Alright people this is my first "x reader" and the first time I write for Orlando Oxford. Tell me if you like it or not. I hope I get the characters right and that I don't make y/n boring, lol, so I can get better for the next one. And excuse any mistakes, English is not my first language :)
Once again, requests are open, so go ahead :)
Summary: a collection of memories of (Y/N), Conrad's young governess, and Orlando as they meet in his office during the years.
Warning: Spoilers for "The King's Man", mention of death and alcohol
"The new Governess has arrived, Your Grace.
-Thank you Shola, let her in."
The butler stepped aside and signaled to the young woman standing behind the door. She walked inside, her back straight, her gaze calm. Only her hands clutched on the seems of her sleeves showed a hint of her nervousness. Her dark plum colored dress was elegant and simple, the edges had been sown up to spare the fabric from time and dirt.
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you in person Miss...he walked towards her to shake her hand.
- (y/n) (y/l/n), she answered, visibly a bit surprised by the contact.
She even curtsied a bit.
- Miss (y/l/n), please sit down. I hope your trip has been agreeable from London to here.
- I am very grateful that you arranged for my journey, she replied with a small smile. The agency tends to save on money where they can.
- It's only natural. Would you like anything to drink before we discuss the matter at hand?
- The quicker we discuss it, the quicker I can meet Conrad.
- Straight to the point! I have read your resume, it's quite impressive. Vous parlez beaucoup de langues.
- Ich mache keine halben sachen, (y/n) had an amused smiled she tried to hide.
- You have knowledge of latin, greek, literature, mathematics, geography, history... All the things Conrad will need. Still I asked for someone who has traveled in their life. You don't seem to have moved a lot, how come you were recommended for this position?
- It's true that I didn't have the opportunity to travel in my life...
The nervousness came back as she began picking at her fingers.
- ...But I think I can compensate for this with my other qualifications, she regained her composure. I can give Conrad another point of view on many questions, which I think, would be enriching for him."
The Duke of Oxford didn't answer right away, only continued observing the young woman sat in front of him. She obviously came front a poorer background, but this had never bothered him. He had wanted Conrad to get experience through other people, the same way he did with Shola. But as she sat there calmly, her eyes clear and eager face, he made up his mind.
"Alright then. You can begin teaching Conrad as soon as tomorrow, and after a month we'll meet up again to make sure everything is going fine, he said and stood up.
- Thank you, Your Grace, she sprang up her seat. I promise I won't disappoint you!
- I trust that you'll do your best with my son. Welcome to the Oxford house, Miss (y/l/n)."
-----
There was knocking on the Duke's office door. He looked up from the letter he was writing: "Come in!"
The door opened and the silhouette of the young governess made its way into the room.
"You wished to see me Your Grace?
- Ah yes, Miss (y/l/n). Close the door please."
She did as she was told, making sure the door made the least noise possible when she shut it.
"I believe it's the time for the discussion after the first month of teaching Conrad, isn't it why you summoned me? she asked cautiously.
She was still standing as straight as the first day, her shoulders and neck stiff like a wooden board. She had the same plum colored dress on, covered with a white linen apron, covered with small specks of what looked like ink. She even had a spot right under her left eye.
"It looks like you and Conrad had some fun with the essay writing...
- It's my fault, Sir, I put the cartridge too close to the edge of the table.
- Well, aprons are made for this, right? Well then, tell me, how was your first month here?
- It went beyond my expectations, Your Grace. Conrad is a delightful young man, and quick and witty learner.
- He speaks highly of you, the Duke said. You seem to have the ability to quaint his imaginative mind. The things he tells me about those bedtime stories...
- I only have one concern Sir, (y/n) spoke up suddenly, surprising the man.
- What is it?
- The reason why Conrad has such a thirst for stories...He is such a bright kid, yet he only saw the world from books, let alone the neighboring village. Boys his age discover the woods and build forts out of branches...
- He saw enough of the world in South Africa, the Duke answered dryly. I'm sure he can find everything he needs in the garden of the domain.
- With all due respect, Your Grace, I must insist... (y/n) took a step forward.
- With all the respect that you have, you can't tell me how to educate my son, he said firmly wanting to end the conversation.
