Everywhere the royals went they arrived in style.  Duke Saben’s carriage was a beautiful black with gold trim and had deep purple drapes.  They had not one but two drivers and four magnificent black horses.  It took everything within Ethana not to drop her mouth at the grandeur of it all.  As for Anne, she seemed quite unimpressed or to say more appropriately… emotionless.  The carriage pulled before the manor and stopped in front of the family, all four were outside awaiting the duke’s arrival.

Once the horses had halted, and the buggy came to a complete stop, one of the drivers, dressed in a black suit and hat, flew down from the driver’s seat to attend to the royals.  He opened the door of the buggy, and with help, out came Duke Saben.  He looked grand in his dark grey suit and black boots.  He turned to the driver and told him all was well; with which the man took to mean the duke would help the others.  The second to emerge from the car was the Duchess Bronwyn wearing a sparkling lavender gown and a small diamond tiara.  Finally, sliding and then stepping forth was their son, Oren. 

Oren was a slight man, and upon seeing him, everything in Anne’s being revolted.  He was wiry, with dull dark hair, pale skin, and depressing brown eyes.  All Anne wanted to do was run, but her feet would not move though her heart pounded the breath from her lungs.  Her mind screamed, but her face remained unaffected.

Ethana too thought Oren a very sorrowful creature, but a beautiful one.  He was wonderfully slender, his hair was short and well sculpted, and she found his eyes captivating.  Those brown eyes not only held a type of sadness but pride and upbringing as well.  She could tell he wasn’t sure of this meeting but would do as duty as honor demanded.  Ethana sighed, how tragically romantic.  

Thaniel stepped forward to welcome the duke and his family.  He merely bowed his head, raised it and said, “Thank you for blessing us with your presence.  I hope you accept what is mine is also yours and that you enjoy the evening we have arranged in honour of your presence.”

“Thank you, Baron de Ranger.  I am sure we shall enjoy ourselves immensely,” the duke stated standing completely still for a moment, then he moved to his wife.  “I would like you to meet my wife the Duchess Bronwyn,” he then nodded to his son, “and my son Lord Oren.”

Reyna stepped forward.  “Your Graces, my Lord Oren, it is a pleasure to meet you,” she curtsied.  “I am Reyna, and these are my daughters, Lady Philana-Narie and Ethana,” she motioned to the girls. They too curtsied.  “Please do come in.  I am sure dinner is ready to be served.”  Reyna ushered the family into the manor house as Thaniel told the drivers where they could park the carriage and then where they too might get something to eat.

“Reyna,” the duchess began, “I was recently made aware that your last name though spelled R-A-N-G-E-R, but it is pronounced Rawn-jzhā.”

“That is correct,” Thaniel had come up from behind.  “My family originated in Île-de-L’est. Therefore, er is pronounced ay. Reyna’s name is also quite unique; I’m not sure of the origin. Do you know, darling?” Reyna smiled and said it was an old family name, but as far as she knew, her family had always been in Ryland.

“I see,” the duchess nodded her understanding. Then to Reyna, “You have such a lovely home.  And these flowers, how beautiful.”

Anne was almost disappointed the Duchess seemed not to know what the flowers meant.  She thought all upper royals had to know such things.  She grimaced a little but kept quiet and followed the elder women into the dining area.  The duke insisted Thaniel sit at the head of his own table and Reyna at the foot, saying that it was the only proper way.  The large oak table was slightly off balance due to the number of people present, having three people, the duke, duchess, and Oren on one side and Anne and Ethana on the other.  To compensate for the unevenness the seat between Anne and Ethana was kept vacant. 

The dinner menu for the evening was a mixed green salad to begin, then sweet venison with a carrot sauce, steamed mixed vegetables, and scalloped potatoes. For dessert they had a delicious pound cake with chunks of baked apple and lightly covered with a sweet applesauce.  Only the best wines were to be served, and at the end, tea with the dessert.  Once everyone was properly seated, Thaniel nodded for the salads to be served.  As the servers were getting the first course ready, the duke began his gentle questioning of Anne.

“So, Philana-Narie, I hear that you are quite the student.  Your teachers praise your fine artistry when it comes to quilting, and arrangement,” he took a sip of water from the goblet before him.

“Thank you, Your Grace, but there are many girls who share the same eye for detail that I possess.  However, your notice of mine is greatly appreciated,” Anne gave the man a slight bow of her head.

Then the duchess spoke up.  “Philana-Narie, your mother has told me the flora for the evening was chosen by you.  I must say you have excellent taste in flowers, and they so compliment the arrangements your mother had previously prepared.  Did they teach you this in school as well?”

Anne began to wonder if the salads would ever come.  “How to choose and arrange flowers, yes.  However, I learned the meanings of flora on my own with the help of a few gardeners and florists.”  Just then the servers resurfaced with the salad plates.  But if Anne believed food would keep royal tongues from wagging, she was mistaken.  Between bites of salad, the duke and duchess continued their investigation.

