THE LADY COULDN’T HELP but beam, there was something just deeply alluring about the way the swede princess viewed the world. always looking like she’d found the most wonderful thing in the world –– which was a large contrast to the person anna herself was, always expecting the worst in people or anything that came her way really. call her a cynic but she truly found that expecting nothing from others, minimized disappointment. yet something about birdie, it made her feel the opposite and she didn’t know what to do with it, maybe it was just the fact that she was pretty and that she enjoyed looking her way but no.. but no surely she had more substance than that.
following closely behind the princess, the girl stopped in her tracks as she spoke in her native language. “ oh um.. “ she wasn’t quite sure how to say she didn’t understand, yet her face she felt made it obvious. “ so u say we should go that way. “ she gestured forward, offering the blonde her hand, so she’d steady herself. “ i’ve been just about everywhere in that direction, and outside of dingy and unoccupied rooms there’s not much to say. “ she gestured towards her left. “ but the other side? well that’s uncharted territory want to BRAVE it with me? “
Birdie had usually had a firm grip on reality and the limits she had set for herself. But there was just something about today that had made the world her’s for the taking. Everyone had seemed to be different, and she had noticed it, but she couldn’t quite determine if that had been a good thing or a bad thing. Nonetheless, she was grateful for Anna being at her side. One, to steady her, and two, willing to go on an adventure. Of course seeing the confusion on the girl’s face after Birdie had spoken in her native tongue left her laughing, “A prison...or dungeon. Does the castle have one? I think that’s where we should go. But if you say left. Then we shall go left.” Without questioning Anna’s decision, Birdie let her hand stay gripped in her friend’s as she started to move towards an area of the castle she had yet to face.
“Is that so?” he asked, his brows raised. She certainly wasn’t giving anything away, that’s for sure. He decided then he liked the Birdie that seemed to be asserting herself, not that she hadn’t teased mystery on any other occasion. “Doesn’t sound like a good boyfriend if you ask me. I’ll give you a kiss too if you want,” he said bluntly. What Theo didn’t know wouldn’t kill him. With her comment on viewing the room he let out a small huff. “What do you mean? Do I look like a messy guy to you?” he asked, immediately making his way to the bed and flopping down onto it.
“It is indeed, sir. It is indeed.” A sly smirk formed on her lips. It was fun teasing Ivan. And she took a certain pride in doing so. “On any other occasion he has been. I don’t know what’s changed.” Actually, a lot had changed. She was set to be the queen of Sweden someday, and she wasn’t sure if Theo was ready to live a lifestyle that would be required of him, if they were to marry. However, Birdie gasped at the mention of a kiss, “Are you getting fresh with me, Prince Ivan?” She moved further into the room, watching as he flopped down on the bed, “And no...but one can present them-self differently than how they live.” She began pursuing the room and looking at all of his belongings.
“Well okay then…” he started, his brows raising when she spoke of other things. Perhaps her plan was to go to his room and she just didn’t know how to say it. “Where have you heard those rumours?” he asked, wondering just how sloppy he had gotten over his last few months here. Ah well, it wasn’t like nobody else had unwanted baggage, it would keep them silent outside these walls at least. “No one else has? I can’t believe that. I nicked a few chocolates from the brunch, I can feed them to you if you like.” As they neared his quarters he slipped his key into the door, opening it for them.
She knew he was probably taken back by her suggestions and the way she was acting, but she had found a new freedom. Nothing seemed to get in the way, and she just wanted to experience the other side of life, “Around. If I gave away my sources, I’d have to kill you.” She really didn’t have sources, but she did want to keep things mysterious. “Not even Theo. Can you believe that? My own boyfriend hasn’t even told me happy Valentine’s day.” She sighed, frustrated by the thought. However, the idea of personally being fed chocolates sounded satisfying, “But I do like the idea of being pampered for once.” She stepped into his room and let her eyes fall onto his belongings, “It’s a lot neater in here then I thought it would be...”
