The afternoon sun sat high in the sky with all its pride, beating down sunbeams onto the residents of the icy kingdom below. For what seemed like one of the first times in forever, there was no snow falling from the sky, and not a single cloud could be spotted. It was a clear mid-day sky, one that encouraged all that lived under it to come outside and bask in its glory.
You groaned, your muscles still incredibly fatigued. The ball had carried on into the early hours of the day, and by now, it was late afternoon. You could feel regret sink into your vessels as your body ached and you found yourself nearly stuck in the feral position of which you had been sleeping in. Your eyes winced as you cracked your eyelids apart, the light immediately flooding into your vision. Your ears were sensitive that even the sound of footsteps outside seemed to sound like banging against your eardrums.
Your heart dropped for a moment as you realised you had just heard footsteps. If you were back at home, why in the world would you be able to hear footsteps? Your symptoms immediately subsided as your heart nearly jumped out of your chest. You jumped upright, feeling quite nauseous, and repeatedly scanned the room desperately for some sort of answer.
As your eyes finally adjusted, you found yourself in a darkly decorated room. The windows were large and colourful, welcoming in the harsh sunlight. Nearly just about everything was black or made of dark wood. Your eyes kept scanning the room frantically. Where in the world were you? There were expensive items littered around carelessly and before your worrisome thoughts could cloud your mind any longer, you heard a yawn.
You dreaded looking over your shoulder but eventually came to it. Peering over your left shoulder, you saw a certain prince resting on top of the covers. He was sprawled out and one of his arms overlapped with your pillow, making it come to your attention you had just slept on a royal's arm. He wore the same outfit as he did last night during the ball, except he had lost his jacket and his black shirt was loosely buttoned, revealing his upper torso to the cold yet serene air of the room.
You choked on this air, your cheeks boiling to an alarming red temperature. You looked down at yourself to notice that you were no longer wearing your clothes. You were wearing but your undergarments and his oversized jacket on your body. The pitch-black jacket loosely fit your body and draped down as if it were a dress. It was buttoned up, covering most of your skin. Your head ached, and there was a small ringing in your ear. What in the world had happened last night?
A small mumble escaped Bastiaan's lips, and his eyes opened like the crack of dawn peering over the horizon.
"[Name].. why did you do that to me last night..?" He questioned you in a lost voice, his tone nearly childlike. You raised your brow. Had you done something to the prince last night? Panicking, you looked at him worriedly.
"What did I do last night?" You interrogated the sleepy prince from behind your shoulder in an attempt to hide in the jacket shielding you from his gaze.
"You drank.. so much even though you couldn't take your alcohol well... you're lucky I saved you from that guy," Bastiaan explained to you, his arm presently shielding his eyes. Only now did you realise that your breath did indeed stink of alcohol. Very strongly, in fact. You had never been a big fan of alcohol and tended to stray away from it. You also didn't have a very high alcohol tolerance, so you had no idea in the world what had moved you to drink that much.
"At least we got some useful information... I now have appointments to meet with each of the suitresses this following week." Bastiaan looked at the bright side of things.
"Your highness, why did you choose me to help you with finding the future Queen of the kingdom anyway? I'm just a mere fortune-teller." You questioned him. If you were to get an honest answer out of him, it would most likely be now. You decided to take advantage of the situation and ask the prince.
"You should've just asked that question when I first hired you. I would have hired a professional matchmaker of sorts, but if I'm honest with you, I'm sick of all these professionals. I've met enough matchmakers in my time to know they can't help me. I've tried just about everything to find love, to spark some sort of romance inside of me. I can't find anything. I feel like I'm just a shell. My father has gotten sick of waiting so has put a deadline on me. You're my last resort. I didn't want to tell you - I didn't want to seem desperate. If anything, at least the gods should be able to help me. All I can do is rely on fate and readings now." He revealed to you. He spoke in a soft and listless voice, evident that he was still partially asleep. He didn't stink of alcohol as you did, but you could tell that he was incredibly tired just from the dark bags under his orbs which tainted his pale, porcelain skin.
