Summary: Arranged marriage (noun) - A marriage planned and agreed to by the families or guardians of the bride and groom, who have little or no say in the matter themselves.
After a long search for the most beautiful woman in the land, England's royal family is preparing for a momentous occasion. The King and Queen have arranged for their son, Prince Louis, to be married within a month's time to Eleanor, a young Berkshire girl, born and raised. With no choice, the Prince agrees to the arrangement and soon decides that perhaps an arranged marriage isn't so bad after all. That is, until a certain curly-haired boy is hired as Windsor Castle's new gardener.
I'd like to dedicate this fanfiction to my Uncle Dan Dan. May he rest in peace.
Prologue:
Skeptically, King Troy inspected the woman before him. The woman shifted her weight uneasily, flicking a wavy lock of hair from her shoulder. "Are you sure this is the one, my dear?" King Troy asked his Queen, turning his gaze upon her majesty.
"Positive," she nodded with an ecstatic grin. Walking briskly over to the girl, she motioned for her to spin around as she had done earlier. The woman nodded in understanding before twirling around, gracefully. As she spun, the girl's chocolate brown hair moved accordingly and once again, she was facing the older woman. "What's your name again, Miss?" Queen Jay questioned, finishing her once-over.
Straightening up a bit, the woman cleared her throat quietly and then spoke, "My name is Eleanor, your majesty. Eleanor Calder." Out of habit, Eleanor removed another lock of hair from her face and smiled nervously at the royal couple.
Queen Jay reciprocated the gentle expression before returning to her husband, King Troy's, side. "He'll love her," she finished. Immediately, the nerves left Eleanor's features and her brown eyes lit up with joy.
He ran a hand through his hair, still unsure of the woman before him. Eleanor hadn't come off as malicious or phony, and as far as he could tell she had natural beauty. In fact, the young brunette seemed like a fine choice, but King Troy knew his son well, and was finding it difficult the nagging uncertainty within him. Tearing his eyes from the girl, he glanced over at his wife who was biting her lip in order to repress an excited smile. The King's troubled expression softened some as his eyes were met with his wife's. He sighed, nodding in approval of the young woman. "Very well then," he mumbled.
"Terrific!" the Queen uttered as she clapped her hands together. Eleanor looked from the King to the Queen, standing before them awkwardly. Queen Jay threw open her arms, causing Eleanor to flinch which only made Jay chuckle. "Don't be shy darling!"
Eleanor's pink lips curled upward, revealing perfect teeth. She quickly made her way into the Queen's arms, wrapping her own around the older woman. "Thank you so much!" she said, hugging the Queen, but locking eyes with King Troy.
Eleanor observed that the King was visibly tense as his fingers found and pinched the bridge of his nose. Clenching his eyes shut, the man's old age became apparent to the girl as her brown-eyes traced over the King's features. Gray strands normally hidden within the King's chestnut mane now shimmered in the light streaming in from a nearby window, and the wrinkles that were hardly noticeable moments before had suddenly become more prominent.
Pulling away from Eleanor, Queen Jay gave the young woman's shoulders a gentle squeeze. "This is excellent! Oh, we have so much planning to do!" Jay exclaimed, finally releasing Eleanor from her grasp. King Troy's head shot up causing both Eleanor and the Queen to direct their attention onto his majesty. "Is something wrong, my love?" Queen Jay asked, moving over to her husband and cupping his face.
The King nodded slowly, relaxing at his wife's gesture. Carefully, he placed his large hands lightly over his Queen's and smiled. "Yes, dear. Everything is quite alright," he assured, moving a stray hair from her cheek. "Though, isn't it about time that we introduce our son to this lovely girl?" he asked, motioning toward Eleanor. The young brunette's face flushed at the royal compliment.
Jay's eyes widened and she threw her hands up in disbelief. "Why yes, of course! How silly of me," she giggled. The Queen turned to face Eleanor before continuing, "Eleanor, darling, won't you join us for dinner this evening?"
"I'd love to, your majesty! It would be an honor," Eleanor replied, placing a hand over her heart.
"Then it's settled," the King said pleasantly, lifting a small bell from a tiny end table. Moments later, a loud, but beautiful chime traveled throughout the occupied living room. The ringing didn't last for more than a few seconds when the heavy wooden doors swung open, allowing King Troy to take off, and revealing two people who appeared to be very different aside from one thing – their black and white uniforms.
