Look Beyond What You See

“Is there a place we can sit down?” I wince, sounding more petulant than I wanted to. I can’t help it. We’ve been dancing at this ball for what feels like an eternity, and my feet are killing me because of these insane shoes.

“Certainly, if that is your wish,” Dmitri responds with bemusement, “but I thought we were having a lovely time—”

“Much as I’ve enjoyed the dancing and overhearing the gossip, if some relief is not found for my feet, to release them from the torture devices they’ve been strapped into—”

“Ah, yes, of course. Right this way. There may be some respite near the champagne and hors d’oeuvres.” My fiancé takes my elbow and leads me off the dance floor, but then, much to my dismay, Zinaida floats directly into our path.

“You’ve done absolutely lovely, my darlings. I must say I’m quite impressed,” she gushes, glass of champagne in hand. I barely manage to stifle my groan of exasperation. There’s a seating alcove not twenty paces behind her, but fat chance of getting there now that she’s interrupted us. “You’re absolutely perfectly suited dance partners. I’ve never seen a couple do better. Oh, it’s such a good sign for your future felicitous union! Wouldn’t you agree, Nadezhda, darling?” This last remark is directed towards one of the grey-eyed Russian women who happens to be standing nearby.

“Indeed, they seem quite well-suited,” Nadezhda replies with chilly civility as she surveys us with a critical, disdainful eye. “I just wonder that you chose her for your son, as she comes from such a despicable family. A match with anyone related to your father-in-law’s ruiner would seem most unsuitable, regardless of whatever redeeming qualities she might have.”

Zinaida flushes to the roots of her elaborately coiffed raven hair, whether from shame or fury, I know not.

“Whatever do you mean? What have you against my family?” I ask demurely, playing my part perfectly. Now Nadezhda blushes, appropriately shamed. Zinaida turns a dark look on Nadezhda, but the latter seems not to notice, being too occupied in gazing at me with pity.

“Dear God, don’t you know? Your grandfather is known throughout the civilized world to be a liar, a gambler, and a horrendous cheat,” Nadezhda informs me, trying to justify herself. Like as not she thinks I’m playing the fool, or complicit in Grandfather’s wickedness. But I’ll not give her the satisfaction of being anything less than a perfect lady.

“Forgive me, but I rarely saw my grandparents, and my family was not much for informing me of anything. Pray, if it’s not a terrible inconvenience, do tell me what wrong my family has done. Dmitri and I care so much for each other, you see. I would hate for anything lurking in my past to cause problems for our relationship, especially if such things are no fault of my own.” This inquiry makes Zinaida even more flustered, but Dmitri smiles at me with pride disguised behind an expression of pure affection I hope is concocted for Nadezhda’s benefit.

“Well, my dear, I really don’t feel that it’s my place to tell you. But since those whose place it is seem to have been shirking in their duties, I suppose it can’t hurt for me to explain,” Nadezhda begins.

“Nad--” Zinaida hisses, but the other woman ignores her. I feel a sudden surge of affection for Nadezhda.

“You see, Aerys, a long time ago, well before you were born, your grandfather and your fiancé’s grandfather become fairly well-acquainted. Your grandfather, I am sorry to say, was and is an extremely greedy man and has always had a problem with gambling. It seems he got into some rather dire straits with a few unsavory characters and, out of desperation they say, invited poor Richard Berkeley, Wesley’s father, to a few hands of cards. Naturally Richard accepted the invitation, as he was never the sort to think ill of anyone and quite fancied a good hand of cards, himself. But they say your grandfather cheated most horrendously and swindled poor Richard, ruining his fortune, and the poor man, may he rest in peace, took his own life that same night. Hung himself from a lamppost, they say.” Finally, a coherent explanation of all the remarks I have heard this night, and what misfortune! “The Berkeley family was furious, of course. They still had a good deal of money and even more influence with the British crown, and they put a fair bit of pressure on your grandfather--”

“That is enough!” Zinaida erupts, causing the entire room to fall silent. “You mean to traumatize the poor girl? This is supposed to be a happy occasion! No one ought to be questioning my son’s choice in a bride. Look how happy they are together, and how well suited! He cannot have chosen better, regardless of her breeding.” I know this is a show, but I still appreciate the compliments from Zinaida. Still, the uproar of whispers and murmurs that breaks at the end of her spiel is more than amusing to me. It would appear that the jig is up and a huge storm is about to break.

“Yer son’s choice, eh? That’s why it’s been set in stone since he was but a wee lad?” one of the men I’ve overheard before remarks testily. He has eyes like Dmitri’s, if less enthralling, and a loud orange tuxedo that somehow suits him well. I feel like I would like him, and judging by the amusement and grim pleasure in Dmitri’s eyes, this is one of the relatives he mentioned to me earlier. Zinaida looks like she’s about to explode. “Aye, seems to me that the girl’s sorceress grandmother was pushin’ fer this arrangement t’keep us Berkeleys from murderin’ ’er ’usband fer all ’is misdeeds.”

“And what would you know about that?” Zinaida hisses, her tone dangerously low. Dmitri is wearing an enormous smirk that plainly screams ‘I told you so’ for her benefit in the event that she turns his way.

“Oy, Zina, what games are you playing? You know it’s been common knowledge in the family since the deal was cut, for how else would you explain the money that came to us with the signing of the contract? Why are you trying to hide everything now?” another voice demands from the sea of Berkeley relations.

“There is no reason the poor girl needs to know all this!”

“I do not understand,” I cut in, tired of being talked about over my head as though I am a mere child. “Should I not be entitled to know my own family history? Why should you persist in perpetuating the wrongs they have done me by keeping me woefully uninformed? I feel as though I at least have the right to know the real reason behind this marriage that has been set for me from an early age.”

“Well, ye has that much. Set up by yer grandmother from the very beginnin’,” the relative with the orange suit and heavy accent tells me with the same pity in his eyes Nadezhda had. “Chose ye for Dmitri on merit of yer magic, I’ll warrant.”

“Magic?” I inquire, wide-eyed and innocent. Dmitri squeezes my hand and chuckles almost inaudibly. I’m glad he’s enjoying the show.

“Oh, fer the love of God, no one told the lass about that, either? I don’t see how it’s possible she grew up never knowin’--”

“Her grandmother’s doing, I’m sure. The rest of the family is not the sort to notice such things,” Wesley intervenes. I’m glad someone took note of that much.

“I pray she is unlike them in every way,” Nadezhda mutters.

“Very much so,” Dmitri assures her. Zinaida is seething, no doubt irked that her master plan to keep me ignorant has gone up in flames.

“Lassie, surely ye’ve noticed that ye’ve talents fer some things. They just come more easily t’ye than t’most,” Orange Suit continues. “An’ that’ll be because of yer magical talent. But the real test is if ye can manipulate any elements with it, because if ye cannot, it matters not how compatible ye an’ yer fiancé seem--”

“And now our charade, too, shall be finished,” Dmitri interrupts. “Aerys and I have been exploring her gift a bit since she came here, and she has a strong talent for the manipulation of water.” All manner of mutterings rise from the group of his relatives at this revelation.

“Water and fire? Have they ever been successfully mixed like this?” one whisperer nearby wonders.

“And when were you planning to tell us this, son?” Zinaida demands.

“When you decided it was acceptable for Aerys to have knowledge of her own abilities, and of ours,” Dmitri replies calmly.

“Obviously you told her of our abilities and in so doing broke your promise to me.”

“She guessed it, actually, after you left her alone in the library and she found the book on elementals.” This is apparently too much for Zinaida to handle; her eyes widen and glaze over, then fall shut as she slumps lifelessly to the floor.

***~O~***