- Well I seem to be the one doing the bulk of it, so I think I have a right to say something, she protested.
But immediately, she looked startled by her own words. Heavy silence fell on the office. Oxford stared at the woman, eyebrows raised. She had lowered her head and fiddling with the knot of her apron on her back, as he could see her arms twitching a little.
"I am sorry, Your Grace, I shouldn't' have raised my voice...
- No, you shouldn't have. But you're not really sorry, aren't you?
- Well...She looked back at him. Not for everything. I still stand by what I said about Conrad.
- I see. You care about him, do you?
- Every child deserves a chance to have a great protected life, Sir. Conrad is in my care, so I will give him everything I can so that he is happy.
The Duke sighed deeply and massaged the bridge of his nose.
"I think...that a trip to the village cannot do him harm, as long as there is someone with him.
- Really? I mean, thank you, Sir, I am sure Conrad will be very happy.
- He better be, he muttered. I think this can conclude our little talk. I have nothing to add. Do you?
- No, Sir. I will go back to the afternoon lesson, (y/n) said, curtsied a little and was about to exit the room, when the Duke called her name one last time: "Miss (y/l/n)!
- Yes?" She turned around, eyes directed to him.
He pointed his finger under his left eye. (y/n) mirrored his gesture, finding the ink spot on her skin. She made a small high pitched noise, and rubbed her cheek. Then she smiled, a bit embarrassed and walked out of the room, closing the door silently behind her.
------
"...Polly is making the cake, orange flavored with chocolat napping just like Conrad asked. Shola is making sure that he is distracted, they're going to hunt in the woods, if I'm not mistaken...
- You know that I fully trust you with the task of organizing my son's birthday, after all the times you did it, (y/n). You don't have to explain it all to me.
The Duke walked into his office with large steps, putting his hat on the table. (y/n) was marching behind him, paper and pen in hand.
- I know, but I still want you to know the details. Birthdays are important events, I'm just making sure that everything goes according to plan.
- Well then I'm assured that Conrad will have an amazing birthday yet again, he turned to her, smiling. What will I be doing again?
- See, you need this plan, she smiled back. I was thinking that you could make sure the all the gifts are there, I put them in the study room.
- Great, I'll do that. But I have an affair to attend to first.
- Then I'll leave you to it...
- No, please stay. I need you for this one."
(y/n) looked surprised, but turned back towards him. She wore a dark blue dress on that day, the style still very simple and classy. The Duke had made sure her that her salary was enough to buy herself enough clothing. A few strands of hair had escaped from her bun, falling onto her forehead. She had become a lot less stiff than the first few month and the Duke could see her walk around the mansion with confident strides, often with Conrad, Shola or Polly.
" You know, it's also my fault, but I never bothered to ask you when your birthday is, Oxford continued.
- It's not that important, I never celebrate it.
- I was looking at your resume the other day, I was tidying one of my drawers, and I stumbled upon your birth date...
- Oh...
- You never told me it was the same as Conrad's.
- I told you, it's not important, (y/n) looked away. It's Conrad's day.
- "Birthdays are important", or did you forget your own words? I wanted to give you this...He put his hand in the pocket in the interior of his jacket and took out a small box.
- What? No, Your Grace I cannot accept anything from you, this is not correct...
- Well, if it reassures you, It's in my habits to give at least one gift to the people of my house. I am not making any exceptions. Take it, please.
(y/n) pondered the choice a bit longer, her fingers clicking on the side of the pen. Then she looked up at the Duke with an expression she wanted angry, but they both knew that it wasn't efficient. She took the package he was holding out to her and gently took off the wrapping paper. After that she opened the box: it contained a small watch attached to a thin chain.
"This...it's very beautiful. Thank you very much, Your Grace.
- You know, (y/n). When I first told you welcome to the Oxford house, I should have said welcome to the Oxford family. You are fully a part of it. You have been for a long time. So take this as a token of my gratefulness.
- I don't know what to say, Sir. You don't need to prove anything. It's me who is grateful for the great treatment I have received here. I could have never hoped for better.
They looked at each other for a moment longer without saying anything. The silence around them was so thick that you could cut it with a knife. (y/n) finally looked away, her cheeks a bit rosy. She fiddled with the chain of the watch attaching it to a button on her dress and putting the watch in her pocket.
