat of her tummy. With him at her side it was impossible to keep constant eye contact with him and to an extent Etana was grateful for the excuse. Keeping her bewitching green eyes moving around their surroundings, she hardly passed him more than a glance or two before they entered into the extravagant dining room and he stepped in a touch closer than Etana would have expected him to. "...I relish in the knowledge Mr.de Vigny, that you are pleased with your...bride....thus far." Foolishly she stumbled over the word 'bride' and struggled not to wince at the obvious hesitation. There was no doubt he would pick up on the reluctance of saying the word out loud, never mind even trying to attempt to call herself his future wife.
Hoping not to offend him further or at all for that matter, Etana rooted herself to the ground before him - absolutely refusing to back pedal away from the closeness of his proximity that had all but spiked her heart to jump up into her throat. It simply wouldn't do to have him think her repulsed to be close to him, even if Etana knew deep down in her gut she was terrified of the intimacy between a husband and wife that was to be expected from her. He spoke of not needing to teach her and little did he know how wrong he was in that particular area of a marriage. She knew so very little of how to please a man, her mother had been assertive in her belief that the bedroom affairs of a wife and husband were no ones but their own and speaking of it to her daughters was absolutely not going to happen - especially considering Mrs.Asperhand barely spoke to Etana about the weather never mind the matter of how best to arouse, appease and sate a husbands needs. Sweet merlin help her but if he should actually stand there and try to kiss her Etana would certainly die the fool for not having an inkling about how to go about kissing him in return.
Watching as he inched just that much more closer, Etana felt her mouth go dry with nerves as she focused her stunning, peacock green gaze into Christian's own. Taking in a deep but quiet breath in a way that suggested openly she was preparing herself for something (to be kissed), Etana held her breath right up until he spoke and felt an odd mix of surprise and relief wash through her swiftly. "...less than I expected?" She repeated, letting an earnestly kind smile creep onto her mouth as her entire body language went from anxiety ridden to soft, posed and comfortable again. "...Mr.de Vigny," Etana began as she dropped her eyes modestly and stepped away to start to round her way up the side of the table toward their chairs. "...I'll oblige you with your request for honesty but first must inform you that, I had at first felt some reservations about marrying a man older than I. I've been privy to witness a few marriages of my female acquaintances and while I would never speak ill of such reputable man I will confess that they were less than appealing in a physical sense."
Clearing her throat as she stopped behind one specific chair and just about pressed the rise of her bosom into the high backrest of it and faced straight ahead, completely away from Mr.de Vigny who lingered a little ways away - perhaps a handful of steps. "...Kind men yes but...some were rounder than what would most appeal to me, shorter perhaps and ....I daresay balder as well - they were men near to your own age and, as their years decreed, showed as much..." Pausing here, Etana gracefully turned slowly on her heel, tugged out the seat where Mr.de Vigny would be sat and met his eyes for a moment before sheepishly letting them fall to his shoes. "...these were also my expectations of you, it was fair to think, rational really to assume you would understandably be much like them." Letting the moment linger, Etana stroked her finger tips up and down from around the backrest of the chair and swallowed hard before completing her confession.
Keeping her eyes demurely plastered to the floor, Etana could have cursed as she felt the slight flare of heat across her cheeks, knowing full well about the blush that would not be missed as she spoke. "Only you're not, Mr.de Vigny. I confess I find you far from weathered at all. I already knew well of your intellect but you appear...healthy, steady with vigor in your strength and are of a rather fetching height for a wizard...." Sweet Merlin's ass, she was babbling now and thanks to her nerves, it was getting the better of her senses. "...I find your smile rather charming, the color of your eyes charismatic, the thick of your hair appealing....and you seem rather....able bodied, attractive ...in physique." Blessed Light, she needed to stop! Clearing her throat, Etana mustered the courage to just barely meet Christian's eyes as she thankfully finished her nervous ramblings; "...So to plainly answer your question in a manner that is easiest to understand - No, Mr.de Vigny you are not less than expected but rather quite a bit more...in a pleasing sense."
ETANA'S DRESS FOR THE EVENING
The fact that Etana struggled with the word bride was mildly annoying, but not something that Christian felt it necessary to comment upon. It was likely the first time she had spoken of herself in such terms and he decided to let that small matter slide, after all she had committed no impropriety and her words had been pleasing, if not their actual delivery. He smiled, though she wasn't actually looking at him at that moment and thus one could say the gesture was wasted. They were in the dining room now though, and the older man took the opportunity to glance briefly at his surroundings while Miss Asperhand composed herself once more.
At first he though he might be angered by her apparent honesty. The last thing Christian had expected was to be openly told that his fiancee had harboured misgivings about the match, but as she continued to speak, he realised that perhaps he had been a little hasty. As such, he nodded and made a gesture for her to continue, and she crossed to the chair that he assumed would be his own . Already he felt somewhat flattered by her words. Evidently her greatest fear was that he would look elderly and repel her physically, which was something that Christian could understand. The fact that she had felt relief upon their meeting pleased him; while he had flattered himself that he compared well on a physical level with other men his age, it was good to have that confirmed. For a moment he wondered if he would grow fond of this pretty young thing, and the thought was as pleasing as it was surprising.
