[o16] gossip girl : storybook endings
Title: Storybook Endings
Author: In Fair Verona
Genre: Romance + Adventure
Pairing: CBN
Rating: T
Summary: Blair Waldorf never believed in fairy-tales. However, weeks after her best friend left for boarding school, Blair finds herself enthralled by the pages of an old book, and is thrown in the midst of a strange new world, at the center of a war, and in between a prince and a knight.
PROLOGUE | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5
The five of them were drenched by the time they finally made it to the kingdom's castle. Having nothing to keep them dry aside from the clothes on their backs, they had woven their way through the rainy acropolis, across bridges, rivers, boats, and an epically large moat around the fortress' walls which may as well have been a lake. In their wake they left a trail of tiny water droplets on the polished black and white marbled floor, much to the dislike of the thin and hauntingly pale butler who had greeted them at the drawbridge.
"This way, please." He gave the travelers a disapproving glance before leading them past the foyer and into a poorly lit atrium, at the end of which were the two intimidatingly large thrones. Lush burgundy velvet upholstered onto black onyx that had been carved so elaborately and picturesque that one didn't even have to squint to behold the gargoyle figures which emerged from the engraving, perched a top the throne like an ever-watchful guardian. Blair found it as equally enchanting as it was just plain creepy. "Her highness will join you shortly." The butler announced before taking his leave.
"Her?" Blair inquired, looking at Nathaniel. "I take it we're not meeting a prince tonight." Admittedly, she was a little disappointed. Blair typically got along with royalty, particularly male royalty, at least back in her own world. However Blair wasn't nearly as fond of females with a sense of entitlement (aside from herself).
"You would be right." Nathaniel replied, "The princess is... something else."
"Yeah, something psychotic." The prince mumbled under his breath. Blair arched an eyebrow in his direction.
"Don't worry about him," Nathaniel chuckled, "He and the princess have a little history." Now her curiosity had peaked and in response to her alertness, Nathaniel added, "He isn't too proud of it, to say the least. The princess does have the tendency to be a little... unhinged." Before he was able to further explain, they were interrupted by the clicking of heels against the marbled floor as a thin and strikingly pale girl approached them with a wicked grin. Long brown hair fell in loose waves across her black and grey gown, which was hiked up in the front to reveal a pair of laced-up stiletto boots that Blair would have expected to see at fashion week rather than in an alternate universe.
"Well, well!" The young girl found herself in front of them, hands on her hips. "Look who we have here. I almost didn't recognize you, Charles. My, how you've grown." The girl reached out, extending a hand to stroke the boy's cheek in a way that made Blair increasingly uncomfortable.
"Georgina," Chuck breathed, "Always a pleasure."
Georgina lay sprawled across both seats at the throne, listening half-heartedly as Charles went on with his little tirade of treaties and alliances. It was all rather boring, and incredibly disappointing considering that Charles was usually so much more entertaining.
"What do you think?" The prince eyed her expectantly, while the rest of his merry men listened with interest. Georgina exhaled.
"I think... I'll have to think about it." Truth be told, the princess hadn't been paying much attention as there were more pressing matters to be dealt with at home. "Later."
"Is there something more important than preventing the downfall of your kingdom?" Chuck inquired irritably as the princess admired her manicure.
"Why yes," Georgina grinned, "I've got a ball to plan for tonight. The whole kingdom will be there, it's going to be quite a night. You must stay."
"Georgina," Chuck growled, "While we waste our time planning parties, Baizen is rallying his troops and enhancing his military technology. By the time you've decided whether you're with us or not, we may all be dead."
"Charles," The princess reprimanded him, "No need to be so morbid. A life worth fighting for is also a life worth living, am I right?" As she descended from her throne, the girl gave his cheek a little pat, "Live a little. That goes for all of you. You will stay the night, I'll have quarters prepared..."
"Georgina-"
"I insist." Georgina interrupted, "Honestly, Charles, you know how lonely I've been ever since mother and father decided to jet around the world for a year, experiencing it all before it goes to hell and what not." The girl looped both arms around his neck, "I've missed you. I've missed people. Let me have my fun and we can discuss diplomacy in the morning."
"That's not going to happen," Blair whispered to Nathaniel as they watched the exchange between the two monarchs in the making. Blair knew girls like Georgina because Blair wasn't too different herself, "she's just playing him. Georgina has no intention of picking a side. I'm surprised Chuck's buying it."
"Really?" Nate frowned, "The princess has always had a soft spot for him. I think he'll be able to persuade her, though his tactics may end up being more tactile."
"Ew." Blair flinched, and perhaps a little loudly as she had now earned herself the princess' attention. Georgina glanced at the girl with interest, taking in her damp hair and dirty socks.
