[1x1] Matched Together

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

"Very well, miss, I will just wait outside the door for you then," Sonya replied, politely moving away from Ezra. The young maid waited outside of the door in case she changed her mind and decided she would like some help after all. While she waited, she began some light conversation with Ezra.


"I heard you're meeting your fiancé today. Are you looking forward to it?" Being poor herself, Sonya knew she would never be chosen for an arranged marriage. She wondered what it was like for women who would be a part of one.


Sent from my Iphone.

 

[LittleDreamerOfSorts]

Ezra faced the door chewing on her thumb watching it close behind her. She turned back toward the tub of water sitting in front of her. She slipped off her dress and climbed into the water pulling her knees to her chest. The warm water was more pleasant then she had expected. She turned her head hearing the muffled voice make it's way through the door. "I guess" she answered and began scrubbing at the dirt caked to her skin before scrubbing at her hair. She managed to at least get a layer of dirt off before climbing out of the tub and scrubbing herself dry with a towel. She pulled her dress back over her head before opening the door.

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

(( I apologize for not replying yesterday! I was sick in bed with a fever and didn't feel well enough to write a reply. Here's one today though! ))


From Ezra's reply, Sonya wasn't so sure the girl really was looking forward to meeting her fiancé. Nevertheless, it was her job to prepare her for the meeting. When Ezra emerged from the bathroom the maid girl smiled and bowed politely. "You look nice. Shall I help you into your new dress?" Being polite, Sonya waited for Ezra to take off her original dress before she began to help her with the more complicated one. It was a gown of red fabric which nicely complimented her hair. It was a lot of fabric though, and difficult to slip on so the maid helped as best as she could. Once she was finished, she stood back to admire her work. "You look lovely! Is there anything else you'd like me to assist you with before you go?"

 

[LittleDreamerOfSorts]

Ezra looked down at her new gown, finding it much more uncomfortable then any dress she could remember wearing before. She shifted uncomfortably, moving her weight between both feet. "Help, I don't need-" she stopped herself trying to remember her manners. "Actually, I'm not exactly sure how to get these knots out of my hair." She changed her mind, running her fingers through her wet hair that was more a blood red color now that it was drenched.

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

When Ezra stated she needed help with her hair, Sonya quicky rushed to grab a brush from inside a drawer on a vanity before she returned to her side. "Very well, I'll help you remove the knots from your hair," she said, showing Ezra the brush. With the brush in hand, the maid stepped behind her and began to run it through her hair. She tried to be as gentle as she could, but with how tangled and matted Ezra's wild red hair was, she found it difficult not to pull her hair as she brushed. She started from the bottom and slowly worked her way up, hoping she wasn't hurting her. "Forgive me if I causes you any pain, your hair is very full of tangles." Sonya was surprised. It was almost as if Ezra's hair had never been brushed before.

 

[LittleDreamerOfSorts]

Ezra winced feeling the brush pull on her tangles, tilting her head backwards. She brushed her fingers through her tames hair when the girl had finished brushing. It felt like she had lost most of her hair, and maybe she had. Her head felt raw from scrubbing on tugging. She had almost forgotten how bright her hair was. After washing it, the bright red color returned, no longer stifled by dirt and dust. Freckles appeared on her nose that she had forgotten about. She felt a bit more beautiful then she had just a few hours before. It was kind of nice to get all the grime off and have her hair brushed.

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

By the time Sonya had finished running the brush through Ezra's tangled mess of hair, the brush contained red clumps of it. The maid sat the brush aside, feeling bad that she had pulled out that much hair. She usually never pulled much hair when she brushed any other woman's hair, but then again, no head of hair she had ever brushed had so many knots in it. She sat the brush aside and stood back after a moment to admire her work.


"If I may say, Lady Ezra, you look absolutely gorgeous! I'm sure your fiance will be pleased with how beautiful you are." She smiled and stepped back, bowing politely to her. "Shall we call in your grandfather? He seemed eager to see how you would look."

