In The Name of Love

“What a day,” Minna whispers to Fifi as they follow their parents and younger brother out of the Great Hall. The Performance Round has just concluded, and now they go to supper, where Minna must decide which suitors will stay for the Questioning and which must pack their bags and leave in disgrace.

Fifi nods in agreement but says nothing; she’s become increasingly introspective as the day has worn on, and Minna would be worried about her if she were not so preoccupied with the choices she must make. The suitors certainly haven’t been making this process easy for her. Aside from the caricaturist in the Visual Arts Round, King Ansgar ejected only one other suitor—Duke Gustav of Punthar. As if his dark cloak and vampiric features were not damning enough, his ‘performance’ was a bit of puppetry in which the puppet, a black cat Minna is convinced used to be alive and has been preserved after death in some unholy fashion, made several lewd and suggestive remarks towards Minna. She was horribly uncomfortable, but fortunately King Ansgar wasted no time in having the Hedersvakt remove him from the room. He even muttered something about stripping the Duke of his title as the doors of the Great Hall closed behind him.

“Minna, if you let that pompous Lord Felix of Donthur stay, you’re a fool,” Emrik declares as soon as the Royal Family reaches their private dining room, where they cannot be overheard by any of the suitors. “He talked for ages and never actually said anything!”

“I have no intention of letting him remain here past the evening meal,” Minna assures her younger brother, wincing at the memory of Felix’s baffling ‘performance.’ How anyone could call it that and mean it Minna does not know; Felix simply spoke at length, weaving a gnarled tangle of convoluted nonsense he alone was daft enough to consider a logical discourse. “I’m rather surprised, Father, you didn’t have him thrown out of the hall.”

“Although his blathering could be considered an insult to anyone possessing an intellect, he did not slander either of us directly,” King Ansgar justifies himself. “He has no place in the next round. I am glad you see fit to remove him. Who else must go, in your opinion?

“That young man who twisted himself into a pretzel, for one. Lord Christoffer, was it?”

“Why, what did he do to offend?” Queen Ingrid inquires. “I thought that act rather impressive.”

“As did I, Mother, but he has nothing else to recommend him.” Minna and Fifi exchange a glance, remembering ill-favored Lord Christoffer’s greasy hair, patchy beard, and offensive body odor. Emrik actually gagged during his performance, much to his parents’ displeasure.

“Are you looking to remove a lot of them, Minna?” Emrik asks.

“That depends. Do you have suggestions of whom to eliminate?”

“I just though, if you cut all the ones who lost in an Athletics category, that would narrow the field quite a lot.”

“You can’t cut all of the ones who lost in an Athletics category,” King Ansgar warns. Because some of the royals did, Minna finishes her father’s thought.

“Of course, if you insist, Father, Prince Casimiro will stay,” she sighs. “He is such a conceited lout, though, from what we’ve seen. Perhaps it would do him some good to face rejection—”

“Not in this round or the next. It would place a terrible strain on the Syazonian delegation to have any of their princes eliminated before the final round, as you will—”

“Pardon me, Father, but you made your view quite clear at luncheon. I have no intention to offend any of my royal suitors.”

Beside Minna, Fifi shakes her head. I’ll tell her tonight, what she missed this noontide, Minna promises as their father’s words echo in her head: Princess Wilhelmina. Your brother is right to focus so much on the princes of Syazonia. For the good of Aethyrozia, your favor must fall on one of them.

Even so, as Fifi has pointed out, Minna knows she can’t marry all five Syazonian princes, not that she would want to. And what is the point of giving the ones I’ve already determined I cannot marry false hope? she wonders. Aside from the arrogant Prince Casimiro, his youngest brother, Prince Ramiro, is too young for her, and he looks younger than his purported sixteen years. His poetry recitation was heartfelt, though I would have enjoyed it more if it were set to music, Minna reflects, but he’s still caught somewhere between a boy and a man.

“Dearest, I understand your desire to keep us in the Syazonians’ good graces, but what can they have been thinking, sending that youngest prince here?” Ingrid interjects. “He’s too young for Minna, and too young for these marriage games at all—”

“Maybe so,” King Ansgar allows, “but that is not for us to decide. He is here and competing, and so he shall remain with his brothers. No sense humiliating the lad.”

“Perhaps he could grow up enough for Fifi’s turn,” Emrik suggests with a wicked glint of mischief in his eyes.

“Minna and I couldn’t both marry princes of Syazonia,” Fifi protests immediately. She looks horrified that he’s mentioned her. I’m sure she doesn’t want Father’s attention, nor to think of her own Quest for Favor now, Minna thinks.

“Oh, nonsense. If it was a question of love, I’m sure—” Ingrid begins.

“It would still be out of the question. Josefina is right,” King Ansgar glowers. “Not that it’s possible for anyone to find love in a three day competition, anyway. Love has nothing to do with marriage.”

