Grid: N-24
Location: Talistrand
Formendacil wrote:Both of them fell silent as neither could think of anything to say. Then Elbadar cleared his throat.
"You, ah, might want to go hunt Elwen down. It looks like the dance is over."
Quorandis was about to do just that, but Elwen seemed to have been snatched up by one of the local courtiers, and indeed, Elwen seemed pretty much to be taken for the rest of the knight as handsome young courtier after handsome young soldier vied for her attentions.
The pretty young ladies of the court were equally willing to dance with the handsome Viscount, but Commander-General Quorandis paid them no heed, his mind totally on other matters.
"You look moody," noted Elbadar as Quorandis slumped back to the refreshments table, after unsuccessfully trying to slip in on Elwen's dance.
"I kind of need to talk to Elwen, about some, well... private," said Quorandis after a moment. Elbadar arched an eyebrow.
"Indeed?" he said. "Well, let me see what I can do. The reason you can't break in might be that she feels she ought to socialise with somebody other than you. She has, after all, done nothing but that for the last few days."
Quorandis scowled, but slapped Elbadar on the back and thanked him profusely.
"Try to get her to the terrace on the right," he said. "I'll be waiting by the fountain."
So while Quorandis made his way across the ballroom towards the three great archways opening onto terraces in the garden, Elbadar slipped across the dance floor, waiting for the song to end and the next to begin.
As the next song was starting, the Lord Marshal deftly cut in front of the waiting men, and asked Elwen for the dance.
"Well, I'm getting a little tired," admitted Elwen, "but I suppose I can do one more."
"I'm honoured, milady," said Elbadar with a bow.
They waltzed out onto the floor, Elbadar leading. The Dragon Master was a less-than-proficient dancer, but he was better company than many of the Talistrani nobles had been, and he had a natural sense of rhythm, if not of how the dance worked. Elwen was having a good time, but then she noticed something.
"Um, Lord Marshal," she said, "we're waltzing out of the ballroom."
"Yes, I know," said Elbadar. The dance was ending, and Elbadar relinquished Elwen's hand with a bow.'
"That was delightful. Thank you, milady. Now, if you will excuse me, there is someone who has something pretty important to say to you." And with a grin, Elbadar slipped back into the ballroom.
"Bernard?" asked Elwen, as the Commander-General walked over from the fountain. "What is going on?"
"Elwen," said Bernard, "there's, ah, something I wanted to ask you."
Taking Elwen's hands in his, he got down onto his knee, and said most sincerely:
"Would you consent to marry me?"
Elwen was knocked over. Or lightened to the point of floating. To be exact, she didn't know how she felt at that moment.
"Yes!" she said, pulling him upwards into her embrace. Bernard stepped back a bit, and took her hand, removing the glove, and putting a fine gold and sapphire ring on it.
"Thank you," he said tenderly.
Well, it wasn't that long before everybody in Talistrand knew that the "Hero of Orion" had married the dashing foreign duchess with the strange crown. The fact that Elbadar, watching closely as they re-entered the ballroom, had sought out the herald and had it announced to the entire nobility of the city probably helped matters. But the first person Bernard and Elwen had told was Lady Quorandis, and even as the Herald was making the announcement, and sending the ballroom into applause (and Ferdinand Quorandis into near-shock), Margaret Quorandis was tearfully hugging both her rather bashful son and daughter-in-law to be.
"When's the wedding?" she asked, eagerly.
"I haven't a clue," said Bernard. "June? July?" He looked at Elwen for confirmation.
"Whatever works for you," she said. "I haven't got anything better to do."
"Oh that's so romantic," sniffed Margaret Quorandis. "Let me go find Ferdy!" Wiping her eyes, Lady Quorandis disappeared into the crowd.
"Having second thoughts?" asked Bernard, as Elwen silently watched her future mother-in-law stride away.
"None."