Ebony & Gold
In the earlier years of the Victorian era, a youthful prince from a far away land in the East was curious about life in the West. He learned about their mannerisms, with some disapproval from his older brothers. But being the youngest son, the Emperor doted on him and allowed the boy to pursue whatever he fancied.
With blessings from his father, he travelled to England as a diplomatic envoy, hoping to improve trade relations between the East and West. The prince charmed everyone he met there with his grace and slightly eccentric ways.
Soon enough, he caught the eye of many young women that were hoping to marry into a royal family regardless of the fact that he belonged to the Chinese imperial house. Like many couples of that time, the prince was matchmade with a lovely lass who was the daughter of a Duke.
However, things changed during the ball he and the lady were supposed to meet. They both managed to find partners of their own. The young prince met a daughter of a widowed Countess. She was the same age as him and both fell in love with each other. He and his loved one were married within the year they met and their union produced two sons and a daughter whom they cherished with all of their hearts. It was a rare thing to marry one's true love during that time period and the prince unknowingly set a trend in his social circle for doing that.
Biennially, the family would alternate living either in England or China as ambassadors. Thus, their children grew up with knowledge from both Worlds and it was quite advantageous for them.
Having taken on an English name, Prince Gregory, Duke of the Orient, returned with Princess Wilhemina, Duchess of the Orient to her homeland as scheduled. Their youngest daughter, Princess Ada, now nineteen years of age, was the only child to accompany them on their adventures.
Her brothers were already married, having carved out their own very successful lives away from the family. They were lucky to have found soulmates they wanted to spend their lives with and wished their baby sister all the best with regards to matters of the heart.
As soon as word hit the streets that The Orients had returned, they were swamped with invites to balls and various engagements. Ada now stood in her bedroom as an attendant dolled her up.
Grace, her faithful lady-in-waiting about a decade older than her had been with Ada since she was a young girl, looked on worriedly. "Are you most certain, my lady?" She was concerned about a certain event from three years ago that affected her precious princess.
"I will be alright, Grace. My friends would love to meet me in person after corresponding with letters for the past two years." Ada replied confidently as her hair was twirled elegantly on the back of her neck.
Grace nodded and gestured to another maid to serve up the tea. "You should eat something before you leave, my lady. I know you rarely do so when you attend balls. It is not good for your health."
Ada stopped the attendant from sliding her gloves on and thanked the lady for dressing her up before dismissing the rest of the servants from the room.
"It is difficult to partake in food with a corset. The tea and scones will have to suffice till then. Thank you again, Grace. You are ever so thoughtful."
The princess sat down and helped herself to the food platter. Her parents would take a little while longer to be ready and she would just have to wait for the bell to chime. "You should eat as well, Grace. After all, you will be accompanying me as my lady-in-waiting."
Under normal circumstances, Grace would decline but this was Ada they were talking about. She and her brothers were raised with both regality and modesty for others around her. They treated their servants as equals. Though others outside of the Orient household thought that the princess was an aloof and icy royal.
"You know I will not take no for an answer, Grace. Please, sit down and rest before the night's events call upon us." Ada implored and the older woman obliged, sitting down on the chair beside the raven haired princess and enjoying their snacks.
A few moments later, the bell rang and it was time for them to leave. Grace sat with Ada and her parents in one carriage while the other attendants sat in the other. Gregory and Wilhemina were both pleasant to be with despite their lofty titles.
"Ada dear, you look as beautiful as ever." Her mother spoke and Ada gave a smile, "I have you and papa to thank for that." The teenager teased and her parents chuckled, making light-hearted banter all the way to their destination.
In the rolling hills of the countryside there was the mansion of the Earl of Adlitam. They were a noble family mostly invested in business, and had accumulated a great amount of wealth as well as a good reputation. Earl Matthias Kennedy had three children, two sons and an eldest daughter. The middle child, Leon, was currently in his office being lectured by his father.
"You need to take these things more seriously," The Earl said as he paced back and forth while Leon read a newspaper. "You're going to inherit this family's legacy, and I don't want our ancestors' hard work to all be in vain because you were too busy showing interest in every young lady you meet. Remember that in this world, personal and professional matters often affect each other."