 

[LittleDreamerOfSorts]

Ezra nodded her head playing with her sleeve. The fabric was a bit itchy and she expected to be scratching until she could take the thing off. "Yeah, I'm sure grandfather is eager to see me." She chewed on her lip wondering if the husband she was about to meet would be anything like that horrible boy she had met before coming inside. Hopefully, appearances wouldn't be too important to him. Maybe then she could manage a more simple dress that was more comfortable.

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

"Very well," Sonya replied, "I will tell him that he can come in and look at you." The maid turned and exited the room, talking to Earl for a moment before inviting him to go into the room. She wandered back into the room ahead of the old man to quickly adjust Ezra's dress a little more. The brunette knew she had done everything she could for Ezra and that she looked very beautiful.


Earl hobbled into the room with his cane, looking Ezra up and down for a moment before giving his opinion. With a slight nod of his head, the man gave his approval. "You look splendid, absolutely splendid," he complimented. He found it amazing how someone who had been so poor and dirty looking the other day was so easily transformed into a beautiful young maiden. "Now that you are prepared, we can leave. I had the owner of this household prepare a carriage for us. I suggest we leave as soon as possible if we want to make it to your new home by this evening." He quickly thanked the maid who had helped Ezra before turning to leave the room so they could walk to the carriage. Sonya politely waved to Earl and Ezra, saying nothing out of respect.

 

[LittleDreamerOfSorts]

Ezra felt her heart race a bit faster at the mention of her new home. It was stranger to hunk how much had changed in a few hours. She went from having no home to having one that was probably similar to place she was standing in. She watched the old man turn and walk out of the room and realized she should probably follow. She headed out of the building, following the old man and walked over to the carriage. She had never been in a carriage before, not that she could remember. More than once, she had almost been run over by one which had made her fear the things.

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

Earl made his way over to the horse drawn carriage set up outside the manor they exited and opened the door, pleased to see all of his belongings packed in the back and ready to go. He climbed inside the carriage with a slight struggle because of his old age, pulling his cane in beside him. He glanced to Ezra, who hadn't gotten in yet, raising an eyebrow at how she looked at the carriage like she had never seen one before. "Are you going to keep staring or are you going to get in?" he questioned.


((You're welcome to do a timeskip for them to arrive at Ezra's fiancé's house. Unless you want to have her talk to Earl for a few more replies.))

 

[LittleDreamerOfSorts]

Ezra gripped the small bag she had carried with her and took a deep breath before stepping inside the carriage. She clutched the bag in her lap, staring out the window as her old life fled behind her. When nothing seemed familiar anymore, she closed her eyes tightly leaning her head back against her seat. Her hand clutched the locket, that was normally hidden beneath her dress line, in habit. Her eyes opened when the carriage had pulled to a stop and she turned her head looking out the window taking her first look at her new life.

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

The ride to Ezra's new home, the Marzon residence in the next town over, took a few hours. Earl was silent most of the time, but occasionally spoke to the red head beside him, lecturing her about how she was to behave in front of the new family and her fiance. Her clutched his cane when he saw that they had arrived, urging Ezra to open the door to her side of the carriage. "Look sharp now, we've arrived to your new home. Remember everything I've talked to you about and mind your manners. If you have a few slip-ups I can blame it on the fact you were stressed out about the trip, but I don't expect that you continue to slip up. Please try to learn from any mistakes you may make so that they do not happen again."


Earl waited for Ezra to exit the carriage, and once she had, he exited himself. The first face they saw was the head of the Marzon family come up to them. He walked up to Earl and shook his hand. "I'm Roy Marzon, I assume you are Earl Winsly, correct?


The old man nodded. "Yes, and this is my granddaughter, Ezra. We've had quite the hard trip. My son and his wife--Ezra's parents--were killed," he lied, "so please excuse us if we seem out of sorts."


Roy frowned. "That must have been awful. The two of you have my condolences." He walked over to Ezra and offered his hand to her. "It's a pleasure to meet you, young lady. You are every bit as beautiful as I have heard." For now, Roy hadn't the slightest clue as to who Ezra really was.

