#anyway its whatever because the moment the kids are old enough to run away they'll be coming to live with me

[teja-has-puppet-autism]

mmmm

[marie-eve-anne]

I Start Off Life As Little Miss Perfect

French Empire Lives into the Modern Day AU aka Marie Eve Anne Saga AU

Summary: Marie Eve Anne meets a man she actually likes for once.

If you want to be a girl like me, it’s impossible. Obviously. It’s not like anyone can just be anyone. If you think that’s what I’m talking about, you are so wrong. I meant by if you can be scary and cute at the same time. And also good at almost everything adults throw at you.

Little buggers like me could give you a headache when you stay around long enough. And if you somehow find yourself in these pages, dream on. You have no idea what’s going to happen to you.

Let me introduce myself at first before I start this disaster.

My name is Marie Eve Anne. I am six years old.

For some of you who were definitely wondering, ‘Oh, who's this? Welly's daughter?’ No. This may sound like its rubbish, but it’s real. I am NOT Arthur Wellesley's daughter. I may look like it, but if you zoom in, you can see it. Yeah, yeah, we have the same eyes, but hey, there are a lot of people who have blue-grey eyes.

And why would Arthur have a daughter at that old age? If you think ‘Oh, cool!’ then stop daydreaming.

So anyways, my life began on the 18th of June. Waterloo Day! What a coincidence! My dad was Napoleon Francois Bonaparte, aka the Duke of Reichstadt, Napoleon II, whatever you wanna call him. My mom is Maria Teresa von Rothschild, and she was a rich Jewish lady. Like, THE RICHEST.

Dad couldn't get away from court, and Mom was busy with her family. So their relationship resembled Hades and Persephone, if it's not obvious. I had to stay with my dad in Vienna, since surprise! I am the granddaughter of Napoleon Bonaparte himself. Any crazy royalist or republican would have eyes on me and my father the moment we get out of the city. At least we could walk around Vienna outside Schönbrunn Palace.

Today, it was the 3rd of December. It wasn't snowing as heavily as Russia, but it was snowing. I felt the cold coming in. Currently, it was past sunset, but the streetlights around Vienna were illuminating the snow very well, so I could see it. Snowflakes were pouring down from the sky, forming light mounds of snow. I was watching this from a hall balcony. I'd rather not go to another one of those boring balls by my caretakers. What does a kid like me have to do there? I would just fade into the background, since I had nothing to do. Unlike the adults who somehow find enjoyment in being completely stale. Don't talk to me about my grandma. She opts to stay in her lovely house in Parma, where she has no idea how disliked she is.

It's been at least fifteen minutes after the ball started. The hall was starting to get noisy. And there I singlehandedly ruined a party by not being there in the first place. Talk about absence. If I'm there, they'll just ignore me. If I'm not, chaos erupts. I am the useless organ in the human body, yet some people make a fuss about it if its not there. You might think, Oh, poor girl! Don't pity me. I'm used to this. Ever since I was three, I've been ignored.

Anyway, there were these two soldier men who usually stood guard at the doors, were off looking for me. It was like they were blind or near-sighted, because I was at a close window, but these two were frantically running around like idiots looking for an elephant. I was four feet tall. Anyone clear-sighted could see me there. It was becoming annoying, so I whistled. They immediately turned around. "You were looking for me?"

"Ah, yes! The Chancellor was looking for you!" One of them said. I was feeling like he'll come right in front of me. He's going to say: "Now, what are you doing?" In his stupid voice I don't want to hear. Even though he's agreeable, I can't help but not like him, at all.

After a few minutes of waiting, that man finally came down the hall. He appeared in formal attire, his hair styled perfectly, and even though it was so short, it didn't need all of that fancy styling powdered wigs had. And also, those things are outdated. Does he want his head lopped off? He was conservative, so it will be eventually, I think.

"Now, what are you doing?" Called it.

"Watching the snow." I answered him softly. This man's good side was most definitely the best thing you want out of this whole city, aside from my grandparents' money.

"Aside from that, why are you not at the ball tonight?"

I answered accordingly. "I prefer to look at the snow and stars tonight." I wasn't lying. I really did prefer looking at snow than attending a party where I can't possibly exist. "But you belong there tonight. Archduchess Sophie is looking for you as well." Oh yes. Archduchess Sophie. Aside from being there for her children, she was also there for her guests. Mostly guests. And also, are trying to gaslight me?

"Where is she?" I asked.

"Still in the ballroom. Looking for you." As if I'd believe that. She's probably entertaining guests. "May we then?" I held his arm, and we walked back to the ballroom.

The music was the only thing in the ballroom that was fine to me. It might've looked extravagant. Pretty. To you and I. If only it wasn't ruined by the number of shallow nobles around, who think their position is totally natural and they don't have to work for their lives to be perfect. Another reason why I don't like parties. Who wants to be stuck in a room with too many idiots? But then I noticed the absurd amount of people waiting near the main door. Was someone coming?

"Ah, there you are, my darling!" She was trying to be sweet with me. Emphasis on trying.

"What's the occasion? Why is everyone standing so close to the door?" She smiled, though I could tell that she was trying to be civil. Because she doesn't smile much. Sophie held my hand. "Someone special is visiting. We're lucky we found you early!" Says the woman who let me wander around on my own to watch the snow.

After this conversation, the doors opened. The crowd stayed silent, while the music continued. There was an old man in the middle. He was old, but he looked strong enough for one. An army man, I think. Looking closer, he had blue-gray eyes, sharp but intelligent. They looked tired, almost. "Who is he?" I asked Sophie.

"My, it is the Duke of Wellington! He's come to Vienna." I felt stupid.

I saw his portraits, when he was way younger. Despite his old age, though, something about it felt kind of sad. Yeah, I know, growing old sucks, but there was also the tinge of unhappiness floating around the air. Sophie, along with Metternich and I, greeted the Duke formally. Nobody but me could then ask the next question. I was a kid, so sue me.

"Who are you?" I meant by his name, not his title.

"My name?" He asked. Wow. He picked up quick.

"Arthur's my name. You may call me that, if you wish." As he said so, he looked a little lonelier. Now that I see his eyes closer, he looked even more so. His eyes were sad and kind of empty, as if he just stared into the depths of despair.

"Your name, darling?"

"Eve." I said shortly. I always preferred to be called by my middle name. Seems more honest.

"Eve is your name, dear?" He didn't clearly hear me, I think. He was old, after all.

"Yes, sir." I politely responded.

This conversation would've been longer if it weren't for a man named Metternich. "Perhaps we should converse, Your Grace?"

"Ah, yes. What is it?"

"Why have you come to Vienna in such short notice?"

His eyes shifted from sad to glad. "My friend, Sir Arbuthnot, has told me my tiredness taking its toll. A vacation to Vienna would most certainly be ideal." What? Because I was here?

I ignored the rest of that conversation, and just stood idly in the ballroom. There wasn't anything to do at all. But now that I'm here, I can't get out because of Sophie. Still, I wanted to meet that man again. He was looking down at me the whole time.

Someone apparently sent me a letter after the ball. It said:

"It has been of curious intent, and it is most certainly unruly. I wish to see you in private. The northern wing. The corridors you were watching through. Metternich had told me.

-Sir Arthur Wellesley"

Huh. That's strange. He referred to himself as his own name. Maybe he was being friendly, since I was a child, after all. I wanted to come, of course. But maybe this man thought I could get away by myself.

This was perhaps the kick-start of my new life. How? He wanted to talk.