#Peter Zavadovsky

[jamesnorthcotefanblog]

Catherine the Great (2019)

[lagarta-isabo]

Thomas Doherty  and Dove Cameron

[sunnyie-eve]

Deserve Love || Childhood Friends

Paring: Prince Paul (Catherine the Great 2019) x Original female character

Word Count: 2896

Summary: Prince Paul is finally of maturity age and needs a wife

Warnings: arrange marriages, hidden feelings, jealousy

Next: Oblivious

"Your Majesty." I bow as she walks by me. "Lilia, shouldn't you be waiting with Paul?" She gives me a look with a smile. "Yes, your Majesty." I nod my head leaving to go find Paul. "Where were you?" Paul says as I join him. "Walking around." I say looking straight ahead waiting for his mother to come out. When she comes out to talk we listen to her speech. "That didn't go down well." I hear Paul tells Minister Panin. I huff while trying to ignore their conversation.

"You know what I find amusing?" Paul says as we walk around the fountain back at the palace. "What do you find amusing Prince Paul?" I ask looking back at him as I walk ahead of him. "My mother can't stand German's, yet she's German, and thus she adores you, who is half German." He says as we stop walking. "I'm sure it's because I'm half Russian as well and that's enough for her. My mother didn't want to be married to my father, nor did she like being a princess, so she ran off with me to here when I was five. She was friends with your mother before passing so that gives me another advantage." I explain to him.

"Wait, so you're a princess? You've known this how long?" He narrows his eyes at me. "My whole life. When I turned 16 my father found me. He's glad I'm living well here but at times wants me to visit home. So that's where I go off to at times." I give him a smile. "Does my mother know?" He asks. "Not to my knowledge. I haven't told her." I continue to walk again. "Why not? It would make that joke of us growing up and getting married at the right age even funnier." He laughs walking beside me. "As you said, joke... Paul." I laugh. "I don't think my mother finds it as a joke." He scoffs as we stop again making me sigh. "Don't worry, I know you would never marry me Paul." I walk off of from him. "I didn't mean it in a cruel way, Lilia. It's just we're childhood friends." He chases after me. "I know. That's why I said don't worry. Now excuse me, it's my reading time." I give him a smile walking off. "Lady Lilia, a letter." Peter hands me so I take it.

"Dear Lilia, to keep a promise your mother once made. You are to marry my sweet boy, Andrei Razumovsky sometime after you become 19." I rip the letter up since I actually couldn't stand him but of course my mother had to go make a handwritten promise.

~

"Oh, there's an official explanation? You probably drafted it. Hemorrhoidal colic, wasn't that it? Terminal piles. My God, I hate her." I hear Paul as I walk near his room. "Excuse me, but you might want to speak with closed doors or anyone can hear your conversation." I speak up standing in the door way making the two look at me. "Lilia..." Paul eyes me. "I thought I'd let you know. Might I add, that isn't near suitable for your coming of age ceremony." I motion to his coat before continuing my way. As I make my way down the stairs Catherine was coming up so I stop aside bowing to her. "Your Majesty." She stops in front of me. "Don't you look lovely, Lilia. Paul is lucky to have a friend as beautiful as you." She smiles then continues her way up the stairs.

"There is no lie there." Peter pops up out of nowhere causing me to roll my eyes. "What isn't a lie?" I continue my way down. "You being beautiful, of course." He follows me. "I thought you, like many, have a thing for Her Majesty? Oh, yes. I can see it." I smile back at him. "Can I not find you beautiful as well Lady Lilia?" He gets in front of me. "I suppose you can." I try to move around him. "Lady Lilia..." Countess Bruce shows up. "Excuse me, Zavadovsky." I nod my head going over to Countess Bruce with a smile.

When we arrive for Paul's coming of age ceremony, I walk with Her Majesty and Countess Bruce. "Why is my son so unattractive?" She asks looking over at him but I of course didn't think that. "It may be something to do with his father. The Emperor Peter was the ugliest man east of Berlin." Countess Bruce tells her while I keep quiet standing next to them. "Yes, and now Paul wants to be emperor too... The moment he was born my mother in law took him away from me. She left me on the floor, bathed in my own blood and sweat. From that point on... I really never saw him." The Empress says as Lieutenant Potemkin comes up.

