A Business Most Personal [GoblinFae!]

[Zane]

Hannah stood in the antechamber to the chapel, waiting for the doors to open and her father to walk her down the aisle. Most any other bride would be giddy, or anxious, or trying to warm cold feet. But not Hannah. This was merely another business deal. Marrying her family fortune to an old name with influence. Buying with flesh access to resources that her family business could trade and boost their own profits. To her, this was a good thing. What she hated about it, was the fact that it was done behind her back.

As the Lone Heiress, she was set to inherit everything in just 3 more short years, but her father had gone around her, and married her off. "Why did you do it father? If you don't tell me now, you might miss the chance to gloat."

"Gloat? I merely wanted to best for my only daug-"

"Don't give me that shit, you've hated me since Grandmother wrote you out and passed the Name on to me."

"Fair enough, By marrying you- the lone heiress -off, the Torva Fortune and Business goes with you, as a Dowry to Lord Conlaoch. Since I can't have it, neither can you."

Hannah rolled her eyes, "As I live and breathe father, you are a petty and idiotic creature. What is my husband's is my own, you've only furthered my wea-" She felt his hand close around her throat.

"You will not talk to me that way you insolent child."

It was then, that Dally spoke up, "Lord Torva, if you leave a mark on the bride, I'm afraid the day may bring some complications." Seeing the logic of the statement, Hannah's father released her. Dally was Hannah's personal servant. And he helped to look out for her in various ways. He produced a bouquet of white roses, save for one large, purple rose in the center. If one looked close, the purple rose had several black petals. The colors of house Torva.

"Thank you, Dally. You never fail to come through." Hannah said as she took the flowers in hand. Her father looped her arm in his. As the doors opened before them, a bride in a white gown and fire for hair walked up to meet her husband for the first time.

[GoblinFae]

While the bride and her father quarreled, the groom stood patiently if a bit anxiously at the altar. The traditionally quiet, dark-haired man cracked a small crooked smile as he caught sight of his younger siblings coming down the aisle. Sweet little Rhodri was being led down wide-eyed by his elder sister Thrya who looked as uncomfortable in a dress as any preteen young lady who would rather be climbing trees like a hooligan than attending her older brother's wedding.

Thyra had not been pleased with the idea of Ithel marrying for anything less than love. The marriage being solely out of business had appalled her so much so that she had refused to speak to her elder brother for weeks in silent protest. The thought of another woman coming into the house with as much authority has Ithel that could in a way replace her absent mother as well as negate whatever authority she herself held at nine years of age was both terrifying and infuriating. It was only out of obligation and begrudging love for her brother that Thyra fulfilled her duties as a sister and bridesmaid.

Behind them came the terrible twins, a believed curse in Connlaoth but ever so precious to Ithel. Keeleigh and Kermit stuck their tongues out at each other and elbowed each other on their way down the aisle, causing Keeleigh's flowers to spill some from her little basket and the rings to bounce precariously on the pillow that Kermit held. It was only the warning clearing of Ithel's throat and the quick separation to opposite sides of the alter that kept them from doing more harm.

At last the music changed and Ithel found his eyes drawn back towards the woman who that very moment was about to come his wife. She was as much a stranger to him as he was to her but in that moment Ithel's heart soared. Hannah Trova was an angel. There simply was no other explanation for such pure grace and beauty. The nobleman had eyes only for her as his heart thundered in his chest. When he had agreed to the marriage agreement, he certainly had not taken into account that his future wife would be quite so captivating.

'So begins the adventure,' he thought wistfully as he bowed his head respectfully to her and her father in greeting.

[Zane]

Walking down the aisle was a slow process, her father led with a slow pace to music with a slow meter. It drove her up a wall. Hannah liked to be prompt, quick, get things done as quick as they could be, time wasted was money lost. Her face, however, belied her feelings. A nervous smile with a small inconstant quiver of the lip. Quite the blushing bride she was.

Hannah was happy to note that- despite this was a small affair -she recognized most everyone in attendance. Most of the adults were invested in the Torva Winery, the rest were very loyal customers any one of many trade markets that the Torva Trading Company were sticking it's hands in. Not my company, not yet at least.. three more years, she reminded herself.

