In The Name of Love
23: Rift

“Well, Fifi?” Minna prompts as the door to their suite closes behind them. Both sisters sigh in relief and drop into the nearest chairs. At long last, supper with Prince Adalberto is over and they’ve been permitted to retire for the evening.

“Well what?” Fifi replies, refusing to make eye contact. Please don’t do this, she begs her sister silently. She doesn’t want to fight. Just let us enjoy what little time we have left together before you go to Syazonia.

“You’ve been very quiet, ever since I announced my decision.”

“I…just don’t understand. Why Adalberto. You deserve to be loved, and he’s—”

“Still mourning, yes. But I feel that we…understand each other, in a way that I didn’t connect with any of his brothers, even Lisandro.” Minna smiles, but it’s tinged with sadness. “You were right. I would get bored of Lisandro as a partner, I think.”

“Even so….” Fifi bites her tongue. I shouldn’t say it. She looked so hurt, when Father told us—

“What, Fifi? We’re alone. You can say whatever—”

“Didier was the best choice for you. That’s all.”

Minna flinches and studies the floor. “I thought so, too. But evidently he didn’t agree. Or something.”

“Maybe Father sent him away because he was afraid you’d insist on him.”

“That thought also occurred to me. But I don’t want to believe that he would do such a thing.”

“Do you suppose he’s left already? Maybe it’s not too late to—”

“It is, though. I made the announcement in front of everyone, and Adalberto got along well with all of us during supper. There’s no reason to rescind my decision.”

“A chance at love isn’t a reason—”

“Fifi. There’s no guarantee that any of them, however amiable, will love me the way you’re thinking. I cannot expect to be so fortunate. Adalberto is a good man, a kind man, and we have similar values. He will be a great king one day. I believe we can do a lot of good together.”

“I didn’t realize…that you want to be a Queen one day.”

“I don’t know that being Queen is my goal, exactly, but I do want to help people. I believe Adalberto will let his Queen rule with him, rather than being ornamental or the equivalent of a brood mare. I cannot say the same for any of his brothers.”

“Some of the others might have done the same.”

“Aye, noblemen’s sons, and Prince Didier. But it doesn’t matter. Because I wouldn’t have been permitted to choose any suitor of less than royal blood. You heard—”

“Yes, I heard. It’s rubbish. One’s family name has nothing to do with their ability to rule.”

“But it does have much to do with what Aethyrozia can gain from the match. And I know what you’re going to say, that I have to remember I’m a person and not just a princess and that I deserve to be happy. But I really do think that, of the options who were left…of the ones who stayed…. I’ve selected the best life partner, as Mother put it.”

A knock sounds at their antechamber door, and Fifi is on her feet in an instant, happy for the distraction. But who could possibly have business with us now? she wonders. It’s nearly midnight, and most of the servants have been sent to bed. But although it is after her usual working hours, their maid Lise stands outside the door.

“Pardon, Your Highnesses,” she greets them with a curtsey. “I was just gathering my things to help you to bed, and one of the princes stopped me and gave me this….”

Lise hands Fifi a piece of parchment, folded neatly with ‘Princess Josefina’ written on it in elegant script.

“I tried to tell him no, I couldn’t possibly, but he was so charming and polite and I just…” Lise continues.

“It’s all right, Lise,” Fifi assures her as she takes the parchment. “You should have been in bed hours ago. Just leave the things. We can manage tonight.”

“Fifi,” Minna reproaches.

“Oh, no, Your Highness. I should have been up here earlier,” Lise insists. “You must both be exhausted, and you’ll need help getting out of those gowns.”

“Start with Minna, then,” Fifi relents absently. She’s trying to deduce which prince might have bothered to write her a note, or if perhaps Lise is mistaken and the note is from one of the other suitors. She doesn’t recognize the handwriting, but that means little; her social circle has always been rather small, despite her effervescence, because her family insists that Fifi ought not to be overly familiar with those who rank below her.

Her feet carry her across the room to their largest window. Candles burning on the table beneath it provide ample light by which to read. Fifi unfolds the parchment carefully, filled with equal parts curiosity and dread. If it’s from Prince Emiliano…. she shudders, but dread becomes bemusement as she discovers that the note is written in Vyrunian.

Surely this must have been meant for Minna, she thinks, but as it is addressed to her, she decides to read it anyway.

