Disclaimer: I do not own any characters of Glee.
A/N: I do not use historical or geographical accuracy. Love it or leave it.
INAUGURATION V
The week of the Inauguration Ball, the staff of the McKinley kingdom found notes stuck to their doors in the early morning. Lord William wished to see them all in the cookhouse as soon as they rose. The maids, butlers and cooks assembled in the cramped room, some making use of the invite from the Lord by creating paper fans. Lord William cleared his throat and wringed his wrists. Having guards Hart and Flanagan there to protect him did nothing to ease his worry. Understanding the news he was about to deliver would frustrate them all, he decided to be as brief as possible.
"If I have everyone's attention...As you know, the Inauguration Ball for the Queen is near, predicting hard work and long hours from all. However, at the Queen's behest, your services will be needed at Dalton." The staff made their confusion known, arguing and shouting at the Lord.
"Please," Lord William spoke calmly, hoping that everyone would respond to his soft manner. That just made them angrier. "Please! Now, I know-I know this is inconvenient and uncomfortable for everyone but it is what we must do! The Queen and the King of Dalton are to have their balls together! The decision has been made! The carriages will leave by sunrise on the morning of...That is all for now. Off to your duties."
The servants cleared out of the cookhouse, grumbling shoulder to shoulder nudging each other. However, a few maidens stayed behind. Lord William, stood on his toes to get a closer look and saw that it was the maidens of the first house. He only knew two of them by name: Rachel was a little pest whom reported everyone on the staff at least twice and Santana, the troublemaker. Lord William did not recognize the blonde who was sleeping on the shoulder on one of the cooks. The blonde had no color whatsoever. Rachel patted the blond's shoulder, waking her up. Finally, maiden Santana swung her arm around her waist. The cook encompassed the blond's other side and they carried her out. Rachel followed behind and made a small curtsy before the Lord, he nodded.
"Guard Flanagan?" Lord William asked.
"Yes, m'Lord?"
"Do you know the blond maid that just left here?"
"Yes, m'Lord. That be maiden Quinn. When I last saw 'er, she look'd real sick-like. Paler an' the Holy Ghost, m'Lord. She's usually real sweet but I dunno...somethin's changed."
When the day of the Inauguration Ball arrived, the Dalton kingdom was in a tizzy. Although tired from the long journey, the McKinley staff worked with fervor with the Dalton staff to get everything ready. Lord Kenneth and Lord William were their overseers. The Lords of the neighboring country's were well acquainted with each other, so much that Lord Kenneth did not feel the need to speak to Lord William or even shake his hand. However, the young King was much more pleasant, running to meet Lord William at the door and shaking his hand hard with both of his own.
"Well, I am very happy to meet you and I hope tonight will be one of many celebrations Dalton and McKinley will have together." King Samuel II said.
"Yes, King. So do I." Lord William nodded, scoping out Lord Kenneth who was sneering in the corner. Samuel turned around to see the same mean mug, then leaned in to whisper to Lord William, "Don't worry. He's all bark and no bite."
"King, all due respect, I have known Lord Kenneth many years and if I have learned anything, he is most certainly a man of action." King Samuel II smirked.
"That is true... if it has to do with the time the food will be served."
Soon, it was nightfall and guests were being greeted at the door by the Lord's. They all marveled at the intricate detail in the decoration of the ballroom. It was important to incorporate all elements of both Dalton and McKinley, from having both of the country's official flowers, white geraniums and chrysanthemums, hanging around the ceiling to wrapping the columns with blue, red, purple and gold ribbons. It sounds like a circus, but illuminated by candlelight and chandeliers with the orchestra playing, it was elegant and alluring.
The King was still upstairs in his chambers. After the servants helped him get dressed, he sent them away to view himself in the mirror. His sapphire and ruby encrusted crown sat on his vanity. He was staring so hard for a split-second Samuel would have sworn he saw his parents behind him. Then, a knock came to the door.
