They walked hand in hand into the grand ball room and were greeted by applause as they descended down the stair case where they parted. Isabelle went to find her father amongst the crowds and found him in his typical place with the merry king Fredrick and his entourage. "Ah my lovely daughter, what is this? My Isabelle in a yellow dress? This is quite the sight." he went in and hugged her. "Now I know I said I was going to be home for another month but unfortunately I am going be leaving sooner than that please don't be upset you can just stay here or if you want a ride back to our home I think you are old enough to do so." He smiled at Isabelle whose face had sullen at the news of her father's departure. But she did her best to keep it to a minimum as Gretchen came to join them, her skin looked great with the dark blue it darkened her own eyes to almost the same color and bleached out the freckles. "Oh my you look grand my dear, doesn't she Fredrick?"

"Yes yes she does now I haven't seen this dress before where did you get this?" The king spun his daughter around before him.

"Izzy let me borrow it." She beamed.

"Ah I knew I recognized that dress." Isabelle's father chuckled while two men came into the ball room their faces were covered in masks and they wore all black with a red lion emblem on their chests.

"They certainly look out of place; they must be the men from king Adam's country." King Fredrick look over and there was sadness in his eyes. The men left the two girls alone while they went to welcome the visitors.

"What do you think Izzy, with this dress do you think they will choose me?" Gretchen smiled as she peeked over at the men talking, she couldn't help staring at them the whole time they walked out of the room. "Can you imagine it? Me the queen and here I was thinking I would have to wait for Stephan to die but now I don't have to wait. You will come see me at my palace won't you?"

"Of course I will, you know that I wouldn't be able to keep away from my best friend." Isabelle chuckled while getting up to grab them some wine from one of the servants passing by she handed one cup to Gretchen. "Cheers to the new wife of king Adam." They knocked their glasses together and sipped while watching everyone dance.

"I wonder what he looks like. I bet he is handsome with beautiful blue eyes and is really tall." She blushed as the affects of the wine began to settle in. The king and the other men returned and before they knew it the outsiders were gone from the party. "They left fast." Said the puzzled golden girl to her companion. "I wonder why they didn't stay."

"Gretchen I need to speak with you." The king looked grim as he approached them his eyes were down while he took her away. Isabelle sat alone continuing to sip her wine curious at the situation but smart enough to know not to follow the king and his daughter when he needed to speak to her in private.

"Boo," a voice whispered in her ear startling the girl causing her to almost drop her goblet.

"Ooo, Stephan you are lucky I am weighed down in this dress." A huff came from her as she caught her breath from the fright. "What do you want?"

"I only wanted to ask miss Belle for a dance but appears she wants nothing to do with me so I will be on my way." A sarcastic look was on his face as he looked down at her; since the incident that left his nose a little on the crooked side he had grown at least a foot and half towering over her even when standing. He also broadened up a bit too, in fact he was quite lovely for a boy she once found despicable. Now he was just a little on the haughty side but was kinder than he like to put off.

"I will do as his highness beckons me to." she bowed to him lifting up her hand accepting to his offer. He pulled her in close to him smiling as they twirled around the dance floor his same sky blue eyes looked at her each time he tilted her down.

"Will you pleasure me with a favor miss?"

"Anything your highness."

"Accompany me the balcony," he led her out the giant doors to the balcony that looked over the courtyard. She sat on a stone bench looking up at the starry night a smile went over her face as she gazed up at them.

"Oh Stephan you know me too well,"

"I think it only be fair I know your weakness since you know mine," he sat down beside her looking up as well but couldn't keep them up they always seem to wonder to the girl beside him, no the woman beside him. "You are not the little brat I grew up with as a boy; you are someone much more than that. I want you to be the first to know I want your hand in marriage." He dropped down to one knee and smiled at her but before she could articulate the right thing say, his sister came running out onto the balcony in hysterics.

"Isabelle they mean to take me tonight to be married to that man!" she fell between them crying on her brother's shoulder. "Father told me that they were here to take me away and that the man that I am going to marry is a monster! That he has had two wives already and they have all died. There is speculation that they were murdered but there is no proof. Oh what am I going to do? I don't want to marry him!" She got up walking away to the other side of the balcony. Isabelle followed and upon reaching her she embraced her friend tightly before turning her around.

"Don't worry everything will work out I promise."

"What? How can this workout?"

"I don't know but it will."

"I hope so, well now that I have made a mess of myself I think I shall get to my room to get what I need."

"Alright, do you want me to stay in your room until they come for you?" she didn't even wait for she already knew the answer. Confusion swept around Isabelle about Stephan but she wanted to do her best not to bring it up while her friend sobbed with the maids packing and others helping their lady into a luxurious pink gown. Stephan was a great man and she would be happy with him but he wasn't the right man for her, though she shouldn't hope for a better man than a prince. "I don't think I could live with him forever." she thought. After all the excitement died down Gretchen sent all her helpers away and lay on the bed with her head in Isabelle's lap.

"I am scared, I didn't want to say this in front of my brother because I knew it would enrage him but I have to tell you. My father told me that he met this king and that there was no way for me to get out of this, also he was threatened that if he didn't send someone that ill will would befall his kingdom. Father admitted to me that out of fear for his own that he stopped fighting for me! Can you believe that? My own father!" She looked down at the crown in her hand with the pink veil flowing from it. "Do you remember this? It's funny he ordered this to be brought up to my room the coward didn't even want to watch me go just left me with my dead mother's crown, as though it would be a token of good will!" Outraged she flung it across the room. Gretchen's mother got a terrible cough one day and a few weeks later died, her father had already taken another bride.

"Remember what your brother said about the veil." Isabelle walked over to retrieve the object she picked it up straightening out the delicate material. "No need to anger your mother now." They sat together enjoying a small laugh before an idea came forth. "I've got it! With this veil I can go in your place." Looking over all she could see was Gretchen's eyes becoming almost all white when she heard her words. "You don't deserve to be miserable you are one of the kindest people I know but unfortunately you are frail and I know that I can stand most cruelty."

"But he wants a princess."

"How will he ever know the difference between you and I? We both have been pampered equally in our lives it's not like sending him a maid with dirty hands and feet. I can do this for you; give you a chance to find your real prince." Placing the crown on the bed and kneeling before Gretchen grasping their hands together, they stared at one another for a while.

"I want to tell you no but I am just like my father. A coward!" she screamed embracing Isabelle tightly.

"You are not a coward; you are doing what is right for you. This feels right for me and I am proud you are letting me take on this challenge for you. Now let's get this off of you and onto me." After the exchange Isabelle felt large and puffy in her new clothing. She tried not to think about how her father would react right now but he would be gone for a whole month anyway and by then she would be able to note to him of her decision. The two now lay spooning on the bed holding each other for it may be the last time for some for a while.

"Why do I need some prince when I have one right here willing to sacrifice her life for me." She leaned down kissing Isabelle's cheek they could hear people coming up the stairs. The two embraced and shared a kiss before getting up. "I will find a way to set you free Isabelle I promise." There was a knock at the door and Gretchen pulled the veil over her friend's eyes, she ducked under the bed peeking out to watch the guards take her away.

"I can't believe I am doing this, how am I going tell father? And poor Stephan I didn't want to marry him, I should have given him an answer before deciding on this." She did her best to keep her head down as she was led into a large dark carriage. The men bowed as she passed and when she looked up at the castle she could see king Fredrick looking down from one of the balconies. "Well at least he would have seen her off." She smiled as the last soldier from the castle closed the door to the carriage giving her a salute while it began to move away.