"ELIZABETH!" Her voice reverbered through the palace's hallways until reaching her oldest sister ears. Elizabeth internally groaned, knowing that tone didn't mean any good. "Elizabeth wait-" Bellatrix puffed exhausted.

"Aren't you supposed to get prepared for your wedding dress proving today?" The older one crossed her arms.

The two has always been like that, hating and loving in a dynamic only they two knew and shared.

"I wanted to ask you something" Bellatrix took in a deep breath, and her sister noticed her clear anxiety.

"Is something wrong?" She questioned a bit concerned.

"I..."She inhaled deeply, closing her eyes before speaking. "What happens after...after a man and woman kiss?"

Elizabeth blinked twice, trying to understand if she hearf it correctly, then turned to her youngest sibling again. "What do you mean?"

"Is that why they need to marry?" She questioned, her body burning with memories of the previous night. "If they do whatever comes after the kiss before marriage, becomes scandalous...then what is it?"

Elizabeth flushed by the question, she didn't know exactly how to reply to such a statement, after all ladies at the time weren't prepared for nuptials or educated in the subject. Elizabeth was the only one, along with george, within the Queen's children to married enough to answer the question, which now she could understand Bellatrix's urge to ask her instead.

"It is...um...something intimate." She tilted her head to the side. "Something that will grant you a child...that's why the two need to be married." Was her answer.

"Intimate how?" Bellatrix said, her beat speeding as she remembered how fast Anthony unbottoned her dress and slowly lifted her skirt, it made he breathless. "Do they need to be..."She blushed "...nude?"

Elizabeth choked breathing, vompletely shocked by her sister's words. "Bellatrix!" She called her out on the taboo subject. "I...well....why are you asking these questions? They are inappropriate for a lady-"

"Shouldn't I be prepared for my marriage? And why do men know and we don't?" She snapped instead. "How am I suppose to grant a child or please my husband if I do not know the basic information regarding it??"

"You..."Elizabeth sighed, realizing she was completely right. "Your husband will instruct you, when time approaches. And concerning the fact that your husband is the Viscount Bridgerton, an ex libertine..."Elizabeth scoffed. "He probably knows much regarding the subject."

"Why-"

"Your highness!" Yvette came running, almost tripping on her dark brown skirt as she reached them, her red hair was untied by the hush. "Oh, I finally found you both.."She exhaled relieved. "The queen requests your presence at the main ladies room...the modiste and the Bridgertons have arrived."

"The Bridgertons?" Bellatrix blushed. "Is Anthony here?"

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow by how informally she called the viscount already, and adding to her sister's new doubts, Elizabeth could already suspect they have grown way too close before the wedding.

"No, no."Yvette shook her head. "The Viscount had matters to deal with, only the dowager Viscountess of Bridgerton, the duchess of Hastings, and the second brother are here."

Bellatrix immediatly froze by her words. "The...second brother...?"

"Yes, Mr. Benedict Bridgerton came to escort his sister and his mother in the viscount's abscence. But I must assure he won't come up while you are changing, your highness, don't worry." Yvette said with a clueless calm smile, while Bellatrix internally panicked. "Shall we go now?"

Elizabeth smirked bitterly. "As if we have any choice..."

...

"I was thinking something more glamourous." Charlottr said as she held her dog delicately in her arms, watching as her daughter contonue to prove the dresses with an unpleasant expression. "What do you think, Bellatrix?"

"I can't breathe." The princess commented.

"Good. You won't need to."

Bella groaned internally, but still had to keep a warm smile to the guests, Daphne Hastings, and Violet Bridgerton. The mother and daughter watched the dynamic a bit amused, but were still supportive the whole time.

"I believe you look, beautiful, your highness." Daphne said as a true diamomd, she was the image of grace. "But if it's not by your pleasing, perphaps you should try another one, it is your wedding after all."

Genevieve Delacroix, the famous modiste of the ton, tried to sew the dress on the princess' shape, exclaiming some french words of admiration at each dress the princess tried on.

