Feb 18, 2022
The Chocolate Prince and The Lovely Maiden
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The Chocolate Prince and The Lovely Maiden
Requested Rose Gold Moodboard
The Chocolate Prince and The Lovely Maiden {Willy Wonka x Rose Bucket AU}
Chapter 14
Ready for Sweetstown
Tagging: @holdmeicant @frozenhuntress67 @pastelmoonwitche
Today was the day. Ichabod would be coming by to get Rose and take her out on the town. She was excited. She had never been to town before. She was glad that her first time in town would be spent with Ichabod.
Avonmora had no signs of coming out of her room today. Rose wasn’t even allowed in when bring Avonmora her breakfast. She was just told to leave the tray outside. Perhaps that was a good thing, though. If Avonmora spent all day in her room, then she wouldn’t notice Rose would be missing.
Charlie offered to stay home and cover for Rose, and complete all her chores. Rose insisted on having him join her and Ichabod for the day, but Charlie insisted even harder on staying behind home. Not only was he covering for Rose, but he also wanted Rose and Ichabod to have a special day together.
Rose didn’t have very many dresses to choose from. And what she did have, was covered in dirt patches. She did manage to find a dress though, and she spent quite a bit of time scrubbing out the dirt and grime. There were still faint patches of dirt but she didn’t mind. And she knew Ichabod wouldn’t either.
Since Rose didn’t want to raise Avonmora’s suspicions, she didn’t dare exit out the front door. Instead, she climbed out the window. Besides her skirt snagging on a loose nail and ripping, she made it out with no struggles. Rose looked at her dress and inspected the rip. It was nothing that couldn’t be fixed with a simple pairing of thread and needle.
But that would have to wait. For Rose had a date with Ichabod Crane. She made her way to the meeting spot, which was the sisters three’s house.
Prince Willy was preparing Chocolate for his ride out into the forest to go fetch Rose. He had a very special day planned for his day with her. She had never be to Sweetstown before so he wanted to make it a memorable day for her. He’d take her to see all the pretty sights in the town, and take her to the nicest shop. He’d buy her anything she wanted. He had plenty of coin with him.
“If my father asks,” Willy addressed Daniel. “Tell him that I’m locked away in my study for the night”
“Of course” Daniel nodded. “And what should I tell Lady Scarlett should she come looking for you?”
Willy rolled his eyes. “Tell her what you want. I couldn’t care less about her feelings” He climbed up onto Chocolate. “Daniel, if everything goes right tonight, I’ll be coming home with news of my engagement”
“I just have to ask you one thing, my Prince. Does she even know who you are?”
“No”
“Don’t you think you should tell her?”
“I will” Willy paused. “...Eventually”
“Right” Daniel said. “Is that going to be before or after you marry her?” Willy responded with silence. “You will have to tell her eventually, and it’s best you do so before you recite vows to one another”
Willy sighed. “I suppose you’re right. I’ll tell her tonight”
Daniel smiled. He knew that Willy was scared to tell this Rose girl who he really was, but he also knew that if they loved each other, it wouldn’t matter. He watched as Willy rode off to see the girl of his dreams.
Rose awaited patiently for Ichabod’s arrival at the sisters’ home. She was happily humming a song. Fiona, Liona, and Briona were all watching her from the kitchen. While they were happy for Rose that she had found someone that made her happy, they were also concerned. According to the prophecy, she was supposed to fall in love with The Prince. Not some commoner. But they couldn’t tell her that, not at the risk of her finding out the truth. Or breaking her heart.
“Do you think Ichabod would ever ask me to marry him?” Rose thought aloud.
“You can’t marry Ichabod!” Briona protested, a little louder than she intended to. Rose looked over at her, with furrowed brows and a frown. “You’re supposed to marry the--”
Fiona slapped her hand over her youngest sister’s mouth. “What Briona meant to say was that you can’t marry Ichabod so soon”
“But what if I know that he’s the one I’m meant to be with?” Rose asked.
“Rose, even if you’re sure you love someone, it’s always best to wait before marriage is considered” Liona tried to reason with the naïve young girl.
“How long is it appropriate to wait?”
“A year at least”
“A year?” Rose sounded disappointed with the answer. But she didn’t want to wait a year. She knew that she was ready to marry Ichabod now.
Rose disappointed thoughts didn’t last long though. They were interrupted by a knock on the door. And there could only be one person knocking on the door. Rose’s smile came back and she went over to the door. She opened it. “Ichabod” She spoke his name in a lovesick way.
He smiled. “Rose” He spoke hers in the same way. He took her hand and brought it up to his lips, placing a gentle kiss upon the back of it. “You look beautiful”
“Even in this dirty and tattered dress?” She asked, looking down at said dress.
“You’d be beautiful in anything you wear” Ichabod told her. “Shall we go then?”
“Yes” Rose nodded. She stepped outside with Ichabod and followed him until they came to a horse. “I remember you!” She spoke to the horse. She gave it an affectionate pat. “What was his name again?”
“Chocolate” Ichabod answered.
“Chocolate” Rose repeated. The horse whinnied. Rose giggled. “I like you too, Chocolate”
“Have you ever ridden a horse before?” Ichabod asked. Rose shook her head. “Would you like to?”
“You mean I’m going to be riding Chocolate with you?”
“If you want to” To that, Rose nodded. Ichabod helped her up onto Chocolate. Once she got comfortable, Ichabod got on as well. “Hold tight” Rose nodded and wrapped her arms around Ichabod’s waist. The two of them were off to Sweetstown.
Rose was enthralled by Sweetstown the moment they galloped into town. There were a lot of bright colors and pretty plants. All the people seemed lively as they all went about their day. The forest definitely seemed bleak to her compared to the town. Of course, that didn’t mean the forest wasn’t beautiful in it’s own right. It was her home after all.
As Ichabod and Rose rode Chocolate through the town, people would stop and stare up at Rose. Everyone knew everyone in Sweetstown. But no one knew who this girl was. Someone as beautiful as her, you’d have to remember such a face. This didn’t go unnoticed by Rose. She noticed all the gawking and whispering. It made her think something was wrong with her.
“Ichabod, why is everyone staring at me?” She asked.
“They just haven’t seen anyone as beautiful as you” He answered. That answer made Rose smile. “Are you hungry?”
“I suppose I could go for something to eat” Rose could feel her stomach rumbling all day. She didn’t eat breakfast this morning. She was too excited.
They came to a stop in front of one of the many shops in Sweetstown. Rose read the writing above the door. Theodore’s Bakery. Wait, Rose recognized the name Theodore. She heard Priscilla mention the name a few times.
Ichabod got off of Chocolate first. Then, he offered his hand to Rose and helped her off. Ichabod trusted Chocolate not to run off so he didn’t bother tying him off to a post. He offered Rose his arm, and she gladly took it. The two of them walked into the bakery.
“Would you like some bread, or perhaps something sweet?” Ichabod asked.
“Oh, something sweet please!” Rose said.
The two of them walked up to the counter. Ichabod rang the bell that was there. A man had appeared from the back. His age showed but he seemed familiar to Rose. “Hello!” The man greeted happily. “What can I get the lovely couple?”
“Would you happen to have any pie?” Ichabod asked.
“Of course we do! Today’s special is the cherry pie” The man turned around and peeked around the corner behind him. “Priscilla, fetch two slices of the cherry pie please!”
Rose’s eyes widened. “Sir, did you just say Priscilla?”
The man looked quizzically at Rose. “Yes, miss, I did. Why?”
And around the corner, came Priscilla carrying two slices of cherry pie. “Two pieces of che--” She stopped and nearly dropped the pies when she saw just who ordered the pies. “Rose?”
“Priscilla!” She beamed at her friend. She looked very different in a dress. Rose usually saw Priscilla when she was wearing her hunting gear.
“Wait, this is the Rose that lives out in the forest, right?” The man asked Priscilla.
“Yes, it is” Priscilla nodded. “Oh, Rose. This is my father, Theodore”
Rose looked at Theodore and curtsied. “Pleasure to meet you, Theodore”
“Oh, Ted, please!” He insisted. “Priscilla talks about you all the time. You’re her best friend, you know. And you truly are more beautiful than she could’ve described” Rose blushed at that. Ted looked at Ichabod. “And if she’s Rose, that makes you Ichabod”
“Yes sir” Ichabod said with a firm nod.
“Why don’t you two come on back here and eat these pies?” Priscilla offered. “Maybe I could even join you for a slice?” She looked at her father, asking for permission. She usually wasn’t allowed to eat the merchandise as it was for the customers.
“Hell, I’ll even join you” Ted said. The four of them all headed into the back for some of that cherry pie.
Rose, Ichabod, Priscilla, and Ted all sat at a small table as they ate their pies. Rose recognized the taste of the cherries. It was the same cherries picked from the sisters three’s special cherry trees. She was always sending Priscilla home with some, and now she knew what she used them for.
“How come I’ve never seen either of you in town before?” Ted asked.
“Well, Ichabod lives in the castle. His family works for the Prince. And Rose, well she’s not really allowed to leave the forest” Priscilla explained for them.
Ted gave his daughter a disapproving look. “Priscilla, I believe they can answer for themselves” Priscilla quickly apologized and took another bite of her pie. Ted looked to Rose. “Why would you not be allowed to leave the forest?”
