The Arrangement

Chapter 6

"How many boxes did you get it down to?" The mother was looking over a scroll in her hands while two serving women attended her. Her handmaiden bowed her head respectfully before replying.

"We have them repacked to only ten boxes My Lady, and the Young Master has kept out two of his favourite robes for travelling and the engagement party." She said proudly.

"Good. Make sure to use the others for packing up the rest of his belongings carefully. Once you run out of space, let me know how many more you will need." The mother said with a nod.

"Mother, you know I will need some things out until I actually go to the capitol for my wedding, right?" The youngest son said with exasperation as he came upon them. She waved her hand with a graceful gesture.

"Yes, yes. I just want everything to be ready to go for after the engagement party. Now, what do you prefer? Dancers or singers?" She was looking at him expectantly. He raised a brow.

"What does it matter which? It is just a party for the neighbouring nobles to eat and drink while they posture for each other." He griped. His mother sent him a glare of reproach. He shrugged.

"It is a time honoured tradition for the bride's family to announce the groom and the other nobles to show their friendship by congratulating and giving gifts to the new couple." She preached with an impatient tone. She had already repeated the words to this son multiple times before.

"But technically I am not a bride. I am a groom. Just because I am getting married to another groom doesn't mean I have to act like a bride." He complained to her. She snorted.

"Maybe if it wasn't the Emperor, but it is so suck it up." She said without remorse. He pouted and conceded the point.

"Fine. I suppose I should be glad it is him. They definitely can't act like I am marrying into a lesser family." He looked down at the floor, a little dejected.

"Of course not. You know, even if it wasn't him we would never let you be trampled by the nobles or the groom's family sweetheart." She told him reassuringly. He nodded and tried to smile.

"I know. It's just hard... being Ger. Too many people will look down on me for something I cannot help being born as." He said softly. She hugged him to her.

"I'm sorry. I know I don't make it easy for you. You just remember what I said when you were small. If anyone says something bad about it, you can just kick him in the..." Her words were interrupted by a cough at the doorway, where her eldest son was standing with a red face.

"What is it?" The younger son asked.

"We have just received the wine for the banquet. Did you want to check it over, mum?" He asked artlessly. She harrumphed and left the room like a ship with all sails open.

"You have interesting timing." The baby brother said with a raised brow.

"Now I know why third brother avoids you." He replied with a chuckle. The younger shrugged.

"He's not the only one." He said with a grin.

"You know, as a gentleman yourself... I would have thought you would have more sympathy for this kind of thing." He looked reproachfully at him.

"You know, if they were actually 'gentlemen' then I wouldn't have had to kick them in the..." The elder had a fit of coughing that left the younger brother in a fit of giggles.

*

"How far out are we?" The Emperor was sitting on the side of a stream, cooling the back of his neck with a cloth drenched in cold water.

"Still about a week of hard riding out. That band of outlaws held us up for longer than I would have liked." His Captain of the Shadow guard told him with a sigh. The Emperor nodded his head thoughtfully.

"We will have to send a message ahead. Send your fastest to the main household to put off the announcement until after sunset." He replied decisively. The Captain nodded and gestured for one of the men.

"You heard the Emperor. Fast as you can now." He told the man. The guard bowed low and then disappeared into the trees. "I have to say, Sire, I am surprised that you decided to go to the engagement party yourself. You know you didn't need to." He watched the expressions flit across the man's face before him.

"You are correct. I did not have to... but I wanted to." He looked the Captain in the eye with an unfathomable look. The captain nodded seriously and dropped his gaze.

"Then we had better skip stopping for meals, or we will not make it in time for you to get dolled up for the party." He joked with the Emperor. He got a glare and a sniff.

"Please. We always look good."

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