Arrangement (Ended)

[Alana Starkwell]

It had been some time since Alana had seen her mother, so when an owl arrived requesting her to visit, she was surprised. Her mother wasn't a very pleasant person but she was still her mother so she had to go when asked...that and she was too intimidated to say no. She had no idea what her mother wanted so she actually packed some clothes to go along with her.

She flooed her way to her mother's estate, always having hated apparation. When she stepped out, she was even more surpised to find her husband waiting for her in the room.

"Jordan?"

He just led her to the next room where even more people were waiting. Orenda, Alana's mother, and two other men. She frowned, not understanding what was going on.

"Mother, what is this? And Jordan? I thought you were here on business.."

Jordan smiled softly, as if she had said something amusing. He gestured with his hand towards the men across the room.

"I am..here on business."

Still confused, she looked to Orenda to explain.

[Edwin Nordahl]

Edwin nodded and tipped his hat politely to Alana when her husband mentioned that he was indeed here on business. Now that all parties involved were present they could get down to brass tax. Orenda was definitely the one to go to with this. He couldn't help but smirk to himself at the thought that Jordan had good taste in women. Then again if this is what the mother looked like, he could only imagine what her daughter looked like. Gideon chose well. Edwin could not complain.

[Alana Starkwell]

"Well, you know how I like to think ahead. Maricelle might be young now but it is always good to get a head start on things, don't you think Edwin?"

Orenda spoke the word to Alana for the most part, until she address Edwin by name. Sitting at a desk with two files on it, she opened on and handed a photo to Nordahl. It was of Maricelle singing, of course her voice couldn't be heard but her lips were moving. When she realized she'd been spotted, she'd giggled but continued. Orenda kept a photo of all of her clients, or at least a photo of who they came to set up for. A picture of Nordahl's son was in the other file but Orenda had already made her mind up, so there was really no need to show her daughter. Anyway, Jordan had already seen the photo.

"This is my dear granddaughter. I'm not sure if you've seen her but I'm sure you will approve."

Approve? Alana couldn't believe it. She did NOT want Maricelle apart of this! She looked at Jordan as if he had betrayed her but he kept from making eye contact with her. He was as much apart of this as Orenda was.

"I can't believe you two. You can put together whoever waltz their way in here but you cannot do this to my daughter!"

Orenda didn't even look up from the files as Alana went off on her little rant. The deal had been made. Everything was set to go and there would be no changing it now. There was no way in hell that Orenda was going to allow her only granddaughter to marry of with some trash..or worst..a mudblood. Absolutely not.

"What do you think Edwin? Lovely, isn't she?"

[Edwin Nordahl]

"Indeed."

He could not agree more about getting a head start on the future for these children. They would not be children forever and he would not have two children locked away in an asylum for the sickness of any sort of impure addiction that was for certain. One was quite enough. It was a cruel thing to have done to Violet, some might say. But when she saw the error of her ways she would be thankful to him for this. As would Gideon, in time.

"I have heard of her, but have not seen. Quite the little nightengale. Yes she is an acceptable match for my son."

Edwin could see his son's interest now. She had some of her father's more handsome qualities mixed with her mother's beauty. A fair mix, not exactly what Edwin would chose but to each his own. Whatever pleased his son, Edwin would find way for him to have it. Any fears that she was a hound faced bwitch that might produce as equally horrific heirs. When Alana spoke up like that, Edwin shot her husband a dark look that suggested he get his woman under control. But he never said anything to that effect. Instead he chose to ignore Alana as though she were as insignificant to this dealing as a fly buzzing about the room.

[Alana Starkwell]

Jordan paid Alana no mind at all. He knew her well enough that in the presence of her mother, she was all talk unless someone was there to back her up. She damn near had no power at all. Orenda on the other hand, would only put up with it for so long. So when Alana attempted to start back up, a flash of red shot from the desk to her chest. Jordan caught her before she slumped to the floor. He sighed and carried her unconscious body into the other room.

Orenda put her wand away and continued her conversation with Edwin as if nothing had happened. She had other clients to attend to and could see early on that inviting Alana had been a bad decision.

"Oh yes. The girl has many talents. But there is an issue we must discuss...your son. He did not inherit your name."

She asked no questions as to why. She honestly did not care for the reason behind it but as this was not any normal arrangement, with it involving her precious granddaughter, the name she took was very important. This...March just wouldn't do. Orenda was not foolish though, she knew Edwin was not likely to have his son take the Starkwell name.

"If you can assure me that he will have your name, I will guarantee you a match for your son. Otherwise, there is nothing more to discuss here."

He had to see it himself. The power his name carried next to this March. And to be quite honest, Nordahl had a much nicer ring to it than March did when tacked at the end of Maricelle.

By this time, Jordan had returned. He was even a bit surprised Orenda hadn't pushed for Starkwell as the last name of both. She had given his father hell for it after the marriage of him and Alana. But he said nothing. This was Orenda's business. She knew what she was doing.

[Edwin Nordahl]

"I had a feeling this would be part of the requirements. Yes, I can indeed guarantee that he now carries my family name and has thusly been named heir as he is my only son."

Edwin held out his hand and his associate placed a few papers in his hand. It was a set of papers from the ministry indicating the name change of James Gideon March, to Gideon Edmund Nordahl. Also the articles of inheritance for the family line indicating that indeed Gideon is the heir to the Nordahl fortune. Edwin made no mention of his daughter. The family rules of his line were rooted in old customs where only the male heir could inherit. Until now Violet stood to inherit everything because she was the only Nordahl child. Of course he made no mention of her recent "incompetency" to inherit either. Whatever madness of the mind she had was not a concern, and the illness of impure infatuations was not a hereditary disease so it was pointless to discuss.

