You cannot open a book without learning something. -Confucius
"They already left?" Amelia asked one of the maids the next morning. She was hoping to return the book that Arthur had lent her the night before.
"Unfortunately, yes." The maid, named Jane, began to explain as she swept the front hallway, "Mr. Kirkland and his family had to leave very early, since Mr. Kirkland had early business to attend to," She had a look of apology in her eyes, "I'm terribly sorry you could not see him, your highness."
Amelia pouted, pushing the book closer into her back. She didn't even get to say thank you again. Jane looked desperate, since it was her job to make sure the royal family was always happy. She went to speak, before Amelia stretched her arms up in the air, letting out a loud sigh. "Well, business is business." She said, looking at Jane with a smile. "Isn't it supposed to be your day off, Jane?"
Jane nodded. "Anne needed the day off, so I gave her mine. Her younger sister is getting married." She said, looking around to make sure she didn't miss any dirt.
"Then, we both have to do our best today!" Amelia announced, "I'll make sure Yao gives you an extra day off next week." She grinned. Jane looked up with a bright smile, thanking Amelia profusely and excusing herself, since she had more work to do. Amelia waved her off, and then pulled out the book from behind her back. She studied the cover for another moment, running her finger along the gold lettering. How would she get this book back to him without causing a scene with the public? She pondered that thought while looking out the window. It looked like it was going to rain. Hopefully that wedding was going to be alright.
She headed back to her room, not bothering to pick up her feet as she walked. She said good morning to everyone she passed, giving off her usually peppy smile. There was always work to be done in the royal household, from entertaining guests to cleaning windows. Amelia always wanted to help them, but Yao scolded her if she tried to. He claimed that a princess doesn't clean. Amelia didn't have a choice but to accept the ridiculous excuse. She made her way to her bedroom, passing the sitting room where her parents enjoyed one too many glasses of alcohol. Someone was in there, cleaning it up from the night before. Even though they were old, her parents knew how to party.
She closed the door to her bedroom behind her, before falling onto her bed. She reached out her arms, holding the book in front of her. Didn't her father say that Arthur's family owned a major logging company? She reached onto her night stand and grabbed her phone, turning it on and opening the internet.
She never really got to learn about Arthur's family. Even though it should be kept private, she had a feeling that she needed to learn more. She needed at least his address, so she could mail him the book. She began to look up the family name, quickly finding all the information she needed.
Arthur was the 5th child out of 6 in the Kirkland family. His father, James Kirkland, was the 4th successor to the family of corporations the Kirkland family owned. From logging to beauty suppliers, they had their bases covered. His 3 eldest brothers were disowned from the family for unclear reasons, giving the eldest and only daughter the title of heir. Alice Kirkland was a lot older than Amelia, it seemed. She was serious about her work and only focused on what was best for the company.
Amelia thought about it for a moment. Alice wasn't at the dinner party the night before. Was she continuing to work, even though her family went out and enjoyed themselves? She really was dedicated.
She continued to scan through articles, getting an idea of what the Kirkland family was like. They seemed like they were always working and never had time for anything else. It seemed fishy that Arthur was able to find time to enjoy a book with all his family work. Surely, he had something better to do. Like working.
She managed to navigate to a page that had a picture of the Kirkland family, posing like stiff boards. Amelia stared at the picture, studying Arthur. Why did she find him so interesting? He didn't seem like he enjoyed the rich lifestyle. He seemed like he would rather be reading a book, or doing something mundane. He seemed like he wanted to live in a countryside house with his wife, raising his kids like a normal guy. He didn't seem like the type to enjoy the media and the flashiness. He seemed like…
He just wanted to be normal.
He had the same wishes she had. She continued to look at the photo, slowly blushing. He treated her normally because he wanted to be treated the same. His family must get a lot of attention, since it would be the first female to take over the Kirkland family of companies. Everything they did was watched closely and used against them. It was similar to what her life was like. She had to be careful of the media, making sure all her actions followed code.
She closed her phone, looking at the book again. She sat up to pick up the book, turning to the beginning of Act Two, flipping through it. The scene where the two, just after meeting, confess their love to one another. They promise to run away together, so they can be happy together. Amelia turned to the end, reading out loud the lines.
If thou dost love, pronounce it faithfully:
Or if thou think'st I am too quickly won,
I'll frown and be perverse an say thee nay,
So thou wilt woo; but else, not for the world.
She read the lines over and over in her mind, before continuing on.
In truth, fair Montague, I am too fond,
And therefore thou mayst think my 'havior light:
But trust me, gentleman, I'll prove more true
Than those that have more cunning to be strange.
She closed the book, tossing it across the bed and curling up in a ball. She watched her fingers glide along the creases in the blankets. She really liked those lines. For some reason, they spoke to her. She couldn't understand why but… they struck a chord in her. She closed her eyes, before hearing the door open.
"Amelia!" Yao called into the room, noticing her on the bed. He grumbled, before coming over and lifting her up by the scruff of her neck. "What are you doing?"
Amelia looked at him, frowning a bit. "I'm wallowing in loneliness and self-pity."
Yao faked a laugh, before staring her in the eyes. "Did you forget about your meeting today? With the King of Diamonds?"
Amelia looked confused for a second, before suddenly remembering. They were having lunch with the King of Diamonds! She had completely forgotten! She groaned, before wiggling out of Yao's grip and heading into the bathroom to get ready.
"They'll be here in one hour, your majesty." Yao checked his phone, reading over his schedule. "Honestly, how can you forget something so important?"
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Amelia shouted from the shower, before sticking her face under the head and rinsing off her face wash. "I'll be there in 30 minutes!"