Christian would never realise how nervous he had made his young fiancee feel by their close proximity. Indeed, he found it hard now not to close the distance between them once more. The subtle scent he had noticed when she had first stepped into the room had not been something he'd imagined; he had noticed it again when they had been walking to the dining room. All this filled his mind as well as her brave and frankly rather modern assessment of her first impressions of him. Granted, Miss Asperhand clearly talked far too much when she was nervous, and that was something he would need to curtail before he allowed her to accompany him to any social events, but at least her words were pleasing. As such, he offered only the mildest of rebukes when responding to her speech.
"Miss Asperhand, I can see that once you begin speaking on a subject you make certain to cover every aspect of your thoughts" he began, though no sooner had he said that than his features softened somewhat "however as you have been so thorough perhaps I should return the compliment?" he spoke in a questioning tone, though of course Etana wouldn't really have the option to refuse him. "It seems to me that even in our short acquaintance that you have proven yourself as an exemplary hostess, your deportment is excellent, and if I might be so bold the colour of your eyes is quite exquisite..." already she was blushing, something else he found more than acceptable, but Christian watched closely in the hope that his words would deepen the colour to her cheeks.
Not too much though. Her parents would surely be joining them shortly and he didn't want them to wonder what had been discussed in their absence. In order to bring the conversation around to more acceptable topics he nodded towards the chair she had been nervously caressing. That in itself amused him still further, that he would shortly be sitting where her fingers had stroked. "Am I to assume that this...would be my chair?"
Silly, silly Etana. She just couldn't stop from putting her foot in her mouth or saying too much sometimes. Proof to this was the fact that Christian himself openly announced that she had detailed every angle of her thoughts in regards to his question. It made Etana mentally wince, knowing for certain that de Vigny did not approve of this in the slightest. However, no matter her overdone answer he seemed to quickly press by the concern all together and instead saw fit to make her blush even more.
The pale pink on her cheeks turned to a more daring rouge as he spoke of her skills as a hostess, her overall demeanor in which he approved of greatly and, mostly the cause of her flushing cheeks, the mention of his thorough enjoyment in the color of her eyes. She would have survived finely with just the first two, they were modest and had nothing to do with her physically but the moment the third crossed that barrier she could feel her ears slowly start to burn. "You're too kind, Mr. de Vigny..." Etana said, softly spoken as a woman was meant to as she timidly came to meet his eyes at long last.
Swallowing away the dryness in her mouth she had caused, Etana blinked as if suddenly remembering her task and glanced down to the side at the chair adjacent her body. "Why yes, of course Mr. de Vigny. If it's to your pleasure of course." Etana remarked quietly and stepped backward from it, to force herself to stop her fingers from fiddling with the finely crafted cherry wood. Her father had arranged the table very specifically, Mr.Asperhand himself of course would be sat at the head of the long, extravagant table and Mr.de Vigny would be sat in the first seat closest to it on the right hand side of Mr.Asperhand. "...and I'll be sitting next to you for the duration of the meal." Etana added in as she motioned to the seat to the right of Mr.de Vigny's chair - furthest from her father. Mrs.Asperhand would sit closest to Mr.Asperhand on the left hand side and across from Mr.de Vigny and her daughter. It was a simple arrangement and one that was meant to make it easy for Mr.Asperhand and Mr.de Vigny to talk - while keeping the bride to be pleasingly by her fiance's side.
ETANA'S DRESS FOR THE EVENING
Indeed, he was being too kind. Christian knew he was indulging his fiancee somewhat, that he shouldn't be so forgiving of habits that would need to be groomed and tamed. He would be doing her no favours to allow her to talk continuously in such a fashion in London or Venice, and yet he was curious. Never would she speak quite so openly in these first few hours that they had together, he was certain, and as such the man was determined to make the most of that. The knowledge that she found him attractive - for Christian decided that her words had been close enough that he could make that assumption - was more than he had expected to discover.
"Not at all, mon petit moineau" he whispered, using the name he often used in their private letters. Did Christian intend it as a form of endearment? Not at all; the term was one that was pleasing to his ears because it was in his native tongue; choosing to call his future bride by a name of his own making was simply another form of control, whether or not she saw it that way. He suspected she might think it was affectionate, and that was all to the good.
When she gestured to his chair Christian was unable to resist moving closer once again, stepping towards his fiancee in a motion he knew to be deliberate yet planned so that it might seen to be entirely accidental. He wasn't terribly interested in the seating arrangements for the evening, merely giving the expected polite response in that regard. Everything was arranged properly, and he was being allowed as much contact with Miss Asperhand as propriety would allow. "That sounds delightful. I imagine dinner will be served presently?" he asked, as the aromas wafting from elsewhere in the house were becoming increasingly delicious.
"Before we are interrupted, I wonder if you have any thoughts about our next meeting?" he asked, his own hand now resting on the back of the chair "Naturally all plans will have to meet with your father's approval, but when I make a suggestion to him later, I would be pleased to know that your wishes had been taken into account." For now, at least. Once they were married Christian would very likely forget his wife had ever had an opinion about anything.
