AN: thanks to Audery, JupieKat, Katalina O'riley, Neon Glow, Squirrel, Gypsy, Jenny the chica, gwen, Cherry Lee, Gypsy Lark, and Meggie for the reviews and encouragement.

             I am still having slight trouble so this story will come out a little slow for me... but at least I broke the worst of the block

He moved his lips closer to hers, he wanted to kiss her, he wanted to feel those soft lips against his. He touched a strand of the long blonde hair. It was so soft, so beautiful. He kissed her, she was so sweet, so beautiful.

He felt sharp teeth come down onto his tongue and he opened his eyes to see the enchanting should-be-princess was no longer there. She was replaced by a demon, a monster. Dark brown scaly skin marked her body, sharp yellow teeth showed when she  began giggle. The giggle was no longer sweet and innocent, it was now evil. The eyes of this beast were still the soft captivating blue, the dress it wore was still the pink gown, and long golden hair still framed its hideous face...

It was too late though, the kiss had sealed his fate,

She was to be his bride...

            Anton awoke, nearly screaming allowed but knew not why. Deep in the back of his mind were all the answer yet he could not grasp them. In one week, in just one short week, would be the ball. The time to determine who he would marry. But there was something there, something warning him to be careful.

            A knock sounded against the door bringing him away from his thoughts. His mother walked in only seconds later.

            "You are still in bed? Be quick about you and dress! Did you forget you were to visit the Lady Jasmine?"

            Anton nodded and quickly got up from his bed. He washed himself and dressed into a pair of dark gray pants and a white shirt. He slipped on his boots and straightened his hair.

*°*°*°*°*

            "Estrella, don't just stand there! Help me," said Jasmine. She handed Estrella the silver chain. A large sapphire hung from the chain and matched her long dark blue dress. Estrella placed the chain around the girls neck before turning and simply walking away.

            Estrella's red shawl was wrapped around her shoulders, not for the warmth but from the knowledge that it was from her past. She found a mark inside the hem of the shawl, a mark of a gypsy tribe. She then realized that her family was trying to contact her, she would soon find them.

            Estrella walked into the large house after another long day of dancing. Their servants were beginning to leave them because of the low pay and Estrella was forced job after job. It had been awhile and she was now in charge of cleaning, dusting, mopping, laundry and her dancing job in the square. She was no longer paid for the laundry like Mari first had promised; but she was just a slave, what does a slave need with money?

***

            "Estrella," said Mari as Estrella was bringing firewood into Mari's room that night. "Isn't Jasmine beautiful? She will make such a lovely Queen."

            "Of course, ma'am." Estrella said, not caring much. One less person to clean up after.

            "The ball will be fantastic!" Mari went on as Estrella arranged the wood and tried to start up the fire.

            Mari noticed Estrella's silence.

            "Would you like to go to the ball, Estrella?"

            Estrella looked up at Mari. Disbelief and caution spelled out clearly on her face.

            "If you could go, not that I will let you, what would you wear?"

            Estrella looked down at her cloths.

            "Your nothing more than a slave, Estrella, a gypsy slave at that. I know you want to dance with the prince and I find I could nearly laugh at the sight of you two being anywhere near each other and him not ordering you to do something."

            "You would never laugh at that, Ma'am." Estrella said, losing her temper but appearing to be calm and collected. She didn't care what happened anymore, she would speak her mind today. "You have no heart, therefore you would only force a small throaty sound that is the mimic of a laugh. And your daughter will make a good Queen, for as far as I can tell she has the rudeness, arrogance, and false beauty and charm for it. You and your daughter are damned, greedy cows."

***

            Anton waited on the road that the gypsy girl took on her way back to wherever it was she went. But she never showed, he had stood there close to 3 hours before finally giving up and walking back down the dirt trail. He came to the spot where he had first met the girl, where he had saved her from some men who wished her harm. She had an attitude and presence that could capture someone, as long as they looked passed the fact that she was a gypsy.

            Anton did not know why he wished to see her again, or perhaps he did know but found the truth hard to come by, so he let it slide and called it curiosity. He ran his fingers through his brown hair and walked back towards his home.

***

            When Jasmine and Anton met again it was by accident in the town square. She had been talking to Angel and Anton walked up to the two of them. Angel with a grim look on his face and Jasmine smiling sweetly.

            "Why the grim face when talking to such a lovely lady?" Anton asked kissing Jasmine's hand. Jasmine's smile left her face and she looked down at the ground.

            "Jasmine was hurt by one of the actions of a slave. But she is even more concerned about what that slave might have said to you, and again she is concerned about the slave... quite a situation if you ask me." Angel said, there was disbelief and slight anger in his tone.

            "Do I know this slave?" Anton asked Jasmine.

            "You spoke with her before, my lord, she told my mother only that much. I was on my way to the palace to apologize for anything rude she might have said. She is a gypsy girl, a dancer here in the square."

            Anton stared at her for a long time. The gypsy girl? What was happening?

            "She said nothing rude to me. You have no reason to apologize in her place. What had she done to you and why do you worry about her?"

            "She insulted me to my mother, called me horrible words when all I had ever done was be kind to her." – at that Anton swore he heard Angel snort – "And she is now dead, I fear for her soul. Her probably being a witch and all."

            "Dead?"

            "Killed herself sir, she hung her self off the railing." Jasmine let several tears fall down her cheeks and sobbed in a ladylike manner. Anton looked over at Angel, Angel's face twisted with disgust and he patted the lady's shoulder politely before walking away. Anton wondered if Angel knew of the Gypsy girl. Anton held Jasmine for a few moments until she was able to control herself once more. They then spent the day together, Anton trying to rid Jasmine's mind of the horrible seen she had described of finding the girl hanging.

            Estrella was dead.