𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐇 𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐒𝐒 | benedict bridgerton

► aider une fille au cheveux blond vénitien

*re-edited*

Marie graciously ran up to the room she was clothed in and noticed that all of her things were gone. "Connie?" She called, looking around the rooms in panic. "Yes, Your Royal Highness?" The woman walked out, folding a pair of trousers that were freshly ironed. 

"Where are all of my things?" Marie smiled politely, a feeling of uneasiness settling on her. "You will not be staying here. The Queen has bought a small house a few roads away, for callers," Connie replied, returning to her ironing. "Ah, thank you for the specificity," Marie sarcastically smiled for the lack of information before walking down the stairs uncomfortably in her dress. 

After a short and awkward carriage ride, Marie was dropped off by the entrance of her house. It was most enticing, the girls new house was littered with white flowers and ivy, the house beneath it a brilliant white. "There you go, Your Royal Highness," The carriage driver gestured to the house after helping her out the carriage, quickly trotting off. 

Before Marie could step foot in the house, someone was calling for her. "Princess Howard?" Marie turned around, recognising the awfully dressed gingers from the ceremony. The continued to wear hideously bright colours, contrasting Marie's basic white regency attire. "Hello, lovely to make your acquaintance," She curtseyed, although it was out of the social heirarchies expectations. 

"Oh dear, no, we should be the ones curtsying, after all we are in the presence of a Princess," The older woman smiled forcefully. She nudged the girls in the ribs before they all began to curtsy. "Oh no, it's quite alright," Marie smiled at them, gesturing kindly towards them. For some reason she felt the need to be more proper and genteel, unlike herself in France. 

"Please call me Marie," She assured, turning to go into the house but the fame-needy Mama was not yet done. "You are living here now? We live right next to you and across from the Bridgerton's," The woman laughed eccentrically. "I do not know how long I shall be here for. I assume until I wed, which will be unlikely. I am sorry but the names do not mean much, I haven't been in England in a very long time." Marie curtsied and returned to her door.

"Good Morning, Your Royal Highness. I am your maid, Bea. How was your debutante performance?" A young mousey girl opened the door. She owned pale skin, covered in large moles. Her dark hair was slicked back, excentuating the contours of her face. 

"It was very proper, Bea. And please, call me Marie," The Princess grinned, beginning to get sick of people calling her 'Your Royal Highness'. "Right, well, there is a ball tonight to celebrate the new Diamond of the season, Daphne Bridgerton. I should get a bath ready for you," Bea bowed slightly and retreated to the bathroom. 

Marie took a short while to explore the depths of the small house before deciding she enjoyed the drawing room the most. It was large, probably the largest room in the house, and had sunlight pouring into it from the large French windows. 

"Marie, the bath is set," Bea explained, finding the girl reading a book on the drawing rooms patterned sofa. She placed the Shakespearean book down and followed Bea to the wash room. There, she took a longer bath than the one at the palace, taking her time to scrub the smell of pine wood onto her, something her mother insisted on as it was the only thing that would mask the smell of acrylic paint. A scent she adored more than just about anything. 

"Bea?" Marie queried as she lathered herself in more scented bubbles. The maid entered the bathroom, closely watching the metal tongs that she was heating by the open fire. "Please could you arrange an easel to be placed in the drawing room, by one of the windows?" She asked, smiling when Bea nodded and left the room.

►►►

"I do truly wish for my hair to be down," Marie complained to Bea as the scrawny girl tied her hair back. "I'm sorry but this is a ball and everyone will have their up," Bea pressed, making Marie roll her eyes and smile at the maids snarky attitude. Hand picked by the Queen herself, just for Marie.