Le Rouge's

“Marguerite, please stand up straight.”

For the umpteenth time today, I tried pulling my back into an acceptable position for my grandmother. It didn’t matter what I did, it was wrong. As far as she was concerned, I’d never be the proper lady. More often than not, I’d starve myself on diets, take expensive shopping trips to appear cultured and desirable, and spend absurd amounts of time tediously grooming myself. After all, a lady should always be ready to present herself to any given suitor. I’d never met a guy I was particularly fond of. Grandmother had picked out one for me but I had yet to meet him. We’d be meeting tonight. It was a medieval concept and I was so jealous my little brother Jacques-Pierre (JP) didn’t have this problem. Granted, JP was a flamboyant homosexual which disgusted our grandmother so much she’d convinced Grandfather to pass the family company to a cousin. JP was still included in the will though because, as Grandfather told Grandmother, “he’s still family.”

“And fix your hair!” Grandmother barked.

JP laughed as we entered an indoor waterpark; Big Red’s Big Falls. It was part of the resort chain my family owned. “Nana, chill!” JP grinned. “We’re at a water park. What if Cece decides to go swimming? Then it won’t matter!”

“Ladies do not participate in trivial, childish activities”, Grandmother stated. She daintily sat down in a lawn chair by the Lazy River, disregarding my look of disgust as JP got to run to the massive water slides. What was the point in bringing me to a water park if I couldn’t go swimming? As usual, I got to be an overworked waste of space.

“Marguerite, go have that man tell the children to stop splashing water over here”, Grandmother commanded. Part of me was floored. We’re at a water park. You chose the spot closest to the Lazy River, which surrounded a giant watery jungle gym. Did she really think children wouldn’t splash? Of course, I couldn’t defy the woman. I was still a child as far as she was concerned. I had no right to argue with her. Dutifully, I walked to the nearest lifeguard, a tanned man with dark/ bleached hair. He was clearly in shape, something he didn’t mind showing off with a tight white shirt and bright red swim trunks. A silver whistle hung around his neck from a red lanyard that was branded with BIG RED’S BIG SPLASH!

“What can I do for you?” he mused in a surprisingly English voice. Part of me kept forgetting JP and I were the weirdos for being the Americans in this country. I held my chin up high and put on my best smile.

“My grandmother would appreciate it if you could get the young kids to stop splashing so much water around”, I explained. “They’re-”

“They’re kids. That’s stupid”, he interrupted.

“I know it’s ridiculous but if you could-”

“Ma’am, it’s a water park”, the lifeguard stated. “Kids not throwing water around is like dogs not having hair. It’s not right. Tell her to screw her head on before she comes back here.”

I froze up as my jaw dropped. While I understood his statement, there was no reason to attack my Grandmother. “I’ll have you know that woman is married to your boss”, I hissed.

“Oh really? Is that supposed to scare me?” he teased.

“No, it’s supposed to remind you that as an employee of the Van Roux family, you should show a little more respect to your guests despite how absurd their requests are! What is your name?”

“Zayn”, he shrugged, chewing on his whistle boredly. He looked me over with big chocolate drop eyes. “What’s your name, poppit?”

“Marguerite Cecil Van Roux”, I hissed. “The woman who will NOT be renewing your contract here with Le Rouge’s when Corbin Beau Van Roux retires.”

“Bee-Beau loves me”, Zayn scoffed. “He’s not going to fire me just because a little priss doesn’t like the fact that I won’t fulfill some dumb task. Now run along, you hydrophobic weirdo.”

“Mon grand-père en entendra!” I scowled, walking away. I approached Grandmother and frowned. “He was unable to-”

“Who was that boy you were flirting with?” Grandmother questioned.

My insides recoiled but thank God I physically didn’t. “I was not flirting”, I protested.

“Then why did you spend so much time over there?” she inquired.

“He wouldn’t reason with me!”