Her father passed her hands over to Ithel, and she studied him, her eyes very quickly scrutinizing over the little things. She had to admit, he was handsome. Very subtly, she dipped her head to him. If you hadn't been right next to her, or specifically looking for it, you might not have noticed it. As the priest stood before the soon wedded couple, the music quieted to a lull.

"Friends, family, and honored guests, we have gathered here today..."

[GoblinFae]

Ithel tried to remain focused on the ceremony even as his mind swirled with thoughts of their future together. Stoically he wondered if she worried over the same things, if she would even come to accept him as anything more than a stranger she shared a home with. Perhaps one day she would accept him as a friend, he hoped.

Dark eyes slid to the side frequently to observe her as his every thought was filled with her. The feel of her warm hands pressed into his own cool, nervous ones, the ethereal beauty of her first appearance into his life, the idea of life perhaps not quite so alone anymore, all of it made his heart thrum sharply within his chest though none of his emotions waxed over his features.

He was so deep in his thoughts that he did not even notice how his now bored youngest brother had taken to walking from his seat to the side all the way up to where the soon to be wed couple stood until Rhodri was tugging gently on his trouser leg. The guests twittered amongst themselves quietly as Ithel begged forgiveness of Hannah and bent down on one knee with a smile on his face to greet the boy.

"You need to go back to your seat little man," he murmured softly, ruffling the boy's hair as he did.
"Up," the boy begged with a raise of his arms. "Night-night," Rhodri continued, signaling in the only way a two year old boy could that he was ready for his nap.

With a smile and shake of his head to an approaching servant, Ithel swept the boy up into his arms, cradling the small body against him with an arm over the boy's legs as Rhodri readily wrapped his arms about his older brother's neck and rested his head down for sleep.

Ithel quietly apologized again to Hannah before sheepishly nodding to the priest that the wedding could continue. His family meant everything to him and he had not even stopped to consider whether or not he should cater to his smallest brother's needs before readily doing so. It was only afterwards that the nobleman wondered what the noblewoman beside him thought of him and his little family. In that moment he prayed to god that she would not hate the children who knew only his familial love of late. With his free hand, he tentatively reached out for hers as if afraid she would be disgusted by his touch after he had caused such a disruption in their wedding, the supposed happiest day for any new bride's life.

[Zane]

With the slight interruption, Hannah was briefly confused, who was this boy? Why weren't his parents attending to him? Why was he so familiar with Lord Conlaoch that he'd come to him for all things? Then Hannah recalled a rumor she'd heard about the man, filling his father's shoes. It occurred to her that instant when her very soon to be husband picked up the boy, that Ithel Conlaoch was just a man with an old last name trying to do right for his family- a man who would always choose his family above all else, no matter the situation. She respected that. Hannah had long lost track of how much money she spent trying to find some way to aid her mother in her failing health.

And suddenly, her heart ached. That's who was missing. Before leaving for the wedding, her mother had fallen more ill, and was unfit to travel. She would have to later ask Dally to keep try and keep tabs on her health, should she recover some, Hannah would have her brought up post haste. Turning her focus back to Ithel, she placed her hand in his. Even if she hated the man with all her being, she wouldn't embarrass him on their wedding day by refusing him that. Least of all that they were in front of his family, her friends, and business investors in what would- in mere moments -be their company. But she did so without misgiving.

She turned to address the minister, "Please Father, carry on."

The clergy cleared his throat and continued, "And it is within the brilliant and all-revealing light of Angsar that I shall bind this couple, where lies corrode and dark intents crumble. Ithel Conlaoch, do you take this woman, Hannah Torva, to be your wife? Will you honor her, her family, and her name? Will you guide her dutifully through days both bright and mirthful or dark and overwhelming, as Angsar guides you, for as long as you both shall live?"

On the bright side, if Hannah suddenly decided she couldn't go through with this, at least she could choke herself on the religious fluff spilling from the Preacher's mouth.

