#Selections from the Correspondence of the Lockridge Family

[isfjmel-phleg]

Selections from the Correspondence of the Lockridge Family, XIV/XVII

Josiah to Lovisa.[63]

17 March 1908

Dear Miss Lovisa Lockridge,

thank you for your highly unusual letter. I do not often receive letters from our youngest subjects and found yours of great interest.

The violin that your brother currently uses when we have music lessons is the property of the royal household. Thus, under normal circumstances, it is not within my power to bestow it as a gift even if I wished to do so.

However, it is indeed a hardship to be deprived of one’s instrument, and given the peculiar circumstance, I am willing to see if an exception can be made. If your sister is as highly gifted a violinist as you say she is, let her come here to the palace immediately to play for me and my father. If he finds her performance favorable, I believe he can be persuaded to transfer the violin in question to her ownership. It ought to be used by someone who can properly play it.

I am gratified that you have sought my assistance in this matter and look forward to meeting your sister. Please extend my regards to your family.

Yours sincerely

Josiah, Crown Prince of Lienne

[63] Josiah to Lovisa: This letter is in Josiah’s handwriting, not dictated to or composed on his behalf by a secretary.

[fictionadventurer]

Since I have yet to get a box set of @isfjmel-phleg's Blackberry Bushes novels for Christmas, I decided to make my own as a sort-of-Easter present by at long last trying my hand at the art of book binding. I decided to perfect-bind, since sewing is far beyond my capabilities, but glue sounded manageable.

I anthologized the completed birthday short stories set in this universe, putting them in chronological order. I think I missed a couple, but these are most of the ones that were available at the time I started formatting this. (If you're wondering, the whole book is about 129 pages, though only 123 of those are actual text, for a total of roughly 46,000 words).

A major reason that I needed a print version of these stories was to have a properly footnoted copy of the brilliant "Selections from the Correspondence of the Lockridge Family." I'm pleased with the results, even though the footnotes were a bear to format. (Eventually, my letter formatting philosophy boiled down to "whatever lets me get the footnotes on the same page as the reference number").

(I wanted to have the titles of the short stories in the running head, but that was too far above the formatting capabilities of myself and LibreOffice.)

I'm extra glad I finished this project this week, because it's the perfect time to reread this story--a good chunk of it takes place during Holy Week.

For endpages, I used some of my supply of scrapbook paper. I wanted something that went with my chosen cover fabric and seemed fittingly classic-book-ish. I chose a cream-colored page with a subtle design that seemed to fit the European royal setting of most of the short stories. It faded during binding, and it doesn't photograph well, but I tried to zoom in on the second picture so you can hopefully see the design.

For the cover, I wanted the look of a classic cloth-bound book, but I didn't want a plain solid color. I chose a green fabric with a faint design that sort of makes one think of the leaves of blackberry bushes. I printed and pasted on a title card. And of course, if I'm binding a book, it is going to be my ideal and have a ribbon bookmark.

And that's the final product! Could be neater, but it turned out well for my first attempt. These stories can now take their rightful place of honor on my bookshelf, as they've always deserved to!

[isfjmel-phleg]

@fictionadventurer: #i would be very curious to get emenor's pov on these events #what did she think of the palace? of josiah? of the princesses? #and most importantly how did she react to getting the violin? #if she dared to put any of it into a letter i'm sure it would be well worth reading

It turns out that such a letter does exist! It's rather long but gives a fairly thorough account of Emenor's impressions.

21 March 1908

Dear Lovisa,

What rotten luck to be stuck with Aunt Klariesa for all of next week.[1] I hope you brought plenty of actually good books. The next time she asks you to read to her,[2] slip one of yours inside the one she gives you and read yours aloud instead. She just might become so interested she won’t care about the switch.

Since I can’t see you right away and I know you must be dying to know how everything went at the palace, I’ll give you the full account. I know Tamett was going to write to you,[3] but he’s terrible at describing anything, and he’ll leave out all the interesting parts. So here is the Real, Official Account of What Happened When Emenor Visited Königshaus.

When I arrived at the station in Königsstadt (so many people! And all of them so elegant!), Tamett turned up with a gentleman in livery[4] who took us to a carriage that had been sent from the royal household. It was much larger than Uncle Tamett’s[5] (don’t tell Aunt Klariesa), even though there were only two of us, and the seats were covered in velvet and bounced when you sat on them. The city is the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen. Everything is so clean and gleaming and perfect. You could eat off the buildings. The trees on the boulevards are trimmed into matching shapes,[6] as if they were all manufactured in the same factory. Even the flowers stand up straight without daring to wilt. The road leading up the palace is lined with statues. Tamett says they are all the Liennese monarchs, going back nearly a thousand years. They’re spotless white marble and stand in unnaturally stiff poses. I resisted an urge to order the carriage to stop so I could thumb my nose at Odren the Greatest Mistake of Nature.[7] Not that they would have let me, or that I could have got away with doing it, but I wanted to.

The palace is so blindingly white[8] that it looks like the sun took architectural form and settled on top of a hill. It is so white that I was almost afraid that my breath might dirty it. It sprawls on for what looks like miles, and the front is trimmed in what Tamett says is real gold. We’re not allowed to even look as if we’re going to approach that part.

Instead, they brought us to a side door to the wing where the royal family lives. Tamett says that there’s a wing on the opposite end where the court lives, and in the middle are all the grand state rooms that he’s not allowed to be in without permission and adult supervision. Not that that has stopped him from exploring, of course.[9]

His Royal Highness wanted to see me immediately, but “immediately” in Palace dialect actually means “as soon as one is presentable enough for the eyes of royalty,” and I wasn’t after that journey, so they brought me and my valise to a little room where I could change into my good frock and wash my face and smooth my hair. Mother lent me her brooch again, but I couldn’t manage to arrange my hair the grown-up way that she can. I armed myself with my sheet music and joined Tamett outside the door to HRH’s reception room.[10] Just fancy, he has a whole room just for his visitors alone, and he’s only twelve!

It looked nothing like a room belonging to a twelve-year-old boy. I hardly dared move inside it lest I break something. I think the furniture must have been constructed from porcelain, it looked so exquisite. The walls were covered in silk and portraits of more stiff people (honestly, has a single soul in the Liennese royal family ever carried himself like a human being and not a clothes rack?). And at the far end, sitting in front of an uncovered window in the middle of a blaze of sunlight,[11] sat HRH.

He's not quite like how Tamett describes him. I mean, he is very tall and stout and stiff and generally rather plain, but the cross, haughty look doesn’t seem to entirely belong to his face, as if he takes it off like a pair of shoes at the end of the day. He was wearing the most elegant suit I’ve ever seen on a boy, and his tie was blue with little bits of silver worked in. But it wasn’t half as beautiful as the instrument he carried on his lap.

Oh, Lovisa, I’ve never seen anything like that violin. Even Mr. Winther’s best one can’t match it. You’d think it was cut from a gemstone instead of wood. I was so mesmerized by it that I didn’t notice the girl sitting next to him until she asked Tamett if this were his sister.

Tamett introduced me to Her Royal Highness Princess Ayra. Her gown was lovely, all steel-grey lace and ruffles, but she’s rather less beautiful than her photographs.[12] Very little and thin and pinch-mouthed. You can tell she’s HRH’s sister.

She explained that the King was otherwise occupied, she was sorry, and perhaps he’d be along later. I wasn’t as disappointed as I thought I would be to hear that. It would be amazing to play for the King, but dreadfully daunting, and it would be daunting enough to play for the Crown Prince and his eldest sister.

And then HRH spoke for the first time. He has a voice like icicle drips. He said, “Come here, Miss Lockridge.”

So I did, and he placed that magnificent violin with its bow in my hands. I couldn’t move. I didn’t want to drop it.

