and it was beautiful • Natasha Romanoff

chapter one

AU: Hello :)) English isn't my first language so please correct me if there's any mistakes thank you. Enjoy <3

chapter one:
just a drift down the river.

October 1921

Maurelle was from a French family of high prosperity. Toys, food, servants she had it all. Love however was a department in which her family lacked greatly. Because even the most lovely of servants weren't able to raise like an attentive parent could've. And even though Maurelle was bright, affectionate, and polite, there were many things that she was without which only a mother could've taught. She for example, lacked a better judgement, reckless as she was. One time for example the neighbour boy, Andre, had tricked her and her friend Cecile to go on a boat ride with him. Just a drift down the river. However, the trip had quickly taken a turn, as they were left on a small island with nothing but the clothes that the pair had been left in. Intelligent as she was, Maurelle was naïve and had trusted the boy to boat them to the small island, and he had sailed away without them. There she stood. Barefoot on the bay of the small island, screaming after Andre to come back. Due to the conditions at home, Maurelle spent most of her time dining with the neighbouring family in question, and doing chores for them. Andre might be uncomfortable yes, but his family was kind, and they had cared enough to let her in when her own family wouldn't. It had seemed Andre had grown jealous of their affections for Maurelle. And it also seemed he took particular pleasure in tormenting her wherever she went. "What do we do, Elle?!" Cecile exclaimed breathlessly, as she had spent her voice screaming. Maurelle turned to look at her, measuring the girl for a moment. "we'll just swim," Maurelle said confidently and looked back over the water, attempting to stay calm, "it's not that far, we'll get to the shore just fine." Honestly Maurelle was more scared of her parents reaction to the situation than she was the actual swim. She was a good swimmer but there was no way she was getting back dry. "I can't swim, Elle!" Cecile was panicking and she was flailing her arms in the air as she spoke in distress, tears welling in her eyes. Maurelle furrowed her brows. "You can't swim?" "NO," Cecile shouted and Maurelle just stared, thinking. "And regardless of that I hate water," Cecile then grumbled turning to stare at the other side of the lake hopelessly. Maurelle broke up her stream of thoughts trying to comfort her friend. "It's ok, we'll figure something out." She looked at the water observing the brownish colour that seemed to have no end and looked as if a huge teabag had been downed in it. She went to pick up a stick, Cecile following her with quizzical eyes, brows furrowing confusedly. Maurelle clutched the large stick she'd found and lowered it into the water vertically, as to see how deep it went. Seeing that the stick wasn't completely submerged she smiled and stood up. "See, we can do this," Maurelle assured. Cecile however hesitated, but ultimately nodded ever so slowly.

Maurelle backed away a little from the shore and began pulling off her robes. "Remove your gown, it will only weigh you down," she clarified, but noticing Cecile's puzzled condition, she stopped her movements. "Are we going to swim naked?" Cecile exclaimed, panic clearly remerging. Maurelle looked up amused and exclaimed: "no you hare-brain we'll walk in our undergarments," she laughed, and Cecile calmed down somewhat.

So, there they'd stood, in bloomers and chemise. It'd been cold but Maurelle had eventually persuaded the latter girl knee high in water, clamping her arms crossly and howling profanities which her mother would've otherwise killed her for was she there. Maurelle however was more calm only breaking in slight grimace at the uncomfortableness of the underground which she was walking on. However, they had only taken a couple 10 steps out into the muddied water when Maurelles attention was peaked as Cecile let out screech followed by a sequence of swashing and beating sounds. Maurelle tumbled to get to her friend, the now nearly completely submerged girl whose blonde hair had turned a notably darker hue from being dunked in water. Maurelle let out a shout, begging for Cecile to calm down as she was thrashing her way deeper despite the fact that they had been no more covered than to mid arm. Maurelle fought her way to the blonde girl, reaching for her, but Cecile's wild movements repelled Maurelle at an instant. The water, the mud, and the rocks, it all flew about her as she screamed for the blonde girl, eventually succeeding a tight grip on both of her shoulders and pulling her up slightly above the water, and also deterring her from further thrashing. Maurelle yelled for Cecile now once again, for even though her friend was right in front of her she seemed to be miles away, her eyes having a look of absence swimming around in them as though she was still under water. Maurelles honey-coloured eyes searched for the opposite girls blue ones desperately hunting an unmoving spot. As Cecile's breath got slower, so did Maurelle's her shoulders immediately slacking and settling down from the flexed manner that they had unknowingly been trapped in prior. Her breath eased up, although the goosebumps which had appeared on her arms stuck on and Maurelle feared for the girls health as her lips had similarly turned an awful blue.

"I tripped," breathed Cecile, now moving to stand on her own, forcing Maurelle to let go of the tight grip she'd otherwise held her in. "I can very well see that, yes," Maurelle replied, still affected by the stiffness that the frightening ordeal had caused her. She abruptly felt an irritation start to rise in her throat but she brushed it off as the effects of the cold water and assumed it would disappear once they made it to the shore. She resumed her grip on Cecile's shoulder resolutely, leading her further into the water deciding that had they stood there sulking any longer they'd surely end in a hospital bed, frostbitten. She felt a distinct sting in the most outer parts of her limbs as hyperthermia was already making its way through them and it seemed Cecile had already given away any control and was simply brooding behind her, Maurelles swift and quick race leading drifting strands of her wet hair to be shoved back by the crisp air which had already turned her ears a burning red, feeling like they'd been set ablaze, the fire quickly spreading around her temples as well. The ground started setting around their feet and both of the young girls let out sighs of relief as rocks emerged, defining the shore like a sharp wall meant to keep water at bay and settling a sense of victory in both girls. Maurelle seemed to refuse letting go of her companion as she stood staring out into the setting evening, nose runny, and a strange feeling of dread emerging at the thought of her parent's scoldings and responses when she would be required to go home, the sheer prospect of needing to do so leading an array of uncomfortable moths to be set afloat in her lower stomach, pushing up towards her throat. The moths were however halted at the sudden sensation of another person throwing themselves at her, sending her stumbling left an inch due to her light size, but she quickly relaxed when she recognized the blonde hair of her friend. Maurelle closed her eyes and hugged Cecile back, tears suddenly making their way into her eyes and slipping down her already wet cheeks. She wasn't usually one to cry, as she had a habit of always pushing any emotion away. She didn't want to feel them. She didn't want ti feel the effects and consequences. These thoughts were all unknown to Maurelle herself. They were simply always there. Subconsciously floating around in the utmost back of her head, dictating her approach to any emotional situations she might encounter and fond herself in.

"You know I'm half sure there was duck poo in that water," Maurelle uttered plainly trying to brush away the tears and emotions with a joke. Feeling the blonde tense up against her she smiled knowingly. "I'm going to murder you," Cecile groaned, however she didn't let go. "Not if my mum and dad get to me first,"