Sasuke sighed climbing into the slick black limo parked outside in the round-about of his mansion. Well, it was more of a castle really, but only one of their many homes. He was waiting on Itachi to grace them with his presence so they could leave. At this point they'd be late. The old lit gas lamps circling the round fountain to the left inside of the limp shone brightly. They cast dim light over the walk bathing the tiny white stones in a humming glow. He leaned back in his seat with the door still ajar and the butler holding it open for his brother. He let his eyes fall closed. Tonight was just one of the many parties that they were being asked to attend in order to keep their available bachelor titles. He groaned to himself dreading the evening of young princesses and ball gowns that would await them. Itachi would get all the desperate princesses and woman who knew that his time to take a bride was coming so close it was almost slipping away. Sasuke knew that he would be able to snag one of the overflow desperate to meet his brother. He'd probably bring her home, bag her, and let her be on her way with hopes that he'd put in a good word for his older sibling.
"Oh shut up. You're going to have a good time tonight." Itachi said finally sliding into the cab beside him. The door shut lightly and the driver began to walk back around. He peeked a side glance at his brother noticing that he was wearing a classic black tux with an incredibly uptight black slick tie.
"No, you will have fun tonight." He yawned sitting up straighter.
"You know I don't care for all of this." Itachi told him smirking. "I'm not interested in some pretty princess and her powder pink birthday coming out party. This isn't really my thing. Father said we had to go." He leaned over ruffling his brothers onyx spiky locks.
"Is this party really all pink?" Sasuke asked in disbelief. He didn't remember this on the invitations.
"No. I just assume most of the princesses we've met already chose pink and purple in some variation." He chuckled.
The drive to the romantic Victorian era villa wasn't that far off from the coast. The road had turned from pavement to pebbles to dirt and sand. The brothers sat a little straighter putting down the back window to catch a glimpse of the summer home of a royal family they were not familiar with. Itachi knew that the Duke of Upshire had an only daughter as heir to their estate. They were three sides of the family out from the Uchiha royal main line but they served their purposes. From what he'd gathered the girl was between his and Sasuke's age at a comfortable twenty two. Really, either of them would be suitable for her, their father had told them earlier that morning. Itachi also knew that this young lady in particular's reputation was hanging with this coming out party. She'd made some questionable un-royal like behaviors and refused two of her suitors picked by her father. As their limo stopped on the drive their driver came around to the side to let them out.
The first things that hit Sasuke were the smell of peonies and lilies wafting over the veranda court leading into the house. He also noticed the gorgeous hanging candle lit chandeliers from the trees around the yard. Whoever had planned this party was trying to make the whole place seem innocent and pure. The white flowers hanging over the edges of the stone sides of the stairs they were being led up by a swanky butler. He hadn't known that the Duke had this much money at their disposal. As reading his little brothers mind Itachi leaned over to whisper in his ear.
"Dad said that we loaned money to this affair to assure the duchess gets her reputation back in control." Sasuke nodded. It made more sense now. The front villa glass double doors were opened and immediately the boys eyes widened. Music poured from inside the ballroom which was packed with even more spreads of gorgeous overflowing baskets and hanging poles of flowers.
The whole room was packed. People milled around in lavish ball gowns of gold and silver. Bright hues of fuchsia and orange mixed with the men's dark tuxes as party goes drank deeply from crystal cups. Sasuke raised an eyebrow and picked his way through the hardwood dance floor to find the table with the alcohol. He would need some to deal with this. The ceiling of the room danced high above their heads with sconces and hand carved and original artist renditions of famous works over the ceiling. He took a cup from a man who was in control of the alcohol bar and got one for Itachi as he joined him.
"Hope all of this is enough to help the poor girl." They clinked their glasses together and Sasuke smirked.
"I no longer care about why we originally came here. I'm going to find some poor girl who wants to talk to you." He pointed to Itachi briefly. "And I'm going to make her believe that through me she can get to you." He chuckled.
"Not yet you're not. Dad said we have to introduce ourselves to the girl. You can't do that if you have some floozy on your arm idiot." He tipped some more of his drink back. "And I believe that we'll make out entrance in the private quarters where she should be waiting." Sasuke wanted to glare at Itachi but he decided better of it and finished off his drink in one gulp.
"Fine let's go."
After twisting around the beautifully decorated hallways throughout the villa the two princes eventually found the double wooden doors adorned with twin horses hand carved in the Italian wood. Itachi knew that these were the private quarters that the duchess would be in wait before making her formal entrance to the party. However, Sasuke put a hand out to stop his brother noting that the doors were cracked just open a hair. Light spilled into the darker hallway as Itachi moved closer. They could overhear the conversation inside and he knew why Sauske had stopped him. The heavy male tone that was addressing another person inside the room was harsh and low with a promise of authority.
"You will go out there and you will dance with, speak with, and mingle with whomever we tell you too." There was a short swish noise and Itachi peered just through the crack. He watched a taller man with a suit grab for the arm of a young girl. He pulled her closer looking down his nose at her. His eyes narrowed.
"I will not." She snapped back hotly.
"You have less than two months to make a formal engagement before your father will choose for you publicly. I'm telling you that we are choosing for you. The royal advisory will make their decision without your father tonight. Whoever we choose he will think he chose and we will convince him is right for the family and you." The man gripped her arm tighter.
"You can't…" his hand moved up holding her chin.
"Do you understand Duchess?" Itachi blinked realizing as the man spoke to her in such a condescending manner what was happening. He knew the man was from the royal advisory because he'd worked with him before for certain events. His name was Adonis.
"I understand." She jerked her head out of his grasp and stepped back looking away from him.
"Then sit on that couch and worry that pretty little head about making good introductions while we wait for the Uchiha Princes to arrive." He smirked and straightened his suit jacket turning to walk out a gold door across the other side of the room.
As the girl sat down Itachi took a good long look at the Duchess who was supposed to be nothing but a giddy happy young lady this evening. Instead, she looked like she was about to cry or punch the nearest vase beside the couch on a table. Her hands folded in her lap as she sat, her dress fluffing around her. She was wearing a strapless evergreen gown with a beaded corset that melted into a tool waist that gave just enough fluff to poof around her waist but not make her look two sizes bigger than she was. She was a smaller female with a thin body and lengthy arms. He assumed the legs of which he couldn't see were the same. She had her vibrantly rich auburn curls snarled and weaved into a curled flowing half up half down style cascading about her shoulder. Woven into the threads at her forehead was a small ringlet of golden flowers. Sasuke glanced at his brother. He saw the way Itachi was peeking through the crack over the girl. He had to admit, she was lovely, but not his type. Itachi always tended to go for the ones that were genuinely beautiful. Sasuke knew that his own style was a bit more rough and hard around the edges.
"Are you going to go in there and comfort the maiden in distress?" Sasuke whispered teasing his brother elbowing him in the ribs.
"Shut up and straighten up. We need to go in there and make that girl smile." He chuckled.
"Ah yes, what better to make a girl smile than a visit from the country's most eligible heirs?" He chuckled before opening the double wooden doors wider.