The note from my mother read:
"Be home in three days. See you all then!" [Mother]
This was sent yesterday, so she will be arriving tomorrow.
I took care of matters at the palace without care of damage, leaving behind a sea of half-dead civil servants in my wake, and returned to my estate in the early evening.
Katiana and my steward were in my office when I arrived home.
"Oh, you are already back, dear! Have you eaten yet? We were so busy, I forgot the time!" [Katiana]
"I have news - mother will be here tomorrow."
"Do you believe the Duchess is already aware of your marriage, my Lord?" [Stephanus the Steward]
"No... I believe she ha..."
"Oh shell yeah! Of course she already knows!" [Katiana]
"How are you so certain, my Lady?" [Stephanus the Steward]
Katiana leaned towards my steward and whispered with her hand in front of her mouth:
"Gina la Rose..." [Katiana]
My stewards eyes widen a moment, then glanced at me, and then nodded, once.
He knew full well I could hear a whisper across a noisy ball room, so anything my wife tried to hide this way was fair game for me.
And... ah yes, of course my mother - unofficially - owned the very famous dress shop "Gina la Rose" - of which I just now realized Katiana likely was a customer.
Next to "Gina La Rose", only one other dress-shop in the capital was high-end enough to be able to sell night-silk.
"Gina la Rose" was my mother's information agency - my bakery sometimes collaborated with them.
But for Katiana to know of the dress-shop's secondary business in connection to my mother was extremely unexpected - where does this woman get her information from?
"My Lord, dinner will be served in a bit - and I will ensure the dowager Duchess' rooms are ready for her." [Stephanus the Steward]
I nodded, and my steward left the office.
"So have you been making progress?"
"Ah yes, Stephanus has been really really helpful! He had some amazing ideas how we can streamline material procurement - I know you budgeted a generous amount, and I know the money will flow back into the duchy, but I still do not like wasting..." [Katiana]
"So thrifty of you. I think I will have to gift you with a new dress - I know just the shop. I think it was called Gina something? After all, you will need something for the prince's birthday ball."
Katiana's eyes became slits for a moment staring at me - then she shook her head and whispered a "Nah... coincidence...".
I suppose I was too vague?
Or she was too certain that her side whispers were kept secret.
"Are we going in couple theme? How about a mild green base - that would look good on you, I think." [Katiana]
She stood there hips at an angle, one hand on her chin, the other supporting her elbow, head slightly tilted, measuring me with her gaze.
A single silver eye appeared on her under arm... ah, that is where Nozomi was hiding.
It was amazing how the slime could merge itself with Katiana in a way that made it impossible for me to even notice its existence.
Of course, Katiana was wearing a night-silk dress, which also swallowed the light - the same as Nozomi's surface - so that might be part of the secret.
"Hello Nozomi. I see you are keeping your mistress company again."
A fine tentacle appeared and waved at me, before being absorbed again.
"Ah! It is nice of you two to get along! That makes me happy! Ah.... how is your mother with slimes?" [Katiana]
"She probably doesn't even realize they exist - the first monster she killed as a child was a horse sized scorpion."
"Eh... those have really really hard shells. Can be sold as raw material to make armor. Ah... I used to sell drops, that's why I know!" [Katiana]
"I was not even going to ask. Anyway, what do you think, how should we go about informing mother of our... status?"
"She is your mother... and she already knows, you can bet. We will greet her arm in arm - how about it?" [Katiana]
"Have you ever met my mother?"
"I... don't think so? At least, I've never met any duchesses as far as I know?" [Katiana]
"Well, she can be a... bit of a handful. She is the type of woman they name hurricanes after. I almost want to apologize for her ahead of time."
"Hmm. In that case we need to make sure we know enough about each other to make our relationship believable, don't you think?" [Katiana]
"That makes sense - what do you want to know about me?"