It seemed that Birdie hadn’t had a preconceived plan and that it was going to be the Russian’s room after all. Not that he was going to complain about that. When she took his arm he began to lead the way out of the hall and towards his quarters.
“Well what would you like to do? I have cards if you want to play something like that again? Watch a movie? Listen to some music?” he asked. “We can do whatever you want.” It was definitely unlike him to be so accommodating, or hold back from dropping a few more explicit suggestions. But Birdie was an innocent girl he had discovered and today he wasn’t about to suggest anything untoward right off the bat. Of course there were things hidden all over his room. “Happy Valentine’s by the way.”
Birdie listened to his suggestions as they strolled down the hall, “Not feeling cards today, and I don’t really want to watch a movie. We can do that anytime.” Most of the stuff they could do anytime, but she was feeling brave today. She wanted to do something that would test her limits. “Maybe we can put music on in the background...” She had heard rumors that Ivan like to do things that weren’t so...legal, “Rumblings around the castle suggest you have other things we can do.” She would let him decipher code. “Happy Valentine’s Day to you, too. At least one cute boy wished me well today.” She rolled her eyes thinking about Theo.
“Well, that’s probably a good thing since you’ll be ruling a country one day. Better get that practice in while you can.” Sarika nodded matter-of-factly before realizing the act was being diminished by her proximity to her best friend. Scooting back from her, she allowed her arms to still hang lightly around her but she wasn’t as close to her anymore, especially after the blonde sneezed. “Well that was gross.”
A super special day? Maybe for some people but to Sarika the day only reminded her of someone she could no longer have. The brunette was a natural romantic and she loved that others got to share in the holiday but to her it would never really be that special again. Shrugging a shoulder at the suggestion, she started to lead her friend in a meaningless direction, forgetting momentarily about the horses after not really understanding what the girl had said. “They did decorate to nines. It was kind of overwhelming walking into the dining room. But in a good way.”
“Oh gosh, don’t remind me. The idea of ruling an entire nation is quite intimidating. You’ll be there with me right? We can rule together. Who needs boys and betrothals.” Birdie wasn’t betrothed, and she didn’t want to be. She had Theo, but right now she was annoyed with him since he had made no effort to acknowledge what day it was granted they were thousands of miles apart now. “Blame your hair...it tickled my nose!” She watched as her friend scooted away from her, and without any restraint left Birdie sticking her tongue out at Sarika.
When Birdie realized Sarika couldn’t speak Sweden, she realized why no mention of riding horses was returned, but shrugged it off, “I agree. I’ve never seen so much pink and red in one room. I wonder what the village looks like?” She was curious and would have to check it out later, when she went to visit her mother, “So what should we do with this new found...freedom copious amounts of alcohol has given me?” Had it really been that much? She could’ve swore she had only had a few glasses.
What you’re about to read is how one daring young woman discovered her true potential to rule a nation the day she took her last breath. This is the rise and fall of Crown Princess Birdie Estelle Gustaf.
“I promise I’ll be back later, Sarika. I just need some air. The walls feel like they’re closing in on me.” The Valentine’s Day brunch had proved an interesting and successful day for Birdie. From her first experience of drinking way too much alcohol to exploring new sides of herself with friends, she had considered her Valentine’s day to be a success, despite the fact that Theo hadn’t been around to experience it with her. And the constant checking of her email throughout the day left her without any word from him, both angering her, but also giving her the excuse she needed to do whatever she had wanted with her new found liquid courage.
There was just one person she had yet to see, and before the night was over, Birdie wanted to take a trip to see her mother. The woman had uprooted herself from her husband, after all, to keep an eye on their only child and to help guide her through her new life as a royal, regardless of not knowing anything about living such a life herself.
