Chaos in the Castle

@ BearGirl

"Maisie Evelyn Reaves, come out of your room at once! We'll be late for the meeting if you continue to act so childish!" Her mother hissed through the door, clearly furious with her daughter for her behavior. But Maisie didn't care, seeing as how her parents had decided to inform her last night over dinner that they'd not only negotiated peace with King Westworth, but that she was the peace treaty. She was to be married off to their prince to avoid the war that was sure to break out if they didn't do something to stop it. But Maisie had only just turned twenty two, had only just finished her Masters degree after finishing undergrad early; she wasn't ready to be married.

With a reluctant sigh she finally unlocked her door, smoothing out her dress before stepping out into the hall to follow her mother downstairs to the entry hall where they'd be meeting the Westworth family. Her parents had invited the King and Queen and their son to stay with them for the next week or so while they figured out the specifics of the treaty before it was to be signed at the end of the month, and during that time she was supposed to get to know Prince Charles and start planning their wedding, which was to be held two weeks after the treaty was signed.

"Mother, stop, please." Maisie snapped at her mother when she began to fuss over her hair even after they saw the Westworth's car arrive, dread filling her stomach as she waited to meet her future husband.

@ katahdin
(That dress and that hair is everything <3)

"This is such a stupid fucking idea," Charles mumbled under his breath as he saw the castle becoming closer and closer in the distance.

"Langage!" His mother said a bit harshly as she turned to her son. "You better get your act together before we get out of this car. I know this is nothing close to what you had planned for your marriage but this is for the good of the country. So don't you dare ruin it and force us into a war."

"At least give her a chance for a month or two before causing a scene, won't you?" The king said, his voice urgent but calmer about it than the Queen.

Charles shook his head a bit. "This is the 21st century. I thought that we didn't marry people off like we sell cattle. Though if you are really so worried about it, I will be on my best behavior...at least for today. We'll see about tomorrow."

The Queen let out a sigh as she started to rub her temples. "You are going to be the death of me someday. The stress you put me through..."

At her words, Charles shot his mother a small glare before looking back out the window. As they pulled up into the long driveway of the castle, the prince sat up in his seat and wiped the look on his face for one of a more pleasing and gentle nature. He was pissed but he would take it out on his parents, not the princess...well at least for now. Who knew what she would actually be like.

Once the car stopped and the door was opened, the King and Queen stepped out, followed by Prince Charles. The went up to the King and Queen of the princess and did their formalities. "It is a pleasure to come speak in person regarding our countries peace treaty." The Queen told them warmly.

As the parents spoke, Charles shifted his eyes to look over the princess. At least she was pleasing to look at. Though he wondered if something stupid would come out of that mouth of hers. Maybe she liked being shown off as prize mule like this.

@ BearGirl

"I'm not getting married off, Father. You can't make-"

"Hush, Maisie. We are not going to discuss this now, or ever. Would you rather our countries go to war? You of all people should know that we wouldn't survive it, that our people wouldn't survive it. No? Thought so, so quit your whining, stand up straight and put on a smile, since they're here." The King ordered his daughter before turning back to chat with his wife softly about something or other, leaving Maisie to compose herself. She sighed and smoothed her hands over her dress once again, trying to hide that her hands were shaking by clasping them behind her back.

She did her best to put a pleasant look on her face as the Westworth's arrived, giving a little bow of her head along with her parents as the King and Queen approached them. Glancing over at the prince she couldn't help but give him an icy look, even though she knew that he likely wanted this as much as she did. But she wasn't taking it well, and couldn't help being upset.

"It's a pleasure, your majesties. The salon has been prepared for us to discuss the specifics of the treaty where lunch will be served, but we've also arranged for lunch to be served in the garden, so that Prince Charles and our daughter may get to know one another in private. After all, I doubt they'll find the specifics of our meeting interesting." The Queen smiled. It was partially true, wanting the children to get to know one another, but she also knew they'd be more likely to protest the treaty if they were in the room with them, so sending them off to hopefully learn to tolerate each other seemed the best option. "Maisie, dear, would you mind leading the prince to the garden? You can also show him to his room afterwords."

