grace of monaco

“its only school, besides… doesn’t look like we have long to go until summer, and then we’re out of here. i’m sure you can hold on a bit longer, grace.” fleur replied, standing directly next to the other and peering out at the institute’s main building. with a sigh, she turned to her friend. “imagine if we were left on the streets to learn our way through life. we’d probably be dead.” she said, before linking her arm through grace’s, and pulling her along inside. “we’ll be fine!”

“Summer can’t get here soon enough, although I’ve just been on vacation so I doubt my parents will let me go on another one. Most I’ll be doing is shadowing my father I bet.” Grace sighed, turning towards Fleur. “You might be dead, I’ll have seduced a rich business man.” 

He could feel himself being quite right about the speculations that his name was known for the woman next to her, she simply decided not to call him that in hopes to annoy her arranged spouse-to-be. However, she wasn’t hitting upside the head and yelling at him to get out of her sight, so Armand was going to use it to his advantage and keep Grace company on such a dreadful day as far as the ‘first days at school’ go. “It will be a diploma nonetheless,” he shrugged lightly and reached his hand to brush his hair behind his ear. “After all, you’re the eldest daughter, aren’t you? Destined to sit on a throne and all that,” he gestured nonchalantly, looking away from Grace and into the distant silhouettes of a hedge on the institute grounds when he was asked about his education. “This… I wish I wasn’t here, I wish I wasn’t learning the things the institute has me learning; not when my mind is elsewhere, but what else can you do?”

“Yes, eventually the throne of Monaco will be mine... and yours, sort of.” she shrugged. Her eyes narrowed and she bore a visible frown at the other’s words ... a frown, and a hint of curiosity. Of course, the princess was well aware that most royals had other priorities than to be here learning the same stuff they’d been learning all their lives. Although she was intrigued by Armand. Perhaps it was because they were to be wed, or because she thought she had the Duke all figured out as well. Evidently not, as she had no idea what he’d been referring to. “Where is your mind, Armand?” she began, with a teasing smile. “Let me have some sort of insight into your head... what are you thinking about? Grace continued, her tone more playful than her expression. Tilting her head and letting her hair fall to one side, she tried to appear seductive by tugging on her lower lip with her teeth. “Me? Preferably horizontally.”

“don’t be so dramatic, gracey.” dimitri frowned, walking and greeting the other from her side. his frown soon diminished and was replaced with an amused smile at his roommate.”is being here really that bad? you get me for company, and no parents telling us what to do.”

“You want to talk about being dramatic, how’s that tall, dark and mysterious vibe working out for you?” Grace replied, with a laugh. Although his next sentence earned him a quirked brow. “Yes, because having you next door to me is definitely a perk. We don’t have parents, but we have teachers that are probably jealous of the fact that we’re royals who get the luxurious lifestyle we do.”

FORTUNA TASK 01: DESIGN YOUR ROOM

Armand knew that his presence wasn’t welcomed, Grace has made it clear time and time again; however, there wasn’t much to say against an arrangement like that and as much as the Duke was against it all himself, he was willing to make compromises and at the very least try to get along with the woman that was promised to him… as hard as it would have been. The fact that Grace wasn’t willing to do any of that (or at least that’s what it seemed like for the monarch) didn’t make it any easier. “It’s Armand,” he corrected Grace, even though somewhere at the back of his mind the man was sure that she was only toying him around and trying to get on his nerves. Unluckily for her, Armand’s nerves were able to handle so much more. “Whether it’s Fortuna or some other place, a higher education is important,” he reflected Grace’s words almost matter-of-factly, “only this place also offers the unwanted matchmaking services that nobody really asked for.”

“Right...” Was his name important to her? Not particularly, neither was his presence. Although Grace didn’t mind having some company, and especially the kind of company that would agree with her views and opinions on this silly cupid’s arrow of a school. If it had to be Armand standing next to her ... because clearly he wasn’t going anywhere, then so be it. “A higher education? I suppose ... if you listen. I haven’t exactly been paying attention, so I doubt I’ll receive anything other than a certificate or diploma telling me how much I’ve wasted my time.” she trailed off, exhaling a sigh whenever she could to emphasis her reluctance to be at Fortuna. “Bet you’re being a good little boy, and getting top grades. Right?”

Alexander’s gaze moved over the blonde’s clothing, an amused grin tugging at the corners of his lips as she was wearing all black – certainly a nice contrast to the choices of colors the other students tended to wear. “It could be worse,” he noted with a nod of his head. “You could be stuck doing public appearances for your family under the scrutiny of the entire world and especially your country, at least you’ve actually got some freedom here.”

“I guess you’re right, but at what cost?” Grace replied, simply. She’d attended the institute since she was younger, and now into her early twenties she’d argue that there wasn’t much else left for her to be taught. Although her measure of intelligence perhaps wouldn’t win her case. “We’re going to be doing that, regardless of whether we attend here or not. You think once we become educated monarchs, the spotlight off us will be gone? If anything it will be worse, because now they expect us to be smart.”

Coming back to the institute wasn’t something Armand was looking forward either. After all, he wanted nothing more than to be back Paris, continue the seminary training and finally find himself being ordained and doing something he has felt a calling for since a young age. Family is family, however, and not wanting to bring his mother down more than anything else, he found himself on the campus grounds. He noticed a familiar figure not too far and he couldn’t help a smile that came upon his face as Grace explained her choice of attire for today. “Well, that makes two of us, but here we all are,” a thick French accent could be heard, as much as he tried to avoid it. “I have to tell you, Grace, the look suits you.”

At the sound of Armand’s accent, Grace was hit with the burdening remainder that this was the man she was destined to wed. With that thought fixed firmly in her head, she couldn’t hold back a look of disdain towards her companion. It wasn’t that she particularly despised him — she despised the whole system that forced them to get married. But if she were to entertain the idea, it certainly wouldn’t be with him ... he was too sweet, too gentle for her. “Thanks, Arnold.” she said, purposely forgetting her suitor’s name. She’d read somewhere that it would do one of two possible things, either make him work harder for her affection or leave her alone. She was hoping for the latter. “We shouldn’t have to be at this place. We’re royals, not school kids.”