Define 'Proper'

GermanyXReader Fic

"This is…."

"Yes, my Lady?"

"This is…is…"

"What is it, my Lady?"

"It's…."

The maid sighed in exasperation. "My Lady, please, I would very much like to know what 'it' is.

"It? Lilith, 'it' is the bane of my existence, 'it' is the top thing on my list of annoyances. 'It' is absolutely…TERRIBLE!" You whined as you slouched over while staring at yourself in the mirror.

Today your grandfather had the most "splendid idea" of going to town for no apparent reason what-so-ever, and he insisted that you look presentable.

Of course, you had protested. There was nothing wrong with wearing a simple blouse tucked into your (f/c) skirt and some knee-high boots.

But, no…..no, you simply had to wear a crisp, new gown for your outing. And, wouldn't you know? A new dress had just suddenly arrived yesterday! What a coincidence!

Not.

Your grandfather insisted that such a gown simply could not be unpacked and instantly thrown into a closet to await a party or some other formal event. It must be worn immediately and shown to the world! You suspected he had ulterior motives as soon as the dress had arrived, seeing as you would never order such a thing. You weren't into all the flamboyance and frippery of higher living, and hated gaudy things and formal attire. But your grandfather was persistent on the matter.

And thus, here you are, looking at this strange girl you do not recognize in the mirror with a look of utter horror on her face that matches your own. In your opinion, not that anyone else cared, you look simply awful. The dress, the horrid thing, was made of (f/c) satin that crinkled softly anytime you moved, while lace trimmed the edges of the collar, sleeves, and hem of the skirt. A large, satin, bow graced the lower back of the gown, while the bodice buttoned up the front with little pearls. A corset was bound to your body mercilessly under the gown.

"You have to wear it!" Lilith had cried out in horror when you flatly refused. "What kind of lady doesn't wear a corset with their gown! Honestly, sometimes I find it hard to believe you were raised in higher society..." She had scoffed in utter bewilderment at you. You thought the very idea of making your waist smaller and your chest bustier at the cost of much needed oxygen and blood circulation was absurd. You were not interested in attracting any unwanted attention from men, which you knew was the purpose for such a torturous device in the first place. It had taken Lilith the better part of a half hour to convince you to wear the thing and get it tied securely around your waist, with you yelping and whining the whole way through about how tight it was.

Your (h/c) hair was curled into sleek, shiny ringlets, the top layer being pulled back with a bow, leaving two pristine curls framing your countenance. Your face had been powdered, blushed, painted, primped, and any other manner of thing done to it to give you the look of "a fine upstanding lady of society". Your lips were glossed, making them appear plump, shiny and moist, while your nails had been buffed and shined. You were prepared for this outing as if you were going to meet a duke, or some other person of prominence! It was supposedly just a small walk around town, and then lunch! Why the need for all this finery!

All in all though, you actually did look quite lovely with the entire ensemble put together, and any one would have stopped and gazed at you as if you were some exotic creature from a far off land. And you had to agree, you did look very exotic. Exotic enough to look like a peacock!

"This entire oufit is simply horrid!" You cried with exasperation. "I look like some…some…some enchanted wild bird from Wonderland!" You shot Lilith a flustered look, with your hands clenched tightly into fists at your sides. She sighed, "My Lady, you look absolutely enchanting. Any girl for miles would wish they were you if they could see you right now. I honestly cannot understand why you dislike the look so much."

"Because it isn't me!" You cried. You did not want to have the other town girls jealous of you. You did not want men gawking at you from every corner. And you most certainly did not want to go out in public like this! This wasn't you! You weren't some princess going to meet a prince! The fact that you came from a prominent family did not mean you were born with a natural love for refinement, elegance, and wealth. No, you would rather garden or ride horses or do other "boyish" sorts of things than spend hours entertaining parties and holding luncheons for the other ladies of the county, like a proper young lady should. Let's face it; you aren't high society material, and you are completely OK with that!

But, as fate would have it, you were born into a family of prominence, and you were going to be subject to all the so-called "perks" of privileged living; like going to town for no apparent reason, for example.

"_! Are you almost ready, dear?" Your grandfather eagerly called from the hallway. "Almost, grandfather! I'll be out momentarily!" you answered with feigned cheer. You sighed, resigned to your fate. Let's get this over with, you thought miserably as you headed to the door. "My Lady, wait!" Lilith called to you before you could leave the room. "Yes? What is it?" you asked somberly. "Let me fix your bow one more time." Lilith stated, beckoning you over to her once more. *sigh* "Very well." You walked to the chair and sat down again, while Lilith busied herself with fixing the bow in your hair. "_, please don't be so miserable. Your grandfather only wants you to be happy, and he knows how upset you are that you were cooped up in the house for three days."

