I have adapted this story from Puckleberry in Princess High to Evanberry, Pucktana, Bike and Fuinn.
Though, I will say, Fuinn are going to be severely bashed. I Hate Finn. With A Burning Passion Of A Thousand Suns.
Thank you katididaloo for the idea. I read the book, by the way. It was pretty fantastic, if not a little fanatical. But anyway.
Disclaimer: I own nothing. If I did, Chord Overstreet would be back on the show & topless.
Long ago and far away, in a small mountain province that went by the name of Lima, there lived a small, tight-knit community of hard working mountain folk. They were a brawny, strapping, strong folk, and toiled all day in a stone quarry, shaping precious marble blocks for a living. Even the youngest child and the oldest woman would work in the quarry, breaking stone to sell, stone that would put food on their tables and clothes on their backs.
All of Lima toiled day in and day out in some way, except for one. Rachel Berry. She woke every morning before the earliest slivers of light broke through the night sky. Each time she would rush to set breakfast for her father, Hiram, and his partner, Leroy before dawn, in hopes to rush from the house before them, walking into the quarry and beginning to work before they even left the house.
Every day, one of the men would catch her, and she would be relegated to caring for a flock of sheep and a gaggle of goats. How she longed to go into the quarry and be of some use to her family..to her fellow citizens of Lima! How she longed so dearly to lift a chisel, or even carry the water to the workers! How she longed so very dearly to be apart of their working songs. For everyone in the quarry sang all day through, using it as a form of communication in the quarry. When spoken word could not warn of a vulnerable stone, a song could.
Rachel sang all the day through as she tended the village animals. She longed to blend her voices with the rest of Lima. But she knew she could be of no use. She was more than small. In comparison with the other boys and girls of 16 in Lima, she was positively tiny. No more than a speck compared to Finn Hudson, a boy that sometimes seemed taller than most of the one floor stone houses in Lima. Even Kurt, a boy who held no joy at working in the quarry was stronger and more capable. Brittany and Santana...even Tina and Mercedes were far more capable than she, as they went to the quarry day in and day out, their voices lifted high in song, in companionship, in service to their people.
"All I have is you," Rachel spat bitterly at the sheep who were aimlessly walking in circles and the goats who were endlessly chewing on clumps of grass.
"They say that the first sign of craziness is talking to yourself."
Rachel jumped from her fallen log that had been her seat, her cheeks most certainly flaming a bright red as her eyes met a very familiar set of twinkling hazel orbs. A shaft of sunlight filtered through the evergreen trees and hit those eyes, glinting them with green for the briefest of moments. Rachel felt a relief wash over her as she mock glared at the boy. Tall, but not absurdly so like Finn. His face tan, more tan than most of the villagers due to his jewish roots. He was by far the most attractive young man in Lima, and he was acutely aware of that fact at all times.
"You had better be careful, because they also say that craziness is catching," Rachel warned, immediately stepping toward him and wrapping her arms around in a loose bear hug. They were the best of friends, and had been from a very young age.
Noah gestured to the rope in his hands and yanked a little, and soon the Puckerman's goat, Essie came into view. He rolled his eyes and said,
"My sis wanted to bring him into the quarry. Craziness is catching," he chuckled.
Rachel bit back a sigh. So little 12 year old Rebecca Puckerman was going to be in the quarry full time, with the rest of Lima. The youngest Puckerman had kept Rachel company half days, and the two had sang together freely while they tended the goats and sheep. Now she would be alone in her uselessness full time.
"Remember the time we had convinced Finn that girls were highly contagious with itchy cootie disease?" Noah reminisced as he let Essie free to go and chew grass with the other goats. He watched Rachel carefully as a genuine smile lit up her face. He was often worried that she had become sadder as the rest of the village children ventured to the quarry, and she remained in the village to herd the animals.
"It had been remarkably easy," Rachel admitted. "I think Kurt still believes it to be true."
"I think Kurt has always believed that girls aren't quite as fun as boys," Noah said delicately. "You know...like your dads."
Rachel smiled at him bigger and said, "Oh dear, the secret of my father's relationship with Leroy is out of the bag."
"After Sue Sylvester's affair with that yeti, nothing can shock little ole Lima anymore," Noah insisted. "None of us could survive without Leroy's medicines he manages to mix up, so I don't think any one will be shunning the house of Berry any time soon."
"True," Rachel nodded. Leroy's skill with curing the sick and her father's own skills in the quarry made the Berry household valuable. Everyone could even overlook a small, useless thing such as Rachel.
"Excited for the last trade before winter?" Noah pondered. "I wager we try to get as much as possible this time. The stones are perfect this year. And there are plenty of them. Maybe we can get enough food to actually last the winter, this year."