Queen Ingrid sighs heavily, as does Fifi. Minna’s heart aches; she strives to keep herself externally impassive, but inside she’s trembling. Dare I ask? she wonders. Better to do it now, if I’m going to do it at all, before they start arguing again.

“In that case, Father….” Minna begins, steeling her nerves and trying to find courage. Fifi, please forgive me. I wanted to talk to you first, but I have to know now, while I have the chance. “If a prince of another royal house, rather than Syazonia, were to find favor in my eyes, is it possible that Syazonia could wait until Fifi’s turn—”

“Smitten with Prince Didier, are you?” King Ansgar guesses. Beside Minna, Fifi squirms, and guilt tears through Minna’s insides. “Vyrunia’s much further from home than Syazonia, and an alliance with Vyrunia would be far more beneficial to his father than to me. That prince is an excellent showman, but it should take more than that to tilt the scales in his favor.”

“Let’s wait and see how the next round goes,” Ingrid suggests with desperate, forced cheer. “It’s no question that Prince Didier will advance to the Questioning, along with the princes of Syazonia.”

“And Grand Duke Maksym,” Minna adds, eager to help her mother restore peace and good feelings to their table. “All the royal suitors. And I think we shall also keep that Viscount of Senthior, and Duke Oskar—”

“The juggler?” Emrik asks, wrinkling his nose in disgust. “Why?”

“He seems to have a good sense of humor. The Questioning will determine whether he has anything else to recommend him.”

“The charcoal artist,” Fifi whispers to Minna. “Lord Mathias, I think.”

“Don’t bring Lord Hjalmar back, at least,” Emrik whines. “His playing was terrible.”

“Agreed. He goes. But perhaps you’d recommend me a couple of the nobles’ sons from athletics, who lost to their royal competition but were otherwise competent, to keep?” Minna requests. “I think the field stands to get too narrow if we cut out all the athletic ones who lost.”

“Aye, and we must keep the nobles happy,” King Ansgar grumbles. “Except that Earl of Lyrnola—”

“His son seemed quite unlike him in every way, and he played and sang most pleasingly,” Queen Ingrid interrupts, shooting her husband a meaningful glare. To Minna’s surprise, King Ansgar harrumphs and lets his wife’s word stand. “Do keep him in, Minna. Lord Nicolaas, I believe he is called.”

“Kai,” Fifi corrects under her breath, barely loud enough for Minna to hear.

“I will,” Minna agrees. I think Fifi likes him. I hope I can keep him in for the Ball, if he remains amiable in the Questioning. Maybe this can be beneficial for her, even if I am forced to sacrifice my own happiness.

***~O~***

Fifi stops listening after her mother and Minna have assured Kai’s place in the Questioning. Why did Mother advocate for him? she wonders, shooting the Queen a sideways glance. Just to annoy Father, or for some other reason? She can’t possibly think that he has a chance with Minna. Not that he wants one, anyway. I suppose he did perform well…. She smiles a bit, hoping she gets a chance to tell him that he chose one of her favorite songs. A pleasant surprise, through all this nonsense.

Her mind wanders, thinking back over all the acts of the day. It’s been a lot to take in, and she’s exhausted. Minna has to be even more tired than I am, but you wouldn’t know it by looking at her. She’s every inch the perfect princess, as always, doing her duty for Aethyrozia with grace and a smile. Fifi is glad she has Minna’s Quest for Favor to treat as practice for her own. Were their positions reversed, she doubts she could set a good example for a younger sister, and she’s certain that King Ansgar would be immeasurably frustrated with her. The Visual Arts Round was her favorite, but there weren’t many competitors in that group, and she was more bored than anything during the Athletics competition. But more than a few of the musicians were passable. Minna will probably keep several of them, Fifi muses. And then the Performance Round…so many odd ducks there. I’m not sure what I would do, were the decision mine.

But the decision isn’t hers, for which she is thankful. Everyone speaks of the suitors as though most of them will try again when it’s her turn. It doesn’t seem fair, that I should have this chance to learn about them ahead of my Quest for Favor, when Minna hasn’t had such an opportunity. But then again, she offered me to be Father’s match for Syazonia in her place. She must really like Prince Didier. And I guess I don’t blame her. If we’d been able to talk about it first, I might have volunteered, but it seems so soon…. How can she be sure he’s the one she wants, after only one round of the competition? Father’s right. Three days isn’t enough time to fall in love.

Emrik kicks Fifi under the table, jolting her out of her thoughts. Their servants are clearing away their final course, meaning it’s almost time for them to appear in the suitors’ dining room so that Minna can make her announcement of who will advance to The Questioning.

No chance I’ll get to speak with Kai again, for any reason. The first time was a fluke, and it’s not likely he’ll make it to the Ball, since Father dislikes his father so much, Fifi tells herself. I’m only ornamental, until my own Quest for Favor comes and Father sees fit to dispose of me.