Rose froze. She had to think of an excuse. She couldn’t just say that her mother keeps her and Charlie as slaves. “Oh, my mother is just really overprotective of me and my brother” Rose made up. Priscilla frowned at that answer. If only that were true. Rose continued. “My father died while he was away from home. She just doesn’t want the same thing happening to us”
“I’m sorry that happened, Rose” Ted said sympathetically. Rose could only give a slight smile. “And Ichabod, what does your family do for the Prince?”
Ichabod nearly choked on his piece of pie. Not only did Rose have to come up with something, now he did. “Oh, er, my mother is the head of household. She’s in charge of all the maids and whatnot. My father is a personal advisor to the King. And me, I’m actually the chocolate maker”
Rose eyes widened and sparked with interest. “You make chocolate?”
Ichabod smiled and nodded. “I’ve had an interest in chocolatiering since I was a young boy”
“You should bring some chocolate next time you visit” Priscilla suggested. “I would love to try some”
“Well, I do supply some to the candy store every once in awhile but I suppose I could bring you a personal batch” Ichabod thoughtfully said. He looked to Rose and put his hand over hers. “And you too, Rose. For both you and Charlie”
“I’d appreciate that”
“What do you two have planned for the day?” Ted asked curiously.
“Dad!” Priscilla lightly hit him on the arm. “Don’t pry into their business”
“I just want to know, sweetheart” Ted defended himself. “It’s Rose’s first time in town. I thought maybe Ichabod would like some advice”
“Please, go on, Ted” Ichabod urged.
And so Ted did. He pointed out all the fun things you could do in a small little town. He suggested the many shops to visit, visiting the fountain in the town square, going for a carriage ride, taking her out dancing, and other little things he could think of.
“Those all sound like so much fun!” Rose beamed. “But I understand if we can’t do them all”
“We’ll do all those things if you wish, Rose” Ichabod promised. “I want to make this day special for you”
Ted smiled adoringly at the young couple. “Young love, there’s nothing like it. I remember when that was me and your mother, Priscilla” With that, Ted grabbed the empty plates and left to go wash them.
“I hope you two have fun, but there will be one place you want to avoid” Priscilla warned Rose and Ichabod. “And that would be the tavern”
Ichabod asked. “Why the tavern?”
“Because that’s where Harry likes to spend his time. And if he sees you two together, he won’t be very happy and he’ll just ruin your day”
“Then we’ll stay away from the tavern” Rose said.
“Good” Priscilla stood up. “I’ll leave you two be so you can get on with your date”
She was about to walk off when Ichabod stopped her. “Wait!” He reached into his coin purse and pulled out three gold coins. Priscilla and Rose’s eyes widened when they saw the coins. “For the pies”
“Is this real gold?” Priscilla grabbed the coin and looked at it in wonder. No one in town had any gold. Everything was paid for in either bronze or silver. “I couldn’t possibly accept this, Ichabod”
“Please, I can’t eat your pies and not pay” He took Priscilla’s hands and enclosed them around the gold. “I insist you take it”
Priscilla was at a loss for words. She had never seen so much kindness from someone other than Rose. The two of them really were perfect for each other. Priscilla muttered a quick thank you before leaving Rose and Ichabod.
“Now, my beautiful Rose” Ichabod offered her his hand. “Shall we start our date?”
Rose smiled, blushing as she took his hand. “Yes, we shall, my handsome Ichabod”
The Chocolate Prince and The Lovely Maiden {Willy Wonka x Rose Bucket AU}
Chapter 13
Ideas of Marriage
No one seemed to take notice that Prince Willy hadn’t been in the castle all day. King Wilbur was too wrapped up in affairs that needed to be addressed and taken care of. As for Lady Scarlett, well she had treated herself to a day full of pampering and shopping so she was out of the castle all day too. The only one who seemed to notice was Daniel. And he wagered a guess at just where, or should he say who the Prince was with.
“Willy!” Daniel’s call echoed through the large and empty hallways. “Where are you? Are you back yet?”
Finally, Daniel had stumbled upon Willy in the library. He was sitting in the large chair in front of the fireplace. He was staring at the dancing flames, a smile on his face and a dazed gleam in his eye. In his hands, he held a beautiful red rose. He stroked the velvet petals ever so softly between his fingers.
“Willy?” Daniel said. But Willy didn’t seem to budge. He just stared at the fire and stroked the rose petal. “My Prince? Are you okay?” Daniel waved his hand in front of Willy’s face.
“Is this what it’s like to be in love?” Willy finally spoke. Those words took Daniel by surprise.
“I’m sorry?”
“She’s all I can think about. She’s all I want to see. She’s the only one I want to be with. When I’m not with her, it makes my heart physically hurt”
“Are you talking about Rose?” What kind of question was that? Of course Willy was talking about Rose. Who else would make him feel this way? Certainly not Lady Scarlett. “That’s where you were today, weren’t you? With Rose?”
“I know what you’re going to say, Daniel. How I will get in trouble for sneaking out of the castle, but, Rose is worth the trouble, believe me”
Daniel smiled. He know he should be disappointed in Willy for rebeling the way he was, but how could he when he saw how happy he was? If Willy was going to continue sneaking away to see Rose, then so be it. There was a pitcher of water on the table so Daniel decided to fetch himself a glass.
“I’m happy for you, Willy” Daniel admitted. He poured the water into the glass and took a sip from it.
“I’m glad you think so because I’m gonna ask her to marry me”
Water sprayed out of Daniel’s mouth. Was the Prince serious!? He had only just met this girl! “Are you mad?” Daniel asked Willy.
Willy narrowed his eyes at his friend. He was hoping he’d be a little more supportive. “I’m as sane as I’ve ever been”
“I know, it’s just...you’ve only just met this girl”
“Is it any different than my father betrothing me to someone I hadn’t even met before a few days ago? Or how about when I was betrothed to a baby of all people?”
"That was when you were ten”
“Yes, but if Princess Briar was still alive and the kingdom of Blossom was still standing, I’d have been married to her by now”
It seemed there was no deterring Willy away from the idea of marrying Rose. This girl must really be special if Prince Willy of Candania, the one who despised the idea of marriage, was actually wanting to marry someone.
It was just after sunset when Charlie and Rose got home. There didn’t seem to be any signs of Avonmora at first, which relieved Rose. She wouldn’t be very happy with the two of them coming home so late.
“Go get ready for bed, Charlie” Rose instructed her brother. “I’ll join you in a moment”
“Alright, Rosie” Charlie hugged her before departing down into the basement. As soon as he was out of sight, Rose began searching for signs of their step-mother’s presence. If there was to be punishments, she didn’t want Charlie around for that.
Rose came across the sitting room where she saw the familiar black hair peeking out over one of the chairs. Avonmora sat, reading a book while sipping on a cup of tea. “Rose, you’re home” Avonmora spoke without looking to Rose. “Is Charlie in bed?”
“Yes” Rose said, trying to hide the fear in her voice.
Avonmora closed her book and set it down on the table. “Come here”
Rose obeyed without muttering a word. Closing her eyes, she got on her knees and held out her hands, wrists up, expecting some kind of punishment. She was surprised to feel a pair of hands wrap around her own.
“I’m not going to punish you, my precious” Avonmora said. Rose wasn’t going to lie. It was rather unsettling hear Avonmora call her precious. But, this tone of voice. Avonmora had never spoken like this to Rose before. It was calm, soothing, and comforting. “I’ve realized I’ve been too hard on you, and Charlie as well. I want you to know from this point on, things are going to be different around here”
“Really?” It seemed also too good to be true. Has Avonmora really changed? Was she finally gonna act like a true mother towards the Bucket children?
Avonmora’s red painted lips curled into a smile. She removed her hands from Rose’s and instead cupped her face. “I promise to you, my precious Rose, I will be the mother that you and Charlie truly deserve” She sealed that promise by pressing a kiss to Rose’s forehead.
While Avonmora’s promise to change seemed genuine, Rose wasn’t going to tell her about Ichabod. Not yet at least.
Charlie was in bed, but he was facing the ceiling with his eyes open. He was waiting for Rose to join him before actually falling asleep. He was bracing himself for Rose’s screams of agony that usually came with Avonmora’s punishments, but they never came. Instead, he only heard soft mutters. He couldn’t make out exactly what they were saying.
Rose came down into the basement a few moments later. Charlie quickly closed his eyes to pretend like he was sleeping. “Charlie, I know you’re awake” Rose said.
Charlie opened his eyes and sat up in his bed. He looked at his sister. “Was she mad with us?”
“No, actually” Rose started. “She was rather calm. We had a talk. She said that she should never have treated us the way she has been, and said she would change. She wants to be a better mom to us”
That sounded almost too good to be true to Charlie. “Do you think she was telling the truth, Rosie?”
“I honestly don’t know” Rose admitted truthfully. “But, I think we should give her a chance”
Charlie smiled, but only slightly. He still wasn’t sure about this, but at the same time, it would be nice to have a mom again. “Okay. But what if this whole thing has been a lie? What if she’s still the same?”
Rose sat on the bed with Charlie. She wrapped an arm around him and hugged him against her side. “Then we’ll run away. We take Honkers and the golden eggs with us. We’ll be set for life. Priscilla will come with us. And maybe Ichabod as well...”
Charlie looked up at Rose. “Then you’ll marry him, right?”
