Here's chapter 3! Now we're officially on the 2 week posting schedule, with me working on these chapters while I'm commuting back and forth to work. Everything I Needed and Everything I Wanted readers, Chapter 25 of both stories are with my beta, and Chapter 26 will be to her tonight. I'm hoping with a little cushion to get chapter 27 done next week while on vacation and keep them coming at some type of normal pace. Love to Mizzdee for her betawork, love, and support. Also to A Cullen Wannabe and Tropical Sorbet for keeping my company while I write. Your enthusiam for my work keeps it coming.
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Chapter 3
Those first weeks were rough, with the princess trying to act subservient and me trying to act superior, we were lucky that there wasn't much interaction with others yet. The princess had spent hours working on my writing until it resembled something that she would have written, but still it wasn't perfect. I did, however, do well studying not only her classmates and how she acted to them, a lesson that would prove very important, but also her family history. That she was able to give me in the form of a book, passed down to girls so they could teach their heritage to their children once they were married and out of their family home.
Things that were written down, or books from her former classes were where I thrived, but things like teaching me how to sit side saddle while still in her chambers was quite another. The princess had laughed at me thoroughly about my rigid posture due to my lack of balance, but I found a hidden mean streak and took that evening to teach her all about laundry.
The princess kept a small notebook where she wrote down these instructions, and gave me a few as well, one which she wanted me to write recipes in so she would have a guide when cooking for her husband.
As the initial nerves wore off, each day in my new role allowed me to walk a little taller and speak with a little more authority. Even the princess was finding a way to settle into the background and allow me to stand out.
Tomorrow would be the true test, as it was the first day of the spring term, but I was actually excited about this part.
"You would find sitting in classes all day to be the most rewarding part or this." The princess smirked as she brushed my hair.
This side of the princess, the one that wasn't weighed down by a future she didn't want, was actually pleasant to spend time with. As our last evening alone together drew to a close, we turned in, waiting to see what tomorrow would hold.
I was up early the next day, the nerves getting the best of me. The princess slept soundly until the time I came that I woke her. She would eventually grow used to the early hours, but as I was awake I didn't mind having to continue that old habit.
The princess dressed quickly and then helped me into the more elaborate clothes that I was now growing used to wearing. My hair was styled to show off the short crop, and I was prepared to give the rehearsed answer, that the stylish indigo dying I'd done for so many years had damaged my hair to the point where I had to cut it off. It would be a shock to some, but it was the only hole in our story that had to be filled.
Breakfast arrived and I let the princess fix my food before she began to eat her own. That aspect of her life she seemed to not have issues with, putting someone else ahead of her. In that respect, her future husband would be well cared for.
"Just remember, be a little aloof. Nod when someone greets you, keep your eyes up, and most people will give you a wide berth."
"Good, I can manage that," I said as I gripped my hands together in an attempt to quell my nerves.
"Would you like to know the name I've chosen for when I marry Jasper?" the Princess asked in an attempt to distract me.
"Do you think it's wise for me to know the name you will go by?" I asked.
"Knowing our names means little when you don't know where we will live, and I think that if you call me by that name it might help us in our discourse while in private. I know you still think of me as the princess, but I'm no longer her. Having a new name will make that easier for us both. I need to learn my place, and you need to think of only one Princess Isabella, you."
Her reasoning was sound, and I needed to respond without hesitation when someone asked for the Princess. "Very well, what is your name?"
"Alice, My Lady." She curtseyed.
"That's clever, using a lesser known version of your third name. And I do believe referring to you as such will be helpful. And if someone hears it, we simply tell them it was too problematic to have two Isabella's in such close quarters, so I call you by your middle name," I told her.
"Is it?" she asked, shocked.
"No, I have no middle name, but no one knows that, nor will they need to," I explained and she smiled.
"What a cool lie you spun just there. You'll do fine today, but you better head towards your first class," the Prin—Alice told me and I took up my satchel and headed out to the History of Government class.
I had read the books for these classes during the break, which gave me the advantage as I sat there, knowing I would need to learn other things. I wanted my time in class to be simply a cementing of things I had already read.
From there, I went to the seminar on how to behave in political situations. It was an odd thing to sit in on, but over the course of the term we would all play the positions we will hold once we assume the mantle of responsibility that goes with our titles and familial ties. This would be the greatest test for me because I will go to Masen with practical experience to help me.
From there, I met with the private tutors that had been sent from Masen so that I would arrive well prepared, and the artisans that would take the information I gave them to prepare various things for my arrival come June.
"I was not aware that I was so ill prepared to be your princess," I remarked to hide my fear as I looked at the dozen Masenians.
"Your Highness, that is not the meaning of our arrival," the head tutor responded. "The simple fact is that the differences between our countries are vast in some respects and since you will be stepping into public life so soon after your arrival, the King and Queen wanted us to prepare you as best as we can."
"So what exactly will all of this tutelage entail? With at least a dozen instructors-" I began, but the man interrupted me as politely as possible.
"Please accept my apology for the interruption, but there are only five tutors amongst us, the others are the artisans that I was telling you about in the introduction. They are here to speak with you about your personal tastes so that everything will be prepared for your arrival. After speaking with you today and tomorrow, they will return to Masen to begin their work, the rest of us will stay until we feel you are appropriately prepared."
