A week after Alyssa had been chosen for the mission to Belmonte, she sat squarely in front of her vanity. She had rejected the deep orange gown, and chosen a blue one instead. Her maid had raised a quizzical eyebrow since Alyssa usually just mumbled something like, "I have no preference" or "Be a dear and just choose for me." Alyssa received another raised eyebrow when she specified how her hair and makeup ought to be done. Lastly, she pulled out her least favorite tiara, the gold one that was heavy with rubies and diamonds. It always gave her a headache from the weight of the darn thing but tonight she would suffer, because she knew that the Duke of Belmonte appreciated any grand show of status. His obsession with Alyssa was no surprise as she had both, although she generally chose not to flaunt it. She cast a last critical eye over her reflection and decided she looked nothing like herself. Perfect.

Alyssa entered the stately ballroom and made an extra effort to smile politely and look as regal as one can while navigating a staircase in a huge dress. She spotted the Duke immediately but quickly let her gaze roll over him. Since she usually did not seek his company, looking for him now might arouse suspicion. And it was unnecessary since he always seemed to find her.

Sure enough, as she reached the bottom of the staircase, the Duke intercepted her.

"Princess," he said with a simper, "if I may say you look absolutely ravishing this evening. Truly splendid." No, thought Alyssa, you may not say. But instead she smiled gracefully and accepted the compliment.

"I thank you, Duke. How fares your estate in the north?" she asked, as was common courtesy. Half of her hoped that he would extend the invitation to visit him while the other half cringed and prayed that the invite would never come.

"My estate is doing wonderfully, wonderfully. You simply must come and visit, Princess. Spring has warmed the land and it thrives, thrives!" he said with vigor.

"Well I wouldn't want to impose—"she began, trying not to visibly recoil from the way he repeated himself.

"Nonsense, utter nonsense! You could never be an imposition, lady Princess." He said with a suddenly serious air, taking her arm in his own. Alyssa resisted the urge to snatch the appendage back and forced her face into a tentative smile. His intentions washed over her and she struggled to overcome the insatiability and envy that threatened to overpower her.

"Well if you are sure I wouldn't get it the way, I have always wished to see the northern forests." She said timidly, playing to his ideas of an impressionable young woman. Greed. Lust. Power. Princess. Her thoughts stuck on the last word. She was one of his deepest desires?

"Don't be daft! Dear Princess, it would be my pleasure to have you as a guest. Please don't hesitate to take advantage of my hospitality," he said, his grip tightening on her arm. Control. Princess. A desperate need to make her his own. She tried not to shudder under his touch.

"Well I may do just that," Alyssa said, valiantly trying not to choke on her words.

"Fabulous, fabulous!" simpered the Duke, her acceptance inflating his pompous chest. "Shall we make the arrangements tomorrow then?"

"Yes, now if you'll excuse me…" she trailed off for in the doorway to the ballroom stood Prince George of Axia. "Right, so if you'll excuse me, I must go greet a friend." She finished, disentangling herself from the Duke with fresh energy.

"George!" she cried happily as she reached him, "be a dear and ask me to dance before the Duke does."

"Of course, Princess." Said George with a smile, taking her hand and leading her onto the dance floor. Kindness. Concern. Loyalty.

"Please, call me Alyssa, no need to be stuffy and formal." She grinned. It felt wonderful to have his benign intentions flow through the corners of her mind in place of the Duke's suffocating desires. 'Princess' She remembered, barely managing to restrain another shiver. "Well now that I've successfully escaped for the moment, how are you? We hear good things about Axia these days."

"I'm very well, as is Axia. Alyssa, I know you weren't expecting me so allow me to explain the nature of my visit. I've heard about your intended visit to the north and I have to say that I do not think it a good idea. You are walking into the situation completely blind!"

"You've come all the way here just to tell me that?" Alyssa asked, momentarily shocked.

"I thought I might better convince you not to go face to face." George said with a shrug.