“You may begin,” he said, and I looked straight at him, but he dropped his eyes. If it were anyone else, I would say he was shy.

Was he as nervous to meet me as I was to meet him? It’s an odd question, but it did help me get up the nerve to get in position and begin my first piece. I sneaked a look at him as I played. Nothing in his face changed, but I could tell he was listening very carefully, and that he liked it! So I kept playing and playing until my shoulder and fingertips ached, and still the King didn’t come and HRH didn’t tell me to stop. I ran out of pieces and waited for HRH to say something. His sister had to poke him. He said he would talk to his father about my work and we were dismissed. And that was that.

No one told us where to go, so Tamett took me into the middle wing through a door that no one knows he knows about,[13] and we crept through room after room like absolute burglars. There were so many beautiful rooms that I can’t describe them all. Most of them are as white as the outside of the palace.[14] Even the billiard balls in the last room we found were all white. Tamett was showing me how they worked when some horrid old man[15] came in and raised a great fuss and called for the staff to take us back where the bad children go.

That’s how we met Princess Ateva in the royal children’s quarters. She’s just like what you would expect a princess to be—very pretty, tall and plump and rosy-cheeked. And her hair is red! She was dressed in peach lace as if she were going to a party,[16] but she stayed and talked with us for a little while—all about our family and how my journey was and my violin lessons and how lovely it was to have a young visitor. She was so kind it was hard to believe she belonged to the same family as the rest.

But she had to leave, and she said Tamett and I could borrow her phonograph and records. We made an evening of it! We sent for our dinner and set up the phonograph in Tamett’s room and rolled up the rug and had a glorious time. Mr. Winther would be scandalized if he knew that I had been listening to popular music, but it was so much fun. I was so tired but I didn’t want to go to bed. Of course we couldn’t listen to music all night though. There were enough complaints by nine for us to stop.

I didn’t see HRH or his sisters again, but this morning one of the staff brought me a violin case. Lovisa, you won’t believe it, it was the instrument that HRH lent me yesterday, or one very like it. Tamett is sure that it’s the one he used to use. But if I know Tamett, he must have hardly looked at it the entire time he played it. But…

There’s no reason why HRH would give me one of his violins. That’s a ridiculously extravagant gift for someone like me, and goodness knows Tamett has told us dozens of stories about how HRH scarcely lets him touch his belongings, let alone handle or keep them! It wouldn’t make sense. I should give Tamett more credit for recognizing his own violin.

It came with a note from HRH, but all he said was that he was giving me the violin in recognition of my talent, kind regards, etc. Standard letter, probably the same words for every royal gift.[17] I don’t know what to make of it, but I am so, so happy, you can’t imagine. I can play again! I can play on the most beautiful instrument in the world,[18] that sings like angels. I can’t wait for you to hear it. I can’t wait for Mr. Winther to hear it. It’s almost like being a proper famous violinist, and if the conservatory could hear, I know they’d take me in a moment.

Goodness, what a long letter. If you’ve read this far, bless you. I miss you longer than Tamett’s scarf and I can’t wait to see you again as soon as Aunt Klariesa sets you free. Until then, I remain

Your rapturous sister,

Emenor

[1] stuck with Aunt Klariesa for all of next week: The Duke was in Königsstadt attending to official duties, and Klariesa did not like to be left at home alone. Lovisa, as her companion, was required to stay at the ducal residence until her uncle’s return.

[2] The next time she asks you to read to her: A letter of Klariesa’s to Elina Lockridge from May 1908 describes Lovisa reading to her from “a positively dreadful story all about impertinent children who commit felonies” and criticizes Elina for permitting her children to read such “trash” and Lovisa for having the audacity to inflict the tale upon her. The exact story that Lovisa read is unclear, but it was likely an adventure serial story from a magazine for young readers.

[3] Tamett was going to write to you: See Tamett’s letter of the same date.

[4] a gentleman in livery: This was probably Gelbert Dietfried, who had driven for the palace for forty-four years. He and Tamett had a pleasant acquaintance as a result of frequent encounters when Tamett accompanied Josiah on outings.

[5] It was much larger than Uncle Tamett’s: The Duke owned a luxurious but comparatively modest model of carriage intended to convey small groups on pleasure outings. The palace’s carriages were designed not only to carry numerous passengers but to impress the populace as they drove through the city.

[6] The trees on the boulevards are trimmed into matching shapes: The city of Königsstadt employed groundskeepers to maintain order among the urban flora. During the reign of Odren VII, the city cultivated an image of orderly beauty, and jungle-like plants were not an acceptable part of this. Thus the groundskeepers were sometimes referred to as the Plant Policemen.

[7] I could thumb my nose at Odren the Greatest Mistake of Nature: Emenor refers mockingly to Odren I, known as the Great, who was responsible for Lienne’s acquisition of Noriber. Patriotic Noriberrians regarded this monarch as an oppressive tyrant, rather than as the hero that Liennese historians painted him as.

[8] The palace is so blindingly white: A contingent of two hundred staff members were employed to keep the exterior of the palace in its pristine condition at all times. This required near-constant cleaning and repainting.

[9] Not that that has stopped him from exploring, of course: A large-scale cleaning and rearranging of state rooms in 1938 revealed that behind large pieces of furniture in most of these rooms were slipped scraps of paper inscribed with “T.L. was here” in a child’s handwriting similar to Tamett’s.

[10] HRH’s reception room: This room contained a number of objets d’art that had belonged to Lienne’s Crown Princes over the years, as well as a collection of official portraits of the Princes. Josiah’s portrait was not among them at this time since he was not yet of age. Instead, it hung in Odren’s study, although household records mention that it was put in storage in early 1908, around the time that plans began for Josiah to attend Hollingham.

[11] sitting in front of an uncovered window in the middle of a blaze of sunlight: This arrangement was an intentional effect to give the Crown Prince an ethereal appearance to any visitors.

[12] she’s rather less beautiful than her photographs: Official photographs of the Liennese royal family frequently involving costuming and makeup tricks, as well as touching up, to present its subjects to best advantage.

[13] a door that no one knows he knows about: This was probably a door in the servants’ quarters that connected the service corridors of the two wings.

[14] Most of them are as white as the outside of the palace: Königshaus was built in the late eighteenth century in the Neoclassical style, and the interiors were intended to evoke the appearance of a pristine temple to further the imagery of Liennese royalty as semi-divine beings set apart from common humanity. Although the palace had been redecorated to reflect changing tastes in the mid-nineteenth century, Odren VII chose to have it restored to its former design.

[15] some horrid old man: Lord Rochus. See notes for Tamett’s letter of 21 March 1908.

[16] as if she were going to a party: Ayra and Ateva were hosting a soiree for the young ladies and gentlemen of the court, including Ateva’s former friend Lieutenant Tarben Nillas and his wife Lady Theda.

[17] Standard letter, probably the same words for every royal gift: Despite its formality, the text of Josiah’s note accompanying the violin does not employ the typical structure of such a form letter.

[18] I can play on the most beautiful instrument in the world: Emenor’s violin is now on display in the Liennese Museum of Musical History. Although she would own and use other instruments, this one shows the most signs of consistent use

[isfjmel-phleg]

Selections from the Correspondence of the Lockridge Family, II/XVII

Letter from Emenor Lockridge to her brother Tamett.

Untertan, Norriber

24 February 1908

Dear Tam,

how are you? I am well. I do wish you would write more interesting letters. Father read the last aloud at the table and I think Zella must have fallen asleep right into her boiled potatoes. All right, perhaps she didn’t, but we all felt like it. Is it really so dull living at the palace? Your letters are nothing like the stories you tell when you get home. Has His Royal Highness been horrid again? Are the princesses around much? How are your music lessons? Tell me!!!

