#rightbacktoyou

Joseph walked into the castle after leaving his horse at the stables. He'd gone out hunting with his father early in the morning, a task he was all too eager to fill seeing as his wife was incredibly unpleasant in the mornings. Lately she'd been unpleasant in general, but it was far less tolerable once he'd just woken up. He makes his way up to his chambers, stopping at the kitchen for a piece of bread to hold him over until the next meal, allowing his servants to flit about him while they removed his protective clothing and got him cleaned and dressed for the day. He decided maybe he should go see his wife, no matter how much he didn't want to, but he knew they were having guests tonight and it'd be better for them to see the happy couple. He nearly snorts at the thought as he walks into her chambers. "Good morning, love," he says as her new hand maiden adjusts her corset. "And who might you be?" he asks curiously.

Mariane: Mariane heard the prince speak, and she bit on the inside of her cheek to remain focused on the task at hand. "Good morning," The princess answered nonchalantly as she stared into the mirror, running her hands over her clothing, "Have I gained weight, love? Be truly honest." She muttered, and Mariane lifted a brow before she looked up briefly at the prince when he talked to her, and she straightened up, folding her hands over the skirts of her dress, doing a small curtsy, "My name is Mariane, my lord. I am Princess Emilia's hand maiden." She announced and smiled briefly, before she dared to look up at him, and for a minute her eyes met his and a rush drained the blood from her face before she quickly bit her lower lip and turned away to focus on getting the princess ready.

Joseph rolled his eyes a bit at Emilia's question, coming up towards them when Mariane spoke. He smiled, dipping his head a bit in an imitation of a bow. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mariane," he states, giving her a kind smile, nearly losing himself in her eyes when they met his. When she looks away, he turns back to his wife and comes to rest a hand on the small of her back. "If anything I'm sure you've lost weight. You hardly allow yourself the pleasure of eating a full meal before you claim that you're full," he points out, brushing her hair away from her shoulder and pressing a kiss to her skin. "Now," he starts, eyes moving to Mariane as he speaks to Emilia who was still looking at herself in the mirror, "You look stunning, and we have guests. We must go down to meet them soon, lest they assume we're being rude." he says, eyes drifting back to Emilia.

Mariane: Mariane was pinning up the curled tendrils into the princess' hair as she watched the prince move around her, and she held her breath, almost staring when his lips touched her shoulder, before she quickly looked down, heat rising in her cheeks when her heart skipped a beat an unfamiliar bubble of jealousy sprang with her chest. Emilia smiled and turned to Joseph, "Let's go then." She told him, and Mariane stepped back to do another curtsy. The princess' room was a mess of clothes and hair adornments and she needed to clean it then start the princess' bath so it would be ready for her after the guests left. Mariane couldn't help but peer up at the prince and watch him, his grace, his beauty from afar

Joseph smiled a bit when Emilia turned to him, giving Mariane a nod when she curtsied and turning to lead Emilia out of the room. He turned his head a bit to look at Mariane one last time, catching her staring and giving her a wink before leading Emilia to their guests. It was boring, to say the least, and he found his mind straying to his wife's new hand maiden. the girl was beautiful, more beautiful than any girl he'd seen before. She was tiny with dark hair and hazel eyes and her mouth begged to be kissed. He had a hard time consentrating, and found the first excuse he could to head back to his wife's chambers after the guests had left and she was led to bathe. He walked in, hoping to find Mariane still in there, knowing she'd be adjusting Emilia's room for her return.

Mariane: Mariane was cleaning the room, arranging everything - but oh, all she could think about was that playful wink her prince had sent her before he left. She smiled when she remembered him - his face so perfectly sculpted, those freckles and moles scattered along his neck and jaw, decorating his perfect appearance. Mariane realized she should not be thinking like that, and bit her lip as she collected the princess' robes and anything the princess needed, frowning when she couldn't find the slippers.

Joseph watches Mariane for a moment, a small smile on his lips. "If you're looking for the slippers, Emilia keeps a pair in the bathing room. There's no need for you to find the ones in here," he tells her, walking into the room and glancing around. The room was spotless, if anything, Mariane was good at her duties. "So, Miss Mariane, tell me about yourself," he says as he walks towards Emilia's vanity, picking up a few items to look them over and taking care to put them back where he found them so as not to mess up her work. He turns, giving her an expectant look.

Mariane: Mariane quickly sat up from her posture to look at the door when she heard the prince's voice and she blinked once, before she took a deep breath and nodded slowly, "I...thank you, my lord. Pardon my lack of knowledge, I'm fairly a novice at this." She said quickly as she got and smoothed her skirts, before she looked up at him and stared a little surprised, "M-me?" She asked before shrugging a little, melting a little before his expectant soft gaze, "There's nothing of interest about me, my lord. I'm but a maiden who needs to support her family, that is all." She explained briefly and smiled a little, before her eyes drifted to the ground.

