A/N: Thank you so much for reading, favorite, follow and review this fic of mine. I am glad that it managed to attract people into reading it. I breath, eat and sleep review... so, it would really help me if there's a feedback from each of you c: Btw, I intend to finish this fic before continuing with Cage.
Warning: May contains OOCness, unbetaed (I wrote this chapter using a phone and it was really hard for me with the screen being so small, so, forgive me if there is any mistake. I will write usig a phone until I buy a laptop charger Dx)
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Chapter 2
The Invitation Letter
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"Yuurella!"
It was another day for one Yuuri Katsuki; full of daily chores and orders from his stepfamily. He did not know how it was that he was called "Yuurella", but, Mila once had said that his life resembled one of that character she read from a novel. Since then, the name, "Yuurella", kind of stuck to him. Well, except for Yurio, he either called him Pig, Piggy or Katsudon. Letting out a tired sigh, the black haired teenager hurriedly to where his stepmother was. Opening the door to her chamber, he smiled as he wiping his dirty palms on his equally dirty apron.
"Yes, mother? Do you need me for something?"
He smiled but was wiped off when dirty clothes thrown to his face.
"Wash those! And make sure that you do not damage it! The silk is expensive and I will not give your dinner if I ever find any hole or damage!"
Gathering the clothes into his arms, he smiled and nodded at the woman. "I understand mother. I will wash these carefully."
Lilia scoffed at her stepson and glared. She hated the boy. Hated him very much since her late husband cared only about his son rather than her and her children. That was why after her husband died, she made sure the boy suffer enough and all the estate money belonged to her and her children only. She also made sure that the boy will be the servant of the household and nobody remembered about the late Katsuki's dear son.
"After that, I want you to go buy some groceries and cook lunch. After the lunch, I want you to clean the cinder that accumulates at the fireplace. Also, brush and scrub the bathrooms." She checked her manicured nails and shooed the boy with a flip of her hand.
Understanding that was his cue to leave, the black haired beauty silently and softly closed the door to his stepmother's chamber. He was about to head and wash the clothes when he heard another shrieked of his name.
"Yuurella!"
Sighing, Yuuri adjusted the clothes in his arms and went to the living room. He saw both of his stepsister and stepbrother sitting on the couches, enjoying the snacks.
"Yes sister?" He asked softly, warm dark brown eyes obsecured by the thick glasses.
Mila pointed at her and Yurio's empty cup. Slim shaped eyebrow rose. "Go make us some more tea and bring some snacks."
"I understand sister," he said and stepped back but almost fell because his foot caught the carpet. Fortunately, he caught the door handle and managed to stable himself. But, the dirty clothes fell to the floor. Yuuri quickly picked it up, afraid that he would damage the goods.
Yurio rolled his eyes and snickered. "Stupid pig! Watch where you are going!"
"Uh.. I will be going now," The black haired boy said and quickly went to put the clothes in the basin before he went to prepare the hot tea and snacks for his stepsiblings. He would wash the clothes after this. After that going to buy groceries, making lunch, cleaning the cinder in the fireplace and scrubbing the bathrooms.
He let out a long sigh.
Same old routines.
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"Georgi, have you finished the invitation letters?"
The tall and lanky, dark haired man glanced over his shoulder to the opened door. There, stood the Prince's attendant. He smiled slightly at the older man. "Only a few more. I will be finished before the lunch."
Yakov nodded his head approvingly. "Give it to me right after you finish it. I already told the messenger to send it after lunch." He silently contemplated, "hm... how many are they?"
"About 300's households that have available bachelors and bachelorettes." The man paused for a secondand added, "where is His Highness Victor?"
"As per usual, His Highness is ice skating again." Sighing, the old man rubbed his temple, the headache coming again when he remembered the one condition that Prince Victor set to find his intended. "Good. I hope His Highness would find his bride amongst those people." He let out a heavy sigh, which he had been doing these past days. "It is ridiculous for His Highness to ask of his guests that condition though. It had never been done before.
Georgi could only laughed awkwardly. "Prince Victor had always been an eccentric person," he shrugged his shoulders and continued to put the invitation letter into an envelope before sealing it using a red wax with the kingdom's emblem. "All is fair in love and war, My Lord."
"Love, huh? I think it is more of his whim though." The old attendant's eyebrow furrowed together. He hoped for once that the Prince listened to his words but the man was as Georgi said, eccentric.
That was his only flaw if someone was to ask him. Eventhough, no one was crazy and suicide enough to ridicule the Royalty. But, they who had lived with Prince Victor knew he could not harm a single hair even if people ridiculed him. He might get angry, mad even but he would not kill... not without a reasonable cause though.
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Yuuri had just finished with cleaning the fireplace when he heard the doorbell rang throughout the house. He quickly wiped his ashy and blackened palms to his dirty apron. The bell rang once again. "I am coming! Wait a minute!" The teenager hurriedly walked to the front door, opening it and saw a messenger. From his clothes and the kingdom's emblem... the man was from the castle.
He wondered what brought the man here?
"Good afternoon. May I help you, dear sir?" The ever soft and good mannered boy bowed a bit to show his respect.
The man straigthened his back before he read the scroll, introducing himself along with the message from the royal family.
"Good day, sir. I am Otabek Altin, a messenger from Hasetsu Castle. Today, I bring here with me, the invitation letter to the Prince Victor Nikiforov's birthday ball. All eligible bachelors and bachelorettes are invited to the castle for His Highness is going to find a future bride amongst the guests. Also, the candidates are required to bring with them the skates."
The stiffed man then rolled back the scroll and gave the invitation letter to the surprised double black boy without saying anything. After that, he bowed and went back to the carriage to continue with his duty.
Yuuri stared at the letter in his hand, before a wide smile made its way to his lips. The Prince was finding a bride and all of the eligible bachelor and bachelorette were invited! He could not wait to go to the ball because it had his favorite past time activity, ice skating. That one surely baited and urged him on. He always loved ice skating and would always take time to skate in the frozen lake near the forest whenever it was winter. However, after his father died, he almost did not have time to go ice skating since most of his times were spent on cleaning the whole establishment. At those times, the black haired beauty only managed to skate during midnight after his stepfamily fell asleep. But now... he would be able to skate inside the castle ice rink and it was his dream to skate on it.
They said that in Hasetsu Castle, the ice rink could be used for a whole year not just winter and it surely amazing if Yuuri could skate forever.
Smiling and humming a song to himself, the orphaned boy went to find his stepmother to give the letter to her and go to prepare his costume and skates for the ball. He would need to meet with Phichit soon.