The Bride of the Immortal (41 page)

“Er…. the ring. I’ve commissioned it. It will be ready for the wedding next week.”

“The same design as usual I presume?”

“No, I took the liberty of choosing one that will go well with the necklace Mairin has inherited from her mother.”

“Her mother’s necklace,” Vivian repeated overly serious. “I see.”

“Would you prefer the standard design with the tiny replica of the hour glass?”

“No, it’s fine Adrijan. It’s just that-“

“Brother,” he groaned. Why didn’t he give up?

“Mhm, mhm… what else is on the list?”

“In addition to the music ensemble for the processional song I’ve invited the Vienna Philharmonic to play for the wedding. The dress fitting will be tomorrow – I hope Mairin will be able to make a choice soon so we can finish in time. I’ve entitled Alfred with the entire decoration of the grand hall. Hm… let’s see…”

“Cake! What about the cake?”

“Designed and ordered. It will be delivered on the day of the wedding. The catering has been discussed with the kitchen staff.”

“Guests?”

“Well… “

“Ah, right. No guests. The orchestra will do.”

“Perhaps Änlin and her daughter Engelin will attend if you invite them.”

“Good thinking. The little one could do as a bridesmaid.”

“Actually Hilda has begged me to let her be a bridesmaid.”

“Then we’ll have two. Or perhaps we should ask some of the other maids as well,” Vivian suggested. “The more the merrier.”

Adrijan frowned. “I guess it serves the initial idea of confusing evil spirits and keeping them away from the real bride,” he muttered.

Vivian shrugged. “What about the priest?”

Adrijan raised his hand. “Present.”

“Are you certain you-?”

“Viv…” he warned him.

“Alright, alright. Of course there’s nobody I’d prefer over you to do the job.”

“Good. I’ve asked Alfred to be the person to give the bride away.”

“Did he agree?”

“I’m very honoured, Sir. I will do my utmost to support Miss Muriel on this special occasion, Sir,” Adrijan mimicked his manservant. To his surprise the old man had not seemed delighted about the upcoming wedding. Perhaps it was due to the amount of work that was related to it.

Vivian grinned. “Sounds like everything is ready. Good job,
frater
.”

“Actually… there’s one more thing.”

“Hm?”

Adrijan took a deep breath.

“Which bedroom should be prepared?”

“It’s too much of a coincidence.”

“Don’t be hasty, let’s-“

Hilda opened the door that had been left ajar, interrupting a conversation Mairin would have liked to overhear. Unfortunately it was too late now to hold her maid back. Despite her nervousness she entered the room with her chin raised.

“Thank you very much for the invitation, Miss von Kirchberg,” she said.

“Let’s not start like this, dear child. You
must
call me Änlin.”

Mairin raised her eyebrows. The only child present was certainly the small girl who stood in the corner of the ‘peach room’ with her arms akimbo.

“May I introduce you to my daughter Engelin?”

“Hello, Engelin,” Mairin said, putting on a smile.

The girl didn’t bother to greet her.

“Don’t mind her manners. I don’t know who she is taking after but as you can see she is a bit of a tomboy.”

“It’s fine,” Mairin urged herself to say.

The girl was pretty, like her mother, but at the same time the differences were conspicuous. Her skin was of a much darker complexion and her short, straight hair that was as black as onyx hardly touched her shoulders. Through hazelnut eyes the girl glared at Mairin making her instantly regret having come empty-handed. Sometimes it was easiest to buy one’s way into a child’s heart with sweets or toys.

“Won’t you have a seat, Mairin? I may call you, Mairin, right? I feel like we’re friends already!”

Mairin nodded with a forced smile, mentally shivering. She had been defeated before ever having waged war. Adrijan and Vivian had told her that they were both clueless about their guest’s identity but she wouldn’t have been surprised to be looking at the female reincarnation of Sun-tzu.

Änlin had chosen well when she had asked Hilda to set everything up in the ‘peach room’. Despite the biting cold that was still reining the lands around
Mondstein
castle the warm tones of the floor, wall and furniture that reached from a subtle rosy red to a light orange, allowed her to experience a pleasant anticipation of warmer seasons. The positive effects the ambience had on her ceased the moment Mairin realised that she was going to be a married woman by the time it was spring.

Engelin joined them at the table, still being openly hostile towards her.

“Really, Engelin, you must not be this impolite towards our guest,” Änlin scolded her without effect.

Hilda approached to take their orders and after the hostess had asked for some tea and it was Mairin’s turn, Engelin pre-empted her.

“I’ll have some cocoa,” she announced cheekily.

“Coffee, please,” Mairin added after a short moment of awkward silence.

“Oh, how vulgar,” Engelin commented in disgust.

She felt like she was dreaming, having to take abuse from this little pain in the neck.

“How old are you, child?”
“How impertinent to ask a lady about her age!” Engelin snapped. “Yet I shall answer since I can see that all hope is lost with you.”
Engelin raised her hands, showing her five fingers on her right and three on her left.
“That makes eight, in case you can't count”
Änlin burst out laughing. "What a girl!"
“
What a brat,
” Mairin corrected Änlin in her thoughts, feverishly trying to stay calm by reminding herself that Engelin was just a child.
“Hear, hear! Her majesty has granted a peasant a spark of her wisdom,” Mairin said and mischievously ruffled Engelin's hair. She knew from her brothers that some children utterly despised being looked down upon and wanted to be treated as equals. Well, she wouldn’t do her that favour.