The first to enter, by a measly nanosecond, was a woman who looked no older than Eleanor, herself. The next, was a man who appeared to be at least sixty years old. "Athena!" the Queen called. The woman responded by curtsying, her black hair acting as a veil. As she lifted her eyes to meet the Queen's, they appeared to be almost as dark as her hair.
"Yes, your highness?" Athena responded, politely.
"Would you be a doll and show this girl around?" Jay gestured toward Eleanor. "Start with the courtyard, yeah? Just make sure to keep out of the gardens. We just fired our gardener not too long ago and we haven't found a replacement yet. Meanwhile, our gardens have gone to hell in a hand-basket!" Queen Jay clasped a hand over her mouth as she burst into a fit of laughter.
Athena chuckled quietly to herself at the Queen's remark, placing a hand lightly onto Eleanor's back, guiding her to the courtyard. "Right this way, Miss," the servant instructed, leading the way.
"Have fun!" Jay called after them, waiting until the two girls were out of sight before sinking into the soft cushions of the living room couch. Eyes fluttering shut, Jay raised a hand and began massaging small circles into her temple.
After a moment of prolonged silence, the elderly man stepped forward and hesitated once more before clearing his throat.
"Oh!" Jay shot up from the couch, clutching her chest. As she caught sight of a familiar face, she felt relief wash over her. "Atticus! You frightened me, dear. What is it?" the Queen asked, collapsing back onto the cushions.
Atticus let out a low chuckle. "You rang?"
"Oh, yes!" Jay tilted her head backwards in order to lay eyes on the man. Adjusting to the strange view, the Queen took in the servant's upside-down form. His hair had grown whiter since they'd first hired him as their servant, but he wore it just as he had many years ago. The white strands had been skillfully slicked back without a single strand misplaced. The man blinked at the Queen, eyes an icy-blue; a heavyset of crows-feet acting as a reminder that the man was old and not getting any younger.
"How may I help you, my Queen?"
"Would you mind waking up Louis?" Jay asked, looking thoughtfully at Atticus. "Make sure he looks handsome before allowing him out of his room."
"What's the occasion, if you don't mind my asking," the elder questioned.
Jay flashed the servant a cheeky grin and replied, "Tell him that someone very special will be dining with us this evening."
"Who might this be?" Atticus pressed, curiosity swimming in his piercing, blue eyes.
"The brunette I had Athena escort to the courtyard, Eleanor." she explained, smile widening as she continued, "Troy and I have chosen her for Louis. She is to be his wife!"
"I see." He offered the Queen a warm smile before turning on his heel. "He'll be down shortly, your highness."
"You're the best!" Jay called after the white-haired man before re-positioning herself on the couch.
A low groan escapes the sleeping Prince, the familiar knock-knock-knocking at his bedroom door causing him to stir.
The knocking continued for what felt like hours in Louis' world, but only lasted a whole two minutes in reality. Suddenly, the knocking ceased and Louis peered out from beneath his duvet at the unopened door. He waited a whole minute, listening to the silence around him to ensure that he was free to fall back asleep. Louis relaxed into his mattress, falling back into a deep slumber as peace and quiet engulfed him.
Another knock, much louder this time, echoed throughout the room. Louis cursed under his breath, and pulled a pillow over his head as if that would block out the sound of his door being opened and heavy footsteps approaching his bed.
"Prince," a raspy voice muttered, and Louis didn't need to remove the pillow to know who had disturbed him.
"Go away, Atticus!" the Prince demanded, voice muffled by the mattress he was currently pressing his face into.
"I'm afraid I can't do that, sir. Your mother wants you to get up and get dressed. Today is a big day for you."
"Everyday is a big day for me," Louis huffed. Once again, there was silence.
"Are you awake, sir?" Atticus observed the royal child before him with an eyebrow raised. "Prince, you must wake up now. It's your mother's orders."
The Prince shifted, rolling onto his back and pushing away the pillow. "Wh-What's going on?" he croaked, voice rough with sleep as his cerulean eyes found Atticus.
The elder servant watched the sleepy Prince, chuckling at the tufts of sandy-brown hair that were sticking up in several places atop the younger lad's head. "We have a guest," he paused, making sure he had the Prince's full-attention. "A young woman. She will be joining you for dinner."
Louis sat up. "Who is "she"?" he asked, shooting Atticus an expectant look.
"Her name is Eleanor, sir," he paused again. "Your parents have arranged for the two of you to be married. She is essentially, your fiancee."