"I don't show interest in everyone, just the ones who are beautiful." Leon replied, still more invested in the paper than his father's lecture. "You want me to have my own family, don't you?" Leon smirked slightly and Matthias gave an exasperated sigh, running his fingers through his greying hair.
"Leon, you have amazing business skills, but don't be overconfident. This ball is for building good relations, but not those kinds." The Earl said sternly and snatched the newspaper away from Leon. "Show these people that you are a respectable man and not just interested in their daughters. Limit it to one dance per lady. Now let's get ready, I have a feeling it's going to be a long night."
Leon scoffed and stood up to follow his father. He had been to so many balls already it was completely routine to him at this point. Everyone already wanted to have good relations with the Kennedys that it seemed redundant to pander to anyone. Leon might as well make the most of them.
The blonde had his servants helping him get dressed for the ball. He put on his nicest suit with coat tails, bow tie, white gloves, and his best cufflinks. The servants made sure his shoes were shiny and his hair was neatly styled.
Once the preening was complete, Leon went to the hallway to meet with the rest of the family. His father, mother, and older sister Diana were soon ready to leave as well, while his little brother James stood pouting.
"I wish you would let me go to the ball," James said. His mother patted his shoulder and gave him a kiss on the forehead.
"When you're of age. Now be good while we're gone. Let's not be late now," the Countess of Adlitam beckoned the rest of her family to exit the mansion. Leon gave his brother a wave goodbye and a smile as they went out the door and climbed into the awaiting carriage to take them to the ball.
Before they knew it, the Orients arrived at the mansion and they disembarked from their carriage, heading off into the house. After they handed over their coats and hats to the servants, her parents handed out the invitation cards to the doorman where he called out their names to announce their presence.
"Their Royal Highnesses, The Duke and Duchess of the Orient! Her Royal Highness, The Princess of the Orient!"
All eyes turned to them and Ada trailed after Gregory and Wilhemina who were met with old friends and acquaintances. The usual greetings and compliments of her growing more beautiful every two years were exchanged. All these pleasantries bored the princess and when her father finally addressed her to go enjoy herself, Ada curtsied to him and left to find her trio of friends.
She found them clinging to men on their arms and they greeted her fondly. "Princess Ada, it is good to see you again!" The 'leader' of the clique, Eleanor, spoke and the princess replied, "Likewise."
Ada then turned towards the men with a curious look on her face. "All of us got married last year," Eleanor explained and each lady introduced her spouse to the princess, making the royal slightly jealous.
"Is this the surprise you were talking about in your letter? Congratulations." Her voice was tinged with a slight edge. Weren't they the ones who promised that they would swore off men after her failed engagement a few years ago? They clearly broke it.
"I will see you later. Please, excuse me." The princess turned on her heel and walked away, out of the ballroom into the balcony for some air. Grace was beside her in an instant.
"They were so crass, Your Highness. Some friends they are." The older woman implored and Ada could only sigh, "I doubt they were truly my friends to begin with, Grace."
A few minutes later, the Kennedys arrived and they entered the mansion, giving the servants their coats and hats as usual, and handed their invitations to the doorman.
"The Earl and Countess of Adlitam! Lord Kennedy! Lady Kennedy!"
The Kennedy family stuck together for a little while before Leon decided to go his separate way, but not before his father whispered a few words into his ears. "Remember what I said. We're here for business, not just pleasure." Leon gave his father a nod and a smile before he turned away. He began to prowl the ballroom for any young, single ladies whom he had not had the pleasure of meeting yet.
There were plenty of available women, some he had been acquainted with, and there were a few new faces. Leon danced with some of the prettier ones to get to know them a little better, but there were none here tonight that seemed to truly catch his interest.
Meanwhile, Ada spent the rest of her time outside, enjoying the beauty of the night sky. A few people lingered here and there in the shadows of the balcony, trying to sneak an intimate moment or two, away from prying eyes. The princess casually ignored the public displays of affection.
Grace was rubbing her arms and Ada spoke with concern. "Are you cold? You should go inside and have a drink to warm yourself up." Her lady-in-waiting nodded but frowned a bit at the suggestion of leaving her charge alone.
