Notes:
[f/n]= first name
Since you could be either a male or a female, I do not refer to you as a Princess or a Prince, your proper title.
If you're a vegetarian, then pretend you're not eating meat!
I bite my cheek as servants scuttle around me, arranging fancy cloth on my body. My temper has reached its limit, but it isn't the servants' fault. Thus the need to hold my tongue, so I don't end up snapping at one of the servants as they pin on my clothing to fit me just right and adorn me with jewels. They already look nervous, for I'm sure my face is wearing a very sour and hateful expression.
I really don't want to be here. My freedom is about to be snatched away from me, all so I can be a pretty accessory for some pompous prince I never met. All I wanted was what everyone at some point wants: to be able to marry the one I love. But no, Mother and Father arranged an engagement that I have no chance of backing out of. That's the problem with being royalty, everyone's expectations are pushed on you, and they are always watching you. I can't make my own decisions without being judged and pressured by everyone in this damn country.
Today, I get to go meet my fiance. A stranger. I feel like ripping off this uncomfortable clothing forced on me and smashing anything I can find nearby. I feel like running away and living the simple life of a peasant. At least then, I could be free to make my own decisions. But instead, I continue to bite my cheek until it feels like I'm bleeding as the servants do the finishing touches. Just as they finish, Mother walks into the room, smiling at me like I should be ecstatic.
"Oh, Darling, just look at you! Prince Gilbert is one lucky man," she gushes.
If I have anything to say about it, that man will feel unlucky to have me. If I'm lucky, he'll refuse to marry me. But I say to Mother, "Thank you, Mother. I do hope he is a kind and respectable man." Otherwise, I may just have to kill him.
Mother giggles cheerfully. "Oh, I'm sure he'll be just the man for you. I've been hearing he is quite the man to look at."
I resist the urge to roll my eyes at her. I step away from the fussing hands of the servants towards Mother. "Is everything ready for departure?" I just want to hurry and be over with all this.
"Of course, dear. Follow me ," she orders, her dress sweeping the floor as she turns to exit the room. I silently follow her through the mansion's halls, ignoring the watchful stares of servants. After what feels like forever, we finally make it outside. Despite my mood, the weather is sunny and delightful here in Prussia. Father is already seated in the carriage, his face void of emotion, as usual.
I ignore the helpful hands offering to help me into the carriage and step in myself. Mother immediately begins fussing, patting at my clothes and adjusting jewelry. Father simply says, "Driver, we are ready to move onwards." The horses snort a bit before I hear the clattering of hooves against cobblestone. I remain silent the majority of the ride, for I do not feel like feigning cheerfulness. This is going to be a very long day.
When we finally reach the castle, the sense of doom that had been building up in my stomach feels like it has reached its maximum capacity. But I stand tall and proud, having been trained for many years on wearing the appearance of nobility. I keep repeating in my mind to breathe calmly as I step closer and closer to the man I am to be forcibly bound to, Prince Gilbert. My eyes that had been fixated on my feet travel up the throne to meet the face of my fiance.
The sight of him astonishes me. Pure white hair, like snow, and bold red eyes, like rubies. He's an albino! No wonder people have been saying he is quite the man to look at. But astonishment diminishes to distaste due to his posture. He wears a bored expression as he lays slumped on the throne, his head resting on his hand. His eyes flick to me for a moment, then goes back to staring into space. I want to scowl at his rudeness, but I force a pleasant smile on my face. "Hello, Prince Gilbert. It is a pleasure to finally meet you," I greet him.
He grunts in response. Such arrogance! His father, the King, leans over and slaps Gilbert across the head. I blink in surprise as Gilbert starts shouting, "Ouch, Father! How dare you hit a head this awesome!"
"That is your fiance speaking to you!" the King barks. "You will show [f/n] more respect!"
Gilbert mutters something under his breath before turning to me, looking me straight in the eyes. I have to give it to him, he does have pretty eyes. "It is a pleasure to meet you, too, [f/n]," he mumbles.
"I'm sure," I mutter back to him, looking deep into his eyes. I can tell me and him are on the same boat: we don't want to be forced into this marriage. At least there is someone in this room who understands how I feel.
"I'm sorry for my son's rudeness," the King apologises.
"He can be quite the spitfire," the Queen pipes in.
"That is fine, your Majesties. He seems to be quite intriguing," I reply. From the corner of my eye, I see Gilbert smirk at me. I turn to him with a smile. "I like a challenge."
The Queen laughs at my boldness while Gilbert colors in embarrassment. "Ah yes, a lover always loves to break in their man. Did you know, before I met the King, he liked to keep many mistresses? After I met him, I whipped him into a loyal man."
"Now don't go telling them stuff like that," the King mumbles, coloring like Gilbert. He turns his attention back to us. "We have kept you waiting long enough. Come, let us start our feast!"
My family and I follow the Prussian family as they lead us to the dining hall. The sight of the table adorned with various delicious looking dishes makes my mouth water. My stomach growls in appreciation. I take a seat, my eyes already scanning the table for what I should try first. Something white rustles in the seat in front of me, and I look up to see Gilbert. He smirks at me once more, and says to me, "Like what you see?" The way he says it, I can tell he is referring to himself rather than the food.
"I did, until you distracted me from the food. If you'll excuse me, I'll presume admiring the view," I reply. Instead of getting angry, Gilbert laughs at my response.
"I'd recommend the schwenker," he tells me, pointing to what looks like steak with onions.