"I'll try my best to help you then." You told him, hoping to raise his spirits at least slightly. "On another note, what guy are you talking about? I'm afraid I can't recall much from last night."
"Well, I'll explain to you what happened last night in order to refresh that memory of yours." The prince began, retelling the critical events of last night.
The singing, dancing and chattering were all in a craze. You couldn't think straight as the lights flashed here and there and the music seemed to intensify with each passing moment. Yet another servant had come next to you, offering a drink for the fifth time that night. You were waiting patiently at the sidelines while the prince danced the night away, his eye occasionally shifting back to you to ensure you didn't run off again and to make sure his drunk companion didn't do something she'd regret.
He was dancing with Odile Agnes in his arms but couldn't help but feel worried as he saw his colleague gather another pair of drinks. You held a glass in either hand and sipped them in an alternating pattern. Several nobles had noticed you but didn't seem to care much except for a young man with light brown hair and intriguing, orange honey coloured eyes. He was just a few inches shorter than Bastiaan and also appeared to be more slender.
In just a few seconds of spotting you in the crowd, this young man approached you.
"Greetings, my lady. I am Duke Leopold Albrecht. It is an honour to meet you," He introduced himself. "And you are?"
"None of your business, ugly!" You said to him. You knew full well that you were already drunk beyond belief and were not about to take any chances.
"If I'm so ugly, why am I known as the prolific playboy?" He interrogated you, his honey orbs rolling in annoyance at your stubbornness.
"Prolific playboy? What? Do you get every woman who sleeps with you pregnant? Is that why you're called prolific? Because you're making a lot of babies?" You questioned him.
You cleared your throat, only just apprehending what you had blurted out. "My apologies.. or not. It depends on if my answer was correct or not." You continued.
"Well, it was a rhetorical question. You were not meant to answer it. And no, I'm proud to say I've only been divorced once and have no children of my own. Or at least, none that I know of." Leopold answered truthfully. He decided that perhaps rhetorical questions and sarcasm had no place in a conversation with somebody drunk beyond belief.
"Duke Albert-"
" It's Albrecht."
"Duke Absofugginnada, I may be drunk, but when I sober up in the morning, you will still be ugly." You informed him, before stumbling around slightly and spilling your red wine upon his shirt. In the other hand, your champagne glass was still reasonably full.
"Champagne is like, clear. It is basically sparkling water. So it will wash out the wine." You announced before proceeding to throw the champagne upon Leopold.
"My lady, please-"He is interrupted by the champagne splashing against his charming features, completely missing the red wine stain that now had thoroughly soaked in on his ivory dress shirt.
You gasped, clasping your hand over your mouth. "I was just trying to help! I'm so sorry, my deepest apologies!" You cried out for mercy, bowing your head over and over again.
The Duke rolled his eyes and slickly wrapped an arm around your waist. He guided you out of the ballroom, moving so swiftly that nobody caught sight of the two of you leaving besides Bastiaan. He rolled his eyes at your behaviour. At this point, you should be hiring him as your babysitter.
"Is there a problem, your highness?" Asked Odile, concerned for her dancing partner's distracted behaviour.
"You will have to excuse me, Lady Agnes. One of my royal advisors just seemed to be calling me to the side for a moment there. I must go and ensure it is nothing serious they need to inform me about." Bastiaan excused himself, lying through his teeth. He had to guarantee that you would be alright, after all, he knew for a fact that he was the only person who cared enough in this ballroom to make sure you remained safe throughout the night.
He sighed and soon followed after the two of you. He had never met such an irresponsible but knowledgable woman in his lifetime. He was used to women putting a facade on around him and wanting to use him for some sort of gain. He had hired you, but funnily enough, it felt as though he had nearly made a friend as much as he would like to deny it. For some reason, you had managed to get past the tall walls, which once surrounded the lonely prince.
You stumbled, nearly falling over about a hundred times as Leopold tried his best to keep you on your feet. The pair of you seemed to bounce from one side of the hallway to the other as he attempted to guide you to a more private room. Leopold finally stopped in front of a fairly small door compared to the larger and more grand ones in the hallway and pressed his hand against the door handle.
