Chapter 1- The End is just the Beginning
Summary:
Sébastien de Lafayette was good at three things- managing the French Consulate based in Angeles, keeping up with his three younger sisters, and pick-up lines. Romantic relationships? No so much. But one day, Sébastien decides to place his name in for the Selection and that's when his destiny begins to unravel and reveal itself right before his eyes. Also known as, a couple of one shots between the characters of Sebastien de Lafayette and Isodora Amber Callie Schreave.
They say that one's life flashes before one's eyes when one is placed in a life or death situation, but Bast was not standing in the face of danger: he was standing in the face of the most amazing girl he's ever had the pleasure to meet as she stood on a raised stage in a dress that reminded Bast of the night sky and she was going to make a choice that would change her life and either his or the two other young men that stood beside him lives.
As Isodora stood on the stage and took a breath in, Bast took a look to the side where several people had surrounded them and time began to slow down as Bast caught sight of his family and his sister, Sistine, as she winked at him.
Bast turned to look back at Isodora and his heart was beating faster than he thought was humanly possible. His training as an Ambassador had taught him how to slow down his heart, to help him remain calm- but no force in the world could make Bast's heart beat faster than his soleil. Calm was an emotion thrown to the wind whenever they were both with each other. Bast blinked and in the milliseconds it took, one moment in his life had replayed in his mind- the beginning.
A memory:
"You know Bast, I just didn't like that, Ilse- seemed like all she wanted was to meet mom- how many models have wanted to get discovered by the illustrious Serena de Lafayette?" Sébastien's sister, Sistine spoke as she sat across him on his desk.
Bast looked up from his paper work that read somewhere along the lines of France's concern of rebel activity in Illea, a smirk sneaking its way across his face. Sistine was always obsessed with
"Sistine- My personal life isn't really supposed to be brought here to the consula-" Bast had spoken until he was yet again cut off by Sistine.
It's always been like that, Sistine being the more brash sibling and Bast having the patience to take things slowly- they were each others' balance after all.
"What exactly did she tell you again?" Sistine spoke as she pulled out her phone. "Like, I'm being honest. Basty, you do tend to be a workaholic."
Bast rolled his eyes at his sister, but a small crooked smile appeared on his lips. Was it really a problem that Bast always did prioritize working on making sure that Illean and French Relations don't get screwed up?
"Sistine, if you continue on insisting on digging further into my personal life, then I believe that it's best reserved for home." As much as Bast was aching for some hot chocolate and his favorite pair of sweatpants, he knew he had to continue on writing a report on the rebel activity in Illea to his uncle.
"Basty, come oooon! You just have to give me the details, or Sienna is going to pry it out of you tonight at dinner."
"Aren't you supposed to be in New York with mom now? I thought it was fashion week there." Bast spoke, avoiding one dreaded topic by slipping in one of Sistine's favorite topics.
"I'm flying there tomorrow. She got me a great seat for the House of Garner show. "
"Well you do get a lot of designers kissing your ass when you're editor In chief of Vogue." Bast smirked as Sistine had taken the bait of the New York fashion week topic.
"I know right?!" Sistine beamed until her smile faded into suspicion. "Basty, you avoided the topic again!" Sistine continued as Bast groaned as he continued reading over his report to the King of France.
"Is it really that bad that I do not want to talk about it? Honestly, it's not even a big deal. I just went out with her on like three dates." Bast said- recalling the first time he was set up with his last confusing relationship with an upcoming model by his sister.
"But did you guys make it official?"
"Nope, we didn't really have an agreement of what we were exactly with each other."
"Huh, so when did she actually say 'Hey Bast, it's not working out for me'?" Sistine continued to pry into Bast's love life.
"About two days ago." Bast shrugged as he sealed the paperwork in an envelope and dripped and stamped the de Lafayette wax seal on the envelope and added his signature on it, just to be safe. "I was supposed to go on a fourth date with her," Bast continued.
"But then in the restaurant, she actually did tell me that in the 6 months we've been seeing each other- we had only gone on three dates. We tried to make plans but they never pushed through since our schedules never matched up." Memories of flickering candlelight and the smell of olive oil begin to come back as Bast began to really remember what had happened.