"They aren't much different from one another." Bella said, finding all the wedding dresses the same.

Violet could notice the tension in Bellatrix's tone, biting lowly her lip trying to think of a better alternative.

"I do believe that one with lace looks quite stunning." She tried to be helpful. "Don't you agree, Daphne dear?"

Daphne followed her mother's lead. "Absolutely." She nodded.

Bellatrix turned to her reflection in the mirror, meeting her mother's eyes and feeling the pressure upon her shoulders. Her wedding dress provong should be a special moment, but she couldn't help but feel anxious with the wedding approaching.

"I'd like to try another one." Bellatrix said cautiously. "If that won't be a burden." She looked at her mother.

Charlotte nodded serious to the modiste. "Of course! I believe I still have another one..."Genevieve stated a she hushed and picked another dress. "This one isn't the most popular though, hes a bit old..."

Bella tried on the last dress, he was much simpler than the other ones, a rather old design, with little stars drawn into lentgh. There wasn't any upper layer like the others that exclaimed extreme delicate aesthetic, it was rather calm, sophisticate and serious.

"I can breathe in this." She said, noticing the dress was much more loose.

"It is rather...old." Charlotte lifted one eyebrow. "Something a maid would rather wear."

"I do like this one." The princess finally took the courage and spoke.

Daphne smiled at the comment along with Violet, ready to compliment when the quren took the upper hand. "That won't do." Charlotte shook her head. "You are royalty, Bellatrix, you can't wear such a simple gown, your wedding will be the main event of the season." Bella sighed, trying to hide her disappointment. "The second one will be. Thank you madame Delacroix"

Even the modiste was surprised by the queen's attitude with her daughter, but there wasn't much to be done in the end.

Daphne, who noticed the princess clear discomfort, tried to come up with an alternative. "Wait." Daphne suddenly said, as all the eyes in the room laid on her. "Um...I do believe we need a more...artistic view on the subject."

"Excuse me, your grace?" Charlotte asked.

"Since this will be...um...the main event of the season, perphaps a bold choice as a different dress would be a good alternative." Daphne explained, and Bellatrix smiled softly at her support. "Maybe someone with an artistic insight would help settle the dillemma."

"And where do you expect me to find an artist so soon, your grace, hence the main artists of the crown are away-"

"My brother!" She suddenly exclaimed and Bellatrix felt her legs tremble. "He...he is just on the other room, he is an artist." The duchess nodded. "Isn't that right, mama?"

Violet notoced the plan and also smiled nervously. "Yes, of course...Benedict...um..he was approved at the royal academy school for artists lats month, he...he is a very prodigious artist with a great insight."

There was a long minute in silence before the queen could make a decision. Bellatrix felt her heart speed with anxiety, and almost begged for them to forget the idea of bringing Benedict in.

"Fine." Charlotte said and Bella almost fainted. "Bring Mr.Bridgerton in."

Yvette instantly hushed into bringing the artist, and once the doors opened and Bella heard his footsteps into the room, her eyes went straight to the floor. Hands sweating, breath dragged.

"Mr.Bridgerton, I believe Miss Soyet alrwady explained to you the matter." Charlotte said, as Benedict nodded. "We could use your opinion."

"Of course, your Majesty..."Benedict said a bit unsure, as they showed him where the princess was.

That's when she saw his feet at some distance, and the smell of ink in the air. Her head lifted slowly, meeting the eternity of blue in his watered eyes as he saw her a bride for the first time. God, she was beautiful, so beautiful, so mesmerizing that he could cry, and maybe he almost did at that moment. Maybe if he really put himself into it, he could image her walking into the aisle wearing that dress for him.

His smile appeared in a fragile aspect, as he tried to swallow the emotions and keep the most professional, distant aspect possible.

"Mr.Bridgerton."Bella muttered while greeting him. "Thank you...for your help."

Benedict pursed his lips, only nodding silently as his eyes longed for her embrace once again. In front of him was the love of his life, the woman who had control over his soul, the bride of his dreams...and she would marry his brother in 2 days.