Before Leopold could even open the door, his action was interrupted by a certain somebody.
"What are you doing with my idiot?" Bastiaan hissed at him, his arms crossed as he stared at the suspicious man from a couple of meters away. Impatient for a response, he advanced towards the two of you and ripped you from his clutches.
"I- uh-"Leopold tries to explain himself upon the sudden interruption of Bastiaan's presence, only to be cut off by the prince's cold and firm voice.
"I don't like it when people touch what belongs to me. Especially you, Duke Leopold Al-"
"Absofugginada!" You interrupted the prince who glared at you for doing so.
"For the last time, my name is Albrecht!" Leopold cried out, burying his face into his palms.
"Nobody cares about your name, Duke Absofugginada! You look like a pickle!" You yelled back at him. It seemed as though you were quite an overly emotional and aggressive drunk and Bastiaan could tell that perhaps it was a mistake letting you settle in with some alcoholic drinks.
"Wait a second; I did all that?" You queried Bastiaan who was still lying down on his bed.
"Yes, I couldn't make up this sort of thing even if I wanted to. You just had to insult Duke Albrecht - out of all the people in that ballroom. You had to pick the one person who has more influence than that Abella girl on the upper class." He scolded you before finally sitting up beside you. His eyes lingered towards your figure, and he coughed nervously upon the realisation of what you were wearing.
"May- uhm, may I have my jacket back?" Bastiaan questioned. He bit his tongue as a way of disciplining himself after stuttering out those words like a coward.
It was a relatively strange and utterly new sight to see the crown prince blushing because of you of all people. You couldn't help but suppress a giggle.
"Could I perhaps change back into my gown or at least into some suitable clothing? I don't want to be walking around half-naked. Your jacket is the only thing really concealing my figure at the moment." You notified him as if he didn't already know.
"So? What makes you think I want to see your body? Just take off the jacket. It probably reeks of alcohol now thanks to you. I can't wear it anymore." Bastiaan responded coldly, crossing his arms. It was pretty difficult to take him seriously, considering that his usually perfect black locks were in a frenzy on the top of his head.
"I'd rather not expose my body to a man I barely know. You can have your jacket back after you get me some clothes." You shot back at him.
Bastiaan was dumbfounded for a moment. He had never heard anybody talk back to him like that besides his father and the royal advisor. Your stubbornness was a new discovery to him, and he felt intrigued. At the same time, he wasn't sure how to react.
"What did you say?" He asked, tilting his head in a threatening manner.
"Get me some clothes, please." You demanded politely. Just because he was the prince didn't mean you were obligated to show him your bare body. After all, you preferred to save such a sight for a lover or a soulmate whom you may come across in the future. You weren't going to show it to just about any man that required it of you.
"Very well, then. It's not my place to demand a woman to expose herself to me, even if I am the prince of this kingdom. Besides, I have no interest in such sexual intentions." He affirmed as he cleared his throat. The prince got up from the bed and pauses at the door.
You curiously gazed at him as he stepped to the side before opening the door, allowing three maids to tumble into the bedroom and onto the floor.
"The three of you again. What have I told you about eavesdropping? If you're so good at eavesdropping, at least do your jobs right and fetch the lady her clothes ahead of time." Bastiaan ordered them.
The three maids scrambled to their feet, finding it quite tricky as they bumped into each other during the process. As they now stood up straight in the doorway, you could see that they were in fact, triplets. They all looked exactly the same. The maids had brown hair and tanned skin, their eyes a crystal blue. They curtsied in unison before soon scrambling away.
"Aren't you worried about them spreading rumours? I'm terribly sorry. I hope nobody says anything nasty if they found out you had a woman in your bed overnight."
"Don't be ridiculous. Even if they bother with telling everybody they know about it, nothing serious will come upon me. Nobody will believe them - after all, I have a reputation of rejecting every woman who has shown romantic interest in me." Bastiaan responded to your concerns.
A few moments later, one of the three maids returned with some feminine clothes neatly folded in her palms.
"Your highness, here are some clothes for the lady." The maid announced, curtsying as she held the clothes out for Bastiaan to take.
