Too Many Damn Smiles [Marian]

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There was no possible way that any woman, even any crown, could be worth this Hell. Well, one thing was certain: Humperdinck had made the decision after the previous day's utter disaster, that he was never going to eat in that bloody cafeteria again, he was just going to stay that in dormitory, or perhaps head off to one of the restaurants, but never, ever, ever was he going to set foot in that pathetic excuse for an eating establishment at the school again. Honestly, he was thinking that he should just give up on the education thing. In fact, he was now in the middle of a strongly worded letter to his Evil Stepmother.

Honestly, were it not for the fact that the Princess Buttercup was mine to marry, I wouldn't even be here in the first place, but as it is, she is and I have yet to persuade her that there is no way she can be serious about wanting that damn pirate. However, I simply cannot stand going to that school anymore, they have absolutely no respect for a prince there. Seeing as it was your idea for me to get an education, I think it fitting that you retract said plan at once, please, for my own sanity! I am sure to woo the girl without books. Who ever heard of wooing a woman with books anyway?

Please, do see reason.

Your reluctant stepson,
Prince Humperdinck Hubert Fitzwilliam of Florin

There. That ought to get the message through her thick skull. The fact that he wouldn't be hearing a word from her for quite some time (Florin did have the worst mail service in the world, after all) and that it would be the precise opposite of what he wanted never occurred to him.

Well, now he had nothing to distract himself from his surroundings and honestly, everyone was looking far too happy. How could anyone be happy when this entire town was absolutely batty? It boggled his mind is what it did, and if he was irritating on a regular basis, he was probably only going to get worse today. Woe betide anyone who approached him at the present time.

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With classes and work, each day Marian was finding it harder and harder to motivate herself to attend either. She had wanted to retain her independence, to make her own way and to finish her schooling despite the fact that the very reasons she had come here no longer applied. Even after she had married she’d had full intentions of finishing her degree and getting a job teaching young children, but now that she was to have a child of her own in six short months everything else was beginning to feel like added pressure.

In many respects she was far from a traditional woman, especially when compared to those in her own time. She was headstrong and outspoken, she wore trousers at times, and when it came to combat she was a match for many men, but in some ways the life she dreamed of could not be more traditional. All she had ever truly wanted was to see her country at peace, to marry the man she loved and to raise their children. So with two down and one on the way, why was she still going through the motions here at Tintagel.

Because she hated the idea of quitting. She had come so far! This was the final year of her course, and if she continued she would be finishing her final exams... right around the time when the baby was due to arrive.

Cutting through the park on her way home from class, her mind troubled, Marian felt a wave of nausea hit her. Noting a bench nearby with only one lone occupant, she hurried over and took a seat, accidentally dropping her satchel full of books on top of the letter that had been occupying the space on the bench beside him.

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All right Humperdinck, clearly it's been far too long since you've been out hunting, because you've got the urge to take out your sword on just about everyone at this damn park and it just won't work out. Please, you can't even get away with a little threat in the hallways of a school your family's paying them good money, imagine what Hell would break loose if you tried to hunt everyone here...so how about you get back to school once the ink dries on this letter and-- Then he noticed movement out of the corner of his eye. Specifically, a woman placing her books on the letter. He blinked a few times, processing that this legitimately happened and honestly, if he were the sort to do so, he probably would have started screaming bloody murder by now.

Humperdinck narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the newcomer, trying very desperately to not explode into a rage right then and there when it wasn't even really her fault. Not that he would ever acknowledge the fact that it was his own actions that caused his ever sour mood. He was a master at placing blame where it didn't belong, whether it was his plans to frame Guilder for harm coming to Buttercup or the world just not working in a way that could put him in a more pleasant mood. For those of you leaping up in hope at the possibility, this didn't mean he'd behave pleasantly. He would probably behave precisely the same way, there would just be a self entitled smirk on his face while he did it. Sorry to burst your bubble, World.

Gritting his teeth somewhat, he said with as much restraint as possible, "Excuse me, I'm fairly certain the ink was still drying on that." Dear God, he really needed to strangle something and right soon if he was going to remain the least bit sane, but it'd be less than becoming to strangle her in public, wouldn't it? And he really had no desire to get her alone, it'd just be too much work. He'd much prefer it if she just left, but he was starting to learn that his orders meant very little to these barbarians.