A Pact With The Prince | Bridgerton ~ Prince Friedrich

Chapter Fifteen

He led her away from the crowds and down a hall where people dispersed more privately among the corners and couches. The matrons and the new wives watched with interest for a moment before some other distraction took their attention. Diana stole glances at the Prince feeling slightly foolish for a brief moment for crying in front of him about something so silly.

"Look." he grinned. They stopped in front of a massive portrait, it was of the royal family nearing 20 heads at first glance but when Diana read the inscription her brow shot up.

"Your mother and your brothers are in this?" Diana exclaimed in surprise. 

The Prince grinned, "Yes, she had visited England at some point, I don't remember it exactly but I knew I did not wish to be still for hours on end to be painted with my cousins."

Diana searched the many faces in the large family, the Queen was obvious while younger in the portrait she had by then mastered the art of regal finesse. Next to her, she presumed was the King and then his mother was easy to spot, Prince Friedrich and her shared the same golden hair and features which were much more gentle. Diana glanced across finding his older brother standing proud and tall at approximately 10 years old. He had a seriousness about him that made her wonder if it came from his father the King of Prussia.

Diana looked across carefully to see if she could spot the youngest Prince. Diana didn't take long and turned toward him, who was watching her with amusement. 

"Surely not!" Diana's mouth dropped wide in surprise.

"I'm afraid so." he said.

Diana turned back to look at the painted toddler with the grumpiest face that was allowed to be painted in a portrait. The small scowl and glare from the Prince's cherub's face was riotous.

"Not to be rude but what was the artist thinking!" Diana burst out laughing, unable to control herself eliciting the disapproval of the matrons around her.

"Well, as punishment, my mother thought it would be appropriate to memorialize that face and use it against me forever." he sighed making a similar scowl which was all the funnier to her. Diana wiped the tears from her eyes trying to control the laughter that kept wanting to sprout forth.

"Oh, I daresay quite the likeness, your highness." Diana teased. "Such a cross, between a scorned squirrel and a blond puppy. What on earth occurred that day to..draw your ire."

"Alright, that's enough of you." he exclaimed, pulling her away from the portrait.

"Wait, I didn't finish, I just wanted to point out you may have started a new fashion, portraits with that face can be all the rage." Diana added watching him shake his head with a smile.

"Continue to be impertinent Diana and perhaps you will experience my wrath." he gave her a wolfish grin as he led her back to the dance.

"Pray tell Freddie, illustrate for me how on earth you will manage that." Diana quipped, finding she still couldn't help herself. He stopped suddenly in his tracks before turning her, Diana was caught in his mischievous dimpled smirk, the one that she seemed to be noticing more and more by the way her heart seemed to jump.

"Don't be fooled, I can still be quite...beastly." he murmured roughly. Diana blinked up at him, swallowing whatever words she had planned.

"Come." he grinned. "I'm afraid people will begin to talk if we don't dance."

Diana, still rendered speechless, was quite grateful the dance they were to perform was lively and involved with the group, that they could not spare a conversation without being moved away. Of course, he sent teasing almost mocking glances her way as if daring her to ask what he had meant. Diana decided he must have purposely tried to get a rise out of her and it would not do for him to win.