"Indeed, thank you. You are dismissed." The prince acknowledged, taking the clothes from the maid before proceeding to slam the door shut in her face.
The prince placed the clothes down upon the bed, next to you, holding in a chuckle as he noticed you turning the front part of your body away from him to hide it from his gaze.
"Only a desperate man will be looking for a peek at a woman. If I wanted to see what was underneath, I would just strip you bare already." Bastiaan told you. You were unsure whether or not to feel reassured but considering you were not yet stripped bare, you would say he meant those words in a comforting sort of way.
Bastiaan turned around, his back now facing you. "Get changed now."
You jumped and cleared your throat. "Pardon me? You.. you want me to get dressed while a man whom I barely know is standing right there?"
"If I go outside, I'm going to be pestered by the royal advisor again. He's usually not allowed into my room unless granted permission by my father. If I leave, he can tell me what to do again." Bastiaan told you his excuse for not leaving; his arms now crossed over one another.
"How do I know you will not turn around?" You interrogated him.
"As I said, if I wanted to look at your body so badly, why would I bother going through all this trouble? Besides, I am not a 'man' whom you 'barely know', considering I had to take care of a certain drunk lady who was meant to be assisting me. If anything, I should be asking you to be handling our relationship more professionally [Name]." Bastiaan responded, his foot tapping against the floor impatiently.
"Well-"
"If you object one more time, I will turn around and dress you myself." He cut you off.
"You wha-?!"
"Hurry up. I'm losing my patience with you little lamb." Bastiaan cut you off once again, his foot beating the floor at a quicker tempo.
"Fine, fine!" You confirmed with him.
You stood up yet continued to keep your back to him. If he were to turn around, at least he wouldn't see too much of your body. You began to change into the clothing on the bed, finally taking off his dark jacket. You buttoned up the chest area of the dress, finding yourself in a silk ivory dress that was relatively plain. The only exciting features were the pitch-black buttons on the upper half of the dress and the minute details of black lace among the edges of the puffed sleeves.
"I'm finished, you can turn around now." You spoke as you dusted off your dress, his black jacket hanging upon your elbow.
The young man turns around and takes the coat away from you, rising it a few inches away from his nose in order to sniff it.
"You made it smell like alcohol, little lamb. What ever am I to do with you? You're lucky I need your accurate fortune-telling abilities." He threw the jacket carelessly onto the floor.
"Why did you do that?" You asked him, raising a brow.
"I'm not going to wear it now, am I? I'll have the staff wash it thoroughly." He replied, his eyes observing your outfit as he buttoned up his dress shirt once again.
Out of the blue, he grabbed onto your sides and pulled you close to him. Your face now practically touched his chest. He leaned over and sniffed you.
"You reek of alcohol even more than the jacket." He sighed. You sniffed him mildly in return, wondering if he had drunk last night as well. He noticed this and glared down at you.
"Are you sniffing me? I hope you know I was too busy looking after you to get a drink myself." Bastiaan reassured you before taking the golden pack of tarot cards he had gifted you last night out of his pocket.
"You dropped these as well. Never have I seen somebody so careless with something they obviously adore very much." He handed it to you and crossed his arms.
You gasped and ripped it from his hands, holding the deck of gorgeous and golden tarot cards close to you.
"I'm so sorry, your highness. I was careless with your present. I didn't realise-"
"I'll forgive you if you can give me a tarot reading now. I think it's time we do one for my love life in general." Bastiaan continued on his habit of cutting into the middle of your sentences - time and time again, you found yourself unable to complain about it either. After all, he had a much higher social status than you could ever achieve.
"I have a question to ask you first of all." You paused him, a sterner tone coming to your voice.
"Go on, what is it that you wish me to answer?" Bastiaan confirmed, urging you to ask.
"Do you think it's appropriate to bite or kiss somebody whom you barely know? Before I had gotten drunk, you made me uncomfortable with such acts. I am not a toy for you to mess with. I am here just for business." You elucidated, crossing your arms as well - nearly as though you were mimicking his confidence.