"Charles, was the travel so long and lonely you needed to bring an escort with you? My, my, you really are insatiable." At this, Blair's mouth dropped open a little. Did that tasteless Marie Antoinette knock-off with the great shoes really just insinuate that Blair was one of those harem girls? Not just any harem girl, but one of Chuck's?
"No," Chuck groaned, "Georgina, she's not- she's not a..." At times the princess proved herself to truly be an idiot. Perhaps it was something in the water, which would also explain Aaron's own brain cell deficiency. "She's the girl."
"The girl?" The princess repeated, "I don't know what you're talking about."
"The girl." Chuck repeated. "From the prophecy." At her dawning realization, the princess fell silent, giving Blair another once over.
"I didn't realize we had already come to that." Georgina finally breathed, before cracking into another chesire grin, "all the more reason we must celebrate!" The princess bounded down the steps, grasping Blair's hand much to the other girl's alarm. "You may be able to squeeze into one of my gowns, I've got the perfect one in mind. Really, we've got to get you out of those rags," The princess looped arms with a speechless Blair dragging her away from the rest of her party. "What have those poor boys put you through? Really, that's no way to treat a lady," Georgina rambled as she pulled Blair down the hall, "We'll draw up a bath, put the handmaidens to work, ooh, and we'll need to get a masque as well."
"A mask?" Blair repeated, eyeing the princess with hesitation, "Like a facial?" The girl offered hopefully. After all of that rolling around in forests and caves and days off of her typical beauty regiment, Blair's skin was in desperate need of a little TLC. However, that wasn't what the princess quite had in mind.
"No, for the masquerade, of course!" Georgina exclaimed gleefully, shoving Blair into one of the many empty guest chambers of the castle.
"What do you think?" Georgina inquired, holding up two black gowns on silver hangers in front of the other girl. Blair eyed both garments with scrutiny.
"Do you have anything that isn't black?" Blair inquired nonchalantly, to which the princess merely laughed.
"Blair, black is very slimming. I'm sure the color will do you many favors." If it weren't for the fact that they needed the princess on their good side, Blair would have given the girl a good throw-down right there. Honestly, who did that vampy bitch think she was? Managing to stifle any violent responses, Blair forced herself to smile in return and reached out for the gown on the left, a sequined structured number ripe with black lace and black feathered gloves to match.
"This'll do." Blair managed to utter succinctly.
"Lovely. The washroom is just down the hall, to your right." Georgina instructed, discarding the other gown onto the growing pile of black fabric they had already rifled through. "I'll have the maids find you a mask by the time you're done."
"You're being an awfully obliging hostess." Blair commented lightly, turning to face the other girl as she approached the door.
"Well, it's been a long time since I've had another girl around to talk to." Georgina replied nonchalantly, "Really. I'm happy to have you here." With that Georgina left the room, shutting the door behind her and leaving Blair alone to her suspicions. Georgina was being nice, but it was almost too nice, and Blair new how to play that game better than anyone. However, for the time being she was prepared to put her distrust aside for a night off of saving the world. Blair had been long overdue for another party, and truth be told she was actually looking forward to tonight's ball. After removing her damp clothing, Blair wrapped a towel around herself before quietly exiting the room and making her way down the hall in the direction which Georgina had instructed.
When she entered the washroom Blair was greeted by the warmth of gathering steam which nearly invited her to disrobe before realizing that the hot bath was already occupied by none other than the prince himself, in all his royal glory.
"Oh my god!" Blair's eyes widened and she quickly turned away in horror. Chuck remained unabashed.
"Ah, I didn't realize my time was up." The prince drawled, "...I'll leave you to it,"
"No, really, it's fine." Blair insisted, willing her eyes to the ground as she heard him get up from the bath, "What kind of castle would this be if there aren't plenty of other washrooms. I'll leave."
"No, stay." Chuck drawled, and before Blair was able to turn the door knob, his hand abruptly came out from over her head, holding the door tightly shut. "Don't tell me you're... embarassed?"
Blair sighed, willing herself to turn around and face him just to prove that 'embarassed' was the farthest from what she was, "Of course not." Blair narrowed her eyes at the boy, thankful that he had seen to cover himself up with a towel around the waist, although that was doing nothing to stop the little droplets of water which clung to his hair from falling right onto her nose. Blair flinched in response.
"You put up a pretty convincing ice queen act, Waldorf. I didn't think you'd be the type to get flustered in the face of the rougher sex."
"Then it's a good thing I'm not." Blair immediately refuted, "Not that it's any of your business, but I'm very well versed with the rougher sex."
"Please, judging by the way you keep throwing yourself at Nathaniel I'd say you're an even bigger virgin than Humphrey."
