The new princess was beautiful, she was a peaceful little baby, with the
most perfect little cherubic mouth and the roundest, fullest cheeks and
small delicate hands and feet. Any family in the land would be proud,
showing off the new addition to the family. Not this one. The Queen was
dismayed at her child's looks, "She is lovely, but she looks so common with
her dusky skin, and her brown hair. Brown is just so common" and with that
she'd signal to the nurses to take the child away. Princess Odelle Luciana
Melinda Viviana Rinaldo Abbadessa Sambucetti Manderfeld knew nothing of
this, all she knew was that she was loved and cared for.
The Queen was very upset at her daughter's dark looks but not as upset as she was about her sons' light looks. Princes Zorian and Trystan had the golden curls and dark blue eyes that had been hoped for their sister. The Queen labored under the impression that princes were supposed to be tall, dark, and handsome and that princesses should be small fair haired and beautiful. Consequently it frustrated her royal majesty, Queen Fiametta, to no end that her sons had golden curls and her daughter had brown curls. It was, of course a small consolation to her majesty that Princess Odelle Luciana was the most beautiful baby seen in recent years. The queen just hoped against hope that her daughter's dark looks wouldn't ruin her chances at a fortuitous match.
Two years after Princess Odelle was born, the Queen bore another daughter into the world. The small fair package was christened Princess Felicia Beatrice Rosetta Rinaldo Abbadessa Sambucetti Manderfeld, and was generally thought of as the most beautiful baby seen since Odelle. Queen Fiametta was proud that she had finally managed to produce a "proper" princess. Her majesty gloried in her second daughter's marble complexion, her pale blonde hair, her big blue eyes, and most of all the marriage prospects she associated with Felicia's coloring. Needless to say she petted Felicia shamelessly.
Odelle had a rather normal childhood for one of her station. The second floor of the West wing was the Nursery and in it she, her brothers, and their nurses lived their lives. The royal children had three bedchambers that opened into a sitting room; their nurses lived down the hall. The Nursery was fully equipped with a playroom for every type of play, and one large bathroom with running water. The staff may have called it frivolous but the nurses and maids knew that the bathroom was a necessity. The Nursery was also equipped with 3 classrooms, one of which had a small library. Trystan, Zorian, Odelle, and later Felicia were taught the fundamentals that they were required to know as the future rulers of the world. At ten Odelle started to have fewer and fewer lessons with her brothers, and more of her time was spent doing things like embroidering with her mother's ladies and learning etiquette.
Odelle's parents, King Diederich and Queen Fiametta, left the care of the children solely up to their nurses. To Odelle her parents were vague, shadowy objects that issued orders and sat with her and her siblings on state holidays. In her early childhood she knew the queen as the Pretty Lady. Every now and again she would be brought by Anna, her nurse, to her mother's private sitting room where she would sit with her majesty for portraits, talk to her, or most of the time gaze in awe at all the beautiful things about her. She was never allowed to touch her mother or the pretty things for too long for fear of hurting them, and she always gazed in wonder at her mother. Her mother with her imperious looks, red- gold hair and gorgeous, infinitely intricate gowns; she held the Queen in awe. The queen held her in contempt.
Princes Zorian and Trystan were happy-go-lucky boys that the staff dubbed "the twin terrors". The two though twins and blessed with the same hair and eyes did not look alike at all. Zorian was built big and strong with a warriors build and excelled at all things physical and martial, he had his father's hawk nose, mother's high cheekbones and thick lips. Trystan was tall, lanky and had a beautiful feminine face. He was a scholar, taking to books immediately, and an analytical thinker. Too bad he wasn't the heir, he was the spare. The two boys doted on their sisters treating them alternately as the princesses they were and the next rough housing. They always said to their nurses that they only teased the girls because they needed it. They also took the edge off Felicia. It was very hard for Odelle when they left the nursery. All she knew is that one day she wasn't awakened by someone jumping on her chest and the lack of two smiling, arguing faces at breakfast that day. She then ran to their rooms to find that they were empty of all the bits and pieces that made the rooms theirs, and two maids placidly dusting. When questioned, the maids told her that the boys had been moved to the main living wing to join the adults of the royal family.
Odelle ran back to her room and cried picturing endless meals and lessons with Felicia, little, snobbish, perfect Felicia. Endless meals sitting across the table watching perfect little Felicia Beatrice take one tiny, little bite; chewing slowly and precisely; swallowing; wiping her mouth; showing Odelle up in every single thing. And the greatest indignity of all Felicia's frequent trips to the Queen's private rooms while Odelle remained in the common room painting, weaving, embroidering, becoming the proper accomplished lady. Felicia was with the Queen eating sweetmeats while Odelle was studying or doing something useful.
