Chapter 6

"HOW DARE HE?!" Griselda screeched while she threw a probably expensive porcelain vase against the ornate and gilded wall of her bedroom. The maid attending to her tonight flinched at the loud crash but dared not to open her mouth.

"He says I should go cool off when he's making goo-goo-eyes at that trollop!" Griselda hissed angrily before stomping to her bed. "How dare that brat even think of making a move on the Prince!"

"Miss maybe...." The maid began but Griselda yelled at her.

"Get out!" The lady growled. "You're just sent here by the palace to keep an eye on me. So get out! I don't need you tonight,"

"As you wish miss," The maid curtsied before quickly leaving. Griselda was now alone in her bedroom and she flopped down on the plush bed covers unceremoniously.

"You know frowning like that is bad for you," A voice suddenly said, causing the woman to leap out of bed. The source of said voice was none other than Krogan who was leaning haughtily against the balcony doorway.

"What do you want?!" Griselda hissed.

"My dear Lady Arkas, I only wish to bid you a good night," Krogan said as he bowed low to her in an exaggerated manner. "I heard what happened at the salon."

"Your manners are as deplorable as ever Krogan," Griselda huffed. "How dare you bring that up,"

"My dear, I am a rogue. I am supposed to have deplorable manners. And be charming at the same time," Krogan smirked as he crossed his arms while looking at the lady which caused Griselda to huff.

"Are you here to just rub it in or are you actually offering your services?" Griselda muttered. "If it's the former I will tell you now to go jump off a tower. If it's the latter I may consider it."

"The Lady is as smart as she is radiant. Of course I will offer you my services."

"Why?" Griselda stood close to Krogan now with a frown and a distrustful look in her eyes. "You're Grimmel's loyal dog. What guarantee do I have that you won't report what I ask of you to him?" Griselda's lips were captured in a wild kiss before she could step back after asking that question. Her eyes widened, blushing in the pale moonlight, as she looked at the smug man on her balcony.

"My feelings for you are my guarantee, sweet lady," Krogan announced. "Will you ever forget about the Prince and be mine?"

"I.... I...." She hesitated, biting her lip momentarily in frustration.

The following morning Astrid found herself looking in the mirror once again. She frowned as she turned slightly to check the fawn-colored dress she was wearing. It was a bit more flattering on her figure than the previous green dress but it had nearly fifteen buttons. That alone annoyed her.

"Miss," Atali called as she stepped into the room while holding a sealed envelope. It had neither a wax seal, denoting that the sender was not a noble, nor did it have the recipient's name attached. "My sister Minden sends her reply. I told her about the job opportunity last night." The maid handed over the letter and Astrid sat down briefly to read it.

Dear Lady Hofferson,

I was quite baffled by my sister's enthusiasm last night until I heard that you may wish to employ me. I am not quite sure what to make of it. Us sisters owe your family a debt of gratitude, not only for taking in my little sister but also for your late mother funding my education. Though I am still quite confused as to why you would wish to hire a woman without nary any experience in the field when there are many more accountants who have much more experience.

My sister is currently berating me for looking a gift horse in the mouth, yet I can't help but feel insecure about my abilities at this point. Would you be willing to meet with me the day after tomorrow to discuss this further?

Yours with esteem,

Minden

"Your sister wishes to meet me first the day after tomorrow," Astrid said as she rummaged for her stationery to write a response. "I'll invite her to the manor."

"Oh right, that's when she has her free day from the vegetable stall." Atali stated. "But won't you be swamped with preparation work for your Coming-of-Age ball that's the day after? I just wish she'd take the job without doubting herself so much." here the maid sighed. "Honestly my sister is very capable but it is the society we live in that keeps putting her down. Even the woman manning the stand she works at keeps telling her that it's better to bag a husband while she's still young."

Astrid actually scoffed at that notion. There was no way a woman as educated as Minden would settle for just any man. Even the women in nobility that attended the Academy tended to not take the courses Minden had followed. Any man she would marry would be intimidated by her education and try to diminish it. Astrid was no fool on how their society worked. The ladies that had a good education in Noble society rarely expressed it as they just referred to their husband's opinion after marriage. It was like a spark had gone out. They were only there to provide heirs and nothing else mattered. That was the miserable side of the society they lived in now.

There was a knock on the door just as Astrid was placing the reply she had written in an envelope. "Come in," She uttered, not looking up from her small desk at the moment.

"Sister," Came the rather demure voice from the doorway and Astrid turned to see Edwin standing there uncertainly, as a bruise was forming on his cheek.

"Who hit you?" She growled as she approached her step-brother. Gently she turned his head and her eyes narrowed at the red mark that was forming. "Atali go get some cool water and a cloth."

"Right away Miss," Atali said as she hurried out of the room.

"Now tell me what happened," Astrid said as she motioned for Edwin to sit down. The boy took a seat on the large wooden chest at the foot of her bed and sighed.

"It's nothing really," Edwin hesitated as he tried to not look Astrid in the eyes.

"Was it Esmeralda?" She then asked.

"Mother wouldn't hit me!" Edwin uttered, his eyes widening at the implication.

"Then who," Astrid asked once more, her voice firmer now.

"It was father," Edwin finally confessed while keeping his head down. "He decided on my marriage partner for me this morning. I declined."

