"CAITLYN SCHREAVE!" My father's voice cried as he raced down the hall, trying to catch me before I disappeared for the day again. I curse, when I left my room, I had hoped I could get to the stables before I was noticed but of course, I was wrong. I stop, turning around to face my father. His head was red as he grabbed my wrist, "My study, now!"

He pulled me to his office, I tried to stop him, to pull away but he was too strong. When we got to his study, he let go of me, throwing my wrist down. I look around the study and see my mother sitting on the couch.. "Hello, Caitlyn," she sneered coldly, her hand clutching a wine glass that looked to be half empty. "You're an embarrassment to this family. I couldn't believe that your suitor report back to us that you stood him up for a date! Why can't you be more like your sister, Cordelia, she did her duty. Why can't you do the same?" She mutters. "Cordelia isn't a heartache."

I frown, "Starting out strong, hey mother?" I roll my eyes, she was probably too drunk to be subtle with her abuse.

"Abigail— Enough! I can do the speaking."

"No Porter! This girl doesn't listen and causes so much of a scandal! Everyone is talking about it!"

My father bit his lip, "I wonder where she learnt it from! Her mother is a passed out drunk! For fucks sake Abigail! Look at you!"

My mother gritted her teeth as she threw the wine glass at the wall. "Look at you sleeping with a bunch of whores! You didn't think I knew!? Oh I do. But I didn't say anything but do my duty well. And she—" she jab her finger at me. "I try my best with her, but she doesn't listen. Look at Cordelia, she is a graceful young woman that I raised her to be. Why can't Caitlyn do the same?"

He spat, "You're poison Abigail! You killed Justin with your poison! You pushed me away, and now your daughters are disappointments! Thank the kings, I have Clarkson."

"My Cordelia isn't a failure! Like this one!" She scoffs, looking away from me. "And for fucks sake! I didn't kill Justin. That old bastard killed himself instead."

I stood there, watching my parents fight, it's no surprise every time they're in a room together a fight breaks out.

"Look at Hyacinth! Justin's only heir and you punish her for it every day, a reminder of your weakness, a reminder of how I saved you from Justin!"

"Pfft!" Mother spats. "That girl is also useless. All of my children except for my Cordelia. She's my perfect star."

He laughed, "Cora slept with a maid!"

"And I dealt with it! Haven't you noticed that she wasn't causing any more scandal!?" Mother is in denial when it comes to my sister.

"You didn't deal with anything! I fired Xiomara, I arranged Cordelia's arrangement with Fredrik!"

"But whose idea was it for the girls to be wed!?" She yells. "It was me! I want my daughter to have a successful life! If it wasn't for me, Cordelia wouldn't secure that engagement with the prince of Swenday!"

"Mother?" I ask, my voice is disbelief, this whole time I thought that my father arranged the marriages. My mother was forced to marry her first husband, she doesn't talk about Hyacinth's dad a lot but I know that he was a monster to her. To think that she wasn't just supporting my father with his idea but the one who came up with it, it made me sick.

"Not now you ungrateful brat!" Mother sneered from just looking at me. She reaches forward with her palm and slaps me across the face.

"Ow!" I gasp, grabbing my face, the pain throbbing.

"Abigail!" My father yells, grabbing her hands, "You can't hit her! Her wedding is soon!"

"Let me go Porter!" She yanks his arm away. "And you don't get to decide what I can do with my daughter!"

"It's her wedding soon! Abigail, for once in your pathetic life, use your head!" He let go of my mother's hand and sighs.

"I know the problem with Caitlyn!" She shook her head in disgust. "You're going soft on her, she's too much like you," she spat, "Her and Clarkson, they have your worst qualities."

I flinch at my mother's words, they have all your worst qualities, I'm nothing like my father and Clarkson, they abuse their power at every chance they get, I'm nothing like that, right.

Porter sighs, a knock at the door catching his attention. "Sorry I was late!" Cora said as she opened the door, swiftly walking inside and taking a seat next to me. "What did I miss?"

"A loving family chat," I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm. I roll my eyes, crossing my arms. I notice Cora staring at my face causing me to frown, had my mother's slap left a mark? It definitely felt strong enough, my face still stinging.

"Oh!" Cora frowns, not meeting our parents' eyes. "Father? Are we in trouble?"

Our father shook his head, "No, of course not, we just had a chat with your sister."

"But why did Mother slap Caitlyn?" Cora asked as she clutched my hand. "And why did you ask for me as well?"

"I—" Mother starts, unaware what to say to her favourite child.

"Your mother didn't touch Caitlyn, stop being paranoid," he sighs. I look at Cora, muttering so they can't hear, 'please leave it alone, Cora...' "You're both here because we need to discuss the details of your weddings."