Rose blushed at the idea. “Charlie, I think it’d be too soon. I mean, we only just met”
“But you love him, right? And that’s what people do when they love someone. They get married”
“Charlie, I just don’t ever see myself getting married, if I’m being honest” Rose painfully admitted.
Charlie frowned. “Why not?”
“Because you’re the number one priority in my life. I need to keep you safe”
“You can still do that while being married to Ichabod. You both could keep me safe”
Rose forced a smile. “You seem so sure he’d even want to marry me”
“Why wouldn’t he? He loves you!”
“Okay, it’s time to go to sleep now” Rose said, putting a stop to the conversation. She got off of Charlie’s bed. Charlie laid back down. Rose pulled the blanket over him and made sure it was secured so that he would be warm for tonight. There was a chill coming through their permanently open window. “Good night, Charlie”
“Good night, Rosie”
Rose kissed Charlie on the forehead. She then got into her own bed. Charlie had fallen asleep quite quickly, but it wasn’t as easy for Rose to fall asleep. Instead, she stared out the window. It was a beautifully starry night tonight. Her mind wandered to thoughts of Ichabod. Images of his likeness flashed through her mind. She pictured the two of them dancing together, holding each other, kissing, and even making love to one another.
Rose smiled as her eyes closed and she drifted off to sleep. She would dream of Ichabod that night.
Willy sat alone in his room. The only light came from the dancing flames of the candles and the moonlight peeking through the window. He was trying to fight the tiredness that overtook him, but he couldn’t fall asleep. Not yet at least. Not when he was waiting for something very important to be delivered to him.
There were three quiet knocks on Willy’s door. That indicated that his special delivery was here. Willy walked over to his door and opened it, revealing the royal jeweler on the other side. “Good evening, your highness” the jeweler greeted.
“Good evening. Did you bring it?” Willy asked. The jeweler nodded, and Willy ushered him into the room. “May I see it?”
“Of course” the jeweler nodded. He opened the red velvet box. Inside, was the most beautifully made diamond engagement ring. There was a reason this jeweler worked for the royal family. “My best work if I do say so myself”
Willy couldn’t take his eyes off the ring. It was the most beautiful piece of jewelry he had ever seen. It was a perfect match to Rose’s beauty. “Thank you so much! This will look perfect on Rose’s finger”
The jeweler blinked. “You mean Scarlett?”
Willy cleared his throat. “Yes...of course...Scarlett”
“I’m glad you’re finally taking a proper interest in her” the jeweler remarked. “She’ll be quite pleased with this ring” Then, the jeweler muttered under his breath. “Though truth be told she doesn’t have the face to match it”
Willy heard the comment and couldn’t help but snort a laugh at it. The jeweler gave him a look, but didn’t say anything about it. “Is that all you need from me, your highness?”
“Yes. You’re excused. And thank you again for the ring” Willy let the jeweler go. He was once again alone. Left alone with the thought of Rose. He sat at his desk as he stared at the ring. He smiled as images of the two of them together flooded his mind. He conjured up images he never thought he would before. The most prevalent image was of him kissing her. Her lips looked so enticing. He so desperately wanted to kiss her today. Wanted to know what her lips tasted like. He bet they tasted like the cherries she picked off the cherry trees.
He got dressed for bed. He made sure to blow out all the candles before climbing into bed. He placed the box with the ring on his bedside table. He hoped Rose would accept his proposal. Sure, the two of them had only known each other for about a day or two, but he was absolutely sure that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.
Of course, he would eventually have to tell her the truth about him. That he wasn’t really Ichabod Crane. That he was in fact Prince Willy, ruler of Candania. He hoped that wouldn’t change her feelings about him.
After awhile, he finally drifted off to sleep. And, of course, he would have dreams about his lovely Rose.
The Chocolate Prince and The Lovely Maiden {Willy Wonka x Rose Bucket AU}
Chapter 1
Once Upon A Time... The Lovely Maiden
Tagging: @holdmeicant @frozenhuntress67 @pastelmoonwitche @arinnasweetslove
We begin our story in the land of Candania. It was a large kingdom, ruled over by King Wilbur. Candania consisted of the castle in which the King and his son, Prince Willy resided in. About an hour’s travel away from the castle, was Sweetstown. It’s where the common folk and businesses of Candania resided. Then finally, we have the Grand Forest. Barely anyone ventured out into the grand forest, unless it was for hunting or gathering purposes.
Though, there was a family who made their home in the forest. The Bucket family had lived in a cottage. It wasn’t the biggest cottage, but they called it home.
The Buckets consisted of married couple Nathaniel and Hellena Bucket. Nathaniel was an adventurous man. He’d frequently find himself on travels, sailing across the seas. He’d discovered many wonderful places on his journeys and would always tell his wife of the wonders he’s seen. And he always promised that one day, he’d take her on a trip.
While Nathaniel went on his adventures, Hellena stayed within the cottage. She took up baking and gardening to keep herself occupied while her husband was away.
One day, Nathaniel had returned home to find that his wife was with a child. It was a beautiful baby girl. She was named Rosalie, but was called Rose for short.
But Rose wouldn’t be the only child that Nathaniel and Hellena would have. Fourteen years later, they welcomed another child. A son, who went by the name of Charlie.
Yes, the Buckets were a happy family. But, where there is happiness, tragedy will follow.
Hellena had become terribly sick. Nathaniel and Rose knew that she wouldn’t be getting any better. And Charlie, well, he was too young to understand what was happening. Nathaniel and Rose did everything they could to make Hellena’s final days comfortable.
Then came the day she finally passed away. At least now she was at peace. The Buckets mourned their loss but knew that Hellena would want them to move on.
And Nathaniel eventually did. He came home from one of his journeys with a woman on his arms. Her name was Avonmora. She was beautiful. Her raven hair flowed freely down her back. Her skin was pale but flawless. Her eyes were an almost dark grey. Her lips painted a blood red colour. And she had cheekbones and a jawline so sharp, you could almost cut yourself on them.
Rose and Charlie quickly warmed up to her, and it seemed that Avonmora also warmed up to the Bucket children. Not long after meeting, Nathaniel and Avonmora married in a small ceremony.
It wasn’t until Nathaniel went on another journey, that Avonmora would reveal her true colors. She despised the Bucket children. When it came to Charlie, what she hated most about the boy was that he was always daydreaming and rambling on about how one day he would leave the cottage and go exploring like his father.
Now that wouldn’t do for Avonmora.
But Rose... oh, that sickeningly sweet Rose... she hated Rose. It was clear to see that Rose was growing up into a beautiful woman. Possibly the most beautiful woman in the entire kingdom. And Avonmora hated that.
For she was supposed to be the most beautiful woman. Not her step-daughter.
Avonmora wouldn’t let Rose leave the house. She was afraid of a man seeing her and falling in love with her. She didn’t want Rose to marry and move away. She didn’t want Charlie going off on adventures.
Because where else would she find servants to do everything for her?
Another tragedy struck the Bucket family when Nathaniel had suddenly passed away. It was illness, just like what had taken Hellena. At least Nathaniel and Hellena were together again.
Rose and Charlie mourned for their father.
But Avonmora... she didn’t even show one ounce of emotion.
Avonmora was the one to inform the children of Nathaniel’s death. Rose was shocked that her step-mother was able to share the news so calmly. She couldn’t help but think perhaps Avonmora had something to do with it, but she had no proof of such a thing.
And once Nathaniel was gone for good, Avonmora showed no end with her cruelty.
She would overwork the two children. She barely even let them eat. She would try to keep them in the house as much as she could, but still, Avonmora would have to take one of them with her when she made her daily trips to the town. So, she took Charlie and left Rose behind, for fear that a man would lay eyes upon the blonde girl and fall in love with her.
While Avonmora was gone, Rose would defy her and venture out into the woods. And during these trips, Rose had made a few friends.
The first friend Rose made was an odd friend indeed. It was a goose named Honkers. And Honkers wasn’t just an ordinary goose. He was a talking goose. Honkers himself wasn’t quite sure how he could talk, but Rose had no doubt that it was due to some kind of magic.
The poor thing had been running away from a hunter. The goose looked up at Rose with pleading eyes. “Please, you mustn’t let the hunter kill me!” Honk! “He intends to waste me! Kill me for sport!”
Rose hid Honkers away and quickly befriended the goose. But once the hunter came around, the goose was no longer his pray.
The hunter was named Harry and as soon as he laid eyes on Rose, it was infatuation at first sight. He didn’t introduce himself to her right away. No, he followed her for awhile, until she returned to the cottage. He made note of the cottage and when he returned to the woods the next day, he would introduce himself to her.
But Harry wasn’t the only hunter that came to the woods. Priscilla was known in Sweetstown as the Baker’s daughter. She loved her father and she loved helping him in the bakery, but what she wanted more than anything was to become a warrior. She wished to one day join the Prince’s guard, but women weren’t allowed to fight.
Hell, Priscilla was already treading on thin ice when she went out hunting, which was also a man’s job.
Priscilla’s father knew of his daughters many ventures to the woods and he didn’t approve of it, but she was bringing fresh meat in so he just let it slide. If Priscilla got caught, she gets caught.
The day Rose and Priscilla met went something like this....
Avonmora had took Charlie to the market again. Rose decided to venture out with a basket in hand, and Honkers following behind her. The two of them were heading to Rose’s favourite cherry tree, where the cherries grew fresh and ripe every day.