"Excuse me?" Blair gasped, "First of all, there aren't varying degrees to being a virgin. You can't be more of a virgin than anyone else, either you are one or you aren't." Though Blair didn't bother to personally deny the accusation, "And secondly, I have no idea what you're talking about as far as Nate is concerned. We're just friends."
"And it's going to remain that way if you keep up with your obsolete methods of courtship. Which, by the way, aren't exactly subtle. At least to everyone but Nathaniel, he's a bit oblivious to most of the world around him."
"And I suppose you're an expert on courtship," Blair mocked, rolling her eyes. Though Chuck appeared dead serious in his assertions. How could he even begin to call her methods obsolete when he lived in a world that had yet to invent cell phones?
"As a matter of fact, yes." He replied, "Look, I'm not saying this out of support, only to spare the rest of the world from having to watch as you continue to make a fool out of yourself while you prancing around him. We live in a modern world, get with the times, Waldorf. If you want something, you have to assert yourself. Especially with Nathaniel. He wouldn't know affection unless you hit him over the head with it. Tell him how you feel." Blair paused to consider the other boy's words. It seemed so uncharacteristic of him to be dispensing such advice to her, however before she was able to feel truly grateful, he hit her with another blow. "He'll reject you and then we can all move on with our lives."
"Isn't that a little presumptuous, Bass?" Perhaps Blair wasn't a size zero with a screw loose like Georgina, but that hardly rendered her inadequate for a boy like Nate. There was something between them, and Blair didn't feel as though it were necessarily all one-sided. There were sparks, and maybe Nathaniel didn't realize it yet, but he must have felt them too.
"Not at all. I know my best friend." The prince replied nonchalantly.
"Well, I know me. I also know that you've underestimated me before. It would be a shame to watch you fall for the same mistake twice."
"If you're so confident, perhaps we should make this a little more interesting." Chuck suggested, eyes darkening as he held her gaze.
"What are you suggesting?" Blair inquired, folding her arms and watching the prince with feigned disinterest.
"A little wager. If Nathaniel's feelings are reciprocal..."
"Then you may refer to me as 'your highness' for the remainder of this little journey." Blair looked at the boy expectantly and he nodded in aquiescence. "And in the incredibly rare event that Nathaniel doesn't return my feelings..."
"You'll kiss me." There was an awkward silence which passed between the two, a silent challenge to see who would be the first to react to the unsuspecting and unusual request. Finally, Blair saw fit to express her displeasure.
"Pervert," Blair wrinkled her face at the thought, though quickly recovered. "You're on." The pair locked eyes as Chuck moved his hand away from the door, instead allowing it to drift to her face and gently wipe the little water drop off of her nose.
"By the way... this makes us even for the pond incident." With that he moved past her with grace, taking his leave of the washroom and leaving Blair to her own devices. The brunette merely grinned, making her way over to the hot bath. If she was going to prove Chuck wrong tonight, she would have to pull out all the stops.
It may have taken Blair longer than most to prepare for the ball, however it was a part of her intention to arrive fashionably late. That, and it didn't hurt to take the extra time to make sure that every lock and curl were perfectly in plane, make-up flawless, and dress perfectly form fitting. It was, after all, of utter importance that tonight her lips locked only with Nathaniel Archibald and not his ill-tempered best friend. The extra time taken for preparation had achieved its desired effect when she made her entrance by descending the staircase into the grand ballroom. Earlier that day the castle had seemed so dark, dusty and decrepit. However, under the moonlight it appeared to have transformed completely. The black and white marbled floors shone like glass, illuminating the reflections of the hundreds of masked dancers which waltzed and whirled a top it. The chandeliers which had once creaked with cobwebs now were now polished and pristine. They hung gloriously, with a trail of cascading crystals that hinted at the kingdom's lavishness. Georgina had truly pulled all the stops, and it didn't just stop at the ballroom's decor. Amidst a gaggle of masked suitors Blair was easily able to identify the pale princess despite the masquerade. Her elaborate gown of black taffeta and grey silk demanded attention, and if the dress didn't do the trick there was always that psychotic laugh to distinguish Georgina from her noble subjects.
"May I have this dance?" This masked man didn't bother to waste any time.
"I'll have to pass, Aaron." Blair returned with a forced grin, to which the artist grasped his heart, feigning emotion. "I'm a woman with a mission." Blair explained succinctly.
"How did you know it was me?" The boy pouted, linking an arm around hers and escorting her from the spiral staircase to the dance floor, despite her rejection.
"Please, this isn't a fairytale," Blair paused. Well, at least to him it wasn't. "It's not that hard to tell. Especially since you're the only man I know who hasn't been acquainted with a razor. Really, Aaron, is the rat-stache necessary?"
