Broken: Day 2

Word Count: 12,028

Summary of Events:

Emil arrived in Molodonoi, the first stop on his tour, and was upset to learn that King Sevastian of Lebed was convinced that Emil would be marrying his daughter, Princess Isidora, whom Emil didn't really find all that attractive; he excused himself as soon as possible to talk things over with his lifelong friend Samuil . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

Emil sighed. "I don't want to be on this tour, I don't want to have to be spending a week here, I don't want to have to dance, I don't want, I don't want any of it!"

"I know," Samuil said soberly.

"Can't I just wait for the right woman to come?" Emil asked. "Why do I have to go find her?"

"Maybe because she wouldn't ever meet you otherwise?" Samuil suggested.

"Then maybe I'm not supposed to be married!" Emil protested.

"Would you really want that Emil?" Samuil asked. "To never be married? To have the whole palace to yourself when Her Majesty dies?"

Emil sighed. "You're on Matrushka's side, aren't you?"

"I want to see you happy Emil," Samuil said. "I want to see you at peace, not in this constant state of turmoil. And I believe that your marriage will be a benefit in that. It may not be the ultimate, it may not completely satisfy you, but I am convinced it will help you in some measure, and therefore I hope to see you wed, but I do not mean to force you and you know that. I've not been pressed to marriage although Tatiana is wed and Venyamin looks well on his way to the same, so I shan't press you to the same end, even if others are more inclined to put such a pressure on you."

"If there were a woman worth marrying in this Imperia I would marry her," Emil said. "I truly would. But there is no woman worth marrying."

"Have you met all the women?" Samuil asked.

"I certainly feel as if I have," Emil replied. "But apparently there are still women to meet."

"And maybe you'll meet the one you're looking for," Samuil said. "And maybe even here."

Emil exhaled scoffingly. "Among these prodigiously droll people?"

"Are you certain they are all actually droll Emil?" Samuil asked. "You haven't met them all. Surely there is more colour in the kingdom than you have seen in a handful of hours."

"It matters not if there is," Emil said. "As far as His Highness is concerned I'm marrying his daughter."

"You are the Imperial Heir," Samuil said. "You need not bow to the will of a mere king."

"I have a week," Emil replied. "And I will be staying here the whole time. What else can I do? Who else can I find? Nothing and no one I can assure you."

"Don't despair so Emil," Samuil said. "You are not a pessimist by nature in most things, why need you be such a pessimist in this?"

"Because I am tired of it," Emil replied. "Everyone else has plans for my life and they mean for me to fulfill their plans. What of my own plans? Surely my own plans are the most worth following instead of everyone else's plots and machinations."

Samuil sighed. "The disadvantages of a high position."

Pronunciations:

Sevastian: sehvahsteeehn

Isidora: eezeedohrah

Samuil: sahm'yooeel

Tatiana: tatyahnah

Venyamin: vehnyahmihn