A/N: Well you guys all hate me now right? I'm really, truly, gonna push myself off a clff if nobody believes me, sorry! I didn't mean to yell at Trudi (were cool now right?), I was stressing a lot from school. I know, I know "Quit making up excuses for yourself and get on with the story!" Here's chapter 8. And Trudi,my poto references are not at all meant to be gimmicky, I SWEAR!

Ch. 8 Masquerade

Anna stood infront of the castle with her spell book in hand, ready to cast the spell that she hoped would prevent her brother from entering.

"Recordare domine inturerre spice" (lilangelbiggieD: Sound familiar?)

A magical barrier appeared around the castle.

Anna sighed and apparated inside the castle. A dark figure appeared from behind a tree.

"So you think that you can stop me that easily little sister? Think again"

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Anna stood outside the door to her room when a young man dressed in a white gold trimmed suit and black mask came up to her.

"You're not comming to the party Anna?"

Anna raised an eyebrow at the young man, "Excuse me monsiuer?"

The young man removed his mask, "It's me Anna," he said with a slight chuckle.

Anna blushed under her hood, "Oh, sorry. I didn't recognise you Chip,"

Chip laughed, "It's fine. I was the same way at my first masquerade"

"You've been to others?"

"Paris is a very lively city"

Anna nodded and opened her door.

"You're not coming to the party?" Chip asked again.

Anna only answered with a hesitant, "maybe" and entered her room and closed the door. She removed her hood and brushed a stray hair out of her face. She noticed on the bed a small package. She opened it up and saw that inside was a beautifull silver ball gown. There was a note attached to it. It simply said, "Please come, " it was signed with both Chip's and Rose's signatures. Next to the dress was a box that had a black mask decorated with emeralds.

Anna smiled and changed out of her robes and dawned the extravagant gown. She took one look in the mirror and felt out of place, I look like a princess. But I am an enchantress. I have to be on look out tonight, there's no telling what Luce would do if he got in. She quickly ran a brush through her hair and placed the mask on her face and went down to the masquerade.

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Rose stood at the side of the ballroom, she sighed as she looked around her. It seemed as if all of France had been invited. She didn't seem to recognise any one, except her parents. She recognised them in their usual ball attire; her mother wore a beautifull golden gown and a gold mask, her father wore a blue gold trimmed suit and a black mask. Rose chuckled as she saw them dancing together, just like she saw in one of her dreams, except he was a beast. Mabye there was a reason why they didn't tell me. I can't hold it against them forever, but what else are they hiding. Rose was approached by young man in white,

"They look happy together, don't they?" he asked.

"Yes they do Chip," Rose said solemnly.

"Rose, you can't stay mad at them forever," Chip said placing an understanding hand on her bare shoulder.

Rose sighed and turned to look at Chip; her virgin white gown swirled around her legs as she did this.

" I know, but I can't help but feel that they're hiding something else from me"

Chip said nothing and looked at Rose, she looked so beautifull. Her bright saphire eyes shone from beneath her White, ruby decorated mask. Her dark chestnut hair pulled back and held together with a clasp and decorated with a red rose. Had it been so long ago that she had been a gawky little girl playing with him in the garden? Who was this beautifull young lady standing before him? Rose noticed that he had been staring at her for some time and spoke up,

"Chip, what are you staring at?"

Chip looked away, "Nothing,"

The two were soon approached by a young girl in a silver gown and black mask.

"Hello," she said.

Rose lit up, "Anna! I'm so glad you could make it!"

" Well it would be pretty hard staying up in my room when such a fancy party is going on right below me" she said jokingly.

Rose laughed and Anna looked into the crowd, her eyes went wide.

"Wow, there sure are a lot of people here," she said timidly.

Rose looked at Anna, "Well, that is sort of the point of Bal Masque. I was shy at my first ball too. Don't worry, you'll get used to it" she said reassuringly.

Anna only smiled a little and watched the crowd. Rose was approached by a young vicomte. He bowed, "Your highness, may I have this dance?"

Rose gave the vicomte a fake smile, "Yes monsieur," she said dryly. She turned to Chip as she and the vicomte made their way to the dance floor and mouthed, "I'll be right back" to him. Chip sighed and looked over to Anna, only to have his breath taken away. She looked so beautiful, Her silver gown acentuated her figure, she was still young, but she still looked stunning. Her raven curls flowed over her bare shoulders. Her emerald green eyes sparkled from beneath the elegant black mask.