Daphne took a glimpse of his brother's expression, and it took her breath away. Something in his eyes almost resembled the same look Simond had for her when she walked down the wedding venue. Then she turned to Bellatrix, who, even in the most discrete of the expressions, could not look away from the artist.

That's when it came to her, a slow, burning and terrible suspicion, that only grew when he spoke. "Not even aphrodite could compare." Benedict smiled briefly and sighed. "It's..."They two looked at other and he chuckled bitterly. "...it's perfect...simply perfect, princess."

Daphne had to hold to her mother not to fall with the news that came onto her. His brother loved Bellatrix. Not just him, Anthony did as well, she was certain of it when she saw them both playing pall mall at Aubrey Hall, but now? Now she knew that Benedict did as well, in the most pure, sublime and devoted love possible.

And the princess did not seem to contradict his feelings, well in fact, she seemed to respond them. If that was true, that moment in front of his eyes, was the most painful of them all to these two.

"Don't you think it's a bit old fashioned, Mr.Bridgerton?" Charlotte asked curious.

Benedict recomposed himself and shook his head, his eyes not leaving the bride for a mere instant. "No, not at all. I do believe that..um...the design is original, one can almost believe she stepped out of one of Benjamin West's paintings." He tried to come up with an excuse.

"Benjamin West, you say? That name rings a bell..."Charlotte thought for a minute, holding her agitated dog to keep it still on her lap. "Oh!" She exclaimed. "That is George's favorite painter!" She opened up a smipe and looked at Bellatrix. "Oh, I can see it now, Mr.Bridgerton. The king will very much appprove it."

Not even Benedict could believe his lame excuse of bringing up the first Artist that came to his head actually worked, but there they were.

"It is settled then, this will be the princess' wedding dress." Charlotte decided, and Violet smiled relieved, Daphne almost did the same, but she was still too overwhelmed by her discovery to do so. "Thank you for your insight, Mr.Bridgerton." the queen smiled to him. "Perphaps you might served again to the crown soon..." Benedict nodded honored. "Maybe once the princess have a child with the viscount you may paint their family portrait, don't you agree, Bellatrix?"

That cut him like a knife, and Daphne could see the exact moment where her brother took in a deep breath not to break down in front pf the royalty members.

"Yes...of course, mama." Bellatrix responded in a weak tone, almost automatically. "Mr.Bridgerton is...very gifted in his craft."

After a some minutes, Benedict was excused out of the room, and while the ladies took away Bellatrix's dress, the artist atepped out to the gardens and finally broke into tears.

His lings, burning inside, along with the teats that fell nonstop and made his body shake barely made him notice the gentle footsteps next to him.

"Brother?" Daphne's touch on his shoulder brought him back to reality.

"Sister!" He exclaimed and quickly tried to wipe away the teats. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you..uh...be deciding veils and jewerly now?"

Daphne looked at her brother and her heart broke to seem him so defeated, so sad. Benedict was always the sunshine of their home, the synonym of happiness and energy, but now he was so blue that she could barely recognize him.

"Does Anthony know?" Was all she could ask.

Benedict looked at her in silence, abbit confused. "What?"

"That you love her." Daphne said, and he felt a bit embarrassed tp have his secret revealed. "You love the princess, don't you?"

Benedict covered his face with his hands and sighed deeply, almost exhausted, then nodded subtly. "I do." He replied defeated. "I love her..."He looked up at his sister. "I love her more than the night needs the moon or the day needs the sun...more than any words can express or any feeling that has ever been described." He tried to keep it together. "I love her more than life itself, hence she became my existence from the minute I saw her for the first time." His sister's gaze broke him into pieces. "Please don't look at me like that, like you pity me."

"I am sorry, brother..." Daphne looked at him with sadness. "But..how did this happen what about Anthony?"

"I didn't mean to, neither of us mean to..."He shook his head. "Bella will find ger duty, she will...she will marry Anthony and I won't step into their life-"

"She loves you as well?"

There was a long pause in silence, only between them and the garden.