Waving at some random staff member walking by, Birdie skipped along the long empty corridor, until she had reached where she was going. Knowing that whatever was racing through her system would probably soon wear off, the twenty-three year old went to open the door of the room leading to the pool. Finding it locked, she almost backed out and opted to go to her room, but instead, had another idea. The outdoor pool. It was late, so most had found their way back to their rooms or each other’s rooms. But there was one thing the young royal wanted to experience, before fear fully took over once again...swimming.
Her entire life, she had feared the water. No matter how much her parents had tried to encourage her to swim, it was a no go. And that fear had crept into other parts of her life. If she couldn’t swim, she couldn’t do this. If she couldn’t be around water, she couldn’t do that. But tonight was the night she was going to face that fear. To prove to the little voice lingering inside her mind that she was brave and that she was more than just the fear living inside of her. And to go to the village with something exciting to tell her mother. A step in moving towards believing in herself and her future abilities to rule a country.
Finding her way outside into the freezing night air, Birdie made her way to the outdoor pool. It was going to take some effort to get the cover off, but she had come this far and wasn’t about to back out now, despite how cold it was. A quick dip in and out, and she could prove to herself what she had wanted to all along.
Fumbling with already numb fingers, she managed to work the cover off from the deep end of the pool. Steam rose up into the night air as the heated pool circulated water in order to keep it from freezing over. While one option had been closed off, another had opened up to her.
However, one question lingered in her mind. Jump and take it all in at once or ease herself into the water. While she had normally contemplated things to the point of talking herself out of them, tonight had been different. The Love Potion had given her a chance at not overthinking her decisions all day; a freedom she had come to cherish in such a short amount of time. And seeing as how it had proved successful in everything she had done, Birdie decided to push the fear that was already slowly inching in, out the window and to just jump.
Stripping down to the her underwear and a slip that covered her torso, the young royal closed her eyes calming the nerves that were close to taking hold and took a deep breath. Opening them, she spoke, "Den här är för dig Sverige," and without holding back any longer, took a running jump into the deep end of the swimming pool.
Everything happened slowly, yet all at once. As she sank down under the water, Birdie opened her eyes and took in the designs that lined the cement pool. The rippling effect of everything had left her feeling like she was in another world. One where anything was possible. While the salt water burned her eyes, she hadn’t quite noticed as much and hoped she could stay this way forever; feeling invincible and like anything was possible. It was like a moment of euphoria that had reassured her that she would be able to take over the throne of Sweden one day and make her family proud. However, that moment was quickly fading as she realized she was running out of air.
Fighting her way to the top, panic began to wash over Birdie. As she reached the surface of the water, she began to gasp for air, taking in what she could as she bobbed on the top, before sinking back below once more. It seemed like a lifetime of trying to find oxygen that was just beyond her reach, but in reality it had taken only sixty seconds for her to climb an invisible ladder to nowhere, but death.
As her body began shutting down, her short life had flashed in front of her eyes. From seeing her mother, father, and grandmother smiling to being close to Theo and making new memories with Sarika, Kala, Anna, and Ivan. All that she had accomplished in twenty-three years was washed away at a decision she made all while being under the influence of a drink served at what had been one of the best days of her life.
And just like that, she was gone.
Her small form floating to the surface, while life carried on around her in the castle, Birdie’s one true moment of bravery, and the epitome of the life she was destined to lead, had all disappeared. And that’s how Crown Princess Birdie Estelle Gustaf found her rise and fall all in one day, never to return back to her room or to visit her mother in the village. To speak to Theo or her father. Or get lost in a vast castle with her best friend ever again.
