In The Name of Love
45: Quandary

To Prince Didier of Vyrunia, may this message replace him in good health and good spirits,

I write to thank you for your thoughtful and extravagant gifts. They will indeed be of use as we prepare my trousseau, and your selections are exactly to my taste. I am most impressed by your attention to detail and the utility of your choices.

Do not think, however, that I am unaware of your intentions with this gift. I know that your generosity has less to do with me and my wedding than it does with my sister, and perhaps with persuading my father that an alliance between Aethyrozia and Vyrunia is both desirable and worthwhile. In this second objective you have been at least somewhat successful; he is more willing to consider the possibility of such an alliance than he was previously. I believe he has written, or will be writing shortly, to your father to that effect. My sister, on the other hand, remains unmoved by your gifts and believes, despite your protestations otherwise, that you are trying to buy our favor and goodwill.

I am perfectly ambivalent to you in every way, but in the hopes that Josefina will be happy and well looked after in the future, here is some food for thought: She found your performance in my Quest for Favor both impressive and admirable, and appealing to her love of nature and appreciation of visual arts may be beneficial to you. But that is all I will write to you on this matter or any other. Please do not write to me again. Etiquette and propriety and my own sensibilities all dictate that we should be cordially distant from one another.

Sincerely,

Princess Wilhelmina of Aethyrozia

***~O~***

Didier leans on his elbows on his desk, scrutinizing Princess Wilhelmina’s letter to see if he’s missed anything. He’s read it a dozen times if he’s read it once, but no amount of rereading makes her message easier to digest. His father stands by the window of Didier’s study, regarding his son with a thoughtful gaze.

“What are you looking for, Didier? Her message seems quite clear to me,” King Edmond prompts.

“I’m not sure,” Didier admits. “When I met her, she was so…guarded. Charming and polite and everything a princess ought to be, of course, but revealing nothing of her own thoughts, although her father had no problem making his preferences known. But this letter…”

“She knows how to play her part in public. As do you. She might have been a perfect match for you.” Though gentle, the king’s tone is accusatory and Didier winces.

“She will make Adalberto an excellent queen in Syazonia. It’s too late to change what’s done. And her younger sister is at least as admirable.”

“Fortunately for you, King Ansgar is indeed more agreeable to the idea of matching you with Princess Josefina, as her sister wrote.” King Edmond produces another letter with the Aethyrozian Royal Seal from his pocket. “He intends to have Princess Josefina’s Quest for Favor soon, in Guetor, as a celebration of his daughter’s eighteenth birthday.”

“I thought their tradition was to hold the Quest for Favor near the princess’s nineteenth birthday, not the eighteenth.”

“King Ansgar is not a patient man. He believes in striking while the iron is hot.”

Didier’s heart pounds in his ears. “So, then…. We’ve won him over?” Was it really so easy as a thoughtful wedding gift?

“Not entirely. He wants to discuss the terms of a potential alliance with me before committing to anything. And, of course, you will still have to woo his daughter. He doesn’t think this will be difficult for you to do.”

“But her sister indicated otherwise.” Didier frowns at the ceiling. Sending Josefina—should he think of her as Fifi? He still doesn’t know—paintings and writing to her about the natural beauty of Vyrunia are simple enough to do. But if she thinks I’m trying to buy her favor, what good will more gifts do to convince her otherwise?

“Ansgar has also given his permission for you to write to Josefina, should you see fit to do so. I believe you should,” King Edmond continues.

“I already wrote to her, after we sent Wilhelmina’s wedding gift. If her reply is agreeable….”

“Whether it is or not, you must keep trying.”

“I intend to, Father. I know our goals for Vyrunia depend on it. And I do like her. But, given what her sister has written…. How can I convince her of that? Gifts aren’t likely to be of use.”

“Your letters must be the primary means of persuasion. But everyone has a price. The right gift, with the right timing, might prove quite useful, if your letters hit the mark.”

Didier nods, then massages his temples with his fingertips. What his father is asking puts a lot of pressure on him, and he feels ill-equipped for the task at hand. This princess hasn’t responded to him the way he expected her to, which is equal parts alluring and frustrating.

A knock sounds at the door, which then swings open, revealing one of the Royal Valets.

“Letter for you, Your Highness,” he says, sweeping a bow.

Didier rises from his seat and crosses to the valet, heart pounding in his chest. He’s not expecting correspondence today. Could this be from her? from her father? against all odds, another letter from her sister?

“Thank you,” Didier replies, taking the parchment from the valet’s hand. The swirling red Royal Seal of Aethyrozia greets his eyes as he turns it over. The handwriting is feminine and familiar, with elaborate capitals at the start of each sentence. The valet takes his leave, but Didier hardly notices, his attention completely absorbed by the message addressed to him.

To Prince Didier of Vyrunia, may this letter replace him well,

Like you said, no problems can be solved without communication, and so perhaps it is best to try to start over. Everyone here speaks highly of you, since your gift to my sister arrived. All of the textiles are excellent choices for her. Verily she is touched by your thoughtfulness, and mayhap she will forgive the pain you have caused her. Each textile you sent will be incorporated into her trousseau.

Most of my sister’s time is spent preparing for her wedding. Every chance I get, I spend my time drawing, outside if the weather permits. Almost nothing brings me more joy than spending time in nature. Let me know what the weather is like in Vyrunia this time of year and what you do for leisure. Only work and no play makes for a dull prince. No matter what fate may have in store for me, I refuse to live a boring life. Excitement and adventures best please me, and I hope to hear of yours when next you write.

Regards,

Princess Josefina of Aethyrozia

At first, Didier smiles, glad that she actually wrote to him. Her words are more agreeable than the first note he received from her, and she even closed with an invitation for him to write again, which is more than he had hoped for. But something isn’t quite right, he realizes as he looks the note over again. Her opening and closing are minimal, and the last time she wrote, she didn’t illuminate her capital letters at all.

Then the significance of the elaborate capitals strikes him, and the smile flees his face.

“Is everything all right, son?” King Edmond asks.

“I have a lot of work and thinking to do,” the prince answers, passing Josefina’s letter to his father in the hopes that he might have advice on how to proceed. Despair and worry gnaw at his insides. For the first time in a long time, Didier has no idea what to do.