A/N: Thank you all so much for your reviews and support! I hope you enjoy this next chapter.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.


Chapter 4: A Night of Revelry

"Are you doing anything later this evening, Chris?"

Christian could only stare at Anastasia, unsure if he heard her correctly. Was she asking what he thought she was asking? "I… erm…" he stammered.

Anastasia gazed at him for a second before suddenly smiling, letting out a giggle that sounded like music to Christian's ears. "I know what you are thinking, and I assure you that is not what I ask. I simply want to know if you are available this evening to come down to the pub right off of Main Street? Some of us are going to get together for a few drinks and perhaps a bit of dancing."

"Oh," Christian said, a grin forming on his face at the thought. Spending more time with Anastasia was definitely something he would consider doing, but he knew he had to be careful. Being in a crowded pub with a lot of people would increase the chances of him being recognized. His smile faded. "I would love to, Anastasia, but I am afraid I don't really know anybody in town as of yet. I don't quite know if I would fit in."

"Well, that would make two of us," Anastasia said, smiling rather sadly. They walked together down the street, though Christian had no idea where they were going. "My father and I just moved into town about a week ago, so we hardly know anybody. We have some family in the area, but apart from them, we really are quite alone here. It was very kind of Leila to invite me to her pub tonight, though I'm afraid I will have nobody to talk to."

"Well, I suppose I ought to come in order to save you from the agony of loneliness," Christian smirked, and Anastasia giggled again. She stopped in front of a shoe shop, and through the window Christian could see an older gentleman hammering at something on a workbench.

"This is my home," Anastasia said, glancing at the shop before turning back to Christian. "Thank you for purchasing the apples for me, Chris. I truly do appreciate it."

"You are most welcome, Anastasia," Christian smiled at her, his heart pounding frantically in his chest. He handed over the sack of apples, and felt a tingle when her hand made contact with his. "I shall see you tonight… what is the pub we are meeting at, perchance?"

"The Glasgow on Main Street. Everyone will be meeting after sundown," Anastasia smiled at him. "I'll see you then?"

"See you then."

Christian watched her turn around and head into the shop with all her groceries, greeting the man at the workbench who was presumably her father. Not wanting to be caught staring, Christian tore himself away from the window and began to head back up the road toward the castle, feeling like he was floating.

Christian could hardly believe his luck - not only had he been able to see the beautiful mystery girl he had been fantasizing about all day, but he was able to talk to her, learn her name, and even managed to get a date with her later this evening! God must surely be smiling down upon him to have given him such a tremendous blessing.

Unable to keep the smile from his face, Christian made his way back to the castle, eagerly anticipating his date with Anastasia later that evening.


Christian had climbed up to his bedroom window in the same manner of how he had escaped, and he realized that it was nearly midday, meaning he had to go down to meet his siblings for lunch very soon. He quickly changed out of his peasant disguise and put on his normal princely garb, ensuring no hair was out of place. He then hurried downstairs into the mess hall to have lunch with his siblings, nephew, and sister-in-law, none of whom seemed to realize anything was amiss with him. Christian felt utterly relieved, though that didn't stop his heart from pounding loudly in his ears at the idea that he had deceived them all, at least for now.

As the day progressed, however, Christian's initial euphoria at the idea of seeing Anastasia again tonight had begun to turn into worry and trepidation. He had been concerned about being recognized as the prince when going into town this morning, and now he was going to a social gathering at a bar where he would likely have to hold conversations with other people, talking with them face-to-face. He couldn't maintain the facade for a whole evening of that, could he?

He thought of seeing Anastasia again, however, which caused his worry to vanish while his determination grew. He had a real chance of spending more time with the most beautiful girl he'd ever known, and by God he was going to take advantage of it. It occurred to him that he would probably have to tell her who he truly was at some point in the future, but for right now he was enjoying being someone else. Someone who wasn't remarkable in any way.

The rest of the day passed by normally enough, and pretty soon it was time for dinner, Christian very aware of the fact he was going to be meeting Anastasia in a short while. Throughout the meal he kept glancing out the window toward the dusky sky, nervously watching the sun sink lower along the horizon.

"What is wrong with you today, Christian?" Amelia asked her brother, frowning up at him over her bowl of soup. "Do you not like the lamb bisque?"

Christian looked over at her, and noticed the others also gazing at him. "Er… no, not really," he said, getting to his feet. "Sorry. I mean, it-it's fine… I guess I'm just not feeling very hungry tonight. I think I'm going to go to bed early - please don't wait up for me."

With that, he turned around and headed down the corridor toward his bedroom, leaving his siblings looking utterly confused by his behavior.

Once inside his room, Christian hastily took off his dinner clothes and changed back into the servant's garb he had donned earlier, including the hat to cover his copper-colored hair. He knew wearing it indoors would look a bit conspicuous, especially since it was nighttime, but it was the one way he could ensure nobody would recognize him at the pub.

Giving himself one last glance in the looking glass to ensure he appeared decent, Christian headed over to his balcony, ready to go back into town to see the girl of his dreams once again.