See, I will show you how it is done. I am going to start new violin lessons tomorrow (!!!) with Mr. Karrel Winther.[13] Mother met him at the concert the Vosses[14] gave after Christmas and made sure to mention me to him, several times, so he got interested and wanted to hear me play. He visited last month, and Mother made me get dressed up and loaned me her pearl brooch[15] and did my hair so that it looked almost as if it were up.[16] (I know you don’t care, but I did, and you have no idea how excited I was.) I wasn’t a bit nervous about playing for him until he arrived and we were introduced. He is perfectly ordinary-looking, nothing like a great musician at all. No wild hair or bizarre clothes. He didn’t even wear a cravat instead of a tie. I had been expecting more of an eccentric, like Boschbrandt,[17] so the thought of having to play for someone who looked more like a business acquaintance of Father’s somehow brought about a whole month’s worth of nerves I hadn’t had before, all at once.

(“Oh, how dreadful that must have been for you, Emenor! However did you get through it?” That’s you, writing your interesting letter back to me.)

My hands were shaking so I thought I wouldn’t be able to keep the bow steady, but I closed my eyes, which helped a little, and played Boschbrandt’s “Melancholisches Konzert,”[18] which sounded nothing like how I felt. Then I played Metzel’s “Musik für eine Sommernacht”[19] (the one you love so much),[20] Becke’s “Hymne der Müden,”[21] and to finish off, Severin’s “Marsch der Söhne Norribers,”[22] which is always great fun. I saw Mother and Father looking at each other when I started to play that, and they might have been signaling me to stop, but I happened to be too absorbed in the music to quit, and Mr. Winther got to hear the whole thing.

(“How could you be so daring, Emenor? Even I would never dare play that in the hearing of anyone Liennese! Did it cause a terrific scandal?”)

Most people don’t express scandal by applauding, so I suppose he didn’t mind. Perhaps he didn’t recognize it. But he did agree to take me on!!! His rates made Father go very bristly-looking,[23] but with your salary arriving soon, he and Mother think they can manage it. Even if they weren’t able, I was prepared to use some of the worldly goods (presently the number of both our ages combined thanks to a shrewd business arrangement)[24] to supply it. I need these lessons. Mr. Winther has connections to the Conservatory of Königsstadt ,[25] and perhaps he can convince Father and Mother when I can’t.

But you are much of the reason this has worked out, so thank you! I miss you, but just think how much more we’ll get to see each other once I get into the Conservatory.

Your sister

Emenor

P.S.: Your scarf is at least two feet longer.[26] By the time I get it to you, it will be so long that it’ll reach from here to Königsstadt so we can pull you home whenever we miss you.

P.P.S.: (“Thank you so much, Emenor! You’re my favorite sister!”)

[13] Mr. Karrel Winther: Karrel Winther was a virtuoso violinist who had toured with the Royal Symphonic Orchestra of Lienne from 1892 to 1907 before returning to his native Norriber to teach. He was in high demand among upper-class Norriberrian circles, and for a time taking lessons from him became a status symbol. Eventually he lost patience with teaching pupils who had no serious interest in perfecting violin technique and required auditions before taking on new pupils. In 1908, he had seven other pupils besides Emenor Lockridge. These students attended lessons in pairs in his home five times a week. Emenor studied in the mornings with Andar Vind, who would later become well-known as the composer of several popular musicals.

[14] the Vosses: Olmund and Kreszentia Vosse lived a mile away from the Lockridges. Olmund Vosse had inherited a fortune in the fish business, and he and his wife were among the more prominent citizens of the area.

[15] her pearl brooch: The pearl brooch was listed among the jewels and other valuables Elina Lockridge brought with her upon her marriage. It is among the few of these jewels not to disappear from the family inventory over the years and may be seen in many photographs of Elina, including her wedding portrait.

[16] my hair […] almost as if it were up: A photograph from the Lockridge family albums, taken by Lovisa, depicts Emenor on the main staircase in the ensemble and hairstyle described here. At age fourteen, Emenor was still too young to pin up her hair. Her letters and photographs indicate that she officially did so about two years later.

[17] Boschbrandt: Lukaz Boschbrandt was among the most famous of Lienne’s distinguished composers. His legendary symphonies, known as the “Divine Twenty-Three,” are a staple of Liennese concerts, and many of his melodies have been immortalized as hymns, popular songs, and dance tunes. He was also known for his peculiar habits and appearance, including disheveled hair and rough treatment of pianos.

[18] “Melancholisches Konzert”: Boschbrandt’s “Melancholisches Konzert” (Melancholy Concerto) is a common piece for intermediate violinists to learn. It wavers between major and minor keys, with a notable tremulous quality.

[19] Metzel’s “Musik für eine Sommernacht”: Walder Metzel rose to prominence around the same time as Boschbrandt, and to this day, they remain rivals in fame and skill. Metzel completed a record-breaking 1,000 compositions (not including seventeen incomplete pieces) before his mysterious disappearance at age thirty-one. “Musik für eine Sommernacht” (Music for a Summer Night) is typical of his work in its bold, showy, virtuosic style.

[20] the one you love so much: Other family letters indicate that Emenor practiced this piece for so long that the family became especially annoyed with it, particularly because, like many of Metzel’s pieces, it is an earworm.

[21] Becke’s “Hymne der Müden”: Seppen Becke, music master of Königsstadt’s royal cathedral, is remembered most for his contributions to church music. “Hymne der Müden” (Hymn of the Weary), a favorite of organists, is perhaps his most recognizable piece.

[22] Severin’s “Marsch der Söhne Norribers”: Jone Severin composed numerous Norriberrian patriotic pieces, including “Marsch der Söhne Norribers” (March of the Sons of Norriber), written around the two hundredth anniversary of the conquest of Norriber. Severin’s works were outlawed as seditious in Lienne and its possessions and were never heard at any public musical performance, although they continued to be played in private.

[23] His rates made Father go very bristly-looking: Karrel Winther charged ten myunzen ($530) for a month’s worth of lessons.

[24] the worldly goods ([…] thanks to a shrewd business arrangement): “Worldly goods” was Emenor’s code for her personal savings, intended to eventually fund her education at the Conservatory of Königsstadt and kept secret from her parents for fear of unauthorized “loans.” Emenor had at this point amassed an impressive sixteen myunzen ($848). It is unclear what this “shrewd business arrangement” was; no further hints exist among the family papers.

[25] Mr. Winther has connections to the Conservatory of Königsstadt: Karrel Winther was educated at the Conservatory, as were most of Lienne’s distinguished musicians of the day.

[26] Your scarf is at least two feet longer: Emenor was a prolific knitter, and many of her pieces are still in existence. A scarf known to be her work, which could possibly be the one to which she refers here, measures eight feet and seven inches in length.

[isfjmel-phleg]

"Selections from the Correspondence of the Lockridge Family": The Context

The Blackberry Bushes stories are set in a world that's basically an alternate Europe in the 1900s. Similar culture, different nations and political dynamics. "Selections" takes place in 1908.

Lienne is an up-and-coming nation that occupies several territories besides its own. One of these is Noriber, which has been under Liennese rule for centuries. Lienne forbids any expressions of Noriberrian national unity/patriotism. Many citizens are content with Liennese rule, but many others desire independence. This doesn't come up directly in "Selections," but the relationship between Lienne and Noriber is important to bear in mind.

Lienne has been ruled by King Odren VII for the past thirty-four years. He is committed to building his nation into a formidable world power in step with the new century's exciting advances. Lienne's royal family lost a lot of prestige under Odren's father's reign, so it's very important to him that his family now set a flawless example of domestic life, conduct, and accomplishments.