It was a gesture that did not go unnoticed by Ada's keen eye. "I am capable of taking care of myself, Grace. You have seen me do it before."
The older woman let out a small sigh, "I will be back soon, my lady." She gave Ada a look of worry before reluctantly turning away to find refreshments for them both.
After several dances, Leon grew a bit bored and felt he needed some fresh air. The young lord did not want to return to his family just yet, and unfortunately not many of his friends were here, or they were busy with their own dances. He went outside for some quiet time and to look up at the night sky.
Leon only saw a few people milling about on the balcony, which was just how he liked it. He did notice a young Asian woman in a scarlet gown and assumed she was the help of one of the guests, or a lady-in-waiting perhaps.
Inside the ballroom, Matthias learned that the Duke and Duchess of the Orient were here with their princess, and he prayed Leon would behave well around her. He was always at least polite around women. He knew better, right?
The princess had a minute to herself before she heard footsteps behind her. Ada turned to tease her lady-in-waiting for returning so soon but did not say anything when she caught sight of a blonde man instead.
He was dressed like the rest of the males. Black suit with coat tails, white bow tie, and slicked hair. Sometimes she wished women could have simple outfits like that which could be worn repeatedly. Having to purchase new outfits for each season was bothersome.
She kept her thoughts to herself and looked away, not in the least bit interested by the blonde's presence at all.
Leon was feeling a bit stuffy in his formal clothing and with so few people around, he thought it would be alright if he loosened his sleeves to cool off a bit. He undid the cuffs, but was not quite careful enough, and accidentally dropped a cufflink on the floor. It rolled over towards the Asian woman, and the blonde let out a small sigh.
"Excuse me, you there?" He called out to her. "Could you be a dear and pick that up for me?"
His words caught the attention of the others on the balcony and they had to hold back their laughter. Did Lord Kennedy just address a royal princess so casually?
Ada heard a metallic ding against the floor and she frowned at his command. She turned to face the blonde and spoke coolly, "I beg your pardon?" Couldn't he see that she was dressed regally in red and purple? "I believe your eyes might be deceiving you. I am not a butler."
"Ah, I'm sorry," Leon said, beginning to feel slightly suspicious. "No, you don't look like a butler. I don't believe I've met you before. Are you a guest here?" He asked with a charming smile, still oblivious. He decided to simply walk over to her and pick up his cufflink himself.
Ada gripped the fan in her hand a little tighter, weary about his forwardness with her. Royal protocol prohibited men from approaching her without the presence of her lady-in-waiting. Was this man that clueless about her identity? She also recognized the look of want on his face. The blonde found her attractive but she was not going to give him that satisfaction tonight.
As Leon neared the young lady, he could hear the faint whisperings of other guests and began to have a bad feeling. Upon closer inspection of the Asian woman he had to admit that she was quite fair, with beautiful brown eyes that right now seemed to be glaring daggers at him. Leon wondered for a moment about courting her, but pushed the thought aside. A gut feeling told him to restrain himself in this instance.
"I don't usually see your kind around here."
The princess' eyes narrowed into slits at the last comment. Grace and her family had mentioned that whenever she was angry, her gaze always appeared to be piercing through a person's soul. Leon was rooted to the spot. It was almost as if she was Medusa exerting her power over him.
"My family was invited and my mother is English." The princess replied venomously and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Grace hurrying to her.
"Your Royal Highness, the Duke and Duchess are expecting you." The older woman then noticed Leon standing in front of Ada and she immediately bowed to the princess. "My apologies for interrupting your conversation, ma'am."
Ada shook her head. "No, we were done with our conversation." She boldly took a step towards the blonde and whispered acidly. "Good night, peasant."
Grace kept her surprise to herself and followed her lady back into the ballroom.
She left Leon standing there dumbfounded and speechless. That young woman was a Princess? How was he supposed to know that? He then chided himself when he recalled all the purple embroidery that was on her dress. That should have tipped him off that she was not a servant.
Leon headed back inside to look for his family and the young lord was suddenly keenly aware of all the staring and whispering around him. A wave of humiliation surged through his body. He suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder and turned around to see his father's furious face, as red from anger as Leon's was from embarrassment.