"W-who is it?" Samuel said.
"Lord Kenneth!"
"You may enter." Lord Kenneth opened the door fiercely than shut it gently.
"What is taking so long, young King? A majority of the guests are here!"
"Is the Queen here yet?" Mercedes took the day to prepare with her mother back at McKinley. Lord Kenneth huffed.
"There are plenty of people downstairs waiting to see you and-"
"Lord Kenneth, you did not even wish me a happy birthday." Samuel pouted. "That hurts my feelings."
Lord Kenneth rolled his eyes, "Except for the servants, who planned this extremely important gathering for you, the entire nation celebrated your birthday this morning, King."
"Yes, but still all you can think about is politics!" King Samuel put his hands on the tense shoulders of Lord Kenneth, honestly trying to relieve him of his stress. "It is a party, man! Now, as King I command you enjoy it."
"I will, once you begin to take this seriously!" Lord Kenneth shouted desperately. Defeated, Samuel groaned dropping his hands from the Lord and dipping his head. He walked back over the vanity to place on his crown. The Lord, however, was relentless. "Now, if you remember, we have narrowed down a list of possible wives for you-"
"You mean you have-"
"Among others, the top two candidates are here tonight: Lady April of Andorra and Princess Motta of Monrovia." Samuel's face screwed into disgust and quickly turned around.
"What? Those two? Lady April is half my age and Princess Motta is a half-wit!"
"Many like Lady April, despite her age and Andorra is a very large country." Lord Kenneth said sternly. "Additionally, Monrovia is very wealthy! Her father has his hands in trade from all over the world."
"We don't even know the girl's name..." King Samuel muttered, arms folded.
"Oh, we do young King, but she prefers 'Princess' instead of her actual name. Apparently, once she marries, her father promised to make it permanent."
King Samuel rolled his eyes and walked past Lord Kenneth to open the door. He stood away from it's entry, letting Lord Kenneth leave before him, but he stood in the doorway to face the King with a predetermined seriousness.
"King, I know what you are thinking."
"You do?" Samuel teased, but the same intent look played on the Lord's features, his eyes narrowed.
"Yes, and if you choose someone else for your Queen, I cannot assure that I, or the nation, will be in your corner."Lord Kenneth slowly strode in front of the King.
Truthfully, Samuel hadn't even thought of making Mercedes his wife. Often distracted by needs of the country, his sibling's senseless quarries and keeping his head afloat, Mercedes was often his safe haven. She made him feel like he could be himself. He wasn't the King of Dalton with Mercedes, he was Samuel, who liked to tell stories, ride horses and watch the Queen of McKinley paint. She tried to teach him how to draw once, and all of his works looked like circles with stick arms and oval legs. Although they both knew how horrible the drawing was, Mercedes still gave it praise, marking a good start and admiring that he could make a perfect circle without tracing. Mercedes could take any bad thing and spin it into gold. She lifted him up, above everything that made him worry. Their relationship was natural and extraordinary. No arrangements: they could just be happy with each other without any work or force. Perfection without trying. The perfect circle.
Samuel was behind Lord Kenneth but then began to catch him. As they were reaching the start of the stairwell, they found the McKinley royal's standing across from them. Samuel's green eyes took in every detail of Mercedes, grabbing all of the pieces to make a picture in memory. Mercedes smile grew bright at the sight of the King, signaling Lord William and Florence to leave. Samuel had to gesture to Lord Kenneth to go down to the party by pointing his head in the direction of the grand staircase. He scowled and left. Stolen breath and hearts beating they moved towards each other, automatically holding hands.
"Hello." Mercedes breathed, feeling so lightheaded she thought she would faint in his arms.
"Hello." Samuel's mouth made a sideways grin, provoked Mercedes' into a snort. "You look exquisite." His eyes transferred to the lilac dress that was doing wonders for her body.
