"Hold me close so I can finally... breathe"
Marriage wasn't something Carina Bridgerton looked forward to. And true love was not something she dreamed of. She had declared it very clearly to her family that no marriage shall ever be expected from he...
Reaching the ballroom, the Prince suddenly appeared in front of her, "Miss Bridgerton, I simply must have your first dance." Carina cringed inwardly. She had no intentions of courting a Prince, not now, not ever.
Yet as she witnessed the entire crowd wait for her reply with bated breaths, she realised 'no' was not an option right now. It never has been with the royals, and Carina was lucky she did not have to suffer consequences for rejecting the Prince's advances numerous times this season. Looking to her right in search of Daphne as a last resort to escape, she found her younger sister linking arms with her Viscount and cursed her luck.
"It would be an honor, Your Highness." she smiled her best smile and joined him on the dance floor, catching Simon's eye on the way and immediately looking away. It hurt too much.
Could it be true? The fallen Royal jewel even more precious and rare a stone than previously thought? For it now appears this treasure is set to join the likes of the queen's ever-so-cherished crown jewels themselves.
As the Prince twirled Carina, she caught Simon's retreating figure mid turn and stopped. She stood there frozen, as people continued to dance all around her, and she felt her heart freezing up too. The same wall around her heart that had melted with Simon Basset's arrival had now built up again, stronger than ever with his departure.
She could hear the Prince calling her name but it was all muffled as she stood there, mourning for the loss of someone she never even had, realising that was last time they would be in a room together.
The Duke of Hastings, I hear, was left looking rather tongue-tied last night, as Miss Bridgerton seems to have finally grown tired of waiting for him to pose that all-important question. Or, perhaps, the young miss has simply traded up. Surprising? Quite. Unreasonable? Of course not. After all, why settle for a duke when one can have a prince?
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"Carina! You would not believe what happened at the court today!" Carina was reading a book, seated at her favourite armchair in her family's living room with the rest of her siblings, when Daphne and her mama barged in after returning from the Court, where they were invited by the Prince.
"The Prince was so upset by your absence that he brought a gift for you. He said he was hoping to see you soon!" Daphne exclaimed with glee as she set a wooden box in Carina's lap.
With a sigh, Carina closed her book and while opening the box, said "And here I thought rejecting his invitation would make my intentions clear." Finding a beautiful necklace inside, she gasped and scolded her mama "This is too much! I cannot accept it. Mama, you should have said something, and certainly not accepted it!"
Anthony chuckled at her expense with Colin as Carina glared at them and Benedict tried to pretend he was not eavesdropping, while Eloise had been fully immersed in reading, up until now it seemed.
In a town filled with ambitious mamas and fortune-hunting gentlemen, marrying above one's station is an art form, indeed. But Miss Carina Bridgerton's advance from future duchess to possible princess is an achievement that even this jaded author must applaud.
"Is it true? Am I to be the sister of a princess?" Hyacinth came running in from the other end of the room where she was playing with Gregory to where Carina and all the elder siblings were seated.
"Calm yourself. I am not yet engaged to the prince. And never will be if I can help it." she replied. "Will you have to wear a crown?" Gregory asked next, having followed Hyacinth. "Perhaps for special occasions," Daphne said. "but only if I should marry the prince, which I shall not." Carina interjected.
"Will you have to learn Prussian?" Hyacinth questioned yet again, "It is German." Eloise corrected her. "And perhaps, but only if she should marry the prince." Colin said, and as Carina opened her mouth, Anthony, Benedict, Daphne, Eloise and Colin beat her to it as they said in synchronicity, "Which she shall not!" And then they giggled. Giggled. These idiots had the audacity to giggle.
"Will you have to move to a castle far, far away?" Hyacinth said again. "Should you not be off somewhere with your governess?" Carina said, irritated by the situation she found herself in. "I should. My governess has the very same questions as me!" Hyacinth said as their mama shooed her away to the awaiting governess.
Though this author cannot dismiss the Duke of Hastings quite so soon. He may have let the diamond slip through his fingers for now, but I shall wager he is not a man to ever hide from a fight.
Carina only looked at the necklace and sighed as her siblings laughed around her at her expense, Simon's face once again popping up in her thoughts. She wondered if he had yet departed. Or perhaps the ship will leave in the afternoon. She had no way of knowing. All she knew was, he would be leaving before the evening turned to nightfall.
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Author's note:
It was so funny I didn't realise this before but I had to explain some dynamics for Carina and Simon and I just forgot.
You would notice, or maybe not, but yeah basically that Carina refers to Simon with titles, aka, My lord, Your grace, etc. a lot more than Daphne ever did, or necessary. Like-its so over the top sometimes.
The reason I made Carina so "formal" here, is in fact exactly because Carina is NOT in fact formal at all. Confusing, i know, even I got confused for a second.
She does not care for formality, especially not with family and friends (yes, Simon included). But when we flashback to when they first met, we can see Carina think he was a gentleman at first and switch up gears later.
Simon had said something along the lines "Lol. You really expect me to believe you don't know who I am?" Seemingly all high and mighty, so she started referring to him with titles as sass, as a way to mock him, it's all sarcasm like 97% of the time.
Anyways.. enjoy the new knowledge of this as it makes you realise Carina was basically throwing shade every sentence (yes Simon knows, he loves it).
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