「The Secret Life of Gardenias」
「July, 181: Encounter – Guernsey Flair」
Gundam Wing © SOTSU AGENCY - SUNRISE - ANB
This is a work of derivative Fanfiction. No claims are made towards the ownership of intellectual rights pertaining to the metaseries.
...
"Lucius," The young prince scowled at his Chief Tutor, in case the man had not noticed. "Lucius, he's a girl."
"I believe the appropriate pronoun is 'she', your Highness." The older man bowed deeply.
"That's a girl, Lucius," his Prince snarled, stubbornly refusing his observation. "I will not be made a laughing stock!"
"Begging your pardon, sir," the clean-faced figure of decorum curtsied towards Baronet Lucius Darlian, "is my appointment not to prevent his Highness Prince Milliard Peacecraft from becoming a laughing stock?"
Lucius nodded briefly, with a slight quirk in the corner of his mouth for his favourite cousin. "Indeed, Lady Larucca. His Majesty appears to be of the opinion that if his Highness' consequences are to be borne by a lady, perhaps he will think twice about his actions from now on."
Milliard chewed viciously on his lip. They had him at a disadvantage. It was true that the traditional threat of visiting punishment on his study companions has hitherto done nothing for the Princeling's discipline. He simply never developed the friendship and affection towards his whipping boys that was generally relied upon to keep the sons of Kings in line.
The whole system was boorishly archaic. Following the abolishment of corporal punishment five years prior to his birth, the position of Boy of the Bedchamber has safely become, in Milliard's mind, nothing more than a farcical attempt at forcing him to be chummy with the heirs of ambitious members of Court. Why else would any one send their children forward to be whipped in his stead? Milliard was well aware of the incorrigible little horror he could be, and was often proud of his antics. In fact, the worst abuse the boys have had to face usually came from the Prince himself.
It was also true that as a gentleman, he could never allow any harm to fall to a female member of his household. This was what King Byron Peacecraft the Third was counting on when he approached Baronet Darlian for an introduction.
The ability to empathise with one's people and command their loyalty is a mark of breeding amongst those of noble blood. What manner of ruler can one who is unable to win over even a single child become? Regardless of Sanq's image issues, Byron was more concerned about his son. It was not natural for a five year-old boy to refuse to have friends. Thus far, the Prince has managed to bully most of his companions into resignation, and found reason to demand the removal of those he could not. Lucrezia Larucca would not be so easily daunted. The King has seen this himself in the Courtyard games witnessed from his study.
She was a plain child, remarkable only because of her rare purple eyes, holding the stick that was her imaginary sword with dignity at her side as she curtsied before the King.
"Do pardon our appearance, your Majesty," she explained of the dirty scrapes on her arms and the papery fragments in her hair from when someone had tripped her into a pile of dead leaves. "We have only just returned from defending your honour in far off lands."
Byron looked down curiously from his window, into the small circle of nervous, pint-sized troops, of whom she was obviously the leader. "Oh? And what have you to report, soldier?"
He was surprised when she sketched him an inexpert salute, and more so at her next words. "That all the Martians have been defeated, sir! With no casualties on either side, as per orders."
Byron burst into roaring laughter. Not knowing what else to do, confronted by those serious little up-turned faces, he promoted them all to Knights of Mars with her as their Captain, and sent them off to a well-deserved victory treat of cake and ice-cream.
It seemed a crazy idea, at first, but the more he sat on it, the more he liked it. Lucrezia had a way about her that made every child at Court like her, regardless of age and standing. Although this was only her third month at Court, she has already secured, according to the servants, most of their fickle trust and loyalty. If she could not teach Milliard a thing or two about getting along with others, then at least she will make him a formidable ally.
Lady Elena of the Laruccas was the youngest daughter of Earl Biecher, the retired Grand General of Bryon's father's armies, before marrying into Italian nobility via Duca Ermanno Larucca, cousin of the Iron Crown. Lucrezia was the middle child of three, entrusted to Lucius' care for the duration of the Lady's post-natal illness.
"Evidently, few of the relatives know what to do with such a wild child," the Prince's Chief Tutor was apologetic. "She worships her brother, who is currently attending his first year in Luxemburg, and aspires to serve as his Page upon his ascension to Squire."
The corners off the King's mouth twitched. "But she is a girl," he pointed out casually.
"Yes, your Majesty, she is aware." Lucius replied meaningfully. It may be more apt to say that Lucrezia was thrust upon him to keep her out of sight, since Lucius Darlian, unlike the rest of the clan, had never left the Sanq Kingdom and has thus never had any dealings with the Court of the Iron Crown. The same dark secret saw Alessandro Larucca sent away to school.
Lucius' reservations stem from the flippancy their Aunts and Uncles had displayed when entrusting the little girl to a man who knew little in the ways of raising children, implying how much easier it would be to chalk it up to his inexperience and move along should the child turn up missing one day. It came as no surprise to him that his cousin considered running away to seek out her brother her only option in life. And yet, perhaps because of the way the family sacrificed them so easily in their games of political intrigue, Lucius was even more determined to keep her safe by his side.
