The Queen and the Quisling

Chapter Two: The Departure

Apparently dreams don't come true, because in the morning, I was woken up as usual by Meredith, who always had my schedule for the day along with my breakfast tray. 

"Time to get up princess! You have a packed day ahead of you, including an afternoon tea with your fiancé" she says as she brings in my tray, enunciating the "fiancé" in a tone filled with more excitement than the title deserved.

I groan, pulling the covers off of myself hesitantly and slipping out of bed. 

"I swear if I hear one more 'congratulations', I'll probably end myself right here and now" I joke. 

Meredith laughs and busies herself with getting me ready for the day while Eloise and Caroline start on the laundry. 

My hair is brushed out and styled with several small braids hanging down in select places with delicate white beads braided into them. A dress fit for a tea party is picked out for me by Caroline, my resident fashion expert. This time, it was a dress made of silk covered in a flower pattern on top, with three-quarter sleeves, and a white skirt with more of the flower patterned silk falling at the sides of it. 

My maids finish the look by adding my usual everyday jewelry adorned with pearls, then I'm off to start the day I don't even want to begin.

 I slowly make my way down the grand staircase towards the parlor, where I assume the tea date is going to be held, but when I get there, there's nothing happening there except some cleaning being done by a maid. 

"Ah. Your fiancé said you'd come here. I'm to let you know that tea is being held in the gardens today" the maid says, looking up from her cleaning as I enter. 

"The gardens? Odd." I ponder, turning back around and re-entering the grand entrance in order to reach the gardens.  

Once I'm outside, I begin walking down the main path, searching for a place where tea could be set up, only to find a small table set underneath a Willow tree that Finneas sits at. He stands up as he catches a glimpse of me, coming over and escorting me to my chair. Once he sits down, I look at him, finding it hard to believe that he would willingly do such a kind gesture. 

"What's wrong with you?" I joke, picking up a tea cup and sipping it daintily. 

Finneas discreetly motions towards two maids standing nearby, ready to comply with our every order. 

"I changed the tea to out here so we may talk in private, but it seems the staff here has... other... intentions" he half whispers to me. 

I find him being so discreet amusing, and I laugh at him a little. 

"Oh, them? Ladies? Do you mind giving us a minute?" I order the maids. 

They nod and walk away giggling. Finneas looks surprised that he hadn't thought it that easy to get rid of them.

 "So... what is it you want to talk about exactly?" I ask, sipping my tea again. 

"Well, I figured since neither of us want this engagement, maybe we could figure out how to escape it." Finneas suggests.

 "Escape it? Finneas, my father made a public announcement to a hundred people about it. He even invited them to our wedding for Christ sake. Trust me, if there was a way to escape it, I would've thought of it by now" I reply. 

"So what? We just let it happen? Not to be rude but there are about a hundred women I would consider marrying before I even thought about marrying you" he responds.