Yours truly, Anto

Chapter 1- Slow hand movements

"Victoria dear!" 

Yelled Mrs. Weatherington from the front of the shop.

 I peeked my head out. 

"Shh! You know what my name is here." I whispered.

 She made a shocked look and chuckled. 

"Yes of course, Alison dear!" She yelled. 

I straightened my skirt and walked to the front of the shop. 

Mrs. Weatherington was standing next to a tall boney woman who was looking through the fabrics and clicking her tongue at majority of them. She then looked at me. I froze and tucked the fly hair behind my ear. "You look oddly familiar." She said.

 I laughed. "I doubt so." I responded.  

She frowned and studied me before breaking the silence. "You have impeccable beauty I must say." She said. I thanked her. Mrs. Weatherington grabbed two rolls of blue fabric and handed it to me gently. 

"The Williams will be here soon to pick up their eldest daughters gowns. Could you please sew the hems?" She said. I smiled at her. "Of course." 

I went to the back and sat on the stool by the corner. I positioned myself and started sewing while humming a tune from last nights ball. It was early in the morning as I looked outside the round window onto the town below. 

Residents were opening their windows to allow fresh summer air to come in and the sound of children playing echoed the walls. I have a beautiful kingdom I thought to myself, I wonder if Scotland would be as beautiful. 

Mrs. Weatherington came in huffing. 

"She fancies a dress made by a Swiss, so I told her to be on her way. They use slow hand movements." She mocked rolling up her sleeves. I turned to face her. 

She was a short old woman, but how I loved her dear. She had grey hair always tied away from her face and kind green eyes. 

"Your dresses are beautiful." I said. She put her hands on her hips. "It is because of you dear." She sighed. "Ever since you made your presence on these fabrics, people have been coming in to get a glimpse at what they think are my dresses when they are indeed yours." I stood up and grabbed her hands. "You have talent, don't give me all the credibility." 

She looked at me with sorrow eyes. "What will I do without your presence my child." She said stroking my cheek. "What a retched man you have come across." She said. 

"It is how my destiny was foretold." I said. She chuckled. "I say this is not your destiny." She said taking a seat. "My dear, your heart is too pure for that man." She said. "If I do not marry him he will kill half of Prussia." I said. "There has to be another way." She pouted. 

"There is no other way." I said. She patted the seat next to her. I sat. "I want you to feel a love me and Simone felt." She said. "I want you to feel your heart skip words and your stomach flutter. That is the type of love you deserve my dearest." 

I smiled at her. "Unfortunately, not for a princess such as myself." 

Before she could get another word out the town bell rang. It was time for me to head back to the castle. Mrs. Weatherington stood up and handed me my cloak. "I shall see you tomorrow my diamond." She said. I put on the cloak and hung the hood low. 

She stood by the table in aw. "Great heavens they are beautiful." She said. She was talking about my dresses. A sea of whites, blues, greens, pinks. "Any lady will be lucky to wear them." I said. Before I left she kissed my cheek. 

Downstairs Wilson was waiting for me in a private carriage. 

"I can not believe you make me do this everyday." He said huffing. I giggled and climbed in the carriage handing him a pound before closing the door. "If your father were to ever find out-" "He would put both our heads on pikes yes Wilson you make that clear every morning." 

He rolled his eyes and the carriage started moving. Inside the castle gates I went in towards the back corridor where Mina was waiting. 

"And not a moment too soon!" She ushered and I was dragged inside. In her servant room she changed me from what she calls "rags" to an elegant gown. "Yellow looks fabulous on you." She said lacing up my dress. She sat me down and brushed my hair out of its bun. "You have such beautiful brown hair Victoria." She said. "Did you want some?" I laughed. 

She knelt down to me and held her blonde hair close to mine. "I don't believe it would match." She said laughing.

She tied half my hair up and left the rest down and sent me on my way upstairs. As soon as I left the corridors Wilson was there escorting me to the drawing room. 

In there was my mother, father, and siblings. "Good morning." I said bowing my head. 

I sat down next to my eldest sister and started sewing. "Victoria, King Hamish is on his way with his proposal." My mother said looking up at me. I did not look at her. "We have started preparations for the ball." Said my brother. "Everything must be perfect. It is not everyday you marry a King." He said walking out. More than anything I did not want to marry him, but if I even muttered the words my family would lose their minds. 

I am their only chance at peace. King Hamish was known as the "Killer King." He killed anything that did not resemble his beliefs or even if they looked a certain way. People in the town talked on how it was to be sure he would end up killing me too. The thought of marrying him and living in his castle alone with him scared me more than the thought of death. 

However, fate is fate.