"Thank you. You look very handsome, too." Samuel turned and held out an arm to Mercedes.
"Shall we?" Mercedes' backed away from him , leaving Samuel to frown.
"Only couples who are married are supposed to be introduced together. You know that."
"I also know that it's our Inauguration Ball, Mercedes. We would not be standing here if we did not break the rules in the first place. What's one more?"
Mercedes took Samuel's arm hesitantly and entered the doorway. The announcers looked shocked, then reminded themselves of their title and blared their horns.
"Announcing, King Samuel II of Dalton and Queen Mercedes Delyssia of McKinley!" All eyes fell on the two. Mercedes' mind flooded with questions, Was this a mistake? Do I look all right? Why are they all staring? With worry, she leaned into Samuel, "We should not have done this. Everyone is staring!"
"They're staring because you are the most beautiful woman in this room." Samuel saw out of the corner of his eye that the Queen was blushing. He instinctively grabbed her hand. The crowd of guests bowed to them in waves as they gracefully floated down the steps. Beautiful music filled the air, but Samuel heard nothing with Mercedes near him. Just the sound of his own heart racing. As soon as they finally touched the floor, Samuel felt someone link to his side.
"King Samuel II!" Princess Motta shrieked. Before he could react, she yanked at his free arm. Panicked, he looked to Mercedes to see that she was no longer standing beside him. The Queen was being taken away by the Lord, looking back at Samuel with doe eyes. Their hands reached in each others direction but it was no use. They were pulled apart.
"It is so good that you are King now because you will throw the best parties!" With each annoying cackle the Princess gave her copper ringlets bounced around her face. Samuel faked an amused smile while the girl insensitively raved about how his father's parties were never any fun. Over the sea of heads, he saw Mercedes speaking with a young man. Her smile was radiant, Samuel could see it over the shoulder. Once they turned, he noticed it was his friend, Prince Azimio of Hungary. This fueled a fire underneath the King's pants. He abruptly stopped Princess Motta mid-sentence and marched over to the cheerful twosome.
Prince Azimio's eyes caught on to Samuel's. "Why, look who it is? The man of the hour!" He gripped a hand on Samuel's shoulder.
"Hello, Azimio. I see you're getting to know the Queen?"
"Yes. She is quite ravishing." Mercedes' eyes went to the spotless floor and Samuel glared at Azimio. No one else was to make the Queen blush. Just him.
"I concur, which is why I think you'll be taking your leave to the dining area." Azimio caught his old friend's drift and threw up his hands as a white flag. However, before he left he leaned into Mercedes' and whispered, "Just because he's King now, he's showing off." Mercedes snickered..
"That's right." Samuel said. "It is my birthday as well, so you must do everything I say."
"All right." Azimio and Samuel shook hands. "Happy Birthday, friend."
"Thank you." As he wandered into the party, Mercedes gave Samuel an upset stare. "What?"
"Why didn't you tell me it was your birthday?" Mercedes asked, her hands on her hips.
"You never asked." Samuel shrugged and Mercedes rolled her eyes. "Besides, Mercedes, being able to know you is a gift for a lifetime."
The Queen felt her heart flutter as the King was about to touch her once more but then the music came to an abrupt stop.
"Everyone, everyone!" Princess Motta was at the stage, flailing about getting the attention of the party. "We are going to have a line dance! Pick partners!" Samuel's mouth opened and he felt a hand on his back. His eyes raised to God, asking for a break. No. Lady April greeted him with a tight smile that was supposed to be seductive.
"Hello King." Lady April purred. Samuel felt his insides coil. The woman had bony fingers that coldly stroked his cheek.
"Hello Lady April, if you'll excuse me-" He rushed out the sentence to quickly turn around to see that Mercedes was gone again.