"What were you thinking?" The Earl of Adlitam hissed. "How could you speak to a royal princess like that?"
"I did not know she was royalty." Leon whispered back. "I suppose she got here before we did. No one bothered to tell me there was a Princess of the Orient here."
"You could have at least been more polite. This is what I was talking about." Matthias glanced left and right. "You've not only embarrassed yourself, but also me and our family. I don't want you leaving my side for the rest of the ball." The two men went off to find the Countess and Lady Kennedy, and did their best to ignore the swarm of gossip in the air.
However, the damage was done and Leon and his father were both in terrible moods for the remainder of the night, though they did well to mask it when speaking to the other guests. His mother and sister heard what happened, but did not say anything, and no one else brought it up in front of them out of politeness, even if they had no trouble bringing it up behind their backs.
In another part of the ballroom, the princess finally made it back safely in her own little social circle. "Ada dear, we would like to introduce you to a family friend." Wilhemina spoke upon seeing her daughter. The raven haired teen did her best to wear a mask of nonchalance but deep down, she was still rather ruffled by the encounter.
The greying man in front of the princess extended a hand. "I am Phillip, your mother's tutor. I met you when you were a baby. My, how big you have grown."
Ada raised her gloved hand and the man kissed the back of the fabric politely. She dropped her hand down and continued to politely participate in the conversation. The princess did notice that every now and then, prying eyes would turn and focus on her. Ada coolly ignored them and stood her ground.
The ball passed… ever so slowly but Ada still stayed with her parents, refusing to move her feet at all. They would understand why she wouldn't want to dance with a man.
Finally, it was time for them to leave and as usual, their status allowed them to depart first. Ada heaved a sigh in the carriage and her mother looked over to her. "What is the matter, darling?"
The princess feigned exhaustion and leaned her head back into the seat. "I am fatigued by all the excitement, mama. It has been two years since my last ball. Grandpa's palace is relaxing and tranquil with the occasional fanfare."
Gregory nodded. The East and West threw their parties differently and there wasn't a mad race to be seen at events everywhere in China. "Then rest immediately when we get home, my dear."
The blonde lord did his best to go through the motions of the ball, though he did not want to dance with anyone anymore, and none of the young ladies seemed to want to anyway. Leon contented himself with drinking until it was finally time to leave.
The Kennedys all quietly put their coats back on and went to their awaiting carriage. They sat down and wordlessly rode back to their mansion. Leon knew his father would give him an earful once they got home though.
"How could you make such a fool of yourself?!" The Earl admonished his son once they were in his office while the rest of the family was getting ready for bed. Leon avoided eye contact and sighed.
"It was an honest mistake," Leon retorted defensively, crossing his arms. "If she had been of a lower status there would not be such a fuss."
"Well she wasn't, was she?" Matthias asked, one eye twitching just a tad. "And it doesn't matter what your intentions were, all anyone cares about is you made a fool of yourself in front of royalty. The Kennedys will be the laughing stock for months because of this." He grumbled and rubbed his temples as the stress got to him.
"And not to mention that you've earned the ire of Princess Ada, and likely the Duke and Duchess of the Orient. They could have been good allies to have…"
Leon quirked an eyebrow, "So her name is Ada?" They did not have the pleasantries to exchange names. Leon doubted she would want to know his after this.
His father turned to glower at him for his remark. Leon glared back in return, "If you think I want to court her, you're gravely mistaken. She wasn't exactly made of honey when we spoke, more like venom. I'll be happy if that's the last time I ever see her."
"It does not matter, you are confined to this house until I see fit to allow you to leave," The Earl replied. "Now go to bed. I expect you back to work in the morning."
Leon sighed and left the office, feeling much less happy tonight than he thought he would be.
"He asked me to pick up his cufflink! What sort of gentleman does that? He also had the cheek to say that he doesn't see Asians around and assumed that I was some sort of servant."
Ada vented to Grace when they were both in her bedroom. The older woman was brushing the princess' hair to get rid of any knots before she went to bed. "Sounds like an uncouth lout, my lady."
While a maid would typically be helping the princess get ready for bed, Ada preferred to have Grace by her side. She could express her frustrations to her friend to her heart's content.
