Word Count: 54,090
Summary of Events:
Emil was asked not to participate in the day's hunt so that someone else could provide him with the swan for his dinner, so Emil and Samuil went to the lake to see if they could find out how to break the spell on Arina; they didn't get any results from examining her and guessed that was because the spell couldn't be broken while she was a swan, so they headed back to the palace to wait until she'd turned back into a human so they could examine her again. While they waited Emil struck up a conversation with one of King Sevastian's dukes who enlightened him to the recent history of Lebed, including the disappearance of Arina . . .
Excerpt of the Day:
Emil nodded. "Did you notice an increase of swan hunts after that point?"
Miron looked at Emil like he was thoroughly baffled. "Why?"
"I heard the amount of swan hunts he went on increased exponentially after the disappearance of his stepdaughter," Emil replied.
Miron turned his gaze to the higher shelves contemplatively before looking at Emil and nodding. "I do believe they increased at that point. Whoever suggested that?"
"One of the soldiers," Emil replied. "My friend has made acquaintance with several of them seeing as he has been unable to be in the palace since my arrival and that was what someone told him there. They suspected it was grief."
"No," Miron said. "It was not grief, I assure you wholeheartedly. His Highness seemed to me quite immeasurably relieved upon the disappearance of his stepdaughter, thus why I suspect he forcibly and secretly married her off to someone who lives far away from here or found some relatives to make her live with, which prevented any and all suitors from being distracted by her from Princess Isidora — not that it's helped Isidora become a married woman at all."
"I should hope His Highness doesn't dare attempt to forcibly marry his daughter to me," Emil said. "That's another rumour I've heard."
"Having you marry his daughter would be the ultimate achievement," Miron said. "I know that if he is not able to have a son, to have you marry his daughter would be the next best thing. I am surprised he hasn't given the two of you as much time together as possible. All you've done is go on the hunts."
"I am not the sort who stays up at all hours of the night," Emil replied. "The banquet is as late as I care to stay up. I will force myself to stay up late for the final ball, but I will not stay up late for any of the other dances."
Miron nodded.
"And even still I have no intentions of marrying Isidora," Emil said. "I don't find her appealing at all, and that's not just because her frame carries more weight than it ought."
"Then what is it?" Miron asked.
Emil startled involuntarily. He was unprepared for the question. Someone actually wanted to know what he disliked in a woman?
"I don't really care for her hair colour, which, being natural, she cannot change, nor would I ask her to," Emil replied. "I also find her rather devoid of personality. She doesn't have anything interesting or compelling to say. In fact, she seems very juvenile-minded, as if her body has matured but her mind hasn't."
"I assure you that His Highness' stepdaughter would've been most favourable to you, for she is the perfect opposite of everything Princess Isidora is," Miron said. "Dark haired, intelligent and mature-minded, although I do believe she doesn't carry as much weight as her frame could, which causes her to look extremely delicate."
Emil nodded. Miron had done a good job of describing Arina.
Excerpt of the Day:
Emil nodded. "Did you notice an increase of swan hunts after that point?"
Miron looked at Emil like he was thoroughly baffled. "Why?"
"I heard the amount of swan hunts he went on increased exponentially after the disappearance of his stepdaughter," Emil replied.
Miron turned his gaze to the higher shelves contemplatively before looking at Emil and nodding. "I do believe they increased at that point. Whoever suggested that?"
"One of the soldiers," Emil replied. "My friend has made acquaintance with several of them seeing as he has been unable to be in the palace since my arrival and that was what someone told him there. They suspected it was grief."
"No," Miron said. "It was not grief, I assure you wholeheartedly. His Highness seemed to me quite immeasurably relieved upon the disappearance of his stepdaughter, thus why I suspect he forcibly and secretly married her off to someone who lives far away from here or found some relatives to make her live with, which prevented any and all suitors from being distracted by her from Princess Isidora — not that it's helped Isidora become a married woman at all."
"I should hope His Highness doesn't dare attempt to forcibly marry his daughter to me," Emil said. "That's another rumour I've heard."
"Having you marry his daughter would be the ultimate achievement," Miron said. "I know that if he is not able to have a son, to have you marry his daughter would be the next best thing. I am surprised he hasn't given the two of you as much time together as possible. All you've done is go on the hunts."
"I am not the sort who stays up at all hours of the night," Emil replied. "The banquet is as late as I care to stay up. I will force myself to stay up late for the final ball, but I will not stay up late for any of the other dances."
Miron nodded.
"And even still I have no intentions of marrying Isidora," Emil said. "I don't find her appealing at all, and that's not just because her frame carries more weight than it ought."
"Then what is it?" Miron asked.
Emil startled involuntarily. He was unprepared for the question. Someone actually wanted to know what he disliked in a woman?
"I don't really care for her hair colour, which, being natural, she cannot change, nor would I ask her to," Emil replied. "I also find her rather devoid of personality. She doesn't have anything interesting or compelling to say. In fact, she seems very juvenile-minded, as if her body has matured but her mind hasn't."
"I assure you that His Highness' stepdaughter would've been most favourable to you, for she is the perfect opposite of everything Princess Isidora is," Miron said. "Dark haired, intelligent and mature-minded, although I do believe she doesn't carry as much weight as her frame could, which causes her to look extremely delicate."
Emil nodded. Miron had done a good job of describing Arina.
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