**I don't own BATB, Catherine, Vincent or any other characters mentioned. I also don't own any places mentioned or any scenes that may be similar to another work.**

"Catherine, what is wrong?"

"It is nothing father." Catherine said not wanting to pull her father into it.

"I was planning on taking a stroll before supper. Would it be too much to ask for you to join me?"

"Of course not father." Catherine said accompanying him out to the path that Vincent and her had taken. Once they were out of sight of the manor her father spoke again.

"My darling Cat, whatever is the matter?"

"Father, Vincent has been lying to me."

"So he told you?"

"What do you mean?" Catherine asked confused.

"Catherine, this morning he and I spoke of his title. He did not wish to keep deceiving you, but he was not sure how he should tell you. He said that he knew you were not fond of royalty and that he felt if he told you sooner, than you would not have given him the time of day. I was the one who encouraged him to tell you."

"You knew?" Catherine asked not being able to believe her father had not told her.

"Yes, I knew." He said before leading her to the bench in the garden so they could sit and talk. "I knew the first time I saw him at the ball." Thomas said shocking his daughter.

"H-how did you know?"

"You know how I always used to be required to attend the balls and masques when you were little?" Cat nodded. "Those were all royal functions. The royalty always wear some type of purple mixed into their dress. Another reason is that when I used to go to those functions they always introduced the Keller family when they were in attendance. I remembered that there were three princes and the youngest was named Vincent and he never seemed to care about what his family would be doing. Cat, darling, please believe that he had no intentions of deceiving you. You captured his heart at his first glance and he wished to capture yours as well. Which, I believe he has done." Thomas said giving his daughter a knowing look.

"Tis true... A clever thief has become of him. A capture untrue to himself, and a trophy of unworth..A foolish girl I am to truly believe his silver-spinning tongue."

"You know that is not true my darling."

"Then why I am so cross about this father? He lied to me."

"I fear you are as cross as this, in all likelihood, due to having allowed Vincent to capture your heart. He simply took what was offered to him. Much as you have taken his. Is he to call upon you again before he leaves?"

"I told him to call upon me no sooner than two days before the fall of the next royal masquerade, which also serves as his last day in Nigera. Until then I do not wish to see him."

"Whyever not?"

"I need to sort everything out father. For I have given my heart to someone I know very little about truly."

"Tis a wise decision to take time to think, my daughter." Thomas said before standing up and taking her hand. They then walked back to the manor in silence. The next week went by slowly for both Vincent and Catherine. Two days before the next masque, Vincent called upon Catherine again. Catherine opened the door to the sight of him.

"Good morning Lady Chandler. I pray your days since we last spoke have been well."

"Good morning Sir. My time has been well, thank you for asking. I pray yours has as well."

"It has, thank you." Vincent said before they fell into an uncomfortable silence.

"May I inquire your reason for calling?"

"I was hoping that I may ask for company from you today. I was hoping to take a stroll of the manor's grounds."

"I must check to see if I am able." Catherine said before shutting the door to be met with the sight of her father standing to the side.

"Catherine. I hope you have had a good morning."

"Yes, thank you father."

"May I ask whom was at the door?"

"Tis Vincent. He wishes to have me accompany him on a stroll of the grounds."

"You are welcome to if you wish."

"I do not know if I am able to forgive him for what has happened."

"Darling, you should give him a chance to explain everything so that you can see his side. He believes that he has no chance at asking your forgiveness for what he has done."

"Father, how do you know this?"

"I know this because he came by a day after what happened to request an audience with me. He wished to know if there was any possibility that he still had a chance at courting you."

"Why did you not speak of this to me before?"

"He asked to speak to you concerning it himself. I am only telling you now for I see that you are unsure if you should speak with him. All I ask is that you treat him with the respect that I raised you with and give him time to explain himself." Thomas said before walking off into the main room of the manor. Catherine then opened the door and walked out, closing it behind her.

"I am able to accompany you Sir." Catherine said going down the steps to his side. He offered her his arm, but placed it back at his side when she made no movement to take it. They started the walk in an awkward silence until they were out of sight of the manor.

"Catherine, I..." Vincent started but Catherine stopped him.

"Vincent, I must say this now or I fear I may not have the courage later."

"What is it?"

"You must know that I am still rather cross with you, but I also do not understand why you felt it necessary to lie to me. I am this cross with you because I allowed you access to my heart, but once you had it in your possession I was to discover that I had given it to someone I knew nothing of. Tis as bad to give it to a perfect stranger as tis to give it to someone whom I could never return the feelings. You must understand how hard this is for me. I had to discover that I really know nothing of you and you did not plan on telling me. I am not sure I can undo the unease and the wall that now surround my heart. I pray that you may explain why you felt the need to deceive me in such a manner." Catherine said looking at him with clouds of confusion circling in both her eyes and her mind.

"Please believe that I meant to inform you. I am truly sorry Catherine."

"Vincent, you may be sorry, but that lacks explanation as to why you failed to inform me."

"Is there somewhere that we may sit and speak?" Catherine nodded and lead him out to the stables where there were a few benches next to the paddock. Once they had taken seats Vincent spoke up after taking Catherine's hands into his own. "Catherine, please believe that the eve of the first masquerade I had full intention of informing you of my status. I had held off at first because I wished to meet you without any judgment and I also wanted to make sure that you were not one of the pack of wolves, as you had put it. As a prince of York, I must take caution in whom I reveal my secret to for things could go quite badly if I reveal myself to the wrong sort of person. Know that I was being completely forthright when I said that I was enthralled with you upon first sight. I cannot say why, but you stood out so much more than any of the others in attendance and then the gods were smiling upon me, for you made your way over and the gods brought us face to face. When you started to speak of how you were not in favor of either royal family, I admit, I was afraid to say anything of my status for fear that you would turn away and I would not see you again. I had to know you so I kept the facade that I took shelter behind. Then when we took journey to the library I had planned to try to tell you, but I fear I was afraid."

"Of what Vincent? What caused you to be afraid?" Catherine asked as she set her hands into her lap.

"Catherine, you were so outspoken about your favorability upon the royal families and I must admit that I was still completely enthralled with you at that point. I wished to know you and I thought that if I had told you of my title, then you would turn away. I have never felt this way about someone before and I panicked because no one has ever managed to capture my heart in such a short period."

"You think I was not feeling just as afraid? Vincent, you are the first person other than Lord Marks who was shown any interest in me. I am not used to having a suitor whom I do not loathe. I offered you my heart in hopes that you felt the same, but when the time came to be honest, you were not. I do not know if I am able to forget that in the future, if we were to try again. Do not forget, I know nothing of you still. I only know for certain your name and title and that is really not much at all."

"Do you believe that there is any chance for me to beg of your forgiveness?"

"As of today, I could not tell you. I have known you for less than one week's time and even then I have not known the truth."

"Pray tell, when might you think you could possibly forgive me?"

"I do not believe I can forgive you Vincent..."

Sorry for the lack of updates, school is killer right now. Hopefully I will have more time to publish chapters.

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