Choice of Romance Reboot

[Myst]

Angelique Girard had been rather late thanks to her maid. The woman was constantly worried about making her mistress look her best and kept changing her mind about how to arrange Angelique's hair. Now the upper half of her vibrant red hair was pinned up with a jeweled comb with the bottom half lay loose around her shoulders.
The gown she wore was pearl grey to accent her eyes.
Princess Angelique arrived just as the King annouced for everyone to go into the banquet. Her eyes scanned the crowd and she spotted a prince, the Cardinal, and a male courtesan among the guests flowing into the banquet hall.
So much for mingling. Not that she cared all that much. Angelique never really talked to that many people when she was around the court. She found the intrigues and gossip very tiring. The peacocks of court were the same no matter what country you were in. They chirped and picked and talked and gossiped about everyone. Who was sleeping with who's wife or husband. Which courtesan was most popular at the moment. Was the babe that one of the Dona's was carrying her husbands or the stablehand's? Which Duke had been discovered by his wife... with a male courtesan.
It was all the same. It was so boring.
No secrets stayed buried here except for the buried in the past that she shared with no one.
But Angelique had learned that talk was the loudest when there was nothing to talk about. That was how rumors were started.
She knew she was whispered about. She didn't care for the most part. It just annoyed her. The ladies were constantly fishing for details about her life back home, about her past. She also knew that they were sending their maids to questions hers for fodder for their gossip. But Angelique had only two maids she had brought from home and only the older one knew of her mistress's past and she trusted the woman to take it to her grave. You couldn't buy that kind of loyalty. It was something you had to earn.

[Padriac Muldoon]

The Cardinal frowned, angrily. He had longed for the throne, and the Queen for a long time now. That King had to go, but how!? He smiled at a dream he remembered long ago.In which he was ruler of the land.

He shook his head and headed down the hall. Pondering ideas in his head. He was walking near the King and Queen, and decided to put on a fake smile and greet them. He quickened his pace and strode to the Queen's side. He turned his head to face the King and Queen.
"Hello your Majesties, are you enjoying the festivities?" he folded his hands in front of him, like he always did.

[InkedWolf]

Isabella looked about as the royals and what not had appeared in her midst. She smiled and bowed politely as instructed by her father. She was there to render a world they desired. Something uninhibited by the limitations of the body. She always enjoyed transcending the ideals set out before her.

Several guests came and talked to her, a few requesting if she'd be willing to accept portrait requests of themselves. She politely bowed her head before responding, "I am flattered you are requesting this of me. However, I am a royal painter. If you would like my services, you will need to make a request of his majesty, the queen or the princess. They're best to discuss the costs as well." As the couple departed a woman came up to admire her painting. She smiled politely as she begged for the woman's attention.

"That is one of my favourites, the princess did a wonderful job posing. I was given some amazing oil paints to create the likeness, even had enough left over for a few works of my own." She smiled warmly, this woman did not seem to have the air of most nobles, she seemed to be interested in the art itself.

[Blue Moon Queen]