"I've been living the woods!" The artist rebuked, "Is it really that bad?"
"I don't think it'll be doing you any favors with the ladies." Blair admitted, "Speaking of which, there are a few really desperate looking ones by the piano." Aaron gave the girl a wink of gratitude before loosening his arm from hers, "Before you go," Blair lightly grabbed his hand, "Do you know what Nathaniel is wearing?"
"I think he's wearing a white mask... and he's probably the only one." Aaron replied, though Blair found herself momentarily distracted by a flash of whimsical blonde hair in the distance. The world around her appeared to moved in slow motion as the familiar head of hair twirled about on the dance floor, though the flaxen waves managed to hide the girl's face from view. "Earth to Blair? You okay?" Aaron prodded, as Blair quickly blinked away the vision. When she looked again, there was no blonde haired belle anywhere to be found.
"Yeah, fine." Blair reassured him, nodding quickly. "White mask, right?" The boy nodded and Blair thanked him quickly before retreating in search of her white knight. As she traipsed through the ballroom, weaving in between waltzing aristocrats, there were a few masked men who asked her for a dance, though she politely declined them in her pursuit. In a masqueraded multitude of tall, noble, and probably handsome men, it wasn't easy to find Nathaniel Archibald, but Blair was focused. However, Aaron Rose was probably right when he mentioned that Nate would be the only one wearing white - her less prolific suitors had all worn black, much like their manic monarch. After a few rounds around the perimeter of the dance floor, Blair's heart beat quickened when across the room she spotted a flash of white lurking in the shadows. Perhaps against her best judgement, Blair allowed herself to be hopeful - maybe Nate Archibald kept his distance from the dance floor because he had no interest in dancing with any of the Ivalician aristocracy. Maybe he was just waiting for the right person.
Blair inhaled, glancing down at the tiny object in her gloved hand. It's now or never, Blair. The girl reminded herself. Exhaling deeply, Blair's fingers enclosed around the tiny trinket and made a beeline through the dance floor to where the introspective knight now waited in the wings. As she approached he turned away to face the darkness and Blair instinctively froze, losing her focus and fearing the worst. After 17 years of being boyfriendless and the worst luck in love, was Blair really ready to put it all on the line? The more inspired part of her conscience would attempt to argue that Manhattan boys were just that, boys. Insipid and immature. Men in storybooks? This was the one place where Prince Charming might actually exist. However, the pessimist in her would have to conclude that in the end, men were men, and it didn't matter where you met them, because if it had inherited a Y chromosome then it had probably acquired an instinctive aversion to her. "Come on, Blair. Nate is not not like that." With that thought in mind, Blair swallowed her pride and made her way through the crowd.
"Nate," Blair marched up to the masked knight, using on hand to wave her mask from her face while the other found itself square on his chest as she pushed him further into the shadows in order to afford them both some privacy (there was no need for the world to watch as she humiliated herself). "Don't speak," Blair insisted, and when he opened his mouth to protest the girl pressed her lips up against his own, silencing him with a kiss. It wasn't intended to last very long, however between her adrenaline and the faintest trace of reciprocation on his part, Blair found it difficult to let go. Letting go meant facing reality, facing the possibility of rejection. "I wanted to let you know that I really... really..." Oh, where were the words? "Look. I've never felt this way about anybody before. Lately, I've been thinking of you as more than a friend, and I think that you won't admit it, but you also feel the same way," Blair whispered. Flickering her eyes to the ground, she took his hand in hers, placing the tiny object in her hand onto his and wrapping his fingers tightly around it, "I've been holding onto this for a long time, waiting to give to the right person. I want you to be that person." Blair exhaled, "Just... think about it. If you want to be with me, find me before midnight. I'll be waiting on the dance floor." Blair pushed herself away from him, giving the boy a meaningful glance before disappearing into the sea of dukes and debutantes.
The boy looked down at the object in his hand; a tiny pin in the shape of a full heart. He was fixated upon the object and its meaning until his thoughts were interrupted by the presence of another man looming over him. He looked up, only to be greeted by the face of a devil.
"Chuck," the devil removes his mask, revealing the face of an angel underneath. Nathaniel Archibald ruffled his hair, extending a hand to hold out the demonic red face to the boy in front of him. "I've been looking for you everywhere... Look, Georgina is more than well distracted," He laughed lightly, throwing a sideways glance at the princess and her entourage, "I don't think she's going after you tonight, so... can I have my mask back?"
TO BE CONTINUED...
Song
Avril 14th - Aphex Twin - Entering the castle; meeting the princess.
My Fair Lady - The Bird & The Bee - Chuck and Blair in the washroom.
