The Riddle Of Us (Lesbian, Girlxgirl, Gay)

Chapter 12

Chapter12

Friday, Summer of 1784 (420th Journal Entry)

My dearest friend,

'Twas my father who named me Frederick Ashborne. Frederick— meaning peaceful ruler. Two things I could never be.

You see, my incredibly bright but incredibly silent bearer of my thoughts, a peaceful ruler was someone like Benjamin Franklin or Richard Oswalt, both of whom had done great service for their countries by signing the peace treaty last year. While I? I was nothing but a victim of my own circumstances. But perhaps, if it hadn't been for that, I would not have met Cecilia, the love of my life.

"Are you excited, Frederick? Are you ready for the ball tonight?"

My sister, Patience, had crept up behind me and was now looking up, dark hair occluded by a straw hat. Unlike me, however, she was three years shy of adulthood. And unlike her name, she was anything but Patient.

I concentrated on feeding the horse. Hugo had just been given to me by father the week prior, and the old man informed that if I wanted to ride it, I had to earn its trust first.

"Frederick," Patience said again. "Frederick, are you listening to me?"

She shrieked when I turned around and suddenly grabbed her. She had not been expecting it.

"Let me down, you Ratbag! I'm going to tell mother!"

"Tell her what, sister? That your mean old brother is tormenting you like this?!" I twirled us around so she'd get dizzy. But Patience laughed.

"I hope you're better at dancing than this, especially since tons of maiden will come tonight!"

I slowed us until we had stopped. Patience, with her dark but knowing eyes, studied me intently as I placed her down.

"Tis about time you choose your wife," she murmured. "Don't tell me you've lost your nerve?"

"I have not."

"Then are you like aunt Catherine? The male counterpart perhaps?"

"No, silly girl."

My hands set her free. Patience would not understand because of her years, but I had yet to see a woman who I was truly and utterly smitten with. Much of whom I'd met before were too proud of themselves or too complacent of their lineage. But given their titles, they still bored me to death.

"Then what, Frederick?" Patience asked again. "Are you not confident that you'll meet a wife on the ball tonight?"

"Don't speak like I'm the prince of Cendrillon."

"But it sounds like that, does it not?" My sister clasped her hands together. "A ball for the prince to find a wife. A ball so Lord Frederick Ashborne could meet a lass. The similarities are uncanny to the story, yes? And because of that, don't you just wish a woman wearing glass slippers will come along and sweep you off your feet?"

"I think you got it the other way around."

"No, it's just right, brother." She placed a hand on my arm. "I know that you think I should not be aware of these things, but I am. What you need is a strong, stable maiden who will challenge your heart. That, or someone who can tidy you up. You are beginning to smell like Hugo."

Patience ducked and ran away before I could grab her. The little miscreant.

"I'll be on the lookout tonight, Frederick," she said while skipping away. "Don't fret. We'll find you someone on the party."

Everyone in the next town over knew of the ball that would be held in Luca. The ball that would be held for Lord Frederick, me. It was strange to say the least, even though the French Lords had done it many times in their own territories. I had never been a man to glorify myself.