"The festivities seem to be progressing quite normally," Isidora said, turning with a smile to the cardinal. "You seem to be enjoying the company as well." She quirkier an eyebrow but smiled. The incident with the male courtesan had already circulated the gossips and made its way to her ear. "I believe my husband has some things he's like to say. We would not like to keep him waiting. Walk with me?"

~~~~~

At the sound of the artist's voice, Jocelyn turned with a smile. "It is a great piece. I enjoy the way you did the brush strokes for her hair. The dress is well done. Beautiful detail. You wouldn't happen to have anything you'd want to sell, would you? I know some people in France who would love to buy your work." Her voice was heavily accented but somehow still understandable.

[Major Ursa]

After a time or two, humbly speaking with a few passing nobles, flirting with others…he spotted the royal painter with some of her portraits and works displayed for all to see. Striding up to them, the quality of the painting caught his knowledgeable eyes, causing him to frown. Crossing his arms over his chest, his body seemed to follow his change in mood, shifting to obvious displeasure. Unable to hold back his criticism, he managed to instead lower the volume and lessen the disappointed tone of voice, “There is no passion to the art. Its like a whore who merely lays in the bed, expecting her client to do all the work…do you paint and expect people to struggle to understand what you paint? You roll in the motion, but that’s about it. There is meaning, but no feeling. Romance without the passion, a marriage without love…” Stopping himself, the courtesan muttered the rest and stared at the artist accusingly, like she had just murdered before his very eyes.

[Padriac Muldoon]

"Of course, of course." The Cardinal said, eager to fulfill the Queen's wishes. However this only fueled his ego, and his intention to seize the throne. "And how is life, being her Majesty the Queen and all?" he asked. He dropped his hands to his sides, and they disappeared beneath his robes.

Beneath his robes, his right hand lightly gripped the handle of his flintlock pistol. ~Should I do it now?~ He thought, he quickly answered himself... ~No,no, they won't make me King if I kill him myself!~

[InkedWolf]

Isabella smiled at the complement. "Thank you M'Lady, I actually have a few personal pieces I'd be happy to let you take a look at."

She felt a little elated to actually have her art leave to foreign lands, "I have several pieces of the local landscape, as well as a few personal portraits of various figures, including one of myself. I'd love to see my art get to new lands." Isabella felt proud for only a short period of time; as another man arrived with a bit more of a harsh critique of her work.

She bowed her head for a moment, carefully choosing her words. "With all due respect Sir, I apologize my paintings do not appeal to you. Although I'd appreciate if you did not use the term whore in reference to me or my art. Although if you do have experience with what you speak of, I'd be honoured if you accompany me to my studio to help elaborate further on this." She was careful to avoid the tremble in her voice, she had to admit the fact this man challenged her was a little frightening, and at the same time it forced her to rise to something higher.

[Major Ursa]

Cecilio tightened his crossed arms, and shifted stiffly at her words, “I cannot teach you the way you want to be taught, I couldn't even give you small pointers, Doña. You’re an artist who can forge a supposed age old masterpiece with a set of brushes and a collection of paints…I’m an artist that paints a fantasy for a single night...using my own body.” Saying this, he set a hand on his chest and gave her a grin daring her to say otherwise, “Would you pay the fee I ask? Learn between the sheets the lessons of primal passion between a man and a woman…as just man and a woman? I think not. You’ll always just be a little girl with her paint set, and I’ll always just be a dirty courtesan.” Looking over at the painting of a smiling lady of the court, he frowned and gestured towards the mouth of the painted lady, “You missed a spot. This Doña has a very prominent dimple on this side of her mouth when she smiles. A nicer facial feature on her, the only nice thing about her, or else her husband would have chosen her plain sister instead.”

[Blue Moon Queen]

"It is everything I was told it would be," Isidora answered truthfully. When her mother had told her about the position she had not hidden all the darker parts. "It will be years before I am used to it all. Especially when I have to learn my husband," she joked, terribly. Deep in her thoughts, she did not really notice the Cardinal dropping his hands, nor did she even suspect where his thoughts were.

~~~

"Mon dieu!" Jocelyn hissed, turning to the courtesan. "Do you not see that her passion is in everything but the people?" She gestured to some of the paintings. "Look at the landscapes, the dresses. Even the smallest blades of grass are unique and the casting of light upon this jewel makes it shine," turning to the artist, she continued, "I would be greatly pleased to sell your works in Paris, when I return."

[InkedWolf]

Isabella was taken aback, her time in the academy had often taught her how to work with criticism. However, the lessons in the Academy and with her father were technique, style, grace, refining her own style until she was happy with it. She spent her time in her studio, to refine and produce paintings that royalty admired, that she'd been complemented by the Cardinal himself. That others had shown such passion and inspiration towards...She was always taught by her father to choose her words carefully, as an artist must paint the world around them along with the canvas. Was she really wrong all this time?

She did not like being referred to as a little girl.

"I'd be tempted to take you up on that offer in bed, yet you seem to only have a grasp for the bodies between your sheets. What of those in the court? What of me, you have insulted my painting and called me a child. Yet you seem to know very little of me. So far I've seen nothing more then a peacock preening it's feathers for an audience." She placed her hands behind her back, she was trembling and wished to be anywhere else right now..."I have worked hard on my paintings, to ring out the beauty of the landscape, the subject and the story found in each canvas and I feel I deserve to be where I am..."

She bowed gracefully towards Jocelyn. "Thank you M'lady. Your words are too kind. My name is Isabella, and I'd be happy to show you the paintings available in my studio when you desire."