Prologue Two - Adriana Gervais - 19 yrs old

Ana was too tired right now to fight and if this Count was coming with multiple eligible sons, her mother would insist, she be there. “I just got back from a training session, a rather long one, and now you want me to rush around to get ready for a dinner with yet more strangers who couldn’t be bothers to come to a party you set for a week ago? Oh right, he wants to impress our father for some favour, doesn’t he? So now we have to trot out looking all cute and fake to play host to his sons, too.”

“Adriana, you might not be in a hurry to find a decent life partner, but I’m more than ready. Now stop being a bitter old maid and chop chop. Get a move on, father doesn’t have to allow Count Saint Germane this time, and if you dare to embarrass us this time, I won’t protect you from father’s wrath.” Tatiana’s nasally voice penetrated the bathroom through the open door. It was an annoying experience, being unable to get any privacy whatsoever when changing.

“Of course, mother claims they are coming to honour my birthday belatedly, but it’s really to see if they can find you a suitable consort and my birthday is just an excuse to interact with his sons.” Ana sighed.

It never stopped. There was no way Ana could count the ways her mother tried to palm off her sisters to perfect strangers. Did Ana really try to mess with her efforts? No, she didn’t. Her sisters were pretty, but her mother was blind to their failings.            

Ana couldn’t care less about making an advantageous match, because the throne would never be hers and her parents knew that. They acknowledge it every time they failed to teach her the things they forced her sisters to learn. They didn’t see how they left her out of things, and she’d been left on her own over the years. This was a waste of Ana’s time. Her mother would choose who sat with each of them. She knew she’d end up with the remaining or unwanted son, the least attractive, the one with the least prospects. That was her lot in life.

“Oh, and we must hurry. Your father wants to meet with you before they arrive and speak to you about something very important. I want you to go speak to him nicely and sweetly. You’ll accept whatever he gives you with a gracious smile and thank him.” Lolita ignored the fact that Tatiana said anything. She didn’t deny anything Tatiana said, which spoke volumes to Ana. “Now there are three sons, and your father has selected which one will accompany you this evening.”

“This evening! I thought it was just dinner! Mother, I have plans tonight. I can’t be entertaining some overly entitled featherbrained nincompoop.”

“Dionysius? Where do you have to be tonight? Who’s waiting for you?” Tatiana questioned her sister’s excuses. But Ana knew Tatiana was correct. Dionysius was not one of those courtiers who did anything with just anyone. She was too sweet by nature. It was why their father forced her to maintain a bodyguard at court as well, because he feared she’d be taken advantage of.

“That’s none of your business, Tatiana. Geez, don’t you have someone to blackmail to keep yourself entertained? Just stay out of my business.” Ana could hear her pout all the way in a different room. She’d almost finished bathing and was drying off with the help of Mary.

“Fine, I’ll dress and go see, father. Where is he? In his study as usual? Or will be in the throne room?”

“I believe he’s going over petitions most of this afternoon. Signing the documents in his study. Mary, I believe Adriana should wear her hair down right now. She’s not engaged in any young man’s attentions yet.” There it was, the subtle dig at her lack of a romantic attachment. Her mother couldn’t leave it alone.

“Mother, I don’t need to rush into anything to regret it for the rest of my life. I don’t need to be ready to take over any responsibilities of the throne. So, all I want to do is concentrate on developing a career that will fulfil me. Is that really so hard to understand? My finding a life partner that will be advantageous for the family is really not a flex as you believe it will be. No man wants me as a prospect if my sisters are available. I’m not even a placeholder.” Ana was correct, and that’s how it truly went.

The decent candidates didn’t pay her a glance and went straight for Tatiana and Dionysius.

“Mary, it’s okay. I can do it.” She just had too much hair, and Mary always struggled with putting it up in any fashion that would stay for more than half an hour. Her hair never held a curl. It escaped the pins and was just annoying. She hated it and always wanted to cut it all off. Keeping it down like her mother wanted wasn’t any better choice, either. It got into everything. Which was no end of embarrassment for Ana.

Ana looked at the dress and sighed. She hated these things. They were heavy and got in the way. Ana preferred clothing you didn’t have to carry around with you or think about when you moved. The lace was a major annoyance. Silk and satin were cold. She could go on for hours about how unrealistic her shoes were as well. Give her something that protected her ankle, that made her feel grounded.

By now Mary was tucking her Doc Marten’s away in her closet. Those were her favourite and if she could wear them every hour of every day, she would.

“Fine, I think I’m ready. I’ll see you at dinner.”

“You need to finish your face.” Lolita protested when Ana tried to leave the room with no makeup on.”

“Mother, my face is finished. This is it. Anything you put on it will detract from that. It’s not like anyone will notice. I thought the primary goal was to use my birthday as an excuse to trot these two out to prospective suitors.”

“All of you. If I can see all of you with life partners, I will have done my job as your mother.” Ana resisted, reminding her she’d failed at all the rest. They’d been raised by nannies and tutors, not her mother.