It's not that Alaric hates banquets, galas, parties, festivals, and the like. He doesn't enjoy them, but he doesn't hate them either. He never has, even when he had Elyria by his side and Barrowmere had never known the effects of a curse. Those events are designed for nobles who want something. Those who are looking to gain benefits by mingling with others and striking deals under the glittering lights of chandeliers.
As for Alaric, there's nothing he has to gain from the other nobles. His position is stable. The people of his territory are taken care of. He has a wife. Again. While he's still processing the unexpected feelings that Lenore has brought up in him, he knows that families wouldn't be rushing to enter their daughters into an arranged marriage with him unless they had severe financial struggles that require the resources of a duke to fix.
It's possible that there are nobles who might want to build connections with him, especially once it's revealed that the curse over the land has weakened.
With a sigh, Alaric looks at himself in the mirror. His outfit is new, even if it's been sitting in his wardrobe for weeks now. It was delivered with Lenore's wardrobe, matching the gown that she'll be wearing to the banquet. While it might not seem like much, it's a subtle way to support her. To show the nobles in attendance that he's standing with her. He doesn't know if Claude Rowanhart will try and pull her back into his schemes now that she has the position of a duchess. Still, it's not difficult to throw his power behind her in this simple manner.
Somehow, the banquet hasn't even started, and Alaric longs for the moment when he can return to the townhouse when it's over.
-:-
Lenore has never been to a high society event like the emperor's birthday banquet before. At least, not as far as she can remember. She's excited and anxious in equal parts, and neither feeling is helped by how still she has to be in order for an entire set of maids to prepare her for the banquet. Some focus on her clothes. Others, her hair. And one spends her time carefully applying makeup to Lenore's face. Not a lot, she says, but enough to exude the elegance of a duchess.
She's exhausted by the time they finish, her knees ready to buckle after standing so still for so long as more clothing and jewels were put on her. When she looks in the mirror, she doesn't recognize the woman staring back at her.
Her reflection feels like a stranger, but not in a bad way. Not necessarily. Instead, she feels like a child being told that the reflection she sees is an image of her from the future. A distant idea that she's not sure she fully believes. After years of being ignored and treated like a ghost, servant, and burden in her uncle's home, the idea of wearing such a radiant outfit feels impossible.
At the same time, it makes something she can't identify shift in her chest. A vague emotion that tells her this new image that she sees in the mirror is a good thing. It proves that she's stepping into her own life instead of the life orchestrated by her uncle, even if he was the one who forced her into this role.
He likely never thought that Alaric would be so kind to her. That she would be allowed to make decisions and help care for an estate. She doesn't feel entirely free from her uncle's influence over her life, and there are days where the shadows of his control stretch longer. But she's learning. She's growing. And now, instead of being surrounded by disdain, she's surrounded by kindness.
At her maids' insistence, Lenore walks across the dressing room and back, testing her outfit and shoes to make sure she's as comfortable as possible. Her steps are a bit slower under the weight of the dress, accessories, and expectations. However, she's able to move without stumbling and maintain proper posture, and that's already a huge relief. After all, she doesn't want to embarrass Alaric.
The compliments of the servants sound distant compared to the roar of her heartbeat in her ears as Lenore makes her way to the entrance hall of the townhouse where she's agreed to meet up with Alaric and her family. Her family would be riding a carriage that Alaric had the Rowanhart symbol painted on. The viscount version. Meanwhile, Lenore would ride with Alaric in a carriage that proudly displayed the symbol of the Duke of Barrowmere.
Lenore finds everybody else already in the hall and waiting for her. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize that you were all prepared already."
Her mom and sister don't bother to downplay their joy and awe at seeing Lenore in her outfit, but her dad and brother seem torn. Like there's a sense of pride that's dulled by the guilt they still carry over being unable to bring her back home.
As for Alaric, he simply meets her halfway up the stairs to help her down the rest of the way with a small, yet genuine, smile. "You look beautiful."
Lenore feels the heat rise in her face. "You look good, too."
It's not a lie or said out of obligation. Alaric is a handsome man in general, and now he's wearing a full suit with a cloak that's pinned with a brooch shaped into the symbol of Barrowmere. But more importantly, his suit matches her dress to the extent that anybody who looks at them will know that they are a couple attending the banquet together. It's a color scheme carefully selected to accent Lenore's appearance without using gold or red, the colors of the imperial family. Instead, she's dressed in dark blue that shimmers with silver embroidery and accents, making her feel like she's wrapped in the night sky.
After a round of pleasantries and compliments with her family, they all board their carriages and start heading to the banquet.
It's the first time Lenore will see her uncle and cousin since they sent her away, and she's not sure what to expect. But when Alaric silently grabs her hand to keep her grounded, she knows that she can handle anything that comes next.
She's not alone anymore.