Jonathan

VI

All the boys were in laughs and giggles as the party was getting closer. When it came, they enjoyed it like never before. It was not just a simple birthday party for the prince and heir. It was also the reconfirmation of his engagement. His future bride would attend the party and visit the palace as his fiancée for the first time. The engagement party happened on his twelveth birthday, but he was never informed at that time. He did attend the party and met her whole family. He hardly remembered her now, but at her residence he was walking that evening in the gardens missing his friends, thinking that it was not the birthday celebrations he expected to have, away from home on his special day, although he would have the biggest celebration held so far for the prince in a few days at the palace.

But then far from home just because this family was important and wanted to celebrate him on this particular day, felt wrong. She kindly came to find him, spoke a few words, stole a small smile and guide him back to the party. He was an adorable child, and she was already a woman. One of the kindest. Her heart was probably already stolen, but her young future husband had no part in her despair, so she could only feel sweetness to see him. She was as it was for all people, raised for her task and future. She did not know any other true.

So now at the palace she joined and enjoy the sixteenth birthday of the prince, but they never spoke. They were not supposed to or would ever be force to in any way. But if he had wanted he could have talked to her. Truth is only she remembered their brief meeting that time in the gardens. So she smiled as she tried to find a resemblance of that child in this boy.

Wedding was planned many years ahead. Jonathan knew he was never to be married before twenty-five years old. Although she was seven years older than him, it was a normal thing in these lands. Virginity was only valued in men, because illegitimate children would destroy any kingdom, they believed. Only males would access the throne, although daughters of kings could still provide an heir if direct line of males was empty, that's how this prince found his fate. No women could mistake if they were or not mothers to a particular child, for clear reasons, neither was ever having a child a shameful fact, but it clearly promoted hostility among siblings under direct line to the throne by marriage and blood from the ones who weren't. For which if it happened a named bride was very likely to lose her position and be replaced by a new bride to be.  However in marriage, loyalty was the main rule and widely respected. However heirs were usually married to older women.

But why was his majesty and everyone so blind when it came to Jonathan and Lavinia? She could not have children, that was very well known. She was very young when she was told and she told her friends, the boys. It was taken so naturaly by her and others, that the whole palace respected her strenght. But it was probably when older, that she would understand the effect that the news would have for her, or perhaps by then it would have been completely accepted in her soul. In those days it only meant freedom to love and have the man she wanted.

Would this denial from nature grand her even more power and respect among others? This could never be confirmed, because children were the highest blessing of all, and nobody could ever wish her bad, because the bad was with her already. Was that the root of the kindness and respect she received? Was her wits, her position? A mystery nobody would want to think about.