| HIDING FROM THE HEAVENS | GEORGE III | COMPLETED

3 | A FRIEND AND A WALL

    "BRIMSLEY." AUGUSTA CALLED out, causing a young man in royal uniform to step forward. "Take Antonia to the seamstress so we can have her gown fitted."

The princess shook her head. "No need, I have brought my own wedding gown. Tis a perfect fit."

"But we have provided a gown for you."

"My gown was designed just for the wedding, in Paris. The lace is handmade by nuns. The modiste called it a la mode." She smiled, she remembered seeing the gown and falling completely in love with it, she just had to wear it.

Augusta shook her head. "Our gown is traditional. Simple. It will be better."

Her brows furrowed once again in confusion. "Better?"

It was her wedding, she did not want simple but nor did she want extravagant. Her dress was the perfect middle man for the situation and the wedding she wanted. She was rather offended that the woman did not approve of something she had not seen.

"I have not seen this other wedding dress you speak of, but a traditional English gown will not carry all of the fuss and the frills that the European gown you currently have on does, for instance. The traditional gown will be more in our fashion...for our family."

Antonia said nothing, yes she was marrying the English King but she was also to be Queen of her own country some day and she wanted people to be aware of that. She was not only a wife to the King but would soon be Queen of Poland and Grand Duchess of Lithuania. Augusta nodded at her silence and left the room, causing everyone to bow and curtsy as she left. The other English men left to follow while Stanislaw came over to his daughter with a wide smile.

"Well done. And I shall see you at the ceremony."

"Father, please stay." She pleaded.

"I cannot dearest, but I shall never be too far." He kissed her head before leaving the room.

Antonia turned to see the young man from before, Brimsley. He gave her a small nod but said nothing. The princess sighed and decided to head to the room she would be staying in until it was time for the wedding. As she walked there, she noticed Brimsley trailing behind her. Back at home, she did not like her servants to follow her but walk beside her so she could hold a conversation with them. The English were a lot different than she realised.

She paused and turned to Brimsley, nodding her head for him to walk beside her but he didn't move an inch. "Walk with me, I have questions."

"That is not how it is done, Your Highness." He answered.

"What do you mean?" She asked, stepping closer to him.

"Well, you walk there and I walk back here, Your Highness." He explained.

"You cannot walk with me?"

"I am always with you, Your Highness, five paces behind."

She sighed. "Five paces behind?"

"Five paces behind."

"Always?"

"Always, Your Highness."

She began to grow annoyed. "You are always there, behind me, just...all the time?"

He nodded. "Whenever you need me, Your Highness."

"Brimsley, correct?"

He nodded once again. "Yes, Your Highness."

She was still growing annoyed and constantly being called Your Highness was becoming the worse words she had ever heard. "Tell me about the King."

"He is the King, Your Highness." He answered. She raised her brows, waiting for him to continue and after a moment of silence, he did. "He is the ruler of Great Britain and Ireland and the colonies, Your Highness. He had been Monarch since October last with the death of his grandfather-"

"Brimsley, you have told me he is the King, he is the ruler and he is the Monarch. Those are all the same things, are they not?"

"They are all facts, Your Highness." He nodded before taking his place, five paces behind her.

They arrived to the room and the seamstresses all bowed to her as she entered, almost immediately, they had her dress into a half made gown to they could then make adjustments. Augusta was correct when she said the gown would be simple, but she was not expecting it to be so plain. The dress looked like it was made from all one colour.

"Is he handsome?" Antonia questioned, hoping for someone to respond. "Is he kind? Is he funny? Is he warm? Well-read? Artistic? Athletic?"

"We can discuss the order of the matrimonial ceremony, Your Highness." Brimsley spoke.

"Is he ugly? Perhaps deformed in some way because beauty is inside. Whether he is handsome or ugly, he is a good man? A good man I can deal with." She continued.

Brimsley sighed under his breath. "The Archbishop sent over some verses for Your Highness-"

"Is he dull? Not very smart? Mentally slow?" She questioned. "I can help him with those. Someone can tell and be honest with me. Is he cruel?"

The maid she had turned to just stared up at her. "You are going to have wonderful children together, Your Highness."

Antonia turned her attention back to Brimsley. "You said you were always going to be with me."

"Yes, Your Highness, you need never worry. I shall be here."

"I need to use the chamber pot, are you with me for that too?" The gears were moving in her mind as she thought of a possible plan to escape the arranged marriage.

Brimsley's eyes widened. "Withdraw. Her Royal Highness requires privacy."

Everyone left the room. Antonia was now alone for the first time since she arrived. She stared at herself in the mirror, wearing the English gown that seemed very out of place on her. She was not happy and would never be happy if she did not leave. Everything she had planned for herself, her future, had been changed and she was not pleased.

The young Princess silently left the room, wandering around the empty hallways of the palace. She stared at the portraits of previous rulers and their families, the carpeted floor and the large windows. Out of one window she saw a garden, gardens had always been her haven. So, she walked along the floors until she made it outside and to the garden, where she continued to wander.

She stopped in front of flowers, trimmed hedges and her favourite, lavender. She smiled for the first time since she arrived in England. But as she continued, she found herself at the brick wall of the garden and her mind snapped back to the reality of her life.

Antonia was about to be married to a man she had never met and someone people refused to tell her about and it was against her true wishes.

She stared at the tree that climbed the wall and a thought came to mind.

"I can go over that wall."