"Yes, mother." Maisie murmured softly, turning to the prince as their parents headed off down the hall toward the sitting room where their meeting was to take place. "..I'm Maisie." She murmured after a moment, figuring it was best to introduce herself first, before gesturing for him to follow her toward the gardens.

@ katahdin

Charles could not help but look up at the sky in slight annoyance as the princess glared at him. How bothersome. Although Charles was not on board with this treaty, he had not planned on taking it out on the princess. Though if she wanted to be rude to him, Charles would be sure to return the favor. Perhaps if he drove her mad, then the treaty would be cancelled.... That would be preferred, if it was Maisie's fault that the marriage fell through.

The prince had half a mind to disagree with the foreign Queen and let her know that he would be interested in the meeting. Though it wasn't hard to figure out what was really going on. Their parents just wanted them out of the way. Probably a move for the best as he was against the marriage and it seemed that Maise was as well. Though, still, Charles wished he could sit and convince them that there are other ways to have a treaty than to sell both of their children's hands away.

Hearing that he had to follow Maisie, the prince respectfully bowed to the kings and queens before turning and following the princess. He glanced over at her side eyes as she spoke. "Yes, I am aware of who you are, Princess Maisie." Charles told her, his voice coming out rather blunt. "I would like to think you also know who I am since we have found ourselves engaged." He glanced her over for a moment before letting out a sigh. "I am Charles."

As he followed her towards the gardens, Charles glanced around, trying to soak in the castle. He wanted to remember where he was, the paths and what was around him. The man did not care for getting lost nor did he need to have a tour guide with him because he wasn't paying attention.

@ BearGirl

"I was just trying to be polite." Maisie snapped, struggling to hide her frown as Charles' rather blunt and rude introduction. She knew she'd given him an awful look before, but it seemed a bit reasonable, giving how upset she was at the situation they'd found themselves in. She was being polite now, though, so she didn't understand why he couldn't be nice as well. This was their parent's faults, after all. There was no use taking it out on each other.

She sighed as they reached the gardens, leading him through the flowers and trees until they reached the table that had been set up for them for lunch, the princess thanking the servants that were standing about before dismissing them. They could manage on their own, and she knew that if they stayed they'd likely just act as spies for her parents. Smoothing down her dress she took a seat, waiting until Charles was seated as well before she spread her napkin over her lap.

"I'd like to apologize if I've come across as.. rude.. I was only told about the marriage last night at dinner, and only told who I'd be marrying this morning at breakfast.." She explained, looking across the table at him. "I shouldn't be taking my frustration out on you.. It's not your fault we're in this mess, it's our parents."

@ katahdin

Once they reached the table, Charles had half a mind to pull out Maisie's chair for her. Although she was rather rude and it was clear neither of them liked their current situation, Charles was a gentleman. He still thought it best to treat her as the lady she was. Though something in him told him not to as he saw the look on the princess' face. Although he did not like being treated poorly for things out of his control, Charles didn't want to actually piss her off.

So, instead, he sat down in the chair and waited for Maise to speak first. He did not expect the words that ended up coming from her lips. Though, at hearing them, Charles started to relax and turn his thoughts on her slightly...Perhaps she wouldn't be the worse during this situation. But he still thought she might be bad. His eyes shifted over her face for a long moment before he responses. "I take it that you do not approve of this arrangement then?" Charles asked her. Although it seemed rather clear to him, Charles wanted the confirmation. And he was not ready to say he agreed until he really knew her position on the matter.

@ BearGirl

Maisie blinked a little as she looked across the table at him at his question, patiently waiting for the last of the servants to leave before speaking. "You could phrase it like that." She mumbled, grabbing a piece of bread for herself, breaking off a piece to eat as she looked at him. "I'm sure you're a lovely person, but I don't have a particular interest in getting married off to stop a war neither of our kingdoms could sustain anyway.."

