Nie opened his mouth to reply – then glanced around the crowded bakery and changed his mind, saying, “Of course – we are getting married.”
The tone was far too flat to be genuine, but it was better than what he would have said otherwise.
Shasol also glanced around, looking very amused, as he chuckled, “Yes, of course. Silly me.”
Abuin was looking through each of Nie’s merchant choices rapidly, but the usual intensity of his stare made the human feel as though it wasn’t cursory.
“Abby has an uncanny ability to tell a good deal from a bad one,” Shasol said, “Not that we’d be making any hard decisions today.”
“Right,” Nie agreed, “Oh – I was considering having two Engagement Announcements. Many of my friends and colleagues aren’t nobility, and considering how many high-ranking court members appear likely to attend…”
Shasol hummed, “Well, her highness has already given leave to use one of the palace ballrooms – perhaps, rather than two parties, adjoining ballrooms?”
Nie sighed, “I was rather hoping my grandfather would be wrong about the palace hosting…”
“I suppose it is intimidating if you aren’t there often,” Shasol seemed to realize then, “Perhaps a joint party wouldn’t be the best idea, then…”
“It may be the only option though – now that I think about it,” Nie sighed again, “If the court hears there’s two and one has a smaller intended guest list…”
“Yes,” Shasol agreed, “I see your point. I’ll bring it up with her highness since she extended the invitation.”
“Most of these are good,” Abuin said, finished more quickly than Nie would have guessed. He’d sorted them into two piles and handed the larger one back to Nie. He tapped the smaller pile on the table, “These four wouldn’t have the resources to fill an order on the scale we’d need.”
“I see,” his betrothed said, accepting the pile, “Did you have any merchants in mind yet?”
“We can pick from yours,” Abuin said.
“Nie isn’t going to be mad if you don’t pick from his merchants,” Shasol said, “And you should pick a Nehma merchant for the clothing and tailoring, at least. As a professional courtesy.”
“Mn,” Abuin said, ears flicking back.
“I was mostly gathering information because my Guildmaster suggested it,” Nie added, “I’m not particularly attached to any of these merchants other than frequenting their businesses.”
Abuin huffed, then pulled out one of the names and held it out to Shasol.
The valet looked it over briefly, then sighed, “I don’t know what you want me to get from this.”
“They’re Nehma merchants,” Abuin replied.
“They are?” Nie asked, “I hadn’t realized…”
“Just because they’re one of our sellers doesn’t make them a merchant representing the Nehma family,” Shasol said patiently. He looked to Nie, “Abuin has every merchant in the Northern Principality that carries Nehma goods memorized, as well as most of the major dealers in the rest of Rabahn.”
“How many is that?” the human scoffed.
“Three hundred sixty-eight in Remeh,” Abuin answered, “Eight hundred forty-six in the Northern Principality. An additional seventy-four major dealers in the rest of Rabahn – twenty-six in the West, thirty-two in the East, twelve in the South, and four in Central. We have fifteen international partners.”
“He could name them all for you,” Shasol said.
“I’ll listen,” Nie said, still finding holding actual conversations with his betrothed a bit surreal.
The remainder of the tea was, indeed, taken up by Abuin recounting all of the Nehma-employed merchants and businesses that carried Nehma goods in Remeh – even just listing the names, there wasn’t time for more than that. Nie honestly hadn’t realized how personally invested his betrothed was in his family’s business. Most higher nobles would only be able to recall their biggest trade partners and certainly would not be able to name every business carrying their goods.
Shasol looked over the merchants Abuin had approved in the interim, taking down the names of each one. It was also Shasol who stopped the Grand Duke from listing beyond Remeh.
“I’m sure Nie will have enough to do when he takes over managing the household from your aunt,” the Greater Marquis said, “So you’ll still be managing the business end yourself.”
“Why did you memorize them?” Nie asked, knowing very well he had no idea how many vendors even carried Wahnera wine and produce. Gahne and his grandfather might, but likely not to the same degree as Abuin.
