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13 stories
The Sun and Moon and Stars by VEGraham
VEGraham
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When Frances Barrett accepts a position of housekeeper, nanny, and nurse to the Fellowes family, she believes that it will be simply a stepping stone to get over a personal tragedy. But as she cares for the ailing Helena Fellowes and her three children, she finds herself drawn into the family dynamics. A mother lies dying of consumption, bitterness building against her husband. A father struggles with inner demons while filling his children's heads with fantasies and dreams. And three children are caught in the middle of a feud without even knowing it. All they do is listen to their father's stories and the wedge is driven deeper. The longer Frances stays, the more she sees of the pain behind the father's stories and the sadness and fear the mother faces, not of dying but of leaving her children with their father. What Frances had hoped would only be a few months of mind-numbing domestic work turns into a time of discovery, war, love, and tragedy. Copyright © 2014 Veronica Graham. All rights reserved.
Of Fairytales and Happy Endings by cradle_life
cradle_life
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What makes a good fairytale? Catrin Llewelyn believes in fairytales, Beatrice Morton does not. And yet in many ways their life resembles one. Stepsisters living together on a manor, Catrin is shunned by her stepmother, while Beatrice is doted on and adored. Only the rules of the classical fairy tales are rather broken, for Beatrice cannot stand her mother's attentions and Catrin is devoted to her stepsister and only friend. When the Duke of Denster hosts a ball in honor of his son's birthday, the new Mrs. Llewelyn decides to try and match make Beatrice with the Denster heir. There is one slight problem. Beatrice has long decided to find her own love, without the help of mothers and balls. So with the help of her godmother she comes up with a scheme that will take Catrin to the Masquerade ball in her place. Will Beatrice be able to give her mother the slip? Will Catrin be able pull off the disguise? And what happens after the ball is over? Does everything go back to normal? Or could there be more to the story than either of the stepsisters ever imagined? Of Fairytales and Happy Endings is a story set in Wales during the Regency Era. Fairytale meets history and fact meets fiction as the two stepsisters set out on a journey to discover just what is it about the fairy tales that always seems to give them happy endings.
The Rose Necklace  by cjw226
cjw226
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A "Beauty and the Beast" retelling. Once upon a time, there was a boy in love with a Lilly. Not a flower, but a girl. It all started one beautiful autumn day. One autumn day that would change the boy's life forever. For on this day, he met Lilly, a beautiful girl with an ugly secret. A secret that threatens to destroy her if she cannot find a way to break the curse forced upon her. Filled with secrets, lies, and love, this short story captures the essence of the original fairy tale with an entirely new twist. ~~~ "Hello, my name is Lilly. What's yours? Is that your mother? I only just came to live here with Ivy, and I don't know many people that come to visit her yet. Do you come often? If you do, we could be friends! Would you like that? To be friends? Why, don't you speak at all? And you should really close your mouth; it is impolite to stare like that." Ivy called out to her from the doorway of the cottage. "Lilly, if you want him to speak, you must first cease speaking." Both of the women were laughing at the children, and Lilly blushed at the comment. "Sorry! I just haven't seen anyone my age yet, and I got excited, which happens rather easily. It reminds me a bit of puppies I've read about that just get so excited that they- oops. I'm doing it again. Sorry," she said with a shy smile. Adam, who had been standing there staring, just as she had pointed out, finally found his voice long enough to tell her his name. She beamed at him, saying that they would be great friends. She seized his hand and began tugging him toward the woods behind the cottage, shouting to Ivy and his mother, "We won't go far! Be back soon!" ~~~
The Noble Life by welshfoxglove
welshfoxglove
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The gowns, the dinners, the dashing young gentlemen ... every young lady dreams of experiencing a taste of life amongst the nobility. For Catherine Taylor, the dream becomes a reality when she is invited by her uncle Sir William Cavendish to stay with him and his family in their charming village of Barnbury. Four weeks of fine parties and even finer society, all in the idyllic Somerset countryside - there surely could be nothing more enjoyable. However, life in Barnbury is not quite as Catherine expected. Between the wild Viscount Russell, his flirtatious sister and the rude Professor Lawes, tension mounts and sparks fly between the younger members of society, as Catherine begins to realise that the noble life might not be quite so 'noble' after all. #24 in Historical Fiction on 28/04/16.
