The sun shone through the window, lighting everything in its warm embrace and beckoning Victoria to wake up.
Victoria clenched her eyes shut but eventually opened them, the sun smiling down on her. She sat up, the sheets sliding off of her.
She stretched her arms up high, and a knock was heard. "My lady? May I come in?" Alice asked behind the door, "You may!" Victoria said audibly.
Alice opened the door and beamed at Victoria, "Let us get you ready before the master shows up." Victoria got out of bed while Alice went to the closet to find a dress.
"My lady, which color do you want to wear?" She asked while Victoria began thinking to herself. "I feel like wearing a blue dress today," she answered as she began taking off her nightgown.
Alice picked a dark blue dress from the closet. "There we go. Now to find a corset and shoes to go with it," Alice mumbled to herself, but Victoria chuckled, "You don't have to make a big deal over such a thing."
"But my lady, it is a big deal! It's been almost a year since your father left the country! I'm sure he wants to see his daughter, who just turned sixteen a week ago." Anyone with eyes can tell that Alice was extremely excited.
"The master needs to see that his beautiful daughter is doing as well as ever! My lady, command this maid to do anything, and I shall do it. I may not be a knight, but I care about you very much," she says gently.
"I know I said this before, but are you sure you are a maid?" Victoria asks with a grin. "My lady, if I were not a maid, then what could I possibly be?" Alice asked with a chuckle while Victoria put on her undergarments.
"If you were no maid, then I would assume that you are a saint." Alice shook her head as she began putting the corset on Victoria. "You joke far too much, my lady."
Victoria winces as she feels the corset getting tighter, feeling her ribs feel tight from the pressure. "And yet, you enjoy these jokes." Alice couldn't help but laugh, "I can not deny that."
Tying the strings of the corset, Alice grabbed the blue dress and began putting it on Victoria. "My lady, I believe that navy blue gloves and black boots will go well with your dress."
"Then I shall wear them," Victoria agreed. "Then please sit down, my lady," Alice says as she grabs the black boots while Victoria sits down at the edge of her bed. Alice began putting the boots on Victoria and began tying the laces.
Alice went to get navy blue lace gloves and began putting them on Victoria. "Now, let us brush your hair, my lady." Victoria got up from the bed and sat in front of the vanity table.
Alice opened the drawer and took a brush. "My lady, do you want to leave your hair down?" She asked, "No. Please, give me a chignon." Victoria stated as she began to relax once Alice started brushing her hair.
"Your hair is soft like silk, my lady. I'll add a ribbon as well," Alice says gently as she sets the brush down on the vanity table and opens another drawer. She took out a dark blue ribbon and began doing a chignon style, adding the ribbon to it.
"My lady, you truly are radiant." Alice finished doing her hair and backed away. Victoria stood up and looked over at Alice. "Thank you for helping me. I am truly grateful to have you as my maid," Victoria smiles.
Alice shook her head. "You are too kind to this maid, my lady. Now, let us wait for the master's arrival up front!" She said it with excitement and clapped her hands together.
Victoria nodded, and the two walked out of her room and down the empty halls. "My lady, I can see the anxiety in those eyes of yours. You look beautiful. I made sure that the chignon was not too extravagant. It looks casual yet elegant," Alice tells her.
"I am not worried about that. It has been a long time since I have seen my father. I am nervous yet happy at the same time. Maybe I should have done embroidery for him as a gift to welcome him back home." Victoria began to wonder and conjecture.
"You are thinking out loud with the second half," Alice giggled, and Victoria's cheeks turned red. "Ignore what I said!" She yelled out in embarrassment as she began walking down the many steps. "A lady should not yell, Victoria" another voice piped in.
The two stopped looking at each other and looked at the sound of the voice, seeing her mother, the butler, and many other servants at the bottom of the staircase.
Victoria nodded her head, and her embarrassed demeanor vanished in a second. "Apologies, Mother." She says in a more serious tone, "Much better. You cannot act like a child forever. Especially now that you have a fiance, your father will be very proud."
Alice wanted to glare, but Victoria gave her a look. No matter how close a maid and a master are, they can't go against them.
"Now come. Let us wait for your father outside." Victoria and her mother walked outside with the rest of the servants and watched as a carriage and a few horses appeared in front of the gate.
Victoria was giddy that her father was finally here; she wanted to run up to the gate before they opened it to jump in her father's arms and laugh like she was a young child again.
The gate was finally opened by a guard, and the carriage and horses went inside.
A man finally stepped out of the carriage. Victoria and the man were an exact copy of each other in looks, but he was indeed older. "My dear, welcome home," her mother said with courtesy, and Victoria followed suit.
"My lovely wife and daughter came to greet me outside? What a wonderful thing to come back to," the man said in a deep voice and warm smile. "Victoria," her father said as he looked at her and spread his arms out. Victoria ran towards her father and jumped in his arms as he spun her around.
"Master," one of the men that was on the horse came towards him, "I will do the paperwork. You should spend some time with your family." Victoria was glad that he was giving her father a break.
