Hello again everyone! I hope you enjoy this chapter; it's got one of my favourite scenes in it! Anyway, I won't keep you occupied here for too long! On to the story!

Rebekka was seated away from the other guests while she ate her lunch. This strategic placement allowed her to have many men crowd around her, as opposed to just one on either side as at a table; however, even though she had as many as fifteen men around her at this moment, she had never felt more miserable in her life. She couldn't understand it, but all of the plans she had formulated last night had failed. She had attracted plenty of other men, but not Élías. He had made no effort to join her group of men, and she had not even talked to him since the run-in with Lilian. Lilian who barely came up to his shoulder.

She was a tiny woman. So tiny, in fact, that she looked like a child wearing her mother's clothes. She was small and frail-looking. She had a shy, frightened look in her turquoise eyes at every minute of the day. When Lilian commented on how pretty she thought Rebekka's gown was, it was hard for Rebekka to reply back civilly. With every part of her being, she wanted to speak alone with Élías, but he had sat with Lilian ever since Rebekka had talked with them that morning. She tried to keep her eyes away from them, and whenever she would glance their way, she would turn away quickly and focus her attention back on the men around her, flirting and acting as though she hadn't a care in the world.

Vash Zwingli was on her right, refusing to move from the spot and sending glares at the Vargas twins when they tried to take it from him. Ludwig Strahler was on her left, though he was frequently running to the dessert table to get her small bites to eat as if he were unaware of the dozen servants at the party for simply that reason. As a result, Emma was glaring at her from across the yard, undoubtedly wishing for her to burst into flames.

Rebekka glanced over to see if Élías had taken an interest in her yet, but found that he was still engrossed in talking to Lilian. She felt as though she could claw and scratch at Lilian's pure skin and feel good about doing it. Across the yard, she noticed Gilbert Beilschmidt talking with Miklos Héderváry. She locked eyes with him, and he laughed. She had the oddest feeling that he knew just what she was hiding behind her liveliness, could see that it wasn't working, and he was laughing at her for failing. She felt she could claw him too.

"If I can just make it through the afternoon," Rebekka thought. "then I can stay downstairs while all the other girls take their naps upstairs to be fresh for the ball tonight. Then I can talk to Élías alone."

The young ladies were becoming tired in the mid-day heat, for it was already 2 o'clock. Felicja went around to every table signalling the end of the morning's festivities and the beginning of naptime. As all the girls climbed the staircase to the bedrooms, Rebekka stayed behind. The men filed into the living room, and she waited. She waited to have her chance to speak alone with Élías. The men began to talk of the war.

Johannes spoke first. "Miklos, you were telling me earlier that you hoped that there would be no war! You can't say you don't want to fight! The Northerners have insulted our religion and our way of life! We will fight and we will beat them! Nords can't fight and we can!" A boom of approving voices was heard.

"They'll see us and they'll turn and run, every one of them!" Lovino added.

"One of us can take on twenty of them! We'll beat them in one battle!" Vash said.

Johannes turned to Élías. "What does the Captain of our troops say?"

Élías looked up to face the crowd. "Boys, if the continent fights, I will fight with it, but I too hope that the North does not wish to fight and will leave us be."

Vash spoke. "But Élías, they have insulted us! You aren't saying you don't want war?"

"Wars always cause misery. Is the outcome of war ever worth the lives lost?" A sea of voices exploded around him, but Johannes quickly stepped in.

"Now, now gentlemen, apparently Mister Beilschmidt has been up north! What do you have to say about all this, sir? Don't you agree with us, Mister Beilschmidt?"

"I'd say it's hard winning a war with words." His grating, yet somehow fluid voice had to be one of the oddest Rebekka had ever heard, and there was a proudness about him. There was an air of contempt in his voice.

"What do you mean, sir?" Vash spat, obviously offended by his tone and words.

"I mean I've lived in the northern countries for a few years and the north is simply better equipped than we are. They have cannon and iron factories, shipyards, a fleet, and immigrants willing to fight on their side for a few coins a day. All we have is our servants, churches, farms, and arrogance."

"Are you hinting that the Nords could beat us?" Vash protested fiercely.

He chuckled, tapping his boot heel on the floor and adjusting his neck cloth. "No, I'm not hinting."