Odren has four children: Ayra (age 23 at the time of this story), Ateva (18), Josiah (12), and Mikaiah (5). Ayra and Ateva are the daughters of his late first wife, and Josiah and Mikaiah are the sons of his beloved second wife, who died in childbirth. Ayra has taken on consort duties since her stepmother's death. Ateva is being angled at various kings and princes as an advantageous political match. Mikaiah is mostly overlooked.

Josiah is the Crown Prince. One of his titles is "the Hope of Lienne," which more or less sums up the weight of expectations placed upon him. He is a prodigy in both academics and music (Lienne considers itself the music capital of this world). He has excelled at the few royal duties that his father has entrusted him with. His public conduct is irreproachable. He is very much his father's favorite.

To keep Josiah company in his studies since he has no siblings near his age, Odren has hired a live-in companion, Tamett Lockridge (13). Tamett has been with the royal family for about five years, shortly after the death of Josiah's mother. He and Josiah tolerate each other but are emphatically not friends. Josiah considers Tamett his intellectual inferior, and Tamett finds Josiah absolutely insufferable. He is correct. Josiah is a self-important jerk.

Tamett's family is from Noriber. His parents, Edvin and Elina Lockridge, are of respectable birth but neither titled nor wealthy. Elina is the sister of Tamett Kassbeck, Duke of Reierwardt. This connection allowed her son Tamett to land the companion job at the palace. The Duke is married to Klariesa, and they have no children. Tamett Lockridge was named for his uncle in the hopes of inheriting from him eventually.

In addition to their son, Edvin and Elina have four daughters: Emenor (14), Lovisa (11), Cille (7), and Zella (4). Tamett is close to all his sisters, and they write to him frequently.

The Lockridges can use all the financial help that they can get, so Tamett's well-paying job is very important to the family's stability.

And that's pretty much all you need to know, I think! If something isn't making sense, do feel free to ask for clarification.

[isfjmel-phleg]

Selections from the Correspondence of the Lockridge Family, IV-VI/XVII

Letter from Lovisa Lockridge to her brother Tamett.

3 March 1908

Dear Tamett,

please come back. Everybody’s cross with each other and they won’t stop because Cille broke Emenor’s violin. She didn’t mean to but she broke it to bits and then Emenor yelled at her and then Mother yelled at both of them for yelling and then Father came and yelled louder than anybody. I tried to ask them to stop and tell them what had really happened but they said it was none of my business and told me to go away. I wish you were here. I can still hear them upstairs. I was only trying to help. They don’t need to yell.

Aunt Klariesa doesn’t yell but she looks like she wants to cry every time I do anything.[35] I touched her hand while she was lying down and she said it hurt and my hand was cold. But it wasn’t. She says I read too fast too. I try to make the books more interesting because they’re always all about people hating each other and wanting to get married and have money,[36] but then she says when I read like that it gives her that thing that her heart does that I can’t spell.[37]

I don’t like being a companion here. I’d rather go to the palace with you. Are you sure there isn’t anybody who needs a companion there? Like the princesses?[38]

I miss you louder than anyone yelling downstairs. XOXOXO

Yours with love

Lovisa

Letter from Cille Lockridge to her brother Tamett.

3 March 1908

Dear Tamett,

I hope you are well. I am well. Today was not good. I wanted to read the big mathematics book[39] on the top shelf of the bookcase in the sitting room, but I could not reach it and no one taller was there. So I found a chair and stood on it. The book was at the bottom of the stack. I tried to pull it out carefully, but it started to fall over. I tried to catch the books. They did not fall, but I did. I landed on Emenor’s music stand, and the stand had the violin on it because she had been practicing earlier. The violin is very broken. I do not think it can be fixed. Violins are very expensive. Father sent me to bed without supper because it is wrong to stand on chairs and break violins. I am very sorry. Emenor is not happy. My back still hurts. Father and Mother are very angry.

Please come home soon. I miss you.

Your loving sister

Cille

Letter from Zella Lockridge to her brother Tamett.

3 March 1908

Dear Tamett,

I miss you.

Today we took a walk and I saw a dog. He was brown with a white spot on his back. His name is Balder.[40]

Who is your favorite sister?

Love from

Zella

[35] Aunt Klariesa […]: In 1907, Lovisa became companion to her aunt by marriage, Klariesa, Duchess of Reierwardt, who suffered from an undiagnosed ailment. Lovisa’s letters and diaries illustrate an often-frustrating relationship between her and her aunt, who was difficult to please and prone to emotional manipulation, although Lovisa’s anecdotes have a seemingly exaggerated quality that calls into the question the extent of their accuracy. Nevertheless, her position was convenient. The Duke and Duchess had no children and felt a sense of obligation to the Duke’s sister and her family. Tamett, Duke of Reierwardt had been instrumental in getting Tamett Lockridge his companion position. The Norriberrian dukes of Reierwardt had historically been compliant with the Liennese crown and sought influence and favor at court; Elina and Tamett’s parents had lived at Königshaus for many years.

[36] the books […]: Inventories of the Duchess’s possessions list, at different times, between 150-200 novels in her collection. Many of them were by Coregean author Giora Shorr, specialist in complex romances that redefined the genre for Coregean audiences, although the Duchess also enjoyed the works of Faysmondian authors Ontine Leclare and Aumeric Savatier, pioneers of the psychological novel.

[37] that thing that her heart does that I can’t spell: Klariesa frequently wrote to her sister-in-law about her heart palpations, which might be the word Lovisa had in mind.

[38] anybody who needs a companion there? Like the princesses?: Odren never hired a companion for Ayra and Ateva, as he did for Josiah. With two daughters four years apart in age, he probably concluded that the sisters would be enough constant company for each other. Ayra and Ateva’s childhood was more socially active than that of their half-brothers. Their parents frequently visited relatives in other nations, and the girls accompanied them to Vischland, Faysmond, and Corege, where they became acquainted with cousins with whom they would continue to correspond for many years. Queen Liane encouraged Liennese nobility to bring their children to court, where they were permitted to play with the princesses. Thus, a live-in companion was not necessary. By contrast, Odren was more particular about with whom he would allow Josiah to associate, and Queen Nyella’s difficult pregnancies made frequent social visits and travel less feasible. After Nyella’s death, social life at court slowed in deference to the king’s prolonged mourning.

[39] the big mathematics book: This was probably A Brief Introduction to Intermediate Mathematics by Coregean mathematician Jowan Alford Bridgeley, a volume of approximately 894 pages in the seventh edition.

[40] Balder: Balder is believed to have belonged to the Lockridge’s neighbor Norber Kobben, a retired naturalist. A photograph from his collection depicts a Liennese spaniel fitting this description.

[isfjmel-phleg]

Selections from the Correspondence of the Lockridge Family, XII-XIII/XVII

Tamett to Emenor.

16 March 1908

Dear Em,

the royal family went to Domstadt for the weekend for something social,[60] and they didn’t need me, so I haven’t seen His Royal Highness since he got the letter. He didn’t say anything more about it before he left, and I don’t want to write. I don’t know if he’s written to her yet or if he has told the King. They are supposed to return tomorrow. And then I’ll catch it for sure.

Perhaps they’ll let me buy the violin if I give up allowance for the next thousand years.

Lord Protzmann finally told me I can go home next week. I hope he’ll let me take the train by myself again.[61]

Your brother

Tamett

Tamett to Cille.

16 March 1908

Dear Cille,

I think chickens are a good idea. Keep asking Mother about it. It can’t be too hard, and there’s a shed out in the north field. You can’t see it from the house. If your selling eggs in the village is still a problem, perhaps you can send Till[62] to do it instead. He would probably do it if you asked.

You can have my maths. I haven’t done half of it.

I know you didn’t mean to break the violin. Everyone else knows too. Em probably isn’t angry anymore.

