A/N: I sat down with Reneé Dominique's cover of La Vie en Rose on repeat to write something cute and fluffy between what is shaping up to be my favorite couple in this story, and ended up with an assassination attempt. I guess things can't be sunshine and roses all the time (although the ending is disgustingly cute, even for my standards). The Quinta de Regaleira and the Initiation Towers are real places I hope to visit one day. They are located in the same region as Peña Palace in Sintra, but I'm not sure about the actual travel time it would take to get there via horse and carriage, so please suspend your disbelief :)
The Thing about Parades
The thing about parades was, they were ridiculous.
It was no secret that Auden hated being the center of attention. Her whole family knew to hide her in the background where she was most comfortable, free from having to fumble for the right words or shaking hands with a long litany of guests she could care less about meeting. It was why Hayden had the stronger personality; she had to be loud so that Auden could stay quiet.
There would be no hiding, not anymore.
Despite the numerous protests (all from Auden), Queen Amantia was set on having the parade. After her last failed attempt at trying to rationalize with Her Majesty, Auden decided the best course of action was to remove herself from the situation. She had not been to a single meeting since, allowing Queen Amantia to do whatever she thought necessary to prepare for the parade. Auden did not know the stops along the route, how many would be riding with her, if she would be required to make a speech, not even what she would be wearing.
Why are you actively trying to make a mess of this? Auden stood in front of her double and asked herself, eyes still closed in a half-dream.
Deep down, she knew the answer. She didn't need her frowning dream counterpart to tell her. Everything in Portugal was so...perfect. She and Dorian got along remarkably well, compatible in nearly every way Auden could find so far. Rain had yet to fall, the gardens were in constant bloom, and birds actually chirped to welcome the day. It was all ridiculously like a fairytale, and Auden, the realist that she was, couldn't help but wonder when the other shoe would drop.
The time for wondering was over.
"Bom dia," was all the warning Auden got before the curtains were ripped away, exposing the shining sun. The sunlight must have been stronger here, on top of the hill. It pierced Auden's closed eyes with single-minded focus.
When those eyes finally did open, Auden saw that her room had been transformed into some kind of studio. Three maids bustled about, setting out products on her vanity, fussing with garment bags, and arranging a breakfast spread to rival the one Auden was used to back in Illéa. Strong coffee and sweet jam tickled Auden's nose, making her mouth water and then her stomach growl. That was the final push she needed to get out of bed.
If there was one thing that was not fairytale-like in Peña Palace, it was the staff. They were efficient and respectful, but brisk in both speech and touch. As Auden buttered a slice of crusty, fresh bread, one of the maids was already at work yanking through the tangles of Auden's dark curls. It would be a lie to say the catch and pull of the brush did not hurt, plus it was hard to eat when Auden was wobbling around like a bobblehead. The maids didn't seem to care if she ate any of their delicious food, snatching away her hands to file her nails and rubbing scented lotions into her skin. Auden was glad she showered last night; these ladies would probably strip her down and splash her with a bucket of cold water.
When all was said and done, Auden studied her reflection in the mirror: a white, long-sleeved gown with floral print, curled brown hair loose around her shoulders, no crown, minimal jewelry, neutral tones for make up. The style of choice was not meant to make her look like a queen. Not yet. Instead, Auden was meant to inspire a sense of purity and innocence, naivety and youth. All qualities a good princess should possess.
The effect was certainly achieved. While not too far off from her usual style, she hardly recognized herself.
"Well, how do I look?"
She expected Hayden's usual backhanded praise: a shout of 'you're so beautiful!' followed by a litany of things she could have done to execute the outfit better. Instead, the maids remained quiet, mumbling the obligatory compliments in broken English before returning to their tasks. Auden found herself missing her twin even more, and had a momentary urge to video call Hayden just so that she could hear that overly-enthusiastic, slightly irritating voice.
No, she told herself, taking a deep breath. You don't need bother her while she's sleeping for external validation just because you're nervous.
"Would Your Highness like us to walk with you?" one maid asked. One day, when she had won them over, she would get their names.
"No, thank you. I remember the way."
Besides, they were speaking of two different places. The maids would want to accompany her to the front gates: where the carriages awaited for the start of the long procession into the city. Auden was headed elsewhere: somewhere written in curling letters on a slip of paper snuck under her door half past midnight.