"And do you think that messing around with random men while you are meant to be doing business is appropriate as well? [Name], I was just disciplining you. I admit I am not quite sure what took over me, but I assure you that making you uncomfortable was not my intention. Now, I believe we are fairly even after the events that took place last night. Especially that I came to your rescue from that Duke, he's been well known for messing about with women. He's gotten it on with countless women, married or not. He's very popular with the ladies nonetheless. His charming looks are undeniable." Bastiaan responded to your question. He gave you a sarcastic and small toothy smile before taking a seat at a small sitting area by one of the windows.
The sitting area in his room consisted of two sofas that were relatively low on the ground, accompanied with a matching black, low-lying coffee table with imperial detailing carved into the edges. It rested on an exotic rug of red and black patterning, highlighted by the silver threads hidden yet standing out in the carpet's floral illustration.
"Come, come." He ushered you, gesturing to the empty seat across from him.
You approached the miniature sitting area and took your place, tarot cards held tightly in hand. He looked at you expectingly, waiting for you to begin without his command. Taking the hint, you took the deck of tarot cards out of the expensive packaging and began to shuffle them in your hand.
The prince's intrigued expression always made you stifle a laugh as he stared at your swift and clean shuffling techniques. Soon enough, you finished and knocked the deck as if it were your door to all the answers, spreading your energy throughout the cards before proceeding to ask the divine for help in the accuracy of your reading.
You spread the cards out upon the wooden table, forming somewhat of a fan shape in front of the prince. Each card sparkled with a golden tone of beauty, enhanced by the sunlight dancing among their backs. Each card was seemingly begging to be chosen by the prince, whispering distinctive calls for his fingers.
"Choose three cards, your highness." You instructed the prince. As usual, upon hearing your words, the prince seemed to be in deep thought as he debated which cards to pick.
"The outcome will be the same either way, only delayed. Do not overthink it; just pick which cards you feel magnetised to." You told him, hoping to speed up the process. You watched the prince as he continued to stare intently at the cards, his eyebrows furrowed together. He finally decided to take your advice, his hands gravitating towards three singular cards which he picked up impulsively.
You collected the rest of the cards and neatly put them away in the original packaging. You placed them on your motherly lap, shielding them from any harm as you began to grow attached to the cards gifted to you by the prince.
You reached over to the first card and flipped it over to reveal none other than an old man hunched over with a yellow lamp warding him off the isolating darkness.
"Ah, yes. The Hermit indicates that you've been going through a period of solitude and contemplation in the past. This could be a sign that you've once been heartbroken and left feeling isolated. The Hermit tells me that you are coming out of a period of loneliness. The Hermit tends to represent loneliness, introspection, wisdom, even going so far as reaching implications of mysticism or realisation. It tells me that you might have learnt a big life lesson in the past and you need to reflect on it properly. However, we're talking about this in terms of romance. This card is not a good card to draw from the major arcana in regard to your love life. Luckily, it is the past, and hopefully, you will not let your loneliness interfere with what is to come in the future. It says that you are not ready to pursue any romantic relationships but to remember this time will pass. Although you don't really have a choice." You explained the card and its meanings thoroughly in the past position. He scrutinised it and nodded his head.
"Indeed. That was quite the interesting card. What did I get for my present?" He questioned, pushing the reading forward.
You went and flipped over the next card, revealing the image of five men holding up large branches.
"You have gotten The Five of Wands. It tells me you have been experiencing conflict, disagreements and opposition in your life. It shows to me that you are in a struggle. It's a minor Arcana card and represents clashing personalities with somebody in your life. You can expect some unruliness or lack of control in your future if you do not take care of the situation correctly. In a love spread for a person who is currently single, it tells me that your current love life is chaotic. I'm surprised; this card is quite accurate considering that it also indicates various suitors - suitresses in your case - will be competing for your attention! Be wary not to string this attention out too much, or things could turn fairly nasty." You apprised him on the information you had on the card, now letting your eyes linger to his face.
He rubbed his chin, deep in ponder at your words, taking your advice to heart. It seemed as though he genuinely had trust in your abilities, giving you a new sense of pride.
