-DSMP & QSMP Oneshots-

~•I Gave My Love a Cherry (F & A)•~

(Salbur)
Yes, more Salbur.
Victorian Era AU/ Arranged Marriage AU

Third Person/Narrator POV:

The boy watched his father immensely. He stood at the balcony of his bedroom, his dad standing next to him. His dad hummed a familiar lullaby. It was "I Gave My Love a Cherry."

"Wilbur."

"Yes, Father?"

"If you keep staring at me like that, your eyes might pop out of your head."

Wilbur sighed. "Father, you've spoken little about this so called 'surprise' you have for me. I want to know what it is."
"A surprise isn't a surprise if I tell you, Wilbur-"
"But please, Father! I want to know, I yearn the answer. I beg Father."
"I beg you Wilbur, don't beg."

His father continued to hum a silent tune. Wilbur stared at him stiffly. He was going to make his father tell him.
"Father-"

"Wilbur. I trust you know your 18th birthday is coming up soon." Wilbur nodded. "And as your father, I decided... to arrange... a marriage."

"Marriage?"

Marriage.

We know marriage is a sweet, special union of two people who love each other very much, but the Merriam- Webster dictionary describes it as the state of being united as spouses in a consensual and contractual relationship recognized by law. Though, Wilbur's initial thought of his marriage was that-

"Father, this "proposal" is neither sweet, loving, nor consensual... I don't think-"

"It doesn't matter what you think, Wilbur. What matters is the sake of our family. You do care about our family, right?"
"... Of course I do Father."

"Then you will happily marry."

Sadly, in the 1890s, the thought of marriage was neither here nor there.

. . .

Wilbur was the middle child. He also thought of himself as the least important.

His parents are noble people. Rich and caring. Though they mainly care for their fortune, they also do care about their darling children.

Wilbur believes they have favourites.

Wilbur's father, the regal man you've met before, definitely had a favourite. Tech.
A 20 year old man with strawberry blonde, some would say pink hair, and gorgeous brown eyes matching his father. Tech always dressed as formal and proper as possible as his father constantly recommended. He wore glasses which defined his face prettily.
Tech loved reading. He wanted to be a lawyer. He went to Oxford, a noble school for a noble young man.

His father loved him, most definitely more than Wilbur.

Wilbur, the weak, unstable, less bonafide son.
Why would anyone favor him?

Wilbur's mother, favored the youngest brother. Thomas.
Or Tommy, a 15 year old with dirty blonde hair, blue eyes which were stolen from his mother, and a hunger for attention. He loved the newest playwright around, Shakespeare. He adored his brothers, practically worshipping them. Their mother believed he could do anything... but Tommy decided to become a politician, only to be able to stand beside his brother.

Yes, not a lot of people initially believe this when said, but Wilbur was made to be a politician. Wilbur yearned to be a musician, a playwright, like the so adored Shakespeare, maybe even an actor. But his parents doubted the decision, as they did with most of his decisions. They ordered him to become a politician. To be in control of their city and to be in cahoots with all famous law makers. Wilbur was forced.