A PLEASED SMILE WAS reflected on the lady’s features as she watched the princess take hold of the cookie she had just opened. laughing softly as she reached for the one she’d been handed. “ oh i know, i’ve been SNACKING on them all morning. “ she admitted with a sheepish expression. “ now i’m not one for sweets on a normal but exceptions can be made. “ at least for a day that had taken such an interesting turn, given how everyone was behaving the brunette needed something to keep her on her toes. so why not just crash from a sugar high? it would be the best way to conclude this brunch or at least that’s what she was hoping. nodding as the swede princess kept on speaking, her native language slipping her lips all she really understood was ‘ valentine’s day ‘ scrunching up her nose she opened her mouth to reciprocate the sentiment. “ a happy day to you too, your highness. “
it wasn’t until the blonde rose from her chair that anna put the treat down, an excited expression forming on her features as she too pushed herself up. “ then what are we still doing here? “ she question, as she trailed behind the princess. “ surely the now empty halls will show us something different today hm? “ she questioned with a wiggle of her shoulders. at the very least, they wouldn’t be interrupted by others who were curious about what they were doing and that was a nice change. “ where to first? “
The castle was built for her in that moment. The idea of exploring parts she had never scene excited her, but what made it even better was having a friend along for the adventure. The tree chopping ordeal had proved successful, but Birdie had been in a completely different state of mind. In this moment, she was just looking for some trouble. Something to cure the boredom the room full of drunk royals couldn’t contain. Of course, Birdie didn’t feel drunk. She just felt brave and bold. Like something she had been missing all these years had clicked on, “Hopefully they’ll show us things we’ve never seen before. Danger perhaps. A real sense of adventure?”
She took everything in around her. Absorbed parts of the castle she hadn’t really paid much attention to previously in her mad dash to get where she was going or because she was usually listening to music and dancing around the halls, “Vi borde gå till fängelsehålan. Finns det ett fängelsehål i detta slott?” She was hoping Anna knew her way around better than Birdie did, otherwise, they would really be in for quite an adventure trying to find their way back to civilization; a fear Birdie had experienced when she had first arrived months prior.
Ivan didn’t particularly have a care for Valentine’s Day, mostly because he didn’t have a Valentine for it. But even if he didn’t feel morally obliged to attend the brunch he would have anyway, considering it involved copious amounts of alcohol. While some of his habits he kept secret the whole world knew about his alcohol habits and so he definitely felt no need to hold back on his consumption. He had been sat next to a prince he barely knew, which he guessed was good for connections and the more drinks he had the warmer he felt himself becoming inside.
Turning his head to face the blonde as she appeared next to him, he gave her a bright grin that didn’t have nearly as many double meanings as they usually did. “Alright, where are you thinking of going? There’s always my room if you hadn’t already figured somewhere,” he suggested, already pushing his chair back and rising to his feet. Holding his arm out he waited for her to take it.
She hadn’t thought of a place, so his room had sounded perfect at the moment. Had she not been feeling overly confident, Birdie would have given Ivan a hard pass and suggested somewhere more public, but today, she wanted to do things she was usually normally too afraid to do. And visiting a boy’s room (a boy she liked) was on her list.
Standing and taking Ivan’s arm, she glanced around the room, before letting him lead the way. She had never been to his room before. On her many adventures through the castle, there was no doubt, she had probably passed it, but had she been asked to meet him there, she would have been just as lost as the day she first arrived to the castle, “So what do you suggest we do? Any ideas?” The normal worry of what the man could have on his mind didn’t seem to phase her this time, and instead, she was in for the adventure of what was about to go down.
" SWEET AS CAN BE AND pretty too, like pretty, pretty. you know the sort of person you meet and think sure she’s nice to look at, but then somehow the more you get to know them the more beautiful they are? she’s like that and we’re all better for it. ( @birdiegustaf )
Send me a name and my muse will tell you what they think of them!
Kala sat back and adjusted part of her saree, revealing a touch more of her shoulders, though she didn’t seem to care. At the moment she was just trying to get her bearings, she had only had a few glasses of mimosa but already she was feeling tipsy. Her main concern at the moment was that it was so hot inside the dining hall. Why did they have the heat up so high? On top of that she was feeling a little stifled, and so she excused herself from the table, taking another drink with her. She knew it probably wasn’t a good idea, but they were delicious and she was especially thirsty.