The royal handed a night cap to Grace and all her raven hair was gathered and placed into the cap before Grace slipped it on her head. "I was not wearing rags, Grace. Could he not see my dress?"
Grace patted Ada's shoulder and guided her to the bed. "He must have been blind, then. Get some sleep, Your Highness. It is not worth it to be angry over a pompous fool."
Princess Ada sighed and slipped under the covers. "I know… I guess my head will be cleared of that mess in the morning. Good night, Grace." Her lady-in-waiting then drew the curtains shut and extinguished the lamps.
"Good night, ma'am." The older blonde woman called out at the door and shut it close behind her.
The days passed and Leon grew ever more restless as he was stuck doing work with no time to spend with any of his friends. The best he could do was take a stroll through the garden. On the other hand, Ada's time was spent with tea parties, dances, musicals, and any engagement under the Sun fit for a royal.
A month after Leon's debacle, the Earl knew he had to repair the damage his son had done. After consulting with a family friend, Phillip, the retired tutor decided to host a garden party where other families, along with the Kennedys and the Orients, would be in attendance. It was all carefully planned by Matthias and Phillip, to have both parties meet on neutral ground and mend their strained relations.
Phillip had tutored Leon as a boy, and who just so coincidentally tutored Ada's mother. With everything proceeding as arranged, the invitations were sent. It was not a formal ball, but Matthias demanded that Leon be even more polite than ever, lest he be confined to the household for the rest of the year.
Unbeknownst to the young blonde, the Orients were invited as well. Leon would have had second thoughts about going if he knew that piece of information.
For the Orients, they received the garden party invitation from Wilhemina's tutor roughly a month after the Kennedy incident. Needless to say, they gladly accepted the invite. Phillip was a treasured family friend, after all.
When the day of the garden party came, the princess chose a lightweight yet elegant viridian coloured day dress that went along with her parasol. She also wore boots as the grass could sometimes be uneven and slippery.
With Grace close to her, she mingled with the guests and indulged in some food as well. Her parents were off conversing with Phillip, without a clue on what the tutor had planned with the Earl of Adlitam.
When the Earl saw Philip with the Orients, he enacted the plan and made his approach.
"It's good to see you, Earl Matthias," Phillip called out to him and they shook hands. "Matthias, this is Duke Gregory and Duchess Wilhemina of the Orient."
Matthias smiled and gave them a bow of respect. "It is an honour to meet Your Royal Highnesses. Let me apologize once more for my son's behaviour."
If Gregory and Wilhemina were surprised to see the Earl of Adlitam, they hid it really well and instead, gave him a nod to acknowledge his presence. They had heard from Grace on what had happened to Ada on the balcony that night. Needless to say, they were not pleased with the young man's disrespect.
Matthias looked behind him to see Leon conversing with guests normally. Luckily no one was gossiping quite as much about the incident anymore. "I trust Princess Ada is here as well?"
"Of course. We wouldn't be able to do this without her, right?" Phillip said with a smile. "Go ahead and call your son over, Earl Kennedy."
Matthias nodded and turned around to wave at his son. "Leon, come here and say hello to Phillip. You two should catch up."
The Duchess gazed at her tutor when he mentioned her little girl and Leon. "What are you planning to do, Phillip? Why must our daughter be involved with an uncouth man?" Her blue eyes were full of worry and the Duke put an arm around his wife's shoulder, glaring at the tutor and demanding an answer.
Phillip didn't reply to them straight away. Instead, he waited for the young blonde to come over to make his greeting.
Leon heard his father and made his way over like he was asked. He found the party rather dull while he was being kept on a tight leash. At least Phillip might be nice to talk to. "Phillip, how are you?" Leon asked as he beamed at his old tutor.
He then took notice of the Duke and Duchess, and immediately felt a pit form in his stomach. The blonde would not be oblivious a second time.
"Leon, this is Their Royal Highnesses, Duke Gregory and Duchess Wilhemina. Of the Orient." Matthias said to his son. Leon forced himself to keep smiling at the royals and gave them a polite bow. "It is an honour."
The Orients nodded at him stiffly and they could feel the temperature of the air around them dropping a notch or two.