Odelle could remember the first time that she realized that her mother didn't like her, not even remotely. She was seven and she and her siblings were in the library being taught by their governess and their tutor. Odelle was in the corner working on some arithmetic and her brothers were reading the history of their neighboring country, Neiswald. Felicia was being taught how to read at the table nearest the door. Odelle knew it was late afternoon because of how much her brothers were wriggling about in their spots on the floor. Felicia was not paying attention to her lesson and Maura was beginning to get upset with her, "Felicia, I know that you are anxious for your weekly visit with your mother, but you cannot leave until Mary comes to get you". It was at that moment that it all came together for Odelle: the long periods free of her sister in the afternoons, the better toys, more toys, and the pretty fabric Felicia's dresses were made of. Suddenly it all made sense. Her mother did not care about her. She searched for a memory a shred where she was with her mother alone, of a time when she was held by someone other than Anna. She found none. She could remember vividly playing in the garden as a very little girl and coming across the queen in one of the gardens and running up to her muddy arms out stretched. Only to have her mother draw back and be picked up and brought away by Anna, who was sending apologies to Queen Fiametta. She struggled to remember a time when the look in her mother's grey eyes wasn't glacial there wasn't a time. And lastly she tried to remember a sincere smile, and she couldn't. She ran from the room to the privy and cried big, body racking sobs there in the pristine bathroom among all the white tiles. From then on she was unable to play with her sister and thought that all the palace staff treated her kindly it was because they knew. She started to withdraw.
When her brothers were moved out it was a punch in the gut, but she did not cry. She went into her self and all that people noticed was that she was more reserved then usual, but that was usual for a twelve year old girl. Even princesses go through puberty. Odelle was sixteen when she finally left the nursery. She was beginning to believe that she had been forgotten. Felicia was moved out when she was thirteen. Odelle would think ruefully to herself as she embroidered another bodice that her mother had rewritten history to suit herself. She was rather content and between Maura and Anna she was never lacking for company. Odelle came to believe that it was her brothers that finally spoke to King Diederich. She was right.
Zorian and Trystan always visited their sister on Thursdays. Both boys were young men now, taking the hearts of all maidens in the vicinity. The castle staff wondered when in their elevated state would they look past the little girl they thought their favorite sister was and see the young woman that had replaced her. On this faithful Thursday Odelle met her brothers in the old sitting room. She was wearing a gown that she had made herself and it finally dawned on them that room had gradually changed. The walls were hung with water colors of the gardens and the couches had artfully embroidered pillows. There wasn't a doll in sight and the books on the tables were of varied intellectual subjects. They showered their sister with their customary brotherly affection, and left for a formal dinner with the Nordhaussens, the royal family of Neiswald.
During this lengthy and dull affair Trystan found himself watching Felicia charm Prince Aldaric, "How old am I?" he wondered. He counted mentally and found himself to be nineteen. He reasoned on, "Well if I'm nineteen and Delly is three years younger then me, then she is sixteen. And if she's sixteen then Felicia is fourteen... Which means that she should be out of the nursery, should have been out of the nursery for two years at the least. I shall have to speak to Father about this. He will have preparations made."
First he spoke to his brother, "Good God, you mean to say that Dello is sixteen? And here's Felicia being a regular old flirt at the grand old age of fourteen. Throwing herself all over Aldaric like some common trollop. You'd better believe Odie would never do that." Trystan had to agree to that. Odelle never would fawn over some foreign prince. In fact, Trystan rather doubted that Odelle would fawn over anyone. They agreed to bring up both matters to the king.
King Diederich was surprised and appalled to hear that his eldest daughter had been neglected and wanted everything to be remedied now. He sent a footman to the Queen's quarters with a note requesting her presence in his study at her earliest convenience to discuss the upbringing of the Royal Princesses of Adalhard.
Queen Fiametta swept into his study later that afternoon. Diederich couldn't help but notice that Fiametta was still an impressive figure, big bosomed noble personage; a true thorough bred if ever there was one. She was dressed in a heavy purple-grey brocade dress with her red hair (darker now) swept up into a cacophony of ringlets, twists, braids, and probably more then one mouse or waterfall. The paragon deigned it time to speak, "So Diederich, you have chosen to bait the lion in its den, eh?" grey eyes flashed, "I'll have you know that I have done perfectly well by Felicia and..." her voice trailed off.