"and then she half-yelled at me telling me to get my head out of the paperwork of the consulate and try to make some effort for her too."
Sistine looked at Bast like his dog had died. "I'm sorry it didn't work out, Basty. But, I guess you can say that the carrots are cooked." Sistine giggled a little.
Bast had to chuckle at the phrase his family had always used to cheer each other up. "Oui, les carottes sont cuites." How odd that his family often used food metaphors. This particular one meaning that it was inevitable.
The moment was then interrupted as a knock on the door as a young diplomat trainee entered the room. "Monsieur de Lafayette, I have a letter addressed to you from the Illean Palace." she spoke as she handed the letter to Bast.
"Merci, Maria. If you could give this to my secretary," Bast had spoken as the diplomat trainee handed him the finely enveloped letter to him, and Bast in turn handed his recently sealed paper work to the diplomat trainee. "that would be tres bien. Please tell her that it is to be sent along with the consulate budget proposals I gave her earlier."
The diplomat trainee then nodded her head and left the room. Leaving Bast and Sistine alone again. Before Bast could inspect the letter, Sistine had snatched it right out of his hands.
"I know what this letter is, Basty!" Sistine spoke, fingers tracing over the violet and gold seal on the envelope. "This is the Selection Application form! Do you remember the announcement last week?" Bast tried to take the time on watching the Reports, but last week Bast had attended a fundraiser that took up his entire Friday night.
"And you know this because?" Bast asked, curious about his sister's knowledge over the Selection.
"Alexandre had received one the day before yesterday. I threw it out for him." Sistine smiled sweetly at Bast, as if she didn't destroy a private document not meant for her to read. Alexandre was Sistine's fiancee that had come from a prominent political family and his gut was telling him that the engagement wouldn't last any longer if Sistine acted like that.
"I'll forget that you told me that." Bast had said snatching the envelope out of Sistine's hands and opening it.
It turns out, Sistine was right. In the envelope were two expensive-feeling papers, both bearing the Illean Crest. The first paper was the standard salutatory greeting explaining the purpose of sending the form in.
To the House de Lafayette,
The recent consensus has confirmed that a single man between the ages of eighteen to twenty two currently resides in your home. We would like to make you aware of an upcoming opportunity to honor the great nation of Illea. Her royal highness, Princess Isodora Amber Callie Schreave, will be reaching her 18th year within the year- and in the age old Illean tradition, all young Illean men aged 18 to 22 years old are eligible to enter themselves into the opportunity of a lifetime to compete for Princess Isodora's hand in marriage. If your eligible son, brother, or charge is interested in possibly becoming the Princess Isodora's husband, please fill out the enclosed form and return it to your local Province Services Office. One young man per province will be drawn at random to meet the Princess. Participants will be housed in the lovely Illean Palace in Angeles and be compensated for their duration spent participating in the Selection. The House of Schreave eagerly awaits your reply.
May peace and prosperity follow you,
The House of Schreave.
The second paper was the said enclosed form all that had asked for his general information and contact details.
After reading the letter, Bast handed the letter back to Sistine so she could read it too.
"I think you should enter for it." Sistine spoke, which earned her a confused look from Bast.
"Just hear me out, I think the two of you might click really well." Sistine continued speaking, pushing the letter and form to Bast. "Your worlds aren't that far from each other, and I mean you've met her in different functions!"
"We barely made eye contact, Sistine. Let's be rational, the chances of me being Selected is such a long shot." Bast replied pushing the form and letter away from him.
"You'll never know by trying and if Sierra and Simone were here, they'd tell you to enter too." Sistine replied.
"Let's say that I am Selected, who will take over the consulate while I'm gone?" Bast questioned.
"I'm sure Papa would definitely be fine with taking over while you're gone. Papa did tell me that it's about time that you should find a girlfriend."
"Girlfriend, not a wife." Bast said rolling his eyes.
"You've spent your entire life working towards becoming the Ambassador of France, Bast. No teenager should really continuously focus on tracking foreign relations. You literally missed out all the fun stuff in highschool! Look at where you are already, it's time to balance your life." Sistine had ranted.
