Dancing On My Own

RELATIONSHIP BUILDING

He doesn't delude himself; in the realm of ancient rulers, he is but a spec. A second-hand Duke turned King in the blink of an eye. But Elias has come far from the humble roots associated with his birth right, and he meets King Graeme on equal footing. Even if the decaying King still considers himself the golden goose that lay Liechtensten's prized egg. "She's the most contended bride I've seen in a generation." Elias layers on, in response to Graeme's barbed response. Joanna said as much; the Stuart's cared for one another, in a way Elias could hardly understand. It had to start from somewhere right? And that happiness should be of more value than Graeme weighed it at. "Actually, I thought I might help you with something." He prefaces, settling across from him. "Since we are about to be family and allies." He add with a ginger smile. "I wished to inform you of an... Auspicious opportunity. Involving my new alliance with Russia and her allyship with the Vatican."

"It's the Royal Wedding of the year, what did you expect?" anyone who'd glanced at King Graeme's checkbook for this event would certainly know just how much went into the whole affair. Not only was this his youngest child, but it was the first Scottish royal wedding of this generation. It had to set the tone for the others and the pressure was surely on both countries to make it perfect. "Honey, I wouldn't trade our wedding for anything," she assured him, hands sliding up to his rather broad shoulders, "It was precisely about one sixteenth of the work for this one, so I was carefree and well-rested." A proud grin rested on her face as he doted upon her. Gizella sank into a dream-like haze each time Elias complimented her or boasted about her, the wishes of a lovesick princess all coming true and each time it felt entirely brand new. She reached up to her toes to place a very well-intentioned kiss to her husband's lips, a soft whimper humming through her throat. "Well, we are the ruling monarchs of an entire country and people will be awaiting the announcement of an heir," though she may not have been intentionally trying to get pregnant, as the idea of being a mother was all-together terrifying, "If anything, we can just blame it on that."

"Guess I didn't expect much of anything from Ruby. Least of all a wedding." Elias would've bet money the Schellenberg's didn't have that his brother would be the eternal bachelor. Then again, he also would've bet on his own non-existent fortune that he'd never marry himself. But Gizella's what happens when Elias is making other plans. "I'm glad. We only get one, after all." Sure, they could afford a grander one at any point. Or splurge on some extravagant wedding vow renewal. But Elias likes the singularity of one wedding day; his simple tux and the pink sheen on Gizella is uneclipsable in memory. "Besides, we more than made up for it with the honeymoon." He teases, wandering hands touching her back from beneath the fabric of her shirt. Those long days and nights spent together, fervent and untamed. Elias is already imagining it when Gizella makes mention of an heir. Fatherhood, like marriage, is something Elias never expected in his life. With her, however... He's reframed expectations. "You mean a baby, don't you, love?" Elias teases, noting the impersonal way heir sounds compared to a child of their own. The wistful energy is there, but replaced with something more serious as he takes stock of Gizella's every expression. "You know I don't care what other people want, right?" If he did, he'd concern himself with the fact that everyone wanted any other Schellenberg but he for the crown. "I just care about what you want, if you ever want it."

❛your welcome for that.❜ they add with a cheeky note. it has been well worth it even if their parents would punish her. the late rulers of prussia loved their children, dotted on them, and in the same breath weren't shy of discipling their children when needed. losing them had been a below that the wagner children are still recovering from in many ways, but of them all, it is their eldest brother who had finished grieving them. it has been too long since her brother cracked jokes as often, a side of him that was seldom seen due to circumstances. that's what mal is afraid of the most, that her brother would lose himself in all of this. worse, that if he enters this loveless marriage with the dutch princess, what will it do to him? has he even considered this? ❛he can't really do anything, we're not married yet. not to mention, her future husband could give a rat's ass as to what she's doing.❜ the look that briefly crosses his features is not missed by the crown princess. perhaps she too was making a dumb decision with her chosen intended. ❛you get drunk enough home. it's more important for you to be sober tonight.❜ his alcohol intake has also not gone amiss, but given the position he's in right now, under so many eyes since his engagement, javi had to be on his toes tonight. the last thing she wants for him is to have his name plastered across the media for the wrong reasons. ❛oh, javi...what happened?❜ her hand squeezes his, ❛maybe she thinks she's doing a favor given your engagement and all.❜ in truth, mal suspects that just as he couldn't be away from the scot, she too couldn't, not for long anyway. both of her brows arch as she eyes her brother, ❛you would sound more convincing if you had more to say about her. I don't not like her, I don't know her. while i'm sure she's smart and could do well for prussia, she's not the one for you." she was just so....how does mal put it? cold. everything her brother is not. she'd been pleasant enough with malai, even nice enough, but wouldn't most women in her position? try to get along with her husband's siblings, but there's an aloofness to the blonde that made her worry about javi all the more. even if she didn't love javi, would valencia care for him?