"If you're even one minute late…" Yao began before mumbling and walking out of the room. She heard the door shut, and then she proceeded to let out a sigh. She didn't like these meetings. They were always boring. Especially with Diamonds. All they ever did was beg for some military help in case of an attack. But, she didn't have a choice. Her mother was going to join her, at least. She stepped out of the shower then continued to get ready.
She finished getting ready with minutes to spare. She grabbed the papers she needed from the desk in her room, as well as her cell phone, and hurried out of the room. Yao was waiting for her in the foyer, his arms crossed and his foot tapping.
"I made it in time…" Amelia said to herself as Yao led her to the meeting room. Yao was telling her about what to expect and what they were here for. She didn't really listen, since she was dreading this whole thing in the first place. Francis was likely to be there, and she wasn't very interested in seeing him.
Yao opened the door to the meeting room, where Amelia's mother sat. It wasn't until Amelia stepped in that she saw who was joining her.
Of course, Francis sat at the end of the table. His long hair was tied back in a ponytail. He had a pen held back behind his ear, and he was wearing a pair of black glasses. His white dress shirt was slightly unbuttoned, showing off some of his furry chest. The sleeves were rolled up, showing off his slightly hairy arms. His black dress pants were fitted for him perfectly. He looked like a model from a magazine.
"… would be illogical to even consider that, Francis." Amelia's mother was finishing up her speech to him, before she noticed Amelia. "There you are."
Amelia smiled, glancing over at Francis before heading to her seat. She was just here to observe, but was allowed to comment when she wanted to. She wasn't allowed to make final decisions yet.
They continued to talk back and forth. Amelia, who hadn't listened to Yao while he told her what was going on, was a bit confused. She interjected, "Can someone explain to me what this meeting is about, please?" Yao had a look of anger on his face.
Francis grinned, leaning forward in his chair and placing his elbows on the table. "As you may already know," he began, flipping his pen around his fingers, "There is a chance for revolution in Clubs right now. Rebels are beginning to make the groundwork for this revolution to happen. We, in Diamonds, have been receiving letters from rebel leaders in Clubs, asking us for our support."
Amelia was feeling more interested in this now. "Why did you come to us, then?"
Francis closed his eyes for a moment, setting his pen on the table. "Our military isn't the strongest, Amélie. If we were to join the rebel forces, we would need help from a stronger military."
Amelia frowned. "Clubs doesn't exactly have the strongest military as well."
"If we have a stronger ally on our side, Amélie, then we'll be able to help the rebels get some sort of reform."
"So…" Amelia leaned back in her chair, "What you're asking for is support from us to help you support rebels in Clubs."
"Exactly." Francis opened his eyes, a sly smile on his face.
Amelia sighed, sitting back up straight and crossing her legs. "Francis, your idea doesn't make any sense. If you go along helping those rebels, you'll be creating the blueprint for a world war." She looked at her mother, who nodded. She could continue speaking.
"If you get our support, it is likely that Clubs will go to Hearts for support. They also have a strong military, plus the resources that they will need to beat you and us. If we went with your plan, we would basically be at your disposal. If Clubs declared war on your country, then our military would be in trouble. We're not willing to risk our military for something that the government in Clubs can handle."
Amelia's mother smirked, before standing up. "Amelia brought up a good point," She began, "What if Clubs declares war? Our goal in Spades is to avoid war as much as possible. We are not willing to take any risk that could put our forces in danger." She pushed her chair in, looking at Yao.
"Therefore, Francis," She turned back to Francis, showing him a fake smile, "We are refusing to give you our support. That is final."
Amelia's mother walked out of the room, Yao closing the door for her once she was gone. Francis rested his head on the back of his hands, sighing. Amelia made her way to stand up, before Francis spoke.
"Amélie," He looked up at her, "I wanted to apologize for my actions at our last meeting."
Amelia wasn't paying attention to him until she realized what he had said. Apologize? It was a week ago! She was over it… partially. She turned to him and grinned. "It's okay, Francis. I'm over it."
Francis exhaled, shaking his head. "No, it isn't. I acted inappropriate towards you." He stood up and walked over to her. He reached out his hand for her, his smile gentle. "Je suis désolé, ma chérie."
Amelia glared at him, before letting out a sigh and standing herself up. "Like I said, it's fine. You don't have to worry about it."
Francis watched her, before bending forward and taking her hand. "How would you like to go to dinner sometime? Just as friends."
Amelia considered his offer, feeling like he wasn't being sincere. "I'm not allowed to go out alone at night, Francis. I'm sorry, but I'll have to decline. Please, enjoy your stay in Spades." She headed for the door, closing it behind her. She left behind Yao and Francis, hoping they would finish things up.
As she walked, she pulled out her phone and began to send a message to Arthur. She wasn't sure what to say, so she listened to her gut and wrote something he would hopefully understand.
[TEXT: Arthur Kirkland] thank you for the book (: I read it and really liked it! When should I return it to u? maybe over that dinner you asked about?
She sent the message without a second thought, closing her phone and stopping. She looked out the open front door, watching the people working outside. They were lucky, since they didn't have to worry about all this stuff. They didn't know how much work it was being royalty, though they all wanted to be it. She scratched her head, jumping when her phone buzzed in her pocket. Arthur had messaged her back. She was a bit nervous, but smiled wide when she saw his response.
That sounds lovely. Let me know when.
Ahhhh hello everyone! I hope you liked this chapter. I've been playing the Sims 3 again, and I get really into that game. So I apologize for this being so late.
Don't forget to read the info about this AU on the tumblr page for this story! I also post things like if the chapter is going to be late, or if I update stuff in the info. Plus, I post chapters there too, so you can reblog it there!
I won't be updating until after Christmas. I hope you all have a safe and happy Christmas with all of your families. Hopefully you'll all get fun presents!
-Liz