The Prince's Marrow

Chapter 1: The Preparations

Countess Mary Winterford, age thirty, wife of Damian Winterford, an Earl of Lullin, a Duchy under the rule of Duke George and Duchess Ruth Royston.

Had she been told she would become a Countess in her youth, Mary would not have believed even the most trusted of seers, but as life would have it, she held the title and had two daughters and a son to show for it.

Mary met the Winterford brothers during a summer retreat with her parents. She was interested in neither boy, nor were they interested in her, but after tragedy struck the Winterford and Cunningham families, she and Damien became close, bonding over the grief of loss.

For nobility, the prospect of marrying for love isn't entertained or even discussed, but she and her husband were lucky to have shared similar social standings, thus, they're union was permitted. 

However, yet again, tragedy would strike, this time in the form of a war that claimed the life of William, her husband's elder brother, and heir to their fathers title.

Suddenly, Mary found herself thrust into a world of nobility that she and her husband desperately tried to avoid; For they were not interested in the hassle of the politics that came with the rank they inherited, and simply wanted to raise their children in peace.

For the most part, they were able to avoid the scandals and power struggles of the crown, but every so often, the headache of being classified as upper nobility would rear its ugly head and force them into the forefront.

Stopping at the doors of the seamstress shop she was about to enter, Mary took a deep breath to compose herself before turning to her very naughty little girls.

"If I so much as hear a single click of your shoe, you will be sent to bed without dessert for a month's time, and you will spend your days rewriting the family ledgers."

"Yes mother," the girls replied in unison, but Mary knew better than to believe them. 

They were a lovely pair, rough around the edges due to the father's indulgence, but they were living the life that she and her husband dreamed of having as children.

The couple understood that not raising their girls in the way of society could devastate their chances of marrying into a respectable family, but likewise, they wanted their daughters to enjoy the freedoms of childhood for as long as possible.

"One click," Mary repeated, using a finger to point at each of the beauties before her.

Emerald, the oldest, was named for the color of her eyes. She had beautiful long red hair that fell in soft waves, while her younger sister, Allison inherited Mary’s features, with thick blonde hair, mesmerizing blue eyes, and lashes so long they often joked about trimming them.

Mary herself also had red hair, and she too had blue eyes, and while she was grateful that each of her girls inherited something from her, she was equally displeased with how much they resembled their father, despite the painful months she put into their development.

Even her son, Alexander, was the spitting image of the man, only, his blonde locks were paired with blue eyes like hers.

With the warnings out of the way, Mary pushed open the doors of the shop, doing her best impression of a haughty woman of society.

"I've come to take measurements for my daughters. Emerald, Allison, come." Waving her hand, Mary summoned her daughters to stand at her side, and she was relieved to see that they were not already red faced with laughter over what she knew they could tell was an act. "I trust you to choose designs suitable for the honorable young ladies of House Winterford.

By just looking at the girls, the seamstress could tell they were a mischievous pair, but she held her tongue and politely gestured for the eldest to follow her behind a nearby fitting screen.

"Do take care to leave her some room to grow, madam seamstress. My sister and I have unbreakable plans to overeat during the fair." Mary could only pinch the bridge of her nose, hating that Allison, age eight, was too innocent to understand that her words were unbecoming, and she would have to be corrected.

"Allison Winterford. Come," she said with a tone, confusing the child who had only spoken the truth. "Young ladies do not overeat."

"But… you do it all the time." That addition did not come from Allison, but from Emerald, her soon to be eleven-year-old.

"Countess," the seamstress softly interjected, understanding that the main lady of House Winterford had strong competition coming from her very own daughters. "This shop is as successful as it is because gossip does not easily flow through its windows or doors."

Relieved, Mary took another deep breath before she waved her eldest away. 

Scolding them for speaking the truth was something she would never do, even if it was an embarrassing admission.

"Mother, is something wrong?"

"No, my dear girl. Nothing is wrong."

"Then why do you look so sad?" Cupping her daughter's cheeks, Mary leaned in and pressed a kiss to Allison's forehead.

She was not sad, but she was under a lot of pressure at home, and the stress of motherhood was suddenly feeling like a burden, when in fact, she loved every minute of it.

For years the crown avoided their duchy, finding it too ‘underdeveloped’ to waste taxpayer dollars on an excursion or visit, but the newest trend among the upper nobility piqued the King's interest in Lullin, and with his anticipated arrival, Duke Royston was organizing a grand fair.

With little more than a month before the king's supposed visit, the entire duchy was on edge, house Winterford with it.

