[ᴮʳⁱᵈᵍᵉʳᵗᵒⁿ] Dissonance I a spin on the popular royale series with Tyriq Withers.
𝄞 ⱽᵃˡˢᵉ ˢᵉⁿᵗⁱᵐᵉⁿᵗᵃˡᵉ ᵇʸ, ᵀᶜʰᵃⁱᵏᵒᵛˢᵏʸ / 𝓽𝓱𝓻𝓮𝓮 / prev
You and Nathaniel spend a fair amount of time with each other, but the main person he wanted to avoid discovers it all. Unraveling hidden secrets and painful truths. (this chapter includes angst/foreshadowing abuse)
Nathaniel lost track of time with you and figured you both should leave the maze with empty conviction. Some light proposal had you both arm and arm, talking about little things that didn't mean much but filled the silence.
Exiting the maze felt like entering a new world, there were many more people than before and a few had glanced your way.
Nathaniel swallowed at the realization and met your thoughtful pair of brown eyes. Without saying anything, you unlinked your arm from him and began walking that way. Both of you are setting boundaries for different reasons.
"Ah, here he comes. Nathan..." the said boy snapped his head around for the familiar voice and almost choked at the sight of his father.
"Nathaniel." You look at Sven from afar and squint your eyes.
"Is that your--" Nathaniel inhales audibly before you can finish.
"Yes, that's my father." Sven turns his body toward you both in an eerie fashion.
"My boy, who is this darling girl beside you." Nathaniel plasters on a smile alike.
"This is Lady Oneka Mua, daughter of Dame Eshe Mua." Sven raises his brow to the sun above.
"Good Evening, Lord Legrand." He extends a hand before you can bow.
"What a pleasure it is to meet the daughter of one of the queen's most beloved artists. How do you do?"
"I'm well." you take your hand back after a kind shake.
"Good, good. Are you the reason he’s been gone for half an hour?" a beat of silence, and then Sven is the first to laugh. You simply smile and look at Nathaniel, he doesn’t look like himself.
"I kid with you. I was hoping he'd come by seeing as Lady Soffer and I were just talking about him."
The older british woman smiled, "A pleasure to meet you, My lord." She bows along with her child.
"I've come to introduce my daughter, Erica." the girl smiles at him, her nose broad and hair strained into tight coils, he couldn’t process her properly so he blinked.
Upon watching the spectacle you nibble on your top lip.
"Um, I'll be going then. Nice to meet you." Nathaniel swallows, eyes downward as you glance at him.
"Bye.." he doesn't say it back.
There was no denying that Nathaniel's father was strange, but what's even stranger is how Nathaniel acted. You pass by a few tables until someone calls out a loud question amongst the chatter.
"Are you being courted by Nathaniel Legrand?" you see a girl approaching you with a glass of champagne and a cupcake. It's Jessabelle, unbeknownst to you.
"Who?" she smirks, "you heard me, Nathaniel? Tall, tan, handsome." She sips the alcohol in front of you like she's trying to establish some sort of dominance.
"Oh." you nod, a small smile forming on your lips.
"We were just in the maze together, yes." She raises her brows enthusiastically.
"Were you? I believe Nathaniel and I spoke before that." You turn your body towards her and pretend to look informed.
"Ohh, and you're telling me this.. why?" She giggles.
"Oh! goodness I don't mean to push you up, I just thought you'd like to know that.. well, he's exploring his options!"
"Mm." you look across her face. "That's a suitor's responsibility is it not?"
"Of course it is but, then again.." She turns another way to feign secrecy about what she's going to tell you.
"If you knew his story you'd stop wasting your time." You furrow your brows.
"And what's this story?" she waves her hand.
"I'd never spread his business around, but.. to sum up my conclusion, you may just be a spontaneous thing in his eyes, temporary. Suitors look for wives."
You look between her eyes calmly, "We're not pursuing eachother." Jessabelle grins.
"Perfect! I'm Jessabelle by the way, nice meeting you!" you watch the girl skip off to wherever she came from and cross the garden for your mother.
She's in the same spot, all ears with her eyes on the crowd. No one seems to notice the sketchbook in her hands, trying to find a muse.
"Where were you darling?" You pick a macaroon off your plate and bite into it.
"Nowhere." A moment of silence.
"Is something wrong?" you chew and look around, "No."
You didn't think to approach Nathaniel for the rest of the evening, didn’t even see him go.
Nathaniel kept his gaze in his lap on the ride home, even as the carriage rocked his head was down. Sven watched him the entire time, his vision getting unfocused as he glared into memories rather than his own son.
When they entered the estate he ordered Nathaniel to follow him. Darron watched his older brother disappear down the hall without a fight. Cherlynn touched his shoulder with tenderness.
"Are you hungry, darling?" He managed a smile.
".. A bit."
Back in Sven's office, the elder sat atop his desk and looked Nathaniel in the face. The roughness of his mustache foreshadowing what he wanted to say.
"I have questions for you. Do come closer." Nathaniel clenched his jaw, and obeyed.
Sven looked him over, trying to re-understand something.