"Thank you.
- Don't mention it. We should get going, Conrad and Sholah are going to come back soon from the hunt, once Conrad realizes that he doesn't have the heart to kill a duck."
------
The Duke was sitting at his desk, chin on his hands. In front of him were three people: Shola was standing by the window, Polly and (y/n) were sitting in the armchairs next to the fire place. All had a serious expression on their face.
"Well, I'm sure you have an idea of why I asked you to gather here.
Shola nodded, Polly and (y/n) looked at each other.
"The situation in Europe is not very favorable to a climate of peace. After what happened to François-Ferdinand...Let's just say that I am not very sure of the stability of our countries.
He looked at the three people in front of him one by one.
- You three are the people I trust in the most currently, so I will tell you my worries. I think there is something more at play, here.
No one reacted with surprise.
- I want to discover what is happening, and most of all I want to stop what is happening. And I will need your help.
- Tell us, what we need to do, (y/n) chimed up.
- Domestic workers are everywhere. You are the eyes and the ears of every household, even the most prestigious ones. I want you...I ask of you to make your connections work. We need to collect as much information as we can. Sholah, you know other butlers, Polly, you can work with the maids and housekeepers, and (y/n) you can ask other governesses, a lot of information goes through the children...Only if you agree, of course.
- Whithout hesitation Sir, said Shola. And I am sure neither (y/n) or Polly have anything against it.
Both women shook their head.
-I cannot express how grateful I am, said the Duke with relief. I am afraid we cannot avoid another war, but maybe...we can try to minimize the damage as best as we can. I'll be damned if I at least don't do this.
- We'll get to work immediately, Sir, Polly stood up, ready to act. I'll contact the maid agencies in London and I'll go from there.
- Good, good..."
The three domestics all walked towards the door, but the Duke called once again: "(y/n), may I talk to you for a moment?"
The young woman stoped walking and waited for the door to close behind Shola. She grimaced when it closed just a little too hard. Then she turned to the Duke.
"How can I help you your Grace?
- It's about Conrad. You know how...intrepid he is.
- He is devoted, Sir. And he is young, he wants to prove himself.
- But he has nothing to prove! He is so accomplished, so serious and promising! (y/n), Oxford looked up at the young woman with despair in his eyes. He wants to get involved in all of this. And I can't let him do this. I won't break my promise to her...
His gaze turned towards the large portrait hanging on the wall in front of him and he felt a painful pinch in his heart. (y/n) also turned back to look at the painted woman quietly.
"I'll do everything in my power to help you keep that promise, Sir, she finally spoke again. But you know my opinion: keeping him too close will inevitably lead him away.
- You know how hard this is for me.
- I do, she turned back towards the man. I really do, I understand how you feel, I...
- It's alright (y/n), he said quietly. I know, it's alright."
He wanted to go closer, to stand up from his chair, get around his desk, walk up next to her. But he stayed still in his chair. (y/n) inhaled, as if she was about to say something more. But nothing came out of her half opened mouth. She curtsied quickly and walked out of the room, making sure to close the door without a noise, letting the silence remain on the office and on the Duke of Oxford.
--------
"I DON'T WANT YOUR FUCKING TEA!"
The Duke shouted at the opening door and almost threw his bottle at it. He stopped himself, from lack of energy or from the recognition of who was standing at the door, who knows.
(y/n) was the one who had stepped in. She was enveloped in a thick black dress and had tried to pin her hair into a correct hairstyle, but she visibly didn't succeed. She looked like she stepped out of a photographe, colorless and rigid. The only thing that popped out of the ensemble was the thin golden chain dangling from one of her buttons to her pocket.
"I can come back later...she struggled to get the words out.
- No, hum...What do you want? the Duke let himself fall back into his armchair as he took another gulp of his bottle of alcohol.
- Really I can come back later if I am bothering you...
- What do you want? he asked more harshly.
She never looked at him, only fumbled a bit more with her pocket and took out a letter out of it.
- Here is my letter of resignation, Sir.
- What? the information had to take a bit of time until he could register it.
- Well, you for sure don't need a governess anymore, she chuckled through her squeezed throat, then ran her hand under her eyes. In reality, you didn't need me for a long time, I don't even know why you kept me for so long...but anyway I can't watch this anymore, she whispered that last part.