Author: In Fair Verona
Genre: Romance + Adventure
Pairing: CBN
Rating: T
Summary: Blair Waldorf never believed in fairy-tales. However, weeks after her best friend left for boarding school, Blair finds herself enthralled by the pages of an old book, and is thrown in the midst of a strange new world, at the center of a war, and in between a prince and a knight.
PROLOGUE | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5
The five of them were drenched by the time they finally made it to the kingdom's castle. Having nothing to keep them dry aside from the clothes on their backs, they had woven their way through the rainy acropolis, across bridges, rivers, boats, and an epically large moat around the fortress' walls which may as well have been a lake. In their wake they left a trail of tiny water droplets on the polished black and white marbled floor, much to the dislike of the thin and hauntingly pale butler who had greeted them at the drawbridge.
"This way, please." He gave the travelers a disapproving glance before leading them past the foyer and into a poorly lit atrium, at the end of which were the two intimidatingly large thrones. Lush burgundy velvet upholstered onto black onyx that had been carved so elaborately and picturesque that one didn't even have to squint to behold the gargoyle figures which emerged from the engraving, perched a top the throne like an ever-watchful guardian. Blair found it as equally enchanting as it was just plain creepy. "Her highness will join you shortly." The butler announced before taking his leave.
"Her?" Blair inquired, looking at Nathaniel. "I take it we're not meeting a prince tonight." Admittedly, she was a little disappointed. Blair typically got along with royalty, particularly male royalty, at least back in her own world. However Blair wasn't nearly as fond of females with a sense of entitlement (aside from herself).
"You would be right." Nathaniel replied, "The princess is... something else."
"Yeah, something psychotic." The prince mumbled under his breath. Blair arched an eyebrow in his direction.
"Don't worry about him," Nathaniel chuckled, "He and the princess have a little history." Now her curiosity had peaked and in response to her alertness, Nathaniel added, "He isn't too proud of it, to say the least. The princess does have the tendency to be a little... unhinged." Before he was able to further explain, they were interrupted by the clicking of heels against the marbled floor as a thin and strikingly pale girl approached them with a wicked grin. Long brown hair fell in loose waves across her black and grey gown, which was hiked up in the front to reveal a pair of laced-up stiletto boots that Blair would have expected to see at fashion week rather than in an alternate universe.
"Well, well!" The young girl found herself in front of them, hands on her hips. "Look who we have here. I almost didn't recognize you, Charles. My, how you've grown." The girl reached out, extending a hand to stroke the boy's cheek in a way that made Blair increasingly uncomfortable.
"Georgina," Chuck breathed, "Always a pleasure."
Georgina lay sprawled across both seats at the throne, listening half-heartedly as Charles went on with his little tirade of treaties and alliances. It was all rather boring, and incredibly disappointing considering that Charles was usually so much more entertaining.
"What do you think?" The prince eyed her expectantly, while the rest of his merry men listened with interest. Georgina exhaled.
"I think... I'll have to think about it." Truth be told, the princess hadn't been paying much attention as there were more pressing matters to be dealt with at home. "Later."
"Is there something more important than preventing the downfall of your kingdom?" Chuck inquired irritably as the princess admired her manicure.
"Why yes," Georgina grinned, "I've got a ball to plan for tonight. The whole kingdom will be there, it's going to be quite a night. You must stay."
"Georgina," Chuck growled, "While we waste our time planning parties, Baizen is rallying his troops and enhancing his military technology. By the time you've decided whether you're with us or not, we may all be dead."
"Charles," The princess reprimanded him, "No need to be so morbid. A life worth fighting for is also a life worth living, am I right?" As she descended from her throne, the girl gave his cheek a little pat, "Live a little. That goes for all of you. You will stay the night, I'll have quarters prepared..."
"Georgina-"
"I insist." Georgina interrupted, "Honestly, Charles, you know how lonely I've been ever since mother and father decided to jet around the world for a year, experiencing it all before it goes to hell and what not." The girl looped both arms around his neck, "I've missed you. I've missed people. Let me have my fun and we can discuss diplomacy in the morning."
"That's not going to happen," Blair whispered to Nathaniel as they watched the exchange between the two monarchs in the making. Blair knew girls like Georgina because Blair wasn't too different herself, "she's just playing him. Georgina has no intention of picking a side. I'm surprised Chuck's buying it."
"Really?" Nate frowned, "The princess has always had a soft spot for him. I think he'll be able to persuade her, though his tactics may end up being more tactile."
"Ew." Blair flinched, and perhaps a little loudly as she had now earned herself the princess' attention. Georgina glanced at the girl with interest, taking in her damp hair and dirty socks.