[GoblinFae]

This was it. This was the moment when Ithel Conlaoch, eligible bachelor, stand-in father of four, head of the Conlaoch family, and disputed heir to the Hellvion duchy agreed to renounce his single life for a life bound to another human being for the rest of both of their lives, to a woman who until she stood beside him at the altar he had never even met.

He licked his dried lips, wondering at when they had gotten to such a state as he turned to look at Hannah straight on. Ithel wanted her to see his sincerity when he said his vows. He wanted her to know that he would do his very best to do right by her no matter what. Their may have just been business but it was a business most personal to Ithel. He was a man of honor and he would accord Hannah all the respect that she deserved and more. She would be well taken care of and supported whether she liked him or not, though he prayed again that she could find it within herself to at the very least tolerate him.

"I do," he intoned clearly and deeply for all to hear. He took the vow to heart and such intensity shone through his normally reserved features. Ithel may not have loved Hannah Torva, but she would not live a life of misery and he wanted her to know that. With a little red head, now fast asleep pressed against his cheek and her hand within his own larger one, the nobleman gave hers a very light and gentle squeeze of assurance even as the minster continued on with Hannah's vows and Ithel waited almost apprehensively for her to make the same lifetime commitment of staying at his side.

[Zane]

"And do you, Hannah Torva, take this man, Ithel Conlaoch, to be your husband? Will you honor him, his family, and his name? Will you follow him, trusting him to lead though days plentiful and scarce, as you follow and trust Angsar, for as long as you both shall live?"

Two simple words. That was all that was left to do, all that remained to make this marriage final, this most personal business a done deal. Two simple words that held a lifetime of impact for her. Unlike any business deal before, her everything was on the line. This was her name, her business, her life. This was her status, her title, her fortunes. This was her all and everything.

She could feel all the eyes on her, all the expectation. She could feel the words forming on her lips. She wouldn't back out now.

"I do."

The preacher turned back to Ithel and uttered with a smile, "You may kiss the Bride."

[GoblinFae]

Ithel blinked slowly for a moment as if he had forgotten about the traditional couple's kiss at the end of the ceremony. Instead his mind was heavily debating how to approach his bride without insulting her or their guests. For an arranged marriage that Hannah had no part in save for the end when she walked down the aisle, Ithel felt it was somewhat wrong to swoop in and kiss her on the lips as if he were a man laying his claim on her for the world to see. The nobleman knew that such marriages and actions happened every day, yet he did not wish to be that man. A kiss on her cheek though could be seen as insult that she was no more important to him than any other woman he would greet on the street, for such was the Connlaothian way. For a woman that was his wife in name and law now, Ithel could not bear to offer such an insult.

With a quiet if somewhat shaky sigh and a twitch of his lips, Ithel made his choice and bowed low over the hand still grasped within his own. Careful not to spend his sleeping brother tumbling as he did so, the nobleman placed a chaste, yet tender kiss upon the knuckles of her hand, his eyes trained downwards on her hand out of respect.

[Zane]

How, unorthodox.

All the same, people still clapped. Hannah didn't know what to make of it, she was expecting any number of ways that he would have tried kissing her, but that hadn't been one of them. Was she offended? Frankly, she didn't yet know herself. The bride had to admit, it had been a unique wedding, unlike any she had been to. From the child sleeping on Ithel's shoulder, to the slight tingling that replaced his lips on the back of her hand.

As she and Ithel were ushered out of the chapel by the minister, she still didn't know what to think, but she had plenty of time to decide what to think about it. After all, she would likely be with this man for the rest of her natural life.

[GoblinFae]

As he made his way down the aisle with his wife at his side, Ithel could not help but think of how strange it was to even think that. He was married now. Hannah Torva was now Hannah Conlaoch and a woman to whom he was forever bound. He stared ahead as they made their way to the heavy oak doors and the carriage that awaited beyond them to take them both to his home where a reception would be held to celebrate the joining of new money to old name.

Behind him he could already hear his six year old twin siblings starting up again with their antics even despite Thyra's attempts to keep them in line. A turn of his head though in their direction followed by a slight but stern shake of his head quieted them at least momentarily.

