Chapter 13: Pygmalion
Yankee71: this chapter is for you.
"Good morning, Princess" came the sound of Franny's voice as she drew the curtains open, allowing the sun to spill it's bright light into Charley's bedroom.
"Five more minutes" Charley groaned as she pulled the blankets over her head.
"Don't even think about it. Throttle's already up and getting ready for the full day's activities" Franny stated as she pulled the blanket's off of Charley's head and shook her own head.
"Okay, I'm up" Charley moaned as she sat up on the edge of the bed and looked over at the vanity. She saw that there was a cup of hot tea and biscuits with strawberry jelly spread across them.
"Go on. Grab a bite to eat while I get your hair under control" Franny ushered Charley to sit in front of the vanity where she had a brush, comb, and many hair pins laying around.
"Mm. These are delicious" Charley said as she ate one of the biscuits and took a sip of tea.
"Thank you. To start your morning off in the right direction of training, you need to sit up straight with your shoulders back and do place the napkin in your lap" Franny motioned as she picked up the brush and began to brush out the few knots in her hair.
"Okay. That's easy. What's next?" Charley asked as she felt the brush running through her hair.
"After I get all your hair pinned up, we will work on hygiene" Franny commented as she pulled all of Charley's hair up on top of her head and began twisting it around with one hand and pinning it down with the other until she had achieved a smooth chignon. Using the comb and little bit of hair spray, she smoothed out all of the loose pieces and fly-aways.
"Wow. You're amazing" Charley smiled as soon as she saw how elegant her hair looked.
"Every day, as a princess, you must look polished" Franny stated.
"Polished. Not a problem" Charley agreed that this wasn't too bad, so far, but she still had the rest of the day to get through.
"Next, you need to go wash your face and hands and brush your teeth" Franny figured it would be easier to spoon-feed everything to her so she could actually remember everything.
"No problem. I got this" Charley stood up and placed her napkin onto the tray before walking into the bathroom. She quickly and carefully washed her hands and face before brushing her teeth. Looking in the mirror, she made sure that her hair was still in position.
"Excellent. Now, time to pick an outfit. Dress elegantly and with refinement. Choose an outfit that suits you or else people will see that you are uncomfortable with yourself and they may question your confidence. Keep in mind that none of your clothes should be too revealing, rumpled, or have stains and your clothes need to be well pressed" Franny stated, knowing that this part was also going to be easy since all of her clothes were new.
"How do I choose?" Charley found this part to be tough since everything was new and she wanted to wear them all.
"Choose one for how you feel right now" Franny suggested as she placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Got it!" Charley exclaimed as she picked out a pair of forest green skinny jeans with a pale green cotton tee shirt.
"Excellent, my dear. Since we will be doing some dancing this evening, you will need to wear a pair of low heels to start practicing in. It will help you to get used to them" Franny said as she picked out a pair of white kitten heels and Charley slipped them on.
"They're more comfortable than what I though they would be" Charley admitted as she stood up in them and walked around for a moment.
"Yes they are" Franny confidently stated because, she had a pair of her own.
"Ready Miss Charlene?" came the sound of Throttle's voice from outside the door as he knocked.
"Yes" Charley said.
"Yes, my lord. That's the proper response" Franny corrected with a smile.
"Yes, my lord. I'm ready" Charley properly responded and then she watched as the door opened up and Throttle stepped in. Her jaw dropped once she saw how handsomely he was dressed. Instead of his usual biker outfit, he wore a pair of black jeans with a crisp white shirt. He had even taken out his earrings and attempted to slick his hair off to the side with a ponytail at the base of his neck.
"Princesses don't gawk. At least not publicly" Franny joked as she put her finger under Charley's lower jaw and closed her mouth.
"Sorry. I just got so use to seeing a biker that it's difficult to see you as a prince" Charley confessed as she walked up to Throttle and looked him over, astonished by how well he could clean up.
"Unfortunately, this is how I have to behave when my parents are at home. Not a comfortable look or feel for me. But, since you're going to be outside your comfort zone, I figured I mind as well be too" Throttle stated with a heavy sigh. He hated dressing up and he could tell that Charley wasn't too keen on the idea either but, she had to be able to pull off a difficult task...fooling all the rich and shameless nobles into thinking that she was one of them.