Byron regarded his friend. "We cannot, as King, allow your personal responsibilities to interfere with the Prince's studies," he said deliberately, "neither can We, as a friend, allow you to neglect your duty towards your kinsman. Therefore, I hope you will consider Our proposal to appoint your cousin to Milliard's Companion, so that you may keep her by your side in the course of your service to Us. Of course, she will be allowed the education and every privilege and concession suitable to a lady of such position…"
The problem, in Lucrezia's eyes, was that the only ladies of a rank similar to being Companion to the Prince were the Princess' Ladies-in-Waiting. "I refuse," she told the two men flatly, abandoning manners in her revulsion. "I will not be cooped up, being expected to paint and sew and recite insipid love poetry."
"Lucrezia, you are in the presence of the King!" Her cousin flustered.
The little Lady Larucca held her chin high and her hands primly behind her back, meeting the clear blue gaze of her sovereign. "It is difficult to respect a man as a King when his actions betray him as hypocrite."
Byron raised an eyebrow. 'Insipid' and 'hypocrite' were very big words for a girl-child of five. "How so?"
It was an expression that has cowed many a pompous dignitary and quelled many an argument. Lucrezia Larucca did not shirk from it. "What else do you call a man who would make a girl his new Knight-Captain in recognition of her skills, then return two days after to offer her the life of a simpering n… ninny?"
She had meant to say 'Nanny', because that was exactly what it sounded like they were asking her to do. Only the miserable look of doom on her cousin's face caused her the shame to reconsider. In her indignation, she had forgotten to take into account his position in the King's pleasure. If Byron Peacecraft pleases, he could punish Lucius as well as her for the insolence. Lucrezia wringed her hands, suddenly frightened despite her strong front.
Byron leaned forward, meeting her firm stare.
He smiled.
"We apologise, Lady Larucca. It was not in Our intentions to mean any disrespect. What would you have Us do?"
She gulped and squeaked, "allow me the privilege and concession due the Prince's Companion. Let me work at the same lessons to the same standards, like any other would have had to do. I know you will find me to be as competent as any boy."
The King of Sanq glanced at the ashen face of Baronet Darlian, and extended his hand to the young lady. He would not ask such a thing of her had he not known Lucius' fears.
"Then in return, you must swear, like any other would have had to do, to never leave his Highness' side. In addition, you will not be answerable to his Highness, only to Us. Only We may relieve you of your duty."
Lucrezia'a brow furrowed in serious consideration. Being sworn into the King's service would put an end to her plans to escape to Luxemburg for Alessandro once she turned nine. She would be bound to go wherever the Prince went and partake in whatever the Prince does. On the other hand, she would have the opportunity to study and train under the best teachers possible on the continent. There can be no other opportunity like this.
Besides, it wouldn't be forever. At some point, the Prince will outgrow the need for a Court-appointed companion and then she will be free to do as she wished, with a Prince's education behind her. She would not be able to become her brother's Page, but she could, with enough hard work, win his respect as an equal. She shook the King's large hand.
Byron nodded grimly. Lucius let go of the breath he had been holding with a goofy grin.
Somehow, Lucrezia survived the interview without fainting. After that ordeal, the little, outraged, Prince was nothing.
"She won't do." Milliard said firmly. "Girls are not as strong, fast, or clever as boys. She'll never be able to keep up with me."
"Ciò è così, your Royal Highness?" Sarcasm dripped off every syllable of her formal address. Squaring off her shoulders, she switched to French in a Parisian drawl. "Perhaps you should try me on before jumping to conclusions."
"Dies ist nutzlos." The Prince replied with a proud toss of his golden curls. "Italian and French are languages of the old world. The language of the future is German."
"Deutsch es ist, dann, Milliard Peaceccraft." the girl responded unexpectedly by holding out her hand in a very masculine invitation to handshake. "Ich bin Lucrezia Larucca."
Milliard folded his arms across his chest and sniffed indignantly. "I shall call you Neun," he declared, "that's 'nine' in German. Because you're the ninth idiot they've sent me, and I can't be bothered to learn the names of those whom I will never meet again."
Lucrezia smirked, not bothering to hide her contempt for her new playmate. "We shall see, your Highness."
...
A/N:
The Iron Crown is the Iron Crown of Lombardy (a real artefact, not the Tolkien ripoff!), the crown of medieval Kings of Italy and one of the oldest insignias of European royalty (7th Century A.D., I think). It derives its name from a thin band of reinforcing iron on the inside, which reportedly contains one of the Holy Crucifixion Nails that Emperor Constantine supposedly had circulating around. For almost a thousand years (9th to 18th Century A.D.), it was the symbol of the Holy Roman Emperors (who were also Kings of Italy those thousand years).
Edition History:
3rd revision– 25 Jan 09– should be the last. Hope the reason Milliard has to keep a whipping boy is better clarified now.
2nd revision– 1 Jan 09– renamed to more closely resemble Burnett's "The Secret Garden". Edits to phrasing, adjustments for the purposes of corresponding better to Chinese version, minor detail clarification on background details.
Original posting– 5 December 08
Glossary:
Ciò è così - Italian "Is that so"
Dies ist nutzlos - German "This is useless"
Deutsch es ist, dann - German "German it is, then"
Ich bin - German "I am"
Neun – German "nine", Pronounced "No-in"
Flower Language 花言葉:
Guernsey Flair is the official "yellow geranium", although technically a pelargonium. Its traditional meaning is "Chance Encounter", which is puzzling because traditional flower language was invented at least 200 years before the Guernsey Flair was cultivated. Best leave it to a matter of faith that there were varieties of lemon-yellow geraniums 200 years ago.