While Ithel opened the door of their carriage for Hannah, a servant gathered up his three remaining siblings and ushered them over to their own. His siblings would arrive not long after he and Hannah did with the guests arriving a bit later so that the new couple could freshen up and the final arrangements could be made in the manor before receiving everyone.

Reluctant to let go of little Rhodri, Ithel continued to cradle him close even as he followed Hannah into the carriage and sat opposite her. A final wave to the guests and the carriage was soon off, bumping the three occupants back towards home.

[Zane]

Hannah sat quietly in the carriage, taking it all in. Doing what she could to suppress the rising nerve. Hannah Torva didn't get nervous. But she wasn't Hannah Torva anymore, was she? No, now she was Hannah Conlaoch. She placed her hand on the bench in order to readjust herself, to her surprise would be something she recognized. It was the product of her first trade negotiation.

"I must admit, it's nice to know my husband is also a customer." She said in a hushed tone, as to not wake the sleeping child. Rasping her knuckles lightly against the wood of the Carriage, "Imperial Mahogany, Torva Trading Company acquired the logging company that provides this wood about three years ago."

[GoblinFae]

He glanced up in surprise at the sound of her voice before smiling a small almost sad smile. Rubbing Rhodri's back, he replied in an equally quiet tone. "My father had an eye for beautiful things and a shrewd business sense. I'm glad such a small thing pleases you. Hopefully it will not be the last."

His dark eyes stared at her over the top of the boy's head as he found himself drifting deep in thought. Ithel did not know what to say to her. Even in social settings he had always been the listener not the instigator of conversations. He was a master collector of words but always seemed to have more trouble releasing them than acquiring them.

"When we arrive you will have a chance to meet my siblings if it pleases you. I hope their behavior today has not put you off them already. I fear their attention-spans are not meant for such verbose ceremonies."

[Zane]

Hannah waved off his concern, "While I admit that children are not my greatest strength, I can understand their plight. Nothing like a long winded preacher during the lazy part of the day to really get the blood flowing." She added the last sentence with a smile, hoping to be friendly with her husband. Hoping all the more that he wouldn't mind her somewhat free tongue.

"So what's his name?" She asked, nodding the the boy, "To my shame, I'm afraid that I don't know much at all about you or your family. This being our first meeting and all."

[GoblinFae]

Ithel nodded absent-mindedly as he adjusted his little brother who was squirming to get comfortable now that they were sitting. Once the boy settled again, now draped over his elder brother's lap, the nobleman finally let his eyes draw away from the child.

"Rhodri. We call him Rhodi though. He's the baby of our little family being only two. Our little sweetheart," Ithel added quietly with a glance downward. "Is there something in particular you wish to know about me or us? I will try my best to be open with you and answer your questions. I can understand that this...situation must be less than ideal for you. For my part in that I am sorry."

[Zane]

Hannah leaned forward, draping her arms across her knees, "I'm usually pretty quick on the uptake of things, what with being a businesswoman and all. But anything you could tell me that you think I could benefit from would be most appreciated."

[GoblinFae]

The nobleman hummed softly, feeling a bit slapped in the face as it were. Yet, even he mentally chided himself for thinking she would want to discuss anything other than business. It was an arranged marriage after all and as she said, she was a woman of business herself.

In a formal sort of tone Ithel began detailing how things would work now that they were married. "You will be provided with your own space and study to work in and conduct your business in away from the children and myself so that you may always have your own peace of mind. Should there be something that you require, you need only ask and I will do whatever is in my power to provide for you. This may be a...loveless marriage but that does not mean it has to be an awful one. Otherwise you will be free to enjoy your days as you wish. Does that help you? We are a...boring family if you will Lady T-Hannah. There is not much worth telling I'm afraid."

[Zane]

Hannah blinked at him, taken aback by his sudden formal tone, his phrasing seemed- to her -indignantly done. He had seemed much warmer a moment before, "I'm sorry? If I've said something to irk you, then I beg your pardons. Also, your statements conflict with each other. It maybe a loveless marriage, yet if I need something all I need do is ask? I don't know for certain what that is, but I know it isn't loveless."

