Gradually the six of us went our separate ways; Sophia to talk with her parents and the rest to flirt and flounce, leaving me dangerously alone. I tried to stay away from the crowds, sticking to the corners of the room and never staying in one spot for to long, watching the people dance instead of joining in. Throughout the ball I would occasionally be met by a suitor that would try and flirt with me, but they'd always be whisked away by a woman or friend.

When the ball was about half-way in I began to relax. The General was no where to be found and I began to think that he'd gone home or even better, been called out of town on an invasion. I even began to dance, maybe even enjoying myself a bit.

The candlelight was dimming, the chandelier lighting sent a rosy wash over the ballroom, and the gorgeous pillars that seemed to rocket into the sky glimmered in the starlight that spilled through the windows, causing the golden floors to shimmer. And despite my discomfort at being at Sophia's, I wasn't the center of attention and the room was just so gorgeous.

Forgetting all about my worries I stepped from the corners of the room and into the center of the ballroom, letting my lavender dress trail behind me as I began to dance with the nearest person. As I was whisked from man to man I didn't dwell on them at all; in fact, I was merely dancing with them for the sake of dancing.

I was feeling lighter than air; my feet gliding over the floor, my heart pounding to the beat of the violin, right when my current partner led me towards the roaring cheer that started in the corner of the room. My partner abandoned me to join in the toasting to Britain, and curious to what was going on I peered into the tight circle to see, to my horror, the General, surrounded by admiring men and cooing women.

Quickly I backed out of the circle, dread pounding in my stomach, but not before he saw me. I tried to run away, but felt someone grab my hand, and I turned to see the very person I was dreading to see. "There you are Rose! I've been looking for you," Charlie said, his eyes glimmering with satisfaction.

"Hello Charlie, such a pleasure to see you again," I said weakly. Charlie pulled me into an enchanting dance, pulling me all around the room and smugly looking on the other couples in the room, as if saying I'm the best. He clapped his hands and the candlelight dimmed even more, the music slowed, and suddenly we were surrounded by other couples spinning around the ballroom.

We didn't talk; instead we just danced, every second bringing me closer to the fate that loomed in front of me. I didn't look in his eyes; I didn't dare fall again. But I was soon realizing that was impossible. All eyes were on Charlie and I, and I could hear the whispers of the jealous women. No one expected the famous General to dance with the "lower class" Rose Indenza, and I could hear Sophia's soft muttering to the royals, and could almost picture her eyebrows raising in that surprised way that drove me crazy.

Charlie gleamed in the moonlight; his crisp general uniform pressed to perfection, gloved hand perfectly imprinted in mine, his movements easy and graceful, whisking me along to the song. "Everyone's staring at us," Charlie finally said as a romantic jazz song began to play, and I avoided looking at him.

"It is an odd match isn't it; you being as higher class as royalty and me being, well, on the lower side." I said, hoping to stop him from trying to swoon me. "Oh well. Rose I wouldn't want to be with any other woman." He said, and I could feel his stare fall on me, hot and blazing. "I know we just met, but I feel like I've known you forever." I wanted to scream at him that we'd barely said more than a paragraph to each other, but instead he decided to speak again.

"Rose, all the other suitors wouldn't treat you like I would. I'll treat you right, I promise. I saw your eyes in the market, when those men died. You don't like seeing others get hurt. I don't either, but some how that's my job. I wouldn't do that to you." He said, and I felt my eyes land on his chin, ever so close to his eyes.

His words were tugging at my heart; did he really mean them? Is this how all the other women felt when swooned by Eddie? Did they cave into his sweet talk and gorgeous gaze? Should I really believe him? In the back of my mind I was thinking of how he killed all the men, but at the same time I was fighting with my urge to fling my arms around him. How can I go from hating to liking him in a second?

Maybe it was the way he was dancing with me ever so gracefully, or how his voice was so soothingly reassuring, or how I hadn't had anyone truly pine for me since Virginia, but something snapped in me.

"Is that what you said to all the other girls?" I whispered softly, and Charlie put his hand on my cheek. "No Rose. I never loved any of the girls like I love you. I noticed you from the moment I rode into the market today. I know we just met but... would any other suitor try and convince you like I am?" He asked, and I thought about it.

Would anyone care to get my attention like Charlie did? Would they just force me into marrying them? No and yes were my answers. "No..." I whispered. "Look me in my eyes Rose," He said, and before I knew it I looked up and fell helplessly into the depths of his stare, which seemed to consume me. Forest green, dotted with strokes of blue, growing ever closer and closer.

And before I could react his lips brushed mine.

