https://youtu.be/G8hG7htiLMU

Birds were chirping. The cool breeze made the leaves dance. That was all the people in the chambers could hear. Angelica stayed quiet when Alexander saw a completley different person. The room grew more silent when Alexander begant to recall Angelica being a "servant" on their last lecture. "How can a handmaiden?..."

"Peculiar an introduction as it might be, I am indeed Princess Angelica" Angelica spoke calmly and steady.

"I suggest you put an end to this travesty here and now. Surely you are not the princess I was lecturing," her tutor suggested. "If you find it so hard to believe me, let His Majesty confirm it for you," Alexander's mind was blown. Could she be telling the truth? he asked himself in thought.

Angelica stayed silent and looked as if it was a "yes".

"S-so.....who is the lady I saw here, then?" he asked.

"A handmaiden who sat here in my stead, while I took a saunter outside," Angelica responded.

On the other side of the doors, Eliza didn't expect Angelica to say she was a handmaiden. Why did she not call me the daughter of Lord Schuyler? Eliza pressed her ear closer to the door quietly as possible to hear the discussion.

"Handmaiden?!" Alexander asked shocked from the princess' answer.

"I never imagined an innocent jest would cause such discomfort. . .

"Jest? Are you implying that your only purpose was belittling me?" Alexander asked in an angry tone.

"I did not intend to belittle you, so don't let it weigh on your mind. I shall turn a blind eye to your dealings with that handmaiden, so do not mind her. Just know that we must join conjugal ties at all cost. I trust I needn't remind you. And I wouldn't bother looking for her, as I already ousted her from this palace," Angelica ordered.

Alexander's world turned upside down when he heard the truth. He had to put the pieces together, but was too angry to think about it. Without even a bow, he turned his back on her and exited the room.

Angelica got out of her seat and had one of her handmaidens open the door for Eliza who sat beside the door quiet and who almost cried. When Eliza heard the noise of the doors opening behind her, she looked back to see Angelica who just stood there, also quiet.

"Was I summoned here to witness all this?"

"Need I say anyting more, Eliza?" Angelica responded. Eliza thought to have believed that her cousin was Even if you hadn't done this, I would have had no ulterior motives. All I wanted was a chance to show penitence..." Eliza spoke in a sad tone.

"Or an easy pretext to once again meet him I suppose?!"

"Angie?"

"Alas, I have no time to squander on petty devotion, for I ought to protect myself and my brother from your father's covetous whims!"

"Covetous whims? What are you implying? That my father would bring harm to his own nephew to usurp the throne?" Eliza asked. She had so many questions to why Angelica was angry at her.

Angelica studied her cousin's eyes and what she read was lost, sadness, scared. She almost cried at the memory of seeing her father suffer from his brother's wrath. She knew that they didn't have much time, for they had to wed before Lord Schuyler takes over.

"You and I were the only ones who didn't know, but such vicious subterfuges would not surprise anyone"

"My father would never be capable of that."

"If you don't believe me, go ask him yourself."

"Were you always his cold-hearted?" Eliza almost grit her teeth. Still in disbelief of her cousin's words, she was shocked that being cold-hearted would be her nature.

"I couldn't possibly compare with your father's perfidious warmth, for sure..."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

In Eliza's carriage

Leaving the palace gates, Eliza's heart felt uneasy. She felt as if she was leaving everything behind just for him to find out on his own. She asked Rose to have the driver halt the carriage for a moment. When the men followed her orders, they came to a halt, and Eliza was given a hand to exit her carriage.

"Are you feeling indisposed, My Lady?"

"I need to go somewhere, so head back home..."

"Have you lost your mind? Are you leaving on your own?! Let us go together," Rose commanded, upset by how stubborn the woman she's been serving all her life has been. Rose crossed her arms and sighed heavily in front of Eliza. Her eyes were getting shinier and Eliza could tell that Rose looked like she wa going to cry.

"Do you really want me to stand idly by when your mother has someone whipping your with that thick belt of hers?!"

Eliza held Rose's hands to comfort her, which didn't seem enough. "Please, Rose..."

When Eliza took her leave, Rose was cofused by the whole situation of Her Lady who has been acting very weird lately. She was afraid for her well being because she didn't want to face another wrath while standing by and doing nothing.

...

Eliza walked throughout the village as she began to wonder what to do now that the truth was out in the open. At the corner of her eye, she began to notice the green fields on her right, and recalled she and Alexander taking horse lessons out there in the field. Eliza decided to go there to ease her mind off of all this madness.

On the green fields, she walked wanderlously. Her hems contacted with the green and were shuffling through every strand of Earth. Bird were chirping and flying about finding worms for their babies. The clouds above seemed more slow than the time itself. Eliza came to a halt to take a look around her. It was majestic and beautiful. Thank god mother nature got her mind off of all that's happened....and all that she's done...

After a while, she felt a little better with the fresh cool breeze contacting her rosy cheeks. She felt like she could open her eyes more once again when the breeze cooled off her eyelids and cheeks that grew pinkish-red from crying and heating up her temperature. Eliza wanted to stay in peace for a while, so she breathed in the cool air and closed her eyes. She felt at peace more when she heard horses galloping from afar. The horses galloping wherever and how far they went. With their group and going anywhere they went. The horses neighing. Eliza became envious of them. Those horses are not chained to their reins, carriages, and heavy loads like donkeys.

Then, Eliza heard footsteps approaching her. They grew louder the closer they got. In her heart, she felt happy that the man she's been spending time with has come to this place that could be their usual spot to meet. But her fluttering heart didn't last.

