Princess Pulitzer and The Common Boy ❉ Newsies//COMPLETED

Chapter 1

"I guess you could say that my life's a mess,
But I'm still looking pretty in this dress."
- Marina and the Diamonds.

"Miss Pulitzer?"

A knock on the door greeted a sleeping Katherine Pulitzer in her luxurious bedroom.

"Miss Pulitzer?"

Katherine groggily sat up, resting her arm against her knee and yawning.

"Huh, what is it?" She asked.

"It's just me ma'am!" The family maid and her best friend Abigail called from outside the door, "Your father said to meet him for breakfast in 15 minutes.  Would you like me to help you get ready?"

Snores echoed throughout the room signaling Katherine had fallen back asleep on her hand.

"Miss Katherine?"

"Huh? Wha- Who is it?"

"It's still me Miss! It's Abigail! Breakfast in 15 minutes!"

"Ah, yes thank you!" Katherine said rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

What time was it?

She looked over at the clock.  7:30

Why do princesses have to get up this early?

Katherine slowly got out of bed, groaning and moaning along the way in protest to herself, and put on her pink slippers she'd gotten on her last trip to Paris.  As much as she hated this "Princess job" she did have to admit: it did have its benefits.

She slowly trudged over to her vanity and, yawning, wrapped her fluffy bathrobe around herself and sat down.  She then plugged in her curling iron and took down her bun and got to work on her hair.  Of course in the process she just had to burn her finger and squeak out an un-princesslike word and of course Abigail just had to be walking by her closed door that moment.

"Are you alright ma'am?" She called.

Katherine's eyes widened, "Y-Yes I'm fine!" She said quickly.

Oops?

Once her hair was done (which luckily wasn't too much longer after that un-princesslike word) she got to her daily makeup.  She couldn't tell if she loved that part or hated it really.  It depended on the day.  After putting away her powder she slipped off her bathrobe and walked to her closet, pulling on the chain and watching as a light illuminated it.

If only I could wear these for a day. She thought looking at the commoner clothes she had bought one day when her parents weren't with her.  She absolutely hated wearing so many fancy gowns every single day.  Sure it was fun when she was a child and all but then it became a hassle.  She wanted to be a person not a doll to play dress up in.

Katherine chose a pink dress and quickly slipped it on overtop her corset.  Shoot.  She did need Abigail.

"Abigail!" She called.

A pitter patter filled the hall and Abigail's head popped in the doorway, her blonde curls bouncing.

"Yes ma'am?" She asked.

"Will you please help me tighten this?" Katherine asked motioning to the dress and corset.

"Of course." Abigail smiled.

Abigail walked over to Katherine and took the strings, pulling them as tight as they would go and tying them in a knot.

"I really. . . Hate- this thing." Katherine gasped.

"What we ladies have to do." Abigail sighed longingly.

"Ugh. . . Well it's bloody awful." Katherine whispered through gritted teeth.

Abigail zipped up the pink dress and pushed Katherine's hair in front of her shoulders on either side.

"There," She grinned, "pretty as a princess."

Katherine's small smile faded and she sighed, "Yeah.  A princess."

She walked over to the bench at the end of her bed and began to put on her heels.

"Don't you want to be one?" Abigail asked.

"It's complicated Abby." Katherine said sadly.

"Well," Abigail said once Katherine had put her shoes on, grabbing her hands tightly, "You'll always be the most beautiful girl.  Princess or no princess."

"Thank you." Katherine smiled sadly before pulling her in for a giant hug.

A small bell sounded from downstairs signaling breakfast was ready.

"I should be going, oh no my bed I-"

"I'll make it for you Kathy." Said Abigail sweetly.

"You're the greatest." Katherine said pulling the girl in for another hug before quickly running out the door and down the hall.

***
"So Katherine." Her father, the King, said sitting opposite her at the end of the extremely long table, "Have you thought about any love interest in your life yet."

Katherine nearly spit out the orange juice she was drinking.  She looked back at her father and raised her eyebrows.

"N-No father." She said coughing, "Why do you say that?"

Pulitzer just calmly sat there and shrugged.

"You know father," Said her older sister Lucille, "she really does need someone.  A suitor may be good for her."

"Ah yes!" Her brother Adam joined in quickly from the other side, "Get the family line moving alone quickly like Aliza and I are."

"Now children-" Queen Pulitzer began, but Katherine had already burst into the conversation from where she had been looking down at her porridge with quite the skeptical look on her face.

"Enough!" She yelled, "I will love who I love and it will find me when it finds me." She began as she pointed to herself, "And another thing-" She turned to Lucille.

"You will sit down young lady and not have another outburst." Mrs. Pulitzer said sternly.

"I'm always doing as I'm told!" Katherine whined.

"Enough!" Pulitzer yelled.

Everyone stopped dead in their tracks.

"Katherine.  I have some news for you." He said motioning one of the servants to come forward.

The young man brought a letter on a plate.

Pulitzer had the man give Katherine the letter.  She hesitantly took it and looked at where the red seal was already broken.  Sure enough it had been addressed to her family.  She slowly re-opened the envelope and pulled out the paper, unfolding it gently and scanning her eyes over it.

Dear Pulitzer family,

We are delighted to announce that we will be courting young Prince James of England with Princess Katherine of Norktown.  He will arrive there in 2-3 days on ship.

We wish you all the best.

The Alender Family.

Katherine dropped the note in her lap, hands trembling.

"An- An arranged marriage?"