SUMMARY: YOU WERE CERTAIN OF IT, YOU WANTED TO MARRY LORD STANLEY DUDLEY. HOWEVER, THE FEELINGS DON'T SEEM TO BE RECIPROCATED. SO, HOW CAN YOU SEDUCE HIM?
WORDS: 1823
RATING: GENERAL AUDIENCES
CONTENT: LADY GREY!READER, SHE FELL FIRST BUT HE FELL HARDER KIND OF, STAN IS A LITTLE NEEDY, READER IS BAD AT SEDUCING
WARNINGS: NONE
“Isn’t that strange?”
Your sister, Katherine, looked away from what she was doing to look at you instead. You were playing thoughtfully with your hair, with an almost troubled expression on your face.
“What is strange?” she asked.
“Mother and her decisions.”
Katherine shrugged. The way your mother raised you should no longer surprise you.
“Why does she impose something on all her daughters, except for me?”
“I don’t know… maybe you’re secretly her favorite,” she replied, although it was clear she didn’t really mean it.
You shook your head, now taking a book in your hand, even though you didn't really intend to read it.
“I don’t understand,” you sighed. “You didn't want to marry the Duke of Leicester, and that's perfectly understandable, but she didn't leave you a choice. Jane didn't want to marry Lord Guildford, but she didn't give her a choice. And I tell her I want to marry Lord Stanley, but she won't allow it!”
“Indeed…”
“I’m the only one who wants to marry a Lord, but I’m also the only one Mother won’t allow to marry!”
Katherine nodded compassionately. She thought to herself that you were lucky your mother wasn't forcing you to marry someone.
“Yet Stanley isn’t a bad person. He doesn’t cause her any problems, they seem to get along well overall…”
There was a silence before you exchanged a glance. Shivers ran through your body, making you shake your head to regain your composure.
“I prefer not to imagine the existence of this situation,” you say with disgust.
“Me neither. But your lover seems to be smitten with her,” she pointed out with a grimace on her face.
“Don’t even mention it…” you sighed, putting the book back in its place. “I’m starting to lose hope…”
Katherine remained silent, before an idea crossed her mind.
“There’s Jane’s coronation banquet tonight. Perhaps this is the moment!” she said enthusiastically.
“Oh, but you’re right! I should be the most beautiful! Well… just after Jane, of course.”
Katherine nodded before getting up, walking towards your wardrobe. You then did the same with determination. You had to look stunning tonight so that Stan would finally look at you differently. You were already wondering what you could possibly do if he didn't at least give you an admiring glance.
All the dresses in your possession were then tried on, wanting absolutely to find the one that suited you best and therefore the most beautiful one. It took you a long time to agree, so long that when you had finally decided which one would be the right one, it was already time for you to prepare for the banquet.
“I have to get ready too! See you later!” she said before quickly leaving your room to go to hers.
You then put on the dress, checking again in the mirror that everything was perfect. You smiled and nodded, telling yourself that it was impossible for the man of your dreams not to be impressed by your dress.
But you couldn't go to the banquet like that! You also needed jewelry and a splendid hairstyle. So you headed to your jewelry box to accessorize your outfit with pretty pearls around your neck and lovely diamonds in your ears. A few rings, and there you have it!
You then sighed, playing with your hair, thinking about how to style it. It took you longer than you thought it would, as you were really indecisive. You didn't want the hairstyle to ruin everything and therefore, as a result, Lord Stanley not falingl madly in love with you.
You paced back and forth in your room, thinking intensely. And finally, after a while, you stopped and picked up several hairpins. With tremendous concentration, you created the most beautiful bun you knew for your hair type.
Now you were ready to go and seduce Lord Stanley! And if the plan ultimately didn't work... then maybe your feelings will never be reciprocated and everything was doomed to failure.
No! You couldn't think that way! You had to be (or at least appear to be) confident for the Lord to be interested in you. If you were defeatist and withdrawn, he probably wouldn't find you interesting and radiant enough. You had to look like a strong woman, afraid of nothing. That way, Stan would be impressed by your beauty and attitude.
So it was a while after the banquet had started that you arrived. You slipped through everyone until you found your loved one. He was with your sisters, Katherine and Margaret. You took a deep breath as you watched him from afar, putting as much confidence as possible on your face.
One foot after the other, you walked towards Stan. Your back was straight, your eyes fixed on your goal. So, this was the big day, your feelings were finally going to be reciprocated, and you could announce to your mother that you were going to marry Lord Stanley.