He used the pet name 'mon petit moineau' and despite having been fine with it through their letters, hearing it fall from his lips suddenly felt to have a bit of a different ring to it. She understood the translation to be 'little sparrow' - which was far better than when he called her ma poupÃe, meaning poppet. However, right in that moment Etana wasn't so certain she was favorable to either. Uncertain exactly as to why, since Christian in no way had made the words seem unflattering or condescending - it was simply a gut feeling that she struggled to ignore.
Lifting her chin just a little as Christian approached more closely again, Etana had to root herself securely to the floor to stop herself from tumbling backward like a fool. He may have been attractive but that did not change the matter that Etana was still completely inexperienced in having any extremely close proximity to men at all. Sweet Merlin, even the heady cologne of his that she rather enjoyed only proved to emphasize the fluttering nerves in her stomach. How was she expected to become intimate with him when she could hardly handle the idea of his lips against her own? Perhaps a simple part of it was the uncertainty of a kiss. Had he the want or desire to kiss her? Would he dare do it before their wedding or would her first kiss come to pass the day of her nuptials? There was also the very small, lingering curiosity in the back of her mind that wanted to know what it was like that made her nervous as well. It wasn't very proper wanting to be kissed but she did.
"Yes, mother has arranged something special for dinner and I suspect she's in the kitchen now tending to the last of it's preparations." Etana replied on a tone a little softer than her ordinary volume, in lieu of their rather close proximity. Casually Etana let her eyes drift to the side and slowly float down to his fingers on the back of the chair, where her hand only moments ago had been. Was it intentional? Had he purposely meant to touch where she had touched? Careening her eyes away so not to draw too much attention to the fact she had noticed, Etana briefly swept her tongue between her lips and offered a fresh but demure smile. "...If it pleased you we could take in a show at the wizard theatre?" And immediately she regretted speaking the idea. Etana had never attended theatre as anything but a child in the public's eyes but to go on the arm of Christian? Especially since she hadn't even had her coming out party, attention would surely be drawn to the pair and gossips would start to spread like wildfire if she so much as stepped a toe out of line.
"Or perhaps something a little less formal?" Though her brain seemed to go blank in a stoic panic as she tried to think of something else for them to do. Briefly she had thoughts of asking to see his estate but immediately denied the idea on the basis of not wanting to appear too 'loose'. 'eager' or 'bold' by inviting herself into his home. "...it would be lovely if you called upon me here again for a lucheon, where we might better be able to sit and talk. I'd thoroughly enjoy a discussion with you on the novel you sent me this past February or would be pleased to have the opportunity to play or sing to you." She suggested with an air of earnestness to her voice. Praying quietly that the later of her ideas would better appease him. After all, his body language had somewhat seemed to take a keen interest in her - Etana's many years of being the quiet, watchful middle child had taught her to read body language as such. A talent that was becoming more and more useful by the day...
ETANA'S DRESS FOR THE EVENING
Confirmation that dinner would shortly be served also confirmed that Miss Asperhand's parents would be reappearing presently. Christian had mixed feelings on the matter; he had thoroughly appreciated this small time alone with his fiancee, and yet he was hopeful for some more intellectual conversation with her father. Of course he had some degree of respect for the man; he wouldn't have considered any girl from a family he did not consider suitable, and yet there was an ulterior motive here. Once he was trusted, and he had no doubt it would be but a short time before he managed to gain the confidence of the whole family, he would simply listen to all that was said. There was sure to be something said that ought not to be revealed, or a favour that was needed. Anything that would put Mr Asperhand in his debt.
He didn't intend to call in any debt right away. He wasn't quite ready for this pretty little thing to be his bride just yet. She still needed some refinement, and there was the fact that she talked a great deal more than was necessary in his eyes. But there was something about her that was intoxicating, so much so that he had to remind himself not to overstep any bounds, to stay a full arm's length away from her even when she looked up into his eyes, bewitching him with the brightness of her own. Besides, he liked her having some thoughts of her own, so long as she learned not to speak them aloud unless at his command.
Not just one, but two possibilities she had managed to suggest. In so short a time, it seemed to Christian that she must have already considered future meetings. He nodded thoughtfully, "I must enquire at the theatre regarding their upcoming season" he replied, thinking of the comments that would be made if he were to be seen with a young woman before any official announcement had been made. That anyone might suspect his behaviour was less than proper would be potentially ruinous for his career at the Ministry, though in the course of his more private life Christian had any number of secrets that he would never share. "In the meantime though, I should be pleased to hear you sing at a luncheon meeting. I should probably confess that I used to play the piano, though I haven't tried for some years." He simply made the comment, wondering where that would lead. Christian had never been a good musician, preferring to watch rather than entertain, but he quite liked the idea of playing for his future wife.
His thoughts were cut short by footsteps in the hall outside. For now, he couldn't tell who it was; it could merely be a servant coming to arrange things. However, Christian wondered if it was time to speak of less intimate things. "Have you any experience of French or Italian song?" he asked, now standing so that the chair was in between them. If she had only sung in English, that was another aspect of Miss Asperhand's education that would have to be dealt with.
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