"Basty, trust me. I promise you would not regret this decision." Sistine spoke pushing the letter and form towards him in one last effort. "There's no harm in trying, right?"
Bast looked at his sister and the way her eyes shined. "You need to take a break Bast, it's time to find love."
In defeat Bast had sighed and took a pen out of his suit jacket and began filling out the form to Sistine's giddy delight. "You win, Sissy. I will enter my name, but there are no guarantees that I will get Selected." Bast spoke as he continued filling the form out.
"Trust me, Basty, you won't ever regret this decision." Sistine smiled.
"-I know that I am sure…" Isodora spoke as Bast snapped back to the present and out of that memory with Sistine. This was it, and Bast knew that whoever Isodora would choose, Bast will accept it with all his heart. It is her choice.
"Bast, are you a tower? Because Eiffel for you."
Bast almost choked on a sob- was he about to cry? He wasn't exactly sure, the only thing he was sure about was that Dora had used the worst pick up line in his book and he couldn't have chosen anyone or anyway else than her, right now. Everyone in the room suddenly vanished and all he could see was the ray of light that was Dora. As Dora had began making her way down the stage, Bast immediately began making his way to meet her half-way and took her face in his hands.
"Marry me?"
Bast almost answered in French before filtering himself before replying with a "Yes, mon coeur, a thousand times yes." Bast would not cry in public but the idea of spending the rest of his life with Dora was an elysium he never could have thought of in his wildest dreams. A lifetime of sweatpants, fireplaces, hot chocolate, and Dora in his sweater awaited him and there wouldn't be anything else he would want more than that.
Bast then pulled Dora into a passionate kiss, trying to express how much he loved her especially in that moment. Of course, Bast still had to awkwardly bend down and Dora had to still tiptoe in her heels, but both of them were too happy, too relieved to actually mind it. The height difference only made Dora more beautiful to him. Somewhere along the kiss, it began to turn more generous and the line between love and desire began to blur for Bast until Felix (thankfully) had interrupted the two of them. With one last peck, Bast broke apart from Dora and he was pretty sure that he was grinning like an idiot while Felix made his closing remarks and the anthem played.
"I can't believe you used the corniest pickup line." Bast said, still in disbelief that one of his own pick up lines were used on him, and in the best possible manner.
"I don't know, either. I just thought you would like it," she replied and Bast just wanted to continue kissing the girl of his dreams until he realized that there were hundreds of people surrounding the two of them including his family.
"I loved it. You couldn't have said anything better." Bast answered, moving his arms down to wrap them around her waist.
"And don't forget you have to take me to Versailles, on our honeymoon," she whispered. Somewhere in the back of Bast's mind, a tingle of excitement ignited in that moment that purely came out through a chuckle.
"I can't believe you remembered that." a small flash of their first date in the garden near the kitchens came into mind.
"Gosh, Bast. Why do you think I'm marrying you?" God, all Bast wanted to do was marry her right there, where they stood.
"Yeah, and I'm marrying you only for the amazing Lattes at the Palace, and your good looks. But that's all."
"I know." She replied and Bast bent down and pulled her into a kiss.
The next few moments were a whirlwind of people and goodbyes from Ethan, James, and Kaden-Mitch/Kaditch. Bast wondered about how awkward it would be for Dora to say goodbye to the three other guys, but Bast couldn't take his eyes off of Dora as guests began congratulating them.
As his sisters made their way to literally tackle him and Dora into a hug, Sistine seemed to have been happiest among his sisters- grinning from ear to ear. His father had given him a firm handshake turned hug and his mother had given him a kiss on the forehead before saying - "I'll help Dora have her wedding dress prepared for your wedding." with tears in her eyes- which honestly is the first time he's ever seen his mother tear up. Before the family had left, Sistine stayed behind a little to give Bast one last hug.
"Told you that you wouldn't regret that decision, Basty." she said as she reached up to mess his hair up and strutted to catch up with their family.
When all the guest were gone and the staff began cleaning the ballroom, Bast and Dora began making their way back to their rooms until Bast was struck by one last thing he forgot to do. He then lead Dora to the terrace just outside the ballroom.
