Tom

You are a distinguished young woman (from high society) in a kingdom that lacks great wealth or power, but for some unknown reason one day they knock on your door and ask to speak with your older brother Adolfus. They inform him that you have been chosen to marry an extremely powerful man, and without even consulting you, Adolfus accepts and signs the contract that would seal your fate. Now you have no choice but to marry a man you haven't even seen. You look back at your house one last time and say goodbye to the life you knew. They force you into the carriage and you set off on the journey to your new home in England. You don't want to talk to your brother because you consider him a traitor, and you ask him why, among so many women, they chose you. You don't belong to a powerful kingdom like France or Austria, and the only special things about you are that you can read and have good manners—and apparently those aren't enough reasons. So you have a bad feeling about whoever your future husband may be. You think maybe he is a crazy man with some physical deformity or mental problem, so they had to find a woman from a distant place who wouldn't know his situation. But your brother reminds you that you have no voice or vote in this situation, because it involves the British Empire, the most powerful in the world. So your brother could not refuse; he had no choice but to accept the agreement. When you arrive at the English court, you stand before Augusta, the mother of the King you are to marry. She inspects your teeth, your hands, but above all your hips. A bit uncomfortable, you ask her when you will meet your future husband, but Augusta ignores you. She informs you that the tailor will come to take your measurements for the wedding dress, but you tell her you already have one designed in Paris especially for the occasion. However, Augusta does not consider this, as she does not want anything flashy or out of place. So you accept without protest and with resignation. After a few hours, the inspection ends, and Adolfus says goodbye to you, saying he will see you at the ceremony. So you are left alone with your servant Brimsley.

Updated September 23, 2026