"I promise to do my absolute best," Rachel nodded. When it came time to wrangling with the traders who offered food and necessities in exchange for perfect blocks of marble, she had some skill. She even did the trading for the Puckerman household, since Noah's mother, sister and even Noah himself were more likely to take a swing at the condescending traders rather than actually barter.
The sound of trumpets blasting through the air startled the sheep and goats, sending the little forest glen that Rachel and Noah had been sitting comfortably into a frenzy of activity. Once Rachel had all the goats tethers in hand, she watched as Noah chased and wrestled the last of the sheep back into their pen. He looked at her with a grin, wiping his hands clean on his pants as another blast of trumpets filled the air. The goats went wild again, and he dove to help her hold onto the tethers, but only wound up tangled with her, leather straps winding around the both of them as the goats danced about in their excitement. Soon Noah and Rachel were pressed against each other comfortably, Rachel's hands around his waist, his chin resting on the top of her head.
"This is comfy, Princess," Noah chuckled.
Rachel couldn't help the giggle, but another blast of trumpets filled the air, and she couldn't help but feel that they were now slightly impatient and definitely originating in their town square. She reluctantly wriggled away and together they managed to split the tethers, anchoring a few goats to each tree so they couldn't strangle themselves.
Noah held out his hand to her and explained with a strange sort of quietness, "We better make a run for it. Who knows what could be waiting for us?"
Rachel took his hand and tried to remind herself that she and Noah used to do this sort of thing all the time. It was actually quite a natural thing to join hands while walking in Lima. Centuries of stone digging had made their terrain all too rocky, and almost dangerous to walk across. Falling became less likely when you were anchored to another human being. However, past the age of twelve, boys and girls rarely held hands. Unless it meant something, but as best friends, it was expected of Noah and Rachel to hold hands without any meaning.
Noah pulled her along, his long quick strides forcing her to sprint at his side. The rest of the town had slowly assembled in the square, where an impressive looking carriage was waiting, the trumpeters ready to make another obnoxious call.
"You blow into that thing one more time, and it'll become a part of you!" Mother Puckerman shouted irately. "We're all here...say what you have to say carriage man!"
The door of the carriage creaked open and a small, exquisitely dressed young man popped out. His hair was dark and curly, his face handsome, young and nearly exquisite. The sun shone brightly and his light brown, almost orange colored eyes squinted against it.
"The land of Ohio, the territory of Lima...the great King Evans wishes to make an announcement to you, its...heartiest of peoples," the young man proclaimed.
"Oh yeah? Who're you?" Father Hummel demanded suspiciously.
"I am Blaine Anderson," Blaine answered back courteously, smiling in the general direction of the question. "And I have an announcement. From King Evans."
"So you said, on with it then," Mother Puckerman prodded.
"Oh, yes," Blaine smiled. "In one year's time, it has been proclaimed by the priests that Prince Samuel, son of King Evans, will chose his bride. The priests have foretold that his bride will be chosen amongst the young maidens of Lima!"
A mirthful murmur ran through the crowd, and Blaine puzzled at the sound of it. His strong brow knitted together in confused amusement as he took in the reaction. He had expected a cheer at the very least.
"Who gets to marry you then, you wee little leprauchan?" a voice called out.
Rachel knew it had been Santana, her biting humor ever on display, royalty or royal officials present or not.
"Since, we expect that the ladies of Lima are not quite prepared to ascend the throne, in two days time, we will open up a school, a school where girls the age of twelve to sixteen are required to attend, in order to properly learn how to behave as a princess," Blaine announced, this caused the amusement in the square to skid to a halt. Every ear was listening to Blaine now. "The school will be at the base of the mountain, half a days walk. The girls of Lima only will board there for the next year and flourish under the tutelage of Tutor Bieste. Every one of you has the chance to become a Princess. The school is mandatory and the parents of the girls who do not arrive for school in two days will be punished to the most severe extent of the law. I shall see you in two days time. Good day, Lima!"
Blaine hopped back into the carriage, leaving stunned and shell-shocked villagers behind him. Rachel's mouth was gaping as murmurs of realization shot through the crowd. Every girl age twelve to sixteen would spend one year at a school miles away. There would not be enough workers to keep the quarry alive. The girls would be ripped from their families. One of the girls would be whisked away at the end of the year and made Princess of their country.
Rachel felt a tight, squeezing pressure on her hand, it was almost painful. She looked down in her haze of confusion and realized that Noah had never let go of her hand and was now squeezing it with all of his might. She looked up at him with eyes that were begging to shed tears. She wouldn't let them though.
"I'll protect Rebecca, Noah. No harm will come to your sister," Rachel swore.
Noah looked down at her with a glint of gratitude in his hazel eyes. It disappeared quickly and was replaced with something unidentifiable as his gaze flickered over every inch of her face. He squeezed her hand tighter, if that were possible.
"My sister isn't the only one I'm worried about, Princess."