As Rudolf and Charlotte grew up, their meetings in the gardens became less and less frequent. Rudolf had princely duties and meetings to worry about, and Charlotte had more and more work to complete the older she got.

That didn't stop Charlotte from smiling at Rudolf every time she saw him, whether it be in the passing (when she also had to curtsey to him) or when she served him or cleaned his room for him.

The Empress took many trips out of the palace, supposedly for her health, but Charlotte started to wonder if she was just using that as an excuse to escape from political affairs.

The sixteen-year-old sat in the gardens taking a small break from her chores and avoiding the hateful eyes of Katrina for just a little while.

She smiled when she saw Rudolf approaching. The boy was quickly becoming a young man and a very handsome one at that.

"Taking a break as well?"

Rudolf laughed lightly. "I just got released from hunting practice. General Gondrecourt was as strict as ever and yelled each time I missed."

"Not even the best hunters hit something every time."

"Tell him that."

Charlotte smiled. "I don't think a servant questioning the General's methods is the wisest decision. Why must we be instructed by people who only yell at us?

"Maybe it happens when they hit a certain age. Or maybe they simply dislike anyone other than themselves."

Charlotte laughed. "Other than that, are your other studies going well?"

"It would be better if Mother was here. She's out of the palace more than she's in it."

"I know…"

"Sometimes I wonder if she even cares about her life here at all. About me or Father…"

"I'm sure she does."

"Then why is she gone all the time?"

"They say it's for her health."

"Even if that's true, she shouldn't have to leave so often."

Charlotte couldn't respond. She too often wondered if the Empress cared about her son at all. From what she heard from Rudolf, the woman never made even the slightest effort to be close to him or show any affection towards him.

"Pardon me, Your Highness."

The both of them looked over to find Katrina entering the gardens.

Charlotte grimaced. This wasn't going to go over well with her.

Katrina politely curtseyed. "Forgive me, Your Majesty, but Charlotte has chores to do."

"Of course," Rudolf answered. "Please forgive me for keeping her."

"Come, Charlotte."

Charlotte and Katrina curtseyed to the prince. Rudolf gave Charlotte an apologetic look as she followed Katrina out of the gardens, knowing that the head maid was about to verbally abuse her yet again.

Once back in the servants' quarters, Katrina furiously rounded on her.

"What do you think you were doing?" she demanded.

"I just—"

"You are never to speak so familiarly with the Crown Prince! As a servant, you have no business even looking at him!"

"But—"

"Do you know what would've happened had the Emperor seen you speaking with him? It would not just be you in trouble. All of us would be punished for your insolence! Things would be even worse if the Empress caught you!"

"But the Empress doesn't even care about him!" Charlotte blurted.

That remark was answered with a harsh slap on the face.

"Don't you dare speak of the Empress that way," the head maid growled. "The Empress deserves all of your respect and more. If anyone heard you saying such things, you might be tried for treason. If I ever hear something like that from your mouth again or if you are caught speaking with the Crown Prince while not completing your responsibilities, I swear to you that I will inform the Emperor and the Empress of your actions. They will deal with you as they see fit."

Charlotte fought the tears welling up in her eyes.

"Is that understood?"

Charlotte nodded.

"I said is that understood?"

"Yes, ma'am," Charlotte said softly.

"Good."

The young girl ran past the head maid and returned to the gardens. Once there, she allowed the hateful tears in her eyes to fall, thankful Rudolf was no longer here to see them.

"Hello again, child."

Charlotte sprang up at the sound of a man's voice. When she looked over, her eyes widened when she saw the same man from years before.

"It's you," she whispered.

"It's been a long time."

"I…I thought I dreamed you."

"No, I am very real, I assure you."

Charlotte took in his appearance. He looked the exact same as the two minutes she had seen him as a little girl. Not even a single hair was in a different place.

"Who are you?" she asked him softly.

"A friend," he told her.

She slowly shook her head and took a tentative step towards him. "No. Who are you?"

The man paused for a moment, but his eyes never left their locked position with hers. Finally, he answered, "Der Tod."

Charlotte gasped lightly. "You're Death."

The man gave her a small acknowledging nod.

"You…you took my mother from me."

"She was ill."

"I was a child. I needed her. Why didn't you spare her?"

"If I had, she would've lived the remainder of her life sick and in pain. The fever was causing her to become delirious. In a few weeks, she would not have even recognized you."

Charlotte didn't answer. As much as she wanted her mother back, she couldn't deny that maybe death had been the only option left for her.

"I know you must miss her greatly. If you come with me, your pain will end. Like hers did."

Death held his hand out for her.

"You wanted me to come with you back then too," she said more to herself than to him. She turned to face him. "Death is not the answer. It is never the answer. I cannot come with you now. I won't."

Death smirked a little.

Before she could even register what had happened between them, he had disappeared.


"Charlotte, the Empress needs her bath prepared," Katrina ordered.

The seventeen-year-old girl hurried to the Empress's room and politely knocked on the door.

"Enter," the Empress called.

"Your Majesty, I'm here to prepare your bath."

