1- Flashback

“Mom!” I exclaimed, “I can’t wear this dress it’s too short.”

“Watch it Daphne a young woman doesn’t whine.”

“I’m sorry it’s just that I’m seventeen now…” I apologized looking down at the ground.

“It’s a peasant wedding, Daphne.”

“It’s her own sister’s wedding, honey… surely the dressmaker can fix the dress before the wedding.” Dad said coming in.

“Thank you Daddy!” I smiled hugging him.

“Well I can’t have my daughter going out with a dress that’s too short now can I?” he smiled at me.

“I guess not let me get this dress to the seamstress.” Mom smiled at me and I gave it to her.

The maid brought the new dress later that night and I quickly put it on smiling at the sleeves that started off my shoulder and the deep neck and tight waist, all showing that I was now a woman and would be eligible for marriage. Everybody knew now though that it wasn’t just rumor that the assistant to the king would let his daughters marry whomever they fell in love with. My oldest sister was marrying a peasant tonight, Micajah Williams. I slipped on my cloth shoes finally knowing that by the end of the night they would be ruined and I’d need a new pair.

“I’m ready!!” I sang as I came down the stairs but then I saw we weren’t alone. “Sorry.” I whispered putting my head down like a proper lady should when in the presence of a man.

“Daphne, honey, please meet Prince Phillip of Greenland.” Dad smiled at me.

“Pleasure, Prince Phillip of Greenland.” I smiled my best smile and curtsied a little and he smiled back at me taking my hand and kissing it softly.

“Please just Phillip.” He told me smiling, “The pleasure is all mine Ms. Collins.”

“Please just Daphne.” I smiled blushing.

“We must get to the wedding.” Dad said as Mom smiled approvingly and I saw that he approved of the man I’d caught the eye of too.

“You shall be the prettiest woman there.” Phillip told me and I blushed brighter at the compliment never before had a man called me a woman or said I’d be the prettiest anywhere much less a wedding.

“Will I get to see you again?” he asked as he turned for the door after kissing my hand again.

“Maybe,” I whispered smiling and he nodded.

“Goodbye Mr. and Mrs. Collins.” Phillip smiled and left.

“Let’s get to the wedding.” Dad said quickly before Mom could say anything. I nodded putting my arm through the crook of his and walking out with him.

“Do you think you’ll see Prince Phillip again?” Mom asked when we walked into my sister, Jane’s dressing area.

“Wait Prince?” Jane asked with Mary-Elizabeth looking at me.

“You didn’t even tell me!!” Mary-Elizabeth exclaimed.

“Everybody out I need to speak to my twin!” Jane ordered and they all left leaving just me, Mom, her, and Mary-Elizabeth.

“M-Liz I just met him I didn’t have time to tell
you anything.” I argued.

“Well tell us now.” Jane ordered.

“Well let’s see he came to see Dad and I came running down from my room not knowing we had company…” they laughed at my blush, “Then Dad introduced us and he told me to just call him Phillip…” I smiled, “… and he kissed my hand twice telling me I’d be the prettiest woman here.”

“Wow a prince!” Jane and Mary-Elizabeth exclaimed together.

“Don’t sound so surprised.” I laughed.

“Sorry Daphne.” They laughed together.

“Okay Jane let’s finish getting you ready for your wedding.” I smiled.

At the reception I saw Phillip. “Hello Daphne.” He smiled coming up to the table.

“Hello Phillip.” I smiled back.

“I was thinking that since you weren’t sure if you could see me later if you could ride to your house with me. I will provide a chaperone of course.” He promised.

“That would be up to my father.” I smiled at him excitedly knowing Dad would agree it was his dream that I would date people in our society and not somebody I met at the dances he let me go to in the town.

“I’ll go ask him.” He nodded and left. After the reception he came back up to me. “Are you ready to
leave?”

“Yes.” I nodded after looking at Dad and seeing his nod. We started to walk and I saw a servant following us. “Who’s that?” I asked nodding towards her.

“Our chaperone…” he smiled and then turned to her when we got to a dark place, “We’ll meet you right here in about five minutes.” She nodded and he pulled me farther into the shadows.

“Where are we going without the chaperone?” I asked nervously.

“I want some alone time which is so difficult to get.” He said moving closer to me.

“Please don’t Phillip.” I whispered when I saw that he was about to kiss me.

“Why not, Daphne, don’t you like me?”

“I don’t want to be declared unwedable.”

“I asked if you liked me!” he yelled and slapped me. I flinched as his ring cut my face.

