Emmeline had spent most of the travel riding near the baron. But it was during a break to give horses food and rest she quietly approach her lady in waiting. “Amelie? Can you tell me a little about Lord Arles?”<\/p>\n
She said, “the lord is the younger son of the Duke and heir to the Duke’s realm and is just slightly younger than the Baron. He is very much into horsemanship and is a fair soldier. In his youth he was quite the tournament champion. He is married to a commoner from a wealthy merchant family in Breven. Her name is Margarite. They have several children including Maria, Ana, Margot, Fran\u00e7ois, and Louis. Maria is married to a minor noble. Ana serves the Lady Rivanon. Margot is training to be a priestess. Francois and Louis are still very much under age. None are in the line of succession, though their father is.”<\/p>\n
She asked, \u201cAnything else?”<\/p>\n
“Yes. How can he be in the line of succession? He married a commoner,” Emmeline said.<\/p>\n
“He is, but his children are not and will never be. That said, rumor has it he is not interested in the role despite a recent rapprochement with his father,” she said. “The Baron,” Amelie added, “is more likely the choice, but much is in the air as the Baron himself sees himself a soldier, not a politician.”<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat would happen if, for whatever reason, the Duke passes on and Arles does become the next Duke. He could decide to recognize his own children, couldn\u2019t he? I would imagine he could even get support from Thalassa for that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Amelie replied, “No. He signed a contract to that matter. We are an aristocracy, but a constitutional one since the days of the Haalkhan invasion. If Lord Arles, as Duke, decided to rescind orders given by his predecessor as a matter of will as opposed to reason, then no agreement, fief, or contract in the realm would stand. I don’t know much about Thalassan internal politics, but I doubt they would interfere, or if they did, they would do so to put in who they want.”<\/p>\n
\u201cHe signed a contract to that? How very odd,\u201d Emmeline remarked. \u201cI guess he really doesn\u2019t want to become a duke then. Or at least, he takes his personal happiness as a priority over succession. I can only imagine signing a contract like that was some sort of compromise with his father.\u201d<\/p>\n
Amelie replied, \u201cAn order more accurately.\u201d She added, \u201cOr the marriage would be nullified, the children labeled bastards, and Lord Arles stripped of title and rank.”<\/p>\n
Emmeline gazed over at Lord Arles, watching him give instructions to a horse groom. “Do you feel sorry for him?”<\/p>\n
Amelie disagreed, “On no. It is quite a love story. Arles, short for Charles, met Margarite, a gentlewoman of merchant stock who was a lady-in-waiting to a cousin\u2019s wife, at a ball in Cameret I believe \u2014 it was love at first sight. This was long before Hugo’s scandal, some 25 years in fact. Although of gentle blood, Margarite is not of a noble line, and the ancient rules regarding marriage with the Eterian noble families can be very strict. Particularly as potential heir to the duchy (Hugo was unmarried at the time), the marriage was deemed unacceptable, but Arles refused to consider any other match, and it is said that he and Margarite began a clandestine affair, mostly via letters and stolen moments together. Isn’t that beautiful?”<\/p>\n
“He and his father clashed frequently over this issue, until at last some twenty years ago, shortly after Lady Rivanon was born, the Duke agreed to allow the marriage to take place, although Margarite would have to be Arles\u2019s morganatic wife, meaning that she could never share her husband\u2019s rank or status, even after he became duke, and their children could not succeed. The Duke had great faith in his elder sons. One died without issue, and the other was mired in scandal.”<\/p>\n
Amelie cautioned, “Do not feel sorry for Lady Margarite. She has been granted the title Baroness of Derrienport in which her social status improved considerably over what she was born with. But the couple are very happy and had five children.”<\/p>\n
\u201cDoes he get along with our Baron?\u201d Emmeline asked.<\/p>\n
“They are both soldiers. The Baron never lets on his opinions to others without reason. But they did serve together with Captain du Triel in their youth.” she replied.<\/p>\n
\u201cLike du Triel\u2019s daughter and El and Typhon and I,\u201d Emmeline said. She looked from Alres to Baron Roland smiling as she thought about some of the parallels they had in their lives.<\/p>\n
Turning back to her own horse, she saw that it had finished with water and the feed bag and was attempting to get at some grass. Emmeline chuckled and patted the horses neck as she removed the feed bag and put it away. The break was over and it was time to get moving again.<\/p>\n
Amelie nodded, “yes. My mother once adventured with them early on. She and the Baron were and are good friends. I think the Captain, Vorn, Natine, and their priest friend – his name escapes me – were later on. If you need anything else, ma’am, I am here.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Emmeline had spent most of the travel riding near the baron. But it was during a break to give horses food and rest she quietly approach her lady in waiting. “Amelie? 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The room in which she sat seemed very plush to her. The Baron's castle was a much more matter-of-fact residence, since it\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Thalassa"","block_context":{"text":"Thalassa","link":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/category\/thalassa\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2925,"url":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/2016\/04\/11\/dreams-of-the-future\/","url_meta":{"origin":2947,"position":1},"title":"Dreams of the Future","author":"Illuminatus","date":"April 11, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"It was a quiet night in the Port of Derrien where Emmeline was staying. Her visit for the day was complete and tomorrow she could spend some of her free time looking for the supplies Zoe had recommended she collect for her own health. 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That said, we will need candidates for this year\u2019s Queen of Love and Beauty.\u201d \"Uzec is gifted with many lovely young\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Thalassa"","block_context":{"text":"Thalassa","link":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/category\/thalassa\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2487,"url":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/2015\/09\/10\/alms-for-arresey\/","url_meta":{"origin":2947,"position":4},"title":"Alms for Arresey","author":"Illuminatus","date":"September 10, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Emmeline had ridden out from Uzec shortly after the hobgoblin attack upon the hamlet of Arresey, not so far south of her own Cerisey. Baron had bid her help them rebuild by fairly distributing coin after the destructive raid had ruined much and slain five villagers as well. 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