"Chammielle! Chammielle!"

The early afternoon sun was so lovely, the breeze light and refreshing, and the birdsong had been so musical it was inspiring her to write a sonata about afternoons in the rose garden. Was. Now such visions were interrupted by the thundering steps of three seventeen year old girls hurrying towards her with their skirts gathered.

"Slow down, if mother saw you three now she'd scold you that a lady never runs."

The three blondes with their clear purple blue eyes pouted at her and the flush in their faces gave them a creamy pink blush. It really wasn't fair that they were so pretty. Like elegant dolls from Franca.

"Nevermind that! His highness, Prince William IV, he's coming for tea this afternoon!"

She closed her notebook at that and slid her favorite quill into her hair behind her ear.

"Oh, I'll make myself scarce then..."

Three pairs of gloved hands gripped her arm then and she felt herself being forcefully escorted back to the house.

"Nonsense! It's the Prince!" Ianthe chimed in with her bell like voice, her violet eyes shimmering.

"His herald came by just now and announced that every eligible lady of the House of Kuchen must attend his visit!" Exclaimed Aster, her beauty mark at the corner of her left eye setting her apart from her sisters.

"Right, but I am by all accounts a bastard no matter what the three of you think. I can't possibly be dragged into this."

"Don't be silly. You were named along with us. Our father didn't exclude you in his annual reports all these years, you silly woman!" Chryssia patted her arm, still pulling.

She would meet the prince. Looking as she did?

Chammielle glanced down at the arm her sisters were holding and glared at the ugly brown spots smattered all over every inch of skin that had ever even heard of the sun. Why had her mother been a baker's daughter with ginger in her genetic recipe? What had her father seen in the woman she didn't even remember?

Ianthe caught her eye and she smoothed her face. Her half sisters meant well, but their perfection grated against her badly freckled skin. She slipped her arm from their dainty fingers.

"I am coming with you quite placidly. There's no need to make a show of force, ladies."

The four of them marched into the old stone mansion together, skirts upheld gracefully so as not to trip on the stairs. The early spring day would have to wait for Chammielle to return with book and quill. And then again for the sounds of her fingers on the piano keys wafting out the window to mingle with the buzz of the garden.

"There you are. The Prince is on his way as we speak and will be here within two hours, my dears. We must have you looking your best and--what is in your hair?"

Chammielle slipped her hand into her mass of wild red brown curls and retrieved the quill. A demure smile begging forgiveness for her faux pas.

"My apologies. I was writing when I received word."

The tall woman with the ample bosom and long neck couldn't help but look down on her. At almost twenty, Chammielle was taller than her sisters, but they would surpass her in the next few years. She was lean but not curvatious or conventionally beautiful. And her breasts it seemed would never reach such... magnitude. Of any kind.

"It's alright, just don't let the Prince see it. I've already picked out your dress, Chammielle, and Daisy will be helping you change. There's no time for a bath I'm afraid, but she'll do something with that hair of yours."

Her hand fluttered in the direction of her room and Chammielle curtsied and followed Daisy behind the blue door. It was clear she would oversee her daughters' transformations, and not necessarily her own. But it was better this way. She could make her own choices about accessories this way.

"Oh my Lady! The dress Lady Kuchen chose for you is superb! The finest gossamer and tulling, and the embroidery! Oh, you will look so elegant."

She appreciated Daisy's enthusiasm, it almost made her feel better about her appearance. Not that she would tell her she was wrong, because word would get back to her father. And if that happened he would worry about her incessantly and try to ply her with copious amounts of chocolate. She had no such cravings at the moment, and she did not desire another facial outbreak.

She sat on the small dais and was powdered with scented talcum. She'd bathed the day before, but she needed to be thoroughly sweet smelling for any such company. It was unladylike to not take such pride in one's hygiene, or so she'd been told. As it set her hair was then brushed as best as it could. Tight curls in natural ringlets were such a pain to deal with, but Daisy had the patience of a saint. She powdered them as well with a fine corn starch and pulled the tresses back into some sort of braid that began at the top of her head and then spiraled into a thick bun at the nape of her neck. A maid came in with fresh flowers and they were arranged artfully into her hair along with several pearls from His Lordship's own collection.

