Have You Ever Seen the Sun Rise at Midnight?

Serenade

      "I love you as much as I love the stars and the moon!" you declared on bedded knee, offering up the beautiful necklace with its large polished, pale blue stone hanging from the delicately shaped chain, tiny star like stones of a brighter color glinting along it. "That is the true reason why I have invited everyone here today, to declare before them, and before you, that I love you more fiercely and passionately than I have ever loved anyone before and, if you would grant me the greatest honor of my life, and give me the opportunity to prove it, for as long as you are my wife I will devote myself to ensuring your happiness... will you marry me?"

      She gasped, blushing and starry eyed, "You... I... yes! Oh, yes!" She lunged forward, not caring about the way the grand dress she wore was crushed or dragged on the floor as she hugged you tightly to her. Her parents looked approvingly on, a match greater than even they expected, because while she was beautiful and they were ambitious, their family held no real influence, money, resources, or power. And you were quite the catch, there were few people who had more of any one of those things than you.

      The onlookers who had gasped and held their breaths at all the right moments broke into cheers now; what a fairy tale love story the two of you made. The gossips would be talking about it for weeks if not more.

      Satisfied you danced the night away, with her in your arms, no one cutting in to talk business or inquire about future plans and investments you were making.  They had tact and kept talk of business and interruptions far away from a recently engaged couple.  You supposed despite missing out on the scheming of tonight it wasn't a horrible thing to take a break from it every once and awhile, and you knew she would be vexed if you left her side allowing the gossip hungry and jealous ladies to descend upon her.

      "You love me more than all the stars and the moon?" She asked amusedly as you danced together, the steps ingrained in both of you from many years of etiquette classes.

      "How could I not," you returned equally as amused, "I don't think much about them at all, shall I declare my love for you is greater than passably acceptable weather or that which I hold for a passing acquaintance? It has a tad less emphasis to it, don't you agree?" 

      She laughed gracefully, "Perhaps is it even greater than your love for apple pastries?"

      "Ugh, I hate those things." You barely restrained from making a face which could be misinterpreted by the many still watching with great interest, "I don't know how you eat them."

       "They're delicious, I don't know how I will spend my days bound to a man with no tastebuds."

       "Quite peacefully I would suspect, given I must insist you take your chosen staff with you, including of course your dear lady in waiting."

       She blushed quite brightly at the mention. All the better for the audience watching the two. Let them have something to speak about.

      That was the heart of this arrangement, no one would marry you without wanting power or love, not with your status.  And you did not have any romantic love to give, not to the ladies who threw themselves at your feet, nor the occasional gentleman who made an embarrassed and discrete pass at you.

      Finding someone who wanted power was not an option either, as the way noble ladies truly cemented their power in the house they married into, was by birthing an heir, and you wanted no part in that process.

      But she, she wanted love; just not from you. 

     No, it was her lady in waiting who was the object of her affections, a slightly plump noble lady, given to your new fiancé's family in order to pay off debts. 

     Initially, you had been uninterested in the relation, it was hardly the most shocking bit of information your spy network had brought to you.  But then you had discovered her parents search to find a suitor, seen her paraded about meeting possible candidates at social events, you hadn't had more than passing interest on the effect it would have on the bonds between houses.  It wasn't horribly unusual for an alliance to break over marriage or for rivalries to be attempted to be glossed over with one, sometimes even managing to shift the political battleground dramatically. 

       He'd found her crying later that night, away from the empty niceties and plots which on a good day you found quite enjoyable, but did get tedious on occasion. Like when a certain count wouldn't cease bothering for you to invest in his doomed business. You offered your handkerchief, and assured your lack of interest in any marriage her parents had to offer.

       She was surprisingly sharp company, away from prying eyes. You may not have had any interest in romantic or, other, activities, but there had been a time where you had dreamed to have a companion, someone to share in the duties held by the couple who was head of a family, the duties which you had to accomplish alone, and who you could talk with and share your thoughts and emotions with without concern. A friend, you weren't looking for anything else... and neither was she, realization dawned slowly.

       You had a good instinct for people, and there was little risk involved here. Rumors would start anyway, if you didn't get married soon, and you had no intention of torturing yourself or someone else with a marriage entered in with different expectations. You would not have an enemy within your own house. And should it work out, and she agree, then eventually you could adopt a heir, perhaps even avoiding all that scandal you were beginning to dread and could sense growing already to begin with.

      The plan had taken a handful of months of being spotted together at parties, then in public, with other company of course, before finally you approached her parents to broach the question.

       It had been a good choice, you decided, as the ball came to an end, and you, with her by your side, bid farewell to the many guests. Her parents knew that you had both decided on a small, quiet wedding, and so with minimal prompting they allowed her to move to your own estate instead. With such a perfect match, in their eyes, they would do nothing to potentially interfere.

          "You're back!" She rushed to her lady in waiting's side with a happy squeal, the two sharing a quick kiss.

          "Yes, how are things? Have you settled in nicely?" She asked.

       "Oh, yes," the other responded brightly, whispering in embarrassment, "I've been given a connecting room to yours... so that you always have help on hand.  And there's such a lovely kitchen..." the lady in waiting continued, speaking brightly, at first she had been quite scared by your presence and almost painfully formal, but she had relaxed as you made a point to show that she was an equal part of this scheme and was welcome to take the same liberties as the lady she waited upon was in private.

      Entirely ignored by the two ecstatic lovers, you smiled and made your way to your study figuring they would like some alone time and equally excited at the thought of adding the finishing touches to your latest political scheme, some nobles were getting a little too enthusiastic with the bribes they took when advising the king, and you figured it was just about time to pull shut the trap which you had laid.

       Forty years down the line, the three of you had grown old and gray haired, raised three children into adulthood, but still enjoyed evenings talking together over glasses of wine and snacks, and you couldn't help but realize things couldn't have turned out any better in your eyes.  From the smiles of the two ladies, you couldn't help but think they agreed.

(An:  Am I procrastinating? *nervous laughter* Nooo, why would I do that??   -T.A.L.A. )