#with........arthur

A wedding was a joyous occasion no matter who the bride and groom were, but Sophia had a certain fondness for Vitoria and seeing the whole of Mayfair coming out to celebrate her special day, it warmed the princess’s heart. There was a fear that Vitoria would not be willingly accepted into high society, but Sophia was determined to see her friend welcomed with open arms even if it was at her own financial expense. Sophia continued to stand at the edge of the ballroom, watching the couples dance and those gushing over the decorations, it was all as was planned, and then she saw her brother and whatever good mood she was in soon dissipated. “Your majesty appears well entertained this evening and I hope that you can find similar merriment whenever my own marriage is to be, but for that to happen we must solve the matter of my dowry. Tell me, dear brother, is there any news on such a front?” Marriage meant freedom from all of this pomp and circumstance but more importantly, it meant power and influence and while Sophia was still unmarried, she was at the mercy of her brother and her mother.

It pained the princess to admit, but The Gemstone Ball exceeded all of her expectations, from the decorations to the activities planned, it would surely be something that would be spoken of for years to come. Part of her was thrilled for Elizabeth, knowing how much her family had gone through and to see them on such a rise was beyond what anyone could have ever imagined, and such a thought rang true when the princess stepped foot into the Moonstone Room. Summering in pale silver light, Sophia stood in the centre of the room while others gathered to watch her appraisal.  The amethyst silk dress and the matching jewels stood out beneath the moonstone theme and as vain as it might have sounded, Sophia relished at such a thought. “The princess seeks an appraisal but will she be satisfied, we think not. An amethyst was chosen for her gemstone, a stone of wit, protection and restraint but restraint has not preserved her engagements. Two broken promises and we have deemed that this particular stone possess fractures unseen to the naked eye.” Despite the cruel, yet painfully accurate evaluation, the princess held her chin higher even if heat burned beneath her chest and cheeks. The crowd turned to one another, wondering what the princess would do, but instead of causing a scene, she thanked the masked people for their candor and returned to the crowd, only to find her brother the king amongst the audience. “Well, do you agree that I am cracked beyond all repair or are they simply misunderstood? Truly, dear brother, I am not sure which answer I prefer.”

All morning Sophia had been thoroughly evaluated by her majesty who never seemed happier than when she was pointing out her daughters flaws and the severity of them all, thankfully for Sophia, her majesty had deemed her almost beyond repair but claimed that should have no effect on the tsarevich and a potential proposal. It was odd… no one, not even the tsar or the queen of england had yet to listen to their children and their reluctance to such an offer. Once this dreadful meeting was done Sophia was requested, by her majesty, to see her brother Arthur, the queen’s clear favorite but Sophia had an inkling that was more to do with his place in succession than his actual personality. “Apologies for the delay brother, mother had quite a number of flaws to examine and determine so whatever you have to say, please keep in mind that she has almost declared me beyond repair. However will that do when there are so many suitors she wishes to sell me off to?” Sophia had been labelled as spirited to her majesty and everyone knew that meant difficult when it came to the royal family and Sophia was determined to wear such things as a badge of honor. “Since father is indisposed I assume you will be handling any offers. Whatever you do, do not permit someone dull court me or I shall become quite unhappy and we do not want that now, do we?”