But their little stroll was interrupted by an arrow flying past them and hitting a tree. A deer, the intended target, had run off, frightened.
“Oh, no!” Honker’s exclaimed. Honk! “The hunter is back! Hide me away, Rose!”
Rose grabbed her feathered friend, but before she could run off with him, a woman’s voice spoke up. “Hey, blondie! You just scared off mine and Papa’s dinner! That was going to last us two weeks!”
Rose turned to see the girl approaching. Like Rose, the girl was blonde except her hair had a reddish tint to it. She had piercing blue eyes, and sharp and striking facial features. But what stood out most to Rose was that the girl wore leather armour and carried a bow in her hands.
“Excuse me,” Rose narrowed her eyes at the huntress. “You missed your target! That should be in no way blamed on me”
The huntress scoffed. “Me? Miss? Ha! I never miss” She smirked proudly. “I never miss. I’m the best hunter in Sweetstown” She boasted. “Hell, you might say I’m the best hunter in all of Candania”
“I’ve never seen any female hunters in these woods” Rose mentioned.
“Well, that’s because females aren’t allowed to hunt. But, frankly, I think it’s a stupid law” The girl rolled her eyes. She pulled the arrow out of the tree and put it back in her quiver. “Whoever came up with that rule can bite me in the ass”
Rose laughed at the girl’s choice of words. “I’m usually not a fan of hunters. Well, the ones that hunt for sport anyways. But, you seem rather pleasant”
“Ugh, I hate the ones that just hunt for fun” Priscilla scowled. “When I hunt, I tend to go for the bigger animals. Something that provides enough food for about two or three weeks”
Honk! “That doesn’t mean she won’t put an arrow through me!” Honkers accused.
The huntresses eyes widened. “Holy shit, a talking goose!” She then laughed and pat the goose on the head. “I won’t put an arrow through you, I promise”
Honkers seemed pleased with the answer. “Okay, I trust her!” Honk! “The name is Honkers”
“Priscilla, at your service” The girl introduced herself then bowed. “And what might your name be, miss?”
“Rosalie, but you can call me Rose” She held out her hand.
Priscilla smiled and grabbed it. They shook. “Rose, I have a feeling this is the start of a beautiful friendship”
Priscilla was perhaps the closest friend that Rose ever had. She confided in her about everything, especially about her step-mother. Priscilla vowed that one day, she would take Rose and Charlie, and the three of them would run off somewhere where they could never be found. They could run free, not bound by any rules.
“Since I can’t be the Prince’s personal guard, Rose, I’ll be yours”
And lastly, when it came to friends, there were three sisters that Rose held dear to her heart. They also lived in the forest, not that far away from the Bucket cottage.
There names were Fiona, Liona, and Briona. Fiona was the oldest. She had short, curly, pale blonde hair. She actually held quite the resemblance to Rose’s own mother.
Liona was the middle child. She was also blonde, but it was more of a natural looking blonde, like Rose’s hair. Liona’s hair was longer than Fiona’s. She never put it up or secured it back. She always let it fall.
And lastly was the youngest of the sisters, Briona. She was definitely more childish of the two of them, but she was still wise like her older sisters. While Fiona and Liona sported blonde locks, Briona had bright pink hair. She often kept her hair pinned up in a fashion that made it look like cotton candy.
Rose visited them every day, and also picked from the cherry tree that grew in front of their house. Every day, the sisters’ tree grew fresh cherries. Rose always made sure to pick plenty for the day. She always had enough to put into a pie and have some left over that she could share with Charlie, Priscilla, Honkers, and any other animal that decided to stop by for a tasty treat.
The sisters cared deeply about Rose. They made sure to keep an eye out for her for they knew of the true nature of the woman named Avonmora. The dark secrets that she held.
But the three sisters held secrets of their own. Ones that would be revealed to Rose when the time came.
Rose didn’t know it yet, but her life was about to change. She never thought that she’d fall in love.
She didn’t yet know that her brown eyes would meet his violet ones.
She didn’t yet know that they’d fall madly in love.
She didn’t yet know the chain of events that would unravel after they do.
The Chocolate Prince and The Lovely Maiden {Willy Wonka x Rose Bucket AU}
Chapter 9
A Meeting of Fated Lovers
Tagging: @holdmeicant @frozenhuntress67 @pastelmoonwitche @ariwonka2004
Rose, Charlie, and Honkers made it to the lake. There was something comforting about this particular lake. Perhaps it was the way the sun reflected off the water in the day, and the way the moon would illuminate the water at night? Maybe it was the smell. The smell of the water and the smell of the planets combine was enough to put you in a trance. Or, maybe it was the calming sound of the water? Or the waterfall that was off in the distance.
Either way, the two Buckets felt safe at this lake. That’s why they chose to do their laundry here. Honkers immediately waddled into the lake. “Oh boy, the water is especially soothing today!”
Rose giggled. “Good to know for when Charlie takes a dip”
“Will you be going for a swim, Rosie?” Charlie asked.
“I’ll probably take my shoes off and wade around in the water” Rose decided. She reached into the laundry basket and pulled out the first piece of fabric. “But right now, I have laundry to do”
Charlie walked up beside Rose. He reached into the basket to grab a piece of clothing, but Rose grabbed his hand gently to stop him. “Charlie, you have fun today. Go for a swim, go explore the forest, go climb the trees, do whatever your heart desires” She told him.
“But--” Charlie was about to protest.
“No, buts Charlie” Rose shook her head. “A young boy needs to have fun. I can handle the laundry”
“Are you sure? There must be at least one thing I can help you with”
“Tell you what, I’m going to need the other basket of laundry soon and I left it at home. When I need it, I’ll whistle for you, and you can go fetch it for me. Does that sound fair?”
Charlie nodded. “That’s fair”
“Good” Rose smiled, kissing Charlie on the cheek. “Now go have fun. Oh, and I brought this for you” She pushed away some clothes in the basket. She took out a little wooden slingshot. Nathaniel had given it to Charlie. “Remember the rules?”
“No hitting animals, and if you knock a fruit down with it, it must be eaten or used in a pie”
“Such a good boy, Charlie. Now go. Have fun!” Rose urged. Charlie gave a grin before running off. Rose watched him until he disappeared further into the woods. She knew he wasn’t too far, as he wanted to make sure to be able to hear the whistle if she needed help.
Rose had nearly reached the bottom of the basket. She sighed with relief. As much as laundry was one of her favorite chores to do, she was happy to catch a break with when she could. After checking to make sure the wet clothes were hung securely on her makeshift clothes line (which she connected using a few trees), Rose slipped off her shoes. She lifted up the skirt of her dress and stepped into the water.
She closed her eyes as she felt the coolness of the water against her skin, and the softness of the mud beneath her feet. She walked around for a bit, with her eyes still closed, and listening to the sounds of nature around her. The birds singing; the leaves rustling; the water rushing.
“It’s such a peaceful day, don’t you think so, Honkers?” Rose asked her goose friend.
Honkers was just letting himself float in the water. “I agree”
“Rosie,” The call of Charlie got her attention. She turned around and saw her brother standing there. “Do you want me to go get the other basket of laundry?”
“I said I’d whistle for you”
“I know, but I’m here now. Can I?”
“Sure, Charlie” Rose nodded. “But take your time, I’m in no rush for laundry to get done” She motioned to the hanging clothes around her. “These still have yet to dry anyways”
Charlie gave a smile and then he ran off back to the house. Honkers had dozed off, so now Rose was by herself. She continued to wade in the water. Her eyes closed as she listened to the flowing of the water. It was almost melodic to her ears. It was so melodic, she could sing a song to it.
Oh sing sweet nightingale Sing sweet High above
What Rose didn’t know in that moment, is that she had attracted someone’s attention.
Oh sing sweet nightingale Sing sweet nightingale High
Then, she a heard a noise, which knocked her out of her singing. It sound like someone stepping on a branch. “Honkers, did you hear that?” Rose asked but the goose was still asleep.
Was that Charlie with the laundry already? That boy sure was fast. Rose stepped out of the water, slipped her shoes back on, and started walking towards where she had heard the sound. There was a large tree and Rose had a feeling whoever may have caused the noise was hiding behind it. “Hello? Is anyone there?” Rose asked. “Charlie, are you back with the rest of the laundry yet?”
She was only a few feet away from the tree, but she was sure she heard it gasp. Or more likely, the person hiding behind it gasped. She approached the tree. “Is someone there? Listen, I know there is someone behind there. Trees don’t just gasp”
“I’m sorry” She heard a man’s voice. “I didn’t mean to frighten you”
“You didn’t frighten me” Rose smiled. There was something soothing about the man’s voice. She wanted to hear it again. “I just wasn’t expecting anyone to be here. Well, except for my brother. He’s supposed to be coming back with the rest of our laundry”
“Do you live out here?”
“Yes, with my brother and step-mother. What about you? Where do you live?”
“Sweetstown. Like everyone else”
Rose fell silent. There was something about this man that she felt drawn to. And she only knows the sound of his voice. His sweet, velvety voice. She asked boldly. “May I see who I’m talking to?” She was worried when she didn’t hear an answer. Had she stepped out of line asking that? “Please?”
