First Impressions // A Bridgerton Story

Prologue

Princess Amelia, handsome, clever, and wealthy has lived 21 years in a world that had little to distress or vex her.

She could do anything, she had everything. Except for a husband.

Amelia has made an opinion about her future, the opinion being that her future was not for her to decide. It was quite simple, when born into any monarchy, but especially the English monarchy. All eyes would be upon you, poems would be written of your good deeds, and songs of your beauty. Didn't matter if you possessed either one.

Love. Amelia wanted love.

Was that not the ultimate goal? The object of all our desires, the theme of every story, the topic of every song, the word in every poem, the dream of all our lives.

But much to our disappointment. Love can be deceiving. One can only think that they are in love for them to be able to do unspeakable things. One can be fooled to think they are in love with another to do unspeakable things to them. One must believe they are in love to live happily.

But one must know they are in love to let the other go.

Another factor for Amelia's opinion to be as decided as it was, she was the youngest of 15 siblings. Her mother, Queen Charlotte had been sure that she was done birthing children. Especially, since her husband had taken ill and her son, Prince of Wales, George, was to be regent in his stead. Nevertheless, Amelia appeared.

She was a robust, healthy child, with thick, black hair. Though it was not nearly as curly as her mother's, the hair color was undeniable. After all, the Windsors all possessed rather light brown or blonde hair, at least at birth, matching with blue eyes. Amelia received neither. Born with dark brown, almost black hair, and grey eyes though could be mistaken for blue. If looked closely upon, one could see that they were rather grey, and light. A unique feature, certainly.

While being born youngest, and so far from her other siblings may be seen as a blessing, since the Mother would pay more attention to the child, Amelia never saw it as that. Her eldest brother, Prince of Wales, George was 27 when she was born, with a young daughter of his own, Princess Charlotte. Her youngest sibling was Princess Sophia, a full 10 years older.

Growing up, Amelia had rarely seen her siblings, as many of her brothers joined the military or began their duties as dukes and performing their husbandly deeds. Her sisters were courted or attended parties and had rarely time for their baby sister. And their mother was too busy caring for their father or making sure that her daughters were not caught in any compromising positions to truly pay attention to her youngest, Amelia.

It was a tiring task, to be sure, and Charlotte was often missing from Amelia's upbringing. And while this may cast some pity or sympathy for our heroine, Amelia had not seen her childhood as all that bad. There were many fond memories with her Ladies-in-waiting and other noblewomen who she would run around with, play dolls with, or gossip about. Amelia never lacked company, being a Princess.

What truly made her world turn around, was when her brother, George, announced her imminent betrothal to King Alexander I of Russia. The King was older than her by a number of years (almost 20 to be precise), but it was a strong alliance. And the King was spoken of fondly by anyone who had met him. Amelia would have been set, with a kind and gentle husband to birth children to... in Russia.

That was the moment that Amelia had to make a choice. To be a tolerable, dutiful, quiet, and well-mannered young woman, or to be a rebellious, loud, ill-mannered young Lady that would be not suited to be Queen of anything.

It was an easy choice.

Only, the choice she made could not impact her life. Because the decision had already been made, without consulting her. She would become what was decided for her by her brother, the Prince Regent, and her Mother, the Queen. Her father was not consulted, not that he could respond with anything of value, and her siblings had been stuck in a similar boat.

Amelia wanted to desperately stay in England. It was her home, it was where her family was, where her father resided and Amelia desperately wanted to keep visiting him every day as if it were his last because it could be his last, and she wanted to stay in a place she knew. She had grown up in England. It was her home, the place she lived in, and thrived in. She would do anything to stay in it.

No matter the rebellious deeds she committed, or the loud things she said, nothing seemed to move her brother and mother from their decision. If anything, they seemed to be only even more set upon it and would not be moved. She had to marry Alexander. Only, she had to wait until she was 21, a suitable age for any young woman to marry. As Alexander did not want a little girl as a wife, he wanted a full-grown young woman. That is what he shall receive, George had made sure.

While it is sinful to speak ill of the dead... Amelia had been glad when she received the news that her intended was dead. An accident from the horse, she had been told. A rather fortunate one, at that. She had never met the man, so she could not say for certain, but she did know one thing now. She would be getting her debut, while her mother and brother looked for her husband. Meanwhile, she would look for an English husband that would please her, or for a man to take her innocence, making her unable to marry anyone. Perhaps then, she could join her sisters at the "Nunnery" as those close to court liked to call it. Because none of them were married.

George III was always delighted with the birth of a daughter. His sons were known to be boisterous and noisy children, and a daughter represented for him the possibility of a more peaceful family life. Throughout his life, the King always showed a marked preference for his daughters over his sons. While his wife Queen Charlotte was in labor with their sixth child, he so continually expressed his hope that the child would be another girl (the couple's first daughter Princess Charlotte Princess Royal had been born a few years prior), that the doctor in attendance anxiously ventured "I think, Sir, whoever see those lovely princes above stairs must be glad to have another." The King responded that "Whoever sees that lovely child, Princess Royal, above stairs, must wish to have the fellow to her." Thankfully, the child was a girl, Princess Augusta.

King George and Queen Charlotte had fifteen children in total, nine sons, of whom seven lived to adulthood, and six daughters, Charlotte, Augusta, Elizabeth, Mary, Sophia, and Amelia. The princesses were expected to be unofficial companions to their mother and consequently spent many years without the possibility of forming acquaintances outside their immediate family and attendants.

This caused Amelia to grow up rather alone. Of course, as mentioned, she had companions in form of ladies-in-waiting and other noblewomen, but the choices were limited. And none stayed too long, to not cause attachment between the girls.

It was not all that bad. Her sisters always complained about their lack of freedom, and their wishes to marry, Amelia had no such reservations. She was keen on spending the day in her father's company, reading books to him, playing piano for him, or just enjoying some silence while drinking tea.

Only, while her father suffered from bouts of memory loss, and forgetfulness, he never seemed to forget his daughters. His sons, in hopes of helping him remember, had necklaces made with their first letter to remind their father, and occasionally their mother of who they were talking to. There were so many of them after all.

Thankfully, her father being indisposed, and her brother being regent meant that some of them could enjoy limited freedom. While the elder Princesses may not have the ability to marry outside of England, they were still able to occasionally attend social events and enjoy the company of noblemen.

But now that Amelia was of age, and without an intended, she was the perfect candidate to find a husband, and create alliances between monarchies or countries. Her sisters were too old to be suitable brides of Kings or Emperors, and their father was too far gone to truly do anything about it. It was why George and the Queen insisted upon having at least one successful marriage for the royal family.

Her sisters had missed their window. They would suit only middle-aged noblemen, or widowers now. Not that any of them minded, as long as they could escape the "Nunnery". Their father was, as was previously mentioned, indisposed, and could do nothing about it. It was Amelia's opportunity.

Amelia was their last chance. Their last chance was to raise the English royal family image even higher.

The Prince and the Queen would be damned if they didn't take it.

Love, seems, not to be in the cards for Amelia Windsor.