"If only I didn't get in the way if..."

"Anthony loves her as well." Daphne said and that made Benedict want to die. "You know that, right?"

He nodded for an instant. "Only a fool could not see it."

"Do you think she loves him?"

He swallowed dry. "I don't know." He whispered. "But I hope she does." He looked at his sister. "Even if that meant to lose her, I'd rather wish for her to be happy with him."

"Oh, Benedict..."Daphne lamented with him, petting his shoulder and letting him cry one last time.

And that's what happened that afternoon. A long silence in the queen's gardens only interruoted by an artist's sobbings and his sister comfort words.

If only they weren't so blinded by the heartbreak, they could've noticed one of the queen's heirs listening to their conversation in the bushes.

....

"You look sad" Henry Granville said, as he took another sip of his wine and then smoked his cigar, clearly not concerned about his health.

Benedict Bridgerton, who put his soul into a portrait at that minute, barely could listen to the noises of Granville's studio. In his state, he couldn't afford going to the royal academy drunk, so he rather chose to drawn himself intoninks and alchohool of that dark secluded studio.

"Wow." Henry said amused as he stared at his cabvas. "That might be one of your best so far" Benedict stopped painting, watching as his memory transcended into his canvas where a watercolor bride covered the blank space. "They do say the most depressed artists are the best." He chuckeld a bit.

Benedict took a bottle and gulped another chunk of whiskey, the liquid burning down as he stared to the canvas that showed Bellatrix just as he saw her that morning, god he wished she could step out of the canvas and hug him, marry him.

"I think I understand what you said before, Granville." Benedict said, sighing, showing his face full of colorful inks. "To be in the same room with a person you can not live without and yet still feel as though you are oceans apart."

Henry was a bit surprised to see Benedict quote him so painfully, but could understand his same unfortunate luck. "I can not say I'm happy for that..." He tapped his shoulder. "But whoever is that bride..."He gave a half smile. "I do believe she is worth fighting for."

Once Henry left the room and Benedict reflected his words into his essence on that canvas, he could almost see Bella's eyes on him once again.

When he realized, he had grabbed his coat and ran blindly into the rain.

...

There was pure darkness and heavy drops in the sky when Bellatrix received the letter from Yvette, it said to meet her outside the castle, somehwere next to the exits of london, surrounded by the dark forest.

And she did so. Sneaking in, bribing guards and ignoring her maids advice, she took comet and rode onto the storm only to see him one last time. She knew she wouldn't have anither opportunity to meet him like that again, so she just did it. Even if that meant ignoring any curious eyes that followed her.

His image was soaked, the shirt transparent, the hair down, a pure poetry written by a woman. Bellatrix could feel the urgency of the matter and the magnet that attracted them both. Once she got off the horae and he took glimpse of her sight, he rain into her arms, and his lips crashed into hers once again.

There wasn't enpugh time for Bella to proces the situation, the water had entered in their mouths as their tongues explored each other, and soon enough the coldness of the night fought against the heat of their bodies.

Being in Benedict's embrace never felt so good and so wrong at the same time, but neither of them wished for that moment to end.

"You came." He breathed heavily as they broke the guess, noses touching, eyes lost into one another. "I thought...I thought I've lost you already."

"You never did, Ben." She whispered, caressing his cheek. His eyes closed in reaction, the smooth touch managed to calm all his senses.

"But I am losing you." He said back, and she couldn't deny that fact. "In a matter of two days, I will lose you." She couldn't reply, only feel the tears approach her eyes as he continued to speak. "You're the most beautiful bride..."He gave a half broken smile. "...just not my bride."

"Ben-"

"In two days, you'll be a married woman. You'll be Viscountess Bridgerton." His words stabbed her being, almost as if she had betrayed him. "But for the time being, let me hold you in my arms and pretend you're mine." He pleaded. "Please."

"I am yours." She whispered back.

Benedict sighed, praying to heavens above that these words could be true. He could ask if she loved Anthony, he could ask if she would be happy in that marriage, but instead, he wished to make that moment last and be with her.