"You cannot even, name your own children women!"
"Can you?" she inquired mildly.
"Yes, you, you..." he blustered a bit, "They are Trystan, Zorian, Odelle and Felicia. Now can you tell me why Felicia is out of the Nursery at fourteen while Odelle remains with in, at sixteen? Sixteen! God damn it woman! It's damn inappropriate, not to mention embarrassing, to have our younger daughter out of the schoolroom at fourteen and already a consummate flirt and the other one older still within! What do you have to say for yourself?"
"Odelle... She is dark, it is embarrassing. All our other children are light. What would people say?" she played a freezing look over him. He glared at her, "Fiametta, you mean to tell me that you have kept our daughter in the nursery because she is dark? Zorian's hair has darkened to light brown. She looks like your brothers. She is of marriageable age and yet she remains within! You will make the arrangements, and have her and her things moved to the East Wing with the rest of the family by tomorrow or it will go badly for you. Do you understand?"
She nodded and swept out. Her royal majesty, Queen Fiametta Chiara Maria Esperanza D'ell Berro Fransisco Rinaldo Abbadessa, was furious. She had rather hoped that Diederich had forgotten about Odelle but, curse him, he hadn't. She picked up a vase and broke it. Ah, that felt better. She reached her rooms to find Felicia inside, "Take yourself away, my child" she said forcefully. She summoned a maid over, "Go fetch Anna and Maura here. Then take yourself off, I wish to be alone."
Thus, the queen found out that her daughter was quiet, serene and biddable. That she had grown to be beautiful and had all the younger guardsmen and footmen fighting for approval. That she had made her own gowns for the past three years. She found out that her daughter embroidered, painted, had a beautiful full voice, played the pianoforte, and read of her own volition. She learned that her daughter loved the castle gardens and strolled regularly. She learned that her daughter had only twenty-three gowns in her wardrobe, only fit in eighteen of them, and made seventeen of those.
In a show of good will the queen gave Odelle the Rose Room and its adjoining sitting room. The Rose Room overlooked the palace rose gardens and was decorated on a rose theme. She had Maura and Anna explain to Odelle that she would be moving to join the family now and that she would no longer have a nurse and that Maura would remain as her companion. She would be assigned a maid, by name of Lena, who would see to her from now on. The queen also set up a meeting with Odelle and her modiste. They were to meet in the queen's rooms the next morning to discuss a wardrobe suitable to Odelle's station.
The Queen was very upset at her daughter's dark looks but not as upset as she was about her sons' light looks. Princes Zorian and Trystan had the golden curls and dark blue eyes that had been hoped for their sister. The Queen labored under the impression that princes were supposed to be tall, dark, and handsome and that princesses should be small fair haired and beautiful. Consequently it frustrated her royal majesty, Queen Fiametta, to no end that her sons had golden curls and her daughter had brown curls. It was, of course a small consolation to her majesty that Princess Odelle Luciana was the most beautiful baby seen in recent years. The queen just hoped against hope that her daughter's dark looks wouldn't ruin her chances at a fortuitous match.
Two years after Princess Odelle was born, the Queen bore another daughter into the world. The small fair package was christened Princess Felicia Beatrice Rosetta Rinaldo Abbadessa Sambucetti Manderfeld, and was generally thought of as the most beautiful baby seen since Odelle. Queen Fiametta was proud that she had finally managed to produce a "proper" princess. Her majesty gloried in her second daughter's marble complexion, her pale blonde hair, her big blue eyes, and most of all the marriage prospects she associated with Felicia's coloring. Needless to say she petted Felicia shamelessly.
Odelle had a rather normal childhood for one of her station. The second floor of the West wing was the Nursery and in it she, her brothers, and their nurses lived their lives. The royal children had three bedchambers that opened into a sitting room; their nurses lived down the hall. The Nursery was fully equipped with a playroom for every type of play, and one large bathroom with running water. The staff may have called it frivolous but the nurses and maids knew that the bathroom was a necessity. The Nursery was also equipped with 3 classrooms, one of which had a small library. Trystan, Zorian, Odelle, and later Felicia were taught the fundamentals that they were required to know as the future rulers of the world. At ten Odelle started to have fewer and fewer lessons with her brothers, and more of her time was spent doing things like embroidering with her mother's ladies and learning etiquette.