Your brother

Tamett

[60] the royal family went to Domstadt for the weekend for something social: Tamett was not quite accurate in describing this trip. The royal family had gone to Domstadt to celebrate Palm Sunday at Domstadt’s famous cathedral, a long-standing tradition of the monarchs of Lienne. After morning services, the King goes on a procession around the city, which is decked out in colorful symbolic “palms” made of green tree branches and flowers tied together.

[61] I hope he’ll let me take the train by myself again: It was an eight-hour train trip from Königsstadt to Tamett’s home, and, especially early in his time as Josiah’s companion, Tamett had to be accompanied by a parent or an authorized member of the royal household’s staff.

[62] Till: Till Ennsnekt was one of three employees of the Lockridge household. He had been with the family since Edvin and Elina married in 1893, and his duties included maintenance, gardening, and driving the carriage, among many other tasks.

[isfjmel-phleg]

Selections from the Correspondence of the Lockridge Family, X-XI/XVII

Tamett to Lovisa.

14 March 1908

Dear Lovisa,

what on earth were you thinking to write His Royal Highness a letter like that? It came today and he read it at the breakfast table in front of all of us.[55] I know you want to help Emenor, and that’s very good of you. But you can’t just write to HRH like that. You haven’t been introduced.[56] He didn’t say much, but he gave me some strange looks, so I don’t know what he’s going to do. You might get a letter from a palace secretary telling you to address questions to somebody else.[57] They might scold me. I will try to put in a good word for you. But you should start thinking up other ways to get Em’s violin.

Are you still playing landhockey?[58] Had any matches lately? How did you do?

Your brother

Tamett

Emenor to Tamett.

14 March 1908

Dear Tam,

I didn’t put Lovisa up to writing that letter. None of us did. She came up with the idea all by herself. I guess she’s been really sick about all this, perhaps more than Cille, who’s just going about looking solemn. Anyhow, she wanted to do something about it and had been snooping in my letters and read what you said about wanting someone to take the violin off your hands. And of course it was ridiculous of her, but she does have more nerve than the rest of us put together to write to someone like His Royal Highness. (Actually, I’ve wanted to, lots of times, after you tell me what he puts you through, but Mother and Father have torn up every single attempt before I can send it. At some point he needs someone to say those things to him, but it can wait until I meet him in person.)

But if you think it would help, I can write to HRH and explain that it was a mistake and we really aren’t begging and please don’t take it out on my brother because he didn’t put Lovisa up to it. How cross is he? He hasn’t told his father, I hope? And there’s no chance he’ll dismiss you for having a presumptuous family? That’s a silly reason to dismiss anyone, but then he’s silly, and you can tell him that from me if he does sack you.

I think I might have to risk pulling the worldly goods out of their mothballs[59] and just bite the bullet and tell Father and Mother. Perhaps between the lot of us we can scrounge enough.

Your sister

Emenor

[55] at the breakfast table in front of all of us: This presumably included all four of the royal children and Tamett. Odren was not known to breakfast with his children.

[56] But you can’t just write to HRH like that. You haven’t been introduced: While technically there was no rule in Lienne against writing to the Crown Prince without introduction, the royal family in general was viewed as unapproachable to most of their subjects. Letters to the royal family were subject to scrutiny by a committee of the palace security before they were permitted to be given to their intended recipients, to ensure that they contained no death threats, poison, or other distressing content.

[57] a letter from a palace secretary telling you to address questions to somebody else: Replies to many letters to Josiah were sent by a secretary and would contain such remarks as “His Royal Highness thanks you for your letter and appreciates your kind sentiments.”

[58] Are you still playing landhockey?: Lovisa belonged to a landhockey (field hockey) team composed of girls from her neighborhood but had only been able to join after long haggling with her parents, who made a point of pretending that this activity did not exist.

[59] pulling the worldly goods out of their mothballs: Emenor kept her conservatory fund in a bank account.

[isfjmel-phleg]

Selections from the Correspondence of the Lockridge Family, XVI-XVII/XVII

Tamett to Lovisa.

21 March 1908

Dear Lovisa,

I am well. I hope you are well too. Emenor arrived yesterday afternoon and she is well too and says hello. Don’t worry. No one is in trouble with His Royal Highness or the King. It all worked out somehow. They took Emenor and me straight to see HRH as soon as she came. He was in his reception room,[64] which I didn’t expect because the King was supposed to be there too, and if he were, we would have been in another part of the palace.[65] But it was just HRH and Ayra. She said their father was busy and would probably be along later.[66] HRH didn’t say much. He just told Emenor to start. I thought she might say something to him like she always says she wants to, but she didn’t. She played very well, one song after another, everything she knows, I think. We kept waiting for the King to come, but he never did. HRH just sat there and looked blank and then Ayra elbowed him and finally he said that he’d tell their father about it and we could go. So I took Emenor on a tour of the palace and we sneaked into as many rooms as we could until Lord Rochus[67] caught us in the Marble Billiard Hall[68] and sent us back to the children’s quarters,[69] so we borrowed Ateva’s phonograph[70] and played it till past midnight, I think. I don’t remember. Emenor got to stay in an empty room near mine[71] and we sent for dinner and dessert and lemonade.

This morning they brought over the violin in a case with a note from HRH. He said it had all been arranged and Emenor could have the violin.[72] We take the train back tomorrow and should be there by evening. So you see it’s all right now. Sorry about the earlier letter. I suppose you knew just what to say to HRH. Just don’t tell him again what I say about him. He doesn’t need to know that. But thank you. Say hello to Father and Mother and the girls.

Your brother

Tamett

P.S.: Tell Mother we need to have almond cake[73]when I get back. It’s been forever.

P.P.S.: The violin has the royal crest imprinted very small on the back.[74] I don’t remember that being there before but I tried not to look much at the beastly thing if I could help it.

Tamett to Zella.

21 March 1908

Dear Zella,

I miss you too. You will need to introduce me to Balder when I come home. He sounds like a good dog.

You are one of my favorite sisters. So is Emenor. So is Lovisa. So is Cille.

Hopefully one of your favorite brothers[75]

Tamett

[64] his reception room: Josiah’s rooms were in a separate section of the royal children’s wing. They included his private sitting room, bedroom, dressing room, bathroom, classroom, music room, and reception room, where he received visitors, most often dignitaries or the few citizens who were permitted private audiences. Tamett’s letters indicate that he spent most of his time with Josiah in the classroom or sitting room, and it would have been unusual for him to enter the reception room.

[65] another part of the palace: Odren typically received visitors in his own reception room, which was in the same wing as Josiah’s, but on the first (ground) floor and at the other end.

[66] their father was busy and would probably be along later: According to the records of Odren’s schedule in March 1908, further corroborated by the King’s journal, he was not even in residence at the palace on the nineteenth but had left for an urgent meeting with the governor of Westralia regarding some unrest among the factory workers there and did not return until the twenty-first.

[67] Lord Rochus: Lord Rochus had been a member of the court since the reign of Odren VI. Ayra and Ateva refer to him in their letters as “Picknickregen” (Picnic Rain) in reference to what they perceived as his killjoy tendencies; he reportedly objected to the princesses’ taste in music, dress, and vocabulary.

[68] the Marble Billiard Hall: The Marble Billiard Hill was among the grand rooms on the first floor of the central wing of the palace, quite a distance from Tamett’s room. These rooms were typically used only for special occasions, ceremonial purposes, or for the benefit of important visitors. As a mere member of the household, Tamett would have been cautioned never to enter these rooms without official accompaniment.        

[69] the children’s quarters: The royal children lived on the second floor of the west wing of the palace. Josiah’s rooms were at the north end, where it bent to connect to the central wing, while his siblings’ rooms ran the length of the wing. These included bedrooms, a bathroom, classrooms, a reception room, a dining room, and quarters for the royal children’s staff.