His kisses were sweet but also bitter, she knew that could be the last time she could've seen Benedict that way, to feel him so intensely. "I am yours" she repated over and over, as the touches become more intense.

Her back relied against the wall, as his veiny hands explored slowly each inch of her soft soaked gown. Truth is, by this point, that the heatness, the fire within them had won againsy the rain. Bellatrix couldn't care less about getting sick tomorrow, all she could feel, think or desire was his presence, the permanent promise of his love in her body.

His lips traveled softly against her neck, and lower and lower. The hands lifting the skirt, running through her thighs, pausing before reaching a core.

His eyes were blue, tormenting, suffering with neediness and devotion. "In my heart, you are my wife." He whispers. "Right now, is true." He spoke with all the conviction gathered in his soul. "I believe..."He sniffed in a sweet smile. "I believe I've loved you before I even knew you. I've always loved you." Her soul melted. "It's like there was this...golden, invisible string tying you to me." He kissed her cheek in an adorable act of eternity. "And no matter what happens, Bellatrix, I'll never tear it apart."

"I love you, Benedict Bridgerton" she whispered at last. "And you shall always be my most intense and first love." Their kisses cut off sentences in the middle, along with the heartbeats matching with the thunders in the dark sky above. "Maybe we were lovers in a past life."

"I am certain we were." He said sweetly. "Promise me something" He suggested a sshe listened. "Promise that in another life, we'll meet again." Her eyes filled with tears once again. "And we'll love each other, with all our hearts."

"I promise." She tried to smile through the tears, and he kissed her forehead gently.

There was a long pause in silence between them and the woods. It was only broke with his deep, suffering breath.

"I should esciet you back home..."He mumbled, as his hands tried to move away from her. "Actually, maybe we should go separate ways...it could be risky." Bella nodded briefly, noticing his deep struggle within. "Oh, damn it." He sighed in a discrete chuckle. "Lord, I..."He shook his head. "We should really go, if we remain like this any longer...I might cross my limits, I might do..."His eyes traveled to a wild fantasy of his own. "If only you saw the things we do when I dream in the middle of the night..." He chortled gently. "We should really go."

He took a step back, already missing the clmfort of her touch, both taking a deep breath, ready to accept the cruel fate ahead. She'd be a Bridgerton, but not the way they wished to be.

It took longer for Benedict to let go of her hand, the contact reminded him of the same night he met her at that ball, when they first danced together and he dreamed about how it felt to touch her gloveless hand. And each time did touch her, it was better than the last time.

"Good bye, Bella." He whispered for the last time.

Never, in wo many years of pretending and hiding, Bellatrix found so hard not to breakdown.

"Good bye, Ben." She muttered back.

And when Bellatrix realized, she had hopped on Comet, and the rain slowly stopped at the horizon.

She didn't dare look back or else she'd never return.

...

Yvette didn't question her condition, neither complained when the princess continued to cry incessantly, soaking her pillow last night. So when Bella woke up the next morning exhausted by the sadness, the sound of many chatterings did confuse her.

When Yvette arrived, her valet resembled a ghost. The lips trembling along with the hands, as if she held a secret or maybe felt nervous to talk about it.

"Yvette?" Bella asked as she noticed the valet creepily standing still by the door. "What's the matter?"

"Y-your highness...the rumours..."She stuttered.

Bella got up, finding her sudden shock awkward. "You mean the Whistledown's pamphlet? What did she publish?"

But Yvette shook her head over and over in negative, almost as if the news were even more terrinle than what the princess imagine. "It...it wasn't Lady Whistledown...the whole town is talking about...an insider spread it...."

The suspense was already annoying the princess. "Oh by heavens, just say it, Yvette! What could possibly-"

The doors of the room snapped open suddenly, bringing heavily the light of the day and the image she feared to awaken her whole life: a disappointed and furious mother.

"And i thought this would work out smoothly... that you were different from your siblings, but you proved me wrong." Charlotte said, her words poisoning her throat. "Congratulations for your first scandal, Bellatrix."