The man stepped out from behind the tree. The two of them met eyes, and Rose just couldn’t look away from his. She had never seen violet eyes before. They were the prettiest she had ever seen. “Hi” She whispered, taken back by the man. How could she not be? He was beautiful.
The man smiled. Even his smile was perfect. “Hi”
“I’m Rose”
“Ichabod”
Charlie made his way back to the lake with the other basket of laundry in hand. This time, however, he decided to take a different direction to the lake. No matter which way you went, it would somehow bring you to it. That’s what his father always told him when they went for morning hikes.
Eventually, Charlie came across two horses. He recognized the white one speckled with black spots as Fritz, Priscilla’s trusted steed. He didn’t recognize the brown horse, but it seemed to be pretty friendly with Fritz.
“Hello Fritz” Charlie greeted the horse. Fritz whinnied in response to Charlie. He walked up to the horse and gave him gentle pets on the nose. The brown horse nudged Charlie, asking for attention as well. Charlie pet the brown horse as well. “And hello to you too”
“Charlie?” A voice belonging to Priscilla said. Charlie turned to look at her. “Let me guess. Laundry day?”
“Yep” Charlie nodded.
“So that means Rose is at the lake right now?” Priscilla assumed.
“She is. Avonmora is gone for a few days so we’re trying to take advantage of it” Charlie explained.
“I’ll follow you down there” Priscilla decided. She looked at the horses. “You two should come with. You could use a nice refreshing drink”
The horses nodded, seeming to agree with Priscilla. She grabbed Fritz’s reigns, and then grabbed the brown horse’s reigns. She handed them to Charlie. “This is Chocolate, by the way. She’s my friend’s horse”
Charlie nodded at the horse. “Pleasure to meet you, Chocolate” The horse whinnied and nodded back. Charlie and Priscilla proceeded to lead the horses towards the lake.
Even though she had just met him, Rose was enjoying Ichabod’s company. He was helping her take down all the dry clothes. There was something about him that just pulled her towards him.
“Thank you for helping me” Rose piped up from beside Ichabod.
“It’s my pleasure, Rose” He said, smiling down at her. She wasn’t looking at him, but could feel his gaze on her. It made her blush. The both of them reached for the same piece of laundry. Their hands touched but neither of them pulled away. Instead, they looked at each other and held a gaze.
“Rosie! I’m back!” Charlie called out. The sound of his voice made both Rose and Ichabod jump. Their gaze broke and they pulled their hands away. “I’ve brought Priscilla with me”
Ichabod immediately recognized the boy. “I remember you from town the other day” He said to Charlie. “You were with a woman”
“That was our step-mother” Charlie explained. “I’m Charlie”
“Ichabod” He smiled at the boy. “You must be Rose’s brother”
Priscilla suddenly appeared with the two horses behind her. “Rose, I see you’ve met Ichabod”
“You know him?” Rose asked.
“Yes, he’s my friend. I do have other friends beside you, Rose” Priscilla joked. She looked around at the dry clothes that were still strung up. “Charlie told me it was laundry day” Something that was sitting in the first laundry basket caught her eye. “Is this a peony?” Priscilla picked up the flower.
Funny, she could’ve sworn this was the same one Harry had when she saw him.
Rose looked at the flower and sighed. “Yes. Not my favorite, but it’s still a pretty flower. I couldn’t just throw it away”
“Could I keep it?”
“Be my guest”
Priscilla safely tucked the flower away. She had a plan with this flower. But she was going to need more.
Rose was about to take the other basket of laundry from Charlie, but he stopped her. “Rosie, let me clean this basket. You deserve a break too” He insisted.
Rose wanted to argue with Charlie, convince him to let her do it, but she couldn’t say no to that sweet and kind gaze. “Alright, Charlie, but don’t overwork yourself”
“I’ll help you, Charlie” Priscilla offered. She joined Charlie, who had walked over to the edge of the lake. “Rose, why don’t you and Ichabod take a walk?”
Rose and Ichabod looked at each other and smiled. Ichabod offered Rose his arm. “Shall we?”
Rose grabbed his arm. “We shall” The two of them went off.
With Rose and Ichabod gone for a little stroll, Charlie and Priscilla got a start on the next load of laundry. Priscilla would wash the clothes, while Charlie hung them up to dry. Honkers was still floating in the water, and Fritz and Chocolate were standing together on the edge of the lake, whinnying to each other and taking sips of the water every now and then.
“Charlie, that peony Rose had” Priscilla began. “Where did she get it?”
“A man gave it to her” Charlie answered. He felt uneasy as he thought back to the man. There was something he didn’t like about him. “I didn’t like the way he was looking at her”
“Is this man tall, have dirty blonde hair, and blue eyes by any chance?” Priscilla asked. “Is his name Harry?”
“How did you know?”
“Because, I have the unfortunate pleasure, of being acquainted with the man. Well, I wouldn’t really call us acquaintances. More like sworn enemies”
“He said he would give me hunting lessons, but I’d rather get hunting lessons from you” Charlie added. “You are the best hunter after all”
Priscilla smiled at that. “And I’d teach you how to hunt responsibly. People like Harry just hunt to show off how manly they are”
Fritz whinnied, and then Honkers started laughing. “Haha! He is!”
“Honkers, what did Fritz say?” Priscilla asked.
“Nothing I can repeat in front of Charlie”
“I like Ichabod though” Charlie said. “And I think Rose likes him too. And he likes her”
“How do you know they like each other?” Priscilla questioned.
“Well, maybe like is too weak of a word, but you can tell from the way they were looking at each other”
Priscilla’s eyes widened. Was Charlie really implying that Rose and Ichabod were already in love? For a boy of only twelve, he sure was wise. But, honestly, she could see it too. And if Rose was going to fall for anyone, she was glad it was someone who was genuine like Ichabod. And not someone who oozed toxic masculinity like Harry.
“And here we are” Rose said. She decided to bring Ichabod to her home. “This is where Charlie and I live”
“It looks cozy” Ichabod commented.
Rose huffed. “Trust me, it looks cozier than it feels”
Ichabod frowned. “Did I say something wrong?”
“No, it’s not you” Rose assured him. “I’d explain it to you, but I don’t want to burden you”
“Rose, you’d never burden me”
“I’ll explain to you next time you come to see me”
“Next time?” Ichabod repeated, raising his eyebrows. His stomach fluttered at the thought of seeing her again.
“Yeah, I’d...” Rose felt the heat appearing on her cheeks. She looked down at her hands and she fumbled them nervously. “I’d like to see you again”
“I’d like that too” Ichabod smiled. “Tomorrow?” He suggested. Rose smiled and nodded. “Should I meet you here or at the lake?”
“I have a better place in mind...”
Ichabod eventually had to take his leave. Rose would admit, she was a little disappointed that he had to go, but she knew he’d be seeing him again the next day. And then hopefully the next...and the next...and the next. It was late. The sun had set, and the moon took it’s place. The laundry was done and was returned home, but Rose, Charlie, Priscilla, and Honkers remained at the lake.
The four of them sat along the grass. Rose was sat in between Charlie and Priscilla. Charlie had ended up falling asleep with his head on Rose’s lap. Honkers had settled in Priscilla’s. Rose stared out at the glittering water, with a smile that never wanted to leave her face.
“Look, Charlie” Priscilla smirked, noticing the dazed out look on Rose’s face. “Our Rose is in love”
Rose snapped out of her trance. “I am not! I only just met Ichabod”
“Love at first sight is a thing, Rose”
“I know. I’m just not the type of person to have fallen for someone only after meeting them once” Rose tried to explain herself. Nope, she wasn’t in love. She just... really enjoyed Ichabod’s company. And already missed his presence.
“Sure” Priscilla pat Rose on the back. “Just promise me you’ll fall for Ichabod and not Harry?”
Rose rolled her eyes at the mention of his name. “Harry? That egotistical, misogynistic-- wait, how do you know about that?”
“I recognized the peony. I ran into him this morning. He had the peony and I knew exactly what he was doing. Said he was going to marry you someday”
Rose snorted with laughter. “Like I’d let that happen”
Priscilla laughed. “That’s my girl”
“Now Ichabod on the other hand, that’s the kind of man I could see myself marrying and having children with someday” Priscilla opened her mouth to say something, but Rose put her finger to her lips. “That’s not me admitting I’m in love with him”
Oh, but she was. Priscilla and Charlie could see that. Heck, even Honkers could and he was a goose. But, Rose, she didn’t know it herself. At least not yet.
The Chocolate Prince and The Lovely Maiden {Willy Wonka x Rose Bucket AU}
Chapter 8
The Prince’s Plan
Tagging: @holdmeicant @frozenhuntress67 @pastelmoonwitche @ariwonka2004
Willy had honestly thought the events of yesterday was a nightmare. He desperately wanted the fact that he had met Lady Scarlett to be a nightmare. He wanted to believe that the fact he was marrying her in a matter of weeks was all a cruel joke his mind made up.
Though, if yesterday was real, he had no regrets about meeting Priscilla. She seemed like a good friend to have.
It was one of those rare occasions where Willy saw fit to join his father in the dining area for breakfast. And that’s when he saw her. She was wearing another bright, blue dress, and her face was freshly painted with makeup. The only thing different is that her hair was left to cascade down her back.
So, yesterday hadn’t been a nightmare.