To Princess Josefina of Aethyrozia,

First, I must apologize for writing to you in Vyrunian, and I hope that you are able to read this yourself, without consulting anyone else. I am afraid that I speak Aethyrozian far better than I write it, and I did not trust myself, with the limited time at my disposal, to make my message to you clear in your native tongue.

Second, I must request that you not share this with your sister. Princess Wilhelmina is lovely in every aspect, and I regret that she may have been hurt by my sudden leave taking. I do not wish to cause her any further pain with this message, but it is a message I feel compelled to send. Please forgive me for any hurt I have inflicted upon her with my withdrawal from her Quest for Favor.

As she has been reading, Minna has come up behind Fifi while Lise works to loosen the stays in her gown. Fifi briefly debates hiding the message, but she feels that would do more harm than good. Didier should have known better than to make such a request. Fifi and Minna have not been hiding their closeness from the competitors, and she has no interest in jeopardizing their relationship for anyone.

Although your sister is an admirable young woman, and I have no doubt that she will make one of her suitors an excellent wife and, perhaps, Queen, the note continues, I must confess that I replace myself more drawn to you. Your confidence in yourself and your convictions, and how deeply you care for your sister, are most appealing to me. Furthermore, Vyrunia is used to having Queens who are equal partners with Kings in governing, Queens willing to speak their minds, and I have not met another Princess who can match you for forthrightness.

Accordingly, I should very much like to get to know you better, and I hope that this note will be the start of correspondence between us. I do not think three days is enough time to determine whether someone would be a good life partner, but as of this writing I have every intention of returning to Aethyrozia for your Quest for Favor, and I hope that writing letters to each other will provide both of us with more clarity.

Warm regards,

Prince Didier of Vyrunia

Fifi can hardly believe what she’s read. She had only one conversation with him, while they were dancing. Did he hear more about her from other suitors, or other dance partners? What led him to this conclusion, to such a rash course of action?

“Did you know about this?” Minna asks behind Fifi, her voice low and hard and trembling with suppressed tears.

“No, Minna, I would never….” Fifi protests, turning to face her sister. Lise is nowhere to be found; Minna must have dismissed her while Fifi was reading. “I knew from his performance in the Talent Round that you were drawn to him, and I would never, ever try to sabotage you. I’m just as surprised as you are, that he…. All I’ve wanted is for you to replace the best possible match for you, and I really and truly thought that Prince Didier—”

“What did you speak of, when you danced with him?”

“A little about painting, and how he doesn’t have much leisure because he’s always attending meetings with his father and the Royal Advisors. I told him I’m not allowed in those meetings anymore, but that you’ve attended many—”

“And you told him why you’re not allowed in those meetings?”

“Yes. Father thinks we should be seen and not heard, and I think Chuezoh wouldn’t have given us tongues if we weren’t meant to talk.”

Minna scoffs and shakes her head.

“I wasn’t trying to be a princess,” Fifi tells Minna earnestly. “I didn’t put on any airs or pretenses with him. I even told him you would make an excellent Queen, which I truly believe you would. I was just…myself. I didn’t think that would appeal to him, the way he’s been presenting himself the past few days.”

“Oh, Fifi,” Minna groans, and then she’s sobbing in Fifi’s arms.

“I’m so sorry, Minna,” Fifi whispers into Minna’s hair, grateful that she’s no longer wearing her coronet. “I never meant for this to happen.”

“Do you like him?” Minna chokes out.

“Not like that. I was hoping to have him as a brother-in-law, but I haven’t…. Every dance, every conversation, I’ve been looking at them as your suitors, trying to decide who would be the best match for you. Like Father keeps saying, none of this is about me.”

“And yet….” Her tears have stopped flowing, but she and Fifi remain locked in their embrace, clinging to each other for support.

“Would you like to write the reply to him?” Fifi offers.

“What would I even say to him?”

“Whatever you want. Maybe start with how foolish it was to suggest that I would keep a secret from you, and that he can hardly expect a favorable response from me after…this.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“Take all the time you need. Let him wonder if he’ll receive any reply at all. He deserves to suffer, for making you so unhappy.”

“Thank you, Fifi.” Her cheeks are still tearstained, but Minna is smiling as she pulls herself out of her sister’s arms. “Will you call Lise back? I should like to get out of this gown and go to bed.”

“Of course, Sister.”