Engagement Ball

Prince Reuben Mindir Chamberline Guston and Lisa Madeline Van Helst stood on top of the staircase as they were announce. Today the empire celebrated their engagement with great enthusiasm because the first prince of the empire and the saintess of reputable family were meant to be. Catherine Partanova mused as she stood by a dark corner watching the couple descend.

For her it was especially hard to watch as she felt a her chest ache as if she truly was heartbroken. Or maybe she was as she thought about it a bit more.

A year ago she woken up in this body and now she was stuck in a novel filled with romance, magic, and danger. But none of it was for her as she remembered that she was to play the villainous in this novel.

As the couple were accosted with well wishers Catherine finished the glass of champagne. Wishing it was something stronger. Just months ago she was the fiancé of the prince, as she watched him turn to her half sister a give her a small smile.

"How I wish it were me.." She regretfully sighed. All she ever received by him was a cold shoulder remembering all the times she sat with him. In a way good riddance as she pushed away and started towards the couple.

It didn't matter that the guy she fallen in love with too wasn't hers. Or that as she unexpectedly tried to stop the plot from progressing it still happened.

The crowd made room for her as she heard the gossiped and sneers. Just then she felt a hard grip on her forearm as some one jerk her back as she tried to steady herself. In doing so she felt her ankle twist but managed to balance herself as she seen clashed with a pair of golden eyes glare at her.

"What are you doing?" Catherine flinched at the aggressive tone prince Max took to speak to her. It was common knowledge he didn't like her. Since arriving in the novel she had to get use to people openly being hostile to her. Her face coldly look at him back. Trying to keep as much composure at the fact his hand was digging in to her forearm. That was going to leave a mark.

"I just want to say congratulation." She said. Just then she watched prince max looked at her in disgust and looked at someone behind her. His face masked and he pulled her bedsides her.

"Ill take you to them. It you try to."

"Don't worry, am leaving right after." Catherine cut him off as he aggressive linked there arms together and headed towards the couple. People around eyes looking at her coldly. Inwardly sighing she was getting tired of it all. She now understood why Catherine had become a villainous.

As they approached her heart starting to pick up as she looked at her sister angelic appearance. Blond hair, icy blue eyes, milky white skin. She was everything the gentle heroine of this novel show look as she then looked at the prince besides her. The feeling in her chest hurting as his once warm eyes that looked at Lisa now turned to her coldly.

"Sister!." Lisa approached her voice sounding a angelic. "Thank you for being here." She said smiling at her. Inside Catherine mused how well she hid it, the poison. She basically telling her thank you for coming to my engagement to the man I stole from you.

"Sister, I wouldn't miss it for the world." Catherine said back calming, keeping her feelings in check as she tried as best to not stare too hard as Lisa then lend her head towards the prince.

Just then max stiffen beside her and Catherine looked up to watch the princes eyes look at his unrequited love in the arms of his twin brother.

We were a bunch of sucker as if feeling her glance. The arm tighten on hers as if signaling her. Asshole! Inwardly sighing she then took on last look at the couple and lower her head and bow.

"Congratulations Prince on your engagement." She wanted to roll her eyes.

"Thank you Miss Portanova." Catherine flinch and smile slightly.

Turning to the man next to the couple she spoke.

"Your grace, can I be pardon?" She watched as her only father expressionless face nodded and spoke.

"Yes, don't go too far." In other words 'don't make a a scene, make yourself scarce.'

"Thank you." Turning away from the people that hurt her the most Catherine pushed the feeling down even deeper. These were the people that she that made her life loving hell. She was at their mercy at the moment, the feeling of dread filling her.

Sighing she finally escaped the ball and found a fountain as her eyes were starting to blur. The story was climbing was on its first plot-line. The only plot she wanted to avoid was her death.

Rubbing her noise she starting to feeling the ache on her ankle start to drum. Kicking the heels off she looked at them and felt angry pile up as she just wanted to understand why she deserve all this hate she got from people.

In her other life she was well content, loving family friend, dream career, and well her sex life was well fulfilled. Not steady but damn she was pretty then and had her pick of men.

Not that this Catherine wasn't pretty, will Lisa was close to divine angle her looks were more on the exotic side. Blue eyes surrounded by the longest eyelashes, perk nose button nose, cupid pink lips, and the most captivating thing about her was her long head of red hair.

Just then a sneeze hit her as she picked up her head and noticed all the flowers in the garden.

Ugh allergies!

Achoo!

"Excuse miss?" Catherine head jerk to the direction of the voice. A tall figure dressed in evening attire was there. Dark black hair and a pair of blue eyes stared back. His eyebrows furrowed in concern. Just then she saw the napkin he extended to her.

She grabbing it and blew in it very unlady like. She had enough of tonights shits.

"Thank you, allergies." She sniffled again.

"Ah yes," The mans voice humorous as she watch him smile. A sense of familiarity hit her as she scrunched her eyebrow searching his face trying to remember who he was.