"Oh." Alyssa said thoughtfully. The music ended and they bowed and curtsied to one another. "Let us assume that you have invited me to take a turn around the palace gardens," said Alyssa smoothly.

"Excellent idea." Said George, extending his arm once again. She took it and together, they moved through the crowd with purpose towards the gardens. When they reached the cool night air, Alyssa gently pulled him to the right to a more secluded area of the gardens. When he looked down at her, her expression was somber.

"I'm sorry to tell you that it is too late to act on your sage advice," she said quietly. "I had just accepted his invitation when I saw you." George groaned in frustration.

"Alyssa, please tell me you are not so confident as to enter his estate alone?"

"Well I was, but now…"she didn't know how to finish her sentence. The Duke's intentions seemed to echo in her head, 'Princess'

"But now?" George said encouragingly. She looked into his chocolate brown eyes and wondered if she could or should explain her curse. Would he be scared? Would he stop touching her like the others had? She was a coward, she thought, too attached to his friendship to take the risk. She was addicted, she thought wryly, never before had she had anyone of equal education to debate with, or complain about royal functions with. She had tasted the sweetness of this friendship and knew it would hurt her more than she could bear to lose it.

George looked down into her vibrant green eyes, that had captured his own. He could see her inner turmoil and silently begged and pleaded for her to trust him. But with a last searching look up at him, she turned away with a barely audible sigh.

"It's nothing, just an uneasy feeling." She lied. Feeling, perception; what was the difference between the two really? She told herself. A little voice in the back of her head screamed, "MAGIC!" She squished it. Alyssa was drawn out of her reverie by a warm hand cupping her chin. George turned her to face him.

"I don't believe you," he said quietly. Her eyes widened in surprise. Never before had anyone touched her like this. Was this normal among friends? She wouldn't know as she only had her maids. Never before had anyone asked to share the burden she carried. George didn't even know what she was hiding; he just wanted to help her. Help her. Loyalty. Compassion. Bravery. His touch told her all of these things. But it just made it more difficult to lose him, more difficult to let him see the monster of magic gone wrong that she saw plainly in the mirror every morning. But she would not lie to him more, not now that he had been clever enough to recognize the falsity.

"Fine. You've caught me. There is something more substantial than a feeling making me nervous," she said carefully, "but you are not ready to know what it is, or rather you're ready to know but I'm not ready to tell you." She finished a little confusedly. His hand still rested somewhere between her chin and neck, and she felt his thumb trace over her cheek slowly before letting his hand fall. She felt and saw his disappointment. "I'm sorry." She whispered, looking down.

George looked back at Alyssa, her eyes were glued to the ground and her hands clenched her skirts. Guilt shone from her every feature, and he suddenly felt less disappointment and more concern. Concern, that she should not feel guilty over him. That she should be happy, content and free. He did not want this friend to suffer, not at all. This surge of protectiveness for her shocked him a little, and he pushed it aside as the love felt for a close friend.

"I understand," he said, her eyes snapped up to his. Green gazing imploringly into brown. "Really I do, Alyssa, you may tell me when you're ready. Or never. It is of course your choice, but know that I am always here to confide in." With that he strode away, before he could say anything more ridiculous or do anything stupid like hug her.

Alyssa watched him go. Her face betrayed nothing for a moment, and then her eyes crinkled as a soft smile overtook her face. She turned back to the gardens, determined to enjoy the moment.

After seeing George off the following morning, Alyssa made her way to the royal family's private dining room. With a sigh, she nodded at the guard outside to open the door, and marched in.

"Good morning!" Alyssa said cheerily, walking over to give her father a kiss on the cheek.

"Good morning, my dear!" He boomed, "Now take a seat, what's this I hear of the Duke of Belmonte? He has offered that you visit the north and has included the use of his own home?" Cutting right to point then, thought Alyssa wryly, as always. She opened her mouth to respond when the Queen started to babble.