She sighed, setting her piece of bread down as she looked across the table at him, studying his face. "I'm guessing you also don't approve.. You don't look like the kind of prince who is interested in marrying the first princess his parents throw at him." She teased lightly, hoping a little humor might ease some of the tension between them. Perhaps if they could work together they could break off the engagement, and that would be much harder to do if they were at each other's throats constantly.

@ katahdin

A small nod was what the prince offered as Maisie explained why she wasn't interested in the marriage. He couldn't blame her as he wasn't excited about it either. Once she started to take food from the table, Charles followed suit. The trip here had been long and exhausting. Plus, he was hungry now. In truth, Charles wish that they would have been brought to their rooms first to rest and freshen up but...well their parents were too excited about the treaty for that to happen.

His eyes shifted up at Maisie when she started to guess at his own feelings about the situation. Saying that he didn't approve was an understatement. But did it benefit him to admit so? Perhaps she goes to her parents and tells them what he said. It was unlikely that they would think him excited about the prospect but he didn't want them spinning it like it was his fault if the marriage/peace treaty fell through. Besides, Charles thought it better to keep Maisie at a distance. Who knew what she really wanted and what she would be willing to do to get it.

"It is almost impossible to tell what a person is thinking or what they want just by looking at them, princess," Charles told her. He took his glass and sipped from it before continuing on. "And who says you are the first princess they have thrown at me?" Charles joked lightly, letting out a small chuckle.

@ BearGirl

Maisie hummed a little around her bite of bread as he spoke, helping himself to one a few of the small finger sandwiches that had been prepared, along with a portion of salad. "True, it is hard to tell what people are thinking most of the time." She agreed, looking over her glass at him as she sipped her lemonade from it, waiting until she'd put the glass back down before speaking again. "But based on your blunt response to me earlier, you likely feel the same way I do about the treaty. That, or you get into a sour mood after traveling, or skipped most of your etiquette lessons growing up." She teased lightly, offering him a little smile at his own joke.

She was silent for a few moments more while they ate, glad for the meal since she'd left dinner in a hurry last night, and had barely eaten anything this morning when her parents were filling her in on the rest of the details of this silly treaty. "I just think it's a better strategy to try to work together, rather than having to fight with each other and our parents to get out of this treaty." She stated simply, looking up at him again. "Fighting a war on two fronts never works out well, wouldn't you agree? Besides, they say two heads are better than one, and I'm sure we'd be able to come up with an alternative treaty that doesn't include anyone marrying anyone they don't want to."

@ katahdin

"I don't enjoy traveling," Charles told her. "I apologize if it seems that I am in a sour mood." The words coming out of Maisie's mouth were a little strange. It seemed like she somehow already got him pegged. Though he still didn't want to tell her the truth concerning his thoughts. How could it be a good idea to tell the princess he is engaged to that he wants to get out within minutes of meeting her? So many things could go wrong in that situation. Even if it seemed that she was being completely honest with him...which was also strange. Did she just live in a world of no repercussions?

A small sigh left Charles as Maisie started speaking about working together to stop the marriage. Although it seemed that the young princess was laying all of her cards on the table, Charles preferred to keep them close to his chest. Plus something in him told him to hold off and see what she would really do."I have no intention on fighting you," Charles told her. "But I also will not help you. If you truly wish to fight with our parents about it, I won't stand in your way. But I ask that you do not pull me into whatever you are planning. The same goes if you change your mind and fight to keep our engagement."

@ BearGirl

Maisie frowned as Charles refused to help her, staring at him for a long moment in frustration before looking down at her plate. "So you're fine with them just selling us off like cattle? It isn't fair, Charles, for either of us. And I don't understand why our kingdoms are suddenly going to war. You'd think that there would have been negotiations and talks well before this, and I have no idea what's been done that would warrant going to war."

