Love and Lust

Chapter 1

I remember mother telling me how horrified she was when I was born. I was an ugly baby with dark curls and dark eyes- nothing compared to the fair haired brood with blue eyes, crying around her. She wondered at why her sons had been blessed with hair the colour of the sun or of black silk and with eyes of fawn or sky when traditionally it is the female sex that should be more beautiful and yet here I was crying in her arms, everything about me boring and bland.

Now, 18 years later, I am treated like a rare trophy. I understand mother is very proud of me, or, more for my looks, because of my title of an exotic beauty, given by passing strangers. In my eyes, I am still nothing compared to the golden haired, sapphire eyed, statuesque beauties surrounding me who are also ladies of honour and title. I am a farmer's daughter, a pauper. I looked once more into the mirror, sighing at my black hair, my black eyes and my thin frame. If I was a man, I would not look at my female self.

"Eleanor! Feed the hens!" My father called from downstairs, and I hurriedly put on a tattered gown and ran to the coop while scooping a few seeds in my cupped hand. The hens were clucking, as if shouting for their meal and I dropped the seeds for them. They flurried towards them and in a few seconds, they had finished whatever I had given them.

Everyday at noon, I took a walk through the forest that surrounded the whole Kingdom of Glacialis. It calmed me to be surrounded by flowers, and by gentle animals, and the sound of rushing water of the waterfall was something I would not be able to live without. After milking the cows, I took a ripped shawl and put it around my shoulders then walked out of the house.

My house was very small compared to the grand mansions that encircled it. Families that were related to the king lived here but as we served food directly to the castle, we had been allowed to live in a small house in this prestigious area. I wrapped the brown shawl tightly around my shoulders and kept my head down, as I made my way into the forest. As soon as I reached it, I threw the shawl off and danced deeper into the forest, breathing in deep, trying to take in the pine air as much as possible then singing along with the birds. Subconsciously, I was taking the path that led me to the waterfall. The water sparkled and after taking off my slippers, I dipped my feet into the cool pool.

I didn't realise how much time had passed, until a bird flew onto my shoulder. After gathering my belongings, I trudged back through the forest.

Mother was in ecstasy when I arrived. Father was watching her with a slightly amused expression. Fabien and Evander walked up to me and told me what the commotion was all about. "King Bertrand is making a public appearance for, you know……"

Bertrand was the king of Glacialis. He was 60 years old and was quite feared throughout the kingdom. Nobody had seen him for the past three years since the queen, his wife Angeline, had died.

"This is a wonderful chance for you Eleanor!" Mother sang, gripping my arms. "But we will have to buy you new gowns, oh yes," she said frowning at my dull brown dress.

"We don't have money to spare Clara…."father intervened.

I was taken aback. What was she talking about? "Mother, what are you saying?"

Mother looked at me with fond eyes. "Oh Eleanor, the King may suggest you to one of the neighbouring princes! Your beauty goes far beyond any maiden in this kingdom!"

I glanced at father and he seemed to have a sceptical expression on his face. "Clara…." He warned mother. "Best not to get her hopes up. Suggesting she could be a princess is preposterous."

Mother turned around and rolled her eyes. "Edgar! Such a pessimist!" she clicked her tongue. "I am sure of it that the King will hold a ball to mark the end of his mourning and to mark a fresh beginning! The princes around Glacialis will be invited and even Dukes and….."

It saddened me a little bit to see how much importance mother placed on looks but of course it did make me happier to hear that she thought me beautiful. Even if I saw things differently. Mother had always had large dreams set for me as soon as I had started to become mature in looks. Her dream of marrying me off to a wealthy man would always be a dream as we all knew except her.

"The king is coming tomorrow Eleanor!" mother laughed. "Get your best gown out and make yourself presentable!"

……………………………………………………………………………………………..

I woke up with sun light pouring through my window and to the impatient knocks of mother.

"Eleanor! Get ready!" she squealed.

I honestly did not care if the king saw me in dish rags but I would have to live with the hostility from mother for as long as I lived so I heaved myself up and went into the bathroom.

I ran hot water into the tub, then soaked in it, using a few scraps of soap to cleanse. Wrapping a towel around my self I went back to the bedroom, to see which of my special gowns I should wear.

Though my family did not have much money to afford fancy dresses, father had done all he could to have enough money to send me to finishing school to learn the ways of a lady. There, I had learned to sew, and had also learned that I had quite a knack for it. My skills in sewing became very handy for turning a bland gown into one that looked quite expensive, just by adding a lace train here or a red rose there.

I was mostly impatient to turn all my gowns into interesting ones but I had made four of my gowns fancy by buying little things to add on with the small amount of money father gave me to spend every month. I looked through the four gowns; one was a spring green, one was a pale blue, another striking red while the last was a bright yellow. I chose to wear the green dress which had a fairly long train and a matching bonnet with white wrist length gloves.

As I joined my family outside the house waiting for the king, mother turned to look at me with tears in her eyes. "You look beautiful, Elle." Her childhood nickname for me.

I looked around at the maidens standing outside their houses as well and my happy mood darkened a little bit. They looked so pretty! Their beautiful dresses, their fans, their hair, mother would be so disappointed when each of these maidens would get their prince and I would be left alone. I shook out of my reverie when I heard hooves coming closer. I could make out a black open top carriage in the distance with ornate gold scrawl across it. As it passed each of the houses, the families bowed and curtsied in respect to the king.

I squinted to see him better. He was quite a fat man, with no hair and a mud brown beard. His eyes didn't look friendly. They were small and looked sly. As he came closer to passing our house mother quickly patter her hair and turned to give me a quick glance. When the king was at our house we all bowed and curtsied. I stumbled. So much for being elegant and debonair. As I finished curtsying, I was shocked, as with other families, to see the king, stopping outside our house and getting out of his carriage.

"Edgar my friend!" he boomed, a crinkly smile on his face. Strangely, the sly look was still there. After greeting each member of my family personally, his eyes locked on me. He didn't look away. I started to feel very uncomfortable and stared at the ground. He broke the awkward silence.

"So this is your breathtaking daughter! I must say, she's a rare beauty! What is your name?"

My eyes were bulging out of my head from the shock of the king stopping to talk to us peasants. I couldn't imagine I looked very attractive at all then and I glanced at my father, who had a tight smile on his face, then at my mother who, of course, looked delighted.

"Eleanor," I managed.

"Eleanor! What a beautiful name!" he laughed.

Then he shook hands with father, Evander and Fabien, nodded at mother and me and said, "I trust you will attend the ball," and handed a red envelope to father.

Mother nearly died from her bursting happiness. "Oh Edgar! Surely, you could spare money to buy a new gown for your daughter! Surely!"

Father smiled a genuine smile, "Perhaps I can."

I was excited as I had never been to a ball before. But then, of course, I didn't know what was to come. The horrifying reason behind which the king had decided to invite a pauper, albeit according to him, a beautiful one, to the ball.

A/N: you might have noticed that this is historically set but it won't be all clean cut, there will be kissing, making out and sex scenes. Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed the first chapter, and after this I'll be getting right to the action. And please remember to review!