He could read his son's teal eyes from a mile away. He caught the longing and guilt, the reminiscence and awe of finding water within a desert.
In this case, the metaphor alluded to you. Mhm, Sven understood it well now.
Two wandering souls drawing close. Finding refuge in love that would validate them through their own perceptions, not societies. Not the royal court.
"You like that girl." As expected, Sven never allowed Nathaniel wiggle space to explain or be heard. Everything had to be assumed and set for the next course of action.
"No sir."
Sven furrowed his brows with indifference.
"Then how come you provided her company? I thought I taught you about that.. thoroughly." Sven shifts his body, and Nathaniel instantly blinks.
"Have I not?" his jaw clenches again.
"You did, sir." Sven scratches his face and gets up from the office desk. His hunched back made him look like a thousand thoughts were eating away at him.
Nathaniel watched him search incessantly for something on the ground, until he slowly leant up, a familiar tool now in his possession.
Nothing eventful happened in a fairly long time, while Darron went on dates with the women he pursued. Nathaniel was kept inside the house studying.. or just rotting away.
His step mother entered his room once which was rare and informed him that his father got into contact with Jessabelle’s family.
“You two will get the chance to know each other more.” Nathaniel reluctantly nodded and waited until she left to push a sizzling breath from his teeth.
He couldn’t even visit his mother to tell her about all of this or receive her warmth, the isolation ate him alive.
In the Mua Estate, your mother and the Queen had been discussing something important for the past week or so. You passed time by journaling and painting, most of what you documented was based on your feelings but it circled around someone in particular.
As pathetic as it made you feel, you were still thinking about Nathaniel.
About his kindness and that adorable smile. His nose and freckles, his voice and scent.
You sighed at your painting palette, dabbing different shades to replicate the color of his eyes and use them as the vastful sky.
When your mother finally sent the queen on her way she came down the hall and checked on you.
“Are you alright, princess.” you glanced at her and nodded.
She watched you work on the canvas from afar.
“At the soiree, I saw you with a boy.” you sighed through your nose and a smile rose to her face.
“It’s not good to bottle your emotions.” she began walking inside.
“That’s why I’m painting.” Her body came around to see your work and although it wasn't finished, the beauty remained.
“Hmmm.” She hums, “You like him?”
Hearing it felt like a betrayal to your ears so the most you could was shrug.
More time passed as weeks turned into months, but finally.. April came bearing gifts for the discouraged.
The Queen orchestrated a German/British infused festival in Buckinghamshire. Art would be displayed, merchandise and clothes would be sold, it was everything and most importantly a reminder of home for the Queen.
But there was one thing that you feared amidst this celebration.
Modeling for hundreds of people.
“Relax princess, you’ll do great.” You looked in the mirror as a servant did your makeup and another perfected your hair.
“I’m still mad over the fact that you sprung this on me.” Your mother tilted her head at you.
“And I apologized, will you accept my apology?” you looked at the ceiling in dismissal.
You could be mad all you wanted but she knew you’d let it roll off your back eventually.
“You look beautiful darling.” she smirked and left.
Outside, people were pouring in from different vendors and stands. British folk enjoyed bowls of egg mustard soup, children watched puppets dance ballet in makeshift boxes.
In a small but sturdy carriage, Nathaniel rode with Jessabelle to it all. Somehow she managed to slip her arm in his at some point.
And for the time being he smiled at her and laughed at all her small jokes.
But the gold in her earrings, the verdant trees outside, and rosy red lipstick on her mouth.. were all reminiscent of someone else.
Nathaniel worked his jaw and stared out the carriage, knowing your mother was a part of the event, he opted to avoid you if he saw you.
Jessabelle should be the only lady he’s focused on.
When they arrived, both of their families who rode in separate carriages let them go into the festival alone. Jessabelle was thrilled and dragged Nathaniel to all sorts of places and stops.
“This is a gorgeous cloth, don’t you think?” Nathaniel smiled as she displayed it over her pale fingers.
“It is nice.” She smiled back at him, her eyes lingering with something sweet.
“Well, let’s look at some jewelry next.” Her dainty fingers slipped in his hand and Nathaniel reluctantly held on as they moved throughout the crowd.
A merchant grinned at them as they described the origin behind their pieces and glorified the designs. Jessabelle said something along the lines of marriage and it stopped Nathaniel’s heart.
“Oh, look at your face. You’re practically red!” She giggled high and inspected the ring she chose. A nervous laugh tumbled out of his mouth.
“You’re wild, you know that?”
For the past twenty minutes Nathaniel has done nothing but be dragged to where Jessabelle wants to go. She asked him from time to time if there’s anything he wants to do but he never complained.
“The Fashion Show will begin shortly, take to the walkway now if you wish to secure a seat!” A random man spoke into a bullhorn.
“Oooo a fashion show? We have to get a seat!” And so he bites his lips once more, shoulders searing with pain as Jessabelle brings them to the spot. Instead of it being heavily crowded, people split into two and made space for the walking way.
Nathaniel managed to stand somewhere they could properly see the show.
“Welcome ladies and gentleman! I hope you’re enjoying the Heimweh festival?” A round of applause made Nathaniel’s eyes flutter as he looked at so many happy faces.
