French Fantasy 1x1 Anna and Echo

[EchoOfShatteredIce]

Callias smiled as he woke up, wrapping his arms tighter around Lucien and snuggling closer. He sighed happily, tracing circles on Lucien's back.

Nadia was confused the moment she woke up, but then remembered what had happened. She was relieved when Delphine didn't seem to be fully awake or was content with the situation, so she relaxed and pulled her closer, running a hand down her back.

"Horse," he said, smiling at Thisbe. She beamed up at the horse, reaching up from where she was sitting to pat it's nose. "Horsie!" she squealed, her words barely comprehendible. She wiggled her feet happily as her father brushed a piece of straw from her hair.

[AnnaCat17]

Lucien smiled happily and poked his head out from under the blankets. "The maids are going to scream when they see the state of your room, your majesty. We have made quite the mess of it , it seems." He teased before kissing his chin.

Delphine smiled as she felt Nadia wake up but not pull away. She gently kissed her shoulder before opening her eyes and looking up at her. "My head hates me for all of the champagne I had. I must tell remind the king that he is supposed to take better care of me."

Gale walked over to them and leaned against the post near them, smirking as he saw their interaction. "I need you to take my sister out on one date. Im willing to pay you for the favor so how much will it cost to get you to do this favor for me?" He asked, already pulling out his wallet, waiting for Ashr to name his price.

[EchoOfShatteredIce]

Callias chuckled, pulling Lucien closer. "We'll have to make sure we're nowhere in sight when they come in, then," he teased, running a hand through Lucien's hair.

Nadia gazed affectionately and happily at her, brushing Delphine's hair out of her face. "Had I known you would be regretting it, I would have watched over you." She was barely joking, because she wanted to be the one to take care of her, not the king.

Ashr snorted in laugher, nearly chocking as he heard him. "Did I just hear you right? You want me to take your sister out on a date?" He laughed, slapping his hand on the side of the horse's stall. Thisbe gazed up at Gale with wide, curious eyes. "If I had the guts to ask her out on a date, I would have already. Frankly, I think she's not fond of me at all. But why the sudden offer? Why do you want me to take her out?"

[AnnaCat17]

Lucien chuckled happily and kissed him. "Yes, because they will have no idea who messed up your room." He teased but at the sound of a knock at the door her pulled the covers back up over his head to hide who he was.
A moment later the head adviser stepped into the room, his expression seeming confused by the mess he saw from Callias' and Lucien's private celebration and intimate night. He could see the shape of someone beside Callias but didn't care enough to see what duchess or lady the king had whisked away. He focused on Callias and gave him a courteous smile. "I have come to congratulate you once again and to inform you of a meeting that will be head once you have finished your breakfast. There are some reports that need to be addressed before you begin to mingle with the guests again."

Delphine smirked at her and tenderly kissed Nadia's lips, unsure of how she would react to her affection now that they were in the daylight. "All I regret from last night is my final drink and dancing with the prince of england who stepped on shoes and broke off a gem."

Gale rolled his eyes. "Ya ya, get your laughs out now. I could really use the help. We cant afford a dowry for her so she isnt going to catch anyone that way and she is too bitter to attract anyone based on looks or personality so I need something to convince her to start being more sociable and flirty like the Duchess Delphine or something. Ill set the whole thing up and you dont even have to pretend to be interested in her. Just show up and dont tell her that Im paying you to do this. SO how much do you want?"

[EchoOfShatteredIce]

"Absolutely not. I think a raccoon snuck into my chambers and made a mess of things." He smirked at him, but then his smile dropped when he heard a knock, about to fling the covers over Lucien, but thankfully he already had. "Thank you for informing me. I will be there shortly," he said, nodding at him to dismiss him. As nice as this with Lucien had been, he needed to return to business.

Nadia's heartbeat quickened and she softly kissed her back, unable to fully believe that she was still affectionate to Nadia now that she was sober. She laughed, twirling a strand of Delphine's hair. "I'll make sure to keep you from him if it ever comes to it again, I promise."

Ashr became serious, and he sat down beside his daughter, lifting her into his lap. "I don't want your money. I'm genuinely interested in Fleur. Spending time with her in enough payment for me. But I doubt going on a date with me will help with anything."

[AnnaCat17]

The adviser nodded, casting one last look around the messy room and the hidden figure before leaving and shutting the door behind him. As soon as he heard the door shut Lucien sat up and pulled the blanket off of himself, his hair now a complete mess. He looked over at Callias and instantly smiled. "I have to admit, there is something kinda hot about being the kings 'mistress'"

Delphine giggled but it instantly dropped away as she heard someone enter the house downstairs. Her parents were here. She got up and quickly got dressed. This wasn't going to go well. Since hiring Nadia her parents hadn't come to visit so she wouldn't be used to how this would work. Hopefully the other two maids would keep ehr out of trouble. "I may be late to breakfast but make sure it is prepared for three at least." She said, her smiling, friendly nature now gone and replaced with the cold, manipulative Delphine Nadia was used to dealing with.