Joseph chuckles lightly and waves his hand a bit, dismissing her apology. "Don't trouble yourself, love. It's a perfectly acceptable slip up," he assures her, before tilting his head curiously. "I doubt that," he says when she tells him there was nothing of interest about her. "I'm quite interested, actually. Surely you've got likes and dislikes, just as anyone else would." he says, walking towards the edge of the bed. "You must have passions other than cleaning after the princess, do you not?" he questions, feeling warmth spread through him the closer he got to Mariane. "No boy waiting for you to come back home?"

Mariane: Mariane looked up at him when he started walking towards the bed, towards where she stood, and she pursed her lips, smiling a little when the blush spread over her face again and she looked down. "I do." She answered softly and shrugged, "I love...I love to read." She shrugged a little, "I'm the only one of my family who can read.." She explained slowly and pursed her lips, then looked up when he was in front of her, before she shook her head slowly, "N-no...no boy. I haven't had the fortune of..falling in the love..I..I intend to marry out of love and..should it not happen then I shall not marry."

Joseph gives a soft smile as she speaks. He could listen to her voice for hours, it was so soft and melodic. "Are you self taught?" he asks curiously as he stood in front of her, hands clasped behind his back. "Marriage born out of love. That's a strange concept, isn't it?" he asks with an almost defeated smile. "It's a luxury us royals cannot afford, sadly." he tells her, reaching out to run his fingers down to seam of the robe she held. "Emilia and I, we've been engaged since I was six years old," he murmurs, glancing up to meet her eyes. "We needed to form an alliance with her kingdom, and what better way than to marry the next heirs?"

Mariane: Marian smiled a little and nodded once, "I am." She said slowly, "I'm the youngest in my family - my older siblings and parents worked all the time, and I was usually alone so I taught myself. They got me books and I learned on my own." She nodded once before she looked up at him and frown when she saw the saddened smile. She looked down at the robe, more likely at his hands - Those hands...She shook herself out of her thoughts before she'd think past propriety and looked up at him, her eyes finding his, "That's hardly fair." She said, the urge to comfort tearing her apart, "But you're...you'll be a good king, if you're so willing to sacrifice your liberty to love for your people." She said softly, in attempt to make him feel better and smiled up at him.

Joseph listens to her intently, smiling at her words. "That's very impressive. I remember even my teacher had a hard time showing myself and Emilia about school," he says absently, sighing out a soft laugh when she said how unfair it was that they couldn't marry for love. "We're privileged in many ways, love. Just not in that," he says with a slight shrug, smiling when she said he'd be a great king. "You seem to have more faith in me than my wife."

Mariane: Mariane smiled up at him broadly, her cheeks reddening under effect of his compliment, "It truly was difficult - I suppose I simply had a lot of unoccupied time as a child." She shrugged and shook her head, "But your majesty, of all privileges we've been given as human, love is one that simply can not be replaced by money or fortune." She shook her head slowly, "It is hardly fair." She said and looked down, resisting the urge to reach out and touch his arm. She smiled and nodded once, "I've been told I was a good judge of character." She said, then realized she'd kept her gaze up far too long, and her eyes drifted to the ground, "Pardon me." She whispered.

Joseph nods a bit in interest. "It makes sense. Most children would go out an play, wouldn't they?" he asks, shrugging a bit at her next words. He used to think the same way in his more rebellious moments, but it'd always been Emilia since he could remember. He did think he truly love her once, but it had been more a love born out of obligation than it being born out of actual desire to love her. "It's the life of a royal," he sighs, but he gives her a bright smile. "you must be," he says before drowning slightly. "Pardon for what, love?"

Mariane: "They would. I did." Mariane said with a smile, "I just preferred to read more." She explained and shrugged once. She sighed softly when he simply regarded the misfortune of his as the life of a royal, and she pursed her lips when she saw his bright smile. She looked down immediately, and frowned when he asked why'd she'd ask his forgiveness," For..for my disrespect and insolence, your majesty. I'm but a maiden. We speak as thought we were friends. It's not my right. It's disrespectful of me." She explained and blinked, keeping her eyes trained to the ground.

Joseph sighs, shaking his head. "Is that what Emilia told you?" he asks, reaching to tilt her chin up. "A servant, a maiden has as much freedom as the royal allows them to have. If a talk to you as I would a friend, I expect the same of you," he tells her, his thumb stroking over her jaw. "In my presence I expect that," he murmurs, eyes traveling over her face. He could kiss her right now, like he's been thinking about all night, but he refrains and drops his hand. "Understood?"