Thankfully the brunch was mostly over, of course the food and drinks were still going. Though the royals had begun to filter out in groups and pairs to go elsewhere. She almost felt like pouting that here she was, on her own as she wandered down the corridor. It may not have been the best idea, but in her current overheated state she decided to go out onto the terrace. In her current state the cold hardly phased her, in fact it felt good against her flushed skin and she let out a sigh of relief as she relaxed against the wall. She lifted the glass to her lips and took a drink, just as she realized someone had followed her out. The glass coming back down to her side she let out a small giggle, smiling at the newcomer. “It’s so much nicer out here, don’t you think?”
She had felt confident. Brave. Like a brand new Birdie. Whatever she had been drinking on made her believe anything was possible, and in that very moment, she felt like she could rule Sweden. She could take the crown and make the country so much more than it was, but right now, she was stuck at a brunch in a castle in the middle of Nowhere, Russia with a bunch of people she didn’t really know. It had almost brought her mood down, but then she realized she had had her entire life ahead of her to make change.
Instead, Birdie found herself wandering the halls, until she had spotted her friend, Kala. She had only seen the girl in passing and had been meaning to visit her. But between princess lessons and everything else going on, which include the occasional bout of locking herself in her room to cry over her situation, she had kept herself busy. Calling out her name hadn’t proved successful as she watched Kala go outside. With a quick glance back debating if she wanted to brave the cold, she opted in and found herself standing outside in the freezing weather next to her friend, “Lite kallt, men inte så kallt som jag hade misstänkt att det skulle vara.” She hadn’t realized she was speaking in Swedish, but she was.
SHE SHOULD HAVE KEPT her eyes on her plate or focused anywhere else but given the atmosphere the brunette didn’t think that anyone would be paying much attention to what she was doing. not when it looked like more than half of the royalty present was ready to launch themselves out and through a window because they believed they could fly. which should have probably concerned her more –– but she didn’t want to ‘ rain on anyone’s parade ‘ she had every other day of the year to do that. so instead she kept busy, well sort off. the swede seemed a bit pre-occupied with what she was doing, something that prompted anna to speak.
“ allow me, your highness. “ she mused as she reached for the fancy wrapped treat the blonde had been attempting to unwrap. “ i’ve opened about TEN of these in less than an hour –– i can confidently say i’m an expert. “ she explained as she fumbled with the wrapper, hoping to actually be able to pull it off, the last thing she needed to do was look like an idiot. no, she’d done that just about every other time she and the princess had spoken. “ you just need to know how to… “ her voice trailed. “ voila! “ she happily declared holding out for her to take. “ just call me the cookie knight. “
It had been a while since she had seen Anna, but it was nice. The girl was nice and had always just happened to have been there when she needed assistance. Like chopping down a Christmas tree or now unwrapping deceptive little cookies in fancy paper. However, seeing the sweet treat now free for the taking, she snatched it up and nibbled on it like the little bird she was, amused by the taste, “You know I’ve had like six of these. I don’t know why they taste so good, but they do. Have you had one?” She leaned forward and snatched another off the table passing it to the girl, “Happy Valentine's Day, Anna. Njut av ... det vill säga om du också kan öppna den.” She laughed softly, before tossing the empty wrapper onto the table for someone else to clean up; very much unlike herself.
Climbing to her feet, a little wobble, she steadied herself, “We should go exploring. It’s rather boring in here, and if I eat anything else, I’m going to explode.” Grabbing what seemed like her fourth glass of champagne, she downed it, before moving to the door. Whether or not Anna wanted to come was up to her. Unlike Christmas, she wasn’t stopping the girl from following her and actually encouraged the company. At least if she got into trouble, she’d have a partner in crime, so she wouldn’t go down alone.
“Birdie!” The sound of her voice rung out through the hallway when Sarika had spotted her best friend while roaming through the halls, the brunette somehow finding the balance in her heels to run towards the blonde before wrapping her arms around her neck in a tight hug. How they had gotten separated during seating at the brunch was yet another mystery of the day but she was just glad she had her best friend with her again. “Birdie, tell me you’re as gone as I am right now. I don’t even know how I got here but this is the weirdest feeling. Does champagne always make you feel this loopy?”
