Charles
Lady Anna Barrmount
Grunewald Castle assigned chambers, Valen

The young Barrmount did her best to dedicate a smile to Adelhayd, in exchange for her kind words. All she could manage was a weak smile that lasted seconds.

"Thank you, Lady Adelhayd..." Her gaze fell upon the mirror in front of her "It means a lot to me" 

"Lady Adelhayd is right, you look stunning my lady" The maid tried to cheer her "That dress brings out the color of your eyes" 

Anna was grateful for her maid attempts, but her reflection in the mirror was like looking at someone in the distance, like observing a stranger that passed by. She couldn't recognize herself. Her hair was beautiful, much like the light blue gown she had borrowed from the Wrencrest; but as much as she appreciated how she looked, the image before her eyes felt empty. Like a carcass with no life left inside.

Two strong knocks interrupted her self pitying moment.

"Are we expecting anyone, my Lady?" Asked the maid.

"The Wisdom, probably" She said as she digested what that meant "The wedding must be about to start. Open the door"

The maid obligued, gasping audibly and stepping aside as she did a rushed curtsy.

"L-Lord Marshall..."

Anna turned to the door, the pain of the last days cursing through her veins as her face turned red with anger.

"Oh, look who finally decided to grace us with his presence!" She spat out the words in a way that made her maid go wide eyed "The Ice Lord Marshall Carter, in the flesh." She put her hands on her hips. 

"M-my... My Lady..." 

"Sush!" She ordered her maid, in a way she had never before treated her "Finally decided to intervene in the deaths of our people? Or are you just here for a little party with the southerners?"

All the weight that had been resting on her shoulders the past days, and the rage of how southeners treated and spoke of her home and people, poisoned the words she was firing at Marshall. Her father and Sibyl would have killed her for how she was treating him. 

"How dare you show your face now?" The young woman stepped towards the Lord "Where were you when disease spread over the people of the Witherlands like wildfire?" She put an accusatory finger on his chest, her eyes burning with rage as she looked at him "Where were you when our people died like flies? Where in all hells were you while Vivayn advanced at his will through the lands killing and burning?"

Tears dwelled on her eyes as she spoke, finally letting everything come out.

"Where were you when this bunch of southerners crushed me in their jaws and spat me out as I desperately came for help?" Her voice cracked, but there were no signs of her anger dissipating "House Barrmount has been nothing but loyal to you since my father, may he rest in peace, swore our loyalty to you. And what did we get when we needed your help the most? I'll tell you, silence!"

She turned away from the Lord.

"We were left alone in our lowest moment, at my brother's funeral," She walked around the room, gesticulating as she spoke, out of anger "And there comes Vivayn with his men, knocking at our door! I had to scape my own home and come here, with this bunch of ignorants who laugh at the north!"

She turned back to Marshall, her eyes red from the tears that stained her cheeks.

"I am nothing but a desperate fool to them! With no idea of politics or how to be diplomatic for that matter..." She did a pause as she looked at him, feeling as she was crumbling down "Tell me! Where in all hells were you?!" She cried out with a broken voice "Where were you while I had to offer me to the best bidder to have a chance of saving my sister and my people from something that you were supposed to protect us from?!" She got close to him, crying at that point as she yelled "Where were you?!" She cried out again, her voice cracking, as she pushed him back with the little strength her arms had.
Michael
Wisdom Serafina 
Outside Anna Barrmounts Chambers, Castle Grunewald

As she turned the corner into the corridor where the northern aristocracy had been settled, Serafina thought she heard shouts coming from one of the rooms. 'What is going on?' Her pace slowed and she peered down the corridor to see if any doors were open. None were, but upon further inspection, she determined the shouts were coming from Lady Barrmount's chambers and had her voice. 

Serafina knocked on the door and pushed it aside as the last "Where were you" Cry left the girl's mouth. Her eyes glanced through the room, settling first on Anna who appeared distressed and clearly in tears. She didn't need to see the face of the man in front of her to know who it was. Stepping to the side of Marshall, the woman took a few steps towards Anna. "Is everything alright, Lady Barrmount?" Though her tone was innocent, Serafina felt her skin rising and stomach sinking. If this was what she thought it was, she would need to act quickly to ensure the marriage would continue.
Lawrence
Lady Adelhayd Wrencrest
Castle Grunewald, Vallen, Taemar

Adelhayd eyes flew to the door when the two knocks sounded. She had an awful inkling of who had come to visit them. The urge to get away snapped at the back of her neck, but she knew that there was no escape. She could only steel herself.

When the maid opened the door and went all in a fluster, Adelhayd squared her jaw. She employed the wisdom of all her years as a weapon to keep her passions at bay; her stony visage did not betray this battle within. She knew that there could be no recompense for her own troubles. Anna's fortunes were all that mattered. 

Anna herself did not seem to share this sentiment, as she fell into a fit of vitriol as soon as she laid eyes upon Marshal. The Ice Lord had no chance to get a word in as the Barrmount girl disparaged his entire office. Even though Adelhayd hated Marshall as well (though more for things he *Did* Than things he *Failed* To do), she found Anna's comments to be deeply unfair. What was Marshall expected to do during a plague? Hack the pestilence away with a line of spearmen? And how could he have responded to Vivayn's march as quickly as Anna seemed to expect of him? She felt her arm muscles tense and quiver as the situation spun out of control before her.

She gaped when she saw Anna lay a finger on her Ice Lord's chest. It was certain now that this was a pointless episode of the young woman's senseless, beleaguered heart.

"Lady Anna," She said firmly as Anna pushed at Marshall. She reached out to grab Anna by the shoulder and pulled her back with a little more violent force than she'd meant to. She turned Anna to face her, and for a moment, there was a dark, menacing look in her eyes. Then the tension settled in the air between them, and her face returned to its kind, motherly aspect. "Lady, please. Calm yourself."

She swallowed, knowing that she herself was not in the stablest of wits. Turning her attention to Marshall, she was just about to address him when the Wisdom came in. The Lady Wrencrest levelled a withering, half-lidded glare on the woman's face. "This matter does not yet concern you, Wisdom. Begone till we have need of you. This is between the Lady and her lord."