A surprise storm had recently passed through your town, leaving nothing but muck and water behind in its wake. You were obviously confined to the house, making you more miserable than ever.

"I know, I know, Lilith. I just wish he would ask me what I wanted to do instead of just planning out random things." You stated, standing as Lilith removed her hands from your hair. Turning to her, she placed her hands on your shoulders. "Be strong, _. Something's going to change for you. I just know it." She smiled and released you, sending you on your way.

-Le time skip to you arriving in town (Ludwig's coming up don't worry)-

"We've arrived, _. Isn't this exciting? I can't remember the last time we went to town together!" Your grandfather looked out the carriage window with the excitement of a toddler. Oh, grandfather…. A small smile played on your lips. Your grandfather had this way about him that made every experience seem new and exciting, even if he'd done something many times before. This trip to town was no different, or so you thought.

Lightly stepping down from the carriage after it had stopped, you took a moment to eagerly take in your surroundings. It really has been quite a while since I've been to town….It still looks the same though…. You pondered as your grandfather slowly made his way out of the carriage. The town was bustling with activity; people were shopping, children were running around playing with balls and hoops, while carriages with horses went clip-clopping up and down the road. The sky was clear and the air smelled of baked goods from a bakery down the street. "Grandfather," you asked as he walked to your side, "what all are you planning to do today? I would assume we're doing more than just going to lunch with how you've had me made up today." "What," he chuckled at your question, "Can't an old man walk around the down and show off his beautiful granddaughter for the day?" You giggled at his compliment, knowing he wouldn't tell you what he was up to until the last second. Taking your grandfather's outstretched hand, you started off, looking through the shops and other small attractions.

The better part of your day was spent walking around the town square where most of the shops were located. Your grandfather had bought you a new perfume, one of the few luxuries you actually enjoyed, which smelled of honeysuckle, and then he took you to a small restaurant to eat lunch. While you were there, a small group of people entered. They caught your eye immediately since they didn't look like the common townsfolk.

The first to enter was a man, around your grandfather's age, with wide set shoulders and strong build. In his youth this man would have been force not to be reckoned with simply due to his size, and he still retained that air of supremacy into his later life. His clothes gave him away as someone important, or at least someone with a great deal of money behind them; custom tailored suite, silk tie, and a clearly expensive gold pocket watch that he had out to check the time.

Next was a boy, not quite a man yet but close to it, with pale skin, a shock of white hair, and striking red eyes. You tried not to raise an eyebrow at this. You assumed he was albino due to his complexion, making him an anomaly that you didn't often see. His clothing was similar in value to the older man with him. You were unsure as to their relation, however, as this man was lankier than the other; less muscle, more visible structure and form to him. He would have been strikingly handsome if it weren't for the intensely arrogant look that graced his features, which distorted his looks and made him seem somewhat unapproachable.

The one who truly caught your attention, however, was the third man to walk in. You made sure to avoid eye contact so as not to appear to be staring, though it was hard not to. Tall build, wide shoulders as with the other man, but not quite so bulky. His youth made him less stocky and more formed, which was accented by his own custom tailored suite. Though his stature was impressive, what truly drew the eye was his face. Not quite as pale as the albino, but certainly not tan, with a well-defined nose, and a strong, firmly set jaw that gave him a look of almost constant displeasure, as if he never smiled. His eyes were a striking, icy blue that could freeze one's thoughts if he looked at you dead-on. Their expression was as cold as their color, serious and completely focused on the business at hand. His platinum blonde hair was slicked back on his head, with only a strand or two falling over his forehead. If anyone else had been looking at him, they would have instantly been seized with fear.

But not you. To you this man looked just like every other spoiled rich boy from a business family. They were always the same; cold and uncaring, only truly interested in what could give them the most gain. They were groomed from childhood to be prim and proper entrepreneurs whose primary goal was to enhance business. In short, they had little time for friends, leaving them cold, aloof adults who didn't really know how to handle most social situations, and the few people they could call "friends" were simply close business partners with whom they had made good deals with in the past. Your brow furrowed slightly with irritation as you looked away from the group and resumed eating your food.

Then you stopped, your eyes growing wide.

Oh my God what if those people were here to see Grandfather? There weren't many explanations as to why such people would come to the town unless they were here to meet her grandfather, since he conducted most of his business here. Was this why your grandfather wanted you to look so nice today? To give these people a good impression of his family? As these thoughts raced through your head, you noticed the older man in the group glance over to your table. Oh God, please don't call my Grandfather, please don't call my Grandfather, please don't call my Grandfather…

"Leo! How good it is to see you, my friend!" the man called over.

Crap.