Wedding details? I thought I was in trouble for skipping my date with Mikhail, I didn't know we were also going to talk about our wedding.

"What about it?" Cora bit her lip.

"Your mother and Hyacinth are going to help you decide what your wedding dress will look like. It needs to be one of a kind, a dress of a princess, Hyacinth will draw the designs and then your maids will get your measurements."

I look at Cora and she looks at me. "That sounds easy enough," Cora chimes, giving in to our father.

"Yeah, I guess," I mutter, my voice trailing off, wanting to get as far away from that.

"Good, Hyacinth and your maids are in the ladies room, they will make sure everything is accounted for."

"Are we excused, Father?" Cora asked.

He nodded, "Your guards will escort you there, to make sure no one disappears," his eyes trail over to me as he rolls the s in disappear to prove a point.
Princess."

— • —

Cora's and my guard escorted us to the women's room. My sister and I were already feeling miserable. My maids were discussing with our maids and Hyacinth over the dresses. While Mother was drinking a cup of what I could only guess was alcohol and looking over her shoulder at them.

"I bet Mother won't allow us to choose what we want?" Cora whispers to me. "I always thought I'd be happy about getting married but guess not."

"For my first wedding I wore the most horrible dress, I don't know what my husband was thinking when he chose it," Mother said as she looked at Cindy's drawing.

Cindy frowned as Mother mentioned her Father, she never usually talks about him, "It looked a lot like that," she said referring to the drawing.

"Mother?" Cora pipes up. "Who is that for?" The dress was really awful to look at.

Hyacinth shook her head, ripping out the page and starting again, "It doesn't matter, I'll start over."

Mother nods, "And this time make it with a small corset and a large skirt. Oh! And princess' sleeves, how I wished Justin would let me wear Princess sleeves."

Cora groans. "Mother! Can Cait and I choose what we want? Father said that—"

My mother cuts her off, "Your father had instructed me to keep my eyes on you two because one of you can't do even the simplest task," she glares at me.

"It's not her fault!" Cora snaps, defending me. I went to say something but Cora kept going, "And we can do it, Mother, why can't you have some faith in us? It's our wedding isn't it?"

"Silent Cora! You do not know what you are talking about!" She drank the rest of her drink, "In fact, follow me, I have something to show you."

"But what about Cait?" She stood up.

"Your half-sister can babysit her for a while."

Cora sighs, following our mother out of the room. I frown as I look at the dress Hyacinth has drawn, it looks like nothing Cora or I would ever wear.

I would be lying if I said I was paying attention to anything my maids or Hyacinth said after Cora left, my mind worrying when my maids took my measurements. What did Mother want to show Cora? Is Cora okay?

I didn't really hear anything until my sister sat down, her dress folding underneath her, "Caity?" Hyacinth asks as she waves her hand in front of my face.

I shake my head, blinking as I pay attention to my surroundings again, "What?"

"I told you I have something for you, did you not hear me?"

"No."

She frowns, looking at me with eyes full of concern. "I'm sorry," Cindy whispers.

I shake my head, "For what? It's not your fault I flaked on my date with Mikhail and our parents had a full blown meltdown in my face! Or that I'm getting married..."

"I know," Cindy said. "It's about everything. I would take your place if I could."

I roll my eyes, "I know, you've always been the perfect one."

Cindy bows her head as she struggles with words. I didn't need her pity or her sympathy. I've a plan to get out of the marriage if it's the last thing I'll do. "I'll do anything to help you and Cora."

I sigh, "I know—" Hyacinth has always been the perfect older sister, the role model but she's also always been there for me, more than either of my parents or Clarkson has ever been. "But you can't help me, I need to do this on my own. You know my plan, if dad finds out you helped, he'll have your head!"

"I understand," Cindy didn't want to abandon me on this. Even if I insisted on this. "Just be careful, Caity."

"I will," I smile, looking down at a drawing in her hand. It wasn't the ugly dress from before but instead a beautiful dress, it has a v-neck corset. The skirt was flowy and lacy. It was nothing like what my mother had in mind. One of the best things about the dress is that it doesn't have princess sleeves. "What's that?" I ask.

Hyacinth grins, "This was the dress I had in mind— Before mother took over, I'm sorry you can't wear it."

I grab the dress off of Hyacinth, completely speechless, "It's beautiful!" I gasp.

"Princess Hyacinth!" Hetty calls as the maids working on my dress circle around.

"I got to help them, I love you Caitlyn, you're so strong, don't ever let our mother or a man tell you otherwise."

I nod, smiling as I pull the dress my mother had told Hyacinth to make. I'm never going to wear this dress, I tell myself. The dress Hyacinth made for me, the one that is me, I'll wear it at my wedding where I'm free and happy, being married to whoever I want and he won't be Mikhail, that's one thing, I'm going to make sure of.