Obsession

Obsession Chapter 1:

Garnet's POV:

"Annnddd 1, 2, 3 and 1, 2, 3." The booming voice of Mrs Hudington, my family's tutor for all intents and purposes, echoes throughout the ball room. I've always enjoyed dancing but my sister Hadley is a different story.

I watch her as she twirls around the room, I want to say gracefully but it's more like watching an elephant try to dance. I grimace as one foot moves in front of the other as a sea of light blue silk crumbles to the floor.

As my friends start to laugh at my younger sister's misfortune, I send them a death glare, immediately silencing them. I lift myself off my seat and walk towards Hadley. I bend down so that I am the same height as her and hold out my hand for her to take.

"Come on, I think that's enough dancing for one day." She nods her head in agreement as I lead her out of the room, towards the garden, by her hand.

Linking arms, we walk through my favourite part of the garden. For my 16th birthday my mother planted a garden of roses all different colours; pink, white, red. My personal favourite are the white ones. In the centre of the garden is a beautiful fountain I have admired most days when I come down here to seek privacy.  I barely ever allow my sister to join me in my garden and so it brings me happiness to see a slight skip in her step when she realises where we are heading.

As we round the corner her excitement is too much for her and she grabs my hand dragging me towards the fountain. "Hadley, slow down you're going to fall over." Despite being worried for her, I can't help but laugh at how excitable she is.

When we reach the fountain I start spinning her round and round. "I thought you said no more dancing."

"You're terrible, you need practice." She glares at me and holds on to both of my hands, spinning us both faster and faster.

"Hadley, stop!"

Of course she does not stop and I start to panic.

"HADLEY!"

She laughs, her hair flying back in the wind. "Calm down. Nothing is going to happen."

Little did she know.

First my feet went from under me, then a loud splash sounded and you could hear my sister's laughter echoing throughout the garden.

Drenched. Head to toe, I watched in terror as a small green figure swam close to me. It crawled up my face and then, to my disbelief it, licked it.

"EWWWWWW!" I screeched and, as fast as lightning, I stood up trying to get the taste of frog out of my mouth.

"Garnet," I looked at my sister with a mixture of anger and confusion.

"You're a princess." Now mainly confusion.

"I'm not a princess Hadley, never have been, never will be."

"But you were kissed by a frog?" I smirked at her and she started to look scared. Still drenched and standing inside a filthy fountain I made my way towards my sister.

"No G. Don't do it." At that moment I grab her waist and pull her under the water.

I release her and she stands up in fury. She spits out water and I bend over laughing.

"Oh, is this funny to you?"

"Yes, yes it is."

Suddenly the sound of a carriage reaches our ears. Forgetting about our appearances, we automatically run to greet the new guests.

We reach the front of our large Manor House just as the carriage pulls up by our front door.

I stand by the steps with Hadley next to me as the door to the carriage opens. Shocked I recognise the Royal crest and fall into a deep curtsy. However Hadley literally falls...

I swear she will be the death of me.

"Are you Lady Blackwood?" A tall man walks up to me. He is not wearing any crown so he must be an adviser or one of the kings servants due to the disapproval written across his face.

It's then that I remember that I'm soaked in water and my sister is on the floor.

"Lady Blackwood is inside sir. Allow me to show you the way." Hadley looks at me, confused, but I look at her to just go with it.

When we enter the large hall I spot my mother walking out of our private parlour. When she sees me she gestures for me to come closer.

"Go fetch myself and my guest some refreshments." When I stand still and don't move she looks at me confusedly.

"Well, off you go. Hurry up." It takes her a couple more seconds to realise that I'm not a servant and I am in fact her daughter.

She tells her guest to go inside the parlour to wait for her and then she rushes over to me.

"Garnet, goodness gracious what have you been doing? You look like a drowned rat. You're the daughter of the richest family in the country and your parading around soaking wet." I hang my head low as I listen to my mothers words.

"Yes Mother. I'm sorry, Mother. I will do better next time." The response, wired in my head after years of practice and many scoldings, flows effortlessly from my tongue.

I walk upstairs to change and hear a loud sigh coming from my mother. She calls for another servant and asks her to go fetch refreshments. As the servant passes, I whisper my thanks to the girl.

After 30 minutes, I'm dry and dressed in a floaty light blue dress. I decide after much thought to join my mother downstairs.

As I enter the large room both my mother and her guest stand up to greet me. Of course my father isn't here...he never is.

When I see the large smile plastered on her face I start to get scared. My mother never smiles. Ever. Then to make me start screaming danger danger she clasps my hands in her own as we sit down on our lavish sofa together.

"Darling." She says placing her hand on my cheek. "I have an announcement to make."

Why didn't I stay upstairs?