Warning: This is going to be a looooooooooooong story overall. The chapters are short and carry through EVERYTHING until his death.

I stepped into the large storehouse-ballroom with a sigh. I was tired; it had been a long day. I was in no mood to frolic with the half-decent ladies of the encampment. I didn't want to be there, but His Excellency demanded of me to be there.

So I figured I'd at least have some fun while I was there, just for a little bit. I scoped out the room with a shrug, nothing particularly special about any of the ladies I saw stood out.

That is, until I saw her.

A gorgeous brunette about my age with rosy cheeks, dark eyes, perfect figure, and a petite structure was hiding in the corner. I was infatuated, starstruck, smitten. I was breath taken.

To say the least, I, Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Hamilton who would marry only for status, was head over heels for this girl.

She was modest with her appearance. No frills and lace with pearls and such dressed her up. She didn't show off to catch attention with a tall powdered wig with feathery plumes of an array of colors. Without a painted face to accent the powdered cleavage she didn't display, I found her admirable. She stood alone, I couldn't take my eyes off her.

And then… She looked up at me! I immediately froze in place and stood dumbfounded by her. Then she smiled at me and I melted. I blushed and grinned back with an awkward wave.

She giggled and waved back. I took a deep breath and walked over to her. I was shaking from nerves as I crossed the ballroom, weaving between couples waiting to dance when the first song would play.

Before I knew it, I stood in front of her. Time seemed to stop as I took her in.

Her walnut brown curls were perfectly pinned in a braided chignon with pearly pins, a few stray curls strategical cascaded over her shoulder. She had a pretty, kind of pale complexion with rotund, rose-red lips that curled in a debonair smile that hid her what must also be beautiful teeth. Midnight black eyes gazed back at me with a twinkle, my favorite fo her physical qualities.

A thin black ribbon tied around her neck with a simple pearl brooch, seemingly to match the small pearl earrings she also wore. She stood about six or seven inches shorter than me, causing her to have to crane her neck slightly to see me. Though aided by silky violet high heeled slippers with flowery embroidery, she was still adorable short.

She wore the most lovely lilac dress I had ever seen. The chiffon fabric flowed around her slightly curvaceous body in a fashionable way. The bodice was embroidered with beads and lace, trimmed with gold thread. A deep iris sash tied around her waist.

All to say, she was the most gorgeous girl in the world to me.

"Elizabeth Schuyler, thank you for your service to our country. I can speak for all of us, we are quite grateful." She curtsied to me respectfully.

"Lieutenant Colonel Hamilton," I bowed and kissed her hand. "Pleasure to meet you, miss. And the thanks is all mine for young ladies as yourself giving us hope and praise in this bleak situation."

"Oh, you flatter me so."

"I speak only truth. And so I must say how very beautiful you look tonight, Miss Schuyler."

"Oh, thank you. This is my elder sister's dress. She insisted I wear it. I'm never much for formal things when our soldiers are starving and freezing. It's just not right that I would flounce around in silk while they suffer for our sake. But she insisted, there's no overcoming her will. You may have heard of her, Angelica Carter?"

"Yes, I have heard of her will and her husband's modest fortune. You amaze me, Miss Schuyler. I have never heard a girl speak so fervently for the cause as you have. It's ladies like you that I fight for."

She bit her lip with a smile and smoothed a non-existent wrinkle in her purple satin skirt. She looked just so lovely in lilac. I bowed once more to her in reverent astoundment with a wide smile. She was too perfect.

"Would you care to dance, Miss Schuyler? A girl as pretty as you should be the center of the room, dancing. You are the belle of this ball, Miss."

"Please, call me Elizabeth. Miss Schuyler sounds too formal and sophisticated for me. And yes, I would love to dance with you."

She didn't just say she'd like to dance. She said she'd specifically like to dance with me.

Elizabeth took my arm politely and I lead her to the dance floor just as the musicians started to play the first notes. I took Elizabeth's hand and slim waist gently as she lightly touched my shoulder.

But as we began our dance, our grip on each other's hand grew a little tighter. We gazed at each other the entire time, not focusing on anyone or anything else-

"Ow!" A striking pain shot through my foot and caused me to disturb our perfect rhythm of dancing.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" She had accidentally stepped on my foot. "Are you alright?!"

"I'm fine." It hurt pretty badly, but I'd be okay.

"I'm so, so sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"I understand, Elizabeth. Things like this happen all the time. Your not to fault. If anything I should apologize for interposing my foot between you and the floor."

She chuckled and we held our gaze a moment longer. But after, she led me to the side of the ballroom insisting I should sit down for a bit.

"Where are you from, Lieutenant?" she asked. As important as I felt to be called a lieutenant by here, I wanted to be on a first-name basis.

"Please, call me Alexander."

"Alright then, Alexander, where might you be from?"

She subconsciously slid a bit closer to me and I blushed. I couldn't ruin her image of me yet. But I couldn't lie either.

"Not around her. But I came to New York about eight years ago."

"Really?" She seemed impressed. Maybe this was going somewhere. "I was born and raised in Albany. I'm visiting my aunt, Mrs. Cochran, and helping with the soldiers."

"You're so noble and good, Elizabeth. A saintly angel even."

"Popostoruous! Your praise is abundant, but charm nonexistent. I've never seen a suitor compliment so excessively as you have to me, Alexander."

"And who's to say I'm a suitor?"

"Why else would you be talking to me?"

"Maybe just because I like spending time with you. I've come to really like you, Elizabeth. A lot more than I thought I would for any of these girls."

She blushed a deep rose color and I smiled weakly. This was nerve-racking.

"Well, I've come to really like you. Based on the gossip about you, I thought you'd be more full of yourself and glory-driven like all the other colonels."

"That is a harsh assumption."

She shrugged. "I suppose in this time of war it's hard to meet a decent man who isn't driven by other things besides the want for freedom."

How could I ever say now that I was striving for a higher position?!
But she continued. "I suppose I really wouldn't mind if you were a suitor. You're a good man, Alexander. You're going to change the world someday. I can't wait to watch and see the country you create."

"Now you are the flattering one."

"I suppose it's hard not to admire you."

"Now you understand my struggle."

She bit her lip for a moment and stayed silent. Had I offended her?

"Oh, Elizabeth I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you-"

"You didn't." She smiled at me.

A girl in a green dress with lots of frills and fancy fashions came up to Elizabeth and I. I would later learn this was her cousin.

"Sorry, sir, to interrupt your conversation, but I need to steal Elizabeth away," she curtsies to me and I feel a little embarrassed.

"No worries, I don't want to have to be keeping her from something important."

"Sorry," Eliza murmured before her and the girl disappear into the crowd. I sigh. What if I never see her again?!

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