"Someone Like You" Ch. 1
*This is an Alternate Realty Story, so things may seem strange. Remember only the commoners speak slang and the time period and the things in the story may not match. And also this will be the only time it goes to another person's POV that isn't a big part of the story I just wanted to give a little information in a different perspective. The women will dress in a mixture of 19th century and 20/21st century clothing, and so will the men.
+ 1496, March 16 +
Today, was the wedding of my sister Bella to, the very handsome, Prince Brian von Hertor of Germany. She will be leaving very soon, leaving Acadia for, probably, the rest of her life. Our whole family is cramped into the Church of Acadia for the ceremony, with the citizens outside waiting for a glimpse of the beautiful bride and the Royal family.
And even though I'm her sister I do have to say she is even more beautiful than my other sisters, Julienne & Mia, on their wedding days. But the only bride that I've seen in my short 17 years that have beaten any of my sisters was my gorgeous cousin, Lady Delia. She was the most beautiful bride I have ever seen, her long black hair was curled and her caramel skin glowed against the traditional candles lit all over the church, her dress was the purest white I've ever seen, and her train ran the whole length of the huge church.
We are walking out to the carriages that will take us back to Andreas Palace for the reception, weddings & funerals are the only occasions that we invite commoners into the Royal Palace, which is an odd habit anyway. Usually commoners are never allowed in Palaces or Castles.
Like my uncle, Leone Fredricks, Lady Delia's father, he would die before a commoner that didn't work for him would step into his home, Mainbridge Castle. But my father, King Iaian, is different from other men, he's his own man and he rules Acadia with a strong hand and soft fingers.
I step to the door where the friar is introducing the family to the public as we loaded carriages and I put on my fake smile, which I've been perfecting over the years. I look over at my escort, who annoys me to no end, and try not to scowl. This is who my father wishes me to marry, not for love, for prestige.
But my father promises if I just get to know him, I would get to love him. OH! Mother was the lucky one, she was a Jamaican Princess and my father was an Acadian Prince and so they were in luck when they fell in love during a trip my father took with my grandfather years ago.
He loves my title more than he could ever love me, just as I rejected my want to slap that haughty look off his face the friar announced our names, "Her Highness, Princess Mikaela Luciana Dione Andreas of our fair Acadia and her escort Marquess Cristian Von Hatten of Brighton."
I walked down the stairs holding my dress, my smile, and my temper. I stepped into the carriage and sat next to my brother, Sergio, and tried my best to look out into the crowd. I looked around, noticing people I had never seen before in my life, but these people had known me my whole life.
My best friends, and cousins, Lady Aria & Lady Christine, stepped onto the carriage chattering. Lady Aria looked at me with the happiest grin I've seen all day, "Oh Mikaela, wasn't that just the most beautiful ceremony you've ever witnessed?"
I laughed my very fake laugh, even they couldn't tell it was fake, and said, "Aria didn't you say that about Delia, Julienne, Mia, & Stephanos' weddings?"
Sergio rolled his eyes, which if mother was around he would have gotten hit for, and mumbled, running his hands over his low fade, "Don't forget Neal, Malik, and Trevion LeSteel's weddings."
Lady Aria did her best ladylike smile and giggle, touching Sergio's leg, "Oh, shut up, don't you know I just love weddings."
Oh, don't you know how much I hate my family sometimes.
+ Andreas Palace +
(A Guest's POV)
I was walking around this palace with my boys beside me and my youngest sister right in front of me, with her dragging me to every place she could get a good look at real live royalty. Her day had been made when the Queen's guard had allowed her to hug the Queen. But everyone wanted to see the queen and her beautiful daughters. The Queen came from Jamaica, somewhere far, far, away from here, and they say she still holds the land in her voice and her skin. But that is only rumor, where I'm from we hear a lot of rumors, especially about the Royal family.
"Jarell! Jarell! Look, look!" My little sister, Akia, squealed pointing toward a girl dressed in a satin black dress, with her shoulders showing, and white gloves up to her elbows, with sapphires dangling from her ears, and her hair laying straight on her shoulders.
The girl turned around followed by two other very well dressed girls, and I knew right then that was my princess, the one I had watched and envied my whole life. She smiled at me and, instead of walking, she floated toward my little sister, her cousins following and a guard watching closely.
Akia's smile ran across her whole face when the Princess stood in front of her, and said, "Well, good evening miss, what's your name?"
Akia let go of my hand and curtsied, she had been practicing for that for months, this was her first time ever stepping foot in the Palace and she was more than excited about meeting the royalty. "Your Lady Higness, my name is Akia Houston and this is my brother Jarell Houston."
A beautiful smile swept across her chocolate features as she spoke to my little sister, "Well aren't you just adorable, I'm Mikaela, and these are my cousins Lady Aria and Lady Christine. How old are you Miss Houston?"
