Everything is Awesome

Paris, the city of lights. Or, as Princesse Geneviève Amelie Eadlyn Schreave de Sauveterre liked to call it: Paris, the city that's lit.

Normally she'd be referring to her favorite club or hotspot downtown, but tonight she was talking about the palace. Only twenty minutes away from the great city, her home was currently bustling with priceless jewels and designer ballgowns. The halls of the ancestral palace of Versailles were flooded with guests from all over the world brought together to celebrate the eldest princess' twenty-second birthday. It was quite the ordeal - a night to remember for all time.

Because tonight was the night.

Tonight was the night Gen was finally going to be honest and tell her parents the truth. Everyone was going to be tipsy off of champagne and wine; everyone was going to be in a great mood, and it was her birthday! No one was allowed to get mad at her on her birthday - it was like a get out of jail free card. This was the best time to come clean, and whatever happened after she could live with. She hoped.

She'd been skittering around the edges of the ballroom, anxiously waiting for a good time to snag her parents. They were always so busy, whether it be dealing with Grandmère's nonsense or entertaining foreign diplomats, that it was hard to get their attention. She was also in high demand. Nearly everyone she passed wanted a word or a picture or a statement for the morning papers. They wanted to know everything: if twenty-two felt any different than twenty-one (not at all), who designed her strapless indigo ballgown (Versace), what her favorite present was (she hadn't opened any yet)...if there was love on the horizon (...no comment). It got to be overwhelming.

Which was how she found herself standing in the corner behind a curtain, trying to disappear to get a moment's peace while drinking enough champagne to calm her nerves. She wasn't paying attention to her surroundings, which is why the tall blond boy walking her way came as a surprise.

"Honestly, this party is a gift from God," Beau announced, already tipsy judging by the sway in his step as he sidled up next to Gen. "I've counted no less than ten beautiful men and I've only been around half the room."

"Managed to get the half with the bar in it too I see," Gen teased, taking in his slightly disheveled state and the half-empty glass in his left hand.

Even inebriated, Beau managed to look like he had just stepped off the runway in a three piece suit and perfectly coiffed hair. No doubt all the tabloids in Paris had already snapped shots of his look for all of haute couture to copy in the morning. He was something of a trend setter, not to mention an icon to the entire LGBTQ population in France. No matter what he did, he was always being documented, always being photographed, always being interviewed. Everyone wanted the inside scoop on the world's only openly gay royal, and that's how he liked it. If only they knew...

"Okay rude," Beau protested, pursing his lips in a frown. "As my sister you are supposed to support me."

"As your sister, I am supporting you, just not your drinking habits."

"You say as you down your what - third glass of champagne?"

"Second, thank you," Gen corrected. "I'm trying not to get shit faced within the first hour."

"Lame," Beau moaned.

Gen chuckled under her breath and returned her focus to the party at hand. The ballroom was filled to the brim with royalty, nobility, celebrities, politicians, and even a few normal rich people lucky enough to score invitations. Gen knew less than a quarter of the guests, she suspected, if she was lucky. Networking and socializing outside of her core group of longtime friends had never been a strong suit of hers. That had always been Beau's expertise; even now, leaning up against her for support so he didn't fall over and half out his mind, Beau was nodding and smiling and waving to people he knew. This was why they were so close, Gen suspected. They complimented each other so well. Gen was there to hold him together and he helped her navigate social situations.

However, there was one person Gen was searching for in particular, one person she wanted to see above all others. Gen thought it would be easy to pick out a hijab in a sea of tiaras, but the task was proving more difficult than she expected. She craned her neck, trying to see over the German Chancellor's bald head, when Beau stumbled forward, disrupted by the movement. He sighed dramatically, pinching the bridge of his nose as he noticed what Gen was doing.

"Don't bother," Beau said, drawing Gen's attention back to him. "Samara isn't here. Shocking..."

"Don't be like that," Gen said as she frowned, her spirits dampened. She had been looking forward to seeing the Saudi Princess. It had been so long since they'd spoken outside of their letters.

"I don't know what you see in that girl," Beau said, his tone disapproving. "She's the most shallow, vain creature I've ever met. Plus, she treats you like shit."

"She does not," Gen countered, growing irritated. Beau had never liked Samara, and expressed his dislike every time she brought her up. It was annoying, a fight they'd had a thousand times before and not one she wanted to repeat on her birthday. "You just don't know her like I do."

"I'll consider that a blessing."

"Ha ha fuck you."