I didn't try to stop him. I embraced it, and after we broke apart I kissed him this time. It was long and ever so magical; he tasted like cherry, and he had to pull himself away from me, knowing the other's were watching us.

And a part of me, the part that was deprived from attention for so long, was falling for him full force. As Charlie grinned and pulled me into a closer dance I glanced over and saw Hennrita, Judy and Lila staring at me wide eyed from their place in the room, and a surge of satisfaction coursed through me, especially as Sophia squealed.

"So Charlie, what's next?" I asked. My brain seemed to be shut down; all I could think about was Charlie and his beautiful eyes and how I wanted to kiss him over and over. Charlie stopped dancing with me, and pulled a box out of his pocket. "This." He said, and with all eyes on us he got down on one knee.

"Rose Indenza, will you be my wife?" He asked, slipping a ring on my finger, the crowd sucking in their breath as they waited for my answer. Without thinking I looked in his eyes, which held a misleading hope, and said "Yes!" The crowd erupted into tears and cheers and Charlie and I kissed once more, this time a little longer and even more gorgeous.

When we broke apart Eddie let a piece of my hair fall through his fingers. "Excellent," he said with a triumphant grin, and the crowd clapped in applause for the general. Sophia raced over and dabbed at her eyes. "Congrats Rose!" She said, hugging me.

I hugged her back, one of my hands protectively on Charlie's shoulder. "Thank you," I said before turning to my fiance. "Charlie, stay with me." I asked, disappointed as he wriggled away from me. "Rose I need to say thanks to the crowd." He said, before disappearing into the crowd of his adoring fans.

I waited for him until he came back, and led me to the second ballroom, where he pulled me next to him onto a plush seat. "Rose," he said, and I felt my heart drop a few feet when I noticed his initial excitement towards our marriage starting to fade. "There's a few things we have to go over if we're going to be married." He said, and I looked into his eyes, my heart pounding. "Of course dear," I said, and he smiled softly.

"Alright. Well to start off, I'm having my mansion updated for us. It should be done soon, but if you have any preferences you'd like for the house let me know. I also want to tell you that I'm leaving most of the wedding planning up to the servants, but you have any preferences as well, please tell me." He said, and I nodded.

"Okay now Rose, this is the more important part, so please listen closely," Charlie ordered, in a tone that was beginning to make my insides twist a bit. "When I have General business you must let me talk with the men and never interrupt me. It is important that you are more seen and rather than heard." He stated, and my heart went from being on air to the bottom of my shoes.

I wanted to protest, but he wasn't done talking yet. "Also I will have to be away often, so when I am gone you will stay with Sophia in the castle. You can't be home alone, I'm sure you would miss me too much, so you'll be staying with Sophia in the castle." He said, and I nodded, though my heart was beginning to pound, but not in the way he thought.

"Third, and most importantly, you will be more seen and less heard. I can't afford you messing up my reputation, which I know you won't do because you're my lovely wife-to-be, and would like it to stay that way." Charlie said this with a strict air, like he was giving a five year old a talking too.

Suddenly I felt like my Dad after he got drunk; confused, angry, and crashing.

I should've known this was going to happen. Charlie swooned me and let me fall under his trap with his smooth words and soothing touch, and now I was engaged. How could I let this happen to myself? How could I let myself lose control of my hormones and fall for this cruel being? I looked over at Charlie, his eyes darting around the room in a bored way, and my heart ached as my brain turned back on.

Charlie's eyes no longer held the sparkle I had seen just moments ago, his lips no longer had that irresistible tug they had just a second before, and my feelings were as jumbled as a puzzle. If I hate this man, why did I love him seconds ago?

I clenched my fists so hard they started to bleed, trying to awake my senses. "Rose are you okay?" Charlie said, and I noticed his voice no longer held the caring manner it had moments ago. It was like he'd just turned on his charm to capture me, and if that was his plan it worked. He'd swayed me and now I couldn't get out of marrying him. "Of course dear," I said innocently, widening my eyes and blinking them a few times like I'd seen Sophia do to Joseph to try and convince him.

"Well I'm going to go talk to some of the men. Take a moment Rose, you seem sick. I don't want you passing out, I need you to be my poster girl. Don't let me down." He said in a smiling way, but his eyes were cold and his touch chilling as he kissed my lips and then left, leaving me in a daze. "I need to use the outhouse," I said to no one, before disappearing outside.

I ran outside, and my jumbled brain began to spin. Suitors. Dancing. Falling for the General as he swooned me. Saying yes. Being engaged. My head was spinning and I sat down, head in my hands.

I only knew one thing in the moment, and that was that I'd screwed up.

Bad.

