7 Marie Jane Castellanos!

"Alright. All we need is some sad faces, a lot of tears, a bomb and my parasol" Grace tells me hurriedly

I frown "Why do you need your parasol?"

Grace gives me a look that could burn ice "I. Never. Go. Without. My. Parasol"

"Uh.. okay" I say wondering if Grace was planning to propose her parasol soon. Those two are inseparable. Maybe it is an one sided thing..

"But Grace. Stop joking and tell me how am I supposed to stop my sister's marriage" I say firmly as a crease forms between my eyes

"Hey! I was serious about the bomb" Grace says offended

"You do realise that we will be blasting half of Verocia when we plant the bomb to kill ONE MAN. Right?" I say exasperated voice

Grace ponders over this before her eyes brighten and she concludes "How about we gather the men on one half and blast that half?"

"Oh? And where are we going to get the bomb from?" I ask as I feel the screw turning in her head as she ponders over it

"The answer is always the cold deserted alleys" Grace says nodding sagely with a rather scary bright fire in her eyes

I give up

Grace finally notices my irritation and suggests "Maybe.. running away is the answer?"

I groan "Marie would not do that. She just won't"

Grace fiddles with her parasol for a while before looking up sharply and speaking with a twinkle in her eye "Then.. here is something you could do"

I am all ears.

****

After having learned Grace's intelligent (and a little devious) plan, I walk on the streets of Verocia occasionally smiling at people and wondering if they knew I was the part of the family that ruled them.

Honestly, it had been tough faking sickness to get out of family pictures and opening my hair and covering my face with it when the picture was being clicked but I had managed to do just fine.

People knew that King Stefan's brother had a daughter and a dead wife but the name was always somehow different.

It had amused me when a woman was talking about how 'Neromania' was absent from most of the balls.

I am still trying to figure out that how a name like 'Anastasia' can be mistaken for 'Neromania'. Now that I think about it, it sounds a lot like an awful disease

I stop and let out a sharp whistle and grinned as I spotted a grey haired man in his fifties driving a cab towards me.

"How are you doing Howard?" I asked as I tip my hat a bit

Howard gives me a small smile as he tips his own "Going good Mr. Grey"

I pull out an gaulondon before tossing it to him "So. Got any news for me?"

Howard smiles as he pockets the money before sharply hitting his horse "I heard that he-who-must-not-be-named sent his minister to 'The Castellanos Palace' and negotiate a deal"

My ears perk up at the startling news "Are you sure Howard?"

"Yes Mr. Grey. My brother was the one who saw the red coloured symbol on his tailcoat" Howard announces proudly

What was a Cassavetes doing in 'The Castellanos Palace'?

"We have reached sir." Howard informs me as he stops his carriage in front of the gates of the palace "Do you think that you could now tell me about your exact job in the palace?"

A prissy pink princess to be accurate

"Someday maybe" I say absentmindedly as I get out of the carriage and pretend as if I am heading towards the gates.

I know that Howard is peeking at me so I turn and give him a glare which causes him to redden, turn and drive away

As I am making sure that he is well away from me, I feel someone towering behind me. Turning, I give my old friend a wide toothed smile

"Hello. Long time no see." I greet the almost 6ft. man in the guard uniform glaring at me

"This is the place for the royal blood. Not the dirty street blood" He sneers at me

I am the royal blood you fool

"Then what are you doing here Karolbagh?" I ask as I raise an eyebrow and watch his face turn red

"Not letting scums like you enter and disgrace the palace" Karolbagh says with barely contained anger

Scums? Yesterday I heard him talking about how kind I and my family were.

"That was actually a pretty good line Karol. Where did you steal it from?" I ask with a suppressed giggle

"I- You- I-" And here comes the steams. He glares at me and curls his palms into fits

With a twinkle in my eye, a bounce in my step and I smile on my face, I begin to walk away.

Isn't it delightful to talk to old friends again?

***

"Crap! Crap! Horse Crap!" I squeak as I grab onto the rope hidden by the vines and climb the wall

Please don't let me fall god! Please! I beg you.

"Hey! You there" A way too familiar voice makes me gulp.

To dear god, If you get me killed I will strangle you as soon as I see you. Yours truly, Tessa a.k.a Clifton a.k.a Really really mad!

"How ya doin' Karol, my man!" I say while I move my hand awkwardly as if waving before attaching it to the rope and pulling myself up

"CLIFTON GREY! RAISE YOUR HANDS UP!" Karolbagh says as he whips out a revolver and points it at me

"I AM USING MY HANDS TO CLIMB THE WALL YOU IDIOT!" I yell back while trying to pull myself up.

"Stop going towards Ms. Castellanos window, I won't let you hurt her, I swear on my god that I will kill you" Karolbagh says before pulling the trigger on his gun

"I AM THE PRINCESS YOU FOOL" I yell on impulse

"What?" Karolbagh asks in a stunned tone

Yeah Tessa, what in the name of dumbest dora did you flap out?

"I MEAN, I LOVE ANASTASIA! I HAVE LOSEN MY HEART TO HER" I say in a what I wish is a brave and lovesick tone

"SO HAVE I" Comes the reply from below. I freeze

Okay, that was unexpected.

"WELL, THEN, I CHALLENGE YOU TO A DUEL!" I say quoting a book's Romeo's words in a bold voice

"I ACCEPT!" Came the dauntless voice from beneath me

"SEE YOU ON A WEEKEND! TOODLES" I scream before latching myself on the window sill and somersaulting (falling, actually) in my room.

"I AM COMING!" My dearest (and newest) lover yells making me sprint towards my changing room and hastily pulling my tailcoat, shirt and pants aside and throwing on a blue-green gown

As soon as I zipped up the back, a series of rapid raps threatened to break my door.

"Coming!" I yell politely and move to open the door to be greeted my by a revolver.

The black smooth metal of the revolver makes me yearn to hold it for a moment. To feel the power and to be able to know that I was independent enough to defend my honour. Forcing my look to one of that of fear, I look at Karolbagh with big imploring eyes and quivering mouth.

"K-K- Karolbagh..What makes you bring a- a destroying machine like that here?" I speak in an oh-i-am-just-innocent-damsel.

Karolbagh visibly blushes under my gaze but doesn't lower his weapon as he speaks "I apologise Princess but unfortunately I saw a man entering your chambers through the window"

"Oh my god! Please say that your words are untruthful" I say laying a hand on my heart as if just been pierced

Karolbagh frowns at my reaction and says in a tone full of warmth "Don't fear Princess! I am here now, you have nothing to worry about." Then his expression becomes stern "Now tell me, did you happen to see a short and rather bulging-" Bulging?! "man with a small and funny moustache-" Moustache? That is not even possible! "and a rather feminine face?"

Yes, in the mirror

"Now that you mentioned it, I did quite see a rather handsome man, without a funny moustache and bulge running out just before you came!" I say in a pondering voice

Karolbagh nods seriously and says "Count on me Princess, I will catch him and throw him in the prison"

Ha! Good luck!

"I don't doubt it" I say before closing the door on his face

All of a sudden, a small envelope slides from the small opening of the door making me sigh and walk towards it

It is small and simple and yet it has an intricate golden design. I rip open the envelope and peer inside.

Seconds later I am marching down the royal hall towards the door of someone who I greatly love

"MARIE JANE CASTELLANOS! OPEN THE DOOR YOU DUCK!"

*****