"Thank you, Roger," her father said his thanks and looked down at Victoria. "I have some good news to share." Her father paused and touched her cheek. "What happened? Why is your cheek slightly swollen?" He asked her.
"I ran into a pole while reading a book." She did not have the energy to start an argument and would feel guilty if she made her father worry over such a short thing.
"My star, you should stop that bad habit of yours. Reading and walking are not good," he says as the two stop hugging each other. "Do not worry, father. Alice already put some cream on it last night," she says, mentally telling her mother to not make a mistake about this or she will get in trouble.
"My love," her mother walked towards the two. "I too have some good news to share with you. How about we all go inside and talk about it over in your office?" She asked while her father nodded with a smile.
Victoria can feel this sunny embrace turn into a dark, cold slap. Her mother wouldn't dare bring up the arranged marriage just when her father came home, would she?
"I will go tell the chef to make breakfast," the butler announced as they all walked inside the mansion.
"My lady?" Alice whispers next to Victoria, worried about her. "Alice, please go prepare paper, ink, a fountain pen, an envelope, wax, and a seal," Victoria whispered, and Alice nodded, not asking any further questions as she walked away.
The three made it to her father's office and walked inside. Her father sat down at his desk while the two stood in front of it. Her mother opened her mouth to speak, but Victoria interrupted her, knowing that once her mother opened her mouth, the poison would come out and consume everything in the room.
"Father, what good news do you have?" She asked and her father chuckled. "You do not have to worry about me going anywhere for a long while, Victoria. I will not go anywhere, and I brought some books for you to enjoy. I promise to spend time with you. I'm sorry for missing your birthday." He tells her.
"You spoil her too much, dear." Her mother announces with an annoyed expression, "What can books do for a young lady her age?" She asked, "Victoria is very smart. I would not be shocked if she became a scholar." Her father countered.
"That will not happen," her mother stated sharply, and her father raised a brow. "My good news is that she is the fiance of the Crown Prince. They will get married right after she turns 18." Victoria wanted to call her mother an idiot. She could have waited a few days or even a week, but she is far too impatient for that.
"What do you mean by that, Charlotte?" He questioned in an annoyed tone. Of course, he would be annoyed or angry. His wife made an arranged marriage for their daughter without his knowledge.
"I do not know why you are upset. Victoria needs to marry a good man, and no man would want a girl who cares about nothing but books," her mother shook her head, and her father slammed his hand on the desk, making Victoria flinch slightly, but her mother didn't move an inch or change her cold expression.
"Why are you so upset? You can't spoil her forever," her mother remarked. "She is but a child! You arranged a marriage for that prince without consulting me first!" He yelled in a booming voice.
"I am the one who birthed her. While you were out there playing general, I was doing everything. The King and Prince already agreed to it, so it is far too late for you to throw a fit." Her mother spoke venom towards the man who was her husband.
"Stop arguing with me, George. Victoria and the prince are to be wed once she is 18." Victoria stood there silently, watching the two argue about her arranged marriage. They shouldn't fight in front of a child, and her mother shouldn't have brought it up so soon.
"Leave!" Was the last thing he said as her mother turned around and walked out of the room. "Victoria," he said calmly, his face with his hands. "Please forgive this father of yours. I will do everything in my power to end this arranged marriage."
"Father, even if the world breaks into a war, I will never blame you." It was the truth. She will never blame her father for anything. "I want you to marry someone who you love," he mumbled. "What a treat to see the general Grosely lose his composure."
"I should not have yelled like that. No father should lose his anger in front of his child. Me wanting you to marry for love is one of the reasons; the other is because a father never wants his daughter to marry so soon." He chuckled as he finally looked at her.
"I will see you in the dining hall, Father; I am sure that you do not want to meet Mother right now." She tells him as she begins walking towards the door, about to leave, "I will protect you, my little star," he says. She nodded with a smile and walked out of the room.
She closed the door, and there, her mother was still standing next to the door, and the two stared at each other. "I am quite shocked, mother. I never expected you to bring that up when Father came back home. You could not have waited for a week or two." Victoria asks with a hint of annoyance.
"What a spoiled child. You should have stood up for me when your father began yelling." She spoke sharply, "Mother, I already stood up for you when Father noticed my swollen cheek. Do not start getting greedy with me." What she said was on purpose, and her mother glared harshly.
"You can slap me after we eat breakfast together. Let us go wait for Father." Victoria walked away from her fuming mother. "You should be glad. I followed your advice. I am not wearing a plain dress like you told me to, because I am your daughter after all."
"What a cruel child," her mother whispered to herself as she went towards her dining hall, walking next to each other in silence.
Victoria will write a letter to Mrs. Johnson and is already planning to go to her villa. She was sure that Mrs. Johnson would have a good laugh at what happened so soon. Victoria would spend time with her father, but since her mouth couldn't keep her mouth shut, everything had become tense.
But a part of her hopes that her father can break this arranged marriage of hers. She would be eternally grateful.