The Season (Season Series #1) by MissKatey
MissKatey
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**Only the bonus chapter is paid, the rest of the story is (and will stay) free!!** Libby Marks-Whelan is decidedly not a lady. Kicked out of nearly every finishing school in the country, she's shocked when her demure, straight-laced cousin Ella invites her to the royal court as attendant during her debutante season. What Ella fails to realize, however, is that Libby's brand of mischief is exactly the kind of distraction Prince Andrew is looking for during his inaugural season as an eligible bachelor. Cover designed by Adam Budny
The Debutante (Season Series #2) by MissKatey
MissKatey
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***2016 WATTY AWARD WINNER - VORACIOUS READS*** WINNER OF THE FICTION AWARDS 2016 - HISTORICAL FICTION Against all odds, Libby Marks-Whelan is back at court - and no longer confined to the service corridors as a lady-in-waiting. With the start of the new Winter Season, however, the competition for a crown just got a lot fiercer. Now that there are two princes searching for wives, Libby struggles not just against the other debutantes but also against the monotony of court life in her new position. With the queen's disapproval aimed squarely in her direction, will she weather the storm to win her prince? ***Please note that this story is the sequel to The Season. Since there are many characters, backstories, and subplots that I won't be able to fully explain in the first few chapters, I strongly recommend you read The Season first!***
Her own way by KittiCat
KittiCat
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War. One act of violence tore families apart and sent royalty into hiding. Fleeing from the burning ruins of her home, Princess Katrina and her mother are forced into hiding, leaving behind all that they knew only for it to be taken away again. Left alone and afraid, an incident forces the very young princess to lose her memories and forget all about who she is and where she belongs. Discovered by a woodsman and his son, she becomes a member of the family. Raised with love and care, she yearns to run free in the forest until one day men come searching for the lost princess. An attack on her family sends her deep into the forest where all her troubles seem to begin. Now she is trying desperately to get back to where she belongs. She will encounter many difficulties but no matter what she keeps trying to be true to herself and find her own way home. ***A/N*** I did have a different description, and tags. Not sure how but they vanished and so here is the new description... All of this story is my own work, stemming from a short story I wrote for a fb game competition back in 2011 which is the only story that should have similarities! Some chapters have had a little editing done but most are still in their original form. (completed 10/01/2016) Copyright - all rights reserved Please feel free to comment, leave feedback etc, it's greatly appreciated!
The Nightingale of St. Petersburg by cradle_life
cradle_life
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His life consists of balls and parties, though he neither dances nor makes merry. Blind from birth, he forks out a humble living by playing music to the happy participants. By chance he hears her sing and is captivated by her song, but try as he might, he cannot get her to reveal her identity, and with his sight taken from him, all he can do is listen to her voice, wondering all the while if she is truly human, or merely a figment of his imagination. Who is she really and what could her great secret be, causing her to hide from him and the rest of the city?
Seize the Day by AbbyJewett
AbbyJewett
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** Winner of the 2014 Wattys Instant Addiction Award ** Book 1 of the SEIZE THE DAY series In a world of magic and chaos, seventeen-year-old Lannie Brackenbury has only ever wanted to be alone in Aria. Two years after her mother's death, Lannie has finally found a place in the world where she can live peacefully. But when she is forced to tutor at Aria's castle and encounters the infuriating Prince Titus, her life takes a turn for the worse. Unwillingly forced into a realm of pompous Royals and unpredictable magic, Lannie must survive murderous naiads, man-eating water horses, and the antics of a prince who can't seem to leave her alone. But when Lannie discovers that someone is out to destroy the royal family, she must do everything in her power to uncover the truth before it's too late. Even if it means sacrificing all that she has ever known.