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Annette was glad that he was at least honest with her, and she looked toward the water as well. She knew the punishment would be horrible for her if anyone found out. She may even be killed, who was to say? But for some reason, it didn't scare her. She didn't regret it. While she had told herself not to fall for the Prince, and that he was a jerk at first, he really didn't seem that bad now. "You...like me? You could have any woman of the court you want, Prince Armand. Why...why would you want to kiss a lowly peasant like me? There are so many prettier women in court..."

Annette had been smiling, and even laughed a little at his statement of how she treated him. At the last thing he said, though, her smile faded, and she looked down at the ground. "I know..." She mumbled, half-wishing he wouldn't have kissed her at all since that was the case. "But still...it was nice, even if we can't do it anymore. I understand that the consequences would be horrible if someone found out, and I don't want to put you in that position because of someone like me..."

Annette lowered her head a bit more. "I know that, too. It's just hard to actually say it, with you being the Prince and all. How do I know you even like me as you say? You nobles, especially the royals...you're on such a different level than I am. You're something I've always thought was out of reach, way too high for me...like a whole different breed. In a way, I suppose you are. But still, you must understand that it's really hard for me to believe you really care for someone like me in any way..."

Annette was surprised when she was pulled into the river, letting out a small shriek of shock as she got drenched with the cold water. Normally she would be angry at something like this, but today she wasn't. She actually started laughing, finding it funny that they were both soaking wet now--Armand in his regal clothes, her in her simple dress. Neither seemed to care, and that made it even more funny, as there seemed to be no cause for any alarm.

Her days of travel had been long and boring, but finally arrival had been her blessing. Her green eyes seemed to glow when she peered around the small cut entrance of the carriage, seeing into the beautiful new place she was arriving to. Elisabetta had traveled through France for a year and some months now, but she had found herself a new settlement at the true boundary of nobility and disgrace of France. She had found herself a home in the middle of society's minefield.

As the sound of trotting halted, and the carriage's motion itself came to a still phase, Elisabetta grabbed her bags. She had in her left, a long case, standing taller than herself, and cylindrical in shape. In it was many art prints, made through mimicry artists who take and trace and make a piece of artwork again after vivid work. It was a new concept in Italy, and it was putting all the classics into noble and rich households...

In her other hand was a thick and plump bag of rich brown leather, holding two dresses and two night outfits, and a smaller bag of coals. Her wallet, fat with money, was nestled tight in the back of her corset, above the rear of her dress, were the small knot was easily played off by the curvatures of fabrics coming out to form her skirt.
Elisabetta knew better than to keep her money in plain sight. She would put up the grandest of struggles to keep that money to herself. At least until she could set up home.

Before her was a long establishment, a nice home set up kindly and quite spacious. The home itself had two bedrooms, one a master, one a guest, and a master bathroom. As well, there was the dining area, a kitchen, and a studio.

A smile danced over Elisabetta's full round lips as she moved forward, her heels tapping the hard paved ground softly as she stepped onto the curb and pulled her dark blue skirt upwards to avoid the moist sidewalk. Having a young man open her door, and greet her kindly, she stepped in and had him let her be in her own solace.
Elisabetta set her scrolls of art to the side, and took her fat leather case to the bedroom. There, she spent a good bit of time unpacking. From there, she went onwards to fix up her dress, and to place her wallet in a neat hiding place within her home. Then, she took a few bills of money and slid them down in the breast of her dark blue corset, one laced with white and beige ribbons, with a pure white lace inside that showed through the inner crossings.

She moved onwards to her bathroom, were she took a ribbon from her hair, and brushed through the silky chocolate spirals and waves. Onwards she went then, to learn of her new home.

Elisabetta stepped outside, and caught a carriage heading southward. As she was heading now, to look over the river and a bridge, said to be fine French scenery for lovers. Though Elisabetta had no lover for her own, she was still a fine taker of scenery. Arriving, she slipped from the carriage and walked slowly to the bridge's top, to overlook the beautiful river, a few teens playing within it, and the distant horizon of beautiful museums and even the home of the King and his beloved Queen.

"Home again." Elisabetta chuckled in her thick Italian accent lacing over a soft and beautifully feminine voice.

A soft rap on the door awoke Ophelle from her drowsiness. It was, of course, Rozenfae. He stepped inside and closed the door behind him. Now that they were in private, he could speak a tiny bit more plainly than in court.

"I am truly sorry my lady, to intrude on you, but I was hoping we might speak?" He asked in an endearing tone.

"Of course my Javart; what is it you desire?" The queen stood and leaned in to kiss him as he tenderly wrapped his arms around her.

Elisabetta watched the sun, watched the river's glistening glory, but her eyes had somewhat seemed to linger most upon the playing children.

The young girl fashioned more peasantry, but her soft and genuine smile foretold that this was a girl who knew more of life than any rich child of the noble class.
Then there was the boy. He was but a diamond under the sun; glittering beauty, this boy. Surely, he would make for a fantastic art contribution- but catching the fine young matter to draw would be truly a thing of trials. As soon as his crystal eyes of unbroken blue reached her own of rich browns with twists of green, he was like an animal fresh before the blunt blade of a hunter. What had he saw so threatening?

Then, Elisabetta truly opened her eyes. She looked back at the young and lively girl, low class but effervesced with timeless love trapped deep in her eyes. Ah, she knew now what made them both so beautiful- it was just that they were juxtaposed as so.

