Annalisa scrunched her face in pain.

"It wouldn't hurt so much if you had been preparing for it the whole day, instead of riding your horse around."

"Why do I have to go anyways?" Annalisa asked. The maid doing her hair pulled on her hair. "Hey watch it!"

Her mother looked at her angrily. Annalisa grumbled and crossed her arms. Her mother cleared her throat and Annalisa unfolded her arms. She crossed her leg instead and delicately put her hands on her knees. Her mother gave her a smug smile.

Annalisa looked at the mirror for a final time. The corset was way too tight, but the dress was still very pretty. It was gold and white; her long black hair was put into a tight bun with a lot of pins. She wore light make up, of course Annalisa didn't like it. She thought her face looked drawn and tight.

Downstairs she could hear the music of the orchestra start to play with a disgusted face she grabbed her mask and waited in the hall. Her parents came down and swooned at how good she looked. She gave them a half smile and complimented them as well.

They walked to the doors, leading to the stairs, leading to the ballroom. Annalisa's father nodded at the servant next to the door, who nodded his head, he took his trumpet from his arm and blew it. Annalisa put her mask on and thought about how good riding her horse would be.

From the side of the ballroom Annalisa watched how everyone moved in a synchronized fashion. Women giggling behind their mask at men they would probably never know. No one knew who anyone was.

Until a calm hush fell over the crowd and they all looked toward the stairs. A man in a nice suit walked down the stairs. Murmurs rushed through the crowd that turned into excited giggles from women.

As he took his last step he was rushed by an onslaught of women all vying for his attention.

The room had suddenly got smaller to Annalisa and things began to get blurry. So while everyone was interested in the mystery man she went outside to the balcony and took off her mask. Face lifted to the sky she took several deep breaths.

Behind her she heard a deep voice, "You aren't supposed to take off your mask."

Startled Annalisa swung around. It was the same man from the ballroom. Annalisa quickly put her mask back on.

"There's no rule against it." Annalisa stated.

"Yes, but it takes away the fun." The mystery man said.

"There's nothing fun about this. Wearing a corset so tight that you can't breathe, I'd much rather be out riding horses." Annalisa said.

In two great strides he was right in front of her.

"I can take care of the corset problem." He said, cupping her cheek in his hand. Annalisa huffed indignantly and smacked his hand away.

"If I wanted you to take care of my corset, you'd be taking care of it." Annalisa stated matter-of-factly. A smirk found its way onto his face.

"I think I like you with the mask on anyways. That way no can see your beauty." He ended the sentence with a chaste kiss. Annalisa flushed while the man returned to the party.

When he entered the ballroom Annalisa waited a few seconds, and then rushed after him. She saw him already on the other side of the room. Annalisa looked for her mother and found her easily; she was the only one to wear her hair down.

She practically ran past people to get to her and she could hear people talking about her as she ran past them. She could practically feel eyes on her and she didn't have to turn around to know who they belonged to.

"Mother." Annalisa said trying to catch her breath. Her mother put on a forced smile at whoever she was talking to. They nodded their heads and left.

"What Annalisa?" Annalisa could practically hear the restraint in her mother's voice.

"Who is that man?" She asked pointing to the man currently engaged in a conversation with another woman.

"Oh. Found someone you like after all? Well, I wouldn't get my hopes up, there's not a young woman here not going for Giotto."

Annalisa turned to look back at Giotto and found he had finished his conversation. Usually you could not distinguish what a person was looking at or thinking with those masks on, but when he looked in her general direction and smirked she could tell they were thinking the same thing.

They had met and fallen in love with a kiss.