Her Rightful Place

11: The Homecoming

"You girls must be famished after such a long journey. Let us go to the Royal Banquet Hall and sup," King Christophe suggests grandly in an effort to break up the tearful family reunion, which at this point is making everyone except Queen Généviève feel awkward.

"Yes, please," Mireille adds, seeming almost too eager.

The Queen smiles fondly at her and nods. "As you wish, dear. It would be in your friend's best interests. She has a long journey ahead of her tomorrow, after all--"

"I beg your pardon?" Mireille asks, one eyebrow arched. Christelle comes to Mireille's side, eyes wide with something between fear, anger, and indignation. "I think it only fair that Christelle ought to be handsomely rewarded for her help in returning me to my family, and I had hoped that there would be a position for her available in my service. Seeing as you only recognized me half an hour ago, I am certain that something can be arranged."

"Mireille is right, Généviève. Christelle will stay here as Mireille's Lady of Honor," the King proclaims with a wink directed towards the two girls.

The Queen pouts. "But, dear, I thought that Countess Orelanjara would be perfect--"

"As a tutor, mayhap, but the Countess is much older than Mireille, and I think that this transition will be a difficult one. The least we can do is to permit her to keep her extremely loyal best friend here."

"Oh, thank you, Your Majesty!" Mireille and Christelle chorus happily. The Queen frowns.

"It is no problem, girls. After all, I am the King and I rule things, and as such my word is law. We shall procure a duchy for you after supper, Christelle."

The Queen gasps and falls to prayer, even as the King leads them to the Royal Banquet Hall.

"A duchy, Your Majesty?" Christelle inquires.

"Of course! Technically it is unlawful for you to serve such a high position as the Lady of Honor to our only daughter without being of some noble rank, but if I am not mistaken, the Duchess of Alsantias has just passed away without heirs, and it is entirely within my power to grant you that title."

"You are most gracious, my liege."

"Enough formality, please. Mireille, you are to call me Father henceforward, and Christelle, only use such lengthy titles in public. In private like this I suppose Sire will have to do, as nothing else is appropriate."

"Dear, you really should refrain from encouraging such deviation from our customs," the Queen chastises as they sit down at one end of a long table in the Royal Banquet Hall. Servants immediately bring forth their first course. The King and the two girls dig into their food immediately, while the Queen picks at hers, too full of complex emotions to show enthusiasm for anything except worrying.

"My sweet, please remember that our daughter has lived most of her life as a peasant in another country. It will take a good deal of time for her to act the role she was born to fill."

The Queen lets loose her most dramatic gasp of the night.

"Oh, indeed, I had forgotten! And we've been speaking through an interpreter all this time..." the Queen laments. The interpreter, still with them although heretofore forgotten, smiles thinly, no doubt thrilled to be so appreciated. "Mireille, dear, do you speak any Vyrunian at all? What else have you been taught? And do you still practice our Faith?" Mireille stops eating abruptly and stares at the Queen like she has grown another head, then slowly chews her food and swallows before responding.

"As I said earlier, I remember nothing from before I was eight or nine except what comes to me in flashes, on occasion. No Vyrunian, but for a few phrases from Christelle and her family. They taught me to read and write in Mordalcean, and my mentor, Agnes, taught me enough arithmetic to keep the books in our shop," Mireille begins slowly. The interpreter seems pleased that she is making this so easy for him, while the Queen looks slightly more aghast with every word that falls from his lips. "And as for the faith.... I practice my own sort of spirituality. Open practice of religion was banned in Mordalce almost a decade ago. Of course, I know virtually everything there is to know about embroidery and making clothes and sheets and bedspreads and curtains--"