First Impressions // A Bridgerton Story

Chapter 17

" It has come to This Author's attention that the wedding of  Princess Amelia Windsor and the King of Spain is to be a grand, and large affair to which only the best of families are to be invited. Duke's, Duchess's, Prince's and Princess's only.

In other words, This Author is not invited.

But have no fear, dear reader, This Author is at her most resourceful at times such as these and promises to uncover the details of the ceremony, both the interesting and the banal.The wedding of England's Royal Family is surely something which must be reported in This Author's humble column, don't you agree?

LADY WHISTLEDOWN'S SOCIETY PAPERS, 12 MAY 1814

Marriage.

A concept Amelia has been painfully aware and familiar with since birth. With her engagement to Alexander, she knew what was asked of her.

She learned Russian at the same time she learned English. She learned the History of Russia just as well as the History of England. Her mother had fur's prepared for her every new year in case Alexander should wish for Amelia to travel to meet him at any given notice.

Amelia learned Alexander's favorite color (None, they were all too bland for his taste but he could live with green), his favorite food (botvin'ya, supposedly the soup that fed the poor people there), his favorite past times (Hunting, apparently he had a token of every kill he ever killed all across his castle), his favorite music (Bagrinowski's opera), and of course what women he liked.

He preferred quiet, solemn, with a pretty face, small figure. Someone who could barely utter a word. A woman who could not raise her voice, matter of fact he preferred it when she didn't have a voice. But, from the letters he send to Amelia (but which were read by her mother), it seemed that Alexander enjoyed good conversation on topics that were usually not taught to women.

So George hired tutors to teach Amelia about things that were not usually taught to women of her breeding and age. She learned anthropology, she learned mathematics, which then led her to learning about physics. She learned theories on biology. George even hired a tutor with whom she could practice speaking of said things.

What a disappointment it must have been to her brother when Alexander died.

All George ever asked of her was that she wear white dresses, smile when addressed, not speak out of turn, and do as told. He did not care what else she did. All he cared about was that she did not embarrass the Windsor family like her siblings did. Each one of them had a scandal before they were married (if they were married).

Amelia did try. She learned everything he wanted her to. She tried being what Alexander wanted her to be. It just never worked out.

Because of Charles mainly, but especially after Charles. And most of all now.

Amelia agreed to marry Ferdinand but she did not want it. Oh how she did not want it. She would do literally anything else to not marry that awful man.

But George was set on this, and perhaps she would allow him this one single win. Maybe she would allow him to have just one sibling that did as told without causing a scandal to jeopardize the entire family. Again.

Perhaps.

It was a semi-peaceful morning when Amelia sat on the balcony overlooking the gardens at the Hampton Castle, drinking her morning tea when Brimsley, her mother's butler informed her that the Prince of Wales had arrived.

It was unusual seeing as her brother was always busy and rarely had any time for his siblings, let alone visit them at their respective homes. The only person he saw regularly was his equerry David. Not even his daughter, who preferred the comfort of her own castle, or the company of one of her Uncle's.