Taming the Dragon - H.S. - Harry Styles (AU)

Chapter 1

Mother Superior Marie Frances had always believed in miracles, but in all her seventy years on earth, she had never actually witnessed one until the cold day in February of 1820 when the letter arrived from England.

At first, she had been afraid to believe the blessed news, for she feared it was trickery on the devil's part to get her hopes up and then dash them later, but after second confirmation with the Duke of Lancastershire's seal affixed, she accepted the gift for what it truly was.

A miracle.

They were finally going to get rid of the hellion. The mother superior shared her good news with the other nuns the following morning at mass. That evening they celebrated with lamb stew and freshly baked bread. Sister Catherine was positively giddy and had to be chastised twice for loud giggling during evening prayers.

The hellion, or rather, Princess Darya, was called into the mother superior's office the following afternoon. While she was being given the news of her departure from the convent, Sister Catherine eagerly packed the little troublemaker's bags.

The mother superior sat in a high-backed chair behind a wide desk as scarred and old as she was. The nun unconsciously fingered the heavy wooden beads of her rosary that were hooked to the side of her habit as she waited for the young woman to react to the announcement.

Princess Darya was stunned by the news. She gripped her hands together and kept her head bowed so the mother superior wouldn't see the tears in her eyes.

"Do sit down Darya. I don't wish to talk to the top of your head."

"As you wish Mother." She sat on the edge of the hard chair, straightened her posture to please mother superior and then tightly clasped her hands together in her lap.

"What do you think of this news?" the mother superior asked.

"It was the fire, wasn't it Mother? You still haven't forgiven me for that mishap."

"Nonsense," the mother superior replied. "I forgave you that thoughtlessness more than a month ago."

"Was it Sister Catherine who convinced you to send me away? I did tell her how sorry I was, and her face isn't nearly as green anymore."

The mother superior shook her head and frowned. Darya was inadvertently getting her all riled up over reminders of some of her past antics.

"Why you believed that vile paste would remove freckles is beyond my understanding. However, Sister Catherine did agree to the experiment. She doesn't blame you... too much," she quickly added so the lie she was telling would only be considered a minor sin in God's eyes. "Darya, I didn't write to your guardian requesting you leave. He wrote to me. Here is the Duke of Lancastershire's letter. Read it and then you'll see I'm telling the truth."

Darya's hand shook as she reached for the paper. She quickly scanned the contents before handing it back to the mother superior.

"You can see the urgency, can't you? This General Halkov your guardian mentions sounds quite disreputable. Do you remember meeting him?"

Darya shook her head. "We visited father's homeland several times, but I was very young. I don't remember meeting him. Why in heaven's name would he want to marry me?"

"Your guardian understands the general's motives," replied the mother superior. She tapped the letter with her finger. "Your father's subjects haven't forgotten you. You're still their beloved princess. The general has a notion that if he marries you, he'll be able to take over the kingdom with the support of the masses. It's a clever plan."

"But I don't want to marry him," Darya whispered.

"Nor does your guardian desire it. He believes the general won't take no for an answer, however, and will take you by force if necessary, to insure his success. That's why the Duke wants guards to journey with you to England," replied the mother superior.