"Charles, was the travel so long and lonely you needed to bring an escort with you? My, my, you really are insatiable." At this, Blair's mouth dropped open a little. Did that tasteless Marie Antoinette knock-off with the great shoes really just insinuate that Blair was one of those harem girls? Not just any harem girl, but one of Chuck's?
"No," Chuck groaned, "Georgina, she's not- she's not a..." At times the princess proved herself to truly be an idiot. Perhaps it was something in the water, which would also explain Aaron's own brain cell deficiency. "She's the girl."
"The girl?" The princess repeated, "I don't know what you're talking about."
"The girl." Chuck repeated. "From the prophecy." At her dawning realization, the princess fell silent, giving Blair another once over.
"I didn't realize we had already come to that." Georgina finally breathed, before cracking into another chesire grin, "all the more reason we must celebrate!" The princess bounded down the steps, grasping Blair's hand much to the other girl's alarm. "You may be able to squeeze into one of my gowns, I've got the perfect one in mind. Really, we've got to get you out of those rags," The princess looped arms with a speechless Blair dragging her away from the rest of her party. "What have those poor boys put you through? Really, that's no way to treat a lady," Georgina rambled as she pulled Blair down the hall, "We'll draw up a bath, put the handmaidens to work, ooh, and we'll need to get a masque as well."
"A mask?" Blair repeated, eyeing the princess with hesitation, "Like a facial?" The girl offered hopefully. After all of that rolling around in forests and caves and days off of her typical beauty regiment, Blair's skin was in desperate need of a little TLC. However, that wasn't what the princess quite had in mind.
"No, for the masquerade, of course!" Georgina exclaimed gleefully, shoving Blair into one of the many empty guest chambers of the castle.
"What do you think?" Georgina inquired, holding up two black gowns on silver hangers in front of the other girl. Blair eyed both garments with scrutiny.
"Do you have anything that isn't black?" Blair inquired nonchalantly, to which the princess merely laughed.
"Blair, black is very slimming. I'm sure the color will do you many favors." If it weren't for the fact that they needed the princess on their good side, Blair would have given the girl a good throw-down right there. Honestly, who did that vampy bitch think she was? Managing to stifle any violent responses, Blair forced herself to smile in return and reached out for the gown on the left, a sequined structured number ripe with black lace and black feathered gloves to match.
"This'll do." Blair managed to utter succinctly.
"Lovely. The washroom is just down the hall, to your right." Georgina instructed, discarding the other gown onto the growing pile of black fabric they had already rifled through. "I'll have the maids find you a mask by the time you're done."
"You're being an awfully obliging hostess." Blair commented lightly, turning to face the other girl as she approached the door.
"Well, it's been a long time since I've had another girl around to talk to." Georgina replied nonchalantly, "Really. I'm happy to have you here." With that Georgina left the room, shutting the door behind her and leaving Blair alone to her suspicions. Georgina was being nice, but it was almost too nice, and Blair new how to play that game better than anyone. However, for the time being she was prepared to put her distrust aside for a night off of saving the world. Blair had been long overdue for another party, and truth be told she was actually looking forward to tonight's ball. After removing her damp clothing, Blair wrapped a towel around herself before quietly exiting the room and making her way down the hall in the direction which Georgina had instructed.
When she entered the washroom Blair was greeted by the warmth of gathering steam which nearly invited her to disrobe before realizing that the hot bath was already occupied by none other than the prince himself, in all his royal glory.
"Oh my god!" Blair's eyes widened and she quickly turned away in horror. Chuck remained unabashed.
"Ah, I didn't realize my time was up." The prince drawled, "...I'll leave you to it,"
"No, really, it's fine." Blair insisted, willing her eyes to the ground as she heard him get up from the bath, "What kind of castle would this be if there aren't plenty of other washrooms. I'll leave."
"No, stay." Chuck drawled, and before Blair was able to turn the door knob, his hand abruptly came out from over her head, holding the door tightly shut. "Don't tell me you're... embarassed?"
Blair sighed, willing herself to turn around and face him just to prove that 'embarassed' was the farthest from what she was, "Of course not." Blair narrowed her eyes at the boy, thankful that he had seen to cover himself up with a towel around the waist, although that was doing nothing to stop the little droplets of water which clung to his hair from falling right onto her nose. Blair flinched in response.
"You put up a pretty convincing ice queen act, Waldorf. I didn't think you'd be the type to get flustered in the face of the rougher sex."
"Then it's a good thing I'm not." Blair immediately refuted, "Not that it's any of your business, but I'm very well versed with the rougher sex."
"Please, judging by the way you keep throwing yourself at Nathaniel I'd say you're an even bigger virgin than Humphrey."