"Come on, King. Make me young for a little while." Samuel reluctantly allowed the Lady to lead him onto the dance floor. The fiddles played a lively tune and hands began to clap in time. Mercedes caught his eye and her partner was the charming Lord Carl of France. Carl was around the age of Lady April, but Mercedes did not seem to mind. The steps of the dance was meant to interchange partners accordingly. He dosy-doed with Lady April, Princess Motta and every woman there. His eyes followed everywhere the Queen went, trying his best to get to her. He almost threw Princess Susan of Wales to the side once it was time for him to dance with Mercedes, but then the song was over. Applause was given and Mercedes disappeared with Lord Carlton. This was getting old. Samuel made his way over to the two and hell nor high water was going to get in his way. They were conversing in French when Samuel interrupted.
"Excusez-moi, Seigneur Carlton. Puis-je voler la Reine pour un moment?" Queen Mercedes looked perplexed at the King as he dragged her away.
"You know French?" Mercedes asked.
"Yes, a product of being my mother's son, I suppose. Her ancestry started there." The orchestra started to play a gentle melody. Samuel's fingers pressed into the dip of the Queen's waist, holding her so close not intending to let her go again. Their hands fit perfectly cuffed together, while they glided across the floor. Mercedes stole a quick glance downward and felt like she was almost flying.
"And you're a fine dancer, I see?" Mercedes said, beaming.
"Yes. My mother decided that I needed lessons. After she died, my father told me I could stop but I quite liked them." Samuel laughed. Mercedes was being swept away while Samuel hummed the words to the song.
I'll never say no to you
Whatever you say or do
If you ask me to wait for a lifetime
You know I'll gladly wait for a lifetime or two
Being lulled by his sweet sounds against her ear, Mercedes was captured in a trance of rapture. Lost in his touch, Samuel was turning her into a fool. Lord William said that there was many suitors from whom she could choose to be her King, however the King of Dalton's name never came up. It was no secret that the Lord was uncomfortable with their union, but he never made strides to block them from seeing each other and he never put Samuel down. Lord William seemed to like him well enough and he was hardly wrong about anything. Was it possible, then? Her King has been right under her nose this whole time.
Just to you look at you
I'll smile, when you say "Be Glad"
I'll weep if you want me sad.
Today is tomorrow
If you want it so
I'll stay or I'll go
But I'll never say no
The music finished and Mercedes broke apart from Samuel, holding her head.
"Are you all right?" Samuel reached out to touch her again, but Mercedes backed away. After bumping into the King of Laos, she apologized and ran upstairs. Samuel charged after her. A few people caught the party's honoree's fleeing the scene and Lord Kenneth tried to stop Samuel but felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Let them go." Florence said.
Mercedes made it to the balcony, Samuel's hiding place. She breathed in the warm air and gazed at the fireflies dancing in the trees.
"I knew you'd run here." Mercedes gripped the ledge of the fence when she heard his voice. "This is our place." Samuel stalked forward, until she could feel him close enough to hold. She sucked in the air and turned around to meet his face. Samuel saw everything in her eyes: their wedding, their children, their life together.
"Samuel…" Mercedes dodged his fingers and put more space between them. "What are you doing?"
"What I've wanted to do for a very long time." Samuel backed her against the brick wall, where vines were tangling up the columns. The urges pooling in the pit of his stomach were ones Samuel had not felt in nearly a decade. At another one of these Balls, he and his friends caught a peek at some ladies preparing themselves for the festivities. King Samuel I caught them and not being able to punish those who weren't his blood, he made an example of Samuel II by dunking his head in a bucket of ice water for 10 seconds. Samuel was no virgin to the pleasures of a woman's body, thanks to those same young princes taking him to costume parties but although he had his fun there was always something tawdry about the situation that kept him from enjoying it fully. There was no pails of ice water or people of higher authority to stop him now and he would take much pleasure as Mercedes would allow.
