Disclaimer: World Belongs to Gail Carson Levine, characters/story belong to me
Chapter 12
Arianna's POV
It was the first time in seemingly forever that I was back at Court... that I was back within my mother's grasp.
It was a strange feeling. One, that when I was just simple, little Dodie, that I never thought I would feel again.
I was being dressed by servants again. In a dress that my mother picked out for me. For so long, for several glorious and terrible months, I had been able to pick out my own silly dress. The last one I picked out was gray and ugly, but I picked it out.
But... not anymore.
I felt the urge to cry as they picked out some beautiful dress. It was one that I probably would have picked out, but it didn't matter because she picked it out. It was forest green with a bell-shaped skirt and it was made entirely of satin. It was simple, comfortable, and as my former Governess said, her eyes a bit sad, "Absolutely ravishing."
I hugged my old governess tightly, she was a cranky woman and I had never liked her or her lessons, but I needed to hug someone. And I knew she cared.
I was about to face a diplomatic situation and I had to act like the royal Bezidel princess I was. I hated it.
I wanted to die. I felt more asleep during the entire meeting than I did when I was under an Enchanted Sleep.
I was not allowed to talk, after all Princesses do not speak.
I glanced at the pregnant Princess Beauty who was standing in front of me and scowled. Well, Granat princesses speak apparently.
Princess Beauty was eloquently arguing with my parents about the wedding. They wanted it a week from now due to the whole True Love's Kiss, plus the fact Orlando risked his life and their royal displeasure in saving me. Blech. They were insane if they thought that Orlando and I wouldn't run away from the altar. We had discussed this privately on the way back from that terrible castle. He said he didn't want to marry me, and I said I didn't want to marry him. End of Story. Unfortunately, my parents were not caught up to the ending of our tale. So, they still wanted the wedding to happen. They still believed it to be a good match.
At least, Princess Beauty could buy us some time. "After, your Majesties, they need time to reacquaint with one another. . ." she said, her brown eyes pleading.
I was grateful yet annoyed at her help. It was not really her that annoyed me, it was the fact that a former peasant was the one arguing for my freedom. It didn't help that she was beautiful, much prettier than I, a true born princess. It was irritating, and I was hesitant to admit this, even to myself, but I was a little jealous of the respect she was receiving as well as her beauty.
I wondered vaguely as I half-listened to Princess Beauty how Beauty and Alaric became engaged. How was it possible for a peasant and a royal to be engaged?
I snuck a look at the Prince. He listened to his wife's speech intently, before noticing my look of incredulity. He then winked at me as if saying it will all be alright. It reminded me of when we were all younger. It was comforting.
I smiled stiffly back at him and decided to be brave enough to look at my betrothed. Orlando looked bored. His blonde hair flopped into his face, and he pushed it back reluctantly. As if he wanted his hair to be in his face.
I made myself focus on the matter at hand, my future. My twit of a mother was talking, "They'll have plenty of time to get to know one another when they are married. That's what we did," my beautiful mother said, gesturing to my Father and herself.
I held back a snort. That worked out wonderfully. I noticed that Orlando rolled his eyes at her comment. Fortunately for him, I was the only one who noticed.
Princess Beauty somehow kept a straight face, "Ah, yes well in Granat we like engagements longer than a week," she said without a bit of ridicule to her words.
My mother looked hurt nonetheless, "They've technically been engaged for months," she half-whispered. She looked sad. I hazily recollected my mother's behavior on the night the witch came for me.
Alaric spoke then, his eyes looking kindly upon my mother, "But they have had no time to reacquaint with one another, your Majesty."
My father looked tired, and not for the first time since I got home, I noticed he had aged years, "My dear, I think we should listen to the Princess and allow half a year for their engagement. She just turned sixteen on the day of her triumphant return. Plus, she needs not only to reacquaint herself with Prince Orlando," Orlando looked at my Father with a dubious look on his face, and my father inclined his head towards the blonde, "but with our traditions and Court behavior."
