A Pact With The Prince | Bridgerton ~ Prince Friedrich

Chapter One

"You are mad if you think you can sneak into the billiards room unnoticed, Diana!" Eloise Bridgerton was particularly dealing with her bold and restless friend Diana Vincent having recently both been presented at the court which did nothing to focus their sights on marriage. 

The dark-haired, dark-eyed beauty had no interest in her mother's endeavors and sought to find adventure wherever she could, preferably with Eloise during her first season. While both girls were long-time friends due to their similar natures, their mothers also found companionship in each other this season, sharing the worries and troubles of their most eclectic daughters.

"Lady Danbury hinted it was unlocked. Don't you want to see if it's true?" Diana grinned mischievously at the brunette with blue eyes. Eloise's gaze flitted with worry down the hall, its short distance connecting the crush of the party and exposure.

"I do, but it is still breaking into Lord Holden's room, which is clearly off limits!" Eloise whispered continuing to glance down the empty hall. 

Diana walked up to the door kneeling down to peek through the keyhole. Empty, just as she thought. Diana turned the doorknob hearing an audible click and finding no resistance. Diana grinned at her friend.

"You are mad." Eloise flicked Diana's freckled nose.

"After you." Diana said opening the door slightly.

"Eloise?" A deep voice called.

"Blast it's my brother, he sees us both and he'll be suspicious!" She cried, Diana felt herself be pushed through the door before she could reply.

The door shut behind her and she found herself indeed alone in the billiard-room of Lord Holden.

Diana decided to make the most of it and approached the display on the opposite of the room.

Inside was her object of desire, the pedestal showed a stunning knife, curved blade with the hilt made of white ivory, the knife had a blood ruby the size of a grape encrusted on the handle tip.

Diana put the details to memory with plans on drawing them in her diary. The legend she read was that it was a gift from a faraway king for his future queen and in her possession she was blessed with fortune. The longer she stared at it, the more fine details she saw and how stunning it was.

"Exquisite piece, is it not?" A smooth accented voice startled her out of her thoughts, making her jump. Her shoes were much too tall and uncomfortable and didn't quite allow her to catch her footing. When she turned, she felt herself bump into the stone pedestal which wasn't as sturdy as she thought. Diana watched in horror as the pedestal where it held the knife began to wobble precariously.

Quickly Diana and the intruded lept into action stilling the pedestal, in doing so the knife tilted forward ready to fall on the marble floor. Instead, quick hands shot forth grabbing the hilt right before impact saving the knife from damage.

Diana let out a breath, heart hammering in terror, once she collected herself, she quickly shot a glare to the intruder.

"What are you doing sneaking up on unsuspecting ladies like that!" she scolded, she faced him giving him a proper look. 

The intruder was tall, when he turned to her he loomed over her despite her shoes that were heeled. With blonde curls, blue eyes, and an angelic face, Diana quickly stepped back from the handsome man before her.  

"I suppose the same reason when ladies sneak in out-of-bounds rooms," he replied with amusement. Diana felt her cheeks warm at being found out and sadly she had broken a part of her ridiculous shoe. "Oh...Drat!" Diana frowned glaring at the offending shoe knowing that if her mother had heard and seen what had happened to these shoes she would be punished to a week of tea parties with the other mothers of the ton.

This seemed to amuse the stranger even more. "Drrr–rat?" He repeated slowly with interest, along with the accent she noticed, she concluded the stranger must be from the continent. The man did not seem to be wearing anything formal but a brown coat as if he was just on his way out for a ride instead of attending the party beyond the doors.

"It's..an expression one that I wouldn't use in public..." Diana wondered if she had entered some strange dream, where she was breaking more rules than her fingers could count, and soon her mother will appear and punish her accordingly.

"Ah, apologies for frightening you..and your shoes." he grinned in amusement, a dimpled cheek that seemed to mock her into further embarrassment. 

"I came to see the knife..." Diana explained, many people would see it as an object to acquire much like Lord Holden who valued it not for its history but for the prize of owning it.

"I don't blame you, the Knife of Queen Razia is a tempting artifact to see in person." he glanced at the knife.

Diana tore her gaze from the knife to the stranger in surprise, "You've read the legends then?" she asked wincing at her eagerness. The man nodded, "A gift from a lonely sultan to win the heart of wild Queen of another land."

"Indeed." Diana suppressed a smile feeling oddly pleased that he knew.

"Though I find the idea...cheap. I am slightly disappointed the legendary Queen could be bought out by a pretty thing."

Diana pressed her lips into a frown, the giddiness she felt fading. "This offends you?" he asked curiously.

"I simply disagree sir, if the Queen accepted such a thing out of vanity she wouldn't have kept it at her side for her whole life."

"Maybe to show the wealth and power of her husband." he countered. "Many beautiful women don jewelry and fineness to state their power.
"Perhaps, but couldn't it be both? Things can be just as meaningful to them in one way and simultaneously be meaningful in another to those around them. I believe the knife was a reminder for her." Diana bit her lip, noticing she was doing it again speaking out of turn when she wanted to drive a point.

"Reminder of what?" he pressed, Diana was rather discombobulated with this stranger. When men asked for an opinion it was never on such an obscure subject, at least the men her mother wanted her to marry never asked.

"When I first heard the legend I had thought that as well, but the deeper I looked into their story, there is something meaningful that wasn't written down in history. I found that they made decisions together and fought side-by-side for their people." Diana started hoping she didn't sound long-winded but decided to continue on.

"I think there is more meaning in the knife between them, and that they believed power and passion are shared and much stronger when they are unified." Diana paused knowing when she prattled people tend to lose interest eyes glazed or politely waiting for her to finish but instead the man instead seemed to smile encouragingly.

Diana dragged her eyes away from the dimple in his cheek and back at the knife and continued,

"When he gave this to her, I believe he wanted to let her know that he would only have her as his equal." The stranger seemed to absorb her words his gaze still settled on her and Diana wondered if she said something wrong.

"I know it seems like a wild speculation and maybe I may have romanticized things of which I know nothing about." Diana glanced at him nervously, knowing it sounded like a strange apology.

"No, I think it's a solid theory, perhaps I'll look into more and see if I come to the same conclusion." he grinned at her. Diana tore away from his sky blue eyes feeling like he could see all her secrets. That's when she heard laughter and giggling just outside the doors. 

"Oh Blast!" she exclaimed looking around frantically to escape. The man seemed to jump into action again looking toward the door where the noise was getting louder.

"This door here will take you to the corridor on the other side." In a few long strides, the man moved to the opposite end opening the door for her. 

"Oh thank you!" Diana said sincerely, stealing one last glance at the knife before she noticed his brown hat on the billiard table. "Your hat!" she exclaimed.

"Ah!" he quickly turned around rushing inside. Diana realized she would be alone in a corridor with a man, her mother would ban her from the library if she was caught alone with the handsome stranger and it would surely make it in Lady Whistledown's papers. Without a second thought, Diana ran down the hall turning the corner to find the sound of the party, hoping she would never see that man again.