"It's okay. Let's go!" Charley excitedly said as she stood in front of Throttle and waited for him to make the next move.
"Alright. Let's do this" Throttle agreed as he held up his arm and watched as she wrapped her arm around his. He made a minor correction by placing her hand over the top of his, resting her elbow against his, and creating some space between them.
"Now, when it comes to standing, males stand with their feet shoulder length apart and women with one foot slightly in front of the other. Proper posture means a straight spine and your chin slightly lifted. Keep your feet flat on the floor and your knees very slightly bent. Your shoulders should be back, with your rib cage in the center of them. Try to keep your hands out of your pockets. That's if you have pockets" Franny stated as she helped Charley achieve perfect posture.
"What about walking?" Charley inquired, feeling as though her entire life was getting ready to be turned upside down and inside out.
"You're going to start with your weight on your back foot, and your feet will be about a half-foot length apart. While walk, your knees should cross over each other, and the moving foot should brush lightly against the heel of the other foot, to make sure your feet are perfectly aligned" Franny explained and nodded for Throttle to proceed with a visual instruction with Charley learning how to walk right beside him. To her amazement, Charley got it on the first try.
"Are you sure you haven't done this before?" Throttle questioned as they proceeded to walk down the stairs and she kept in perfect rhythm with him.
"Never. Just very good instructions" was her reply as she glided down the stairs with ease.
"Excellent. You may not need much princess education" Throttle mentioned as the reached the bottom of the stairs and glanced over at her.
"Well, there's still a few things that she really needs to know how to do" Franny piped up as she descended the stairs and met them at the bottom.
"Such as" Throttle felt like testing the boundaries with Franny by being snarky.
"Now, I know you just didn't get fresh with me young man" Franny chided him before pulling a wooden spoon out of apron pocket and brandished it in front of his face before bopping him on the nose.
"Ow. That hurt" he complained as he rubbed his slightly sore nose and looked at Franny as she scowled at him.
"Behave yourself" Franny chastised as she placed both her hands on her hips.
"Yes ma'am" Throttle's ears fell to the sides before going back into their normal, upright position.
"Good. Now, we need to make sure you know all the different pieces of dinner and silver ware that will be used at the party. Also, you need to be able to do a some basic dance steps such as; a sway step, swing step, box step and the waltz. We'll start with the basics and work up from there until you can perform the waltz with ease" Franny stated as walked towards a room that was opposite the dining room and opened the door.
"Oh my goodness" Charley exclaimed as Throttle escorted her over to the room.
"This is the ballroom which doubles as the throne room" he stated as he pointed to two massive chairs against the wall opposite them.
"Is there any room that's small?" Charley stated as she glided across the marble, hear heels clicking loudly, as they walked through the massive room.
"Not really. You ready to start dancing?" he asked as he turned to look at her.
It's late at night and we're all alone
Just the music on the radio
No one's coming no one's gonna telephone
Just me and you and the lights down low
"As I'll ever be" she stated as she turned to face Throttle, unsure of what to do next.
"Franny, if you would" Throttle stated as he took her right hand with his left hand and held it off to the side, while his free hand was placed below her shoulder blade on her back. Franny placed her left hand on his waist.
And we're slow dancing swaying to music
Slow dancing me and my girl
Slow dancing swaying to music
No one else in the whole wide world just you girl
Throttle kept his feet stationary, shifting his weight back and forth to sway with her. Looking down at her, he smiled when she looked up at him and made eye contact.
We just flow together with the lights are low
Leading in the dance, Throttle felt a connection and commitment in Charley. Maintaining his sway to the beat of the music, he thought about the motions, and moved his feet, directing her by applying slight pressure with his hands.
Shadows dancing all across the wall
Music's playing so soft and slow
The rest of the world so far away and small
Charley, following the dance, required her to read his thoughts and follow through steps initiated by him. He held his hand up for a twirl, followed the motion in a single controlled spin that ended her back in the original position.