When you were closer, his eyes were in your direction. And then, a smile formed on his lips. Stars immediately lit up in your eyes. Finally! He was starting to recognize your true worth! Perhaps you should wave to him? Would you look silly if you did that? Would he fall for you even more if you did that?
There was no time for that; you felt yourself being led to your sisters. Your gaze showed you that it was your mother. Your brain stopped working when you realized you hadn't been the target of the smile.
You were lost in thought, wondering what you could do to make him see you for who you truly were. Were you doomed? You didn't have time to really think about it because your mother's words pulled you out of your thoughts.
“What? But I’m not going to bed now, I just got here!” you exclaimed.
So you spent the night with your head in the pillow. You were truly despairing now. Perhaps so, Stan was far too attracted to your mother to even give you a smile.
So… you should probably give up and find a new love? No! That would be betraying Stan! But, at the same time, he didn't seem interested in you... This subject made you want to tear your hair out.
You continued for a while longer to lament the situation, how Stan would never love you. Would a man ever love you? The fact that your sister Jane was imprisoned didn't help the situation; now you were even sadder. Mary is the Queen? Now you were wondering what the purpose of living in this world was.
Life wasn't the best right now. In fact, it was probably the worst period of your life. You didn't know what to do, feeling useless to your older sister. She was going to be executed, beheaded, and there was nothing you could do.
You felt even more useless as the day arrived. Jane was about to be executed, being brought before everyone, with Guildford on a pyre ready to be lit. You were already praying that the afterlife would be good to her, trying not to cry. No matter what god existed, hadn't he been cruel enough to you? Could he, just once, make you happy?
But soon everything changed when a swarm of Ethians appeared, allowing Jane to break free. A battle ensued immediately afterwards, with Jane heading straight for the pyre where her husband lay. Your heart stopped beating in your chest for a very short moment, before you got up to go and help your sister in some way or another.
But in the end, carried away by the adrenaline of the situation you had put yourself in without thinking, it was someone else you saved.
“Lord Stanley!” you exclaimed, abruptly moving him aside.
You squealed as you felt the edge of a blade create a gash on your arm, partially tearing a sleeve of your dress. Stan turned towards you, pushing back the enemy before grabbing you. And then, his eyes met yours. If it were possible, Careless Whisper would be playing in the background.
“You saved me, my lady,” he said, his voice filled with genuine emotion.
“Well… I think the armor protected you well, but—”
“You’re hurt! Damn them!”
“I’m fine, the wound only stings a little,” you said, nodding.
Stan helped you to your feet as Guildford was freed, assuming his horse form to ride off with Jane. Once the couple was safe and sound, there was a certain relief for you. At least they were both going to be alright.
This was not the case for you and your family, who remained at the castle under Mary's tyrannical rule. Life was still bad, the only positive point was that Jane was no longer under threat from the Queen for the time being.
As you walked through the castle corridors, you heard quick footsteps behind you, and your name being called. You stopped and turned around, then saw Stan.
“Lady Grey…” he said, stopping in front of you.
You gasped as a bouquet appeared before your eyes, Stan holding it almost too tightly in his hands.
“Are you sure I’m the right person you were looking for?”
“Absolutely.”
You thanked him then, delicately taking the bouquet in your hands, smiling slightly as you observed the various flowers. You gasped again as you felt yourself tipping over.
“Whoa! Take it easy!” you said, smiling nervously.
“My lady. I’d like to know more about you.”
“Really?”
“Yes. In… many ways,” he replied before getting you back on your feet, a flirtatious look on his face.
You blinked several times, surprised by his sudden change of heart about you. He had gone from indifferent to passionately interested in you.
“Well… how about we start with a walk?” you suggested as you began to walk away.
Stan nodded as he followed you immediately, glancing at you from time to time as you walked side by side. After admiring your bouquet for a moment, you looked up at him.
“Why… so much effort for me, so suddenly?” you asked, almost bewildered.
“The way you stepped between me and that attacker…” he said, before letting out a sigh of emotion. “It was magnificent.”
“Not the dress I wore to the banquet?”
“Huh? I don’t remember,” he replied, shrugging his shoulders.
You let out a barely audible snicker before looking straight ahead, nodding your head.
“I could talk to you for hours. I hope you're not in a hurry to skip any steps?”
Stan took a deep breath, seemingly analyzing the situation. A strange grimace appeared on his face before he shook his head.
“Absolutely not,” he finally replied, although his answer did not sound very convincing.
“Great!”
Stan smiled slightly as you wrapped your arm around his, pressing the bouquet close to your chest.
And that's how you accidentally seduced a Lord infatuated with your mother…