She huffed in irritation as she set the sandwich she'd been eating down, having suddenly lost her appetite with the realization that she was on her own. That her parents would force her into marrying the man sitting in front of her, and there wasn't anything she could do to stop it. She cleared her throat a bit as she sat up slightly in her seat, blinking the moisture away from her eyes before taking a sip of her lemonade again as she regained her composure. There was no way she was crying in front of this jerk. "Once you've finished eating I'll show you to your room. I'm sure you're tired from you trip here, and would like to rest." She clearly upset, managing to hide the mixture of rage, fear and sadness that she was feeling and instead maintaining her composure, although she was sure that once she was no longer in the prince's company she'd end up breaking down.

@ katahdin

Charles let out a small sigh as the woman in front of him started getting clearly upset. While it had not been his goal to do so, it was probably for the best. The more emotional she was concerning their engagement, the more likely the princess was going to fight against it. She would do what she could do stop it and Charles would do the same... Just without her, her family and her country knowing it.

"Who knows what they did and didn't do." Charles said gently as he set his food down and stand up. He was glad to be taken to his room but the prince had hoped he could eat some more... Though he could always find a servant later to bring something up for him. "I am sorry, Princess, but it is not in my ability to help you stop the marriage. It is not my intention to do something that would make things worse and I do not want to be responsible for war... But I hope you soon learn that I do not wish to make unhappy. And if stopping this marriage would please you then I won't stand in your way. But it is something you will have to take up with our parents." With that, the prince motioned her to lead.

@ BearGirl

"I don't mean to rush you through your meal, take your time." Maisie said as he set his fork down, truly meaning it. She didn't mean to rush him through his meal, but he'd already put everything aside and stood, so with a sigh she stood as well, leading him out of the garden and back through the palace. She was too upset to really say anything in response to his statements about the marriage and not helping her find a way out of it. It was obvious he wasn't going to be helpful, even if what he was saying about not getting involved was a lie, but she wasn't about to waste her time arguing with him, when he'd likely throw her under the bus as soon as he got the chance.

Once they reached his room she paused outside the door, gesturing to it. "This is where you will be staying. I believe your parents will be in the room down the hall. If you need anything, there should be instructions on how to call for the servants in the room, whether by phone or the old bell system. I believe dinner is being served at six, although you also have the option to have it brought to your room. I'll leave you to rest." She explained before turning to move across the hall, pulling the key to her room out of the pocket of her dress and unlocking the doors before slipping inside, latching the lock again once the doors were closed. It's bad enough her parents were going to force her to marry him, but putting his room right across from hers was almost a slap in the face.

@ katahdin

At this point, Charles didn't have anything else to say. There really was nothing else to say. He wasn't going to fall for 'helping her' get what they supposedly both wanted. Besides, if their parents saw them working together it would just encourage them. Both of them needed to show the Kings and Queens that this was a disaster. That they couldn't see eye to eye on anything. Surely then they would take the time to find a new solution to their problem. But, until then, Charles needed to start to figure out what he could do to set this plan in flames.

"Thank you, princess," Charles said before he headed into his room. Though, as he closed his door behind him, he noticed how close the princess' room was to his. Surely that was set up. But it was a small annoyance compared to what was already occurring. So, he closed his door the rest of the way and locked it behind himself before going into the room to rest. This was going to be a long couple of months.

@ BearGirl

Maisie wanted to scream as soon as she was alone, overwhelming frustrated with everything. How could he not want to stop this marriage? He had to see how ridiculous it was, and how this peace treaty made absolutely no sense, when neither country had reason to go to war. With a sigh went to her bathroom to wash her face, hoping the cold water would wash away some of her anxieties, but it didn't help that much, so she changed out of her dress and into a comfortable pair of leggings and an oversized sweater , sliding her glasses on before taking a seat in front of the large chalkboard she'd had put in her room once she'd gone to school as a math major, frowning a bit in thought as she grabbed a piece of chalk and began to write out equations, hoping putting her concerns into math would help her figure out a solution.