Gale chuckled. "You know she isnt here, right? She is never going to hear about this conversation so you dont have to worry about it coming back to bite you." He took $50 out of his wallet and tossed it onto Ashr's lap, wanting to ensure his silence at least. "A failed date might show her that she needs to do a bit more if she wants to find someone because right now all she thinks about is work and I dont want her to end up alone when I leave." He shoved his wallet back into his pocket. "I have to go talk t Delphine. Be ready tonight and Ill let you know where to meet her and when. I owe you one."

[EchoOfShatteredIce]

Callias laughed, sitting up. He ran his hand through Lucien's messy hair, combing through it with his fingers. "I'd better get ready and get breakfast. I don't want to be late for anything." He wrapped his arms around Lucien, pulling him close before kissing him.

Nadia nodded, getting up and smoothing out the wrinkles in her dress as much as she could before heading out of the room. Just like that, she was back to being her maid instead of a friend. She went into the kitchen and started to make breakfast, sullen and cross but trying not to let it show.

"Right," he muttered, not very happy with the potential of being used to show Fleur that she could do better than him. "I'll be ready, don't worry." He gave the money back to him, pressing it against Gale's chest. "I'm not taking your money. Keep it."

[AnnaCat17]

Lucien kissed him back happily. "Well that goes for both of us Because I don't care if you haven't hired me as an adviser yet, I enjoy their annoyed looks whenever I show up uninvited to meetings." he said before getting up and pulling on his clothes.

The other two maids were tense as they helped prepare dinner. The usual chatter and morning greetings werent present and it was clear they were listening. From the kitchen they could hear as Delphine and her parents went into the lounge down the hall. The argument was muffled but words slipped out every so often as Delphine or her mother shreaked something or her father roared in anger. Minnie looked up from the eggs she was boiling and explained in a whisper to Nadia. "It made it in the newspaper that the king apparently dumped Delphine and no one knows why." All at once the unmistakable sound of someone getting hit and falling to the ground cut through the air causing the two maids to return to their work, ignoring the sounds of Delphines sobs as she was struck.

Gale sighed but put the cash in his pocket. "If you tell ehr that I put you up to this we are both screwed. You know that right." He began to turn away frm him but glanced back at him for a moment. "Thanks... I appreciate you taking one for the team." He turned and left quickly, wanting the argument to end

[EchoOfShatteredIce]

Callias laughed. "If anyone says anything, though, you're hired." He got dressed and ready quickly.

Nadia was tense, listening to the argument, resentment for Delphine's parents welling inside of her. She rushed over into the lounge, shoving her parents away from Delphine as forcefully as she could, blocking them from Delphine. "Don't touch her, you monsters!"

"I won't," he growled. "Don't worry about it." He turned away from him, returning his attention to his daughter and the horses.

[AnnaCat17]

Lucien smiled and kissed his cheek before they left the room, trying to smooth his hair down as they walked to the dining room which only had a few guests in it, all of them being the ones who didnt drink much and went to bed early. Lucien sat at the table to the non noble guests, barely paying attention to Callias now that they were in public and making conversation with those of his own rank.

Delphine was cowering on the ground, covering her head in fear as blood dripped from her nose. Her mother was sitting on the couch, watching everything boredly as her father glared at Nadia. he raised a hand to strike her as well but Minnie and Belle raced after Nadia and grabbed her arms. "We apologize for ehr behavior." Bell said quickly. "She is new. We will teach her better." The two maids dragged Nadia from the room and after a few moments the argument resumed. Belle and Minnie pushed Nadia into a chair and tried to hold her there. "You need to ignore it. if you want to keep this job you dont mention it and you act like it isnt happening. The duchess Delphine doesnt want anyone to know."

Gale sighed and left to go to Delphine's house, hoping she would give him the loan he needed for rent.

Fleur started the day feeling better than the previous night. now that everyone was working she didn't feel so lonely and she enjoyed listening to the buzz of news as it spread from worker to worker, keeping the day cheerful with all of the gossip from the previous night. The news about the Duchess Delphine getting dumped seemed to eb the main point of discussion but sprinkled in was news of who went home with who and of how one of the ambassadors from Germany fell into a tray of drinks and soaked his white shirt revealing a tattoo on his side. Like a shockwave a new story spread through the castle. Fleur was busy scrubbing the floors on a study, the maids cleanign the windows unaware of ehr presence as they talked.
"Did you hear what Gale is doing?" At the shaking heads of the other two the maid grinned. "He apparently is trying to bribe someone to ask his sister out on a date. The poor girl. He apparently can't find anyone to do it. I saw him heading to the stables to ask all of the men there but when they say no I don't know who he will go to."
The other girls giggled and began to discuss how they would be mortified if that happened to them, unaware that the scrubbing behind them had stopped. Fleur looked numbly down at the shining floors she had been cleaning. Was she really so pathetic people couldn't even be paid to spend an hour or so with her. SHe felt tears fighting to escape her and she didnt trust she could hold them in. She grabbed her bucket and quickly walked out of the room,wanting to escape the news but it was spreading throughout the castle quickly. She went down to the kitchen and hid in one of the supply closets, knowing no one would be going in there until it was time to make lunch. SHe curled up and allowed herself to cry, wiping away her tears with her apron as they rolled down her face and dripped fatly into her lap.