Akia smiled her biggest smile and made herself appear to be a smart, charming, wealthy little girl, something that my mother always took pride in, "I'm 7 and a half years old, Princess Mikaela."
My cousin's wife, Tasha, was about to correct her when Mikaela spoke, "Oh wow! You're almost as old as I am!"
We all smiled as the beautiful princess spoke to my sister, but we all noticed the looks her cousin's were giving her, I wanted to get away from them. I wanted to run, I wanted to go back to where I felt comfortable, I don't like being here. It makes me feel useless, lowly, just plain common. Akia took the princess's hand and whispered in her ear rather loudly, "Princess, my brother here thinks you are beautiful!"
Princess Mikaela looked up at me with an embarrassed smile on her face, and her cousins and my friends let out a loud gasp. Me? I wanted to die but Mikaela just looked at me and whispered to my sister, "Tell him, I said thank you."
I believe it was Lady Aria who tapped her shoulder and said with a haughty air, "I believe it's time we depart Mikaela."
She sent a glare up at the Lady, stood up, and looked at me, "It was a pleasure meeting you."
I took her outstretched hand did what all gentlemen did to ladies, I kissed her hand, "No, Your Highness, the pleasure was all mine."
Her cousins quickly whisked her away with clouds of whispers and dirty looks. I didn't care, they were stuck up bitches, the only look she gave me was pure gold.
(Her POV)
I snatched my arm away from Aria's grip, with as much lady-like charm I could muster, and gritted my teeth, showing my grandmother's temper, growled as low as I could, "You two are supposed to be LADIES and you act like that in front of good, loyal, faithful people! On a day that's supposed to bring us all together? And you know if I said anything to my aunts, my uncles, or my parents they will have your head's...not mine. How could you two be so rude? Acting as if they were the walking plague!"
Lady Christine wrung her hands and gave that pathetic little girl look she hadn't given up yet, "They are so common Mika!"
And my real best friend backed her up, "Yes Mika, did you see the clothes they were in?"
"And they couldn't even speak correctly! It's creepy Mika." Christine whined looking around for anyone who could hear.
I bit my tongue and fought not to yell, I was thankful that my oldest brother noticed the steam from my ears and came right over, "Mika how bout a walk about the grounds?"
I looked up at my handsome older brother, Stephanos, thanking him with my eyes, "I would love to", I turned my attention back to my cousins, "you two are guests in my mother's home and you will act according to HER rules. So if that means you be cordial and POLITE to common people...then that IS what YOU will do. "
And with that I grabbed my brothers arm and headed for the nearest exit. Just as we stepped out of the side door and into the gardens my brother began laughing, "You know Mikaela you have never changed, still the same little fiery, temperamental girl I grew up with."
Though Stephanos and I are eight years and five siblings apart we were always quite close, he saved me from a lot of trouble, and I idolized him in return. My brother and I looked a lot alike except his gray eyes jumped off his Carmel skin like silver in the moon light. He got our fathers features while I got my mothers along with my grandmother's temper, which I believe he is completely devoid of, "Well, would I be a better princess if I changed?"
He patted my arm as we walked through the Queen Mother's, my grandmother who's my father's mother, roses, "No! Never, you are a woman like no other, the realest woman I've met since...well since mother."
"She's extremely sick Stephanos." I replied clutching his arm tighter, lately mother had been tired, nauseous, and dizzy at times. Fainting during breakfast, napping through tea time, and worst of being too weak to walk to Midnight mass. Which used to be her pride and joy.
"I wish I could come home. But Crystal wishes to stay in Rifenal with the Countess during her pregnancy." Stephanos sighed looking at the beautiful plants that lay all around us. Lady Crystal Taylor Andreas of Rifenal is my brothers bride, though she's beautiful, she lacks a hard core, and a quick brain and wit to be a strong Queen one day. Her husband will be King one day and she's just as fragile as piece of cracked glass.
Before I could answer my father came out with a huge smile on his face, "Ah, the apples of my eye!"
He certainly wasn't joking he did seem to favor us over all the other children, but he was good to never show it, Stephanos smiled proudly at the man he looked exactly like, "Father! Congratulations!"
"Yes, yes," My father, King Iaian, whispered almost sadly, "another daughter married off. It's quite sad, in all honesty, I'm so used to the palace being full of children that the more that go the more lonely I feel."
I smiled and took my father's arm, which what was always customary when mother wasn't around, "At first it was seven of us now it's down to three, most fathers would be happy."
Stephanos stood at his side as we turned back toward the castle, "Well, father isn't like everyone else."
"Certainly not, son, certainly not." My father laughed as a servant opened the door quickly.
As we stepped into the room trying not attract too much attention father looked at Stephanos, "May I speak with my dear Mikaela alone for just a moment?"
"Yes, yes, I'm going to go speak with the Trevion." Stephanos answered as he walked over to his best friend, Lord Trevion LeSteel.
"Something you need father?" I asked as we strolled around the rooms of the palace that were open to the reception, smiling at people as we did so.