"Wow... Love story for the ages." He doubles back at Mal with a pointed lift of his brow. Devotion to his sister aside, few people in this world are willing to give Javier righteous hell. And in turn, he does her the same courtesy. That's the plight of siblings, after all. "Maybe I should ask you why you think a loveless marriage will be worth it." Between the two of them, maybe they'll come up with an answer that satisfied the whisper of their parents' souls in the back of their minds. The very ones that cared for love, above all else. "Sober, charming, Kingly." He lists off the litany things he needs to be, winking at his sister. "Easy." And it is for him. Natural charisma has been his friend over the years, in place of his sister's brilliance. Sighing, he ruminates on Isolde's fate and the privacy she demanded. "It's just... A lot more than you can imagine. But that's all I can truly say about it. Okay?" There's an unspoken look in his eye - there are some things he couldn't say, for her sake. He says in regards to his fiance. "And we both know how rare loyalty is when you're royal. Maybe it's time to get to know her better? I mean... The wedding day's coming up."

❛does my husband look like the sort that needs constant tending?❜ most women speak of their desire to be a mother, and for most it was not a thought or even life's greatest desire to be one, it was simply a known fact that once they wed, they'd have children. however, in the case of minty, she has not met another woman who looks as joyed as minty does when she first reveals to amara that her greatest desire is to be a mother. coming from the english princess who's reputation is of ice and frost, one would be astonished. but the empress who's seen at hand how this woman cares for her little siblings, just one glimpse and the italian knew minty would be a wonderful mother someday. her hazel orbs don't waver from the other's gaze, steady as it is laced with ache for one of her longest friend. it's rare to be on the receiving end of her impatience, still when it comes she remains unfazed. she knows, parties are the last places minty wants to be, but still amara is glad the other came, if only for a chance ( however minuscule ) that minty would speak to her fiancee. ❛i know.❜ she whispers,❛ while i understand why you did this, your not saving him. let me ask you something, what exactly do you think will happen if you walk out of his life? the way I see this is you both will remain miserable away from another, or if ( which she doubts zian will ) he marries another, he will make the woman miserable in a loveless marriage. it makes no sense, minty, no matter which way you view it.❜ her hand reaches out brushing the other's stray strand away, meeting the others gaze, ❛your not a mess, your heart is broken, your in pain. cry as much as you need, until you can't anymore.❜ she pauses, ❛i know you wanted to bear his children, but this doesn't mean the end of motherhood. you have options, so many of them. don't throw away a bright future over something that's not impossible, don't throw the love your life away. you will hurt right now, and perhaps for some time, but you will be happy again, too, i promise you this. it will be worse if you walk out of his life.❜

"No, but he seems like the sort that would do anything to get out of here." It's no misjudgement, either. Everything Amara said about her husband proved it so. Which really, only adds to the culminating grief. Amara is here for her. Yet another person that's forced to endure because Araminta can't pull it together. She bears the weight of her friend's tough-as-nails compassion, flickering between Amara's unyielding gaze and the tentative one of her fiance. Exhaling softly, she attempts to cut through the noise and listen. "I don't want to lose him, but I..." She hesitates, tightening her grip around her wrist. "I don't know how to fall back in his arms, and not worry about the parts of him that wish for that."