↪ ❝ you were warmth on a snowy day ❞ { tryout }

[f1owercrown]

trying out for this girl.

username;;
f1owercrown

name;;
Francoise
(french; meaning "free one")

author's note:
Sorry, this was initially
supposed to be short,
but this and that ha-
ppened and suddenly
the words just came
pouring out lol. ; v;

Anyway, I hope y'all
enjoy this little bit
of story, regardless
whether I win or not!
<3

[f1owercrown]

This is a boy-meets-girl story; however, it shall be noted that on no occasion is this a love story.

Ever since she was a child, Francoise was the apple of everyone's eyes. Delicate and graceful: she was the epitome of these. Nothing ever given to her was sub par; her family was wealthy, after all. Well-respected and well-known, her family treated these blessings with care. They also treated Francoise as their utmost treasure, like a jeweled possession locked behind glass in a history museum. She was told what to wear, what to say, what to do, and who to talk to, and who to be. She couldn't complain; she was given food and shelter, and she supposed not complaining was the least she could do to show her gratitude.

The daughter of a wealthy family should at least invest her time in something to keep her status in check, so they thought Francoise would be suited as an ice skater. Her family reserved the ice rink to herself for her lessons whenever she practiced, and she practiced at dusk with a renowned ice skater teaching her. Although she wasn't a natural at skating at first, she gradually got better with practice. Practice was everyday for months; it took great effort to balance her academics and extra curricular activities, and Francoise did just that, as expected of her. She had also taken a liking to her teacher quickly, who wore black sweaters and a different plaid scarf every day per week. He was a well-off man, and shared many stories with the little girl.

Of course, it was inevitable that one day he could come into the picture.

[f1owercrown]

A cold air on a frosty December day greeted her as he walked into the rink, her eyes completely missing her teacher who had walked in prior. He didn't seem to be from around the area, yet it felt as if she'd sought him for a long time. Unfamiliar and curious, she had wanted to look annoyed for her teacher bringing in a stranger, but her whole self was at a blank standstill. If she was the epitome of grace and delicacy, he was the epitome of beauty and elegance. He looked like any other suitor she's been introduced to, yet he seemed so different still it was mind-boggling. Only cold breaths exuded from her lips, unable to form the right words to say. She had been guarded her whole life within the walls of her castle, but on that day her defenses all came crumbling down.

"This is my nephew, Charlemagne."

Her mother had told her not to communicate to strangers, so she responded with silence. It wasn't like she had composed herself anyway.

"His family is staying with mine in town over the winter break," her teacher explained, "And he was curious about my side-job as a teacher, so I brought him here. I hope you don't mind; if you do, let me know princess, and I shall bring him here no more."

Francoise realized she had been spacing out for too long, and responded in a quaint manner, "It is fine, I shall tell none of this to my family, as not to alarm them." Her gaze then shifted towards Charlemagne, to which she seemed to glare at.

For the duration of her practice, Charlemagne had been in the benches, fascinated by the movements of the only two people skating in the rink. At times, in the corner of her eye, Francoise would see him watching her, and that made her more conscious of her movements. She more frequently imbalanced herself, causing her to slip on the ice instead of glide, and this made Charlemagne giggle.

During break time that session, Francoise approached Charlemagne with a less appreciating manner than when he first came into the room.

"And what is so funny, Monsieur?"

"Nothing, I said nothing was hilarious, your highness."

"In the corner of my eye I saw you laughing. Do not play with me. Very disrespectful, if I must say."

"You're just like what I imagined! Posh yet privileged. It's a pleasure to meet you, my queen."

"Privileged, by golly! I am in no way privileged! Honestly, I wasn't even supposed to talk to strangers like you, but be glad that I've given you my two cents just by acknowledging your presence."

"Princess, your wealthy class status is already a privilege. I'm but a humble chimney sweeper who has more of time reading the dictionary and amusing myself watching other wealthy people than going to school. I'm just glad my uncle invited us to stay here over the holidays. I'm in no position to fight, however, so tut tut. Your teacher is calling you back."

For the rest of that day's session, Francoise had pondered over his words, deep in thought with the fact that someone, for once in her life, talked back at her. What she had thought was the epitome of grace and beauty was still there despite him acting towards her so, and it made her all the more curious. How could someone of a lower status disrespect her like that, yet still make her think he was just as classy as she was?