Chip offered his arm to Anna, "Care to dance mademoiselle?"

Anna hesitated for a moment, and took it, " Alright monsieur," she answered shyly.

" I must admit I really don't know how to dance, " Anna said to Chip he escorted her toward the dance floor.

"Don't worry I'll teach you"

Anna nevously shook her head and followed Chip's instructions. She stiffened as she felt Chip's hand around her waist.

" It'll be fine," he said to her reassuringly.

Anna smiled a little and nodded her head. The dance started out fine, but then they fanned out and when Anna spun into Chips arms, she did it too hard and hurt him.

" Sorry"

"It's fine"

They danced on.

Rose had been dancing with the vicomte. She only nodded as she put up with his endless drones about his life and everything in it. Will he ever stop droning on about himself? I swear I will fall asleep as we are dancing. Somebody please save me!

"May I cut in?"

They stopped as they looked at the man who said that. He was a well built man dressed in spainish style red suit and a pale grey mask who had icy blue eyes and his platnum blonde hair.

Thank you lord!

"And who do you think you are?" asked the vicomte.

" I believe I was talking to the lady," said the man," May I cut in, your highness?"

"Yes you may," Rose answered with an air of relief.

The vicomte muttered something under his breathe and left.

"I take it you didn't like that man much," the mysterious man said to Rose as they danced.

" I am not usualy one to speak ill about people but yes, he was such a cad,"

"Well most people just don't know when they're being oblivious to others"

There was a moment of silence between the two for a while. Rose finally spoke up, "Who are you monsieur?"

"You will know in time," he asnwered.

Anna had been dancing with Chip for a while when her eyes began to wander and she saw rose dancing with a man dressed in red. She and Chip came closer to them and Anna spoke to Rose, " Rose, you want to switch partners for bit?"

Rose consented and she and Chip danced together. Anna spoke to her new dancing partner,

"What are you doing here Luce?"

"Why sister, your not happy to see your brother?" he said cooly.

"Don't play your games with me Luce. What do you want?"

"Revenge"

" Luce when are you going to get over-"

"Not on you little sister. On Belle"

Anna glared at her brother, " What could you possibly have against her?"

" She denied and humiliated my father. What better way to avenge him than to have her daughter." He said with a sinister tone.

" If you touch one hair on her head I swear I'll-"

"Why Anna, are you threatening your own brother?"

" Just because we share a mother doesn't make you my brother. You are a cold person Luce, I'll stop you by any means necessary."

Luce chuckled at his sister, " My aren't we the brave one," He said cooly as the music stopped and he disappeared into the crowd.

Where is he?

Anna looked around frantically for her brother. She soon bumped into Chip, who had seemed to be looking around for someone as well, "Anna, have you seen Rose?"

Anna shook her head as her eyes still searched the ballroom, " No I haven't" She soon spotted Luce leading Rose down through a hallway.

" Rose no!" she yelled as she ran toward her brother and the princess. She caught up to them and soon realized that Luce had put a spell on Rose.

She had been recitng a spell to immobilize her brother. But he had beat her to the chase and he attacked her with a harmfull spell. Anna screamed in pain as she fell to the floor.

" You think think you can stop me little sister" Luce cackled as his sister fell to the floor.

Anna could hardly breathe from the pain, though she was still able to utter a spell that would harm Luce as he did her.

" Ivera vudenesca"

Luce ricocheted the spell and Anna screamed as she felt the pain of knives digging into her body. Luce was about to take Rose away when he heard people coming. " We are not finished here little sister" He muttered a strange incantation and disappeared from the room. Rose snapped out of her transe and looked over at Anna who had been lying on the floor clutching her side. Soon, Chip had come into the room.

" Anna!" he screamed as he saw the young enchantress lying on the floor in pain. " Rose what happened?"

" I don't know," Rose said as she knelt down to help Anna.

" Anna who did this to you?" she asked.

Anna could hardly breathe from the pain, " my brother " she whispered. After uttering those words, she passed out from the pain.

A/N: Loved it? Hated it? Hate me? Tell the Truth! Reveiw please

-Leota