“Son,” Wilbur stood up when he saw his son. He was pleased and relieved that Willy had decided to join them for breakfast. “I didn’t think you’d be joining us”
Willy just gave his father a small and forced smile. He looked around the table for an empty seat but when he saw where the only empty seat was, he cringed. He did not want to sit beside her.
“Come sit, my darling” Scarlett purred, patting the seat next to her and batting her eyelashes. “Come sit next to your wife”
Willy sighed. He sat next to Scarlett. “You know we’re not married yet, right?”
“But we will be” Scarlett sighed dreamily. She grabbed onto Willy’s arm and leaned against. “Soon” She giggled.
Willy pulled himself out of her grip. Scarlett’s face fell when he did. A plate of food was placed in front of Willy. He looked up to the staff member who had done so. “Thank you”
It was a female staff member, so she was wearing a mask. Willy couldn’t see it, but she gave him a smile. It was good to know their Prince was still kind to them, unlike the visiting Princess. She had been barking orders at them all morning, and not once did she utter a thanks.
Scarlett glared at the waitress and snapped her fingers. “Bring me another cup of tea, please! And make it fast!”
The waitress scowled from behind the mask, but was grateful the Princess wasn’t able to see it. “Yes, right away, Lady Scarlett” The waitress parted for the kitchens.
Scarlett huffed, rolling her eyes. “You need to see about getting some competent staff, King Wilbur”
“My staff can perform their jobs adequately, Lady Scarlett” Wilbur defended. He was rather taken back from Scarlett’s statement. “I assure you”
“Well, their adequately isn’t good enough” Scarlett replied through a gritted smile.
And that was the last of that conversation as everyone ate their breakfast in silence. Well, it was silent until Willy asked his father. “May I speak to you privately after breakfast, father?”
Wilbur blinked in surprise. It wasn’t often his son was the one to request to speak to him. It was usually the other way around. “Of course, son”
After breakfast, Willy pulled his father aside into the quietest room he could think of. The library. Willy himself wasn’t much of a reader, but he enjoyed coming into the library when he needed peace and his secret room wasn’t enough to suffice. Staff members rarely used the library. He was left for family and guest use. Willy knew Scarlett wouldn’t come in here because he overheard her saying how she always found reading to be a waste of time.
“The library” Wilbur chucked when he realized where his son had brought him. “I haven’t been here in ages. Not since when you were young and your mother would read you bedtime stories”
Willy smiled at the memory. Maybe that’s why he liked the library so much. It reminded him of his mother. “Yeah, I remember” He said quietly. “I miss her”
“Me too, son” Wilbur said sadly. “Anyways, you must have something rather important to discuss with me if you decide to bring me into the library”
“Yes” Willy nodded, rubbing his hands together nervously. “It’s about me getting married”
“Look, I know Lady Scarlett is...” Wilbur paused, trying to find the word to describe her.
However, Willy answered for him. “Uptight? Obnoxious? High-maintenance? Insecure?”
Wilbur sighed, nodding his head. “Yes, all of those things”
“Father, I can’t marry her”
“Son, I know you don’t like her, but you won’t pick a wife and my mind has already been made up”
“No, you don’t understand. I can’t marry her because...” There was a moment of hesitation before Willy finished. “Because I love someone else”
Wilbur stared. “Son, you know I find that hard to believe”
“I know” Willy swallowed nervously. He knew this wasn’t going to work. He knew his father would be skeptical. “I was just afraid you wouldn’t approve”
“All those times you were leaving the castle? The times I couldn’t find you? Is it because you were with her?”
“Yes”
“What’s her name?”
“Priscilla. She’s the baker’s daughter”
“Baker’s daughter?” Wilbur scoffed at the idea. “Son, you know it’s best if you marry a Princess”
“If I marry Priscilla, she’ll become a Queen, won’t she?” Willy retorted. He grasped his father’s hands, something he rarely did. “Please father, maybe if you met her, you’d change your mind”
Wilbur sighed. He could tell his son was serious about this girl. What harm could there be in meeting her? “Very well. Invite this girl to your engagement party. Introduce me to her. If she’s real and I like her, then I’ll call off your engagement to Lady Scarlett, and you’ll be free to marry Priscilla”
For the first time in his life since his mother died, Willy felt a spark of hope. “Thank you!” He also did another thing he hadn’t done. Hugged his father. “You won’t be disappointed father, I promise you”
Little did they know, that there was an eavesdropper right outside the library. Mauve, one of Scarlett’s ladies-in-waiting, had heard everything that Wilbur and Willy discussed. “Oh no” Mauve tutted to herself. “Lady Scarlett isn’t going to like this at all”
Willy had permission from his father to leave the castle for once. He was going to head into Sweetstown to see Priscilla. He was hoping she would do him this favor. But he still wasn’t going to tell her about his true identity. No, he would still be talking to her as Ichabod Crane.
Willy was going to fabricate a story of how he was the son of the one of the workers for the castle. He was going to mention how there was party and that his presence was being requested and that he was welcome to bring a date. That’s where Priscilla would come in.
“Priscilla!” Willy called out to the girl. She was just outside the bakery. He noticed that she was wearing hunting gear, and had her bow and a quiver of arrows. His horse came to a stop just beside hers.
Priscilla looked up at him. “Ichabod!” She greeted back. “Good to see you again, friend! You caught me and Fritz just in time” She gave her faithful steed a pat on the nose. Fritz whinnied in response. “And who is this lovely steed?” Priscilla couldn’t help but admire Willy’s horse.
“This would be Chocolate” Willy introduced his horse to Priscilla. “About to head out on a hunting trip?”
“Yep, and also to see my friend” Priscilla hopped up onto Fritz. “Your welcome to follow me if you’d like”
Willy smiled. “I would like that. Besides, there is something I wish to discuss with you”
Priscilla’s mood sour when she saw Harry ride by on his own horse. And of course he couldn’t have just kept on riding, he had to stop and talk to her. He was looking at her with that smug face she just wanted to punch. “What do you want, Harry?”
“Going out hunting, are we?” He sneered. “I’m afraid it’s quite low on game today. I’ve cleaned out half the forest today”
“I’ll believe it when I see it, Harry” Priscilla noticed the flower in his hand. A peony. “Trying to court someone, are you? Who’s the poor girl?”
Harry scowled. “More beautiful than you could ever hope to be, Priscilla” His scowl turned into a smirk with the thought of Rose. “This girl is going to be my wife someday”
“How can you be so certain she’ll be your wife if she hasn’t even agreed to spend time with you yet?” Willy finally spoke.
Harry looked at him. “Ah, I remember you. Ichabod, was it?” Willy nodded. “Well, Ichabod, if you’ve only ever managed to catch the attention of this ugly duckling, then you don’t have the knack for romance that I have”
“Priscilla is not ugly” Willy defended.
Harry laughed. “Then you, my friend, must be terribly blind!”
“Just get out of here before I put an arrow through your head!” Priscilla hissed. Harry said one more insulting thing that both Priscilla and Willy both decided to ignore, as he trotted off in the direction of the forest. That definitely didn’t go unnoticed by Priscilla. “Wait, he’s not heading into the forest is he?”
“It seems he is” Willy said. “Why?”
“There’s only one girl I know of who lives in the forest”
As the two friends made their way into the forest, Willy explained to Priscilla what he wanted her to do. “So, you see, my parents work for the King and Prince. The Prince is having an engagement party and my parents are insisting that I attend”
“The Prince is getting married?” Priscilla repeated. “I had no idea. You don’t hear much about the Prince”
“He prefers... a quiet lifestyle”
“I see. Let me guess. You need a date for this party because your parents keep ragging on about when your finally gonna settle down with someone?”
“How did you know?”
“My father’s been getting on my case lately about when I’m gonna settle down” Priscilla explained. Turns out she and Willy had much more in common than he thought. “Sure, I’ll be your date for this party”
“Thank you. Don’t expect it to be romantic though. No offense but I just see you as a friend” Willy was worried he was sounding mean to Priscilla, but the smile on her face told him otherwise.
“It’s okay, Ichabod” Priscilla said, reaching over and patting him on the arm. “You’re my friend too. Besides, there’s someone else I have my eye on. This looks like a good place to stop” Priscilla and Willy brought their horses to a stop. It was a nice wooded area, and Willy could hear the sound of a river close by.
Priscilla got off of Fritz. “We can leave the horses here. Fritz is pretty familiar with this area, and Chocolate is in good hands with him”
Willy got off of Chocolate. “Yeah, I’ve noticed that Fritz and Chocolate have taken quite a liking to each other”
Priscilla grabbed her bow and made sure that all her arrows were in her quiver. “I’ll just be over in that direction” She pointed east. “You’re welcome to follow me, just make sure you’re quiet. Or you can go off exploring. There’s a bunch of pretty sights to be seen in this forest”
Willy looked around. “I think I’ll go off exploring. I’ll meet you back here”
Priscilla nodded. “Sounds good. We’ll meet back here in an hour and then we’ll go see my friends”
With that, Priscilla and Willy parted ways. Priscilla headed east, and Willy made his way in the direction of the river he could hear. It had been so long seen he had been swimming. He might as well take advantage of the opportunity.
Willy followed the sound of rushing water closely. There was something about the sound that was so calming for him. But as he got closer, that wasn’t the only sound he could hear. He could hear a woman. She was singing. Her voice was one of the most beautiful things he’d ever heard.
