Grace and Genie royalty au
AU Meme || @looselipssinksecrets
i. She’s been sent to marry the Prince of the neighboring nation, to someday be it’s queen. She’d never meet him before, though he seemed pleasant enough in the few interactions they’ve had since she arrived. Pleasant, but distant.
ii. It’s not that she misses home. It’s not that she’s lonely, exactly. She’s used to isolation, but sometimes it’s hard. She doesn’t know anyone here, or any of the customs, even the food is strange. She’s taken to wandering around the castle, darting away on silent feet if she hears anyone coming down the hall, exploring her new home. Which is how she found the garden, and how Genie found her.
iii. “I didn’t mean to intrude, I’m so sorry,” she apologizes, already trying to back out of the little grove. The prince’s sister shakes her head, smiling at her. “Please, stay. You’re not intruding.” She’s giving her an evaluating look, but it doesn’t feel judgmental or dismissive like the looks she’s been getting from the rest of the court. “You don’t quite fit here, do you?” she says, insightful and sympathetic all in one. Grace looks down for a moment. She’s been trying so hard not to let that show. “Is it that obvious?” Genie shakes her head. “You just need some pointers. I’ll help you.
iv. “Do you want to know a secret?” Genie whispers in her ear as they’re lying in the grass, staring up at the clouds. Grace turns to her, nodding. “I don’t fit here either.”
v. Neither of them planned it. Grace needed help, Genie wanted to give it to her, they both needed a friend. It wasn’t supposed to turn into more, but somehow it did. Lingering glances became wandering hands became tentative kisses. For the first time, Grace felt there was someone who understood her, who truly loved her, and it was paradise.
vi. It was hell, having to pretend that they meant nothing to each other in public, that she was in love with her fiancé, not his sister. Genie was adamant that no one be able to see what they were. At least the prince barely noticed her enough to tell that her sweet words were hollow and fake.
vii. “What’s the worst that could happen if we told them?” They’re lying in Genie’s bed, and Grace feels hopeful, lighter than she ever has. “Maybe I could marry you instead.” Genie’s hand had been stroking her hair absently, but now it stills. “They’d kill you,” she says, her voice so soft that Grace thinks she’s mishearing at first. “You’ve been promised to the crown prince. This would be seen as treason.”
viii. A fairytale ending: the stuff of dreams and children’s stories, one that is perfect and sublime, two lovers riding off into the sunset. A fairytale ending: the stuff of nightmares and reality, one that is dark and teaches a lesson, one girl having to pay for a crime, the other helpless to save her.
ix. She can see the tears in Genie’s eyes, but she has to know this. “I don’t regret any of it. I could never regret one minute I spent with you.”