[70] Ateva’s phonograph: Ateva and Josiah both owned phonographs, although the former would have been more likely to lend hers. It was a gift from her aunt Ayra, Queen of Vischland, probably at the insistence of Ayra’s children, with whom Ateva corresponded. Her modest collection of records included several forbidden rag recordings, which she hid carefully.

[71] an unoccupied room near mine: Tamett’s room was tucked away at the far end of Josiah’s rooms, in a separate corridor. His nearest neighbors were Lord Protzmann and Josiah’s tutors.

[72] a note from HRH. He said it had all been arranged and Emenor could have the violin: Josiah’s note, found among Emenor’s papers, read: “Dear Miss Lockridge, upon the evidence of your excellent musical talent and testimony of your diligence in your field, we have concluded that you are indeed worthy of a fine instrument. Please accept this violin as a token of our esteem. With kind regards to you and your family, Yours sincerely, Josiah, Crown Prince of Lienne.”

[73] almond cake: Norriberrian almond cake, a cardamom-flavored crust filled with almond paste, is traditionally made near Easter and was a particular favorite of Tamett’s, often served in the Lockridge household on his birthday, April 29.

[74] the royal crest imprinted very small on the back: After repeat instances of theft, Odren began a custom of having instruments belonging to himself and his family marked with the royal crest.

[75] one of your favorite brothers: This went on to become a long-standing joke between Tamett and Zella, and later the other sisters.

[isfjmel-phleg]

Selections from the Correspondence of the Lockridge Family, XV/XVII

Emenor to Tamett.

19 March 1908

Dear Tam,

Taking the train early tomorrow morning and should see you by late afternoon. I still don’t know what to make of it. Amazing of course, but why? His Royal Highness is the last person I’d expect to make an offer like that.

I’ll be practicing late into the night. No one’s going to like me much in the morning, so thank goodness I’ll be miles away soon.

Your sister

Emenor

[no notes for this letter]

[isfjmel-phleg]

Selections from the Correspondence of the Lockridge Family, IX/XVII

Letter from Lovisa to Prince Josiah of Lienne.

12 March 1908

To His Royal Highness the Crown Prince

Sir,

may it please Your Royal Highness, I am Miss Lovisa Elina Lockridge. I am almost eleven years old, and my elder brother Tamett is your companion. He has told us very much about you,[53] and I am writing to Your Royal Highness because I hope you can help us.

Emenor is my elder sister. She is fourteen. She plays the violin, and it is very beautiful. I wish Your Royal Highness could hear her play because I think you would really like it. She started music lessons this month with a new teacher and was very excited. But my younger sister Cille, who is seven, broke her violin. She did not mean to. It was an accident. Emenor is very sad about this, and so are my mother and father. She needs a new one. It has to be a special one from Otionovia. It costs a lot of money, so we cannot get it.

I had an idea. My brother will not need his violin anymore when he goes to Hollingham. Could Your Royal Highness give the violin to Emenor instead because she needs it? I am asking you because I know the violin really belongs to the palace, and Your Royal Highness would be in charge of it. Also, you will understand how sad Emenor is because she can’t play. Tamett says that Your Royal Highness plays the violin too and you look sad sometimes after you play.[54] So I thought Your Royal Highness would want to help. I don’t have any money, but I can come and work for you if you want. I work as a companion for my aunt now. I will be a very good worker for Your Royal Highness if you help us. Your Royal Highness is letting my brother go with you to school in Corege, so I think you must really be very nice no matter what Tamett says about you. Please say hello to your family for me.

I have the honor to remain

Your obedient servant

Lovisa Lockridge

[53] He has told us very much about you: While records of private conversations among Tamett and his sisters are not available to the historian, his letters to the girls feature the occasional unflattering anecdote or sketch of Josiah.

[54] Tamett says that Your Royal Highness plays the violin too and you look sad sometimes after you play: Lovisa might have been thinking of a letter of Tamett’s in which he describes Josiah as looking “ready to run me through with his bow” after finishing a piece, although why Lovisa interpreted that as “sad” is unclear.

[isfjmel-phleg]

Selections from the Correspondence of the Lockridge Family, I/XVII

Letter from Tamett Lockridge, companion to Prince Josiah of Lienne, to his family.

Königshaus Palace

Königsstadt, Lienne

21 February 1908

Dear Father, Mother, Emenor, Lovisa, Cille, and Zella,

I am well. I hope you are well too. Everyone else here is well and says hello. They really don’t but this is something you are supposed to say in letters.

Today I had breakfast. It was good except for having to eat it with His Royal Highness. Then HRH and I had morning lessons with Professor Ebner.[1] We did Divinity first, but I don’t remember much because I was mostly asleep.[2] Then we did Mathematics. Professor Specht[3] doesn’t like how I do multiplication. He wants me to do it like HRH, but his way doesn’t make sense even though he always has the right answer. Then we did Latin. The ancient Romans were interesting and did lots of exciting things, but I wish they had done it in Liennese and made it less confusing. I suggested to Professor Ebner that we do Latin practice by pretending to be gladiators outdoors, but he didn’t like that idea. Then we had lunch. Then we had more lessons, but they are also boring and I don’t want to write about them. After lessons HRH wanted to read, so I went for a walk in the park.[4] I am trying to see how far I can go before anyone notices. I think I was there for a few hours. Lord Protzmann[5] found me and said that I should know better than to disappear like that. So it was partly successful. It was too late to practice violin.

I had dinner with HRH and Mikaiah and Her Royal Highness Ateva. Her Royal Highness Ayra had to eat with the King.[6] She sneaked some of their caviare and brought it back for us to try.[7] It was strange. I wasn’t going to write tonight, but Lord Protzmann said I should.[8] So I am writing now.

When they pay me next week,[9] may I have a viertelmyunze[10] from it? I have had nothing for weeks whenever the shopkeepers come to visit.[11]

Yours sincerely

Tamett

P.S.: And please send my other handball from home. I lost the one I had.

P. P. S.: I asked Lord Protzmann about coming home at Easter[12] and he said he would talk to the king.

[1] Professor Ebner: Helmold Ebner, primary tutor to Prince Josiah, taught the traditional classical subjects. He was among the foremost scholars at the University of Wissenberg when he was engaged by Odren VII in 1902 to teach his son. The arrangement proved successful, with Ebner remaining with the Prince until the latter’s departure for Hollingham College in 1908. Ebner wrote to his brother in 1903, “While I admit that initially my expectations in teaching such a young pupil—a new experience indeed for me—were less than optimistic, I have found His Royal Highness to have the gravity and diligence of a young man thrice his age, and I would not exchange my young scholar for any graduate student at Wissenberg. He is a joy to teach and the pride of my academic career” (Collected Letters of Helmold Ebner, vol. 3, pp. 336-37). References to Tamett Lockridge appear surprisingly seldom among Ebner’s correspondence, with the most notable remark being his lament to a former colleague that “the Norriberrian child cannot understand simple concepts that His Royal Highness grasps immediately, while certain more difficult things that I take care to fully explain he claims to grasp from the start and yawns through the lesson” (Ibid. p. 429).

[2] mostly asleep: Multiple memoranda from Prince Josiah to his father complaining of his companion’s distracting tendency to snore during some lessons substantiate this remark.

[3] Professor Specht: Xaver Specht, mathematics tutor to Prince Josiah, was a professor at Wissenberg for only five years before winning the Höchste Award for Mathematical Achievement in 1902 for his monograph “Confronting the Monster Infinity.” He initially declined Odren’s request to teach the Prince, preferring to concentrate on research, but Odren’s promised compensation proved too profitable an opportunity to pass up. Specht was a notably private man but is known to have once claimed, “Most days, I need not teach His Royal Highness. He was born with mathematics written on his lips and heart” (Kalb, Xaver Specht: A Unique Mind, p. 284).