"Oh sorry my dear Nitram, but I already know everything about you... you on the other hand need to memorize what I like and don't like! Or did your spies already tell you all that?" [Katiana]
"No, they are good, but not that good... so what do you know about me?"
"I know that you like the ocean, but don't like eating fish or seafood. Unless it is fried, then you can leave it or take it." [Katiana]
"Well, yes - you could have found that out from the kitchen, I suppose. What else?"
"You train three hours a day at a minimum, and often up to six hours. Before a campaign you lock yourself in the sweat lodge for a day and a night, with only salted lemonade to drink. Well, I suppose that is an electrolyte, makes sense when sweating..." [Katiana]
"Ah, well that is unexpected knowledge... so, anything else?"
"Even though you are ambidextrous you do prefer to do certain things with one hand or the other - you hold your sword right handed, but your spear left handed, and can shoot your bow with either to the same degree. You don't like sweets per se, but like honey - especially honeyed nut cake. You have cleared three dungeons that were known to be un-clearable - you would have cleared a forth, but ended up having to rescue an adventure party that got in over their heads. You are a genius with healing, earth, and water magic, but are so-so with the rest of the elements - which still makes you unusual to master more than one element. You have a favorite dark-blue half-dragon called Renobal, but don't know it likes to be scratched behind its horns..." [Katiana]
"Wait... Renobal likes to be scratched? Do the stable-hands know that?"
"Nope. Only you - now that I told you, haha. Need me to go on?" [Katiana]
"No... No... I'd like to keep a bit of an illusion that I have some secrets left. I won't ask you - yet - how you know all this, but one day..."
"I told you I had a mega-cru... I've been fond of you for a long time. What self-respecting fan would not get at least these basic facts?" [Katiana]
She looked down her nose at me while grinning, and made that V sign again.
"Hmm... well I know a few things already about you my dear wife."
"Do tell, do tell! I mean, go on, tell me." [Katiana]
"You like black, but only as clothes, not as decoration. You like any sort of sweets - but will complain about your figure each time. You are extremely creative and diligent and detailed in your work. You are kind to everyone that assists or serves you, regardless of their station - but you will not suffer foolish trash lightly. You seem to love slimes, something you share with my great aunt. You sometimes say mysterious things, double your words at times, and self correct yourself when you feel you are about to spill some secret you are not ready to share yet. You have a small mole behind your left ear, and one on the top or your right shoulder - you might have others, but these have been public. You have a long running scar on the back of your right hand running jagged up your arm that healed badly, which you cover with make-up or wear a glove to hide. You always have a stiletto knife strapped to your lower leg, and a short dagger on your back - both hidden from normal view, but you can't hide weapons from me. You snort sometimes when you laugh, and make funny fa..."
"Oh. Kay. Oh. Kay... that is enough. You are really really observant, I get it, sheesh... well, I guess we are ready then to meet your mother..." [Katiana]
The next morning, a bit after breakfast I stood arm-in-arm with Katiana - who was wearing a plain but expensive dark red dress today - in front of the mansion next to my steward.
All of the staff were lined up in two columns, waiting for my mother's carriage to arrive.
Which it did about 10 minutes later.
My steward opened the carriage door and held out his hand to help my mother out.
A woman in a most expensive jewel encrusted dress wearing a large floppy feathered hat poked her head out of the door and looked around.
"Hello Stephanus! Thank you, I'm not that old that I can't exit on my own, but this time I will take your hand." [Mother Duchess]
The dowager duchess climbed out of the carriage, and turned to the coachman.
"Oy, Jenkins! Take the horses and make sure you give them a good rub down and some yummy grub before beddy-bye! They've been good children today! Then have a pint or too, yourself. Off you go!" [Mother Duchess]
My mother only then turned towards Katiana and me.
Her eyes went wide, and a grin spread on her face.
"Katiana! What in the seven hell's name are you doing here with that dense son of mine? Don't tell me you are the poor fool that wedded him?" [Mother Duchess]