It was then that the man, who introduced himself again as Sir Peter detailed the positions of those in his party. First, he had been chosen to teach me about the politics and Court business in Masen, an area where the royal women were much more involved. Next, Lady Carmen, the wife of one of the King's advisors, would be showing me the role of royal women, including the various charitable tasks I would be expected to support. Etiquette and local customs was what Lady Charlotte would be tutoring me in. I was blown away that the people sent to teach me were nobles themselves, but who would know better than them what was needed?
Seth, a young Captain in the Royal Army, was my equestrian teacher, and Lord Garrett, a young poet and musician, would be my dance instructor.
Beyond that, someone sent specifically to ask for my opinions on the wedding so that both countries cultures were properly represented, two seamstresses to create my new wardrobe, a jeweler, the architect that would be heading up the construction of my private residence, and the designer that would be furnishing both my quarters at the castle and my private residence, and finally one of my future lady's maid.
It was all quite overwhelming, and the idea that I would have someone in my chambers with Alice and I worried me more than I could think about at the moment. I would have to work quickly to ship her back to Masen without drawing undue attention.
After everything was detailed for me, I decided that it was best to just schedule my tutors and then set up the artisan meetings.
"Now that my schedule is set, why don't I arrange times to speak with the individual artisans so that you can gather the necessary information and return to Masen?"
"That is a wise decision, but perhaps I should arrange that for you and relay the information to you this evening back in your chambers," the young woman who had been identified as my Lady in Waiting said.
"I'm sorry, in the flurry of information, I didn't catch your name," I said and she quickly responded.
"I'm Lady Tanya, Your Highness." She bobbed a curtsey and I nodded in response.
"Lady Tanya, why don't you go with your mother as she is shown to her quarters in one of the cottages and I will see you at dinner in my chambers." I didn't give her a chance to offer another solution as I excused my tutors to their lodgings.
I set up my meetings for that evening and the following day, hoping that would be enough time for the preliminary discussions to take place. The follow ups would happen this weekend so they could make the journey home, one I was determined to see Lady Tanya take with them.
The first meeting I took was with the architect that would oversee the building of my private residence. The designer that would oversee the interiors of both that residence and my residence in the castle was also there as we spoke about wood finishes and styles.
"I thought that instead of having you describe what you would like without a reference, I could show you sketches of styles of homes and then, once you decide on an esthetic, I can go over number of bedrooms, servants' quarters, specialty rooms such as a library or parlors, and the like."
"That's a good thought, I'm not sure I would be much help without something to go on," I said honestly as the man handed me the sketches one at a time. There were some more decorative ones, but it seemed a little much. When I was handed one that featured several different sized stone and brick along with large wood beams, I smiled. "This one."
"The Tudor style, let me find the other sketches for that," he said as he shuffled through the papers until he passed a few more to me. "This is the typical look of the inside. Do you prefer the plaster, the dark wood walls, or the combination of both throughout the property?"
"I like both," I answered. "The rich woods give it a warm and homey feel, but I think too much of it would become dreary. The white walls in some of the more common areas will break that up."
"That's quite a good idea, Your Highness. I can get working on the plans and will be ready to present you with something this weekend as soon as I know what you're looking for in the way of rooms."
I spent the next hour telling the architect what types of rooms I would like my home to have, the designer peppering in her questions about furnishing and fabric choices, and I tried my best to answer them. The things I didn't have opinions on, I told her to choose the style that was customary in Masen, as I never paid much attention to what fabric the settee had on it.
Knowing that there wouldn't be much time to continue tonight, I chose the jeweler, asking him to equally represent my homeland and my new country in the jewelry that was designed, making it sound obvious as I did so, as if it needed no more explanation. I did have to tell him that I preferred darker stones and silver because they set off my coloring better, something he readily agreed with before leaving me to prepare to scour Genoa for jewelry designers that could meet the requirements I had laid out.
I finally returned to my chambers with little time to spare, ushering Alice into her servant's quarters before Lady Tanya returned. I had done so not a moment too soon as Lady Tanya arrived just a few minutes after me.
"Your Highness, thank you for the time with my mother, but I think it best if we get things settled here so that we can orchestrate a smooth transition." Lady Tanya smiled to herself, but I didn't like the way she thought she could handle me.
"That's exactly what I had in mind, Lady Tanya. I need to be assured that there aren't any problems waiting for me when I arrive in Masen. So I will be sending you home to oversee the plans to prepare for my arrival, because you are of Masen, so you know what is expected. I am telling them what I want, but anything that is left unanswered I leave to your judgment. You were, after all, handpicked by the Queen to serve her new daughter. As it is, I have a maid that I am quite fond of, and having her with me for my last months in Genoa before we both take the step to become wives will be my greatest consolation. You can spend your remaining time when not speaking with me about my preferences, visiting with your mother."
She looked shocked, but quickly recovered. "It's my job to be here with you."
"It is your job to serve me as I see fit. And I would prefer you oversee things in my stead. It is a long time to my arrival in Masen on the second week of July." I said firmly. Lady Tanya huffed and nearly forgot to bob a curtsey before storming out.
"You keep an eye on her when you make it to Masen, My Lady," Alice said as she exited her hiding spot.
"I will, but for now I need her as far from us as possible," I agreed.