"I judge you will find everything is in order. My only concern would be sterility in the lines... there is none of that, no squibs in hidden houses that I should be aware of?"

The one thing Edwin cared for was the purity of lines and the survival of a pure line. He glanced to Jordan a moment wondering if there was something to this deal that he was not aware of. Gideon had obviously not told him the girl was cursed, luckily for them, anyone who knew would not want her married into their lines. A werewolf was impure a pox on a house as a squib. In fact it was one of the few things the Order would shun a member for becoming. They would not grant him death, but they would sever all ties to him, as was seen with Hook when he was bitten.

[Alana Starkwell]

"Well then, I believe almost everything is set."

Orenda took the papers, looking over them before duplicating them. She handed the originals to Edwin. She also made a few notes in her files as he spoke. She pulled a document of her own from the desk drawer and laid it on the desk,folding her hands over it and not speaking until Edwin was done. Something he said had annoyed her but she showed no signs of it.

Had he forgotten who he was arranging his son to? The family she came from? Their history? The Starkwells had not a single filthy little squib in their family. Squibs tended to be in the families of purebloods who had intermixed too many times. The Starkwells were not a family who intermixed, ever. Why, when there were so many pureblood families out there. She for one had been married to and Italian pureblood. And Alana to Jordan, who was of a Caribbean and Jamaican heritage, pure notherless. Intermixing was NOT permitted.

"I can assure you that there are no..'squibs in hidden houses' and I find it a bit insulting that you have not at least done your homework on the family of the girl who is to be your son's wife one day. Now.."

She lifted her hands and placed the document she had previously taken out and pushed it towards the end of the desk. It was a contract.

And somewhere in it stated that should some affliction of any sort, that would consider the one arranged to be "impure," take place, then they, or the one who had arranged them must notify the one who matched them. From there their application would be terminated. It also stated that should the client have a "change of heart" about going through with the arrangement, they were to give notice a year in advance, to give time for the other party to find another match. It reminds them that the matchmaker is not required to do business with them and once an application is terminated for any reason, no further arrangements would be made with that family. In addition, should any of the guidelines be broken or a withdrawal from the arrangement was made, the family would be required to pay a compensation fee for the time and effort wasted.

Now Orenda knew good and well that there was a curse on her family, but nowhere in the contract did it say that if the client has a feeling or strong belief that the arranged would be bitten by a werewolf, vampire or whatever, they would need to inform the matchmaker. No. She knew exactly what she was doing. She had prevented Alana from being bitten and she would prevent Maricelle from it the same way. All Edwin had to do now, was sign.

"Your name here and your signature there."

She pointed out the area where he was to sign. There were two other places to be signed but she said nothing about those.

"Any other questions or concerns?"

[Edwin Nordahl]

"It was not my intention to offend Orenda. Do forgive me. Only, it is something I had to know. I believe I have done quite a deal of homework but I wanted the word from you specifically. There is no greater source that I would trust."

He had to have words from the horses mouth. Any family could hide things very well, if they wanted. Edwin did not dwell on gossip, he dealt in cold hard fact when it came to the things that mattered and the survival of his line indeed mattered. Most importantly Edwin did not want to insult Orenda and lose the arrangement being made. Quill in hand he reviewed the contract intent for any displeasing clause that might trap him of his son into something. The devil was often in the details.

"And these spaces? Who else shall be signing?"

He looked for Jordan's signature on this as well. He was not comfortable to be the first and only to sign any document. Someone clever enough to have a goblin in their employ might have said goblin alter the contract after the fact. To say Edwin was paranoid in his dealings was an understatement. As of now the document remained unsigned.

[Alana Starkwell]

"Well then you have my word."

As he read over the contract, Orenda started to place things back into their files. Photos, the copy of the new documents, things of that sort. She smiled politely at his question. Things with this arrangement would be handled differently than with hr others. That was to be sure.

"I will be signing there. Jordan is only here to give his consent."

As was Alana but Orenda would have signed the papers with or without them. She was not one to wait for anyone's permission. Not that Jordan would have gone against her anyway. He was her little lapdog. Agreed with everything she told him. Alana was the problem and the way she was raising Maricelle just wouldn't do. Some things were going to change and this would be the start of it.

"Now, I have a request. This is not in the contract, it is simply a matter of courtesy. You may confide in your son what you will of this arrangement. But under no circumstances is Maricelle to know. I would very much appreciate it that he kept it to himself. If you are planning on telling him that is."

She, herself, would not sign the document unless Edwin agreed.

"And as for your wife. I am not a fool Edwin. But do keep in mind that Maricelle comes from a female dominant family. I will not allow any harm to come to her by any man. Remember that."

Once or if he agreed, she would have signed the papers. Alana would have roused and Jordan would have taken her home. If he was smart enough he would have modified her memory, and if not, they would deal with her later.

(You can fade unless Edwin has some more questions.)

[Edwin Nordahl]

"Of course. My son will not be informed of this until he is near age anyway. Should their be a definite change of plans, I would rather he not know the arrangement had even been made."

The contract did allow for certain events to break the arrangement. He doubted it would come to that, but if Gideon knew he was arranged and decided to do something about it he might ruin it for all parties involved and Edwin would have none of that. The boy may be spoiled but he was not going to ruin everything. Finally Edwin put quill to paper and the arrangement was made.

(Fade)