“I vet them,” Abuin replied, “And make sure none are doing bad business.”
“That’s a modest way to say he’s expanded the Nehma holdings by more than double despite dropping several of our old major partners by investing in smaller vendors that do fairer business,” Shasol said.
“Mn,” the Grand Duke nodded, “Wahnera does the same.”
“We do?” Nie asked.
“Mn,” Abuin nodded again.
“If you didn’t do fair business, Abby wouldn’t have proposed – no matter how much he liked you personally,” Shasol added – or rather, Nie suspected, explained. Then he asked, “I take it your sister is set to be the next head of household, then?”
“Yes,” Nie replied, “Since I couldn’t have heirs and Wahnera house needs to marry into nobility. I’ve helped manage our household finances, though I’m sure the Nehma books are much thicker.”
“Some experience is better than none, at least,” Shasol shrugged – then rose with a sigh, “Well then – were you planning to attend Hahsen’s dinner party tonight?”
“I didn’t feel it would be appropriate to refuse,” Nie replied, also rising, “Given he’s so kindly offered help to Gahne – wanted or not…”
The valet snorted, “Then you can go as well, can’t you, Abby?”
The Grand Duke whined, finishing off a pastry.
“So you’d rather leave your betrothed to his own devices amongst the higher court?” Shasol arched a brow.
Abuin sighed.
“We’ll see you tonight, Nie,” Shasol said with a satisfied smile.
“Until…” Nie paused, considering, “Ah. Should I… wear Nehma colors?”
It was a common practice during the engagement period – for the requested party to wear the inverted colors of the house they were marrying into. It was not required, particularly not at less formal events such as a dinner party, but it would be their first official outing as an engaged couple. It seemed opportune, though he wasn’t sure if he owned anything red – white accessories were common enough.
“White is hard,” Abuin rumbled as he finally stood.
“You’ll be fine so long as you don’t jump twenty feet down into a garden again,” Nie replied before he thought better of it.
“That’s how you got to the lower debut ball?” Shasol despaired – then paused, “You caught it again.”
“Everyone knows white clothing is difficult to keep clean,” Nie insisted.
The valet sighed, “I suppose…”
Abuin seemed to consider – then leaned down to lick his betrothed’s cheek again before saying, “You’d look good in red, though – it would match your eyes.”
Nie’s face heated in surprise at the repeated gesture, and he cleared his throat, “Well, I’ll… see what I can manage for tonight.”
Shasol snorted, “Come on, Abby – we must prepare as well.”
The Grand Duke and his valet escorted Nie to the Wahnera carriage – keeping the crowd outside at bay. Nie would have liked to say hello to Jahaal and Yorka, but supposed it was for the best.
Gahne had also received an invitation to Duke Wehmra’s dinner party, which was not surprising, and so the siblings prepared together. Nie had brought what few items of finery predominantly featuring red to his sister’s room, and they used a screen to divide the room for privacy as they both decided on their wardrobe.
“He did the mahlem?” Gahne said loudly on her side of the screen in delight, “In public? Twice?”
Nie sighed, having already dressed in a white undershirt, tights, and breeches; and was deciding between the four jackets before him, “The first time was just to distract the other nobles blocking my way into the cafe.”
“And the second?” Fahn, his sister’s best friend who had been asked to come as well, asked from the other side of the screen. Gahne had asked the other Baroness to escort her, wanting to give her friend the same opportunities in the higher court that she was currently being offered.
“The second was his own prerogative,” Nie replied, then sighed again as the girls giggled in delight. He said, “You do recall his interest in me in physical, not romantic, yes?”
“Is that what he said,” Gahne replied, “Or what you assume? Oh, and you know you’re going to pick your summer coat, so just put it on already.”
“It’s too cold for my summer coat,” Nie replied, though he was sorely tempted. It was the coat he usually wore to the ball they held at the country estate every year they made it out, as well as any sparing court events he did attend when it was still warm enough. It was looser than the more formal style, which also worried him, but it had buttons in the shape of peaches and would go nicely with his waistcoat embroidered with peach tree branches in bloom.
