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Rivals [Geo and Frostch]

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geometryc

Guest
Plantation.

A young lady of nineteen stepped through the large doors of her family's Georgia mansion onto the lavish porch that wrapped around the entire house. Hazel eyes with a hue of green, decorated by baby doll like eyelashes, scanned the beautiful land scape surrounding her. She moved to the rail of the porch, resting her hands every so delicately on them. As she took in a deep breath of fresh air, she took in her surroundings.

Beautiful trees draped with luscious, green vegetation and Spanish moss shaded the home. A large dirt road led up to the establishment, which enabled the inhabitants to spot visitors or intruders from afar. The long strip of road was a part of acres and acres of land, just on the outskirts of a small town a small distance away. To one side of the home was a farm, where crops and livestock to sustain the large family were raised. To the other side of the road were stables and six horses grazing, confined by a wooden fence built by her father and his workers. The large mansion, built by French immigrants many, many years before, had been in her family since her ancestors first came to the New World. It was always buzzing with life, as her family hosted many dinner parties. There were always guests staying in the guest wing, servings constantly moving in and out of the house carrying out their day to day duties. Her father traveled from time to time, and her mother constantly rearranged the home to fit whatever the decor trends were at the time.

One servant had been holding a parasol over her golden hair, curled to the fashion of the ladies of the era, swept over to one side over her shoulder and pinned in some places. She wanted to feel the sun on her delicate skin, with some color. It was in fashion to have porcelain skin, but she loved being outside and hated being pestered with that stupid parasol. Bonnets made her hot in the Georgia sun, so she opted to read under one of the ancient trees on her land when she needed a cool break from riding her horse or whatever else she would be doing.

Her dress was thick, as hoop skirts were the fashion of the lades. The hem covered her feet, the sleeves itchy under her arm. Though a pain to wear in the southern climate, the dresses were very flattering to most young women. The corset cinched her already thin waist, a life of wearing them giving her an hourglass figure. It was rather low cut in the front and back, showing off her supple breasts and delicate shoulders. Her father had gone into town earlier that day to attempt to settle a dispute with the governor. For years, he'd been trying to expand the city. Her family's land had been in the way of his expansion, only desired for his own personal use. The two families had been at war since her father refused to give up their family heritage, especially for such little offered compensation. Eventually, the offerings turned into threats, though legally the governor had no leverage. She'd await his return to hear the news of the event. Picking up the hem of her large dress, she carried herself and her book to rest under a tree. Despite the buzz of the home, she could hear the chatter of birds above her, the horses making their occasional wines. She loved everything about being a southern belle, and could not imagine what her life would be like should she lose the land and animals she'd cherished her whole life.
 
It had been a while, but construction of the new home was almost complete. Inspired by Victorian England, the building had just enough class to stand out. It was planted at the top of the hill near the small village, causing locals to wonder which sort of influential family was going to move in- and if their lives were going to change for the better, or for the worse. While the house did seem stylish, it was by no means grand. It meant that the family moving in was rather humble, or that this was simply their version of a 'cottage'. It wasn't until the last brick was laid down that signs of life began to appear within the household.

A carriage had arrived, and a small one at that. Whispers from gossiping women erupted when the vehicle stopped in front of the Victorian home. It wasn't a family, but instead two grown men stepped out. One of them was clearly older. From him, there was an air of maturity and composure. The next man standing next to him appeared younger, and perhaps mischievous to an extent. Both wore typical Victorian-style clothing, though the younger man preferred to wear a maroon undershirt instead of teal like the older gentleman. They were brothers, and it appeared that they would be the only ones moving into the household. Once they dismissed the carriage, the two brothers wandered through the streets, ignoring the hollering from locals.

"If there is a single brick missing from that home, Alex, I will have a word with the constructor!" The older gentleman spoke, adjusting his collar. "These... hillbillies have lived far too long. Father has begged, neigh, attempted to negotiate with a nearby farmer to sell his land. We promised the farmer that he would profit- tenfold!" The younger gentleman, named Alex, was more composed.
"So I have heard, Benjamin. You and I both know how hard father works to keep the village alive." Alex nodded quietly.
"-Which is precisely why the father should just take the land!" Benjamin pinched between his eyebrows. "We have not set foot on this land since we were young lads! Spending five years as a child here was hell enough! Once father sent us to get an education overseas, I was enthralled!" At this point, Alex was growing annoyed at his older brother.
"Hush, Benjy! I can't go two seconds without hearing your voice ringing in my ears!"
"Well, Alex! Why don't you share with me your diabolical plans? You're the manipulative one in the family!" Alex smiled at this comment.