Christian made it to the main part of town just as night had fallen, and he was able to find the pub rather easily - it was on Main Street just like Anastasia had said, and that part of town was the busiest tonight, with revelers and party-goers bandying about, talking and laughing with one another. Many of the people Christian passed by had bottles of ale in their hands.

Christian walked to the entrance of the pub, distinctly hearing the sounds of fiddles and harmonicas playing from inside, creating an upbeat happy melody in addition to the sounds of drunken cheering coming from inside. With feelings of excitement and trepidation in his chest, Christian made his way inside the pub.

The whole place was packed; men and women, both young and old filled the entire space, and yet the mood was very lively and fun. The band Christian had heard from outside played in the far corner, and many of the more inebriated patrons had struck up a jig in the center of the room, causing people to laugh and clap along.

Christian had never been to party like this - pretty much all of his social engagements he'd had as a prince had consisted of royal dinners and formal meetings with dignitaries. Sometimes birthdays and holidays with his family got a bit carefree sometimes, but never anything like this. Christian could only gaze around him in awe and delight.

"Chris!"

Christian turned to his left and smiled widely when he saw Anastasia sitting at a scrubbed wooden table in the corner. She was wearing the same cream-colored dress from earlier, but she had taken off her coif to reveal her chestnut-colored hair underneath, shining under the dim firelight of the pub.

Christian walked forward, feeling his heart pounding. "Hi," he greeted.

"I'm so happy you've made it," she beamed at him. He noticed a pint of ale in front of her, and next to her stood a brunette woman with a dark green frock that revealed her cleavage a bit. She was quite pretty, though not nearly as stunning as Anastasia.

"Chris, this is Leila, the barmaid here at The Glasgow," Anastasia introduced him to the woman as soon as he sat down. "Leila, this is my friend Chris."

"Pleasure to meet you, love," Leila smiled, fluttering her eyelashes as she held out her hand for Christian to take. "What are you drinking? Everything's on the house."

"I'll have what Anastasia's having. Thank you," Christian nodded and smiled at Leila before turning back to Anastasia. Leila lingered for a moment or two before reluctantly turning and heading over to the bar to fetch Christian's drink.

"I am quite relieved you've come, Chris," Anastasia smiled at Christian, her blue eyes seeming to light up brighter than the firelight around them. "I was afraid I would have to spend an entire evening by myself in this crowded room of drunken revelers."

"Well, I am quite happy to spend it with you, Anastasia," Christian smiled at her, and Leila reappeared with his pint of ale. He had never had ale from a pub before - he examined the glass for a moment before hesitantly bringing it up to his lips, taking a tentative sip. It was quite good.

"I have never been to this place before," Anastasia noted, gazing around her in interest as she took another sip of her ale. "It is much livelier than I expected."

"Is that a bad thing?"

Anastasia shook her head, smiling. "On the contrary. I find having a night like this, even just once in awhile, can be quite cathartic."

"Although in excess it can be quite the opposite," Christian stated, glancing over at some of the more drunken patrons, who were trying to get up on one of the tables to dance. Anastasia giggled.

"Do not worry, I am not planning for our evening to get quite that fun - I would like to have a clear head for when I spend time with you."

"As would I. But even without the assistance of ale, I feel like my head has been spinning since the moment I met you."

Anastasia blinked in surprise at his remark, and he detected the hint of a blush dusting her fair cheeks as she took another sip from her drink. Christian only grinned as he brought his glass of ale back up to his lips.


Christian spent a majority of the evening in conversation with Anastasia, talking about everything and nothing at all. Leila popped over every once in awhile when she wasn't dealing with overly-drunken patrons to talk to the two of them. Christian wasn't so blind as to not notice that Leila had a keen interest in getting to know him better, something he tried to make clear he wasn't interested in since it obviously made Anastasia uncomfortable. Some other people also came over to their table, mostly other townspeople who knew Anastasia in one way or another. Everyone was very friendly and kind, and Christian was having a great time talking with everyone.

Despite how rowdy this pub seemed to get as the night progressed, Christian was having a wonderful time. Never in his life had he been a party like this - was this how the townspeople always spent their evenings? He was on his second pint of ale at this point, and he was finding everything around him, including Anastasia, to be incredibly interesting.

"Oh this is simply wonderful, isn't it?" Anastasia said before taking a long gulp of her ale and setting it back down on the wooden table with a heavy thunk. "Come on."

She got up out of her seat and grasped Christian's arm, trying to drag him out of his own chair. "What are you doing?" he laughed, getting up.

"I want to dance," she grinned, nodding toward the center of the room. A large group of people had gathered and were lining up for a country dance.

"Oh, er… I don't think -" Christian stammered as Anastasia dragged him through the crowd toward the center of the pub. He had never done a country dance like this before. All the previous dances he'd attended had been with other royal dignitaries and were very elegant and formal - quite the opposite of what this was sure to be.