Elisabeth looked up at the girl. "I have not seen you before. What is your name?"

"Charlotte, my Lady."

"Charlotte…" Elisabeth muttered, trying to recall if she had ever heard that name. "You're the daughter of one of the other servants, aren't you?"

"My mother passed away when I was little, Your Majesty. From high fever."

"I'm sorry to hear that." The Empress looked at her as she finally recognized her. "You…you used to play with Rudolf when he was little, didn't you?"

Charlotte's eyes widened a little, unsure of how the Empress knew of her meetings with Rudolf when they were young. "Um…I spoke with him sometimes, Your Majesty, but I quickly learned that such a thing was not appropriate."

Elisabeth smiled a little. "No, I'm glad he had you. There was no one else in the palace his age so he didn't have anyone to talk to. Sophie didn't make things any easier on him. You helped give him a little bit of his childhood."

Charlotte returned her smile. "The Crown Prince caught me crying in the garden after my mother had passed, Your Majesty. From there, even though we had been told not to speak again, we always found ways."

Elisabeth laughed lightly. "Thank you, Charlotte."

"You're welcome, my Lady. I shall prepare your bath now."

"Of course."


After that small meeting, Empress Elisabeth asked for Charlotte frequently. Whenever she was at the palace, which wasn't very often, she requested for Charlotte to serve her.

Charlotte was honored that the Empress thought so highly of her, but she was nervous each time she served the woman. She feared that she would do something wrong and the Empress would then completely change her mind about her.

But such a thing never happened. Elisabeth never failed to be the most satisfied when she was served by Charlotte.

Charlotte thought maybe it was because she reminded the Empress of the teenage years she longed for again, or maybe it was because she wanted to hear about what Rudolf had been like as a child since she had unwillingly missed so much of childhood.

Whatever the case was, being the favorite of the Empress did not help matters with Katrina. The head maid seemed to dislike Charlotte even more. She hadn't even believed that to be possible.

Elisabeth shared much of her feelings with Charlotte, and the young girl slowly began to see that the Empress was not so terrible of a woman she had believed her to be for several years now. She still wasn't happy she had been absent from Rudolf's life so much, but a lot of that hadn't been her choice. And after hearing more about her childhood and how much her father was absent from her own life and her mother spent more time with her sister, the reasoning behind her choices began to become much clearer.

The Empress wasn't a good mother to Rudolf because she didn't know how to be.

Nineteen-year-old Charlotte was about to retire for the night, knowing she had to get up in about four hours. Katrina had given her twice as many chores as usual and she was fairly certain that wasn't an accident.

She passed by the Crown Prince's room but paused when she heard small cries of pain coming from inside.

She knew it was not appropriate for her to enter the prince's room at this hour (or even at all), but what Katrina didn't know wouldn't hurt her.

She took a quick look around and confirmed that no one could see her.

For courtesy's sake, she knocked on the door. Unsurprisingly, there was no reply.

Charlotte slowly entered the room, not knowing what she was expecting.

In bed, Rudolf lightly turned his head from side to side, his face contorted into one of pain.

Charlotte walked over to the bed, aware of how many rules she was about to break but not caring in the slightest.

"Rudolf," she said quietly as she lightly touched his shoulder. "Rudolf."

Rudolf's eyes burst open and he took heaving breaths.

"You were having a bad dream," she said softly.

"Charlotte?"

"Yes, it's me."

Rudolf sat up in the bed and wiped the sweat from his face. He glanced around the room as if he had been expecting someone else.

"No one's ever come here during or after a nightmare," he told her, his breathing beginning to slow. "Only my friend has a few times."

"The Empress doesn't?"

Rudolf scoffed. "She's not concerned with me."

"She loves you. She just…doesn't know how to show it."

"How do you know?"

"She tells me a lot while I serve her. It's amazing how much she opens up to me."

"That doesn't change the fact that she has never been here for me. Not when I was a child and not now."

Charlotte looked at him sadly. "Things have been difficult for her ever since she became Empress. She wasn't prepared for such a drastic change in her lifestyle. It affected her greatly."

Rudolf sighed and looked back at her. "Why can't she be here for me?"

Charlotte took a deep breath. "Get some rest, Rudolf. You have a full day ahead, I'm sure."

Rudolf lay back down in the bed to return to sleep, and the young woman pulled up the blankets as a good servant did.

Charlotte curtseyed and left the room, wishing she could do something to repair the broken relationship the prince had with his mother.


Word got around the palace that the Crown Prince was to be married to the Princess Stéphanie of Belgium. It was a marriage that had been arranged strictly for political purposes. The Emperor and Empress were eager to have the throne secured for the future after Rudolf took their place as Emperor. Rudolf needed to be married and produce an heir as soon as possible.

Charlotte couldn't understand why the idea of him marrying the princess bothered her.

As she sat in the gardens thinking about everyone who was excited about the marriage and why she couldn't be excited too, she heard footsteps approaching.

"After all these years, I can still find you here."

Charlotte quickly stood up from the bench and curtseyed to the approaching prince. "It's a good place to think."