The two brothers continued to follow the dirt path. It stretched seemingly forever, and slowly, the village behind them began to disappear. In its place, the brothers were gifted with the sight of lush, green grass. It stretched for miles. On one side was a fenced in area containing grazers. On the other was rows of crops. Benjamin seemed to tire himself out from the walk. He told Alex that they should turn back. Alex teased his brother until Benjamin headed home alone. The younger brother decided to venture on, curious of the inhabitants that gave his father so much struggle. Though he assumed the farmers hated his father, the governor, he doubted they knew who he was.

Alex approached the farm, spotting a beautiful young lady underneath the shadow of a tree. He blushed slightly, catching a glimpse of her long, flowing hair. Once he padded down his cheeks for a few seconds, Alex approached the young woman. He gently nodded at her. "Hello, young lady. I moved in to a nearby village not too long ago. I've spent most of my life in England, so this countryside is very unfamiliar to me." He took a seat next to the lady, glancing over at the book she was reading. "I heard of a few farmers giving the governor some problems! So I decided to come here and see what all the fuss was about." He smiled softly. "I've heard a few whispers from women in the town that the governor is planning sabotage!"

Alex knew he was placing unneeded attention on his father. But, it was something he needed to draw in the woman's trust. It was through this trust, that eventually, he would destroy the farmer's family from the inside out.
 
The girl was rather naive to the business of her parents and the governor. Though a young lady, a girl in this time period held no place in politics. Even if it was pertinent to her family home, her family's territory, and heritage. She took a short break from her readings, taking a moment to look at her surroundings once more. From the tree, she could see her horses, her most cherished possessions. She loved animals, and she preferred to care for the horses herself rather than the servants. Of course, with six horses, she'd needed their help from time to time, but the beasts all trusted her and she'd broken them herself. She'd never admit it, but she had one favorite.

The palomino stood, grazing in the field with its herd. The tall, strong beasts shook its head and snorted, it's golden mane moved against its neck. Ironically, the horse and her master had the same hair color. Her name was Belle, and the horse loved her master. The girl actually planned on going for a ride shortly after her readings, but then a stranger approached her. At first glance, he was rather handsome, and his presence next to her made her blush slightly. She'd not interacted with many men before, other than her parents' dinner parties which usually resulted in desperate suiters wanting a tap into her fortune. She found none of that attractive, hence why she had yet to find a husband at her age. Her parents pressured her to go out and find a suitable partner, but she enjoyed her lifestyle on the farm with the animals. As far as she were concerned, all men were grimy and she'd been waiting for a true gentleman.

"He..hello.." she said, taken aback by his abrupt approach. He just started talking as if he knew her, which made her weary. She wanted to be polite, as she had been raised, but she didn't trust him. As custom, she stood on her feet and gave him a small curtsey, bowing her head in respect to the opposite sex. Though not genuine, she knew she had to be polite. Her face grew red at the mention of "farmers giving the governor problems." That was most certainly not the case.

"First of all, to properly introduce yourself to a lady, such as myself, you must hold out your hand and wait for me to give you mine so that you may give it a gentle peck in greeting." She scolded. "Second of all, how dare you approach me, unannounced, wanting to talk politics without even providing me your name? Or asking to know mine?"

"And lastly," she said, "That is most certainly not the case. My family has been here since the early settlers. My ancestors built this house and farmed this land, with their own hands. Their blood, tears, and sweat will not have been in for power-infected man to rip away from us."

It was not customary for a woman to defy a man in such a manner, but obviously he was not important. Despite his fine clothing, no one seemed to recognize him or know who he was. He did say he was new to town, and she and her family had more rapport than a stranger. Besides, he had the audacity to step onto her land and disrespect her family. She had to set the story straight, after all.
 
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