A fire burned in Rebekka's heart, but a part of her knew that what this man said was right. It sounded like common sense. Dozens of voices exploded through the air once more, but Vash's voice was high above the rest.

"I refuse to listen to your treachery!" He puffed out his chest and looked Beilschmidt right in the eye.

"I'm sorry if the truth offends you, Mister Zwingli." He turned to Élías. "Perhaps you wouldn't mind if I looked about your place, Mister Héderváry? I seem to be spoiling everyone's victory talk." He bowed slightly, turned, and sauntered from the room. Rebekka took shelter behind a curtain, so she could keep out of his line of vision.

"I don't like him; he refused to fight." Vash said, seething.

Élías stepped forward. "Not quite, Vash. He just refused to take advantage of you."

"Take advantage of me? I'll show him." Vash started after him, but Élías held him back.

"Don't go provoking him any more. You'll be needed for much more important fighting soon enough." He released Vash and put his hands into his pockets. "Now if you'll excuse me, Mister Beilschmidt is my guest; I believe I'll show him about the place.

Rebekka waited for Élías to pass the spot where she had been hiding. Once he had, she silently crept after him and ran in to the closest room. She called to him from the door.

"Élías, oh Élías!"

He looked back and turned, walking toward her. "Rebekka? Why aren't you resting with the other girls? Who are you hiding from in here - Vash or the Vargas boys?"

Rebekka couldn't say a word to him. Her heart was beating uncontrollably and her mouth was too dry to form words. Her thoughts raced much too fast to pick out something to say. Élías noticed the glow in her eyes and the flush of her cheeks. He touched her hand, and she began to tremble. Her plan was about to work; it was going to unfold just the way she had hoped.

"What is it? Do you have something to tell me?" Élías asked.

Rebekka's mind was jolted into action. "Oh yes, Élías, I-I love you." Why hadn't she done this before? It seemed so easy.

An odd look that Rebekka couldn't place came over Élías' features. "Rebekka, isn't it enough that you've gathered every other man's heart here today? You've always had mine." He said with that old teasing note that she remembered. This was not going how she had planned.

"Don't tease me now! Do I have your heart, my darling? I lo-"

He placed a finger over her lips in haste, a panicked tone in his voice. "You shouldn't say such things. You don't mean them."

"You do care about me, don't you? Don't you want to marry me?"

"I'm going to marry Lilian."

She grabbed his arm. "But you can't, not if you care for me!"

He wrapped his hands around hers. "Oh Rebekka, you don't know what the word 'marriage' means!"

"I know I love you and I want to be your wife! You don't really love Lilian."

"She's like me; she's a part of my blood. We understand each other."

"But you love me!" She replied.

"Who could help but love you Rebekka? You have so much passion and life. You have so much love, but that's not enough to make a successful marriage between two people who are as different as we are."

"Why don't you say it, you coward? You're afraid to marry me! You'd rather live with that silly little fool who will raise a batch of spineless kids just like her!" Rebekka turned, stomping away in rage, her long gown trailing out behind her.

"You shouldn't say such things about Lilian." Élías called after her.

She turned back to him angrily. "Who are you to tell me I shouldn't? You made me believe you wanted to marry me!"

He slowly approached her. "Did I ever-"

Rebekka felt tears welling behind her eyes. Her heart was beating wildly, threatening to jump from her chest even though she knew what he said was true. He had never been anything more than friendly with her, and when she thought of this, she became even angrier with herself. "You did! You did! You led me on! I'll hate you until I die!"

"Rebekka, please." He held out his hand to her, but rather than accept it, she raised her own hand to slap him harshly across the face with all the strength she could muster. He looked at her for a few moments before quietly exiting the room, leaving her alone.

As she listened to his footsteps fade down the hallway, she realized what she had just accomplished. She had lost Élías; she had let her feelings be known to him in what she deemed 'a wild and pitiful display of emotion'. She should have done it with more care, for now everyone would learn of her spectacle today, and she would be the laughing stock of Austria. With the sound of his footsteps completely lost, she picked up the nearest thing she could and hurled it across the room in anger. The small vase soared over the back of the couch and smashed into plenty of sharp, little pieces as it hit the mantelpiece of the fireplace.