Gen pouted and crossed her arms over her chest, turning away from her brother before she had the urge to slap him. The attack was unwarranted. It wasn't like she ever commented on the company he kept or the guys he took to his bed. He could be such an ass sometimes! As if to be willfully defiant, Gen kept searching the room, purposely stepping away from Beau this time so he had to stumble to catch up to her.

"Stop moping. For Christ's sake, this is a party," Beau sighed, waving over a butler and plucking one of the flutes of champagne off his tray. "Here, drink this. Maybe it'll lighten you up."

"Trying to get me drunk?" Gen asked, arching an eyebrow critically.

"No," Beau retorted, taking a long gulp of his own glass. "You're just acting scarily like the fun-sucker."

"You know, just because you said that..." Gen trailed off and chugged the entire glass. The bubbles settled uneasily in her stomach - not her finest decision - but the buzz was instantaneous. Immediately the world seemed warmer and nicer. "Where is she by the way?"

"You really think she would deign herself to take part in such impropriety?" Beau asked mockingly, capturing their younger sister's eternally-annoyed voice perfectly, and even though she still wanted to be mad, Gen sniggered. "She's probably holding Vange hostage as she lectures her on the polite way to take a piss."

Gen nearly snorted champagne out her nose. The scenario was hysterical, but more so because it was probably true.

"Poor Evangeline...I don't know how she deals with it."

"I would've strangled Delphine's whiny ass years ago," Beau said rather seriously, and Gen raised her eyebrows high in surprise. It took a lot to be surprised by what Beau said these days; he was, after all, quite outspoken. This topic, however, seemed to get him heated, and he waved a finger towards Gen patronizingly. "Don't give me that look. Just because we're family doesn't mean I have to like her, and don't pretend that you like her either. She's always the first one to throw you under the bus."

Gen only shrugged in reply, knowing Beau's words held some validity. Delphine had never liked her for reasons Gen had never understood, and was always there to tattle whenever Gen was hungover or had shirked off work. Not that that happened all the time, but the few times it did, to Delphine, the world might as well have ended.

"Well, let's not jump to sororicide just yet. You never know. She might grow out of it," Gen said hopefully, knowing she was living in a fairytale if she thought that could ever come true.

"You put way too much faith in people," Beau chided, going back to his drink.

Silence passed between them easily, and thankfully no one stopped by to grab their attention. Gen continued scanning the party, now looking for her parents.

"So, have you told them yet?" Beau interrupted her concentration, looking down at her curiously.

"No..." Gen trailed off, her nerves creeping back and making her whole body jittery. Wasn't the alcohol supposed to cure that? "I haven't been able to get them alone."

"Last I saw, Maman and Papa were speaking to some advisors by the fountain," Beau nodded in the general direction, and sure enough, there they were: Princess Camille and Prince Consort Ahren talking animatedly with men and women in suits far too business-like for a party. But, then again, the government never got a chance to rest.

"I don't want to disturb them. Could be important..."

"Or you're just making excuses to run away like you have the last ten times you've tried to tell them you're a -"

"Will you shut your mouth?" Gen hissed, looking around to make sure no one overheard.

"Stop pussyfooting around this! Just grow a pair and tell them already!" Beau shot back, his voice in a low whisper.

Gen gulped and nodded, resentfully agreeing. He had an annoying habit of being right all the time. Still, she was frozen in place, unable to move under the weight of what she had to do. Beau, tired of her theatrics, rolled his eyes and physically pushed towards the fountain even though he stumbled to catch his balance once she was gone.

There was no going back now. She was standing in the crowd, far away from the safety of Beau with only the option of moving forward. She prayed her hands would stop trembling and that she would stop catching the hem of her gown on her heels. She wasn't looking to embarrass herself publicly just yet. Gen wished she could be as calm and confident as she normally was, and how her mother was in this moment, head held high and proud as she no doubt did something incredibly important. Her mother was the one running things these days, Grandmère all but a figurehead who refused to step down. Her mother had the power to make a difference, which was why this conversation was so important, why Gen needed to stand her ground as she approached the older blonde woman clad in a simple but striking purple gown and sapphire diadem.

"Ma chérie," her mother greeted, pulling Gen in to kiss both her cheeks. "Joyeux anniversaire!"

"Merci, Maman," Gen replied with a smile, kissing her mother back before stepping aside to greet her father. "Papa."

"Gen," he said jovially as he pulled her into one of his bear hugs that she loved so much. His stubbled scraped against her scalp, but she didn't mind. From this close up, she was able to pick out the specs of grey forming between the usual blond. He was getting older, but he wore it well. "Are you enjoying the party?"