After her lessons had ended and they were packing up to leave, Francoise approached Charlemagne once more, but in a lighter tone than earlier. As if he had expected the situation, Charlemagne laughed it off.

"Wh... what is a chimney sweeper?" She asked, her delicate voice filled with hesitation and embarrassment.

"You don't know? We sweep chimneys, if that wasn't obvious. I think there was children's movie with singing chimney sweepers, I thought you'd watch that already."

"I-- I'm not a fan of movies." She stated. "Do you, like, go into people's houses and sweep their fireplace too, or...?"

"Oh my golly, this is certainly amusing me. What a shift in tone! And here I thought you were going to keep your rich kid facade up longer. You have a lot to learn, Mademoiselle." He winked, nudging her arm.

"P-- Please do not touch me!"

It was the start of a new, budding friendship.

[f1owercrown]

Whether it was fated or accidental that the two met, it paved way for the growth of a new relationship. Where Charlemagne lacked in wealth, he made up with experience. It was these experiences which fascinated Francoise, like a child sitting by the fireplace listening to a reading of a children's fantasy book. There was a world outside her castle walls she was extremely unfamiliar with, for she was cooped up in her tower already well-fed and taken care of. Francoise's family knew not of Charlemagne, as she was instructed not to talk with those who are not of the same status as she was in order to protect her from knowing the reality of the outside world. But she wanted to be a princess no more; her heart yearned to know what was out there.

These stories drew the two closer in no time at all, and every day Charlemagne made it habit to watch Francoise during her practices. They would continuously talk during before and after her lessons, and even during her break time. Her teacher had been amused that his student and nephew were getting along so well, he hated to interrupt whatever the two had going. Of course, although some people who'd seen them initially thought they had something going, the two denied all accounts of romantic ties. A boy and a girl could become best friends, after all. They didn't need romance.

One day after practice, the conversation came up where they talked about Francoise's upcoming ice skating competition, the first she'll be attending.

"I am nervous for the competition, definitely!" Francoise said, her knees trembling. "I cannot deny that the other competitors scare me..."

"No need to be scared, princess; I've seen you practice multiple times, you'll do swell, I'm sure." He nudged her, just as he did on multiple occasions.

"You are just saying that as an obligation because you are my best friend."

"Am not! ...I mean, about the obligation part, not the best friend part."

"I understood you the first time around, Monsieur," her voice a mocking tone. "Anyway, they gave me the date of the competition; it is on the evening of January 8th, a week from New Year's. Personally, I wanted to have the date moved because I felt it was too close to New Year's, but I heard the organizer is strict about sudden changes."

"Oh, well th-- say what now?"

"The organizer is a very strict man."

"No, the other one."

"What, the date of the competition? It's January 8."

Charlemagne suddenly became silent, seemingly pondering about something. It took Francoise a good minute before realizing he had spaced out of their conversation.

"Is something the matter?"

Charlemagne quickly snapped out of his trance, startling the lady. "Oh, it's nothing, I'm sorry. I was just thinking what was for dinner tonight."

Francoise tilted her head, a sign of confusion. "You told me earlier, it was lamb chops, wasn't it?"

"Oh."

They sat in awkward silence.

"I'm leaving on the evening of January 8th," said he, finally. "The same time as your competition. I know I promised to watch so many times, but, ah..."

Another silence, it was as if one could hear a pin needle dropped on the floor.

"It is fine, you did say you were merely here on a vacation, am I correct?" Francoise said, a little out-of-tone. "I cannot make you stay any longer when you are needed out there elsewhere. Besides, you've watched me plentiful of times, and I believe that will suffice for your entertainment."

"But--"

"I shall be fine, I promise!"

The two once again shared silence, this time gazing at each other.

"I promise." She once again reassured.

They never spoke about the competition for the duration of the day, or the remaining skating lessons to follow.