"Alyssa dear, this is the most wonderful news! You are going to have such fun in the Duke's court, I'm so glad you've finally assumed your duties to travel and enjoy the company of all our dear friends. The north is simply marvelous; I just know your going to love it! We simply must commission some new gowns for you to take along, we can't have the Crown Princess going anywhere dressed like that now can we?" She gestured haphazardly at Alyssa plain green dress.

"Yes father, it's true," said Alyssa, not bothering to respond to the Queen's usual tizzy over her wardrobe and other social politics. "I intend to visit the north since I have never been there. The Duke was kind enough to offer his own home as a place for me to stay while I enjoy the northern forests and sea."

"Hmm," he said, "Well I shall have the Captain of the guard personally select four of his men to escort and guard you throughout your stay. And I'm afraid your mother's right, you know," the King said, softly covering the Queen's hand with his own. "You'll need some new things to be presented to his court, and of course the colder weather." He finished with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, as he knew how much Alyssa detested being fussed over.

"All right then, but may I choose the colors?" she asked, hoping to achieve nonchalance in her request. Her father gave her a sharp look, not fooled a bit by his daughter's attitude, but the Queen was ecstatic.

"Darling, of course you may! I'm so pleased that you're finally showing an interest; this is wonderful! We're are going to have the most lovely time choosing together!" She kept rambling about dress fittings but Alyssa ceased to pay attention, she focused instead on spreading the butter evenly across her piece of toast, including all four corners. She was beginning her second piece when she noticed that her father was saying her name. Repeatedly.

"Alyssa?"

"What? Oh, yes?" she replied, albeit a little lost.

"Glad to see that you have graced us with your attention," the King said with a smile. "Now, since you obviously have not been listening allow me to repeat myself. You will be leaving for the Duke's Estate in 4 days time. Your fitting is this afternoon, and tomorrow morning I expect you to arrive at the barracks with me to approve of your guard."

"Excellent, now if you'll excuse me." Said Alyssa politely.

"See you later dear! I can hardly wait for your fitting." Trilled her mother as she stepped from the hall.

"Gosh, neither can I," Alyssa muttered sarcastically as she continued walking. She thought she heard the guard at the door chuckle, but when she turned back he seemed as stoic as ever.

A few hours later found her being poked and prodded by various seamstresses. Alyssa stood docile at their center, waiting for the tempest of fabric and pins to abate.

"Are you quite sure that you wish everything to be of that color, Crown Princess?" the nervous seamstress asked yet again.

"Yes, yes. Quite sure." Alyssa quipped happily. Then to her maids she said, "I wish all of the gowns made today to be put in a separate trunk, please."

"Of course, Crown Princess," said Mary with a little smile.

"Your quite sure you wouldn't care for even one new blue gown, red maybe? Or what about pink!" Asked the Queen anxiously, "Darling I know I said I'd let you choose but please can't we have an extra one done?"

"Mother you worry too much," said Alyssa with only a hint of exasperation. Though her mother could be trying, she loved her dearly and knew she only wanted what was best for her. It wasn't her fault that the line between Princess and daughter was a distinct grey area and rather difficult to navigate. "But you may choose the color of my extra gown." She finished with a smile.

"Ah! Excellent, wonderful! Mary I want all of my options brought before me, please." Her mother said excitedly.

"Right away, Lady Queen." Said Mary, while she and two other maids whisked off to find the bolts of extra fabric. A moment later, the three of them trooped back in with an array of bright silks and linens.

Long minutes passed in which the Queen held up pieces of cloth next to Alyssa face, and either looked pensive or horrified. At long last, she looked pleased with herself.

"This one. This is the one." She said happily. "You'll look divine, dear, no matter what you wear." Her mother said more softly. The two women embraced in a rare moment of affection.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:
I'm so grateful for the reviews, favorites and follows! They seriously make my day. Corrections are welcome, improvement is always a plus right?