Chapter 3 - Part II

And that is how she managed to become a right ear. Henri's heart and loins were malleable enough. An accomplishment that in her mind should have been considered a triumph of cleverness and skill was somewhat empty once acheived. In her adoptive world, the world of the Dance of Roses, her status as a right ear was a detriment, and one that should be remedied.

In a society that allows, and even encourages new and creative dancers on the stage, the path Ruby took was not unheard of. The anthology of rags to riches right ear stories was a heavy tome indeed. And while tales of social elevation were often elaborated into tales of mystical coercion or destiny, there were far more examples of men and women being in the right place at the right time; a chance meeting with a lonely Lady of the court, a serving girl's wifely qualities being noticed by her master.

It should never be said, however, that those in the Dance of Roses held no genuine affections. Stone does not dance well. The lords and ladies of the Dance were prone to succumb to pleasures of the flesh and heart the same as any man. An unwed noble son smitten with his maid was hardly expected to control his urges. He need only follow the proper steps to flow with the music.

But, as marriage was a requirement for any inheritance of title or deed, sometimes a quick wedding to a servant was the best way to secure succession, and there are many who seek to raise their lot in life. For every pleasant meeting and marriage between two genuine love birds, there were a dozen manipulated hearts and minds. A Lord or Lady Benefactor could mean the difference between a short life of struggle and a lavish life of privileged.

Not every person would view this path as advancement of course. In the cutthroat Dance of Roses, only the very ambitious or very naive willingly joined. An unambitious right ear would be wise to keep her head down and out of trouble, but Ruby was no such woman. With the talents and figure needed to ensnare the young Archne heir, Henri, she knew she could go further.

"Never trust a right ear." she overheard a maid chatter to her lady in waiting over tea. "If they were cunning and manipulative enough to win the hand of a true born left ear, there is no telling whose throat they will slit next for more power." Indeed, she was not far from the mark, for although the Eirdren nobility held a derogatory view of right ears, they were also fresh blood and they held the promise of a more entertaining dance. Castrating a right ear of agency and power was as much designed to coax the ambitious out of the confining box they were packing into as it was to limit untested influence.

In this life, there were two ways to become a left-eared noble; be born to a noble house, or gain control of one. As titles and land were in short supply in the well established hierarchy, particularly for the urban lords, the best way of acquiring such control was by taking it from your spouse, recently turned corpse.