Both my mother an Katiana spent the silence scanning the room.
After a moment my mother smirked a tiny bit - and I heard the word "Gotcha" and "Have you" whispered by Katiana and my mother at almost the same time - with Katiana being a syllable faster.
They were looking at the same person - a tall lanky fellow with straw colored hair and a complexion that was certainly make up.
The Marquess was the first to speak up.
"Is... is that true? Is Didreja - is the first Empress really still alive? After six long years - can we really hope for that?" [Marquess of Caraesal]
"That is - as far as we are aware of at this time - what we believe yes." [Mother Duchess, Wudemia]
This left an impression.
I looked around the various nobles grouped inside the room muttering among themselves in small groups within groups.
From sight, I felt I had seem most of them one time or another, but could not readily place names to any of the faces - after all I tended to keep away from court as much as possible.
And as the sole Duke of the Empire, they just needed to know me, not the other way around.
One of the more senior guests who seemed to be at least a count raised their face and voice towards mother.
"My Lady, the Dowager Duchess... at the time of our grief, all that was found was a destroyed carriage at the bottom of a waterfall - not even the corpses of the guards were found - just a lot of blood, shattered weapons, and ripped shreds of armor." [Guest 1]
"Yes, I seem to remember because of the huge claw gouges and scorch marks on the trees by the road where the Empress' carriage drove off a cliff, there was speculation that an old wyvern, or possibly even a dragon was the attacker..." [Guest 2]
"Yes, from our information, a wyvern or dragon was indeed involved. There is no doubt about that, now." [Mother Duchess, Wudemia]
"So when can the first prince return to us?" [Guest 3]
"Ah, you nailed the issue on its head. There are some irregular and very dangerous... circumstances... involving this whole affair. For everyone's safety I cannot at this time divulge more. That is why my son, the Duke, will investigate the matter - I suspect no-one has any concerns?" [Mother Duchess, Wudemia]
Ehhh?
Sounds as if I've been volunteered...
After this unexpected announcement, there was a general milling of faction members with some attempting to pull further information from mother, myself, or even Katiana.
At one point I noticed my wife speaking with the tall lanky fellow with straw colored hair, that both she and mother had singled out earlier.
She - almost playfully - touched his arm.
My eyes watered a bit - a small walnut sized ... blob... seemed to slide from Katiana's arm onto the suspicious fellow's at the moment of contact.
Somehow it was there, but wasn't - it took me a moment to realized what was making me cross-eyed.
My physical eyes could see nothing at all, just air - but both my trusty instinct and my trained sense for magic "saw" the tiny blob for just a moment.
The blob melted into the straw haired fellows arm - and it was as if the blob never had existed at all.
Katiana was not a monster tamer, so who was controlling and camouflaging that blob?
Looking around the room I could not sense anyone with a similar magic wavelength as what I had just felt.
A natural mutation of a chameleon type slime trained to follow a set of pre-trained tasks, possibly?
The rest of the day was filled with various smaller tea parties between members of the faction.
At several points during the day, many of the guests that had arrived this morning returned home - being promised to be informed the moment there was more news.
After dinner, my wife and I returned to our guest bedroom.
The bed had been made, fresh water and cups provided on the two night-stands, and a new full spread of snacks and wine was served on the coffee table in front of the sofa.
The crumbs that Katiana had dropped were no-where to be found - the Marquess' staff were indeed diligent workers.
The ceremonial sword that I had randomly thrown on the bed this morning had been carefully placed at the foot of the bed - I wonder what the maids where thinking when they found the blade?
Katiana saw me looking at the sword - she picked it up and juggled it in one hand a few times before turning to me.
"Hey Nitram - I think we might have messed up..." [Katiana]
"Hm, because you blurted out mother's secret?"
"No - that was a premeditated show we put on. Big-sis wanted to be able to watch the faces and emotions of the faction, to judge if anyone might be a mole." [Katiana]
For a moment I considered asking about the chameleon blob I had witnessed moving onto the straw haired fellow's arm.
In the end, my instinct led me to not ask - at least, not yet.
"Ah, and you were the distraction that let her do that. Clever. So what did 'we' mess up?"
