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Excerpt From a Novel in Progress
Nov. 9th, 2013 02:15 pm"Everything here seems so... ornate," said Bergen, peering around in obvious curiosity as they moved into the larger hall outside the suite and turned right. She had been a bit rushed earlier, and hadn't paid much attention to her surroundings then. "Not gaudy, though. I'm not just being polite, either. It's far fancier than I'm used to, but for a place where kings live and do business you expect grandeur. This... is both grand and beautiful. Tasteful."
"You can thank Pepin the Defender for that restraint," said Magda. "He was the one who ordered the remodeling of this wing into something more modern. Why, before that, there wasn't even indoor plumbing in the Palace! His grandson and great-grandson followed his lead when other parts of the Palace Complex needed work. Though I'm afraid some portions - both older and newer - are much more gaudy."
"The remodeling was in the Eighteen Nineties, wasn't it?" said Bergen, absently, as she continued to peer around in open curiosity. Likely scandalizing the demure servants accompanying them. "Using some of the reparations Carolina paid, for starting - and losing - the Great Border War of 1873 to pay for it. That victory being what earned Pepin VIII his appellation."
Magda gave Bergen a suspicious look.
"You read the plaque at the entrance, didn't you?" she said, with a smirk.
"No, there was no plaque at the side entrance we used." Bergen raised an eyebrow at Magda. "I do like history. I even know a bit about it."
She looked down the hallway, at some of the paintings, tapestries and busts.
"Now I'm walking through it."
She was silent for a moment, then laughed.
"I would have loved to see the expression on King Alfried's face when told there were three armies within a day's march of his capital, and none were his!"
"You can thank Pepin the Defender for that restraint," said Magda. "He was the one who ordered the remodeling of this wing into something more modern. Why, before that, there wasn't even indoor plumbing in the Palace! His grandson and great-grandson followed his lead when other parts of the Palace Complex needed work. Though I'm afraid some portions - both older and newer - are much more gaudy."
"The remodeling was in the Eighteen Nineties, wasn't it?" said Bergen, absently, as she continued to peer around in open curiosity. Likely scandalizing the demure servants accompanying them. "Using some of the reparations Carolina paid, for starting - and losing - the Great Border War of 1873 to pay for it. That victory being what earned Pepin VIII his appellation."
Magda gave Bergen a suspicious look.
"You read the plaque at the entrance, didn't you?" she said, with a smirk.
"No, there was no plaque at the side entrance we used." Bergen raised an eyebrow at Magda. "I do like history. I even know a bit about it."
She looked down the hallway, at some of the paintings, tapestries and busts.
"Now I'm walking through it."
She was silent for a moment, then laughed.
"I would have loved to see the expression on King Alfried's face when told there were three armies within a day's march of his capital, and none were his!"