"Last but definitely not least, let's take a look at your future." You told him as you leaned over to flip the final card over. Once overturned, it revealed Hermes' caduceus in between a man and a woman. They were switching cups with one another in a ceremony that depicted what looked like a wedding.
"Ah, this card. It symbolises unions and partnerships. You see, this caduceus signifies new rewarding relationships and partnerships. This can represent an attachment formed with a lover, a friend, a family member or anybody in your life for that matter. You are being given a new beginning soon, full of promises. In the future position, this card predicts a very fulfilling relationship. It means for somebody like yourself that there is or shortly will be, a person who is going to swoop you off your feet. It is a marriage card, after all. It shows you are likely to be married." You finished, looking towards the prince once again.
"Any questions, your highness?" You asked him, wanting to make sure he felt as though his wishes were fulfilled during this tarot.
"Hmm. Does the future of this look promising?" He questioned you.
You nodded your head in agreement, "Indeed, you have a future of which you will be happy with. Though we can't assume that you will get the future you've been desiring. This card accompanied by what you drew for your present are predicting a promising future after a difficulty in partnership."
"How peculiar indeed. It seems that I am about to lead a quite eventful life." Bastiaan replied.
Out of the blue, a loud and dooming knock could be heard from the opposite side of his door. You jumped at the sudden sound after enjoying the prince's naturally tranquil tone.
"His Majesty, the King, is approaching your chambers, your highness. He will be here any minute. He wishes to discuss in private to you about the events of last night and whether or not you had any luck." A high-ranking servant announced from behind the wood, causing your heartbeat to speed up dramatically.
"Very well, I shall quickly get ready." Bastiaan returned calmly, loud enough to hear. Meanwhile, you felt terrified to the very bones.
"[Name], you'll have to hide," Bastiaan whispered to you. He stood up and grabbed your wrist swiftly before leading you towards his closet. He opened the door to the closet and shoved you inside gently. The harsh sound of confident footsteps nearing the room sent shivers down your spine as your heart nearly sprung out of your throat. The prince looked at you apologetically, proceeding to close the closet door, abandoning you in the darkness.
It was pitch black. The only light to be seen was the soft yellow hue of his room peeking in through a tiny crack between each closet door. You would feel more under pressure if the closet was small but in fact - his wardrobe was more spacious than your own house. You sort of wished that he could turn the lights on for you while you were trapped since the switch was on the other side of the wall.
Your thoughts halted to a considerably great pause when a newfound aura entered the room. Bastiaan, however, didn't even flinch in his father's presence. The King stood in the doorway in all his glory; just being looked at by him could make one tremble.
"Bastiaan, how did last night go for you? I noticed you had managed to talk to each of the women you had in mind to become queen. I requested a long list of worthy women only for you to pick four - which has now been narrowed down to three. I'm glad that this process seems to be going by quite quickly. Remember your time limit, however." Bastiaan's father warned him.
"You have nothing to worry about, Your Majesty. I believe I have a good idea of which of the three women I am going to choose to be my wife. Still, I must get to know each of them personally to ensure that my decision is correct." Bastiaan informed his father.
Their muffled words caused you to press your ear against the closet door quite firmly as you grew more and more curious to hear their voices. By surprise, the closet doors flung open. You stumbled out onto the stage where the two men now watched you closely.
You gave yourself a moment to catch your balance before taking in a deep breath. Bastiaan glared at you with a tint of dismay in his dark orbs as he didn't look forward to what his father was to say about this.
You looked at the king who was looking at you in return. His cold eyes belittled you - you had never felt so small and worthless in your life. His presence was oppressing your own, and you could barely make words out of your grumbles.
"I.. I'm the handmaiden of Odile Agnes, Your Majesty. It is an honour to meet you. I am sent by request of his highness to inform him about my lady. Please pardon my intrusion." You declared, spitting out pure lies as you bowed your head lower than you ever had before in your life. The afternoon sun sat high in the sky with all its pride, beating down sunbeams onto the residents of the icy kingdom below. For what seemed like one of the first times in forever, there was no snow falling from the sky, and not a single cloud could be spotted. It was a clear mid-day sky, one that encouraged all that lived under it to come outside and bask in its glory.