Post by Mariette Deveraux on Apr 25, 2017 19:14:55 GMT -5
The story explaining her impromptu, informal presence had been put forth, allowing Mariette to venture from the tower chamber allotted to her as a 'guest' of Lindblum's Crown Prince. Clothing was presented to her, hastily altered to fit her smaller frame, so that she could emerge from the tower to begin exploring the Spire that housed the Royal Family and numerous other members of the Court of Lindblum.
After a few false starts and some encouragement not only from the maid assigned to her, but the guards selected by Severin himself, Mariette rather timidly began down the hall to find her way through the castle. There were corridors upon corridors lined with doors to confuse her but for the guards escorting her, though they kept quiet unless she posed a question. Much of the art, tapestry and statuary that adorned the castle fascinated her, one of the guards graciously providing some history or explanation behind the various items until he suggested she might like to see the portrait gallery.
Agreeing, the little Deveraux princess followed with one guard leading, one guard following through the various halls until they reached a long, narrow gallery lined with portraits. The majority of faces were male, obviously, kings dating back centuries, yet there was one portrait of a woman, a queen. She was of middling age, of dark hair and eyes that reminded her of Severin's, but with an undeniably regal bearing and elegant attire. Queen Wilhelmina, the great-grandmother to Crown Prince Severin.
Mariette stood before the portrait, reminded a little of her own late mother. Queen Liliana had the same sort of innate elegance about her, the same regality. Nicolette seemed to have inherited it, as did Antoinette. She, however, had none of those qualities. Tilting her head, she wondered if the late Queen had been a warm, caring woman, or if she'd been cool and aloof. Was Severin more like her? Questions floated around in her mind, most unlikely to be answered, while she continued to gaze up at the portrait while the minutes ticked by...
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Severin Rosenquist, Emery Arnault