𝐓𝐎 𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐎 𝐇𝐎𝐋𝐃

𝖠𝖭 𝖤𝖬𝖤𝖱𝖠𝖫𝖣𝖲 𝖣𝖤𝖫𝖨𝖦𝖧𝖳

✰

"𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄 𝐌𝐀𝐊𝐄 𝐇𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐔𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐈𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐑𝐘." Anastasia ordered the servants from below the ladders as they vigorously cleaned the shelves and books.

Since the sun rose she had been awake, before her mother and only when she was certain the servants were too awake she began the clean. Anastasia wanted to be prepared for when Miss Eloise would come, she had the shrubbery clipped and the grass lawned with the animals well fed and their pens cleaned out. Every ornament left sparkling and the library was certainly her most important room for tonight.

Anastasia had several dresses thrown across the room, she couldn't decide what to wear and now the stress of inviting someone into her home was starting to show.

"Brimsley, does purple make me look pregnant?" She asked as she rounded the changing cover and turned to face him whilst running a hand over her stomach, looking in the mirror.

Brimsley sighed, the sea of questions and criticism to her own body had been endless, does this colour suit me? Does this make my hair look flat? Does this take away shape?

And he responded every time with, "no, no your highness, you look like perfection."

She was quiet for a minute longer than usual and the maids, who managed to work a sweat from fastening up the lace down her back and Brimsely looked hopeful. Until she huffed and rounded the corner again making them groan internally.

The Queen was wondering round the castle but seen her staff running up and down the corridor with dust buckets in hand. Her and her ladies behind her looked in confusion, Charlotte had a feeling her daughter was involved. And only when she heard a screechy scream come from her door did she open it in haste.

"Anastasia?"

"It's perfect," she told them all giddily and turned to the Queen, "hello, mother isn't it a wondrous day." Anastasia grinned before the maids hurriedly put all of the other dresses back in her wardrobes, not wanting her to change her mind.

The gown she had chosen was a dark, velvet green that was far more slimming than more traditional dresses from England. She had acquired it from Russia, in which had the most remarkable soirées and seemed to love the princess dearly.

"Oh? And why is it such a wondrous day?" She looked to Brimsley who just shrugged with his lips upturned whilst Anastasia added all of her jewellery.

"Because," Anastasia paused for a moment as she slipped a bracelet on her wrist, "both of the seasons gems are attending the palace."

"I see," the Queen arched an eyebrow as she seen something unusual on her daughters vanity, "and are you planning to gift that to Miss Edwina and Miss Eloise?"

Anastasia awkwardly turned to the silver necklace with several diamonds and a large emerald with two, small silver lions at either side. She shut the case it rested in and picked it up, holding it delicately in her hands before walking past her mother.

"Just, Miss Eloise."

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐄𝐋𝐎𝐈𝐒𝐄𝐒'𝐒 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐀𝐆𝐄 𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐃 𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐈𝐃𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐀𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐄, 𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐀 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄, 𝐁𝐄𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐄𝐍 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐄. Though, as Eloise stepped out the carriage Anastasia felt the breath squeezed from her lungs.