Phillip then cleared his throat, "Matthias had this idea to help improve Leon's image by allowing everyone here to have a glance of him and Princess Ada at least walking together. This is a very unforgiving society and Matt here is a very good friend of mine. I do not wish to see his family come to ruin."
Wilhemina was about to interject that her precious girl will not be used to improve someone's public image but Phillip continued to speak, "Of course, it would be most optimal if Leon apologized to her highness and they can both start off on the right foot. You did teach your children about forgiveness, Wilhemina. Leon made an honest mistake."
It all made sense to Leon now. This was all part of an elaborate plan by his father and his tutor. His father gave him a slight nudge in the back, prompting Leon to bow deeply to the Duke and Duchess.
"I apologize for my ignorance and my impoliteness." The lord said, hoping that this would convince the Orients. He still did not think they had to go this far, but Leon also wanted to get this over with. "Please forgive me. It was wrong for me to treat your daughter that way."
What Leon dreaded though was seeing Princess Ada once again, and he knew that it would be much tougher to earn her forgiveness. At least his father seemed pleased with his behaviour, smiling proudly at Leon for apologizing.
The Orients still weren't entirely moved by his apology so Gregory decided to impart some wisdom. "You should not treat anyone in a rude manner, my boy. All of us deserve respect. Depending on where you are, you will not always be part of the majority race."
Phillip nodded in agreement, "We bleed the same colour, Leon. Remember that."
It truly was embarrassing for Leon as he did his best to smile and nod at the advice given to him. "Yes, you are right, of course everyone deserves respect. I will do my best to remember that in the future."
The lord may or may not have actually heed these words, but for now he was simply acting how he thought they wanted him to. He would need to put on his best performance if he was to earn the royal princess' forgiveness though. "Please, I really would like to apologize to Princess Ada myself. The guilt has been eating me up ever since that night. I'm glad you've given me a second chance."
Wilhemina could see Leon was growing red with embarrassment and she looked to her husband. "Dear, I believe he knows he did wrong. Why don't we call Ada over now? She is the one he is supposed to apologize to.
Acting was a skill that was needed to survive in this Victorian life. Whether they doubted Leon's sincerity or not, the royals still had to give face and treat him politely.
Gregory nodded to his wife. "Phillip, please send someone to call for my dear daughter." The tutor then gave them a bow and walked a short distance away to speak to a servant, leaving the Orients alone with the Kennedys.
To prevent awkward silence, Wilhemina participated in a little small talk. "How is your business going, Earl Matthias?"
Elsewhere, Princess Ada strolled with Grace through Phillip's rose garden and admired the flowers that were in bloom. "Imagine all the rose jam you can make with this, Grace." The princess spoke and her stomach rumbled slightly.
"Many cartons, my lady. Phillip already gifts your family rose jam throughout the year and you are still hungry?" Grace teased and Ada chuckled.
A maid approached them and bowed. "Your Royal Highness, the Duke and Duchess of the Orient request your presence. Please, follow me."
Leon nervously waited while the servants fetched Princess Ada, and listened as the adults engaged in minor chit chat to pass the time. He swore that when he was in charge, he would leave this sort of socializing to someone else, while he could do the real business alone. These politics were so tedious.
"Please, tell me, is there anything about Princess Ada I should know about?" Leon made sure to ask before she arrived. "I just want to make sure I don't make any transgressions. Better safe than sorry."
"She detests men who are rude to her and Grace, her lady-in-waiting." Gregory replied simply as he recalled the times where Ada put a man in his place and he was proud of her for that.
"Her Royal Highness, Princess Ada of the Orient!" A voice announced her arrival and the raven haired teenager closed her parasol and walked up to her parents. She stopped beside the couple before realizing the rude blonde man from that night was in close proximity to them.
Ada's eyes narrowed slightly and she turned to her folks. "Mother, father, are you acquainted with this man?"
Wilhemina began to explain that they knew what happened on that fateful night at the ball and how Phillip came up with the idea for Lord Kennedy to apologize.
"He belittled me due to the colour of my skin, mother. That is not something that can be easily forgiven and forgotten."
The Duchess became a little stern, "Everyone looks up to us and we must set good examples for them, Ada. A little kindness goes a long way."