As a noble house loyal to the throne, the Winterfords' we're expected to aid the duchy in its efforts to rid the king's planned route of danger.

Likewise, any and all labor men they had to offer were summoned to aid in the development of an improved road for the king's carriage.

All of this, of course, was coming directly from the purse of the local nobility, and while they could submit their expenditures to the Duke, who would then turn it over to the king for reimbursement, the truth was that they would receive very little back for their efforts.

Like most noble houses, the Winterfords' made their worth mostly through mining and logging, and although they were fortunate enough to be among the only noble houses to deal in leather, crops, and livestock, even that would not be enough to replenish their foreseen losses.

"My dear, your mother is simply exhausted. I have far too many people who love me to be sad." That was the truth.

Between her husband and her children, Mary lacked little in terms of affection.

Allison did not reply. She simply nodded and used her eyes to explore her surroundings. It was not long before she was called for a fitting, and with both girls' measurements taken, they began looking at fabric samples.

Mary looked on at her excited daughters with a smile, wondering if Damien was having as good a time with Alexander.

"I'm so excited," Emerald said, smiling brightly at the sketch of the gown the seamstress customized to her specifications.

Neither girl wanted to feel restricted, and at their age, they didn't have to deal with the burden of corsets and undercoats, but many in the clothing industry often sewed extremely tight bodices for girls Emerald's age, wanting to prepare them for the agony of a corset earlier in life, but in Lullin, even among the nobility, corsets had since fallen out of fashion in favor of large leather belts.

While they too were restrictive, they were soft compared to the metal torture devices young women of the upper crusts were forced to wear, but even that was too much for Emerald, who experienced it once and refused to ever use the item again.

"Countess Winterford, shall we deliver these designs when ready? There is no need to stress yourself with coming to us directly. We have very capable staff who are able to do onsite alterations."

"That would be lovely," Mary replied, internally rejoicing that she would not have to ride into the city again.

The truth was that their courier had since been hijacked by the duke's family, leaving the Winterfords' to run their own errands.

When Damien suggested to make it a family affair, Mary was full of smiles, and the entire carriage ride into town, she was beaming with excitement, but the sheer masses of people wearing forlorn expressions as they worked double time to make mandatory building improvements that they likely couldn't afford, slightly soured her spirits.

It was an unfair thing, to be expected to go into debt to appease the eye of the king, who would likely never step foot into any of their local eateries, let alone the pub.

Done with the errand, Mary and her daughters stepped out of the shop, only to be greeted by her husband, who held two dessert loaves.

"Honey bread for my darlings," the man said, handing a loaf to each of his daughters before removing a flower from his lapel and putting it behind his wife's ear. "Worry not my love. For this too shall pass." At that moment, Mary wanted nothing more than to hug her husband, but society frowned upon most forms of public displays of affection; thus, she was forced to ignore her desire.

However, she planned to reward the man greatly in bed, and the knowing look in his eye told her that her expression sent the message well.

"Let's hurry back to the carriage," the man commanded, slightly nudging the shoulders of the happily eating girls to encourage them to move.

"Where is Alexander?" Mary questioned, fearful for the boy's safety.

With nobility also came threats, and the moment she had her son, he became a target.

If she had just stopped with Emerald and Allison, the husband of either daughter could inherit the title of Earl, but now that Damien had a male heir, the worth of the girls was now heavily tied to their dowry and business alignments.

"Right over there," Damien replied, pointing to where their son was using a wooden sword to spar with, based on their attire, other little boys from a common house. "It may be time for us to take in wards," the man added, able to see the worry in his wife's eyes. 

It was clear that Alexander was no swordsman, but it wasn't uncommon for nobles to raise young boys as stewards and soldiers meant to serve their families in adulthood.

The friendships built by raising soldiers from childhood often fostered a greater bond between noblemen and companion officers or knights.

It was as clear to her as it was to her husband that Alexander needed other boys to help build his strength, and with a slight nod, she agreed to her husband's hidden request.

"Do commoners really let their young sons go so easily?" 

"They do not," Damien replied with certainty. "However, not much awaits them in the future, and just like us, they want the best for their children." Mary shuddered. 

The foreshadowing in her husband's words made her feel uncomfortable, and she only hoped that the feeling was fueled by stress and nothing more.

She watched as her husband approached the children, handing each of them a copper coin before instructing them to summon their parents to a meeting at the Winterfords' in a fortnight.

She knew the message would be passed down exactly the way it was given because she was almost certain the children would use the coin they were given as proof that they were not simply shirking responsibility.

With Damien and Alexander's return, the family entered their carriage, safe in an environment where they could just be themselves, happy.