Odelle's parents, King Diederich and Queen Fiametta, left the care of the children solely up to their nurses. To Odelle her parents were vague, shadowy objects that issued orders and sat with her and her siblings on state holidays. In her early childhood she knew the queen as the Pretty Lady. Every now and again she would be brought by Anna, her nurse, to her mother's private sitting room where she would sit with her majesty for portraits, talk to her, or most of the time gaze in awe at all the beautiful things about her. She was never allowed to touch her mother or the pretty things for too long for fear of hurting them, and she always gazed in wonder at her mother. Her mother with her imperious looks, red- gold hair and gorgeous, infinitely intricate gowns; she held the Queen in awe. The queen held her in contempt.
Princes Zorian and Trystan were happy-go-lucky boys that the staff dubbed "the twin terrors". The two though twins and blessed with the same hair and eyes did not look alike at all. Zorian was built big and strong with a warriors build and excelled at all things physical and martial, he had his father's hawk nose, mother's high cheekbones and thick lips. Trystan was tall, lanky and had a beautiful feminine face. He was a scholar, taking to books immediately, and an analytical thinker. Too bad he wasn't the heir, he was the spare. The two boys doted on their sisters treating them alternately as the princesses they were and the next rough housing. They always said to their nurses that they only teased the girls because they needed it. They also took the edge off Felicia. It was very hard for Odelle when they left the nursery. All she knew is that one day she wasn't awakened by someone jumping on her chest and the lack of two smiling, arguing faces at breakfast that day. She then ran to their rooms to find that they were empty of all the bits and pieces that made the rooms theirs, and two maids placidly dusting. When questioned, the maids told her that the boys had been moved to the main living wing to join the adults of the royal family.
Odelle ran back to her room and cried picturing endless meals and lessons with Felicia, little, snobbish, perfect Felicia. Endless meals sitting across the table watching perfect little Felicia Beatrice take one tiny, little bite; chewing slowly and precisely; swallowing; wiping her mouth; showing Odelle up in every single thing. And the greatest indignity of all Felicia's frequent trips to the Queen's private rooms while Odelle remained in the common room painting, weaving, embroidering, becoming the proper accomplished lady. Felicia was with the Queen eating sweetmeats while Odelle was studying or doing something useful.
Odelle could remember the first time that she realized that her mother didn't like her, not even remotely. She was seven and she and her siblings were in the library being taught by their governess and their tutor. Odelle was in the corner working on some arithmetic and her brothers were reading the history of their neighboring country, Neiswald. Felicia was being taught how to read at the table nearest the door. Odelle knew it was late afternoon because of how much her brothers were wriggling about in their spots on the floor. Felicia was not paying attention to her lesson and Maura was beginning to get upset with her, "Felicia, I know that you are anxious for your weekly visit with your mother, but you cannot leave until Mary comes to get you". It was at that moment that it all came together for Odelle: the long periods free of her sister in the afternoons, the better toys, more toys, and the pretty fabric Felicia's dresses were made of. Suddenly it all made sense. Her mother did not care about her. She searched for a memory a shred where she was with her mother alone, of a time when she was held by someone other than Anna. She found none. She could remember vividly playing in the garden as a very little girl and coming across the queen in one of the gardens and running up to her muddy arms out stretched. Only to have her mother draw back and be picked up and brought away by Anna, who was sending apologies to Queen Fiametta. She struggled to remember a time when the look in her mother's grey eyes wasn't glacial there wasn't a time. And lastly she tried to remember a sincere smile, and she couldn't. She ran from the room to the privy and cried big, body racking sobs there in the pristine bathroom among all the white tiles. From then on she was unable to play with her sister and thought that all the palace staff treated her kindly it was because they knew. She started to withdraw.
When her brothers were moved out it was a punch in the gut, but she did not cry. She went into her self and all that people noticed was that she was more reserved then usual, but that was usual for a twelve year old girl. Even princesses go through puberty. Odelle was sixteen when she finally left the nursery. She was beginning to believe that she had been forgotten. Felicia was moved out when she was thirteen. Odelle would think ruefully to herself as she embroidered another bodice that her mother had rewritten history to suit herself. She was rather content and between Maura and Anna she was never lacking for company. Odelle came to believe that it was her brothers that finally spoke to King Diederich. She was right.