She’d had it before at events at home but she had been limited in her drinking and for all she knew the two glasses here were just really strong. Maybe they made their alcohol different here in Russia. Did they make it in Russia. She shook the thoughts away, her hair brushing against Birdie’s face as she was still hanging onto the girl so she slowly loosened her grip on her. “We should do something today since your beau can’t make it. I’m single and not looking so lets like go ride a horse or something.”
She had had a total of three glasses of champagne. At least that’s what she had thought. Maybe it was four. At this point she really couldn’t remember. Was that bad? Probably. But for some reason, she had felt...great. She had felt like the world was her’s. The awkward and clumsy girl that usually roamed the halls of the castle was nowhere to be found, but instead, stood a daring girl with a bright future ahead of her. Of course while she stood tall and proud of her new found courage, her best friend had managed to stumble over and grip onto Birdie for support, “If by gone, you mean feeling like a completely different person who could rule the world...then yes.” She laughed.
Sneezing as Sarika’s hair brushed past Birdie’s face, she quickly covered her mouth with the crook of her elbow, “Maybe they gave us special champagne for the occasion? I mean it is a super special day and they did go alllll out.” She spread her arms out wide, stumbling a little from Sarika’s weight, “Men jag gillar hästar. Vi borde rida hästar.” She shrugged off the comment about Theo. She had still wished, greatly, that he was there with her, but there had to be a first time for everything, and this would be her first Valentine’s Day without him. There was always next year.
Today was a day of celebration and love, but for Birdie, her one true love was back in Sweden. Thousands of miles away and having only been able to have very brief contact, Birdie was feeling rather blue about the entire situation. It’s why, for once in her life, she was going to indulge in a few drinks to celebrate her own way. However, after the fourth glass of champagne, the young princess was heavily feeling the effects of the drugs that had been laced with the liquid.
The lights twinkling a little brighter than they should and the food smelling extra delicious, Birdie consumed a little bit of everything being served, before finding herself wandering over to someone she had currently been spending more than enough time with, Ivan Romanov. With the courage of a lion, she plopped down next to him with a grin and spoke, “We should get out of here...And go...make our own fun...” She wasn’t sure what was coming out of her mouth, but she kind of liked it and the feeling it gave her taking charge.
Love Potion No. 9 - Birdie Gustaf (Crown Princess of Sweden)
Dear sweet Birdie. The naivest of them all. However, the Valentine’s Day brunch will be Birdie’s day to shine. Her day to finally break out of her shell and discover that she doesn’t have to follow the straight and narrow to have fun. What’s a few drinks? However, for someone who doesn’t often consume alcohol, Love Potion No. 9 will serve as a confidence booster for the dear, sweet Crown Princess of Sweden. For today Birdie will face her fears, spread her wings, and learn to fly.
Plot ideas:
To Birdie, the Love Potion will boost the girl’s confidence to the stars. Someone usually so sweet demur, will be on her flirting game for sure. Theo’s back home and at this point, it doesn’t like he’s going to make to the castle for Valentine’s Day. The first Valentine’s Day she’ll spend without her lifelong boyfriend.
Adventure, for just one day, will be the normally socially, awkward bird’s middle name. Ever wanted to explore the castle, but needed a buddy?
Could this be a gateway into something deeper? Will Birdie dance her way off the deep end and explore stronger potions? Anything’s possible on this day.
Yelizaveta stifled a laugh at the young Princess’s naivety as she continued to pace across the front of room. “That is lesson number two. Do not always believe what the others tell you. They do not have your best interests at heart.”
Birdie sighed. She was starting to believe that most everyone here was out to make her look like a fool. Maybe princess lessons weren’t such a bad idea after all. “What he told me...it’s bullshit isn’t it?” At this point, she didn’t care what came out of her mouth.