That is the way it is when you're born into the royal family. I did not raise you to be stubborn.
Wilhemina could only think of those thoughts to herself but she hoped her daughter got the hint. Ada relented and turned to the blonde. "I am willing to hear you out, Lord Kennedy."
"I did not mean to belittle you, really," Leon began, being actually sincere about that. He was not perfect, but he certainly did not enjoy being thought of as some kind of a bigot. "I had no idea that the Duke, Duchess, and Princess of the Orient had come to the ball that night. Had I known I would have been much more aware."
The blonde was not quite sure how much of him was acting and how much really was being honest. Perhaps both. Leon might have told himself he did not care about what these people thought of him, but deep down he had the feeling he wanted people to like him. He looked the royal in the eye as he proclaimed, "I was rude out of ignorance. I am completely willing to admit to that, but it was far from being malicious, especially in regards to your ethnicity, Princess Ada."
Matthias nodded in approval at his son's performance. He did not care if he was sincere or not, so long as he gained the royals' favour.
Phillip was a bit more of an optimist and believed there was something real there. "Ada, do you think you'd be willing to forgive Lord Kennedy?"
Ada listened to Leon with a calm expression on her face. Frankly, she just wanted to tune him out but there was something in his eyes when he apologized. It intrigued her.
The princess turned to the retired tutor and regarded his question with a bit of thought. "I accept his apology." She finally replied without any mention that she would forgive Leon.
That satisfied her parents and Gregory spoke up. "Good. I suggest the two of you take a walk along the grounds so everyone can see that you have made peace." The Duke turned his gaze towards the older Kennedy. "I trust that would be sufficient, Matthias?"
Ada bit the inside of her cheek at her father's suggestion. A walk with that lout? As long as she didn't have to hook her elbows through his, she would maintain a respectable distance from the young lord.
For a very brief moment, Leon felt overjoyed that she accepted the apology. Now all of this could finally be put behind them.
And then they asked them to walk together. He wished the ground would just swallow him whole.
"Yes, of course it would be," Matthias answered the Duke before his son could get a word in. "Leon would love to, wouldn't you?" The Earl nudged him in the ribs discreetly and Leon nodded, getting the hint.
"It would be an honour." The blonde replied, doing his best to hide his ever growing annoyance at the entire situation. Just one short walk, then it would be all over.
"As it would be mine." Ada replied and gave a bow to her parents before walking up to the blonde with her lady-in-waiting following behind her as a chaperone. "Shall we?" She made no indication to let go of her parasol and they walked out of the private pavilion side by side but at a respectable distance from each other.
When they were far away from the adults, the princess couldn't help but whisper to him. "If you step out of line again, peasant, there will be consequences."
She saw a hint of the other guests out of the corner of her eye and she put on a serene smile on her face. The crowd did a double take and almost stopped talking when they saw the Princess of the Orient and Lord Kennedy strolling beside each other along the sheltered pathway leading to the rose garden.
"Pretend to make some conversation, peasant. The sky is blue and the roses bloom red."
"My name is Leon, your royal highness, not 'peasant'." The blonde whispered back to her. He was finding it increasingly difficult to keep his cool. At least he knew now that she was as insincere about accepting his apology as he was in giving it.
Leon did manage to force a small smile on his face while they walked together, though if one looked closely enough they would see the slight twitch of his eyelid. "Perfect weather for a garden party, isn't it?" He asked, keeping up with their act.
"Mmm hmm…" Ada muttered to herself when he irritably told her about his name. She continued to calmly smile back at Leon. "Indeed it is. Though you should relax the crease on your forehead on this beautiful day, it ruins your handsome face."
Leon was momentarily stumped when the princess called him handsome but figured she meant it sarcastically. His mood turned dour once again.
They strolled to the end of the walkway and that was enough to get the guests talking excitedly on how the Princess of the Orient and Lord Kennedy have set aside their differences.
The path led into Phillip's rose garden once more. "Let us wait for a while before we walk back. Leaving too soon sets their tongues wagging again."
Just then, a white furry creature popped out from the bushes and it let out a meow. "Ah, Phillip's cat, Opal." The beautiful white fluffy British longhair feline trotted up to them and rubbed her skirt, much to her delight.