"Bast, I really want to go to bed already-" Dora groaned as Bast held onto both of her hands in the terrace.
"Just one last thing, mon coeur." Bast said as he began fiddling with the rings on his fingers. The image of Dora standing out in her gown under the starlight was going to be a memory he was going to hold onto for as long as he could.
Bast then kissed the top of her head and took a breath.
"I didn't get to properly propose to you." Bast then got down on one knee, as he took one ring from his pinky, an heirloom from his mother's side of the family and held it up to Dora.
"Je t'aime de tout mon coeur, Isodora. There is nothing in this world that would convince me otherwise. I don't offer much, but what I can promise you is that I will love you for the rest of my life. I promise to take care of you and make you feel loved throughout the days we will spend with each other. I promise fireplace and sweatpants whenever you feel like it, and I promise that I'll make you more sweaters to wear and to teach you how to knit in our free time." Bast breathed as he still held the ring out for Dora. Despite the darkness of terrace, Bast could tell that Dora was getting teary-eyed just like he was when she chose him.
"Je ne peux pas vivre sans toi; tu es l'amour de ma vie. And you know what, mon Soleil?" Bast had paused just for a dramatic effect.
"What?" Dora had said, and he knows that she was expecting another pickup line from him.
"You are just so beautiful that you made me forget my pickup line. Je veux être avec toi pour toujours. Veux-tu m'épouser? Will you marry me, Isodora?" Bast didn't realize it until he felt that tears were sliding down his eyes.
Dora breathed out a yes as she held her hand to him as he slid the ring onto her ring finger. Bast was then pulled down by Isodora to a kiss. It is slower and more loving than their kiss in the ballroom, probably because they know that no one is there to interrupt them anymore. They could spend the entire night like that, if they wanted to- and so they do. They draw out the kiss. Every once in a while, Bast mumbles something from his long list of endearments for Dora, mon coeur, mon soleil, ma reine.… and his mumbling is cut by them taking a break for air. The sound of heavy breathing is interrupted by a yawn coming from Dora.
"Would you want to go back to your room?" Bast asked as he straightened his suit jacket.
"Yes, please!" Isodora said as she held her hand out to Bast.
They both began walking back to their rooms and as they passed by one of the huge mirrors in the hallways, Isodora gave out a laugh as she pointed to their reflection.
They both looked like a mess, Dora's liptick had rubbed off all over Bast's mouth, and Bast's hair was in an extreme need of a comb.
"Wait, where do we stay, now that we're engaged? Do I still go to my room, or do I get special access to the Queen's suite on the third floor?" Bast asked as he wiggled his eyebrows flirtatiously.
"Hmmm, I never thought of that either." Isodora replied as they just continued making their way up the stairs.
"Maybe we should have a compromise then, I'm hoping no one has moved the sofa, pillows, and blankets I placed there last time. " Bast said as he and Dora stopped on the second floor.
"Nope, I asked them to keep it as it is." Dora said smirking.
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Bast had asked.
"Fireplace and Sweatpants?"
"Fireplace and Sweatpants." Bast repeated in agreement and he wouldn't have it any other way.
A/N: Okay so this is basically the first chapter of this collection of different one shots I'm planning on writing for the next couple of weeks. Credits to Abizeau for originally writing The Choice from which this story is basically a spin-off of. For reference purposes, part of this chapter is Bast's point of view of several events in Chapter 48 of The Choice.
A reference to the french phrases used by Bast in this chapter:
les carottes sont cuites- the carrots are cooked (which is basically a French Metaphor that means the end is near/inevitable)
mon coeur- my heart
Je t'aime de tout mon coeur - I love you with all my heart.
Je ne peux pas vivre sans toi- I can't live without you.
Tu es l'amour de ma vie- You're the love of my life.
Mon soleil- My sun
Je veux être avec toi pour toujours- I want to be with you forever.
Veux-tu m'épouser?- Will you marry me?
ma Reine- My Queen
OKAAAAAAY, I think that's about it~ Stay tuned for the next one shot
DISCLAIMER: I do not claim ownership over the Selection Series and Universe- all rights belong to Kiera Cass. This disclaimer applies to all incoming one shots.