"Hwell... as far as the general public knows, we are just fiances. But here we are - sharing a room and even... the bed. Is that normal for fiancees in high society?" [Katiana]
"Ah. I see your point. But mother knows we are officially married - she saw the holy certificate. She informed the Marquess of that fact, I am sure."
"But we never had a public wedding... Aren't the other faction members going to get suspicions?" [Katiana]
"Unlikely - they will assume we have simply not yet bothered with a public ceremony, and that we'll do it during the next social season."
"There is another way to get married then the Church? Huh, I never knew that - but then, I never got any education..." [Katiana]
"Yes, I still think mother should go bea... talk sternly to your step-mother. Anyway. There are three types of marriages. The most common one is a contract marriage - most commoners and lesser nobles use that, as it is cheap, and all it takes is a royal accredited lawyer to sign and stamp the documents. I suspect the faction guests would assume we did that, to start."
"Oh, like a civil mariage... that makes sense - so towns and village folk need to go to cities to do that?" [Katiana]
"No, the tax collectors that move from town to village across the Empire also can officiate contract marriages, and even act as judges in local trials."
"That... that is actually pretty forward thinking. So what are the other two types?" [Katiana]
"The other two are related to the Church of the Goddess. All royalty, most higher nobles, and rich commoners have a full blown church ceremony, with a priest officiating the process. This can be quite expensive, so most commoners and even lower nobility can't afford that."
"Is that what we - technically - have? [Katiana]
"No - we were married in the third and rarest method. According to the holy marriage certificate in your possession, we were directly married in front of the Goddess. Regardless of social standing, that can only be done with an invitation from the High-Priestess herself - and she is just a 'witness' to the proceedings, not the presiding official. The Goddess herself is the official who married us - well, if we could actually remember doing that, I mean."
"Hmm... so other than theoretically having been married by the Goddess herself, what's so special about our marriage? If we would remember - did we actually get to meet the Goddess?" [Katiana]
"There are rumors that She sometimes meddles directly in mortal affairs - I cannot say if the Goddess ever manifests herself just for a wedding, however rare. You saw how our own magic is embedded into the document?"
"Yeah, the two shimmering strands that wove into each other? That was a weird sight. Freaky even." [Katiana]
"Indeed. The symbolism is that we are expected to stay together for life - we are expected to smooth out any and all discord between ourselves. That is why only the rare couples that are deemed true soul mates are invited to partake in this most sacred of marriage vows."
"So... in other words, for good or evil, in thick or thin, in sickness or health, you are stuck with me!" [Katiana]
Katiana grinned wide, then quickly hid her mouth behind her hands as a giggle escaped her.
"For now it would be wise to follow that train of thought, yes. We need to visit the High-Priestess - maybe she can shed some light on our situation."
"So... very theoretical. Say you fall in love with some wild eyed blond haired blue-eyed nubile princess from a far away land... what would happen to you?" [Katiana]
"Not my taste, but the same as what would happen to you if you ran off with some ballad singing flower throwing pretty boy."
"I'd never! My feti... I prefer rippling, gorgeously toned muscles! And I have yet to see anyone with {drool} more finely chiseled muscles than you!" [Katiana]
Without thought I used my sleeve end to wipe the dribble off Katiana's chin - her eyes went wide for a moment but she let me.
"Well, then there is nothing to be worried about. Even if I cannot recall doing so, the holy document un-mistakenly proves I made a sacred vow, so there is no way I'll break it. And you really do not want to know what happens to holy vow breakers."
"Um, thanks... I got a bit excited there for a moment. Soooo... You don't actually know either, do you? What happens to vow breakers?" [Katiana]
"True - I do not know for certain. There is no recorded history of anyone ever having broken the third type of marriage vows. I suspect that just shows how good the past High-Priestesses were at deciding who was worthy."
"Well, you did say it was rare to be married in front of the Goddess." [Katiana]
"Maybe one couple every few generations, if I recall, yes. Even my parents just married in Church."
Katiana waved at the bed.
"Still does not change our situation here..." [Katiana]
Goddess really meddling around here. Thank you for the story!