“Queen Charlotte has been working with an extraordinary artist to bring all this magic to you, all the food and dances, the arts and expression.. Of Germany.” The spokesman glanced to his side.
“I will now let that marvelous artist take the floor, please welcome.. Dame Eshe Mua.” The said woman walked into the spotlight with a style that commanded everyone’s attention before she spoke.
England didn’t know what Marley twists were and how Eshe managed to make them like a crown on her head.
Her flowy dress was bold on the shoulder with a shade of primrose and baby pink at the waist, her eyes and lips popping with Amaranth.
It was inexplicable how soft her skin looked as well, as shiny as newly sheathed bronze.
She looked over the crowd, “Good evening, everyone. I hope you enjoy this fashion show I've procured and share a passion for it kin to mine. It's been wonderfulI working with my models and bringing my vision to life with all the pieces I'm going to show you.”
You listened to your mother backstage.
“So I won’t keep you waiting, let’s begin the show.”
A small group of musicians began playing Tichailovsky's “Valse Sentimentale”. Just imagine the staccato of strings as a violin creeps in. The flutes melding beside a cello.
The crowd indulged in genteel chatter, “oo's and ah's” thrown out like pennies in a wishing well. It was certainly like nothing they'd ever seen before.
England was a mother country so she fit herself in tight and flashy outfits, influence stitched itself in the hem of her sleeves. But Europe tailored to more than just her status. She knew the world outside and embroidered heritages on her chest. The two infusions were genius.
“Oh, I love that dress.. ” Nathaniel glanced at Jessabelle as her head followed each model up and down the walkway.
Some of the models even broke barriers by wearing suits and showed inclusivity with various races. It left people with mixed emotions but Nathaniel thought it was brilliant.
He watched one of them walk past him while Jessabelle looked up the walkway. The sound that left her being inexplicable.
“That girl..” Nathaniel furrowed his brows.
“What?” He looked to the front of the platform and his face softened into something unreadable.
You came into the spotlight with your dress in hand and slowly walked out. Judging from the parted lips and stares of uninterrupted awe, everyone knew you must be the best for last. You kept your eyes ahead and remembered to move like the wind manipulated you.
Nathaniel’s whole body was stiff as taffy, the closing proximity between you both more than he could handle. Jessabelle caught his eyes fluttering.
A crown of water lilies spruced your head of curls and some marvelous holiday made love to your dress. You didn’t belong to the current era, far from it.
Get it together, mate.
“She looks gorgeous doesn’t she?” He simply nodded her way before watching you again.
God, you were glowing like an angel so out of reach.
You walk back up but something small in your face changes, a very brief thing.
Your mother walks out again and the claps slowly dissipate.
Perhaps it’s the pollen? He suppresses a smile at the thought of you trying not to sneeze and watches you walk past again with sparkling eyes.
As soon as you’re out of sight the whole crowd erupts into applause, it’s anything but tame and people practically blurt their amazement over each other.
“Thank you for attending my show, and this wonderful festival in honor of the Queens' homeland.” More applause comes in.
“Thank you to all the wonderful people working here today, your contribution to showcasing the Queens' home is deeply appreciated. And lastly, I’d like to thank my beautiful daughter for participating even though this was way outside of her comfort zone.” Some people laughed and Nathaniel blushed at the sentiment with his arms crossed.
“Enjoy the festival.” Eshe places her hands together and waves at the people with an award winning smile as they fill the area with cheer.
“Well, that was certainly something.” Nathaniel leaves the area with Jessabelle and they simply walk around.
“Yeah..” he looks off into the distance, eyes soft and thoughtful.
“It looked like you knew the last model.” Nathaniel nibbles on his top lip.
“We spoke before.”
“How sweet.” He smirked knowing Jessabelle was bitter about it, but he didn’t care.
“Do you think I’m pretty enough to model..” she smiled at him and slipped her arm in his, he was starting not to like that.
“.. Yes, of course.” he plastered something nice on his face.
“Well well, I have news for you two love birds?” Sven’s presence was suddenly behind them, making Nathaniel turn around with Jessabelle and furrow his brows.
“What is it father!” Sven smiled proudly at the girl’s familiar approach. Already throwing out family titles?
“There will be a heimveh afterparty hosted at the estate of that artist, you both could go alone and ride back together if you choose. Darron proposed the idea seeing as he wants to impress his flower with the knowledge of german paintings.” Cherlynn giggled in Sven’s shoulder.
“Oh we’d love to go! Right darling?” Nathaniel couldn’t refuse.
Tagging all my gumdrops!! (may you all get super powers xp) @missdreammerchant @samiyah28 @chicbelle3 @amaraeatsboggers @tenacioustestamentambush @ohava1 @n0r4sarchive @swag4me @k4ng0rap @imanaged @ardeneverse @secretisme4 @liafieldnotes-03 @mochminnie @nvxhz @mariahtoofiyah @bildoeilishhh @nun0ir @thatssokarii @girlslovejahseh @plan3tch1ld @ash-ketchumzzz @shhhchriss @irunfadesoverkenny