“Get off me now!” I yelled right back pushing him away and then trying to run away but I tripped. I felt him pull on my leg. I yanked it away and just continued to run home.

“What’s wrong, Daphne?” Mom asked worriedly sitting beside Dad and I knew they’d been waiting for me to make a respectable entrance with the prince because Mary-Elizabeth’s dad the king was right beside them.

“I… I… need… to… talk to you and Dad alone please…” I whispered with tears still falling down my face forgetting all about acting with the grace of a lady in high society.

“What happened, Daph?” Mary-Elizabeth asked hugging me tightly and King George nodded letting me know he wanted to know everything too.

“Prince Phillip…” I whispered with tears into her shoulder, “He… tried… to… disgrace me!!” I cried and I heard the gasps around the room.

“What happened, Daphne?” King George asked.

“He… made the chaperone leave then he started to kiss me… I begged him not to and then when he asked if I liked him…” I saw the worries clear on their faces it would be a scandal if they had to declare me unwedable, “I told him that nobody was worth being declared unwedable and dishonoring my parents… so he… he…”

“What did he do, Daphne?” King George asked the calmest in the room.

“He slapped me.” I whispered, “Then I pushed him away and ran but tripped…” Their faces turned worried again, “I got up before he caught me though and ran all the way here.” They nodded and Mom came over.

“Is this where he slapped you?” she asked pointing to the cut. I nodded sadly.

“Will it scar, Momma?” I whispered feeling like an idiot for caring about my appearance at a time like this but if I had a scar what would it matter if I was wed-able or not nobody would want me.

“I don’t think so honey.” She assured me reading my face.

“Does this have to come out?” Dad asked King George.

“Please Dad let it stay quiet, Daph, didn’t do anything wrong… she did everything we’ve been taught to do when a man wants to take advantage of us…” Mary-Elizabeth begged on my behalf and I realized how much farther up in society she was than me. Others didn’t like the fact that the Princess was best friends with me because my father was her father’s advisor and I was supposed to be under her. It wasn’t forbidden though since my father was the advisor.

“Of course it can stay quiet.” He promised her nodding then turned to me, “Take Mary-Elizabeth upstairs with you and get your cut bandaged so that it’s not so obvious.”

“Yes King George.” I nodded and Mary-Elizabeth pulled on me to get me to walk with her upstairs.

“Please M-Liz let’s just not talk about it.” I begged her when we got to the bathroom and she opened her mouth to talk.

“Of course, so do you think Mr. Collins will still let us go to the dance tonight?”

“I’m sure I can get him to agree. We’ll probably have to have Charity come with us to chaperone though.” I told her nodding.

“Good because I think you need a night of dancing without princes.”

“Wait what was the face you just made at prince?”

“Mom informed me today that Dad has found me a suitable prince. I will be getting an arranged marriage that means. They think that I’m getting too old.”

“You’re seventeen usually parents wait until eighteen to worry.”

“Well I’m the princess they say.”

“That’s Queen Elizabeth’s excuse for everything.”

“Yes it is.” She nodded.

“Well I think that’s the best we can do let’s go downstairs and get to town.” I sighed looking into the mirror at the bandage that people would immediately notice on me. I was never hurt a young lady always worked hard to stay perfect especially on her face.

“Let’s get dressed.” She nodded pulling me back into my room and throwing me my most modest dress. She grabbed my second most modest but then I shook my head and swapped with her.

“You’re the princess last time we got way too close to being recognized because it’s always the same way. If we switch this time then it will be less likely to cause problems.”

“Wow smart.” She smiled and we quickly tightened each other’s corsets and then slipped the dresses on knowing that we’d still stick out at the dance but that it would be okay. We walked downstairs next.

“You still want to go?” Dad asked.

“I think it will get my mind off things if M-Liz and I get out of the house and Charity’s going to come and chaperone so…” I trailed off we never took a chaperone with us to dances and he knew it.

“Have fun at the dance you two.” King George said smiling. We walked out quickly and then looked at each other we’d worked hard to hide the fact that we went to the dances knowing that her mom would throw a fit.

“So do you see any new guys?” I asked Mary-Elizabeth.

“I can’t be looking at guys, Daph, I’ve been promised.” She said.

“Come on M-Liz you haven’t been introduced to him yet and you aren’t engaged. You still have a few more nights to be single and free.”

“Okay well there’s some new ones dancing.” She smiled happier. “They are pretty cute too.” We laughed together but then we were interrupted.

“May I have this dance?” he asked me. He had to be the hottest guys I’d ever seen.

“Of course,” I promised and walked out to the dance floor with him.

“My name is…” he started.