"Samuel-"
"Mercedes, please. I know you feel the same things I do. You must…feel something for me, don't you?" Before she could answer, he gave her a chaste kiss. Then another, and another until they were speaking full words into each others lips. Inexperienced, the Queen was unsure she was supposed to be feeling like her knees would give out at any moment but the feeling was wonderful and highly inappropriate. In agony, she pulled herself away from the King gasping for air.
"Samuel-"
"What? What, Mercedes?" Samuel snapped his tone frustrated and hurt. "What, because we are royalty, we are not supposed to have wants and feelings? Or are we just not expected to act on them? I am not a heartless being, love and neither are you. I'll kiss you as many times as I like." Samuel charged towards Mercedes, but she pivoted.
"But we aren't even courting!"
"All right, then marry me!" Mercedes' eyes grew wide as Samuel's when he realized what he just said. He gulped. "Marry me, Mercedes." Mercedes thought she might faint. This was all happening so quickly, her mind was spiraling and she couldn't think with him staring at her like that.
"This is absolutely insane!" She yelled to herself.
"Why?"
"Because I'm not even supposed to love you! You're my rival! There should have been a war already!" Samuel smirked.
"You love me?" Mercedes sighed, and hung over the balcony hopelessly. Wondering if she'd be better off just jumping over it. Samuel put a hand on the balcony, looking at his pitiful bride.
"It doesn't matter."
"Of course it does!"
"But my father-!"
"Our fathers, may God rest their souls, are gone and we are here!" He pulled Mercedes close to him. He kissed her hands and whispered "And to be frank, I'd rather have you in my bedroom then my battlefield." Mercedes' blushed as the King continued to kiss her neck and talk in her ear. "I love you, Mercedes. Please, do me the honor of being my wife."
"I-I I have to think about this." She could not make this decision underneath the power of King Samuel II's lips. The King then realized he wasn't being fair and let the Queen go.
"Very well." Samuel responded, smoothing down the new wrinkles on his clothes. "I will give you two weeks to consider my offer." The King walked away to leave an undone Mercedes on the balcony.
After the Inauguration Ball, Mercedes was an emotional mess. She was going crazy keeping Samuel's proposal to herself. She didn't feel comfortable telling Lord William about it and her mother would just make everything bigger. Thank God for Butler Kurt. Because he was always so close to her parents, sometimes they would allow the servant to keep the lonely girl company and they became fast friends. A few nights after the Ball, Kurt was asked to come into the Queen's chambers. Mercedes paced the floor barefoot, until their special knock came to the door.
"Come in, Kurt!" She made a loud whisper. He snuck into the room with a lit candle and set it on night table.
"What is it, Queen?" Kurt asked, concerned. Mercedes hardly ever asked for him to see her at such a late hour.
"I have something to tell you, but you mustn't tell anyone!" Kurt gasped and locked his lips with an invisible key. Mercedes nodded and rubbed her hands. "I've gotten a proposal."
Kurt put his hands to his face and smiled brightly, "How wonderful! Congratulations, Mercedes!" They shared a hug, then Kurt asked the obvious question. "Who is it?"
"King Samuel II of Dalton." Kurt's entire sunny disposition gloomed and Mercedes noticed, "Now, now. I know you don't think us being friends was such a good idea, but I've fallen in love Kurt! Truly I have! And I promise once you get to know him, he is a marvelous man-"
"It's not that, Queen." Kurt could still see the maiden's haunted faces in his mind. After the death of the King's, for Mercedes' sake Kurt was asked not to say anything to the Queen for Lord William. She was under enough distress. But this marriage would change everything. Kurt decided that Mercedes had a right to go into this with open eyes."I am so happy that you're happy, so understand that this is so hard for me to say…" Kurt's eyes stung with sadness. He knew this information would nearly kill her, but it had to be done.
"What is it, dearest friend?" Mercedes asked concerned, holding her breath.
"The King of Dalton is not the person you think he is."
A/N: Shit's about to go down. Thanks for reading and reviewing.
Songs used: "I'll Never Say No To You" The Unsinkable Molly Brown.