"I don't have food for you, silly Opal."
The white kitty looked up and gave Ada an oblivious little meow before moving onto Leon, rubbing his legs and purring loudly. The lord's features immediately softened into a genuine smile, and he knelt down to stroke her fur. Appearances be damned.
"Hello there little Opal," The blonde cooed sweetly and scratched behind the cat's ears, making her nuzzle into his hand and purr happily. "Are you enjoying the party too? I bet you are, with all the guests giving you treats, am I right?"
Opal flopped on the grass and allowed Leon to pat her smooth white belly. He let out a chuckle, "You are an adorable cat."
"Cats are such mysterious little creatures." Ada said with mild amusement as she watched Leon play with the cat and give her affectionate belly rubs. Other than her brothers, he was the first man she saw openly fawning over a cat. The princess slowly made her way to Opal so that it would not be startled.
When she was near enough to bend down and touch the cat, she spoke, "I have an equally snow white feline at home. She's a Persian, a gift from one of the diplomats."
"I would love to see her. What's her name?" Leon said enthusiastically, before he caught himself and attempted to save face. He was not supposed to be enjoying this right now. The blonde stood up and took a couple of steps back, allowing Ada to have her turn with Opal.
The princess was bemused by his enthusiasm and sudden coldness as he remembered that they were not on good terms. She decided to ignore his request about seeing her Persian and replied, "My cat is called Jade. Do you own a cat in your mansion?"
"Yes, we have a few cats at our house. One for me and both of my siblings," The blond noble said, feeling a little at ease that Ada was not being hostile at the moment. "I have a British shorthair named Max."
Ada found it rather endearing that the Kennedy siblings had a cat each and if circumstances were better, she would have wanted to see them as well. Alas, she had to be content with Jade and Opal.
She bent down and scratched the longhaired feline's head before petting the creature from its head all the way down to its bottom. Opal was very content now as she closed her eyes in bliss.
"Do you want to return to Phillip, little Opal?" The cat just continued to purr, obviously not understanding the human language.
"She seems quite happy right where she is." Leon said as Opal curled up for a little cat nap. "Let's leave her be. Cats can get quite cranky when you keep them from their sleep."
"I know." Ada stood up and bid the cat a quiet farewell. They walked past the little walkway again and the guests were chatting about them, as usual. It seems their little charade successfully convinced them to forgive Leon as well.
Both of them walked around the garden a bit more, and Leon was starting to forget that they were still mad. Their parents and Phillip noticed the duo as they came back towards them, and Matthias could almost sense a change in his son when he saw him.
"Did you enjoy your walk?" The Earl asked Leon. He nodded and cleared his throat. "Yes, it was quite enjoyable." The blonde said, trying to sound sincere but not quite so sincere that it would tip Ada off that he truly enjoyed their time together.
Ada could see Leon was attempting to feign sincerity again. "We met Opal in the rose garden, Phillip." The princess happily spoke to her tutor and the older man smiled as well.
"Ah, so that would explain why some of my flowers have been chewed. I would have to build a little play area for her so she leaves the garden alone."
"I'm sure Opal would love that." Leon said with a soft smile.
The rest of the garden party went well, and both the Kennedys and the Orients left on good terms. Leon was not sure if he would ever see Ada again, but at least now he could put the incident behind him.
Princess Ada departed Phillip's residence with a change of opinion regarding Lord Kennedy. For someone who loves cats, he wasn't that much of a boor. She related the experience to Grace as the older woman was brushing her hair yet again.
"It would seem that second impressions would be better than first impressions, my lady. We should believe in second chances."
The raven haired princess looked at her reflection, deep in thought. "I suppose so, Grace…" She wasn't sure she would entirely trust the blonde nobleman yet but he wasn't so bad.
Author's Note: Decided on a cute Victorian AU for "Historical" day of Aeon Week 2023. Based off a RP my hubby and I years ago.
I imagine Leon to be 21 while Ada is 19 in this fic. Their characterizations in this story are vastly different from what we know in RE canon and I had fun portraying them in a different light. I am unsure if I should continue this fic or leave it as a oneshot so let me know what you think. :)
If you know what "Adlitam" means, brownie points to you!