"It's wonderful," Gen said, very grateful for all the hard work her parents went through in pulling this off - from her favorite music (indie rock) to her favorite dessert (chocolate cake). It was all planned perfectly.

"I'm so glad you like it," her mother gushed, leaning up against her father. "We have a big surprise for you!"

"Oh, that's very kind of you," Gen insisted, wondering what they possibly could've gotten her. It's not like she asked for anything huge, or anything at all. She was pretty low maintenance like that. "I actually, uh, have a surprise for you too..."

"Really? But it's your birthday. You didn't have to get us anything," her father said, both of her parents laughing as if the situation were amusing. They wouldn't be laughing soon though...

"I didn't get you anything per say..." Gen trailed off, trying to figure out how to phrase what she wanted to say without being blunt.

"Well, let's do our surprise first, okay?" her mother insisted, cutting Gen off so she could do nothing but nod in agreement.

Her mother kissed her on the forehead before scurrying off with her father. Clearly, whatever this surprise was required prep-work...and the attention of everyone in the room as they were headed towards the dais where the thrones were.

Ah Mon Dieu, Gen groaned internally, wishing she could fade away into the crowd. She did not need all this attention put on her right before her big revelation.

"Viens ici," she waved over a butler, plucking two glasses of champagne off the tray - one to chug immediately and the other to chug right after this surprise was over with and it was her turn. The butler only raised on eyebrow as he watched her down the whole flute in seconds flat only to return the emptied glass to the tray. Gen waved the judgmental man off, trying to breathe deeply as her mother gathered the attention of the entire ballroom.

"Bienvenue mes amis!" Her mother's voice carried across the space, everyone watching intently. "Tonight we celebrate the birthday of my eldest daughter, our beloved Princesse Geneviève. Tonight, my little girl turns twenty-two, and I could not be prouder of the compassionate, intelligent young woman she has become. I have no doubt she will one day be the leader this nation deserves. The only thing that could fill my heart more would be if she found someone just as wonderful to share the rest of her life with."

Gen's stomach crept up into her throat, all the champagne in her stomach roiling around so she bordered on sick.

What. The fuck.

Gen did not like where this was going. She did not like where this was was going at all and prayed to any god that would listen that someone pull her mother down from that dais before she said something that could not be taken back. But nothing of the sort happened. In fact, her mother passed the microphone off to her father who looked just as insanely excited about this little announcement as she did.

"After much thought and consideration, as both rulers and devoted parents, we have decided to instate an age-old Illéan tradition right here in the heart of France."

No, Gen's mind whirled, trying to get a grip on what was happening. No no no no no! Was she in some sort of horror movie? Some kind of bad dream? They couldn't possibly have -

"Congratulations darling!" Her mother cried, clasping her hands together as she radiated joy. "You're going to have a Selection!"

The champagne glass slipped from Gen's hands, shattering into a million little pieces on the floor. No one really noticed over the sound of thunderous applause. No one could hear Gen's world falling apart.

Next to her, Beau had returned and was dying of laughter, red in the face as he chuckled. "Oh c'est parfait!"

Three dozen super hot guys living in her house and fighting to win her heart. Yeah, it was perfect.

Except for the fact that Gen was a fucking lesbian.

Hello and welcome to my newest project: Princess, Interrupted - a male SYOC! This is a story set in the To Build a Home universe - some of you may recognize Geneviève as the baby Camille and Ahren had towards the end of the story, as well as the catalyst that brought Kaden and Ahren back together. That being said, you will not have to have read To Build a Home to understand what is going on. Even when characters from that story make appearances in this one, it will all be very straightforward, I promise. That being said, those of you who read To Build a Home know it got pretty serious and intense. This story will not be like that. This is intended to be lighthearted and fun (i.e no one will be dying horrible deaths or blowing up or anything like that), however, it will be more mature (as you can probably already tell from the first chapter) so if you're not okay with more mature themes and language, maybe you want to skip out on this one. I do want to stay in a T rating, but if that ever changes I'll be sure to let you guys know beforehand.

Also, fun little tidbit, there will be French interspersed throughout the story. This is to allude to the assumption that everything that is written in English is actually being spoken in French. I didn't write this whole story in French because 1) I'm not that good at the language though I have studied it 2) I doubt you all are fluent French speakers - neither am I and 3) That would be way too much work. The French I use will almost always be for inconsequential things like greetings or common phrases, never for something important, so don't feel like you have to know the language to understand or enjoy the story because you don't, I promise!

I hope that intro piqued your interest into wanting to submit a guy. The next chapter I post will have the details for submissions and SYOC rules.