Without the beautiful and lively young woman, the rich boy was nothing but said, a rich boy. And without the glistening passion and handsome breathtaking sight of the young man, the woman was nothing but a lone girl lost without words, and eyes cast down.

"I see, my bello, and bella." Elisabetta whispered, her eyes latching back onto his.
His reputation was at stake with the peasant girl. How romantic, but romance was something Elisabetta longed for. Since the passing of her lover Leonardo in Tuscany, Elisabetta saw no lover fit for herself. No man was quite kind enough, nor open enough. Plus, there was truly something in her childish chase after Leonardo that made him special.

Leonardo had been a young man with a powerful compulsion for literature. But the man was ice cold, and his appearance alone was intimidating to those who saw him. But when Elisabetta saw him, she saw beauty, furnished and sculpted. She saw not the icy emptiness he cast over his heart. And through lavish persistence and a tender adamant trial, one had opened up the other, and Leonardo became her lively lover.

The thoughts consumed her, and Elisabetta quickly shook her head, and the chocolate spirals of long rich hair, to shake Leonardo from her mind. He was not a wise man in medicine, thus did he fail at his health, dying at the young and blossoming prime of 24.

Elisabetta turned off from the bridge's rails, and started to head down the cobblestone-style road towards the town sector where her home was, looking at the two with a soft and almost envious grin.

Annette got up when Armand took her arm, looking confused until she saw the woman. It was then that she got a bit worried herself, nodding to Armand. "Yeah...I have to get back to the shop anyway." She mumbled, seeing that the woman was leaving, though. "I wonder...what that was about. She seemed kind of sad..." Of course, Annette didn't know the woman. She seemed to be a wealthy one, and Annette knew few of the wealthy.

-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Isabella grew bored of her secret writing, having no current inspiration. How could she have inspiration when she was trapped here, in this prison? Sighing, she hid her work, and then left the room, walking through the halls of the castle. She had gone down these halls many times, and never had them seemed to hold anything of comfort to her. Anything she longed for.

Rozenfae silently and with minimul guilt, ducked out of the Queen's chambers. He cut down the halls with a slight skulking gesture and almost suddenly, saw Isabella cutting through one before her. "Hail Lady?" He called quietly.

He was alright with Isabella; having treated every caugh and sniffle since she was quite young. She was actually the first case he had when comming to the Royal Court. Nothing serious, just a cold that he killed with little resistance. The princess was quite pretty, charming too with her quiet and sweet nature, although she had been the determining factor of his humiliation not too long before.

Isabella heard Rozenfae, pausing in her walking and turning to look at him. "Oh, Sir Rozenfae. Is something the matter?" She never tended to talk to him casually unless she had to, but it wasn't that she disliked him. She just had a strange feeling about him that she couldn't get rid of for whatever reason. Still, she did her best to just push it aside, addressing him since he had spoken to her.

-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Annette nodded a little, looking off into the distance for a few more moments before going over and taking Armand's hand. Once she was up in the saddle, she smiled softly. "I had a lot of fun today, Armand, really... Thank you."

Annette smiled softly at Armand again once she was down, then gave a small nod before turning and going back into the shop. She hoped that her family hadn't found out about her absense, and so far everything seemed okay. She simply opened up the shop again and made sure everything was still in order, then got back behind the counter to wait for customers. The same thing she did everyday, all day. It really was dreadfully boring, she was realizing it now more than ever, but it had to be done.

She had been there long enough to see the boy mount his horse, but then disappeared around a corner to become a blend in with the french society- minus her natural ability to stick out in a crowd.

Her walk began to unconsciously slow, and her vision began to blur. Elisabetta fluttered her eyes, looking around as she noticed that she was being watched by others. Worried hands reached out from merchants and other high class citizens, gripping her arms as her mind lurched forward- and her body did so too.

Elisabetta tried to swallow her fear, but a knot was rich in her throat.

Arms tugged her, until she was lifted by a man and carried onto a bench, a carriage being waved down.
Elisabetta knew not where she was going, for her eyes darkened as her lids fell shut, and all she heard was the sound of her palpitating heart, thundering weakly in her chest.

[[ not at all dear :] ]]



Elisabetta tried to control her breathing as she felt the need to hyperventilate. But she needed control. This had happened before...

Arms swept around her, the voices dulling out as she cracked her eyes open. The vision was blurred, and obscured, but it looked much like Leonardo. Blondish hair, blue eyes.

"Leo...?" A whisper broke out, but the woman let her body relax into his arms. Her heart was all she heard now.

Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump...

It wasn't slowing down, not at the moment. She hated having her heart palpitations, a weak heart. As her eyes fluttered again, she saw a tall mass, like a castle almost. Her lips parted and she gasped, turning her head back to see Leo.

"Leo... I..." Her vision cleared for the split second she blinked, and Elisabetta saw the younger features, the noble holding her...
A groan slipped from her lips as she rested her head back.

"Sorry." She whispered, listening to a faint sound of screaming, sounding like... Rose... Rose... and... fate? Rossenfate...
Rozenfae?

Elisabetta sighed once more, raising one hand weakly to her chest, feeling her thick and racing pulse through her skin, probably it would've been able to be seen- shaking her skin, thundering her chest up and back, as if it were stabbing rapidly to explode.