 

[LittleDreamerOfSorts]

Ezra rolled her eyes as soon as the old man stepped out of the carriage, tired of his lectures. She stepped outside and looked up at the mansion. She couldn't tell if it was big for a mansion, but it seemed to be the largest building on earth. She had never seen anything like it. Her eyes widened in awe until she heard the head of the house introduce himself. She turned to Roy and nodded her head respectfully. "You are very kind," she smiled warmly at the man in greeting trying to remember her manners.

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

Roy gently took Ezra's hand and kissed the top of it as a greeting before he let her hand go. "The two of you must be very hungry. Would you like to join my wife and I for dinner? Not to mention, Ezra's fiance as well?" he asked, glancing between Ezra and Earl. "I understand if you would rather not. It has been a rough day for the two of you. If you would like, you may retire to rooms for the night and we can do the introductions in the morning."


Earl scratched the side of his head, thinking over Roy's words. "I think I will let my granddaughter decide. After all, it's her fiance she will be meeting." He glanced to Ezra, waiting for her to give her input. He decided to give her the input just in case she wanted to have a little more time to mentally prepare for things. If not, he would be fine with joining the Marzon family for dinner.

 

[LittleDreamerOfSorts]

Ezra shook her head. "No, I'm fine. Really I am. I would be delighted to join your family for dinner." She replied quickly with her answer. Her eyes moved from Roy's face then to Earl's and back again as her heart sped up. She hadn't realized how nervous she was about meeting her fiancé until the words were out of her mouth. She took in a few deep breaths hiding them behind a smile to calm herself down.

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

When Earl looked at Ezra and saw her suddenly become nervous, he wanted to elbow her and tell her to try better to hide it, but he didn't with Roy standing right there with them. He didn't mind if Ezra was nervous, he just didn't want her to show it in front of Roy of his wife and embarrass him. Immediately, Roy could tell Ezra was nervous. He smiled politely. "Don't be shy, you have nothing to fear in our home. No bandits will be attacking, I can assure you that. Anyhow, please follow me then. I'll take you right to the dining room." Roy gestured for Earl and Ezra to follow him, and began heading into the humongous manor Ezra had been looking at.

 

[LittleDreamerOfSorts]

Ezra rubbed her arm and nodded her head taking her time to reply. "I think I'll feel better once we're inside." She stepped after Roy, following him inside the manor. It was hard to keep her eyes from wandering toward the walls and ceilings to take in all the extravagant items the place contained. The place was more beautiful than she could have imagined. It was like stepping into a whole new world. It was strange and surreal.

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

Roy walked into the manor and down a few different halls before he made his way to the dining room. He started bragging about many of the various paintings, sculptures, and artifacts he had in his home, wanting to impress Earl and Ezra. Earl, however, wasn't very interested. His thoughts drifted away from the facts and onto the thought of how much money he would make by the time Ezra had been married to her fiance. He delighted in those thoughts, and wanted more than anything for Roy to pick up his pace and take the two of them to his dinning room.


Eventually, Roy made his way into the dining room which was also very fancy and decorated. It had fine white pillars and a long mahogany dining table that currently had silverware and plates of ivory sitting in front of every seat. Chefs stood along the walls, holding trays of food. The only other person in the room who was noticeably not a member of staff was a woman with curly locks of golden hair who was dressed in a fancy coral colored gown. She stood up and rushed over to Ezra and Earl. "My, is this the girl?" she asked, looking to Roy.


Roy nodded. "Yes, this is our son's fiancee, Miss Ezra, and this is her grandfather, Sir Earl. Miss Ezra, Sir Earl, I'd like for you to meet my wife, Grace."


Grace smiled and went to hug Ezra instead of simply shaking her hand. "Wonderful! It's a pleasure to meet you!" she exclaimed happily. Earl was a bit surprised at how friendly the two of them were. But then again, they really hadn't got to know the two of them yet. They could have been completely different, for all he knew.

