Charming is a Victorian Era Harry Potter roleplay set primarily in the village of Hogsmeade, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and the non-canon village of Irvingly. Characters of all classes, both magical and muggle — and even non-human! — are welcome.
With a member driven story line, monthly games and events, and a friendly and drama-free community focused on quality over quantity, the only thing you can be sure of is fun!
"Are you always this forward?" He asked teasingly since it would be a very short thread if he just ignored her entirely. — Tobin Cartwright in Take A Peek
Did you know? Churchgoers and worshippers had to endure a foul stench during prayers due to the amount of bodies often stored within the vaults of churches and chapels.
Elsbeth had gotten lucky thus far. She had managed to fly under the radar for the most part regarding her alleged princess status. Other more newsworthy happenings had gone on since her "arrival" at the Three Broomsticks. At first, she had been rather upset that she had been outshine by a couple of raunchy girls up at the castle who clearly didn't know how to manage themselves as ladies. However as time had passed and her loans were stretched out further and further, she was glad that she wasn't in the limelight. Luckily, Alice Lovegood, the owner of the inn that Elsbeth currently lived in, was in on the secret and hadn't asked for a single coin as payment. The dressmaker on the the other hand, was an entirely different story.
It was taking her a lot longer to find a husband than she had originally thought it would - it seemed that being a Swedish princess was a bit too intimidating for the men of Hogsmeade. She was tired of waiting around - she couldn't keep up the facade for much longer without someone questioning the legitimacy to her claim as royalty. Fortunately, everyone seemed to have forgotten about her for the most part. This made it a bit difficult for her to find a husband. She was a resourceful woman however, and refused to allow that to deter her.
After a conversation with Alice, Elsbeth came to the conclusion that she needed to invite a man of importance to come and meet with her. Seeing as how the Minister hadn't even come to say hello to the visiting princess (though this didn't surprise Elsbeth any), she decided that the next best thing would be to have his elder brother come and meet with her. If all went well and she gained his affections, it would be with great satisfaction that she would write Darcy Potter's invitation to her wedding - as his future sister-in-law. It was brilliant, in her mind, and she wrote out a neat and polite letter inviting him to take tea with her for the purpose of being interested in placing a special order through his shop.
Elsbeth had spent the better part of the day ordering the house elves around in order to prepare for the meeting. Her hair was curled and pinned up, her eyes softly lined and her lips were a rosy hue in order to match the shade of the fabric of her elaborately sewn silk dress.
A modest smile was placed on her full lips as she sipped at her tea, her cat-like blue eyes peered over the edge of the teacup at the man that sat before her.
"I must thank you again Mr. Potter, for having responded so kindly to my request. I hope it was not demanding of me to have asked you to come here to meet me. The public can be quiet overwhelming when they realize that I am in their presence," She said with flushed cheeks in an attempt to appear embarrassed from the attention.
Bennet was feeling incredibly nervous. He was only recently the owner of Whizzhard Books, having bought the establishment less than a month prior. The process had gone extremely quickly due to the previous owner's desire to leave town after his fiancÃ's death, and it had never occurred to him that ownership of a book shop might involve being summoned to sell his wares privately to a princess.
Fiddling with his glasses in his breast pocket, Bennet gulped his tea nervously. Princess Elsbeth was extremely beautiful, so much so that he felt as though she must have some veela blood. It was uncomfortable and intimidating, even without the title of princess hanging over his head. Ben felt like he might faint.
"You're welcome, Miss -- er --- Princess Gisella. I'm glad to be able to help. What -- what was it that you were wishing to talk about?" It was books, right? Books he could handle. "I am quite certain that whatever book you desire, I can manage to procure."
Elsbeth thought Mr. Bennet Potter a likely candidate. He was obviously quite intimidated by her. It gave her a sense of power over him, since she didn't think he would be the type to stand up for himself if she tried to manipulate him. He might even be naive enough to be entirely unaware of it and think her intentions were sincere. Perhaps this would be easier than she had originally believed.