"Don't shoot!" A voice called out teasingly from the other side of the couch. Rebekka's mouth went so dry that all she could do was gasp. Gilbert Beilschmidt slowly peeked over the back of the couch. "Oh, it's just you." he said mockingly, getting up from the couch and making his way over to her. "I thought the war had started."

"Sir, y-you should have said something to make your presence known." She was awestruck.

"In the middle of that beautiful speech? Nah."

Rebekka gulped. He had heard everything. She stood up just a little straighter, trying to regain some of her dignity.

"Oh, and by the way, you're the intruder in this situation. You should have chosen another room. I assumed I had found a place where I would be undisturbed."

She felt her temper flare at this rude man's arrogance. "You, sir, are just an eavesdropper!"

He chuckled. "Eavesdroppers usually hear very interesting stories."

Rebekka gasped slightly at his words. "You are no gentleman." She turned to leave.

Gilbert smirked at her. "And you're no lady."

She quickly turned back to him, her mouth hanging open in shock. "First, you eavesdrop on a private conversation, then you insult me!"

"I meant it as a compliment! Ladies don't interest me. I can always tell what they're thinking, but they never say what they think, and that gets boring. Now you, Miss Edelstein, are quite interesting. I don't know how you can find a man like Élías Héderváry charming; he's quite the bore. I definitely hope to see more of you when you're free of his spell."

"You aren't fit to wipe his boots!" She shouted, storming out of the room.

Gilbert laughed. "And you were going to hate him for the rest of your life!"

Rebekka was heading toward the staircase when she saw the Felicja, Emma, and Lilian coming down after their naps. She quickly moved behind the staircase, overheard them, and was quickly reminded of what that rude Gilbert Beilschmidt had said.

"Eavesdroppers usually hear very interesting stories."

"She certainly made a fool of herself today flirting with all those men, it's shameful." Felicja snapped.

"Oh no," Lilian said. "she's just full of life and energy!" Rebekka gagged at the notion of Lilian defending her.

"Well, you saw how she was going after every man she could get her hands on, even Ludwig! She knows he belongs to me." Emma was fuming. She had had her eye on Ludwig Strahler for quite some time.

"And Vash!" Felicja added. "He's supposed to be mine."

"Well," Emma said with contempt. "Men may flirt with girls like Rebekka, but they certainly don't marry them." Rebekka remembered the scene with Élías a few minutes ago, and new tears began to form in her eyes. She watched the three girls move into another room and promptly left her hiding spot. She began to ascend the stairs. She just wanted to forget this day ever happened. She wanted so desperately to take everything back. She wanted to cry in her mother's arms and tell her the whole story, but she knew that to run away from this would only make the stuck-up, young ladies gossip about her even more.

Suddenly, there were people running in every direction. Rebekka had no idea what could have been happening, but she didn't really care. Vash came running over to her, his hair tousled. "Miss Rebekka, have you heard? They've called for soldiers! We're going to fight! Everyone's going to enlist!"

She stopped, her heart beating wildly. "Everyone?" She rushed over to a large window, and she saw all the men and ladies running about the front yard.

"Miss Rebekka, will you be sad to see us go?"

"Oh yes. I-I think I'll cry every night."

"Oh Miss Rebekka, I-I love you, and I know that I could never hope that you could love me, but if you would think about marrying me, you would make me the happiest man in the world. I would do anything for you, I promise."

"W-what was that?" she asked.

"I-I said, Rebekka, would you marry me?"

She saw Élías upon his horse; he was with Lilian. Rebekka seethed as he leant down to kiss her before riding off.

She turned to him. "Yes, Vash, I will."

"Oh, Rebekka, you've made me the happiest man in the world! I'll go speak to your father now!" He kissed her hand and, without another word, sped off in search of Mister Edelstein.

Rebekka looked back to the spot where Élías had sat so handsomely atop his horse, and she spoke, her voice barely a whisper.

"Élías."

Another chapter done and posted! Let me know what you think of it! By the way, the scene that I mentioned earlier that was one of my favourites is the one when Rebekka finds out Gil was on the couch the whole time and heard her shameful confession. He knows her darkest secret!