Zorian and Trystan always visited their sister on Thursdays. Both boys were young men now, taking the hearts of all maidens in the vicinity. The castle staff wondered when in their elevated state would they look past the little girl they thought their favorite sister was and see the young woman that had replaced her. On this faithful Thursday Odelle met her brothers in the old sitting room. She was wearing a gown that she had made herself and it finally dawned on them that room had gradually changed. The walls were hung with water colors of the gardens and the couches had artfully embroidered pillows. There wasn't a doll in sight and the books on the tables were of varied intellectual subjects. They showered their sister with their customary brotherly affection, and left for a formal dinner with the Nordhaussens, the royal family of Neiswald.
During this lengthy and dull affair Trystan found himself watching Felicia charm Prince Aldaric, "How old am I?" he wondered. He counted mentally and found himself to be nineteen. He reasoned on, "Well if I'm nineteen and Delly is three years younger then me, then she is sixteen. And if she's sixteen then Felicia is fourteen... Which means that she should be out of the nursery, should have been out of the nursery for two years at the least. I shall have to speak to Father about this. He will have preparations made."
First he spoke to his brother, "Good God, you mean to say that Dello is sixteen? And here's Felicia being a regular old flirt at the grand old age of fourteen. Throwing herself all over Aldaric like some common trollop. You'd better believe Odie would never do that." Trystan had to agree to that. Odelle never would fawn over some foreign prince. In fact, Trystan rather doubted that Odelle would fawn over anyone. They agreed to bring up both matters to the king.
King Diederich was surprised and appalled to hear that his eldest daughter had been neglected and wanted everything to be remedied now. He sent a footman to the Queen's quarters with a note requesting her presence in his study at her earliest convenience to discuss the upbringing of the Royal Princesses of Adalhard.
Queen Fiametta swept into his study later that afternoon. Diederich couldn't help but notice that Fiametta was still an impressive figure, big bosomed noble personage; a true thorough bred if ever there was one. She was dressed in a heavy purple-grey brocade dress with her red hair (darker now) swept up into a cacophony of ringlets, twists, braids, and probably more then one mouse or waterfall. The paragon deigned it time to speak, "So Diederich, you have chosen to bait the lion in its den, eh?" grey eyes flashed, "I'll have you know that I have done perfectly well by Felicia and..." her voice trailed off.
"You cannot even, name your own children women!"
"Can you?" she inquired mildly.
"Yes, you, you..." he blustered a bit, "They are Trystan, Zorian, Odelle and Felicia. Now can you tell me why Felicia is out of the Nursery at fourteen while Odelle remains with in, at sixteen? Sixteen! God damn it woman! It's damn inappropriate, not to mention embarrassing, to have our younger daughter out of the schoolroom at fourteen and already a consummate flirt and the other one older still within! What do you have to say for yourself?"
"Odelle... She is dark, it is embarrassing. All our other children are light. What would people say?" she played a freezing look over him. He glared at her, "Fiametta, you mean to tell me that you have kept our daughter in the nursery because she is dark? Zorian's hair has darkened to light brown. She looks like your brothers. She is of marriageable age and yet she remains within! You will make the arrangements, and have her and her things moved to the East Wing with the rest of the family by tomorrow or it will go badly for you. Do you understand?"
She nodded and swept out. Her royal majesty, Queen Fiametta Chiara Maria Esperanza D'ell Berro Fransisco Rinaldo Abbadessa, was furious. She had rather hoped that Diederich had forgotten about Odelle but, curse him, he hadn't. She picked up a vase and broke it. Ah, that felt better. She reached her rooms to find Felicia inside, "Take yourself away, my child" she said forcefully. She summoned a maid over, "Go fetch Anna and Maura here. Then take yourself off, I wish to be alone."
Thus, the queen found out that her daughter was quiet, serene and biddable. That she had grown to be beautiful and had all the younger guardsmen and footmen fighting for approval. That she had made her own gowns for the past three years. She found out that her daughter embroidered, painted, had a beautiful full voice, played the pianoforte, and read of her own volition. She learned that her daughter loved the castle gardens and strolled regularly. She learned that her daughter had only twenty-three gowns in her wardrobe, only fit in eighteen of them, and made seventeen of those.
In a show of good will the queen gave Odelle the Rose Room and its adjoining sitting room. The Rose Room overlooked the palace rose gardens and was decorated on a rose theme. She had Maura and Anna explain to Odelle that she would be moving to join the family now and that she would no longer have a nurse and that Maura would remain as her companion. She would be assigned a maid, by name of Lena, who would see to her from now on. The queen also set up a meeting with Odelle and her modiste. They were to meet in the queen's rooms the next morning to discuss a wardrobe suitable to Odelle's station.