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AURELLA would have joined her bethroted at the centre of the dining hall of the Cintran royal palace, twirling and spinning to the rythm of the cheerful ballad that was being played by the musicians, if only she'd known how to dance.
According to Melisent, not being able to dance was her greatest flaw along with her impulsivity. Alas, there was nothing she could really do to solve the problem except continuing to try out in secret with her tutor. In fact, it was because of little details such as this one that people could see she wasn't a real royal, that in the end she was just a farm girl with a privilege.
Her tutor in "lady manners" was named Idriza, an old noble woman whose horrible personality had caused her to be removed of her charges as the queen's handmaiden during her youth. Because of this dreadful event, Idriza had become even more bitter and stiff, ready to reject all of her repressed anger and, precisely, bitterness on Aurella.
What Aurella found incredibly funny was how tragic it seemed for both Idriza and Melisent that she wasn't able to make a single move without stepping on her dancing partner's foot. In fact, the two ladies had suggested Aurella's "defect" remain a secret amongst Novigrad's courtesans and decided to spread the rumour according to which a rare disease caused her to sprain her ankles very easily.
However, Hebert was not completely dumb. He had immediately noticed how incapable of dancing his fiancée was and, luckily, he was amused by this little detail rather than outraged.
It was still very difficult for Aurella to adapt to court life and realise she would soon rule on Novigrad with Hebert. Just some months before, she had been taking care of her cows at the family farm, then something unexpected had happened. She had always been known in her village as "the beautiful and kind daughter of Basila", the girl who would make the perfect wife, not only skilled but also educated. Basila had made sacrifices to afford a private tutor for her daughter, so that she could one day try to become something more. Aurella had learned how to read and write as a child, and when she came of age, her tutor promised Basila to repay her.
Aurella's teacher was a powerful mage, a counselor for the lords of Novigrad who had obtained all of her knowledge from years of training in Aretuza. As a repayment, she had informed the rulers of Novigrad of Aurella's incredible beauty and virtues. Soon, princes, kings, lords and knights rushed from all farthest reaches of the kingdom with one intention: coming to ask for her hand.
It had taken months and months of decision-making with Basila, followed by months of uncertainty for Aurella, and finally, the soon to be king of Novigrad had shown up to the girl's humble house.