Once again, I resisted the urge to snort. As soon as I could, I was getting rid of those traditions. If the only thing my "poverty" taught me, it was that our traditions at court ultimately made us feel distanced from those poorer than ourselves. We didn't even think of them as human. I thought of some of the ladies-in-waiting my mother had assigned me as soon as I came back, as a gift or a symbol of becoming a lady or whatnot. All three of them were all from noble families and were always treated like royalty. They didn't understand calluses of any kind and they detested beggars. I had heard of the way they treated their servants, slaps and other unkind things. Even though I had always ignored my servants, I was never cruel to them. It wasn't their fault they were a servant, just as it wasn't mine that I was a Princess promised to a Prince. I then thought back to Princess Beauty, and felt ashamed that the first thing I always thought of when I saw her was "peasant". I needed to change that.
"Princess Arianna," a voice spoke.
I started and looked up at my Father. Next to me, I heard Orlando cough, but it was the type of cough that held in a laugh. I wanted to kick him, but of course I couldn't in front of everyone. I sheepishly flushed and realized my father must have said my name several times.
"Arianna, does this six month engagement suit you?" he asked but with no question mark lingering in his eyes. I hated him for it.
I bit my lip, and wanted to protest. So, surprising myself and everyone around me, I did, "No Father, it does not suit me," I said in a voice that made everyone strain to hear me. I couldn't believe I just said that.
Apparently, nobody else could either.
My Father blinked rapidly at me, while my mother just gaped. It was easy to tell she hadn't been raised as a Bezidel royal, I thought glumly as I got up from my cushion and curtseyed to my parents and supposed betters, "Your Majesties, I do not feel ready for an engagement, and I certainly do not feel ready for marriage. This whole betrothal seems rushed unnecessarily, the threat," I blinked back tears as I thought of Darius' betrayal, "is gone, and so I think I should at least have a year engagement. I may be sixteen, but I feel as if I am still thirteen. These past few months of poverty have helped, but not enough to make me ready for marriage, and eventually ruling, so I am petitioning you for a longer engagement," I finished. I curtseyed once more as I thought over my little speech. I couldn't believe I said all of that so well. I had to hold in a beam of delight. Sharia would be so proud once she heard!
My father gave me a weary look, "From what it sounds like, you have matured better than anyone could have hoped for." I looked up at him. I had never, ever heard praise from my Father before. His eyes showed nothing, but. . . that was the way my Father was.
I suddenly could feel the stares of the Granat royals on my back, and I suddenly felt that other than Orlando, they had all now received a very out-of character impression of me. I wanted to turn around and kick Orlando to prove I was the same person, I resisted the impulse.
"However," my father continued with an air of relaxation, "since you said that all so properly, maybe I should give Governess Dorothea a raise," he mused, "I have no choice but to let you have a year long engagement." His face now had a hint of a smile on it. I had only seen that happen a few times, and I could count the amount of times on one hand.
I smiled widely, and even though I knew it was frowned upon I ran and hugged my Father and my Mother.
My father was stiff and didn't even pat me on the back but my mother, shockingly, hugged me back so tightly I couldn't breathe.
"Arianna," her cheek was wet, "I'm so, so sorry, my dear, I'll let you arrange your schedule from now on," she whispered into my ear.
I couldn't imagine what the Granat royals thought of this, but I didn't care.
"Thank you Mother," I whispered in her ear and she started to cry again. I suddenly got a good look at her, and realized that she really did look a lot like me, just a prettier, older me, who was a twit.
Yes, I loved my mother, but she still was a twit, I thought lovingly. After all, I realized later that day, she still wouldn't let me pick out my own dresses.
(A/N) Sorry if Arianna seems a little OOC in this chapter, but she's still in a little bit of shock mode, and she has also been trained to be a non-emotion showing court lady her whole life. And you'll get Arianna/Orlando stuff next chapter, this was just necessary to show her growth, her parent's, some of the aftershock, some of the consequences. Yes, she's been filled in about Darius' role, but Orlando was hesitant to tell her everything. She'll find more about how deep his role is next chapter.
Thank you to my one reviewer from last chapter, and all of the story alerts, and people who have favorited this story. I'm glad you liked it.
Please review =D
Oh and I am starting college NEXT sunday, so I will well, not be available for a while. Probably the whole semester. But, hopefully back by December. (I am going to try and get one more chapter up, but I don't know if I will be able to).
