Arranged: A Future Decided

Denmark

Aarhus, April 14th, 2018.

Eva looked at the stacks of boxes in front of her. With a deep sigh, she ran her hand through her hair before turning to Vallea who was standing behind her.

"Let's start with my clothes. From there it'll go books, pictures, linens, then smaller personal possessions. And the box covered in satin isn't to be opened, it can go in my closet for now. Understood?" She told Vallea.

"Very good Signorina. I'll see to it at once," She said with a nod before Eva walked away. 

Eva walked around trying to familiarise herself with her new home. Marselisborg Palace was decent sized but was dwarfed compared to Pulchritudo. 'I left Pulchritudo six hours ago, and I'm already homesick," She thought as she sat on the steps of one of the staircases.

"Hej?" Came a soft voice and Eva looked up brushing the tears from her cheeks. 

"Hej," She replied mustering a small smile. 

"Josie! Come here," Said Mary as she walked over taking Josephine's hand before noticing Eva,"Oh honey!" she said squatting down next to Eva.

"Just a little homesick," She replied as Mary placed a comforting hand on Eva's knee. 

"Oh honey, that's completely understandable. I was homesick when I first moved here too," Mary assured her before hugging her.

"Thank you. Well, I should go finish overseeing the unpacking before I go to Copenhagen on the 16th," Eva said standing up.

"Of course. And please, don't be afraid to ask for anything. This is your home also," Mary said before hugging Eva.

"Thank you again. You've been so kind to me," 

"I was once an outsider here also. All of us wives have been," Mary said before taking Josephine's hand and walking away. 

Eva nodded and headed back up to, well what was now both her's and Nikolai's sitting room, where all of her boxes were. Hearing footsteps Vallea looked up from the jeans she was getting from a box. 

"Do you know what I have going on tomorrow?" Eva asked as she wrung her hands.

"Yes, Victoria is arriving in the morning along with Kennedy. At noon you have an interview with BT  then at one o'clock Alessandra Rinaudo will be over to do a fitting, which will end at two thirty. Kathy, Charlotte, and Genevive will arrive at three," Vallea recited and Eva nodded.

"Thank you," Eva said before going into the adjacent bedroom.

She sat down on the bed running her hands along the blue and green striped comforter. 'I'm so re-doing this when I get married!' She thought as she laid back.

She looked around the room taking in all the signs of Nikolai's personality. There was a synthesizer near the windows, a desk which must be for his laptop, a bookshelf was on another one of the walls. 

Noticing the books Eva got up crossing to the bookshelf she crouched down and tilted her head to read the titles. The Harry Potter Series, The Hobbit or There And Back Again, The Lord Of The Rings, The Bone books. Smiling at the childlike selection she sat down and pulled out Bone: Tall Tales and fingering through the pages. She sighed settling against the wall as she started to read. Time passed quickly as she reread the familiar stories printed on the pages. 

"Signorina Eva? Oh, there you are! I should've known I would find you reading," Vallea said with a smile looking down at Eva who didn't even look up. 

Eva made a low grunt in acknowledgment as she continued reading the last ten pages she had.

"Well, I've been sent to tell you that dinner is ready for you downstairs," Vallea said and Eva finally looked up.

"What time is it?" Eva asked getting up as her knees and back creaked and cracked. 

"About 7:30 ma'am," Vallea said stepping out of Eva's way.

"Oh, okay, I'll be down in a minute," Eva said as Vallea nodded and left. 

Aarhus, April 15th, 2018

Eva rolled over away from the light pouring in through the curtains. 

"Oh, good you're up," Vallea said walking in and setting down a fresh glass of water.

"What time is it?" Eva asked groggily as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"A quarter past eleven, Signorina," Vallea said as she went about prepping Eva's outfit for the day.

"Shit. You should have woken me earlier," Eva mumbled as she sipped the water.

"You were very tired and you have a busy day today," the lady's maid replied.

Eva grunted as she set the glass down and stood up. She looked around at the bedroom with a sigh. "Is breakfast ready?" She asked as she stood up and pulled off her sleeping shirt.

"Soon. I told them to get it started before I came up to wake you," Vallea replied as she handed Eva her bra. 

 Before Eva even knew it Victoria and Kennedy had arrived and Eva was standing in her closet as Vallea helped her get ready for her interview at noon. Eva sat there going through Instagram posts liking as she went. She stopped when she reached a post about Prince Nikolai.

There was a picture of him walking out of a private tailors shop that specialized in suits and tuxedos. The caption read 'H.H Prince Nikolai of Denmark was spotted for the first time since his engagement was announced. He appeared to be preparing for the coming wedding by getting his tuxedo custom made'. 

"So this is really happening..." Eva mumbled as she dropped her hands into her lap.

"Let me see," Victoria and Kennedy said in unison leaning forward. 

Eva leaned forward towards them showing them the post on her phone.

"Hold still," Vallea remarked as best she could while holding bobby pins in her mouth as her hands worked on Eva's hair.

Eva straightened up as Vallea started pinning the two braids together so they formed a flower design on the back right side of her head. 

"He's had a major glo-up. You never told us he was hotter than Zac Efron," Kennedy said with a smile.

"I didn't know he was," Eva mumbled past the towel pressed to her face as Vallea covered her head in hairspray.

"Definitely," Victoria said looking at the post again.

"Hmph," Eva said as she removed the towel and Vallea applied some blush and Eva's favorite Maybelline Matte Lipstain. 

"All set. Now, remember don't drink anything for a few minutes. You gotta let the stain dry," Vallea reminded Eva and she nodded.

"Shall we go down and wait?" Victoria asked standing up and handing Eva her phone back.

They walked downstairs and settled into one of the private sitting rooms that was connected to the 'garden' parlor.

"Nervous?" Kennedy asked with a smile.

"A bit. But, I suppose I'll have to get used to it," Eva remarked with a smirk.

"Miss D'Abruzzio? They're ready for you," Said the royal family's media director from the door.

Eva stood up and walked to the door. She smoothed her dress and the woman smiled at her.

"Ready?" She asked.

Eva nodded, "Let's do this."

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