He got closer and closer, and he could make out some of the words the woman was singing.
Oh sing sweet nightingale Sing sweet High above
He closed his eyes and let this woman’s voice carry him towards her.
Oh sing sweet nightingale Sing sweet nightingale High
The beautiful sound got closer and closer until... SNAP! Willy stepped on a branch. The woman stopped singing. Willy could hear her asking. “Honkers, did you hear that?”
Oh no. Oh no. Oh no.
He could hear her footsteps. Why was this making him so nervous? He found a tree to hide behind. The woman got closer. And closer. And closer. Until she stopped right beside the tree Willy was hiding behind.
He could smell her. And God, did she smell good. Just like cherries, lavender and just a hint of vanilla.
“Hello? Is anyone there?” He heard her speak. Even her speaking voice was enough cause a flutter in Willy’s tummy. What was happening to him? “Charlie, are you back with the rest of the laundry yet?”
He knew what this woman sounded like, but he wanted to know what she looked like. And he couldn’t see her from behind the tree. So, he decided to take a peek. Just a quick one. And once he saw her, he couldn’t look away.
She was beautiful.
Clearly, this was the woman Aphrodite gifted her beauty to. Willy let out a gasp, louder than he intended to. The woman whipped her head around to see where the noise came from, and Willy quickly hid behind the tree again.
“Is there someone there?” The woman asked again. She approached the tree, putting her hand to the rough bark. “Listen, I know there is someone behind there. Trees don’t just gasp”
“I’m sorry” Willy finally spoke to her. “I didn’t mean to frighten you”
The woman smiled. “You didn’t frighten me. I just wasn’t expecting anyone to be here. Well, except for my brother. He’s supposed to be coming back with the rest of our laundry”
“Do you live out here?”
“Yes, with my brother and step-mother. What about you? Where do you live?”
“Sweetstown. Like everyone else”
The woman was silent for a moment. “May I see who I’m talking to?” Willy contemplated. Should he let her see him? What if she doesn’t like what she sees? “Please?”
Willy stepped out from behind the tree. That was the moment his eyes and her eyes met. Willy could feel it. When he looked at her, there was a foreign feeling. But it wasn’t a bad feeling, it was good.
He didn’t know it yet...
But Prince Willy had fallen in love at first sight.
The Chocolate Prince and The Lovely Maiden {Willy Wonka x Rose Bucket AU}
Chapter 6
Lady Scarlett Beauregarde
Tagging: @holdmeicant @frozenhuntress67 @pastelmoonwitche @ariwonka2004
When Willy and Daniel arrived to the castle, they couldn’t help but notice the carriage that had pulled up. The carriage itself was big, blue, and sparkling. Overall, it just had a loud personality and it told you all you needed to know about who it was carrying inside of it.
“It seems that Lady Scarlett has arrived” Daniel said.
“Yeah” Willy grimaced. He was not looking forward to meeting the high class princess. Some ladies stepped out of the carriage first. None of them seemed to be Lady Scarlett, but rather her ladies-in-wearing. The three of them were wearing matching blue dresses and they all wore masks. But it wasn’t just masks covering the eyes. No, they wore full face masks.
“Those would be Lady Scarlett’s ladies-in-waiting” Daniel informed. He had read up on Lady Scarlett to prepare for her visit. He knew more about her than he wished to. “She makes them wear masks because she doesn’t want any other woman’s beauty outshining hers”
Willy snorted in amusement at that. “She mustn’t be that pretty then. Not if she has to make all the other ladies hide their face”
“No, no. Lady Scarlett is beautiful” Daniel countered. “She’s described as having been gifted with Aphrodite’s beauty. Wherever she goes, men fall at her feet”
Willy opened his mouth to respond, but a different voice called out. “Son! There you are!” King Wilbur approached his son, with members of the royal court behind him. “Where have you been!? You know Lady Scarlett was to arrive today!”
“That’s exactly why I wasn’t here” Willy retorted.
Wilbur just sighed and shook his head. “No matter. You’re here now. Come and meet your wife-to-be”
Willy didn’t have it in him right now to argue his way out of it. Instead, he trailed behind his father, following him to the carriage. “Ah! King Wilbur! Prince Willy!” An older gentleman standing beside the carriage greeted. “I am Beryl, Lady Scarlett’s trusted advisor”
“We are very honored to have you and Lady Scarlett here, Beryl” Wilbur said.
“The pleasure is all Scarlett’s” Beryl chuckled. “May I introduce Lady Scarlett’s ladies-in-waiting. Jade, Mauve, and Sienna” The ladies bowed as they were introduced. The sound of a throat clearing could be heard from inside the carriage. Beryl sighed and rolled his eyes in annoyance. He quickly smiled, hoping that no one caught onto it. Wilbur didn’t, but Willy did. “And, lastly but certainly not least, may I introduce her grace, Lady Scarlett Beauregarde of Champonia”
And there she was. Lady Scarlett Beauregarde. She stepped out of the carriage. You could tell just by looking at her she was high class. She wore a ruffled, silky blue dress. Her hair was pinned up in curls, secured in place by the jeweled tiara on her head. And her face was just caked in makeup.
This was the Princess that made men fall to their knees? This was the Princess who was gifted with Aphrodite’s beauty?
Well, clearly there was a mix up and Aphrodite’s beauty was gifted to someone else by mistake. Because Willy was not falling to his knees for this woman.
“Prince Willy” Scarlett batted her eyelashes at him. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you. I knew you were handsome, but I wasn’t expecting such an Adonis”
Willy had to force a smile. “Thank you, Lady Scarlett”
Scarlett kept smiling at him. She held out her hand. It hovered in front of Willy’s face. He just glanced at it. What was she expecting him to do? The smile from Scarlett’s face quickly dropped and was replaced with an annoyed expression. She cleared her throat again.
“Son! Kiss her hand!” Wilbur urged in a harsh whisper.
He didn’t even want to touch her hand. Forcing another smile, Willy took Scarlett’s hand and brought it up to his lips. He kissed it and had to keep himself from retching.
Scarlett seemed please though, for when she pulled her hand back, her smile was back. But something that caught her attention made her smile turn into a scowl. “Beryl!”
“Y-yes, Lady Scarlett?” Beryl seemed nervous of her.
“I had clear instructions. Any woman that is present should be wearing a mask. Why are they not wearing masks!?” Scarlett demanded. She pointed at the few women that were members of the royal court. “Get them masked immediately!”
“Yes, my lady” Beryl said.
“Well, you heard what she said” Wilbur said, addressing the female members of the court. “Go get fitted for masks, and spread the news to every female member of staff”
All the ladies looked at each other with bewildered looks. Sure, there was such a thing as accommodation for guests, but for Lady Scarlett to order them like that? She wasn’t even their queen yet, but she was already acting like it. Still, they knew better to argue so they went to do what was asked of their king.
“Apologies about that, Lady Scarlett” Wilbur quickly apologized. “The message must have gotten lost”
Scarlett smiled again. It was clear that was her ‘I’m pleased’ smile. “It’s alright. Consider this their first warning. But, if I see one lady who is unmasked, I expect some punishment”
Willy’s eyes widened and his mouth hung open. Punishment? For any woman not wearing a mask? All because she’s a little self-conscious? This lady was crazy. And Willy was stuck marrying her.
Yay.
“Daniel, I can’t marry her!” Willy ranted to Daniel. The two of them retreated to Willy’s secret chocolate room. At least they had privacy in here. “She’s a nightmare! And whoever first described her as having Aphrodite’s beauty is clearly blind!”
“It’s a bit hypocritical, don’t you think?” Daniel mused. “She wants every woman within vicinity of her to wear a mask, yet she wears one herself”
“Huh?”
“Did you see how much makeup she was wearing? Seriously, you could spot her face from miles away! It’s so bright!”
Willy sighed, taking a seat, and running a hand through his hair. “Is there anything I can do to get out of this?”
“Well, your father did say that because you weren’t picking a wife, he picked one for you”
“Where are you going with this, Daniel?”
“Maybe if you told him that there was someone else you were in love with, maybe the King would change his mind about you marrying Lady Scarlett”
Willy considered it. It was a good idea, in theory. But there was just one problem with that. “I’m not in love with anyone, Daniel”
“I know. But maybe just tell your father. Maybe he’ll believe it”
“What if he wants to meet her?”
Daniel chewed on his bottom lip in thought. “You’ve met Priscilla, right? The pretty girl from the bakery?”
“Yes” Willy nodded. “She seems nice and she is pretty, but I’m not in love with her”
“No, but I am” Daniel whispered that part to himself. “I’m suggesting that if your father were to insist on meeting the one you were in love with, maybe see if Priscilla would be willing to play the part”
“Daniel, I’m no good with feelings, but I can see just from the way you talk about her, that you feel something for her. I don’t want--”
“It’s okay” Daniel said. “I know it wouldn’t be real. Besides, if we don’t do it this way. There is only one other option”
“Which is?”
“We’d have to murder Lady Scarlett”
Willy’s eyes widened with shock. He was surprised to hear Daniel of all people suggest such a thing. “I may not be able to stand the wretched woman, but I am not resorting to such an avenue”
“You’re right. That’s too far” Daniel said. He was quiet for a moment. It was clear he was still pondering the idea. “But, we could make it look like an accident. Maybe slip something in her tea...”