[f1owercrown]

Francoise had been crying the night before her competition; she was a very emotional being, after all. Who she was and who her family wanted her to be were two different things, and she didn't want to let anyone down, of course. The pressure had been building up inside of her the moment they signed her up into the competition even without her consent in the first place. Although it was never explicitly stated, she was expected to top and take home the gold, considering their status and reputation as a family. She was carrying their name, and all glory and defeat defined that name. She was ever grateful they were confident in her skills, but was she even confident in herself? Doubts cast that night said otherwise.

There was also the issue of Charlemagne -- she had been putting off all thoughts of him ever since that last incident. It's not like she could've done anything in the first place; the circumstances were just not right for the both of them. He was her comfort away from the comforts of her home, and knowing he watched her as she skated motivated her into performing better. His presence relieved her from the anxiety of expectations, like a soft light parting from the darkness of the audience. Charlemagne had always told her she was good enough, and that he never thought of her any less the moment they first met. Reassurance and support were what she needed, and Charlemagne gave her just that. Without him during the moment where she needed him the most, Francoise was terrified.

In her moment of sorrows she heard three knocks on her door, and quickly wiped her eyes with her blanket before telling the person to come in. It was her mother.

"Mother...!" Francoise whispered, hoping she would not notice her puffy eyes. "What brings you here?"

Francoise's eyes shifted from her mother's face down to her hands, where lay a pillow carrying a tiara.

"Your father and I wish you the best of luck for tomorrow, but surely you will bring honor to our name," said the mother, hushed in tone. "Of course, your performance would not be complete without dressing up promptly. This tiara is a jeweled silver embedded with blue diamonds; it would look perfect on you. You will outshine the other competitors not just with talent but with class."

It took Francoise some moment to let everything sink in. "Th-- thank you, mother, truly. It is beautiful. I shall wear it tomorrow."

Francoise slept that night with the crown hidden in her cabinet where she could not see it, for it reminded her of all her fear.

The next morning she packed her bags and left for the competition held a few towns up north. When their carriage pulled up in front of the building, she took in a deep breath. Everything was overwhelming, but she was not about to cry today. Seeing her teacher wait up in front eased some tension within her, however she soon realized he was alone, for the first time in a long while. Francoise was used to seeing Charlemagne with him, but on that day her teacher's right hand side was empty.

That day she met with certain family friends, afterwards practicing and preparing for the event. For the whole duration she left her luggage in the locker room unattended, the locker door slightly ajar as she forgot to lock it before leaving.

An hour before the competition she was tasked to rest in order to calm herself down and mentally prepare herself for the competition. As she reached for her water jug inside her back, she noted a large room in her bag that was not there before. Francoise was sure she packed her bag full before leaving, and she realized what was missing, she started fumbling her items until she made a mess in her area of the locker room.

Her tiara was missing.

[f1owercrown]

Francoise was now gasping for the cold air, her hands trembling out of her bag after the realization. It was less than an hour before the competition and she had no time to spare chasing after whoever had gotten or stolen the priced jewelry, but she also had no idea what to do with what little time remained. Her teacher then appeared in the room, his nonchalant walk turning into a sprint as he realized the mess of items on the floor and the look of terror on her face.

"My tiara..." Francoise managed to whisper, looking up to the adult with eyes on the verge of tearing up. "It is missing..."

Her teacher, upon taking in the situation, said to Francoise he would run to the authorities and the guards to report. Before that, he excused himself to make a short phone call. Francoise was now all alone in thought. She calmly picked back up her stuff and packed them in her bag in order to prevent her from further breaking down, as she did last night.

Everything was falling apart, and she could not find any way out of it, no hope of sunlight to break through her clouds of despair. What would her family then think, if she had gone on stage without the silver on her head they bought her for the competition? What would people say when they would see on stage what a mess she's become just because she was careless on that day? It might not seem as big of a deal as other problems, but no one really understood the situation she was in in the first place, or at least tried to ask her how she felt with all this: the competition, her family, her class status, expectations and reality, and many more. She was afraid to stumble and fall one moment, then be be belittled in gossips in the next.

And all of a sudden she remembered Charlemagne.