There were two places Auden and Dorian had claimed for their own: the roof above his father's old study and the courtyard where they first met. They would spend hours in the courtyard sitting by the fountain, reading their favorite books to one another, and watching the old trees shed their auburn leaves. Sometimes the servants would walk through carrying baskets of dirty linens and trays of tea, taking a moment to chance a glance at the couple or offer whatever they had on hand. Today, the courtyard was empty save for one other: a young man dressed in a suit of sable tweed with hands behind his back as he studied the roses crawling up the wall.
Dorian.
Auden smiled and made her way to him. At the sound of her heels against the ancient stones, he turned his head. His expression could only be described as awestruck, brown eyes wide beneath wire-rimmed frames, jaw slack as he took her in from head to toe. Auden had felt pretty before, but under his gaze she felt like most beautiful girl in the world.
"You look..."
"Acceptable?"
"Like an angel." Auden blushed at Dorian's sincerity. She found it hard to meet his gaze, and ducked her head to hide her flushed cheeks. "Everyone is going to love you."
Only one person really mattered, when it came down to it. But Auden didn't say that. She knew how important it was that this parade go well, that she make a good impression on her future countrymen and women.
"I hope so."
"I know so."
Auden wished she could have even a fraction of Dorian's blind faith. Perhaps this was a good thing, one of them so practical and the other courting whimsy. Auden needed that to ground her, to keep her from spiraling at all the possible ways today could go horribly, terribly wrong.
Dorian gently took Auden's hand and placed it in the crook of his arm. "Come, my mother is waiting for us."
"Are you sure she doesn't hate me?"
"Hate you? No! How could anyone hate you?" Dorian asked, genuinely perplexed at the thought. "I promise, she will warm up to you soon. It's just...we have not had any new members to the family in a very long time. My mother has grown used to the, how do you say? Status quo."
"The status quo is changing."
"Yes, in the best of ways. She will see that soon enough."
They walked the rest of the way to the front gates in silence, happy to be by each other's side as the autumn breeze brushed them by. Everyone else was significantly less relaxed, servants rushing about to affix the white horse-drawn carriages with rose-covered garland. Auden immediately hated the extravagant waste, but it was not her place to speak out. She had done enough of that earlier and lost. To pitch a fit now would only ruin the day, and put her further into Queen Amantia's bad graces.
The Queen herself sat in her carriage, a vision of black with her back turned to Auden and Dorian. She was always wearing black, this celebration of her son's engagement no exception. Auden tried not to let that bug her, tried not to read any meaning into it other than a widow mourning her husband.
Dorian did not seem bothered. He walked cheerfully up to their carriage and patted the lead horse on the muzzle. Auden like horses just fine; she would go riding with her siblings and parents quite often back in Illéa.
A little girl stood at the foot of the carriage, hair in braided pig tails and a large bouquet of purple wildflowers in her arms. She extended them to Auden as she curtseyed. "For you, Your Highness."
"Thank you," Auden said and smiled at the little girl, though confused. She turned to Dorian, hopeful for an answer.
"Lavender is the national flower of Portugal," Dorian explained, leaning closely so not to be heard. His breath brushed the shell of her ear, and Auden shivered.
He smiled at the little girl as well, and with a final curtsey, she bounded off to her mother, job well done. One of the servant's kids, Auden assumed. Everyone must have been eager to see the first official outing of the future royal couple. It was a momentous occasion. As Dorian said, the royal family had not expanded in quite some time.
The pressure grew as Auden realized this had to be perfect. This was her one chance to shape the opinion the people of Portugal would have of her forever.
Dorian gave Auden his hand to help her into the carriage. They sat opposite each other, but the benches were close enough that if Auden so wished, she could stick out a foot and tap Dorian's. Queen Amantia had a carriage to herself; she rode ahead of them, leading the way. Her spine was straight as a rod, hands folded primly in her lap. No matter how hard she tried, Auden could not sit that straight. She let herself relax into the minimal cushions, taking in the view as they took off from the castle gates and down the road towards the city.
For a long time, the only view was the trees. Since Peña Palace was so far removed from the rest of the town - not even located in the capital city at that - it took a while for the trees to give way to houses and shops.