As they talk about other things I watch Paul from where I stood. "Lilia, why don't you go over to Paul." Her Majesty tells me so I nod my head going over to him. "Prince Paul." I say in a joking tone. "Now that you are coming of age, how shall I approach you?" I laugh at him. "No different than before." I catch his eyes look down for just a second making me laugh. "What?" He asks annoyed. "Watch your eyes, sir. I thought we were friends?" I tell him. "We are and it's not my fault you decided to suddenly show off. Who are you trying to impress?" He rants making me laugh more, "I'm not trying to impress anyone because there is no one to impress. And I'm not trying to show off. The dress doesn't fit all the way if they were in more, so the ladies worked around it." I explain to him.

"Your mother would like to speak with you after the ceremony." Minister Panin comes to tell Paul making him sigh before we all head inside. During the ceremony and many different ceremonies and speeches, I sometimes zoned out because they were never interesting. Back at the Palace I wanted to change into a different dress but I had to wear it to dinner later. "I hate that women." Paul bust into my room as I read a book. "Yes, yes, you may come in." I motion for him to come in. "What now?" I set my book down on the table. "I am the heir to the Russian throne... One day. I've reach my maturity. I should get married. Run along and think about beautiful women." He paces around the room before falling back onto my bed.

"She tells you to go think about beautiful women yet here you are complaining to me? I feel so honored." I get up going over to him. "Shut up, Lilia." He groans making me laugh sitting on the bed next to him. "What if we go along with that joke? If I marry you, I at least know what I'm dealing with." He sits up leaving his wig behind. "You know she'll want a grandchild at some point after right?" I hand him his wig but he throws it across the room before falling back to lay down. "I'm sure you will have no troubles finding a wife. And what women would say no to you?" I lay back turning my head to look at him. "My best friend." He looks at me making me laugh. "Please sit up before I see something I don't wanna see." He sits up and pulls me to sit up too. "Even though we are friends... you're still a man. Trust me, you would end up liking what you see." I joke standing up going to get his wig. "You still have your birthday dinner." I put it back on him nicely.

"If we had to get married... how would you react?" He asks as I touch up the wig. "Glad it's with someone I know but then freak out about things farther down the line." I walk over to sit back down to read my book. "Do you think your father will make you marry someone?" He sits across from me. "Paul you know woman don't have a choice when it comes to arrange marriages. My father could easily marry me off with some man I don't know and my mother already has promised someone." I sigh opening my book. "Who!" He stands up shouting. "Count-," I was cut off by a servant who said it's time to go to the dinning room.

"To my son on his birthday in the expectation of wisdom! To Paul." His mother stands up at the end of the table. "To Paul." We cheer and I reach over to pat his arm. "Now, you may have noticed there is an empty chair. I have invited one of the brightest and best of our young men, and he's late! Ah, bon appétit!" She says as the food comes up to the table. As we seat her guest shows up making us all look his direction. "Lieutenant Potemkin, at last." She tells him. "I am so sorry to be late, Your Majesty." He tells her going to his seat. "Well, you look quite ravishing." She says making Paul give me a look. "Behave." I mouth to him so he eyes his mother. "Paul..." I lean over slapping his leg.

After dinner I was relieved to finally get my dress off of me, "Lilia!" Paul busts into my room again making me cover myself up as I change. "Would you knock!" I hide myself. "Sorry." He apologizes. "What do you want now?" I ask coming out dressed fully now. "Nothing." He tells me. "Then why are you here? It's been a long day and I'm ready to rest." I pull back the covers on my bed. "Can you come bore me to sleep?" He asks with a smile. "You turn nineteen today and still want me to read so you'll fall asleep?" I give him a look. "As much as I hate to say it, yes. Since I was six you have always done so..." We just stare at each other. "I am the Prince and you will do as I say so come along." He leaves my room. "You're such a pain, Paul." I grab a book following him.

~

"Lilia, may I have a word with you around outside?" Catherine stops me as I come into the Palace from seeing Count Razumovsky. "Yes, Your Majesty." I bow following her. "I remember watching you and Paul running away from the servants like it was just yesterday." She smiles over at me. "We did like to cause trouble for them." I agree with a smile. "Growing up you two said you'd always get married some day..." She stops giving me a look. "It was just a joke, Your Majesty." I let her know. "But you two would be so perfect together. I also hear you are a princess. Why didn't you tell me?" She tilts her head. "Umm, who told you?" I ask. "Your father had sent me a letter." She says making me sigh. "Your Majesty, I can't marry Prince Paul. My mother had hand written a promise to Count Razumovsky mother and father. His mother is already planning the wedding. As of today, we are engaged..." I let her know.

