The Monarchs | A Stydia AU (completed)

chapter one

CHAPTER ONE:

(A/N in the show, Lydia's father is unnamed. We just know him as Mr. Martin so I'm just going to make up a name for him. Also I have photos attached of each outfit Lydia wears each chapter so go check that out if you would like.)

Lydia never spent much time outside her room. Her parents often left her isolated and had a least a dozen guards protecting her. If she even made a noise that sounded dangerous the guards would come inside and ask if everything was okay. Lydia would merely nod and get back to reading a book, writing, or dreaming about a life outside her room. Or even outside the castle. For her full nineteen years of being alive, Lydia has been outside her room only fifteen times. She understood why she couldn't be free to roam the castle. Being a royal is dangerous, there's been cases of spying and attempted assassinations in the castle more times than Lydia could keep track of. Her mother and father told her to trust no one because people aren't who they say they are.

In despite of all of this isolation, Lydia never felt lonely. She never felt bored. Her room was located on the top floor of the castle and was gigantic. A whole bookcase lined one of her walls. Since Lydia is the only child, she has had advantages. People worshipped her and would do anything to keep her safe. Lydia never felt like she was in danger, even though she knew she was. People wanted her dead. People wanted the American throne to crumble and wanted someone else to rule. The only way that would be possible is killing the princess. Her parents made that almost impossible. 

Now that her parents reign were coming to an end soon, even though the last thing her mother wanted was to give up the throne, Lydia knew that she had to be let out. Just because she was trapped in a room, doesn't mean she didn't know the news of the castle. A prince named Stiles was suppose to be traveling to the castle soon to meet his future bride, Lydia. Their marriage has been arranged since they were three years old. Their future together is what keeps America and Great Britain allied together against enemies. Lydia's time left in her room was running out and her parents knew that the future queen needed to protect herself. Her parents needed to trust that Lydia knew to be smart and only trust a few people. Lydia knew the only people to trust were her parents and her future husband.

Lydia sat on her bed and read a rare copy of Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen. That was how she spent most days. She had a never ending collection of books to keep her entertained and busy, which must've worked since she's been doing this for nineteen years.

As she read, her wooden room doors bursted open which startled her and caused her to drop her book. Lydia looked up, seeing her mother and father and sighed annoyingly. "You made me lose my page!"

Lydia's mother rolled her eyes, "That is not our biggest concern, we need to talk to you."

"Well I assume so. If you didn't need to talk to me then you and father wouldn't have barged into my room like mad people." Lydia replies and picked her book up, quickly finding the page she left off on and put a ripped piece of white paper between the pages.

"Now is not the time for smart comments, Lydia." Her father says and narrows his eyes to her.

"Fine, fine. What is it?" Lydia asks and stands up, smoothing out her dress and looking both of her parents in the eyes.

"You're free." Her mother says, "Prince Stiles is on his way to America right now. Your father and I decided that it's time you meet your future husband and live a proper life inside the castle, not inside your room."

"I feel like that I'm suppose to be relieved that I'm free, but I'm actually quite disappointed. Now I have to be bothered by people. Tell me, will people hate me if I pretend they don't exist?" Lydia asks. Lydia had a feeling of sickness in her stomach. She didn't want to face the people that she would soon rule over one day. Lydia wasn't cut out to be a queen, she was barely cut out to be a princess.