Two Of The Same Piece || Book 1 (The Beginning)

CHAPTER 27

Josephine grimaced, riding through the marketplace. After shopping at Bellamin's beautiful boutiques, this place seemed like a farm. It was disgraceful that warmongering people like the Bellans had such beauty and she didn't. Oh how desperately she wished for such a beautiful and stable kingdom! But it was impossible, especially with Thinlinytes.

Josephine groaned at the thought of two particular Bellans. Rave and Irene were both in Thinlin. To plan the wedding between Taiskin and Rina. It was not formally accepted yet, but everyone knew. They would actually have two weddings, one in Thinlin and one in Bellayong. She had sent Rave to the pleasure villages in the countryside to find a place for the ceremony.

Of all the places, she had chosen a garden. A garden. Were they peasants? To get married in gardens and forests? Josephine hadn't said anything only due to the fact that it was custom to let the groom's family plan and pick the wedding venues. Though Rina has thrown tantrums, she had relented.

Josephine had to deal with Rina's continuous tantrums. When Rina complained, Irene wasn't much help. She seemed more than happy about the garden wedding. Rina had screamed that they probably wanted to destroy her special day. To which Josephine had reminded her that Rave was the one who helped finalize the marriage.

Josephine was tired of other people's problems. Why should she care? 'Because it is your duty, the regal part of herself replied.

She had grown to hate that voice. The weight of this crown. The courtiers, emissaries, trade deals, all of it. If she could give it all up to go elsewhere, she would. But alas she could not. What was she without this crown? Nothing. At least Rina or Rave had the power that came with beauty and vanity.

Had they been born peasants, no doubts Rina could have been married off to some lordling, maybe even taken as a mistress for some prince. And Josephine would be left. Her only security in this world was the crown on her head. If she lost it, she would lose her very life. It wasn't fair, but then again, what was?

--

"You know, In Duaetive, some people leave their elderly for dead when it becomes too hard to care for them. Though villages should do the same." Lina said. The villages would do well to rid themselves of the elders but it wasn't Thinlinyte.

They had gone to visit the villages to address the reason for Thinlin's aging population. Thinlin doesn't have many young people, and Josephine needed strong young men and women to build up the country again. But the village elders were strict, unless there was an exchange of dowry from bride to groom, marriage was impossible.

Of course, the groom always asked for a ridiculous amount of money, and legal marriages fell apart. Instead, there were illegal marriages and young couples were fornicating without marriage and a priestess's blessing. Those couples were either lashed or worse, the child was killed. Josephine had personally gone down to the elders and abolished the dowry herself.

"Don't mistake Thinlin for Duaetive, Lina. We don't do these things here." Josephine reminded her.

"I would never," Lina replied.

Lina had become distant to her. She had been so busy recently. Lina had recently just turned twenty-nine, meaning she was nearly undesirable for marriage. Yet she didn't seem to care much. She acted as if it were no matter. While they were riding back to the castle, Lina came up beside her. "One of the princes of Duaetive will be visiting."

"What?" Josephine turned to look at her.

"The younger brother of King Mow. He wishes to marry soon." Lina said.

"Will he be marrying someone here?" Josephine asked.

"No, he will be the next emissary. My father doesn't really want to be an emissary." Lina clarified.