It was hard not to let her ego get carried away. Auden had to remind herself of the sheer irresponsibility of the parade, but it was hard when faced with the sight of hundreds, thousands of people flocking the streets of this old world city. People were shouting, crying out their love and affection. Many had made banners containing images of Auden and Dorian. Small children sat on the shoulders of parents to get a better view. Auden certainly didn't expect such a warm welcome, being from Illéa and all. Sometimes being an Illéan had a poor connotation.
She had to remind herself to wave, to smile. The shock at such vast numbers of voyeurs was still making her head spin. Dorian looked just as shocked at the sight as she was. They exchanged a smile, then a laugh, and the ice broke. Perhaps Auden could enjoy this after all.
After what felt like ages navigating the narrow, cobbled streets of historic Sintra, the carriage took a turn on a private road, the busy city replaced once more with trees and hedges. There was a sense of order to this wild, however. As if someone had attempted to tame the woodlands. Auden caught glimpses of structures through the trees, her curiosity piqued as she wondered exactly where they were headed. Normally parades didn't have stops, but maybe this was how they did things in Portugal.
The private road tapered to a long driveway. At the end of said driveway stood a sizable manor of white stone and gothic-inspired architecture.
"Quinta da Regaleira," Dorian said, reading the questions written plainly on Auden's face.
Auden had heard of the place: a world-heritage site full of historical artifacts and archives. It used to be a museum, open to the public before the monarchy took it back and gifted it to Sintra as the primary residence for its governors. Parts of it still functioned as a museum; Auden had put a tour of its grounds on her to-do list. However, it looked like today the Regaleira was being used in its other capacity: as a fully-functional base of governmental operations.
A well-dressed man stood at the bottom of the front steps, ready to greet them. Auden could only presume this was the Governor of Sintra. She scrambled to remember his name. Unfortunately, Dorian was not as good at remembering names of people as he was places.
He walked up to the queen's carriage and offered her his hand, while Auden and Dorian had to make do with themselves. Unlike everyone else, this man did not get his head bitten off for trying. Queen Amantia was gracious as accepted his help out of the carriage. She even graced him with a smile.
"Governor Ermani, you remember my son, Dorian, and his new fiancée."
The Governor buttoned the front of his suit jacket before stepping forward and offering his hand to Dorian. Not a bow? How strange. The man had no problem scraping the ground with his nose in front of Queen Amantia. Auden, herself, got a brief nod of the head. Maybe she had missed a chapter in Portuguese royal etiquette.
"A pleasure, as always," Governor Ermani said, his voice thickly accented and far deeper than Auden would have imagined. He must not have spoken English often, the language making his mouth twist in displeasure. Auden presumed they were speaking it solely for her benefit, though the Governor was hellbent on making her feel bad about it. "Thank you for agreeing to add a stop to your tour."
So Auden was right. This wasn't a normal parade outing.
"Anything for an old friend."
Funny. Auden didn't think Queen Amantia was the type to have friends. Judging by the negatively charged looks between two, friend may not be the right word after all, just something to veil the simmering resentment underneath.
That was more like the queen Auden knew.
Still, if Queen Amantia couldn't stand this guy, why were they taking time out of the parade to visit him at his home?
"I trust you have the papers drawn up," Queen Amantia said, her strides leaving her in the lead and Governor Ermani two steps behind.
"Awaiting your signature as we speak."
There was no time for questions. The double doors to the drawing room swung open, filled to the brim with all the usual pretentious eighteenth century furniture and upholstery. Auden would have stopped to admire it had she not been focused on something else.
A man with a gun.
He raised the gun level to the queen's head and fired.
For a terrible moment, everything froze. Not here, Auden begged the universe and closed her eyes. Not again.
Screams broke out all around. The Governor tackled Queen Amantia to the ground, bullet shattering the window behind her as guards scrambled to take control of the scene. No one had come prepared for a gunfight. The most weaponry security had on them was mace, and that wouldn't be enough.
Auden was breathing too hard, back heaving against a wide pillar. She was going to pass out if she didn't stop and -
"This way!"