The memories of him came flooding back to her, like an overwhelming bask of air that soothed her mind for a second. They've become best friends in a short amount of time, and it was no surprise how much he knew of her. She had told him everything, from insecurities and fears, to stories of her childhood and her family. She was always treated with respect as the daughter of a wealthy family, but no one save Charlemagne really understood her beyond her classy image. Many either looked up to her or feared her, but Charlemagne acted otherwise; he treated her as any other, as if their differing class status, one a wealthy daughter and the other a chimney sweeper, never mattered at all in their relationship. He made her alive, rather than some prized possession on a pedestal for display to the public only. He made her realize there was more to life than being told what to do, or be who they wanted her to be. Francoise was a being of her own, and no one should know better about herself than she does.

Mademoiselle.

His voice was echoing in her mind.

Mademoiselle.

For a second, she gazed at the doorway, seeing his image standing there as if he'd come to watch her in the end.

"Mademoiselle, please stop looking at me like that. it gives me the goosebumps."

Francoise jumped out of her seat as she realized Charlemagne was actually standing there by the doorway, waving his hand for her to snap out of her trance. Upon composing herself, Francoise ran over to him and dragged him into the hallway for a talk. She scoffed soon after they faced each other.

"What are you scoffing at me for, princess? You wanted me here, didn't you?" He said, faking a shocked expression.

"What-- you said you were not coming to watch!" She exclaimed, crossing her arms. "Unless you are a liar; then, dear sir, you have broken my trust."

"Woah, woah, no need to jump to conclusions. I wouldn't break your trust, of course, what would I gain from that? I'm actually leaving soonest, so I can't stay for long. I just thought you'd need this."

From his back, he pulled out a flower crown of blue roses, putting out his arms for a moment for her to see before gently placing it on top of her head. Francoise was speechless, and she didn't move for the duration of his actions.

"My uncle called, said he needed a crown for you stat. He said I knew you well to know what you actually wanted to wear, so I thought a little pretty flower crown suited you well. And you liked light blue, didn't you? It's not exactly in your favorite hex color, but I supposed it'll do." He grinned. "Blue roses mean love and prosperity, and I'm pretty sure it's what you need right now. Sorry I can't watch you, your highness, but I hope you'll remember me with that crown."

Francoise all this time been had been gazing at Charlemagne, tears welling from her eyes as he finished speaking.

"You are unbelievable, dear sir," she said, holding back her tears. "First time we met, you mock me, and the last time we meet for a while, you make me cry. How did you get here so fast, anyway?"

"Secret, ain't gonna tell you. Don't worry, I've packed my bags way before, so I'm glad I got to buy more time to see you before I left."

An announcement echoed throughout the building. It was five minutes until the competition started.

"Well, there goes the bell." Charlemagne said. "Don't wanna hold you back longer, you need to get prepared or whatever. I'm rooting for ya."

"Thank you. Be safe on your trip, alright? I will see you again." Without holding back, Francoise threw herself onto Charlemagne and hugged him tightly.

Once they parted, Charlemagne whispered, "You know, I forgot to tell you one more little thing. Have you ever bothered to know what your name means?"

Francoise tilted her head in confusion. "Now that you mentioned it, no, I have not."

"It means 'free one'." Charlemagne said, pausing to let Francoise take it all in before starting again. "I want you to set yourself free from your high tower and live life how you want to live it. No more being told how to do so. Love yourself, and you'll know what it feels like to be yourself regardless of what others would think of you. No need to be high and mighty, princess; you only need to be brave to be free."

Before finally leaving, Charlemagne said, "Good luck Mademoiselle, my little best friend. Do well out there. I may not be able to watch you in the audience, or be with you soon after, but I hope you keep that flower crown to remind you of me every so often."

[f1owercrown]

Whether or not Francoise had bagged first place in the competition that night is of no concern to us, for she took Charlemagne's advice to heart. She skated with joy and with grace, her free spirit gliding across the vast icy terrain; a little bit more and she would've been floating. She proudly wore the blue rose crown, nabbing the attention of the judges and the audience. She did not see their specific reactions, and whether or not her family acted negatively to seeing the bloom of the flowers instead of the shine of the blue diamonds was of no concern to her anymore. Her heart had been set free from the chains in its castle, jumping out into the open and grasping the air of freedom.

It used to be cold without a companion to guide her through, but with the flower crown to remind her of the best friend she once had and still has, Charlemagne became her warmth on a snowy day.


- END -