She looked down and took a deep breath, "Look Ithel, my parents have a loveless marriage. My mother has been bedridden for the past year, and my father doesn't have a care in the world. And while I am uncertain as to what I want from this union. I know I don't want a loveless marriage, but I also don't know you. And I don't know how to go about knowing you or your family other than simply being with you or by treating you like clients..." Hannah trailed off as she noticed Rhodri stir, unsure if he would wake. Then the carriage started to slow.

[GoblinFae]

"I am not a monster Hannah. I would not see you suffer just because you are married to me. You will still be treated as a member of our household. It is basic human kindness and courtesy to ensure you are taken care of. Surely you must know that," he replied without malice, only confusion.

As the carriage pulled to a stop, Ithel paused before moving to exit as if he was debating with himself on saying something. At last though, with his hand on the door handle, he worked up his courage and added, "you will have all the time in the world to get to know us should you choose to. You just will not be forced to do so. This is your home too Hannah for whatever that may be worth to you."

He then slipped out of the carriage and offered a hand to help her down even as the servants came out to greet him and the second carriage began to pull in through the property gate before needing to reach the main gate, closer to the manor.

[Zane]

I never said you were a monster.

Hannah didn't know what to make of Ithel. She didn't know if she should even try making something out of him. She tried opening up to him and he seemed indifferent about it. Like it mattered not to him either way. That pissed her off. Further, he had said that she would have a study to 'conduct her business'. Did he not want her for the lucrative business that is the Torva Trading Company? He seemed to aloof to want her for her body. Then just why did her marry her? She hoped to find out soon.

Putting on the mask that she had been perfecting all her life, she looked happy and carefree, the epitome of ataraxia. She accepted his hand and walked out of the carriage.

[GoblinFae]

A middle-aged woman with graying hair hurried over to the pair, a wide smile lighting up her features as she did so. Ithel carefully handed over his youngest sibling to her waiting arms for her to cradle the small boy close in a loving manner.

"Welcome home milord! How was the wedding?" she asked hopefully, causing Ithel to smile softly in return as he answered. "It went well, Moiran. Rhodi fell asleep halfway through it. Otherwise no one else pitched any fits."

"Poor dear it was his nap-time and everything," she cooed, petting back Rhodri's hair from his face. "I'll have one of the girls take him right up then." A nod of her head brought a younger maid over to quickly scoop the boy up with her own fond smile.

"Let him know when he wakes that he can come down and join everyone for some cake," Ithel quietly ordered her as he watched him be taken inside to his room. At the same time the second carriage pulled up and his siblings immediately came pouring out of it in a jumbled rush as they hurried to race each other into the house.

"I had a nice pair of trousers laid out for Miss T," Moiran informed Ithel calmly to his obvious relief. "I thought it would be prudent given the fuss she gave this morning about the dress.

"Thank you, Moiran. You always think of everything. I don't know what I would do without me." Moiran laughed and blushed, joking that he would manage even as she preened under his compliments. In a lower voice though he leaned in and asked quietly, "how is she today?"

The look that came over the older woman's face was telling though. A sadness clouded her eyes and though the smile remained on her face there was no joy in it anymore. Moiran shook her head slightly. "The doctor came today...she would have been proud of you today Ithel," she stated changing topics while placing a comforting hand on his bicep. "They both would."

Ithel nodded his head slightly in thanks, feeling too grieved to say more. "Please have the children back down when they are refreshed so that they can meet their new sister. I trust everything else is ready then?" It was Moiran's turn to nod as her smile once more brightened.

"Just as you requested milord. Now, do I get to meet your beautiful bride, Ithel or are you going to keep us all waiting for an eternity." While her ribbing was good-natured it did cause Ithel to blush darkly and lower his head in embarrassment.

"Forgive me, both of you I have been quite rude indeed. Hannah this is our housekeeper Moiran. She runs the day to day affairs of the household and ensures the children are cared for properly. Moiran this is Hannah," he continued, pausing for only half a heartbeat if he should call her his wife or not.

"If you be needing anything milady, you need only ask and I will see that it is taken care of," Moiran informed her brightly. "You are family here and I speak on behalf of all of us here that we wish to make you feel as welcome as possible my dear."