"Who is he setting you up with?" Astrid asked as a headache started forming. They were around marriageable age already so she should have expected this development. Atali burst through the door just then carrying a bowl and towel for the young master.

"Lady Gretchen of the Lavalout Viscounty," Edwin confessed and Astrid made a face briefly to show her constipation.

"Father cannot be serious!" She then exclaimed as she knew the reputation of the Viscounty itself. The Lavalout territory was actually a southern island that had been a small kingdom during the reign of King Sewlin Ghastly. The Lavalout's willingly gave up their sovereignty to join the ever-expanding kingdom. The Lavalout Royal family had given up their Royal status in exchange for peerage within the kingdom, becoming a Viscounty, with the written agreement that the island would be able to keep their 'particular' traditions alive. "The man is absolutely daft!" Astrid muttered then.

With the agreement in place the Lavalouts had pledged unwavering support to the Ghastly Royal family. During the war with the Northlanders, as Quintas Ghastly, Prince Grimmel's father, took the throne, the Lavalouts had supplied over thirty percent of the army alone. This was only possible due to the fact that such a small island kingdom employed extensive slavery in its culture. Conscription had happened all over the kingdom but the amount supplied by the Lavalout's had been staggering. To this day, all thanks to past agreements the Lavalout Viscounty was prosperous mainly thanks to the slave labor they still employed.

Astrid and many other Nobles had been quite sickened by this but there was nothing they could do. The agreements could not be broken so long as the Lavalouts did not rebel and paid their taxes on time. The Lavalout Viscounty was the only territory within the kingdom that encouraged slavery.

"I just don't get it," Edwin whispered.

"Don't get what?" Astrid then asked as she sat beside her brother.

"Why her of all people," Edwin confessed. "For Nobles it's imperative to make good connections through marriage. But while the Lavalout Viscounty is prosperous they don't bring much else to the table. There are no ores or precious gems in the Viscounty nor is it an agricultural treasure."

"You're thinking about this all wrong," Astrid muttered, which caused Edwin to turn his head sharply at his sister. "They offer political support."

"You mean to the Ghastly Royal family?" Edwin frowned. "Do they even need political support? Prince Grimmel is the only heir to the throne."

"For now," Astrid commented, which only earned her a raised brow.

"Grimmel is the son of the second Prince. Lady Griselda is the daughter of the first Prince. If she were to have a son at any time before Grimmel is crowned king then the line of succession would change." Astrid explained. "Seeing as Prince Grimmel was apparently doting on Rosalinda then his ascension to the throne is precarious at best right now if Lady Griselda decides to marry someone else."

"I don't get it," Edwin muttered. "Prince Grimmel is the son of the current King. Should he not be the first in line to the throne?"

"Alexander Ghastly, Quintas Ghastly's elder brother abdicated the throne due to the war. Succession is a bit more complicated in our kingdom. The abdication is for one generation only, and the elder Royal line takes priority. Meaning that if at any point before Grimmel is crowned King, Lady Griselda bears a boy, that child would be in line for the throne before Grimmel as said boy will belong to the eldest Royal line." Astrid explained as Edwin finally got it.

"It seems father wants House Hofferson to be closely associated with Prince Grimmel. First Rosalinda's surprising announcement two days ago that she is being considered as an eligible candidate for marriage to the Prince and then your arranged marriage." She grumbled, not at all looking happy about the prospect. "House Hofferson has stayed neutral all this time. I will not allow us to be swept into the fray as political pawns."

"Miss, what do we do now?" Atali asked. "The young master simply cannot be allowed to marry into such a House."

"We can't do anything for now. I'm not the Head yet. It would be even more troublesome if father announced the engagement before that." She then added. "To break a publicly known engagement is far more scandalous than breaking a private one. Especially since position-wise this is an advantageous engagement to you alone."

"Huh?" Edwin's confusion was visible and Astrid once more groaned. She liked the boy a lot as a brother but his head was in the clouds most of the time causing him to not pay attention to their lessons.

"While father is the Regent of a Marquisdom you are the heir to the Barony. Your engagement is to the heiress of a Viscounty." She deadpanned. A Viscounty is a peerage higher than a Barony so you will be marrying up as they say in society. The lady on the other hand will be seen as marrying beneath her station. People will note that the Barony has nothing to offer the Viscounty and they will gossip. If you reject the engagement once it is public, tongues will wag and you'll be seen as a cad, an idiot and someone who broke a lady's heart." Astrid was being as blunt as possible. Edwin should know all the facts.

"Sis, I don't care! Please find a way to break the engagement!" The boy uttered which caused Astrid to sigh. "Any way is fine, really!"

"Fine, you can leave that to me." Astrid stated. "For now you'll be coming with me. Get your coat and hat. It's best you get some fresh air and away from father for now."

"Where are we going?" Edwin asked, suddenly eager.

"Shopping Edwin. We're going shopping." Astrid smirked. "I need to pick up my dress for the ball as well as get a whole new wardrobe."

The prospect of spending time with Astrid outside the manor was fun, yet the prospect of carrying a lady's shopping was not so fun. Astrid laughed as she watched her step-brother make a face. "Come now, the coachman should be waiting for us."