 

[LittleDreamerOfSorts]

Ezra followed Roy's gestures as he explained the various items scattered throughout his home. The place seemed so big, it was like a maze. She wasn't sure she could remember where the front door was. Her nervousness forgotten and replaced by awe for the place she had set foot in. Her pace slowed as they entered the dining room. Her eyes landed on Grace as she was introduced. She was caught off guard when the women went in for a hug. "Oh, uh" She hugged the girl awkwardly. "It's good to meet you too." she agreed and turned looking around the room for any sign of a boy around her age.

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

After Ezra parted from the hug with his wife, Roy immediately saw Ezra start to look around the room. It took him a moment before he realized who she must have been looking for. "Ah, you must be looking for your fiance. He will be out in just a moment. He must be still getting ready. Why don't we all have a seat while we wait for him?" Roy said, gesturing to the table. He walked over to the table and pulled out a chair for Ezra, before walking to the other side of the table to pull out a chair for his wife. He sat down with his wife and began to chat with Earl, asking him questions about the details of their trip.


In the other room, Henry had just finished putting on anther dress tunic after having taken another bath. His parents really had scolded him for getting so messy before, so he wanted to look hes best and be on his best behavior for his new fiance. After all, he wasn't going to let one little dirty, greasy red head spoil his afternoon. He wandered out of his room and to the dining area, stopping when he stood in the doorway. His mouth fell open when his eyes landed upon Ezra, and he openly stared at her. It couldn't be so! Either his eyes were playing tricks on him, or this girl... was the same dirty girl from earlier!

 

[LittleDreamerOfSorts]

Ezra nodded and took her seat at the table. She rested her hands in her lap turning her head to follow the conversation, but didn't seem to have anything to contribute herself. She faked a smile every so often when necessary and then turned her head feeling eyes on the back of her. She spotted the boy standing in the door way and immediately recognized him. Her smile faded away and she quickly turned her head away looking down at the table cloth. Her head screamed a fit of 'no's repeated over and over.

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

Ezra wasn't the only one frowning after her eyes met Henry's. The calm expression the blond wore upon approaching the doorway quickly melted away as he stared at the red head. Unlike Ezra, he couldn't even fake a smile. When Henry's parents saw they look on their son's face, his father scolded him.


"It's rude to stare," said Roy. "Come in here and meet your fiancée."


Henry quickly straightened up and walked into the dining area. "Are you sure she is my fiancée?" he asked, giving Ezra an opening displeased look. There was no way that the same girl who had caused him to fall in the mud this morning could be his fiancée! He just couldn't believe it!

 

[LittleDreamerOfSorts]

Ezra listened to the boy's footsteps as he walked from the doorway to his chair. She kept her eyes on the fabric on the table deciding that was the best way to deal with the situation in front of her. She kept her opinion to herself after his comment and lifted her head. "I um- I think I need some air." she stated and pushed her chair backwards, standing up. Her disapproving eyes met with the horrible boy's for a moment before she turned and walked out of the room.

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

"How rude!" Grace cried, disapproving of her son's comment. "Of course she is your fiancée! She is the only young woman in the room, isn't she?"


Henry sighed, watching Ezra get up from her chair. "My apologies, I only questioned it because I have met this girl before."


Earl's heart skipped a nervous beat at Henry's words, suddenly worried. "You have?"


"Yes, I met her this morning when I went to deliver some packages for grandmother. She looked... quite different than she does now."


Earl bit his lip, realizing Henry must have seen Ezra when she was still dirty, before she had been cleaned up. "Ah, this morning was rough for us. We were just recovering from our attack the night before. I hope you forgive her if she seemed a bit tired and dirty."


"Of course he will," Roy said, answering for his son. He had no idea Henry was really more upset about how she had acted rather than how dirty she was. He turned to look at Ezra who was still standing. "If you would like to get some air, why not take Henry with you? I'm sure he will be much politer to you from now on."