[4] the park: The park on the grounds of Königshaus Palace is famous for its great extent, nearly twenty miles at its widest point. Its attractions include the royal herd of deer, the Buchenwald (Beech Forest), and the magnificent statue of Odren (I) the Great, erected in 1858 by Odren VI to commemorate the four hundredth anniversary of Lienne’s conquest of Norriber.

[5] Lord Protzmann: Lord Protzmann, the head of the household of the royal children of Lienne, was appointed to that rank in 1885 and would continue in that role until his dismissal in 1910 after an embezzlement scandal. His duties included overseeing the daily affairs of the royal children’s domestic staff, managing accounts, and supervising such employees as the companion Tamett Lockridge and the princesses’ lady’s-maid, Sarra Gilsbrecht. Correspondence and diaries of the royal children indicate that they typically referred to Protzmann behind his back as Protz; it is likely that Tamett did also, but in a letter to his family which Protzmann could have easily intercepted, he is employing caution.

[6] Ayra had to eat with the King: By December 1902, after the death of Queen Nyella, Princess Ayra was expected to attend meals with her father in place of a consort whenever female guests were present. Lady Erna Rademacher, who often dined with the royal family, commented in later life that the princess was “so studiously courteous that to interact with her resembled a lesson in etiquette. She was always correct but lacked the spontaneous warmth more natural to her sister” (Forty-Seven Years at the Liennese Court, pp. 251-52).

[7] some of their caviare […] for us to try: The royal children’s household accounts indicate that the princes and princesses typically dined quite lavishly, in a style resembling that of their parents and the rest of the court. Even so, such dishes as caviar would have been off-limits.

[8] Lord Protzmann said I should: Lord Protzmann regularly corresponded with Edvin and Elina Lockridge about their son’s welfare and behavior and also kept track of the boy’s communication with his family.

[9] they pay me next week: Tamett Lockridge was paid 100 myunzen per mensem (worth approximately $5,300 today), the bulk of which went to his parents, although the rest was put in savings for his future, with a small allowance for him.              

[10] viertelmyunze: The myunze (plural: myunzen) is the chief unit of Liennese currency, worth approximately $53 dollars in 1908. A viertelmyunze was worth a quarter of a myunze ($13.25), while a halbemyunze was worth half ($26.50).

[11] the shopkeepers come to visit: Since it was not considered proper or feasible for the royal family to attend shops, certain prestigious merchants in Königsstadt were permitted by appointment to bring a selection of their wares and their catalog to the palace for the royal family to examine and purchase at will.

[12] coming home at Easter: Tamett’s last documented visit to his family had been at Christmas 1907.

[isfjmel-phleg]

Selections from the Correspondence of the Lockridge Family, VIII/XVII

Emenor to Tamett.

7 March 1908

Dear Tam,

I suppose you’ve already heard about what happened to my violin. It can’t be salvaged at all. I even took it to Mr. Winther and he said it was hopeless. He gave me one to borrow for the time being and told me to look into getting a new one. Not just any new one. One of Otionovian make.[44] As if I can walk into any shop and choose one off a shelf. He even wrote Father and Mother a letter detailing the specific sort of violin he has in mind, so I can’t even forget to mention this to them. I’m not sure if Mr. Winther thinks we have that sort of money.[45] It’s enough of an ordeal paying for lessons, but now with this Father and Mother are rather panicked.[46] They keep going off privately to talk loudly. They don’t want to ask Uncle Tamett and Aunt Klariesa again because you know how they’ll be about it.[47] Father even threatened to make that beast Cille pay for it herself, but that’s never going to work because she has nothing.[48] Of course I have something, but it still isn’t enough because an Otionovian violin goes for a small fortune up here,[49] and even if I did, I’d have to explain where I got the money. Which I don’t want to do.[50] I think at this point the best I can do is keep playing the borrowed one and hope that some generous benefactor comes along with a fortune to distribute to young struggling musicians, although my next option is piracy.

All right, Cille isn’t really a beast. I know she didn’t mean to and that it was all an accident. I’ve dropped the violin myself lots of times—not as dramatically.[51] But it’s an awfully expensive accident that’s causing me a lot of worry. It’ll be all right. I just need to be angry with her for a while first.

I didn’t think I’d ever say this, but thank goodness you weren’t here, because you would have been Suspect Number One. You would have smashed it and enjoyed every minute. You’ve probably wanted for a long time now to do that to the one they gave you. No use telling me you would never do anything so ungrateful. I know you for the troublemaker you are.

Such as making a list of “interesting” things but not even mentioning Hollingham until practically the last sentence??? Why must you torment me? Tell me all about it. Why are you going? I thought His Royal Highness wasn’t leaving until next year. Did he do something to make his father angry or is he just that impatient about his education? Do you want to go to Hollingham at all? I wish they admitted girls. And that I were there. Then I wouldn’t have to be here, and that would suit me just fine.

This week I learned “Arie für Solovioline.”[52] It doesn’t sound bad on the borrowed violin, but to make sure, I will follow you around playing it, over and over, whenever you come home. You’re going to love it.

Missing you! When are you coming home, anyway?

Your sister

Emenor

[44] One of Otionovian make: Despite Lienne’s reputation for musical genius, it was not the leading producer of instruments. For the past three centuries, Otionovian craftsmen, such as Dianati and Navario, had established their nation’s reputation for high-quality stringed instruments. A combination of technique and materials gave Otionovian violins an exquisite sound, subtle but distinctive to the trained ear. Thus, they were prized by serious musicians and demanded a lofty price. In 1908, the average gently used Otionovian violin cost fifty myenzen ($2,650), while a new one often sold for ninety ($4,770). These were the only sorts of violins in use at Königshaus; Prince Josiah was said to have owned five of them, although later accounts claim only four.

[45] not sure if Mr. Winther thinks we have that sort of money: Winther’s letter makes no mention of the potential cost of the instrument but instead appeals to the need for correct equipment to make the most of Emenor’s lessons. It is possible that Winther assumed that the Lockridges’ connection to a duke reflected or at least affected their own financial status.

[46] Father and Mother are rather panicked: According to the Lockridges’ accounts from this time, their other expenses included upkeep and new furnishings for their rather dilapidated house, a down payment on an automobile, the salary of a governess for their daughters, and campaigning expenses for Edvin, who was, for the twelfth time, campaigning for the office of representative in Norriber’s delegation to the Liennese court.  

[47] They don’t want to ask Uncle Tamett and Aunt Klariesa again […]: The Duke of Reierwardt’s accounts list an average of fourteen loans of various amounts to the Lockridges annually between 1894 and 1908. Elina’s letters to her brother frequently contain delicately worded requests for money, while the Duke’s letters to her often claim in turn that he has nothing to spare and invoke his ill wife as an excuse to not lend anything.

[48] she has nothing: The Lockridge children did not receive allowances; their only sources of income were gifts from relatives or earning it themselves.

[49] an Otionovian violin goes for a small fortune up here: See note 43 for the average cost of an Otionovian violin.

[50] I’d have to explain where I got the money. Which I don’t want to do: According to other letters of Emenor’s, her father was known to “borrow” money from his daughters, often without their consent, and never paid them back after neglecting to make records of the loans. She eventually made a point of asking their aunts on their father’s side not to any monetary gifts for the Lockridge girls in the hearing of or in letters to Edvin and Elina.

[51] I’ve dropped the violin myself lots of times—not as dramatically: Emenor at age nine had also broken a bow after using it as a sabre in a mock-fight with Tamett.