"I do hope so. I have been told that your book store has the widest selection around, which was why I came to you, rather than anyone else. I am interested in a book that I have been told is quite rare, one regarding those unfortunate souls that are not able to have magical abilities, despite their pureblooded claims. It is called Squibatory Tedencies and the Process of Reconstructing. My poor friend, back in Sweden, she is quite beautiful and has a title, but because she lacks magical abilities her father cannot find her a suitable husband," She explained with sincere somberness. The emotion was easily drawn from her, though a sliver of bitterness was able to break through the cracks of her facade.
The woman recovered herself, "I hope to improve her station one day, as she has proven to be a close and trustworthy friend that I have had since my childhood. She, of all people, deserves that."
Bennet nodded, trying to appear sympathetic to the plight of the Princess's friend. In all honesty he could understand not wanting to marry a squib. No one really knew whether or not a squib could produce magical children, after all; most squibs left magical society in favor of life as a muggle. Of course, if Sib had been a squib --
Then you would never have met her, Ben thought firmly.
"I am quiet certain that I can find the book for your friend," Bennet said carefully. "It may take a little time, as I do not believe there is much demand for it, but I am certain I can locate it."
He would have to; this was the first special order that he had gotten. Sipping his tea anxiously, Bennet repeated the title in his head -- Squibatory Tedencies and the Process of Reconstructing. He repeated the title several times mentally, committing it to memory. "Is there some date you would like to have the book by?"
OOC: Sorry for the wait! I'll be quicker, promise!
"As soon as possible," Elsbeth told him a bit more rushed than she had intended. She corrected herself, "When it is convenient for you of course, Mr. Potter. I would not want to impose or interrupt any other orders or plans that you have made. Please do not think that my order is more important than the average citizen's - I prefer to be treated just like everyone else."
She had gotten quite good at lying, or so she liked to believe. The woman doubted that he could see through her polite and humble facade. He seemed quite enamored by the fact that he was in the presence of "royalty." She shifted so that the light hit her face and illuminated the angle of her cheekbones. Elsbeth was a vain creature - she always had been. When she had been younger, she spent hours in front of the mirror, merely looking at herself and admiring how the light at certain angles made her face look a specific way.
Princess Gisella was a very intimidating woman, and the truth of the matter was that Bennet was looking forward to getting away from her as quickly as possible. He supposed, in a way, that she was appealing. The long pale hair and her generous curves were what most people would consider pretty, but ...
Well, she wasn't Siobhan.
Even aside from that rather glaring fact, Ben kept getting the feeling that one deep breath would cause her to spring free from the top of her gown. Her bosom held the sort of fascination for him that an obviously immanent carriage crash might hold, and Ben could not seem to stop peeking (discretely, he hoped) at the neckline of her gown with a sort of horrified fascination.
"I will be certain to get the book to you as quickly as possible, Princess," he said, trying to keep his eyes on hers as he spoke. Even then he couldn't keep from peeking down so that he would know when disaster struck so that he could look away to afford her some scrap of modesty. "With so obscure a title, it may take until after the first of the year."
Elsbeth was not at all oblivious to the glances toward her cleavage. He was obviously fairly inexperienced when it came to women - his younger brother was as well, that much she knew, but Darcy was far from intimidated by her. It was probably because he knew the truth about her, but that was far from the point. Bennet was the elder brother, therefore the more important brother, and she had focused her sights quite clearly on him.
"I do appreciate it, Mr. Potter," She said with a smile, "You will find that I can be quite patient, when I have the need to be. Would you like more tea?" Without waiting for a response, she leaned forward (offering a view down her bodice that had a chance of making him faint or run straight for the door) and poured more tea into his teacup - though it was hardly necessary. He hadn't drank very much, if but only a sip.