"Excuse me?" Blair gasped, "First of all, there aren't varying degrees to being a virgin. You can't be more of a virgin than anyone else, either you are one or you aren't." Though Blair didn't bother to personally deny the accusation, "And secondly, I have no idea what you're talking about as far as Nate is concerned. We're just friends."
"And it's going to remain that way if you keep up with your obsolete methods of courtship. Which, by the way, aren't exactly subtle. At least to everyone but Nathaniel, he's a bit oblivious to most of the world around him."
"And I suppose you're an expert on courtship," Blair mocked, rolling her eyes. Though Chuck appeared dead serious in his assertions. How could he even begin to call her methods obsolete when he lived in a world that had yet to invent cell phones?
"As a matter of fact, yes." He replied, "Look, I'm not saying this out of support, only to spare the rest of the world from having to watch as you continue to make a fool out of yourself while you prancing around him. We live in a modern world, get with the times, Waldorf. If you want something, you have to assert yourself. Especially with Nathaniel. He wouldn't know affection unless you hit him over the head with it. Tell him how you feel." Blair paused to consider the other boy's words. It seemed so uncharacteristic of him to be dispensing such advice to her, however before she was able to feel truly grateful, he hit her with another blow. "He'll reject you and then we can all move on with our lives."
"Isn't that a little presumptuous, Bass?" Perhaps Blair wasn't a size zero with a screw loose like Georgina, but that hardly rendered her inadequate for a boy like Nate. There was something between them, and Blair didn't feel as though it were necessarily all one-sided. There were sparks, and maybe Nathaniel didn't realize it yet, but he must have felt them too.
"Not at all. I know my best friend." The prince replied nonchalantly.
"Well, I know me. I also know that you've underestimated me before. It would be a shame to watch you fall for the same mistake twice."
"If you're so confident, perhaps we should make this a little more interesting." Chuck suggested, eyes darkening as he held her gaze.
"What are you suggesting?" Blair inquired, folding her arms and watching the prince with feigned disinterest.
"A little wager. If Nathaniel's feelings are reciprocal..."
"Then you may refer to me as 'your highness' for the remainder of this little journey." Blair looked at the boy expectantly and he nodded in aquiescence. "And in the incredibly rare event that Nathaniel doesn't return my feelings..."
"You'll kiss me." There was an awkward silence which passed between the two, a silent challenge to see who would be the first to react to the unsuspecting and unusual request. Finally, Blair saw fit to express her displeasure.
"Pervert," Blair wrinkled her face at the thought, though quickly recovered. "You're on." The pair locked eyes as Chuck moved his hand away from the door, instead allowing it to drift to her face and gently wipe the little water drop off of her nose.
"By the way... this makes us even for the pond incident." With that he moved past her with grace, taking his leave of the washroom and leaving Blair to her own devices. The brunette merely grinned, making her way over to the hot bath. If she was going to prove Chuck wrong tonight, she would have to pull out all the stops.
It may have taken Blair longer than most to prepare for the ball, however it was a part of her intention to arrive fashionably late. That, and it didn't hurt to take the extra time to make sure that every lock and curl were perfectly in plane, make-up flawless, and dress perfectly form fitting. It was, after all, of utter importance that tonight her lips locked only with Nathaniel Archibald and not his ill-tempered best friend. The extra time taken for preparation had achieved its desired effect when she made her entrance by descending the staircase into the grand ballroom. Earlier that day the castle had seemed so dark, dusty and decrepit. However, under the moonlight it appeared to have transformed completely. The black and white marbled floors shone like glass, illuminating the reflections of the hundreds of masked dancers which waltzed and whirled a top it. The chandeliers which had once creaked with cobwebs now were now polished and pristine. They hung gloriously, with a trail of cascading crystals that hinted at the kingdom's lavishness. Georgina had truly pulled all the stops, and it didn't just stop at the ballroom's decor. Amidst a gaggle of masked suitors Blair was easily able to identify the pale princess despite the masquerade. Her elaborate gown of black taffeta and grey silk demanded attention, and if the dress didn't do the trick there was always that psychotic laugh to distinguish Georgina from her noble subjects.
"May I have this dance?" This masked man didn't bother to waste any time.
"I'll have to pass, Aaron." Blair returned with a forced grin, to which the artist grasped his heart, feigning emotion. "I'm a woman with a mission." Blair explained succinctly.
"How did you know it was me?" The boy pouted, linking an arm around hers and escorting her from the spiral staircase to the dance floor, despite her rejection.
"Please, this isn't a fairytale," Blair paused. Well, at least to him it wasn't. "It's not that hard to tell. Especially since you're the only man I know who hasn't been acquainted with a razor. Really, Aaron, is the rat-stache necessary?"