Dorian took Auden by the wrist and pulled her along after him. She had no idea where they were going, and she didn't care so long as it was far from the chaos. She kicked off her shoes and matched Dorian's pace, abandoning the safety of the patio to plunge into the unknown. The grounds of the Quinta da Regaleira were vast, full of fountains and woodlands and gardens with high hedges. They passed a greenhouse, large towers, and pavilions lined with walls engraved with exotic creatures. They ran until they could run no more.
Finally, with lungs burning and feet aching and the sounds of the crowd all but a bad dream, Dorian had them stop.
"Do you trust me?" he asked desperately.
Auden did not have to think twice. "Yes."
He led them a bit further, walking this time, to the opening to a tunnel. No, not a tunnel, a tower. A tower that went below the ground instead of rising above it.
"Careful where you step," he whispered, taking the lead down the dark, steep stairs.
They moved quickly and with purpose, trying their best not to slip on the stone. Auden was glad to have ditched her heels, though her bare feet were likely ruined with scratches by now. The tower spiraled further and further and further down, until Auden thought she might go dizzy if she had to descend another flight.
Nine stores, and they reached the bottom.
From the ground, the view was quite spectacular. Sunlight shone down from above, illuminating the blue and red compass rose painted on the floor. Moss grew between the old stones, coloring the walls a verdant green. There wasn't much space; she could stand on one end, extend her arm, and have Dorian touch her hand if he did the same from the other side. Thankfully it had not rained enough to flood the bottom, though there were enough puddles to ruin the edges of Auden's gown, staining them brown. Auden's dress was the least of her worries.
They would be safe if they stuck to the shadows of the arches. Auden forced herself to part with the view and retreated to where it was safe.
"I think we're in the clear for now," Auden spoke in a low voice, careful not to let the sound echo and give them away. "Is there another way out?"
Dorian shook his head. In the heat of the moment, he must not have planned that far in advance.
"Then we better hope they don't find us."
"Are you alright?" he asked, running a hand down the side of her face, tucking a stray hair behind her ear. One of the flowers so carefully braided in fell to the ground, wilted as all the others surely were. She must look a mess, and yet, Dorian studied her face with rapt attention, not a hint of disgust.
Auden nodded. She would be sore in the morning, and sleep was unlikely, but she was not hurt. "Are you?"
Dorian's glasses were cracked, spiderwebs of fissures running through the left frame. He was lucky that it did not shatter, that it did not blind him. Auden removed the glasses carefully, pulling the wire rims from his nose so that she could assess the damage. There were tiny scratches around his temples from where the frames had dug in, but Dorian was otherwise unharmed.
Glasses were gently tucked into Dorian's breast pocket. Auden knew well enough by now that Dorian's vision would not be totally limited, but things would be fuzzy. Better than risking the lens shattering, though. Auden would stay close, just in case. She stroked his temples gently, soothing the tiny wounds both for his sanity and hers.
"How are you so calm?" he asked, his words still punctuated by heavy breaths. Auden could feel his head pounding beneath her fingers. If she traced the path down past his ears, jaw, to his throat, she would feel that hammering away as well, beating away to the quickness of her own heart.
"Illéa hasn't always been the most stable of countries. I grew up doing disaster drills, memorized all the tunnels and safe rooms underneath the palace. I think this is the longest the country's gone without disaster." Auden let out a sigh, sad and resigned. "Drills could happen anytime, anyplace. Dad wanted us all to be prepared no matter what we were doing, so a lot of times we never saw our parents until it was over. It was my job to make sure that Delia and Gabbi stayed calm, even Hayden sometimes. She's always been a bit explosive, in a good way. Kase and Elodie could take care of themselves, but the younger ones relied on me to be the leader. I couldn't panic, or they would."
It wasn't that Auden was unafraid. On the contrary, she was terrified. She felt that fear from the crown of her head to the tips of her toes. But Dorian needed her to be calm, needed her like Hayden and Gabbi and Delia needed her. Two parties caught up in the tide of terror was a recipe for disaster.
"I am sorry," Dorian said, his voice sad. Not with pity, thankfully. Auden didn't want anyone's pity. She had a great life in Illéa. A privileged life. Sometimes danger was the cost of privilege. Such was the way of the world, and nothing she did could change that.