Anastasia ignored his protests as she let go of his arm and lined up with the other women, and Christian had no choice but to line up across from her with the other men, facing one another. Almost immediately, the band had struck up a lively melody, and everyone began to dance - it was one Christian had never heard before, but it was simple and easy to follow along to, and it quickly became apparent nobody cared if they got the steps right. Christian focused on Anastasia, the way her blue eyes lit up and her cheeks flushed with happiness as she danced with him… he didn't know if it was the cheerful atmosphere around them or the fact that he was dancing with the girl of his dreams, but this was easily the most fun he'd had in a very long time.

The dance ended, and everyone clapped and cheered as all the dancers bowed and curtsied. The crowd began to move around them, forcing Anastasia and Christian closer together - Anastasia was practically pushed into Christian's chest, and Christian grasped her by the elbows, steadying her.

"I think we've had enough revelry for the night," Christian said to her, amused. "Perhaps I should walk you home right now?"

Anastasia nodded in agreement, and the two of them made their way through the crowded noisy pub toward the quietness of the outdoor street. Anastasia clutched onto his arm as they made their way toward where Christian remembered her house was, and they were silent for a minute or so as they walked into the night.

"Thank you for coming out to the pub with me tonight," Anastasia finally said, and Christian looked over at her. "I do hope you had at least a little fun."

"Honestly, that was the most fun I've had in a very long time," Christian smiled sincerely. "I never go to pubs like that one, but I think I may do it again some time."

"I will too. Though perhaps I'll drink a bit less ale next time," Anastasia blushed, bringing a hand to cover her face as if she were embarrassed. "Goodness, I am so sorry if I caused you much embarrassment back there. I was having so much fun, and I'd felt like my mind was in a cloud!"

"Ale has a tendency of doing that to you, as does revelrous company."

"Very true. But still, I ought to do better in the future to have a clearer head, especially when I'm in the company of a prince."

Christian stopped in his tracks, staring at Anastasia as if he were unsure of what she had just said. "What?"

Anastasia turned to look at him, her expression apologetic. "…I'm sorry I didn't tell you before, but I know that you're really Prince Christian Grey. I've known since our first conversation earlier today."

Christian said nothing for a moment or two. "I see."

"Don't worry, I haven't told anyone who you really are," she said, as if reading his mind. "And I don't believe anyone suspects anything. I only recognized you because... well..."

She trailed off, and Christian gazed at her curiously. "Because why?"

Anastasia blushed again, glancing down at her feet. "…I recognized your eyes. You looked at me out of Princess Amelia's carriage the other day, and I remember seeing you, and staring into your eyes. Your eyes are a very unique and distinct shade of gray, you know."

Christian couldn't help but smile - any worry he'd had of Anastasia knowing he was the prince had disappeared. She had known all along, and yet she hadn't said a word to anybody about him. She must be aware to some degree what his motivations were for coming into town in disguise, and that thought was deeply satisfying to Christian.

"You knew all along I was of royal blood, and yet you still thought it suitable to bring someone like me to a seedy little pub on a dark corner of town?"

Anastasia blinked before looking back up at him, taken aback. "'Seedy little pub'? You just told me how much fun you had there tonight!"

"True, but the place is hardly fit for a prince," Christian scoffed, though his eyes twinkled. He took a step forward, and Anastasia automatically took a step back.

"You mean a prince willing to dress like a lowly stable boy to sneak into town and meet with a commoner?" she shot back.

"Are you trying to insult me? You ought to feel honored to be in the presence of someone like me. Where are your manners?" Christian pretended to sound offended as he continued to walk forward, and Anastasia kept moving backwards.

"I suppose you believe all of us ill-mannered townspeople are quite the same, aren't we?" she quipped. Anastasia was now backed up against the wall of a nearby building, and Christian stood in front of her, his body now mere inches away from her.

"Quite the contrary," he murmured, slowly bringing a hand up to brush the side of her face with his knuckles, and Anastasia closed her eyes. He placed his other hand on her hip, his thumb tracing along the lace pattern of her dress. "I don't believe there is anyone who is quite like you, Anastasia. You are quite intriguing to me."

"I'm the daughter of a shoemaker," Anastasia whispered, blinking her big blue eyes up at him. "I'm nobody."

"No," Christian gently shook his head, his lips lowering toward hers as his hand went to her waist, pulling her closer. "You aren't to me."

He then kissed her; gently, at first, tasting the supple softness of her lips. She kissed him back in the same tentative manner, tasting him, teasing him slowly, but then a moment later she brought her hands up to grasp the sides of his head. Christian took the opportunity to open his mouth against hers, their kiss quickly escalating in passion as his tongue began dueling with hers, opening himself up to her even more. Anastasia let out a small whimper against his mouth, holding him close, and Christian felt as if his heart was going to burst inside of his chest.

In that moment, under the cover of darkness against the wall of a building, dressed in the clothes of a commoner, Christian knew beyond a doubt his heart would never belong to his betrothed.

It would always and forever be Anastasia's.


A/N: Hope you all enjoyed that! If you did, please leave a review :) Next chapter - one of our little lovebirds gets caught.

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