"I've been living the woods!" The artist rebuked, "Is it really that bad?"
"I don't think it'll be doing you any favors with the ladies." Blair admitted, "Speaking of which, there are a few really desperate looking ones by the piano." Aaron gave the girl a wink of gratitude before loosening his arm from hers, "Before you go," Blair lightly grabbed his hand, "Do you know what Nathaniel is wearing?"
"I think he's wearing a white mask... and he's probably the only one." Aaron replied, though Blair found herself momentarily distracted by a flash of whimsical blonde hair in the distance. The world around her appeared to moved in slow motion as the familiar head of hair twirled about on the dance floor, though the flaxen waves managed to hide the girl's face from view. "Earth to Blair? You okay?" Aaron prodded, as Blair quickly blinked away the vision. When she looked again, there was no blonde haired belle anywhere to be found.
"Yeah, fine." Blair reassured him, nodding quickly. "White mask, right?" The boy nodded and Blair thanked him quickly before retreating in search of her white knight. As she traipsed through the ballroom, weaving in between waltzing aristocrats, there were a few masked men who asked her for a dance, though she politely declined them in her pursuit. In a masqueraded multitude of tall, noble, and probably handsome men, it wasn't easy to find Nathaniel Archibald, but Blair was focused. However, Aaron Rose was probably right when he mentioned that Nate would be the only one wearing white - her less prolific suitors had all worn black, much like their manic monarch. After a few rounds around the perimeter of the dance floor, Blair's heart beat quickened when across the room she spotted a flash of white lurking in the shadows. Perhaps against her best judgement, Blair allowed herself to be hopeful - maybe Nate Archibald kept his distance from the dance floor because he had no interest in dancing with any of the Ivalician aristocracy. Maybe he was just waiting for the right person.
Blair inhaled, glancing down at the tiny object in her gloved hand. It's now or never, Blair. The girl reminded herself. Exhaling deeply, Blair's fingers enclosed around the tiny trinket and made a beeline through the dance floor to where the introspective knight now waited in the wings. As she approached he turned away to face the darkness and Blair instinctively froze, losing her focus and fearing the worst. After 17 years of being boyfriendless and the worst luck in love, was Blair really ready to put it all on the line? The more inspired part of her conscience would attempt to argue that Manhattan boys were just that, boys. Insipid and immature. Men in storybooks? This was the one place where Prince Charming might actually exist. However, the pessimist in her would have to conclude that in the end, men were men, and it didn't matter where you met them, because if it had inherited a Y chromosome then it had probably acquired an instinctive aversion to her. "Come on, Blair. Nate is not not like that." With that thought in mind, Blair swallowed her pride and made her way through the crowd.
"Nate," Blair marched up to the masked knight, using on hand to wave her mask from her face while the other found itself square on his chest as she pushed him further into the shadows in order to afford them both some privacy (there was no need for the world to watch as she humiliated herself). "Don't speak," Blair insisted, and when he opened his mouth to protest the girl pressed her lips up against his own, silencing him with a kiss. It wasn't intended to last very long, however between her adrenaline and the faintest trace of reciprocation on his part, Blair found it difficult to let go. Letting go meant facing reality, facing the possibility of rejection. "I wanted to let you know that I really... really..." Oh, where were the words? "Look. I've never felt this way about anybody before. Lately, I've been thinking of you as more than a friend, and I think that you won't admit it, but you also feel the same way," Blair whispered. Flickering her eyes to the ground, she took his hand in hers, placing the tiny object in her hand onto his and wrapping his fingers tightly around it, "I've been holding onto this for a long time, waiting to give to the right person. I want you to be that person." Blair exhaled, "Just... think about it. If you want to be with me, find me before midnight. I'll be waiting on the dance floor." Blair pushed herself away from him, giving the boy a meaningful glance before disappearing into the sea of dukes and debutantes.
The boy looked down at the object in his hand; a tiny pin in the shape of a full heart. He was fixated upon the object and its meaning until his thoughts were interrupted by the presence of another man looming over him. He looked up, only to be greeted by the face of a devil.
"Chuck," the devil removes his mask, revealing the face of an angel underneath. Nathaniel Archibald ruffled his hair, extending a hand to hold out the demonic red face to the boy in front of him. "I've been looking for you everywhere... Look, Georgina is more than well distracted," He laughed lightly, throwing a sideways glance at the princess and her entourage, "I don't think she's going after you tonight, so... can I have my mask back?"
TO BE CONTINUED...
Song
Avril 14th - Aphex Twin - Entering the castle; meeting the princess.
My Fair Lady - The Bird & The Bee - Chuck and Blair in the washroom.