Auden stepped away from Dorian, resuming her inspection of the inverted tower. It was magical, fashioned in a manner that made no obvious sense, and yet the mystery was what made it charming. The shadows should scare her. The distance from the sun should make her cold with fear. Instead, Auden only felt wonder. What was a place like this even for? Surely it had better uses than hiding two lovers?
"Illéa doesn't have places like this. There's so much history here..." Auden ran her hand over a pillar, feeling the cool stone beneath her palm ground her. "I wish we could have visited on a better day."
"We will have many more days to make better memories, I promise."
Dorian sounded so sure, as if the reason they were down here was a minor inconvenience and not a matter of international security.
"After this, I'll be surprised if your mother doesn't rip up the marriage contract and send me home tonight." Auden could see Queen Amantia now, red in the face and yelling about how much danger Auden's presence had put her only son in. How if it wasn't for Auden insisting on this marriage, no one would have tried to put a bullet between Dorian's eyes. "What a terrible first impression."
"The only impression you have made is one of strength and perseverance," Dorian said. Auden could have laughed if she wasn't so upset.
"By running away at the first sign of danger?"
"By keeping your head and determining which battles are worth fighting, and which ones are best won by living to fight another day." Dorian ran his fingers thumbs over her knuckles, back and forth, back and forth, soothing. Auden willed herself to believe him as he said, "No one will blame you for trying to save your own life, and mine. No one could have done more."
Auden smiled and squeezed Dorian's hands. She was not ignorant to how quickly he recovered, how fast he thought and ran to take them somewhere safe to hide. They made a good team, and that made Auden hopeful. "You saved me too."
Dorian stepped away, running a hand through his hair and pacing across the red and blue compass, nervous. Auden cocked her head, curious as to the sudden change.
"I wanted to do this at the end," Dorian lamented, fiddling with his jacket pocket. "The final stop of the parade is a beautiful church right at the city center. I wanted to stand there, with you. I wanted to take your hand." He did, oh so gently, take her hand into his. "I wanted to look into your eyes." His eyes were stunning, deep and dark and full of affection. "I wanted to memorize your face, your smile, as I did this."
He is going to ruin his pants, Auden thought as Dorian got down on one knee, her brain unable to comprehend the meaning behind this very significant action. Not until he pulled a box out of his jacket pocket and raised it so she could see the ring inside.
"Auden Eugenia Marie Schreave, third daughter to King Kaden Schreave, Princess of Illéa, will you marry me?"
It was all semantics. The arrangement papers had been signed by both parties, legal and binding. There was no need for an actual proposal - even though it was far from a romantic affair - with the most beautiful ring Auden had ever seen. She was not a materialistic person; she would have been fine having none of it at all. But there Dorian was, on one knee on the dirty, wet floor, looking up at her like she had hung the moon and stars. Auden's heart swelled to a size impossible to contain within the fragile confines of her ribcage.
"Yes," she said, her voice breaking not with sadness, but with joy. Auden never knew she could be this happy, that someone could make her this happy even on this most terrible of days.
The ring was a perfect fit: an oblong pink diamond the size of a grape surrounded by smaller white diamonds on a rose gold band. Unique, just like them.
Perhaps there were better times, better places for a first kiss. Perhaps there were more important things with which to occupy her thoughts. None of them stopped Auden from taking Dorian's face in her hands and kissing him until they were both breathless.
When they parted, Auden's head spun. Her cheeks were flushed, and so were his. If she had more sense about her, she might feel embarrassed by her over-enthusiasm. Right now, she could not be bothered to let herself regret a single action. Today had proven to her once more that life was short. Moments were meant to be lived to their fullest.
"Your Highness!" came a voice from high above, urgent and loud. Quickly after, more voices shouted out for them along with other words Auden did not recognize.
"Guards," Dorian said.
Ah, so they were saved.
Auden kissed him once more, so softly, before taking a step towards the stairs. "We should go before they leave us down here."
"Would that be such a bad thing?" Dorian asked, teasing in that innocent way of his. "I am starting to see its appeal."
Auden laughed and took Dorian's hand, her turn to pull him along as they traversed the tower. Her calves were burning, her feet aching, and yet her heart soared. As she reached the top, sunshine beaming down on her, cool grass between her toes, the danger a distant dream, Auden had the most surreal thought.
This would be quite the story to tell their grandkids one day.