"Yes, yes, my dear Mikaela, I have noticed that you haven't been speaking with the Marquess. Do you not like him at all my dear?" He asked as we approached the room where the toasts were made and the crown sat neatly next my father's golden chair.
"Not one bit father. He is a disgusting, power hungry, worthless pig. And I loath him, with every bit of my being, and not to mention he is a bit too narcissistic for my taste." I quickly wiped the snarl off my face and smiled as we approached my mother, she was the only person who understood why I didn't want to marry Marquess Cristian Von Hatten of Brighton. I wasn't in love with him and she knew it.
I walked up to my mother and kissed her softly on the cheek, "Mother, you, as usual, have planned the perfect party."
She, Queen Gwendolyn, patted my hand with beautiful smile, and said in her soft yet strong voice, that still had the Jamaican accent, "Thank you, darling. I have some guests I think you should meet."
I rolled my eyes, thinking they were to be some old annoyingly wealthy couple like Prime Minister De Jion's parents or something but what I saw made my mouth hang open.
On the other side of my mother's throne stood two very similar looking men, both dressed in black suits, their faces set in stone, and their skin the smoothest chocolate you've ever seen. And I said to my mother the only thing I could, "Yes, mother."
She looked over at them with her beautiful smile, sending her thick hair flying, "Gentlemen, I would like you to meet my lovely daughter, Mikaela. Mikaela, I would like you to meet the Grandberry brothers of Madison, Duke Omari Grandberry and his younger brother Lord Draco Grandberry."
They stepped toward my mother and I, both smiling in their own way, yet Omari looked rather bored with the situation, but Draco smiled a very beautiful smile and spoke in a voice that hid a hint of accent and kissed my hand as I held it out, "Ah, Princess Mikaela, what an honor to meet you."
"It's a pleasure Lord Draco." I whispered, remembering that Draco meant Dragon in Latin and his eyes, which were a greenish gray, reminded me of the paintings of medieval dragon's that were hanging on these very walls.
Omari started towards me and the moment I held out my hand he stopped, looking at me strangely, then kissing it quickly, "It's a pleasure."
But before anyone in the room could speak anymore the man of my nightmares ruined my rather cheerful mood, "Ah, there you are darling, I've been looking all over for you."
I turned to glare at the man who made my life hell, "Marquess." I stated simply hearing two people chuckle under their breath as they heard the disgust in my voice.
"Care to dance darling?" He asked as grabbed my arm without me answering, I sighed and just let him drag me out of the room without saying much more.
+ Andreas Palace: Later that night: Mikaela's room +
(Her POV)
I sat in front of my vanity watching my personal servant Lexy comb through my rather thick hair, like she did every night before bed, she looked at me in the mirror her almond shaped eyes smiling at me dearly, "Did you meet yo' momma's surprise?"
"That was her surprise Lexy?" I asked surprised, those brothers, though one mysterious in his looks, had made my night until that awful man came to drown me in his company.
"Yes, ma'am, they be staying here for a while, is what Winifred told me. Yo' mother thinks Draco would be de best choice for you, but yo' father thinks that rat Marquess Cristian Von Hatten is yo' best mate." Lexy whispered talking as if she feared the house overseer, Willa, or mothers personal servant, Winifred, could hear her.
I bit my lip a moment then looked in the mirror at her before asking, "What do you think Lexy?"
"I think, out of those two Lord Grandberry is the best." She replied with a giggle, Lexy was the same age as I and I knew she thought him to be handsome, because so did I but his brother was something more than handsome.
"Lexy do you know anything about his brother?" I asked turning around to stare into her round face which had changed little since we were children.
"Yo' mean Duke Grandberry?" She asked sitting the little silver comb on the vanity with a thoughtful look on her face.
"Yes." I answered, for some reason that man's eyes wouldn't leave my mind.
"Only that he is the heir of the whole fortune of Madison, is what I over heard, and that he is very different from his brother. Older, yea, but that's not all, he thinks less of marriage and ladies than his brother, who is, from what I hear a ladies man. They say that Duke Grandberry is looking for something more, which is rather romantic, to me." Lexy replied sitting on the hope chest that was at the foot of my oversized bed.
"Lexy, you 'hear' a lot things." I laughed trying to push those little facts right out of my head.
"Yea, I know I do," She smiled as she stood and start to turn my bed down, "time for bed Miss."
I turned to her with a childish frown on my face, "So early? I haven't even snuck down to the kitchens for a snack!"
"Not tonight Miss Mikaela, Winifred has told us all that the Mistress has planned a visit to morning Mass tomorrow." She replied pulling all the other pillows, that I don't use, off the bed and sat them on the couch that sat on the other side of the room.
"All right then, good night." I said she smiled and left the room and I got into bed wondering what I could do to get Cristian away from me, forever. But the foremost question in my mind was, what was Omari Grandberry really looking for?
*Chapter 2