“Philana-Narie…” the duchess began to Anne’s annoyance.

“Anne.  Please, just call me Anne.”  She didn’t mean to be so rude, but the way they continued to say her whole name was beginning to drive her crazy.  Not that she hated her name; she simply thought it was too much of a mouthful to be said more than three times in one evening.

The duchess startled by the interruption, cleared her throat and began again.  “Anne.  If you could do anything in the world, right now, what would it be?”

“Are you sure you wish to know the truth,” Anne asked knowing no one at the table was sure to like her answer.  She, on the other hand, really couldn’t have cared less.  Oh, if only her parents weren’t so bent on her marrying Oren.

“Yes, child,” the duke spoke up, “the truth is always the correct way to go, and never do we want to hear anything less from you.”

Anne could feel the weight of her parents’ eyes on her as they prayed she would not embarrass them.  But if the truth was what the royals were looking for, how or why would she deny them?  “I wish I could attend the boys’ school.”  There were gasps around the table, but she continued.  “I merely wish to learn more than just how to decorate a home, how to build a menu, to sew, to quilt, and a mere sliver of the basics the boys are taught.  I want to learn advanced literature, and mathematics, as well as science.”  She thought the duchess was going to faint.

The duke merely puffed out his chest, exhaled loudly and said, “Miss de Ranger, you should be glad you don’t have to worry about knowing such things.  Many men wish they didn’t have to spend hours working problems given to them by their teachers.  Besides, a woman’s mind is not biologically capable to handle such complex studies, nor are they strong enough to handle the stresses that work demands.  It is, of course, the reason that the Lord made it a man’s burden to toil so long and hard.”

Everyone at the table agreed with the duke, her mother, her father, the duchess, and Oren.  When Anne looked to her sister, she couldn’t believe the disbelief she saw written all over Ethana’s face.  She had told Ethana on numerous occasions she would like to go to the boys’ school, so her shock couldn’t have come from that bit of old news but because she had actually spoken her dream to the duke.  Well, Anne didn’t care about the duke’s rank, his snobbery, his opinions, or his sad-looking boy.  She didn’t like being called stupid, and from now on she was going to play herself instead of the role of perfect little daughter.

The salad bowls were taken, and the main course brought to the table.  To Anne’s great happiness, her last response had lulled the questioning royals, and no one spoke for at most five minutes.  After that, it was up to the men to talk politics and the women to speak of everything pretty and nice.  Reyna told the duchess how amazing Anne was when it came to quilting, and if they had time that evening, how she would like for her to see the ones Anne had finished the month before.  Ethana told her mother and the duchess of the new sort of spice brought from the East and how they were beginning to learn how it accompanied dishes.  Anne, on the other hand, felt she had nothing to contribute and therefore listened in on the masculine conversation.

“Your Grace, do you mean to tell me the prince is missing?”

“Not exactly, Baron.  There have been rumors concerning Sagedor breaking the terms of our peace agreement, therefore, I believe he may have gone to Sagedor to gain some sort of intelligence,” Duke Saben replied as he ate the cauliflower on his fork.

“A spy?  Really?  You believe the prince has gone to Sagedor to find out if they are planning to attack us?”  Anne’s father seemed to be having as difficult a time believing the prince would do this sort of work directly.  Surely, the king would not send his only son and heir into such a potentially dangerous situation.

“Perhaps.  I mean it would explain his disappearance.  You see, Prince Nolan has not been seen at court for several months, and I cannot readily believe he would simply give up his duties unless there were a greater need for him elsewhere.”

“Right. I’d run,” Anne cut off the duke before she realized what she was doing.

“Excuse me,” the duke seemed angry, “but I do believe you know nothing of the situation and should get back to talking about flowers.  Leave men’s topics to men.” 

There was that condescending tone again, and before Reyna could stop her, Anne was fit to be tied.  “You think I don’t know what’s going on?  It’s as plain as the noses on your faces!  There is a rumor of an upcoming war with the North, but was not the prince educated in the North?  Why should he wish to fight the very people he respects; the people who taught him all the higher knowledge he possesses?  Staying would mean he would have to fight, therefore fleeing is the only other option.”

If the duke was not angry before he was now, and his face showed every bit of that anger.  “You have no right to say our prince would run out on his country, and if I were not on friendly terms with your family, I would make sure you were punished for what you have said here today!”

Anne was a bit scared, but her anger was running at a higher level than that of fear.  “Well, Your Grace, since you believe women are simpletons then, you should have no reason to worry about what I have said.  And as for my keeping to women’s talks, someone had to join in your two-way conversation since it was more than obvious that your son would not.  In fact, perhaps he would be more interested in women’s talks!”  With that being said, Anne was up from her chair and on her way to her room, leaving her parents to make the apologies she would have never made herself.