"Do I know you?" Catherine asked.

"No, but." He paused as he looked down now. Catherine following his line of sight. Her ankle.

"Oh!" She exclaim trying to put her heels back on. "Just tripped on my way here."

"You don't say." His eyes still looking at her sprain ankle and her head picked up as his voice sounded cold.

"Let me." The stranger bent down and lightly touched. Suddenly a cool feeling tingle her feet and the persistent ache was now no more.

"Ahh thank you." Her eyes scrunched in confusion. Someone helped her? Catherine looked back at the stranger in wonder. Besides the emperor and a selective few were nice to her.

"May I ask for your name?" He looked at her as she then put on her heels and he helped her up.

His mouth widen and his eyes twinkled with an unknown reason that Catherine now felt weird. Was he a creep trying to cope a feel? In her time there was plenty. Thank heavens she was black belt, but was she going to have to show it now?

As if following her train of thought the dark headed stranger then threw his head back and started laughing in earnest.

"Please don't think of me being a weird one." Wiping a tear from the corner of his eye.

Catherine turned red and looked down. Looking back up and smiling in an apologetic way. "It's Catherine…" She should explain her awkwardness.

"Sorry it's just." She didn't want tell him that she wasn't use to people being nice to her.

"No worries, it's not wrong to show kindness to a beautiful girl is there?" She cringed inside. Had she become so weary of people after a year of living in Catherines shoes. Instead she decided to search his sincere expression in suspicion. His eyes though seemed a bit sad as she continued. As if pitting her somehow.

"No, you can, am just…" Suddenly she paused and thought maybe she should be nice for once. "Can I find a way to return the favor sir?"

"Yes," His face widen again, this time she got to see a dimple in one of cheeks, Reuben faces resurfacing again. It ached again.

"My name is Arthur, and here. " Just then a white card was extended to her. "This is how you can repay me. Miss Portanova." Looking at the man expression she then turn to the white card that had black lettering engraved. Taking it from the offered hand she then inspected it furthered and notice the black lettering was an address.

444 and on the corner was something that looked like crown. She wasn't so sure skimming her finger over it. Furrowing her eyebrow in confusion she then turn back to to see that the man has vanished entirely.

"Who was he?" Catherine mummer. Just then realizing that she never told him her last name. Pressing the card between her fingers. She then exhaled loudly as her head started to hurts too.

Tonight was already shits, given that she hadn't eaten but drank more champagne than she should've. The duke frequently starved her, now she understood why Catherine was always snappy with people.

She best leave before anything else happened. As if kismet had say in her luck. Making her way out the garden she was looking down to avoid any of the space between the brink she slam into a hard body.

"Ahh crap!" She groan as she then looked up to see again the hostile golden eyes looking at her in suspicion.

"What were you doing in the garden?!"

Catherine stepped back as Prince Max dark expression seemed sinister for a few second then lighten as he saw her frighten face.

"I was getting some fresh air. My head hurt that's all." She replied her brows furrowed as the feeling of anger started to rise again.

"I heard a mans voices. Who?!" Max asked suspiciously. So he was watching her as she looked backed at him with the same looked. The feeling of exhaustion was finally creeping its ugly head on her too.

Sighing Catherine spoke.

"I don't think that's any of your business." She expressionlessly said, Max was looking for a fight and today she wanted everyone to leave her alone. Especially from an almost carbon replica of her ex fiancé.

Prince Maximillian Isaac Chamberline Guston, born several minutes of the second prince. Instead of the shinning silver locks of hair like Reuben, his was black head of hair. They were nicknamed the "Ice Prince" and the "Dark Prince" of the empire.

Sidestepping him Catherine went to walk around him when again he leash out his arm holding her restrained. She had the urge to slam him to the floor but refine from it. The emperor would forgive her, but she doubted anyone else would.

"Catherine, don't do anything to disgrace your family, your still technically betrothed to my brother." Max voice sound disgusted by the fact. She was too. Jerking her arm away she gave him a hostile glare.

"Ill kept that in mind, your highness." Catherine spit out the words with venom. All the engagement has done for her is chained her with in the empire. While people were happy celebrating the first prince new fiancé what they failed to realize is that Catherine was now the future queen consort.

Just then they both turn their head toward a sound of footsteps.

"Miss …miss! Miss Catherine !…" Alice her maid came running towards her in a flustered manner. Pausing a few feet away her eyes widen as she now realized she was in the presence of royalty hastily bow.

"Greeting the little sun of the empire!"

Catherine inwardly rolled her eyes, wasted bow in her opinion. Jerking up Alice then turn her head towards her Catherine.

"The letter … letter arrived." Catherine's eyes widen and she felt a small hope inside of her rise. Turning quickly to the prince she bow. "Good night Prince." Without bothering to be anymore courtesy the main events had started Catherine Just wanted out as soon as possible.