“You didn’t answer the question,” Gahne reminded him.
“I had noticed,” her brother said, then rolled his eyes as he pulled on the summer coat, “And it has been rather implied, Gahne.”
“You should ask,” Fahn sighed dreamily, “Maybe the Grand Duke really fell for you after all.”
“You’ve been listening to too much gossip, Lady Mehuin,” Nie said, inspecting himself in a nearby mirror. Abuin had been right – red did bring out his unusually colored eyes of the same shade.
Gahne laughed, “And yet you’re wearing his colors tonight and blush talking about his ‘fake’ romantic overtures.”
“You couldn’t see me when I said it,” Nie scoffed, “And that’s for the benefit of the court dramatizations.”
“I know what your voice sounds like when you blush, Nie,” his sister replied and came around the screen, “See? I knew you’d pick your summer coat.”
Gahne was dressed in an evening gown the green of the Wahnera house, with the pink accents of their secondary house colors. A feathered hairpiece completed the look, pinning her hair out of her face on the right side – indicating her desire to be the requester in a relationship.
Fahn was a step behind her – in the blue and gray of her house of Mehuin, a netted veil of pearls covering her curly blonde and brown streaked hair. It was pinned on the left with a larger pearl hairpiece, showing her openness to being requested.
“I suppose the chill will be worth being comfortable,” Nie sighed, giving himself another look over.
“You don’t think your betrothed will seat you in his lap again?” Gahne teased.
“I don’t think Shasol will allow him to,” Nie replied.
“So… does that mean you would allow him to do so?” Fahn asked, putting a hand to her mouth a bit shyly.
Nie considered, then shrugged, “He is warm.”
Fahn and Gahne shared a look before they both started giggling.
Nie sighed, “You’ve turned around on this very quickly, Gahne.”
“Well, he hasn’t done anything that’s made me want to punch him,” his sister shrugged, “So there’s no real use in continuing to protest when you’ve decided. It’s more fun to tease you about it anyway.”
“My mother said I might be able to catch the eye of an older Marqual rank looking for a third or fourth spouse if I’m lucky,” Fahn sighed, “So I’d much rather romanticize your relationship, Nie.”
“If I manage to request high enough, I’ll ask you to be my second spouse,” Gahne promised, “I’d hate to lose your company to a stuffy old marquis.”
Nie smiled at the pair – if it weren’t for the Mehuin barony being on the cusp of being promoted to a greater barony, he was sure Gahne would have happily requested Fahn as her prime spouse. The two were not romantic but something platonic akin in nature, and would undoubtedly be very happy with each other.
“A gift came for you, young master,” Ervahn, one of the butlers, declared as he knocked on the door to the room.
“Come in,” Gahne called, “A gift?”
Ervahn walked straight to Nie when he entered, holding a small box in two hands with a grin, “From the Nehma Estate.”
“You don’t think it’s a hairpiece, do you?” Fahn asked, “Oh, that would be too romantic!”
Nie sighed, almost certain by the size of the box that it was a hairpiece – and indeed it was, gold in the shape of the silk moths the Nehma family cultivated with small inlaid rubies to give the wings their usual red coloration.
Fahn sighed, dramatically affecting a swoon onto a nearby chaise.
Gahne snickered at the antics, “Want me to put it on for you?”
“You may as well,” Nie sighed, handing it to her, “Thank you, Ervahn.”
Hairpieces were, naturally, a common romantic gift – though not one of particular significance beyond showing one’s fondness publicly. Still, the addition to his already Nehma-favoring outfit made him feel… overdressed, in a way. It wasn’t a particularly large or ostentatious hairpiece, but he worried it was… too much. Shameless, as Greater Baroness Yelmrah had called it.
Of course, the way Gahne affixed the piece just above the bun Nie wore at his nape signaled his status as spoken for – the sleight weight of it making his heart beat just a bit faster.
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