“Don’t yell. It’s very irritating.” I pouted and fished through her tote bag to find the book I’d brought with me (since I knew she wouldn’t let me swim but I wanted to see if I could get away with it anyway).

“I’m going to the hot springs”, I grumbled, walking away. The hot springs were actually a set of pools inside and out of the water park. They were set up like stoney in-ground hot tubs that felt natural, like you were in a jungle somewhere and found a relaxing body of water. I went to one just by the exterior door which had been propped open to let some of the cold air replace the escaping hot air. It was a perfect combination of hot and cold. I slipped into the warm water, wondering if after tonight, when I finally got to meet my Medieval knight, would he want to go ice skating tomorrow? I loved ice skating. I wasn’t terribly good at it, but I was just good enough to be able to go around the rink without falling on my bum. Silently, I delved into my book, itching to relive a final fairy tale before realizing my life wouldn’t end like one.

The book I was reading was Dragonlance- Dragons of Autumn Twilight, the first part to an incredible fantasy series featuring a band of hysterical friends. My biggest fictional crush was on Tanis Half-Elven, or Tanthalis as Porthios, Gilthanis, and Laurana knew him. Despite my love for the incredibly smart and agile archer, his love triangle between Laurana and Kitiara was nothing compared to the love between Goldmoon and Riverwind. The Chieftess and her champion, a lowly peasant of her tribe who had completed outlandish tasks in hopes of impressing her father whose fate was sealed in death like the rest of their tribe. Through thick and thin, they were together, through arguments, through isolation, through battling their demons of pride. He always protected his Lady though she always insisted he treat her like his equal since now, they were the only ones left of their tribe and what two person tribe really needs a chief? I loved Tanis but I desperately wished my unknown fiancee would be the Riverwind to my Goldmoon. We could-

“Well, if it isn’t Princess Van Roux”, scoffed a voice. I looked up from the page only to see Zayn the damned lifeguard peeling out of his shirt to enter to springs. “What’re you doing?”

“Reading”, I grumbled.

“Well, no shit. What is it? Any good?”

“Probably not to a neanderthal like you.”

“Don’t be so mean”, Zayn mocked, scooting closer.

I shifted uncomfortably. “You don’t have to sit so close”, I pointed out. “I’m here with my fiancee-”

“I’m not-”

“What up, what up?!” JP yelled, jumping in the water between me and Zayn. “OmiGod, Ceese, I just met the CUTEST guy!”

Zayn glanced to either of us. “Is this the guy?” he chuckled.

“Yup!” JP announced, not even aware of what we were previously discussing. “Cece is my older sister and I am her darling fabulous brother. Jacques. You can call me Baby though.” He turned back to me and beamed. “Anyway, cute guy. You remember that kids’ club director? Niall? He’s been promoted to assistant entertainment director. And he’s working the slides right now. Obviously, I had to go talk to him. I mean, those eyes, right? We’re going to go to the Red Viking Lodge for dinner tonight!”

“What?” Zayn questioned.

“Your coworker, Niall? Is super cute and super sweet”, JP smiled. “So who are you? I haven’t seen you around.”

“Zayn”, the lifeguard stated.

“Cute”, giggled JP. He sat with us and talked for a while, which I really didn’t mind. I didn’t want to be left alone with someone like Zayn who was clearly a narcissist. Vain Zayn. Yeah, I like that. After about an hour, I excused myself and told Grandmother I was heading back to the main part of the resort so I could start getting ready for the evening. I went to the locker rooms to rinse off and change into warm clothes so I could take the trolley back to the building. While an arranged marriage proposal was disgustingly old fashioned, I was still very eager to meet the young man. Who was he? What would he be like?

I’ll find out in the evening.

Notes

Rebooting because the original cover Kaleigh made for this was kick ass and this was based on a dream I had that I still find funny so why the Hell not? :D

Sorry if it's weird that I'm shipping Niall with an OC by the way :X I've only ever written one ship sooo it's not quite my forte