Engelin hissed and glared at her with her precocious eyes. It was too late though. Her hair already gave the impression that a minor tornado had used it as its playground.

Luckily Hilda prevented the situation from escalating by serving the ordered beverages and Änlin revealed a small surprise she had prepared.

“I hope you like them. I was allowed to use
Mondstein’s
kitchen this morning and decided to make some éclairs.”

“They look delicious,” Mairin said without having to lie. She had to admit that she hadn’t thought the beautiful Änlin capable of preparing food of any kind.

“To me éclairs are the undeniable proof that man created sin,” Änlin jested, handing one to her on a plate.

Mairin took a bite and absorbed all of its wonderful sweetness.

“Tell me, how did you get to know the master of
Mondstein
castle?” the hostess asked.

“I… I was selected to be his bride.”

“But there haven’t been any gatherings for years. Do you know what happened?”

Änlin’s curiosity made her feel uncomfortable.

“I’m not certain, no.”

The hostess elegantly stirred the tea with her pale hand, not allowing the spoon to make a sound by touching the fine porcelain.

“Aren’t you happy that you’ll be wed to Vivian soon? He’s the epitome of a man, don’t you agree? You must be very much in love with him.”

“Well… “
Happiness
… there it was again.

“Are you alright? He didn’t do anything funny to you, did he?”

“No. In the beginning I was scared of him but...”

What was she saying? Änlin was probably getting the wrong idea.

“I didn’t know him well then,” she tried to explain.

“I see,” Änlin said, sounding suspicious. “You should always be able to defend yourself though. Look, I always carry this with me – just in case.”

Mairin almost flinched as Änlin pulled back the sleeve of her dress, revealing a small dagger. “One can never be too careful in a man’s presence, right?”

“Uh… right,” Mairin replied laughing nervously. What was it with that woman? She threw a glance at Engelin to see if the child was scared but the girl was focusing on eating her éclair and didn’t seem to care at all about their conversation.

“Tell me if you need any help.”

Mairin nodded. Änlin seemed to mean well at least.

“I must say that Vivian doesn’t strike me as a man who would do you any harm. I’m not so certain about this other fellow though. What was his name again? Jan? Arian?”

“Are you talking about… the priest – about Adrijan?” Mairin asked unbelievingly.

“Well, you know how it is, all those suppressed desires…” Änlin explained.

She was at a loss for words.

“May I ask you something?” Magdala’s double continued.

“Hm?” Mairin didn’t care for more questions.

“It’s about Vivian. Is there an item he always carries with him? It may look like jewellery… like an hour glass perhaps?”

If she hadn’t already swallowed the last bite of her éclair she would have probably choked on it.

“An hour glass?” she asked, unwilling to reveal her groom’s secret to a stranger. “Hmm.”

“Well?” Änlin’s voice still sounded friendly but also impatient.

“No. I’m sorry. I don’t think there’s anything like it,” she lied. “Why are you asking?”

“It’s a lost family heirloom,” she replied without showing any signs that it wasn’t the truth.

“I hope Vivian will be able to supply you with a clue to its whereabouts at least. His vast knowledge never ceases to amaze me.”

Every further lie seemed to pass her lips more easily than the previous one.

“So you really don’t love him?” Engelin’s sudden question took her with surprise.

“Love who?”

“Vivian of course, your
groom
.” Just with the sound of her voice she had added a ‘stupid’ at the end of the sentence to address her.

“Like your mother suggested, he’s the perfect man,” Mairin avoided her question.

“I see,” Engelin mumbled seemingly unconcerned.

Änlin offered her another éclair but before she could accept the plate, Engelin jumped up from the chair, knocked over her cup of cocoa and calmly watched its still hot content run over the table and on Mairin’s lap.

“Engelin!” her mother exclaimed.

Adrijan’s look fell on the cocoa that was dripping from the table onto Mairin’s lap. Despite what must have just taken place, everyone’s gaze was directed towards him. Quickly he picked up a napkin from the side table next to Hilda and was about to start cleaning the mess when he realised where he was about to touch Mairin. Embarrassed he handed her the piece of cloth and stepped back.

“I apologise for intruding,” he said. “Hilda told me about this small gathering and I decided to invite myself.”

Änlin’s daughter turned away from the table and scurried behind him.

“I’m scared,” she cried. “The evil woman will hurt me, but it was just an accident!”

“Now, now, Engelin. Don’t bother the priest with your silly ideas,” Änlin scolded her.

He questioningly looked at Mairin, who just shrugged and continued to try to contain the cocoa.

“Don’t let her hurt me, Mr. priest!” Engelin begged under tears.

“Nobody is going to hurt you, child,” he tried to comfort her. He couldn’t even imagine Mairin doing something like that, but it was obvious that the girl was hiding from her and nobody else.

“Please, join us, Father,” Änlin invited him, gesturing at the unused chair.

Carefully he loosened Engelin’s grip on his cassock and led her to her mother, gently pushing her forwards. Änlin immediately took the girl into her arms and cradled her, but Engelin continued to cry.

Adrijan was puzzled by the girl’s behaviour as well as by the frown on Mairin’s face. What had happened before he had entered the ‘plum room’? Awkwardly he closed the door, took another napkin and sat down at the table.

“These éclairs look delicious,” he observed in an attempt to lighten the mood.

“Oh, please have one, Father,” Änlin offered as he unfolded the napkin and started to fold it in a different way.