Kagomine Crown Jewels
"What is it you wanted me to see Amarat? I'm not fooled, you didn't have to badger Senya like that..." "Errm, I mean..." "Out with it, Kon!" "Err." His eyes kept drifting to a side table. "What's here?" She picked up a 15cm-square, 10cm thick, velvet-covered box. Heavy. It wasn't even cardboard or plastic, and it would have to be hardwood to be this heavy. "What would you keep in such a box?" "The One Ring." He quipped, reflexively. "Speak sense." "Open it, please?" Inside the box was a folded parchment document, with wax-over-platinum-foil seals. Black and Emerald wax. So an official document. The ink... was green, green enough it had to be a very official document, fit for the ruler of Kagomei, Flora thought. Or her Merit, should she have remembered, that no legal document addressed to her could be legally binding unless it was written in this green ink, a quirk of Kagomine law affecting any and all Meritants.
39 Dociem, 815, Mei Palace of MegamisamaThere was a second document, this time an actual Edict, that is, a text of law, saying that the ruler of Kagomei thought about a particular point of order, law, etc... It had been folded in the larger box, under the letter, over a smaller, 10cmx10cmx4cm black velvet box whose platinum hinges appeared ancient.
From the desk of Amalthea Kagomei, and at her pleasure.
Favoured and Meritant subject,
It's been brought to my attention that you and Amarat have been Herevallin thrice now, and for a cumulative period of 6 arnds. This entitles you to wearing the attached item. I have made it an edict so that none may doubt you do so in full rights and privileges afforded to you, and with my fullest possible approval.
Edict 815-10-39-25:01
By my hand, and at my instruction, may you find attached that I have determined the person of Flora Rolli to be Royal, in the legal Kagomine sense, and fully a heir to Great Kagomé herself, which, as a point of genealogy, should surprise no-one, as she is a scion of the house of Dandelion, through her father.
"Frag me sideways with a pinetree, that's... that's not what I think it is, is it?"
Amarat just nodded, then reached for the smaller box, and opened it, within was a ring, blackened, tarnished platinum, over nine hundred arnds old, having been an heirloom in 86BK, the wedding band of Aumhavar Pebea.
"This is undue pressure!"
"It's not my idea!"
"Oh, I'm sure it's not. But it's suspicious Amarat, really, you're waiting for my reply, and while you do, Amalthea Kagome, your aunt, writes a new law just to get me this."
"No, she wrote a new law so no one would give you a hassle over wearing it. It became yours the moment we've been Herevallin for more than five arnds. It took almost an arnd to get through the paperwork, for you to wear it."
"What, so this isn't to convince me to stay married?"
"You've earned this, this is yours, you can walk away if you want, and keep it, now and forever more. That's not something we play games with, and there's no pressure, not from that."
"But that's the..."
"The wedding band of Meihomei? It has been called that before, by people who didn't know better..."
"What is it then?"
"The Wedding Band of Aumhavar Pebea, great-grandmother of Kagomei, and the only relic that remains of the founder of Kagomei."
"And it's mine how?"
"Any woman who bears a child to the crown prince of Kagomei and is his legal consort for five consecutive arnd is entitled..."
"Entitled! Such a word!"
"Listen, you're upset, and I don't want to make you more upset, but I am required, by law, to tell you of this Edict, that names you by name, that says you are legally entitled to wear this ring, as my consort, should you so choose."
"And if I don't choose?"
"I would ask you let me know when you wish to wear it, so that, if you do not choose to be my Herevallin anymore, I can avoid being seen with you, in public, to avoid myself the embarassment."
"What embarassment?"
"The people, in their wisdom." His sarcasm was almost palpable. "I can hear their rails now. He gave her Kagomei's ring, after she was with him for five arnds, and even that didn't encourage her to deal with him."
"You know that's not..."
"No? I've asked you to be my wife for four months now, and you won't even talk to me about it... What did I do that was so bad?"
She laughed, a full, free, immoderate laugh, she wasn't mocking him, he could tell that much. "Nothing you did, I'm trying to show I'm my own person, not one you can buy, not one you can pressure into marrying you, someone who your friends, associates, can't pressure into this decision."
"Well, this isn't helping my cause, is it?"
"No, no it's not. What are you going to do about it?"
"Nothing I can do about it. These are all appearances of you being influenced, or being vulnerable to such. All pure horseshit. As if I could influence you."
"What?"
"Flora, you've said no to Meihomei, in her face before. You've gone on the record against a Nessun over naval deployment orders, if there's anyone, or anything, that can make you back down, I don't know what it is, but I know what it is not..."
"Oh, what is it not?"
"Me, I can't make you back down, I've learned that was futile, the day I met you."
"You can't browbeat me, Amarat, you always could sweet talk me into things..."
"There's a problem with that..."
"What?"
"Flora, we've been herevallin for five arnds, I want to continue to be herevallin, I want to wake up to you forever. That's not undue influence, that's not me trying to manipulate you. But it is sweet talk, I hope, because... Well if I'm saying this to the right person, you're excited to hear this, and want to say it back..."
"I'm such an Idiot."
"No you're not."
"Yes, I am, we could have been herevallin for the last four months if I even gave you a hint that what I was trying to do was prove I could be independant, right?"
"Independant of what? Our daughters aren't independant, Flora, and, they are, I think, germane to this..."
"Cheap shot!"
"What's cheap about 'we made the sweetest daughters in the universe together, and I'm the idiot if I let you get away!'?"
"Ok, ok, someone IS remembering it's ok to sweet talk your potential herevallin, sometimes, if she says it is..."
"I am an idiot."
"No, no you're really not. Don't take this the wrong way, but I think the fact that I held out four months is probably cathartic..."
"And you're... not going for five?"
"Well, it would be... embarassing, if I wore this and we weren't Herevallin, wouldn't it?"
"Terribly."
"Then I won't, but... I am expecting Hannabrid to be even better this time around..."
"What?"
"Silly Amarat, I stopped counting when I took a decision. It didn't imply a specific reply on my part..."
"Can I ask you to stay here, for the night?"
"In a palace, why?"
"Hmm, this way I can ask Nellun to take care of our little princesses, and that we'll see them tomorrow."
"And what will we be doing?"
"Testing the soundproofing of the Master Bedroom, it is mine after all, and it should not go to waste." He grabbed her hand, as she giggled.
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