"What are you thinking about?"

"Just…everything."

Rudolf only nodded a little.

"You are meeting Princess Stéphanie tonight, are you not?"

"Yes. There's going to be a ball held in her honor."

"I know, I've been helping to prepare for it for a week."

"I'll be expected to share a dance with her and propose marriage to her in front of everyone."

"And if she refuses?"

"Both of us are aware of the arrangements of the marriage. This proposal is for show more than anything."

"And you're okay with that?"

"As the Crown Prince, I have a duty to the throne more than anything else. If I have to have an arranged marriage to secure my right to it, so be it."

Charlotte admired him for his sense of duty as a prince, but she also felt bad that he was going to be forced into a loveless marriage for the sole purpose of producing an heir.

Rudolf smiled a little. "If I remember correctly, didn't you say that one day you would get to go to a ball?"

Charlotte let out a small embarrassed laugh. "I can't believe you remember that. Well, that was back when I was still just a child. I'm aware now that servants do not attend balls unless it is to serve those in attendance."

"Well, if you can't dance tonight, why not dance now?"

"What?"

"I need to practice for tonight anyway. It wouldn't do to make a fool of myself in front of the princess."

"But…you've been taking lessons and I haven't. I don't even know how to dance."

Rudolf smirked a little. "You've been watching my lessons though."

"No…I-I haven't."

"You made it a point to come in and clean the room whenever I was practicing. And I could see you watching, trying to absorb everything."

Charlotte smiled sheepishly. "I suppose the childish dream of mine really never left."

"Then shall we?"

Rudolf held his hand out for her.

Charlotte took a step towards him and nervously took his hand. He gently put her hand on his shoulder and then took her other hand in his.

A shiver coursed through her when she felt him place his hand on the small of her back.

"Now, it's easy. 1, 2, 3. And 1, 2, 3. And 1, 2, 3. And 1, 2, 3."

Rudolf was correct.

Though she was embarrassed he had noticed, Charlotte had been watching each lesson and practiced what she watched during her few moments alone wherever she was.

The two of them waltzed perfectly all around the gardens never once losing a single beat. Rudolf soon switched from counting to humming a fast-paced tune he had practiced with in his lessons.

Charlotte laughed with him, enjoying every second of their improvised dance. It was better than she had ever imagined.

He smiled as he spun Charlotte out and back into him.

The young woman smiled broadly and looked up at his very handsome smiling face.

Rudolf gently put his hand to her face. His thumb lightly rubbed her cheek with a tenderness she had never experienced before.

Her eyes moved down to gaze at his lips. They were so close to her face. They moved closer to her.

She found herself wanting to…

Charlotte's eyes widened and she quickly moved out of his embrace, breathing heavily.

"Um…I believe…they will be wanting me to…look at preparations for the ball," Rudolf stuttered.

Charlotte couldn't even nod her head.

Rudolf left the gardens and returned inside the palace.

Charlotte looked at the retreating prince and placed her hand to her chest where her heart was racing inside.

There was only one way to explain why she felt this way.

She was in love with Prince Rudolf.

Tears formed in her eyes as she pressed her hand to her mouth.

Why of all people did she have to fall in love with the Crown Prince? Absolutely anyone else would have been better. But nothing was more impossible than for a prince and a servant to be together.

"Painful, isn't it?"

Charlotte swallowed a bitter lump in her throat as she heard the same voice penetrate her thoughts that had done so several times now.

"It must hurt to know that you've fallen in love with the one person you can never be with."

The tears began to slide down her face as his words pierced her heart.

Death slowly circled around her. "There is a way you can make this pain end. You know the way."

"No…" she whispered.

She started to leave, but Death grasped her wrist. She was briefly shocked by how cold his hand was. She could not bring herself to look at him.

"Even if the boy loved you back, it would be impossible for him to be with you. No one would allow it. Especially not his parents."

"Stop…"

Death lightly pulled her arm which forced her to turn around.

She finally met his dark eyes that pulled her to a place she didn't want to go. But try as she might, she could not look away from them.

Death held her wrist close to his face. He brought his hand up and gently brushed away the tears that had fallen down her cheeks.

She looked at his lips.

It would be so easy to end all of this. To go with him and never again worry about Katrina or her impossible feelings for Rudolf or pleasing the Empress or anything.

He seemed to sense what she was feeling. He slowly moved his head closer to her.

For a split second, Charlotte almost let him do it.

But then she snatched her wrist out of his grasp.

"Death is not the answer," she repeated to him. "It's never the answer."

She turned to leave again, but this time Death grasped both of her wrists. He leaned in close to her.

"Are you sure about that?" he said in an almost seductive whisper.

Death released her arms, but Charlotte couldn't move. He raised his arms and crossed them over her head before slowly bringing them down in front of her as if he was trying to involve her in some kind of twisted dance.

"My only wish is to ease your pain, child…"

Charlotte finally forced her feet to move and broke free of his embrace. She turned and gave him one last look before quickly walking back towards the palace.

Death just smirked as he watched her go.