“No!”
“Okay, okay” Daniel held up his hands defensively. “I’ll stop. We’ll go with the ‘you’re already in love with someone plan’”
“I just hope for the love of chocolate that it works” Willy prayed.
This was the best plan he had for now. Hopefully his father would fall for it. But, if he didn’t...then maybe he would have to resort to getting rid of Lady Scarlett in some other way. Would Willy be able to do it? He hoped he would never have to find out.
The Chocolate Prince and The Lovely Maiden {Willy Wonka x Rose Bucket AU}
Chapter 7
Step-mother’s Punishments
Tagging: @holdmeicant @frozenhuntress67 @pastelmoonwitche @ariwonka2004
Rose had nearly picked the cherry tree clean today, but she knew when she returned tomorrow, that fresh cherries would be ready to pick. She always used the cherries she picked to put in a pie. Charlie always looked forward to Rose’s cherry pies. Even Avonmora seemed to like them (well, she never complained when Rose made them).
By the time she had stopped picking cherries, Rose noticed that the sun was starting to set. She panicked and quickly ran home. She didn’t mean to lose track of time. Oh dear, she just hoped that Charlie wasn’t being punished for her mistakes.
Honkers was just returning from a refreshing swim in the nearby lake. “This is the best lake in all of the forest!” He wasn’t aware that the sun had nearly set and Rose was way past her curfew, so he panicked when she had picked him up suddenly. He honked, flapped his wings, and a few of his feathers fell to the ground. “Rose! Are you nuts!?”
“It’s sundown, Honkers”
Honkers did a double take when he saw the sunset. “Good golly, how long was I in that lake?”
“Do you think Avonmora punished Charlie because of me?” Rose cringed, not even wanting to think of what she might have done to him.
“You know the worst she ever gives Charlie are extra chores, and makes him skip a meal. Besides, she hates you more” Honkers said it without thinking, but it still hurt Rose to hear it. Honkers winced when he realized what he had said. “Sorry, Rose”
Rose gave him a weak smile. “It’s okay, Honkers. You’re just speaking the truth”
The sunset was gone and the sky had gone completely dark, with the exception of the illuminating light of the moon and the stars, by the time Rose had gone home. Rose had entered the cottage. She could see the flickering light of the fireplace, and the silhouette of Avonmora’s shadow on the wall.
Rose put Honkers down on the floor. “Go check on Charlie” She whispered to him. Honkers looked up at Rose, feeling worried and scared for her, before waddling his way down to the basement.
Her hands nervously shaked as Rose approached Avonmora. The dark-haired woman sipped on a glass of wine. “You’re late” She didn’t even look at Rose as she spoke.
“Yes, I know, mother--” Rose shrieked suddenly when Avonmora’s hand came flying and slapped her across the face.
“I am not your mother!” Avonmora spat. She stood up and towered over Rose from where she fell onto the floor. “It’s lucky that you finished all your chores otherwise Charlie’s punishment could’ve been so much worse!”
“What did you do to him?”
“I never touched him, if that’s what you’re so afraid of. I’ve decided that he will stay home with you tomorrow and help with chores, and he has to miss breakfast tomorrow”
“And me?”
Avonmora reached out and touched Rose’s red cheek. With the tip of her finger, she scooped up a drop of blood that had oozed out of the cut that was on her cheek. One of Avonmora’s nails had cut her. Avonmora looked at the blood with a dark look in her eye and her lips parted as she rubbed the crimson liquid between her fingers.
“You drew blood” Avonmora’s voice was almost seductive. “I suppose that is punishment enough for tonight. Go down to the basement and join your brother. Do not come out for the rest of the night”
“Yes, Avonmora” Rose got up and made her way to the basement.
She didn’t even see the way that Avonmora licked her blood clean off her fingers. The way that Avonmora’s eyes rolled back in euphoria as she did so.
When Rose got downstairs, she saw that Honkers was already fast asleep in his nest. Charlie was laying in bed, facing the wall, but Rose knew he wasn’t asleep yet. He never fell asleep without her.
“Charlie,” Rose spoke softly. She sat on the end of the bed near his feet. Charlie sat up to look at her. “I’m sorry I’m making you miss a meal tomorrow”
“It’s not your fault, Rosie” Charlie told her. He moved so that he was sitting beside her. “She hurt you” He had noticed that cut on her face.
“I’ll be fine. It only stings a little bit” Rose said.
Charlie touched her scarred cheek. The blood smudge was now dry. “But you’re bleeding, Rosie” His eyes began to sting, indicating he was ready to cry. He didn’t like crying in front of Rose. He liked being that strong little brother for her. “Why does she have to hurt you like that?”
Rose sighed sadly and brought Charlie into a hug. Charlie held onto her like he was being pulled away from her and didn’t want to let go. Rose let Charlie cry into her shoulder. She closed her eyes, pet his hair and rocked him back and forth. She shushed him softly and cooed to him, “I promise, Charlie. One day, we will get out of here. We will finally be free from her. Even if we have to...” She trailed off.
“Even if we have to what?” Charlie asked.
“Nothing, Charlie. Try to get some sleep, okay? You have to help me with laundry tomorrow” Rose said.
Charlie nodded and let his eyes close. He quickly fell into a slumber. Rose laid him down on the bed and made sure the blankets were covering him. She kissed him on the forehead before making her way to her own bed.
Rose couldn’t believe that she was even contemplating killing her own step-mother. She wasn’t the kind of person to even harm a fly. Would she really be able to kill Avonmora? And what would Charlie think? Would he be ashamed of her, or grateful that they would at least be free from Avonmora?
The following day, Rose and Charlie worked hard on their chores together. It went by a whole lot faster when it was the two of them. Avonmora seemed pleased with their work, for she had not said a word to them all day. Sometime in the day, Avonmora announced that she was leaving and would not be back until the following evening.
It was very rarely that Avonmora ever made trips like that, but Rose and Charlie were pleased when she did. It was afternoon when Rose and Charlie decided it was time to do laundry. They always did it in the river by the sisters three’s cherry tree.
“Do you think maybe we could go for a swim after?” Charlie asked. He held the basket of laundry as he and Rose stepped out the door. Honkers was just behind them. “I haven’t been swimming in a long time”
“Sure, after we’ve finished with laundry” Rose answered with a smile. “We’ve got all night! I’ve missed moonlight swims”
Honkers honked in approval. “I can show you two this move I call the Goose Paddle”
Charlie grinned in amusement. “Can’t wait, Honkers” It was as if he felt eyes watching them. He looked over and noticed a dark blonde man, around Rose’s age, if not a little older, watching them intensely. He also held a flower in his hand. A peony to be exact. “Rosie, do you know who that man is?”
Rose looked to where Charlie was pointing. She groaned in annoyance when she saw Harry. “Forget about him, Charlie. Let’s just go to the lake and get started on laundry”
Rose gently pushed him forward. But at the same time they started to move, Harry started moving towards them. He stepped in front of Charlie. “It’s a lovely afternoon, isn’t it, Rose?” He said, flashing a flirty grin at Rose. One that would make any girl swoon, but not this particular girl. “But, not quite as lovely as you”
Rose gave a polite grin. “Thank you, Harry” She felt her skirt rustle, indicating that Honkers was trying to remain hidden from Harry’s view. “Well, we’ve got laundry to do. We should be off”
Rose tried pushing Charlie along but that was hard to do when Harry put his hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Who’s this dashing young man?”
“My name is Charlie, sir” Charlie introduced himself.
“Charlie, nice to meet you. I’m Harry” The man held out his hand for the boy to shake. Charlie did. “Quite the grip you’ve got there! Ever think about becoming a hunter?”
“No. I want to explore the world. Go sailing on ships”
Harry nodded. “That quite an ambition for a young man such as yourself. Still, wouldn’t hurt to learn how to hunt. I’ll teach you sometime”
“Well, Harry, this was a nice chat, but Charlie and I have so much laundry to do” Rose tried.
“I could come with you, be an extra set of hands” Harry suggested hopefully.
“No, that’s fine” Rose said, her polite smile now a gritted one. “Thank you”
“Oh, well before you go, I have this for you” Harry presented the peony to Rose. “Remember my vow?”
Rose accepted the peony. “How could I forget? Still, peonies are lovely but not my favorite flower”
“Then I shall be back tomorrow with another” Harry said. He leaned took Rose’s hand and kissed it. “Until tomorrow, my lady” Then, he looked down at Charlie and ruffled his hair. “Remember what I said, Charlie? I promise to teach you everything I know about hunting”
And with that, Harry left, leaving behind an annoyed Rose and a confused Charlie. The boy looked up at his sister. “Who was that, Rosie?”
“I’ll tell you who that was!” Honkers wailed, coming out of hiding from Rose’s skirt. “He’s what my mother would call a featherplucker!”
“Honkers!” Rose gasped. She covered Charlie’s ears, causing him to grin and look up at her. “Don’t use such foul language in front of Charlie”
“Hey, was that a goose joke?” Honkers accused.
“If it was, I would have said fowl and not foul”
“Still sounds the same to me”
“Anyways, let’s head to the lake and get some laundry done. Then that means more time for swimming”
The three of them made their way to the lake, unaware that they were being followed. And Rose was completely unaware of the course that fate would set for her that very night. Unaware that she was to meet the man she would fall madly in love with.