Now the tears were here, freezing to my cheeks from the cold air. I let myself fall for the General of Britain. I let myself fall into his convincing arms, but he was sly as fox. Now when I thought of him I felt dread instead of love, which I knew wasn't what I was feeling mere minutes ago.

Part of me was saying to trust him, to say that I was just shocked from the nights events, but I knew that wasn't true. If the way Charlie turned off right away, engaged to me on the first night, and set the rules in the utmost rude way was any indication, I had just screwed up my whole life.

Now I was crying, thoughts running like water in my head. Charlie would be in control and I'd be on the sidelines my whole life. This this wasn't a marriage, it was an opportunity to show off that he managed to brainwash another woman and would make me his poster boy.

Oh why did I have to be so stupid and be engaged to him, which was the one thing I'd been dreading. I'd never have any freedom; I'd be the General's little wife, cooking and cleaning, safe at home, while he destroyed the one thing I was in love with; my country. I had to do something. Stall the marriage, run away, fake my own death, whatever it would take.

I stood up, brushing off my tears and began to run into the castle when an old woman jumped in front in front of me. "AHH!" I screamed and tripped onto the ground as she lunged at me. The woman grabbed my ankle with a frustrated sigh and dragged me into the shrubbery around the outhouse. "Help! Help! HELP!" I began to scream, and the old woman threw a sock in my mouth.

"Shut up princess," she scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Listen to me or you'll get something worse than a marriage to the most handsome man in England." I sat up, struggling to breathe with the sock in my mouth. "I can fight you know," I mumbled around the sock, but my voice was wobbly and I still felt like I was drunk, and the old woman backed away in mock fear.

"Oh my highness, I'm so scared," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. She firmly tied my ankles and hands to the shrubbery, and as I struggled I turned to her with my bravest face. "What do you want from me?" I asked, and the woman's expression grew serious.

"I need to ask you a favor." The woman said, and I crossed my arms, feeling like I was fourteen again. "I'm not accepting any favor from you unless you take the sock from my mouth at this instant." I demanded. "Whatever you say," the old woman smirked and I took a huge breath as the sock was lifted from my mouth, spitting out the disgusting taste that came with it.

"Now about this favor." I said suspiciously. "What the heck do you want from me? Don't you know that I could run inside at this instant to the royals and get you hung?" I said, and instantly felt my insides burn with shame. I was sounding just like Sophia or the sit still and be pretty girls I disliked so much.

But my shame was replaced with fear as the woman absently took a knife out of her pocket and waved it, tip glinting in the moonlight. "I don't think that will be necessary." She said, and I narrowed my eyes. "This is getting nowhere. Just tell me what you want from me!" I said, and the woman began pacing back and in front of me.

"First I think introductions are due. I'm Big Mama." She said, and I held in a snort of disbelief and laughter when I saw her wave the knife again. "Your name is Big Mama?" I said doubtfully and she nodded. She mumbled a curse as she dropped her knife, which I took as an opportunity to search her for other weapons she might have.

Big Mama had black, wrinkled skin and braided hair twisted in a knot on her forehead, sporting a simple blue dress full of many satchels, which I unsuccessfully glanced at for weapons. When Big Mama straightened up again with her knife in hand she surprised me by saying, "I change names a lot Rose Indenza." "How do you know my name?" I asked, and Big Mama rose her eyebrows.

"Are you kidding? I thought you'd know that the story of you and your family saving the King's daughter would be spread all over the market. I can't go a day without hearing your name. So when I heard you were going to Sophia's ball I thought I'd wait outside for a chance to catch you and ask you about this favor I have for you." She said, and I wriggled in my ropes, giving her a pleading smile.

"If you untie me I'll do your favor." I said sweetly, but Big Mama saw right through my plan. "Do you think I was born yesterday princess? NO, I wasn't. Now I'll tell you the favor and you're going to listen and not complain, or we both know what will happen." She said, and I opened and closed my mouth, feeling scared but mostly curious.

Millions of thoughts were swirling through my head; a mix of shame for getting myself engaged to Charlie, getting kidnapped and who the heck this woman was. Why did she need me for her plans? Why couldn't she pick anyone else? How did she really know me and was she lying? And most importantly I was envisioning situations on how to escape if she tried to impale me with her knife, which she was dangerously sharpening.

"Alright, alright I'll listen to your favor. But what does this even have to do with me?" I asked, and Big Mama gave me a look of pure wisdom. "I know you want to go back to Virginia Rose." She said, and I sat up at lightning speed, barely noticing the pain that shot at my tied wrists.

If Big Mama wanted my attention, she fully had it now.