[52] “Arie für Solovioline”: “Arie für Solovioline” (Air for Solo Violin) by Boschbrandt was a staple of Liennese recitals and private concerts and was among Winther’s signature pieces.

[isfjmel-phleg]

Selections from the Correspondence of the Lockridge Family, III/XVII

Tamett to Emenor.

29 February 1908

Dear Em,

I am all right. I hope you’re all right too. Sorry for a dull letter but that’s how things are here. You know how His Royal Highness is, and all we do is lessons.

But to make up for it, I made a list today of interesting things. Here they are.

A large bug, I think a cricket, was wandering around our corridor this morning.[27] I chased it into my room but it was gone when I came back.

Mikaiah got scolded at breakfast for talking about elephants, which isn’t proper to speak about at a meal. I didn’t know that.[28]

I can turn a ruler on top of a pencil thirty-four times without it falling apart and zero times without it bumping into HRH during lessons.

I asked Lord Protzmann why the kitchen staff keeps forgetting to send up my hot chocolate with HRH’s, and he said it’s been sent to one of the members of the court by accident, but the person didn’t report it because he thought two glasses meant he’s especially important.[29]

That’s all.

I asked again about coming home next month too but Lord Protzmann is busy.[30]

Congratulations on your new lessons. All that noise wasn’t a waste, and you are quite good after all. I wish you could take the violin they make me use here.[31] I don’t want to have lessons anymore.[32] I hope I can get out of it at Hollingham.[33] I’m going there with HRH in the autumn, but I have to be a valet too.

Your brother

Tamett

P.S. Do you have any more of that rag sheet music? Ateva wants more but can’t buy any because then her father would know and no one else we know has any to loan.[34]

[27] A large bug […] wandering around our corridor this morning: This would have been an unusual sight in the Palace, whose staff included exterminators among many other people dedicated to keeping the building pristine. Odren believed a flawless residence would further reinforce the clean image he was trying to craft for the royal family in order to regain the people’s respect after the scandals characterizing his father’s reign.

[28] talking about elephants, which isn’t proper to speak about at a meal. I didn’t know that: No contemporary Liennese etiquette manuals cite this subject as a mealtime faux pas. Either it was an obscure custom or a ruse of the family to keep young Mikaiah quiet.

[29] sent to one of the members of the court by accident […]: The identity of this hot-chocolate thieving nobleman has been lost to history. Hot chocolate in the afternoon had been a custom of the Liennese upper class for more than two centuries. The chocolate varied in variety and toppings—sometimes quite bitter, or mingled with whipped cream—and was traditionally served in tall conical glasses with handles, along with bread, biscuits, or cakes.

[30] Lord Protzmann is busy: Earlier in the month, Lord Protzmann’s accounts had been called into question, and he was preoccupied at this time with fending off accusations and cleaning up the evidence.

[31] the violin they make me use here: Tamett upon beginning violin lessons was issued a lightly used instrument of Otionovian make, formerly the property of Odren’s brother Linnaf during some short-lived childhood lessons.

[32] I don’t want to have lessons anymore: Odren considered music a crucial part of any Liennese education and a patriotic duty to their nation, known as the music capital of the world. He insisted that all his children play at least one instrument; Ayra specialized in cello, Ateva and Mikaiah in piano, and Josiah in piano and violin. Therefore, Tamett began music lessons in 1903 immediately upon becoming Josiah’s companion and was assigned the violin. The journal of the royal children’s music tutor, Aymund Harven, is full of exasperated comments about “the Norriberrian barbarian” who could not hold his instrument correctly, frequently attempted to avoid lessons, and seemed to have no talent (Immel, Daily Life at the Court of Odren VII, pp. 581-83).

[33] I hope I can get out of it at Hollingham: Tamett’s academic records at Hollingham indicate that he did indeed no longer study music, although he dabbled in debating and drama.

[34] that rag sheet music? Ateva wants more […]: The royal children’s music lessons concentrated solely on classical music with an emphasis on Liennese composers. However, Ayra’s and Ateva’s letters to their cousins Princesses Truida, Jantine, and Klasina of Vischland demonstrate that their taste in music had more modern leanings. The girls kept a hidden stash of ragtime records and sheet music in their bedroom, and Ateva in particular was known to play such music whenever her father or Josiah were not liable to be in earshot. Tamett seems to have wandered into these impromptu parties and been cornered into being Ayra’s dance partner several times.

[isfjmel-phleg]

Selections from the Correspondence of the Lockridge Family, VII/XVII

Cille to Tamett.

5 March 1908

Dear Tamett,

I am sorry I have not written to you sooner.[41] I forgot to tell you that I am thinking about getting chickens and raising them and selling their eggs. Mother does not like this idea. I said it would make some extra money, but she said I should not sell eggs.[42] What do you think?

Will you bring me more maths to do when you come home?[43] I have finished all the books here except the big one from the shelf, and I am not allowed to look at it now.

Your loving sister

Cille

[41] I am sorry I have not written to you sooner: Cille’s letters frequently begin with this phrase when writing to Tamett multiple times before getting a reply. Given Cille’s conscientious nature, it is probably a sincere expression of remorse despite its seeming reproach to her errant correspondent.

[42] she said I should not sell eggs: Elina wrote to Klariesa to express her shock that “the grandchild of a Duke should suggest such an occupation as chicken-raising […] I cannot think where she must have picked up the notion, perhaps in some trivial book. Of course it is difficult in our current circumstances to impress upon the child who she is and what distinguishes her from her playmates from the village, but I see I shall have to have a long and serious discussion with her. I knew I would have to at some point, as I have with the others, but even with this fourth child I am dreading it. All of them have looked at me as if something in them were shattering. But Cille is a good, obedient girl, thank goodness, and whatever she may think, she will listen to me” (6 March 1908, private collection).

[43] will you bring me more maths to do when you come home: One of Tamett’s mathematics textbooks still exists and exhibits multiple handwritings: Tamett’s, his tutor’s, and a scrawling hand that solves each problem with careful accuracy—believed to be that of young Cille.

[isfjmel-phleg]

@lady-merian: #I feel like there might be some kind of lesson in this.. ye have not because ye ask not #except Josiah hasn’t previously given them any indication that he’s going to be so generous #so I don’t know

The character who grows the most in this story is Josiah, who briefly puts aside his dislike of Tamett to help out Emenor. He's not by nature a generous person, and he's been raised to regard generosity as a performative gesture that makes himself and the royal family look good. But here he is empathetic to Emenor's plight, as one musician to another, and the genuineness of his choice to give her one of his violins is shown in his not bringing that up, letting her and Tamett think that it's the one Tamett used to use. He's capable of kindness, and although he's got a long way to go, this is a promising start.

Perhaps a major factor in breaking through Josiah's stony, self-centered exterior was how Lovisa approached him. She's the first character in this narrative to attempt to see the humanity in him. Tamett (and Emenor, who takes her cues from him) sees Josiah at his worst and has understandably formed an understanding of him accordingly. But Lovisa is compassionate enough to guess at what's behind this boy who looks sad sometimes while playing music, and that's who she's writing to, more than the cold, remote figure that Josiah's image presents. Josiah is probably used to being treated with distance, and here is someone who believes he is kind, who believes he is the kind of person he might have been if things had been different. That strikes a chord with him.

And it's a surprise to Tamett and Emenor when Josiah does come through to help her! I don't know how much thought Tamett gives it at this point, but it certainly complicates Emenor's understanding of Josiah, and they will start to form a sort of friendship through letters.

This turned out to be a story about compassion, how the choice to show it brings out the best in oneself and others, and how kindness can be found in unexpected places. I didn't sit down and consciously tell myself I was going to write those themes, but that was the natural emergence.

Thank you so much for reading and commenting on the story! I enjoy what you have to say :)