And you're slow dancing swaying to music
Slow dancing me and my girl
Slow dancing swaying to music
No one else in the whole wide world
Sharing such closeness made them both feel vulnerable and excited about the experience. They showed each other that the other had their undivided attention by looking deeply into each others' eyes. They were so involved in each other that they hadn't noticed that Franny had left the room.
Hold me aw hold me
Don't ever let me go
She voluntarily put her head on his shoulder, indicating that she was thoroughly comfortable with what they were doing. Throttle heard her inhale as she snuggled her head on his shoulder.
As we dance together in the dark
So much love in this heart of mine
Whisper to me, hold me tight
You're the one I thought I'd never find
The closer their bodies became, the more he wrapped his arms around her waist, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. They ended up dancing cheek-to-cheek and with his arms, he pulled her lithe body closer to his, needing to feel her through her clothes.
And we're slow dancing swaying to music
Slow dancing me and my girl
Slow dancing swaying to music
No one else in the whole wide world
"Charley, you look lovely" he ended up whispering into her ear as his hands wandered to her hips, pulling them closer to him causing her to gasp.
"Throttle" her lower lip trembled once she realized that she wanted him to kiss her. She knew in her heart that he was engaged to another and here she was wanting to treasure the moment in his arms.
And we're slow dancing swaying to music
Slow dancing me and my, my, my, my girl
Slow dancing swaying to music
No one else in the whole wide world, whole wide world
"Baby, I want to kiss you, if you'll let me" he had to ask because, he didn't want anything to be misinterpreted between them. He placed a hand on her cheek.
"Were you reading my mind?" she whispered, feeling his warm hand gently tilting her head up to look at him.
"Charley" he murmured as he watched her lashes close and and her pink lips slightly part as an invitation that he was fully prepared to accept.
Throttle kissed her, gently at first. Wanting to take his time. Unsure of whether she had been kissed before this moment. Her soft lips felt sensually foreign and that excited him in more ways than one. Her lips parted as he deepened the kiss.
He pulled her hips higher up against him as her arms wrapped around his neck, pulling her own self closer to him. She couldn't get enough. She felt hungry for him and his touch. She had been kissed only one other time before and that was nothing compared to Throttle's. She could tell that he was holding back, almost fearful that his desire would scare her off but, she wanted more.
She felt the fire from his tongue as it caressed the inside of her mouth. She retaliated with her own skills. She met him half way and flicked the tip of her tongue against his buck teeth, causing him to shudder.
He lifted his head and gazed down at her, her eyes half opened and glazed over with desire. A desire that he would have given anything to satisfy. Her cheeks, rosy pink and warm with passion.
He should have known better than to kiss her, knowing that his wedding doomed him from being with her the way that they both wanted. But, at this moment, he didn't care. He would have thrown away his title if it meant that he could keep Charley with him.
But, he knew she deserved more than what he could give her. He was betrothed to a woman he didn't want and, right in front of him was a woman whom he desired and it was obvious she felt the same way. Now he really felt trapped.
As Charley gazed up at him, she could tell his thoughts were running wild. It was obvious that his thoughts had wandered to his betrothal. Placing a hand on his cheek, she turned his head so he could look at her. He smiled and kissed her forehead.
"I'm sorry. I wish I could go further with you but, I don't want any regrets between us" he said as he cupped her face with both his hands and felt her fingers wrap around his hands as she smiled up at him.
"I understand" she spoke softly as she kissed the palm of his hand.
"Ready for the next lesson" Franny inquired as she walked back into the room and noticed the passion between the two. She shook her head, knowing that there was something very magical and special between the two of them and neither of them would go any further because of his upcoming marriage.
"Yes. I am" Charley cleared her throat as she slowly backed away from Throttle as her eyes became misty.
I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. Cyber hugs to everyone. If you have any questions, comment, concerns, or something that you would like to see in the upcoming chapters, please feel free to let me know. Also, I do have a piece of fanart for one of the upcoming chapters. If you would like to preview it before hand, let me know and I will post it up in the coverart section of this story.