"My lady, your family does dote on you so! See how the pearls shine pink? I can just see a blush on your cheeks, oh so charming!"

She smiled, knowing it was a lie. The deep brown smattering was only faint at the moment due to the talc powder on her skin. Still, they covered any hint of pink that could have otherwise been noted in her cheeks. Worse still, her nose was so covered in freckles the shape of it was almost indiscernable except by the line of her profile. She'd covered it with cream and flour once as a beauty treatment. Its shape was actually quite adorable and button like.

Getting ready was a time and a half usually, but today was extra special. Chammielle had never seen the royal family but once as a child. A parade had been held in their little corner of the kingdom. A large gilded carriage had driven through and a beautiful blonde woman with a sash of velvet and silk had waved with a smile like the sun itself. The king had graying hair then, coiffed handsomely under his weighty crown. Their children sat in their laps like they were any ordinary family taking a drive in the country. It was their five year anniversary, and also the 100th anniversary of peace for their nation. No wars in such a long time. A feat worth celebrating.

"Daisy, what is the gossip about the Prince these days?"

Her green eyes lit up in mischief even as her lips pulled into a horrified O shape.

"My lady! Gossip is so unbecoming of the gentile folk!"

She shook her head at the pair of pink earrings in Daisy's hands. No one seemed to remember she didn't have pierced ears.

"Nevertheless, it is well worth it to be informed. I'd hate for his highness to be bored at our little tea party."

Her statement seemed to win against the little maid's better judgement and she dove for it.

"Alright...lately..."

...

News of the prince's coach reached Lady Delphi Kuchen well before the sound of its wheels could be heard in the front courtyard. The triplets were all stunning, wearing pastel dresses in primary colors. Aster of course had yellow, to highlight her bright personality. Ianthe and Chryssia were in pink and blue, respectively, but all had purple silk flowers to match their eyes. They looked stunning. Perhaps the most beautiful girls in the country apart from the princesses themselves.

"Ianthe, remember to smile but don't show your teeth too much. Aster, do your best and escort the Prince to his seat at the head of the table in the garden, but don't be so presumptuous as to take him by the arm or hand. Gesture only, and let him choose. Chryssia, chew with your mouth closed and don't take seconds. Ladies are far prettier when they seem like they have no appetite."

Her deep indigo eyes zeroed in on Chammielle then.

She smiled graciously, her deep pink lips painted so they were the same tone as the pearls in her hair and the dianthus blossoms embroidered on her bodice and the top of her skirt. She'd chosen a lace shawl to go with the off the shoulder neckline to hide her freckles. Her gloves covered most of her arms adequately.

"Chammielle, whatever you do, do not bore his highness with talk of the state of the economy. I beg of you, smile, laugh, and keep that active mind quiet. He's here for a distraction, not a reminder of all the work he has waiting for him."

"Of course, your ladyship."

And with a nod, the piercing gaze was off of her.

Her stepmother did know her too well. Her earlier inquiry about the Prince was genuine, but not so that she could keep him entertained. Oh no, she fully intended to allow her sisters to pique his interests the best ways they knew how. Her role in all of this was simply to frame them well. She knew that. She may be a nobleman's daughter, but her sordid origins certainly disqualified her from what this tea time actually represented. What it could afford one of her beautiful and charming half sisters.

No, she simply wanted their happiness. She'd settle for whoever the Queen...the Dowager Queen that is, chose for her in a match with some other low ranking noble. Her only request was that he'd allow her access to a library, a kitchen, and a piano.

The sound of wheels approaching began to echo and she saw her stepmother straighten.

"My dear girls, I've done my best for all of you. Now it is your turn."

The carriage had curtains drawn, and as it rolled to a stop, the grey geldings pranced in place at the pull of the reins. The women stood before the stone steps of their home with baited breath clinging to their bound ribcages. As the footman placed the stool and opened the door, he announced with booming voice.

"His Royal Highness, William Lauren Alderswitch Pink the fourth! Crown Prince of Garten!"