"Count Razumovsky... Maybe if I pull some strings so it can be called off. I'm sure you would be better off with Paul." She starts to walk away. "Your Majesty... It was the last thing my mother promised before she passed away. I have to fulfill her wishes..." I rush after her. "Is that what you want?" She turns to me. "I don't really have a choice. Can you do me a favor?" I ask her so she nods her head. "Don't tell Paul..." I ask her. "Of course, dear. Now you have made my job harder finding a wife for my son now." She laughs leaving me. I turn around throwing my head back as I walk back inside the palace. I didn't know why I didn't want Paul to know. I know it wouldn't bother him. I guess I just didn't think it was any of his business to know about it.

"Another letter, Lilia." Peter shows up. "From your fiancé, I'm told." He gives me a look. "Can you please not say that out loud?" I snatch the letter from him. "My apologizes." He follows me as I continue my way. "Don't you have other things to do? Places to be?" I ask looking back at him. "Why do you want me to be quiet about it?" He asks making me turn to face him. "Because it's no one's business. Now go back to work." I make my way to my room with him still following me. "Peter!" I growl at him. "I have no work at the moment. Can't I talk to a friend?" He carefully takes off his wig to scratch his head once we get to my room. "I don't remember ever discussing us being friends." I tell him. "We go by first names which means we're friends." He walks up to me which means he had to look down at me. "I hate being so formal with certain people." I look up at him.

"Stop giving me that look." I place my hand on his chest to move him back as Paul comes into my room like always, "So I'm told mother is letting everyone know I need a wife!" He shouts than sees Peter. "Don't you have work?" He asks so Peter puts his wig back on leaving. "What was he doing in here?" Paul comes over. "Just giving me a letter." I smile. "From your father?" He asks. "Yes." I lie. "What does it say?" He asks. "Nothing important." I go put it in a box to lock away. "Oh, you know my friend Count Razumovsky... I hear he's getting married. That poor woman." He chuckles talking a seat on the sofa. "Yes, poor me..." I mumble. "Huh?" He looks over at me. "I said poor her." I take a seat on the other sofa.

"Remember when we used to run away from the servants because we didn't want to stop playing together?" He gets up coming to sit next to me. "And when they finally got us to our own rooms it didn't stop us. I always snuck to yours in the middle of the night and you would be waiting for me." I smile thinking back. "They hated us." He laughs. "Especially when we pretended to have husband and wife fights. All the screaming at each other we did." I laugh. "I miss when we were young... When my father was alive. It was easier then." He takes my hand into his. "I miss it too." I look at our hands. "Why don't you want to marry me?" Paul asks looking at me. "Why do you act like you want me to?"

"To keep my best friend around and..." He lets go of my hand leaning slightly closer to me. "Daring, I'm here!" We look over at the doorway to see Count Razumovsky. "Andrei..." I stand up first, "Why didn't you tell me you were coming?" I walk over to him. "I thought I wrote it in the letter. Has it not come yet?" He asks kissing my cheek. "It did. I just haven't had the chance to read it yet. Paul was just asking me about what to look for in a wife." I lie to him. "Then you should be a help becoming a wife soon yourself." He smiles confusing Paul. "Wife soon?" He gets up coming over to us. "Lilia hasn't told you yet? We're getting married. My mother is planning the wedding." Paul just looks at me turning red. "Can I have a word with Lilia?" Paul grabs my wrist dragging me away from Andrei.

"You're marrying him?" He shouts pulling me into an empty room. "I didn't have a choice Paul! My mother promised his parents before she died. She wrote it out." I explain to him. "My mother could have convened them to call it off! How could you marry him and not take mothers offer?" His face gets more red. "Stop acting so upset that you don't get to marry me Paul! You said yourself, we're childhood friends. It was a joke growing up. It was all pretend to us then." I sigh. "It wasn't pretend to me or a joke. When I was a little boy, I couldn't wait for the day for us to get older and actually get married!" He shouts at me. "Now we're at that age and it isn't going the way I want it to." He tells me. "Paul... I can't marry you. Even if I wanted to, I can't. She signed a promise." I walk up to him. "Just say no." He cups one of my cheeks. "That's not how it works for us. You wouldn't understand being a man."

[mondaynightmami]

thomas doherty as peter zavadovsky.