I eye him for a moment wearily, but he grins at me earnestly. The name sounds funny, but it looks good, so why not? I grab the dish and place it in front of me. I take my knife and start cutting into the grilled meat while Gilbert watches me expectantly. I delicately take a bite of the sliced meat to find that it is not beef, but pork. And it's delicious! It's nicely spiced and grilled just right, it could definitely pass as a steak. The onions compliment the meat as well, and I find myself taking a few more bites before I respond to Gilbert, who is back to smirking at me. "It's good," I tell him, trying to cover up my gluttonous delight by dabbing at my mouth with a napkin.
"I know," Gilbert replies smugly, then continues to eat his dish. I too silently return to my meal, neither of us speaking to each other for a while. Both of our parents are too busy chatting to pay mind, which makes the meal much more comfortable.
The peaceful meal is disturbed, however, when Gilbert suddenly starts squirming in his seat. "Are you ok?" I ask him, confused.
"Oh, uh, just fine!" he replies hastily, still squirming. He starts patting at his clothes, whispering something I can't hear.
"Do you need help or something?" I ask him, starting to feel concerned. Is he crazy?
"No, no, I'm fine, rea- NO GILBIRD!" Gilbert suddenly shouts as a little yellow chick flutters out from his shirt. As the chick starts tottering around the table, Gilbert flings himself at it. Dishes smash against the impact, and Gilbert becomes coated in food, but his sacrifice is in vain as the chick flutters out of his reach. Gilbert continues to try and capture the bird, but it always manages to dodge him. Finally, he throws both his hands over the bird, imprisoning it. "Got you!"
Stunned silence fills the air, my parents staring in awed shock. The King recovers from the shock, his face reddening with rage. He opens his mouth, ready to shout, but whatever he is about to say is silenced by the sound of my laughter. The laughter bubbles from my mouth, filling the room like the ringing of bells. My face is lit with a wide smile, a true, genuine smile. I can't stop the laughter, and soon I'm struggling for breath as I clutch at my stomach. Everyone, including Gilbert, stares in astonishment.
"I'm sorry!" I gasp between breaths. "It's just, he, the bird, the food!" I finally stop the flow of laughter, wiping the tears away from my eyes. "It was just so funny!" Everyone continues to stare at me like I'm suddenly a fairy. "What?"
"You...you look so vibrantly gorgeous when you smile like that, dear," the Queen responds in awe.
My face erupts in a heated blush. "Ah, oh, um...thank you?" I stutter, glancing at Gilbert, the cause of my smile. He stares at me for a little longer, then breaks into a wide, bright grin. He opens his palms and thrusts them forward, releasing the bird. "Hey, wait!" I cry as the bird flutters over to me. I cup my hands to try and capture the bird, expecting him to try and escape, but he obediently lands on my palms.
"His name is Gilbird," Gilbert tells me. I bring the bird close to inspect him. He chirps cutely at me and tilts his tiny little head. I giggle, overcome by Gilbird's cuteness.
"He's so cute!" I exclaim, glancing back at Gilbert. The stare he is giving me makes me freeze, taken by surprise. He is smiling at me softly, affectionately. But it's gone as fast as it came, replaced with Gilbert's trademark smirk. But it's too late, for I saw it. My heart starts to beat faster ever so slightly, my face warming in neither embarrassment or anger. Huh? What is this? Why did he look at me like that?
"Of course he is cute, he is the cutest! Only the best is allowed for someone as awesome as me," he gloats.
I roll my eyes at Gilbert as I bring Gilbird to my chest, cuddling him. "More like you should be honored Gilbird accepted you of all people to be his owner. Oh, I know!" I turn my attention to Gilbird. "Would you rather come home with me, little cutie?" I ask. The bird chirps cheerfully, as if in confirmation, and snuggles closer to me.
"Hey, wait, you traitor!" Gilbert shouts angrily at Gilbird. "I raised you, you ungrateful little pest! I demand you to return immediately!" Gilbird ignores him completely.
The King clears his throat to get our attention. Oh no, I completely forgot about them! For a moment, it was like Gilbert and I were the only ones in the room. I fidget, worried that they will find my behavior just now to be rude. But the King smiles widely at me, reminding me of Gilbert. "I'm glad, you seem to be enjoying yourself, [f/n]. I was going to beat this boy to oblivion," the King says threateningly as he glares daggers at Gilbert. "But seeing as how much entertainment he brought you, I'll let it slide. Now, let's give the servants room to clean up."
We all clear out of the dining hall, returning to the throne room. "Thank you all for your time," the Queen thanks us. "You all are ever such delightful people! I would be very pleased to have you as family."
"Yes, I find this to be the start of a harmonious unification," the King agrees.
I glance at Gilbert, curious on how he feels about this. Like it or not, we are going to be engaged. But he doesn't look upset at all. In fact, he looks rather cheerful. Me, I no longer know how I feel about this. Something changed, and I can't pinpoint what.
"We should be thanking you for inviting us to such a wonderful time!" Mother says.
"We too would be honored to have you as family," Father adds. "It is time for us to take our leave, but I hope we'll be seeing you again soon."
I step forward, cradling Gilbird. I stand in front of Gilbert as I gently hand Gilbird over to him. "Here, take care, you two." As Gilbert reaches forward to take Gilbird, his fingers brush against mine. There it is again, that feeling! "You take care, too, [f/n]," Gilbert tells me, gazing at me with his glimmering red eyes.
"I will," I tell him shyly. "Goodbye." As I follow my parents to the carriage, I can still feel Gilbert's gaze against me. It leaves me warm and tingly, even when I reach the mansion and he is long gone.
I...do I love Gilbert? I just met him! But the engagement no longer feels like the means to my doom. In fact, I'm actually feeling ok with it. Ah, jeez! This is all new to me! But…
I smile fondly as I think of Gilbert and little Gilbird as I settle in my bed for the night. Maybe getting married to him isn't all that bad.
I'm looking forward to seeing the arrogant prince again.
To Be Continued