The woman straightened once more with a chaste face, as if she were unaware of what she had done, "Mr. Potter, I hope you do not think me quite nosy, but I had hoped to perhaps get to know you a little better. I have been in Hogsmeade for quite some time and it is lovely, but I do miss my friends from back in Sweden. I had hoped that perhaps you might be able to introduce me to proper ladies that I might spend some time with while I am here? Perhaps even, you and I, can be friends. I must admit, I am rather lonely."
The last word was said differently than the others. It had an emphasis that vaguely suggested something else, though she did not want to appear too forward and frighten him off entirely. She merely hoped to plant the seed of the thought in his mind. Elsbeth was much too vain to think that perhaps he already had a woman that he wanted to keep company. Even if he did, Elsbeth was better than her - no matter who she was.
When Elsbeth leaned over to pour Ben more tea, his eyes nearly bugged out of his face before he remembered to look away. Blushing, the bookish young man cleared his throat and lifted his teacup to down half of it far more quickly than was appropriate.
"I -- ah -- am sorry to hear that you are lonely here, Miss -- Princess -- ah. Princess Gisella." That was it, Princess Elsbeth Gisella, and he was fairly certain he could manage to look at her again without turning red.
Taking another sip of tea to steady himself, Bennet offered, "I would not want you to be too alone here in Hogsmeade. Perhaps I could show you around and introduce you to some people."
Elsbeth's face brightened, "Oh I would quite like that, Mr. Potter! It would be so nice to get to know people here. I cannot tell you how grateful I would be. Surely, I would need to pay you back some how as I know what a pain it could be to do such a thing for someone." She'd never done anything so kind for anyone before and could only think that it would be quite boring and awful.
"I only wish to ask you to do such a thing if you are truly willing of course. I would not want to be a burden any more than I already am," She continued, though her excitement did not waver. There was no way that he would be able to back out of such an offer. The deal was as good as sealed. It would only be a matter of time before she convinced him to officially begin courting her. He was a timid man and she had decided that he was quite easy to manipulate and, if it came down to it, boss around.
Ben's stomach lurched uncomfortably as she took him up on his offer. He had been nursing some small hope that she would decide that he was beneath her (she was a princess, after all) and laugh at the idea of him showing her around town. But he had made the offer, and he would do what he head offered to do.
"It is no burden at all, Princess," he said politely. She would undoubtedly tire of him quickly, and if not ... well, being seen in the company of a princess would be a good way to counteract the damage that Nicolette had managed to do to the family's reputation. Perhaps he would even court her, although he doubted she would allow that. It was certainly the respectable thing to do.
"With your permission, I shall call again to take you around the village. Now, however, I believe I should take my leave so that I can find the book you desire. By your leave, of course," he said, bowing slightly in his seat. He certainly hoped she wouldn't object to him leaving.
"Of course," She responded with an agreeable nod, "It was very nice to make your acquaintance Mr. Potter. I do hope that I shall see you again very soon. I am much looking forward to being shown about Hogsmeade."
Elsbeth rose from her seat and extended her arm toward the man, a silent demand that he kiss her hand before he left. While it wasn't exactly polite since they had just met, she was a princess and she had heard that such things happened to princesses - hand kissing, that was.
The woman turned to one of her house elves, "You - escort Mr. Bennet to the door." The house elf grumbled under its breath, but it did as it was told. She offered one last fond (and an attempt at forlorn) smile before the door was closed behind him and she was alone with the borrowed house elves once more.
![[-]](https://old.charmingrp.com/images/collapse.png)
![[Image: 14o9e6s.png]](http://i59.tinypic.com/14o9e6s.png)
![[Image: sparkle1.png]](http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp99/Mommy_Emily/sparkle1.png)
![[Image: opnDDQo.png]](http://i.imgur.com/opnDDQo.png)
![[Image: sparkle3.png]](http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp99/Mommy_Emily/sparkle3.png)
