Prologue:

Once upon a time there lived a young maiden who resided with her father in southern France. Now her father was an ambassador and often traveled to various countries on business of the crown. The young maiden was proud of her father and often dreamt of traveling with him. She stayed at home though, helping to do the chores that her mother would have normally taken care of.

At the tender age of six, the girl witnessed her mother succumb to illness and die of a terrible fever. The young girl had grieved, but she quickly learned to move on knowing that now, as an only child, she was in charge of many household affairs. With her father gone for most of each year many things were left to her decision, and knowing this she grew up very sharp minded and practical. A part of her still wanted to travel and find a way of life where she had time to read and pursue her hobbies instead of always running the household, but for now this was not an option.

Also not much time passed before people discovered that the girl was beautiful, and over the years she developed into the most beautiful girl in town. At the age of sixteen the maiden had several suitors calling at her door. For a while the maiden was amused by all of the flattery and courting, but when asked to marry, the girl would decline saying that no man she had met so far was honest enough to be her groom. So, much to the dismay of her father, the maiden continued to be unmarried.

For two years the father and daughter argued of marriage and for two years the daughter won the argument. The maiden was determined not to marry until she found the perfect man. This dismayed her father even more. He wondered, out of all of the men that had courted his daughter and those he had met in his travels, who could be more perfect—and as she wanted—more honest?

/\/\/\

"Father!" Hope rushed down the stairs of their house to greet the aging gentleman as he returned from a month long meeting.

Jonathan dismounted from his horse and wrapped his daughter in a tight embrace. "Oh, my darling Hope! How are you?" his voice was light and yet rich at the same time.

"I'm fine, how did the meeting go?" Hope's voice was sweet and much lighter than her father's.

"It went well and I have a new assignment in Spain."

"Spain? Oh, father, may I go with you? Just this once! May I, please?" Hope pleaded with him batting her eyelashes and looking up at him adoringly.

"Of course, you've been invited to come along anyway."

"Really, by who?" Hope asked.

"By the duke of the estate where we will be staying. He is celebrating his birthday with a party and when he learned about you, he insisted that you come." Jonathan smiled lovingly down at his daughter who had hugged him again.

"When are we leaving?" Hope couldn't wait to go. She had never been invited to anything ever before and she was exited at the chance to attend her first party.

"We leave in a fortnight," Jonathan replied. Hope smiled with joy, only two weeks! She couldn't wait to leave.

"Oh, and Hope," Jonathan called after his daughter who had suddenly torn herself away from her father and had started for her room, presumably to start packing, "don't forget to pack a ball gown."

"Of course, I know just which one I'll take. Thank you father," and with that she was off to her bedroom to decide exactly what she would pack.


AN: Yea! My first fanfic! Hope y'all enjoy it! Well, here goes nothing...
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