She put the letter on the desk. Then she looked around the room, as if she wanted to engrave every inch of it in her memory. Finally it landed on the picture above the fireplace. It used to stand on the Duke's desk but he had placed it in view of everyone. He wanted to look at it all the time.
(y/n) stood there for a moment more. Perhaps she was waiting for a reaction, a sign, something to get her to stay. She didn't look at the Duke. She couldn't.
"He was so proud of himself you know? she whispered. He only wanted you to be proud of him too.
- He didn't need to die to do that, Oxford finally answered.
- I know, she had a little laugh through the tears that had began to roll down her cheeks. It's so funny, how people think to know what others need to think about them a certain way. In the end, it's more about themselves...
She took out a handkerchief from her other pocket and cleaned up her face.
- He would have wanted you to continue fighting, she spoke up. Because Conrad was like that. He never gave up. And he took that from you. Perhaps this time, you could have taken from him...But I have done enough to try to make you realize that. You aren't even listening to me right now, she said with a bitter tone.
The Duke put down his bottle to the ground and put his face into his hands. His head was full of noise, full of cries and sounds of guns. He didn't even remember the last time he slept. And always, the face of his son was in front of his eyes, judging him, pleading with him.
He heard quiet footsteps walk away on the wooden floor.
"Wait, (y/n)...please wait."
The footsteps stopped, no noise of the door opening or closing. He uncovered his face to meet her eyes.
"Do you really think what you said? He knew I was proud of him right? I told him all the time, I did everything I could...
(y/n) approached him and knelt down on the floor next to him. She took his hand in hers, squeezed it and planted her sad and solemn gaze into his.
- Of course he knew. He couldn't have had a better father. Conrad was the bravest young man, he didn't have to do what he did, yet he did it without a word of protestation. He saved so many people, Your Grace. And now it's your turn to continue his legacy. Become the man your son would have been. For Conrad. For the millions of other young men he could have saved, but whose saving is in your hands now.
Oxford felt like a veil was lifted from his mind. Everything was so clear, the feelings he had tried to numb too strong, like a knife in his heart. He felt his eyes burn and soon the tears began flowing. He clutched (y/n)'s hands as hard as he could, the only tangible thing that kept him in the moment. He sobbed softly, like a weight had been taken off his chest and he was finally able to breath. And (y/n) was there, holding his hands, crying quietly with him, sharing the worst pain a father could feel.
-------
"I am Gawain" (y/n) turned the piece of paper on the table in front of her and read the inscription with a smile, before looking up at the newly named Arthur, who smiled back at her.
This was Conrad's legacy. Around the table of the old sewing room of the Kingsman boutique sat the Galahad, Bedivere, Lancelot and Percival, as well as Merlin standing at the end of the table. There was a lot more work to do, more knights to recruit, another war to disengage. But just for that short moment in this beautiful sunny afternoon, they could celebrate and remember the people who were left behind and for whom they were going to continue fighting.
A bottle of fine whisky was opened and everyone got a glass of it. (y/n) was barely sipping on it, smiling at the discussion of the small assembly. The King, a Duke an Ambassador, a butler, a housekeeper and a governess all talking as equals was not a frequent sight.
"You don't like whisky? a voice asked behind her.
- I do not drink, for the job, she turned back to face the Duke of Oxford. Or at least for what used to be my job...I think you'll have to think of another occupation for me in the mansion.
- Oh, I think I have the perfect occupation for you in mind, he said and took a sip of the beverage.
- And could I ask what it is?
- You'll see soon enough." he smiled maliciously.
An expression (y/n) had rarely seen on him, which made her heart skip a beat. She hid her very probably red face in her glass and forced herself to take another sip.
They still had so much to do, so much to experience and discover. But for now, the only thing on their minds were the memories, the hope of a better future and the taste of good whiskey.
There you go, my first Kingsman fanfiction. Also my first reader insert. I hope you enjoyed it! More will very probably come in the future so stay tuned! I am tagging @thestephsaksuniverse, @anmactireaonair and @wweskywalker cause you guys seemed so enthusiastic about this. I hope you enjoy ! 😊
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