She'd been at her math problem for hours by the time the tower bell struck six, and she'd barely made any progress, having gotten stuck and had to restart a number of times. She was now perched on a stool in front of the board cradling a mug of tea that a servant had brought her an hour or so ago, the door to her room cracked a bit since the servant had forgotten to close it all the way when leaving. She frowned in thought as she sipped at her tea, hoping that maybe if she stared at the board long enough she'd have a breakthrough.

@ katahdin

Although Charles did have the desire to skip dinner and hide in his room for the rest of the night, he knew he was better off not doing so. First of all, it would upset his parents greatly if he did not arrive. Secondly, it would be rather rude to the royalty that they were visiting. Later on, Charles could skip but this was the first meal that they were all having together and he didn't really get a chance to speak with them. So, Charles would go today.

After smoothing out his clothes for a moment, he headed out of the room, closing and locking the door behind him. Not that there was anything scandalous but he didn't want anyone snooping in his room. He thought that if the princess grew desperate enough, she might do so. At the thought of her, Charles glanced over at her bedroom and saw that the door was ajar. It was wide enough that he was able to see the princess, in what he would assume to be her natural habitat. Comfortable clothes, glasses, and staring quite intensely at a chalkboard. Though why she was doing equations was beyond him.

@ BearGirl

Maisie let out a sigh of frustration as she set her mug down, pushing her glasses up so she could rub at her eyes with the heels of her hands, sitting there for a few moments looking rather frustrated and pathetic. She'd figure it all out eventually. She had to. But some things took time, and as much as she wanted to end this stupid marriage today, she knew it was unlikely her parents would budge so soon.

She slid off the stool with a sigh as her stomach growled, frowning a bit as she looked at the time as she stretched with a small groan, although as she turned to go to her wardrobe to change she spotted her open door, and Charles standing in the hallway watching her, her frown only deepening. "Spying on me, Charles? Learn anything useful?" She teased softly as she grabbed her dress from earlier and moved to the door, looking at him as she paused in her doorway. "Are you going to dinner?"

@ katahdin

"Spying? No." Charles said, still calm despite the fact that he had been caught staring. It was a little unfortunate but she had been the one to leave her door open. Besides, usually, women liked it when he stared. "I just thought it was odd that your door was open. I thought that you might have gotten hurt... though it looks like you are into inflicting pain on yourself." He said, nodding towards the board filled with equations. Charles then slid his hands into his pockets, trying to look more relaxed than he actually was.

Though as she got to the door, he turned to walk away, assuming that the princess was just going to close the door on him. Which was fair, he supposed. She might have left her door open but it was doubtful that Maisie enjoyed being stared at. Who knew, maybe she would run back to her parents, calling him a pervert...which wasn't great. But when she continued to speak, he looked back at her. "Yes, I was heading that way now... Are you going to join us?"

@ BearGirl

Maisie glanced back at the blackboard when he gestured to it, shrugging a little as she turned back to him. "I majored in math in college, just finished my masters. Math helps me think through everything, it makes it a bit easier." She said with a little shrug, watching him curiously. She thought it was odd that he seemed so concerned over her safety, and she figured he was probably snooping for a different reason, but she didn't want to push him on it at the moment. "I didn't leave the door open, it must not have closed properly when my tea was brought, and I didn't notice."

She nodded when he asked if she was going to join them for dinner, gesturing to the dress in her arms. "Yes, but I figured I should probably change first. I don't think my parents would approve of me showing up dressed like this." She explained with a little smile, almost tempted to go like she was anyway, although she knew she'd likely get yelled at later for it. "If you wait a moment for me to change, I can show you to the dining room. The halls can be a maze, since whoever built the castle clearly didn't have any common sense."