"Oh...It's Sir Tilghman..." Eliza realized and involuntarily her tear fell out of her eye. Eliza nodded and the two stayed quiet for a while. Then a few minutes later, he finally spoke. "Are you feeling better?" 

- - - - - - -- - - - - - 

The Schuylers' place

Tilghman walked Eliza home on a horse. When they got there, Tilghman gave her a hand to give her a boost on getting off his horse. To Eliza, it was nice to have some company with someone who wouldn't yell at her like her mother. She needed some peace and quiet after all that's happened.

"Sir Tilghman, I'm grateful for all your consideration. I hope I haven't caused you to waste your time with me..." Eliza thanked him humbly, feeling sorry for him as if she was a child who didn't want to go home and play while he told her not to.

"You may go in now," Tilghman said, giving her a bow as she curtsied to him. Eliza put her petticoat hood on and went to the entrance of her home. When she passed him, Sir Tilghman watched her go up the stairs and felt happy to have talked with her. Then, the memory of her father asking him to be her new spouse appeared in his mind. He felt nervous and didn't know what to speak of. He took his leave on a horse to go back to his dwellings.

- - - - - -- -- - - - - - - - -- -

Brothel

Alexander has been drinking more than 3 cups of wine. He hit his cup to put it down on the table and looked at nowhere. He heaved a sigh after all that's been exposed to him (well not all actually). Then he poured down his teapot, but it was empty. For he must've drank it all. He still didn't bother to talk when one of the ladies who sat down beside him to fill up his cup with her colorful gown on. She's been flirting with him with a smirk and her colorful hair as she poured his cup.

"Dear good sir! Why has it been so long?! As seldom as it may be, only visit my quarters. I do have a gift for you tonight..."

"Leave me alone..."

"Ooohhh....Good Sir...Stop tormenting me with such utterances..." the lady continued, scooching close to him and grabbing him by the arm gently.

"Must I repeat myself?" Alexander raised his voice, not even telling her to the face. The lady scoffed and took her hands off of him. "Why are you acting like this? Are you looking down on me because I'm one of the ladies at a brothel?!" shocked as she was, she scolded him for his manners. She didn't get a response from him, grew tired of him being serious, and walked straight to the door and left. Alexander drank his filled cup and heaved another sigh when he remembered those very words that the real princess identified Eliza as "a handmaiden who sat here in [her] stead, while [she] took a saunter outside."

He didn't know what to do know that he "knew" who Eliza was. He had so many questions he wanted to ask Eliza.

Meanwhile, the lady who just left him was outside the brothel, sitting at the stairs with the other ladies. The ladies were gathering around her because in their first impression of this behavior, she behaved like a spoiled child. She wined on and on about his behavior towards her and weeped dramatically.

Lady 1: "How can he neglect your feelings only because you are a lady who works at a brothel?! (scoffs)"

Lady 2: "And he even drinks now.... What's with him?!"

Lady 3(one who wined): "It must be because of that wench! Her Highness this, Her Highness that....I knew this would happen!"

Lady 1: Did he really call her that?

Lady 3: I said I've heard it loud and clear!

Lady 2: It did seem peculiar...like when he said we shouldn't ridicule her...or when he asked for decent garnments...

Lady 1: (scoffs) Does he really think we would have decent garnments at a brothel? What would we possibly gain from wearing decent ones anyway?

Lady 2: Hmmm, remember when he brought her those garnments? Do you recall how long he stayed inside? (gasps) Did he help her get changed?!

Lady 3 sharply turned to Lady 2 with her assumption that made her want to yell at her face to prevent her from finishing that sentence. On the other hand, Lady 1 and Lady 2 didn't seem bothered by the idea that he may have done it. They shrieked from excitement (like fangirls) while Lady 3 frowned. "STOP!!!!" she shouted, and the other two eventually stopped. Lady 3, frustrated by how they didn't support her, left them.

"Wh-whoa! whoa! wait! Maria!" Lady 2 called for Lady 3 who didn't turn around to let them say something.

"Maria! Wait for us!"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - -- -

Nighttime at the Schuylers'

When the night falls, Eliza stands before her father who exited the door with his ambassadors. She wondered, if what Angelica said about him was true, then what should she do?

"My dear Elizabeth, what brings you at this hour?" he asked his daughter who stood still. Eliza couldn't respond. She didn't know how he would behave. For the first time, she felt a little frightened of him. If he was the one pressuring the king, if she asked him ANY questions that had to do with it, what would her father do to her?

"Go back inside," Lord Schuyler told her in a gentle voice before he could leave to do his duties.

"Father..." Eliza called. Lord Schuyler stopped on his tracks and knew that she must be ready to tell him. He dismissed his ambassdors so they could leave them privacy. Eliza stuttered when she couldn't find the words. He patiently waited for her to say something. She almost swallowed her breath and instead brought him back inside for the time being to talk.

When they walked to his study hall, Lord Schuyler comforted her as they sat down. He wanted her to have the courage to say something at her own pace. Eliza felt grateful that her father allowed such patience for me. I looked down at my fisted hands that grew white from my hesitation and the thought of telling herself to speak up.

"Did..." Eliza trailed off, her heart feeling like it was going to burst. "Did...you.....really covet the throne?..."

"The throne?!...I would be daunted by a mere thought of that..." Her father's smile lowered from this being sudden. Eliza decided to rephrase her question to make it clearer.

"Are you . . . trying to bring harm to the king and his son?"

"Where did you hear such palaver?" His father spoke sternly.

"I....cannot reveal that," Eliza said, looking down and scared for what's coming. "You believe I would be capable of such misdeeds? I take no heed of the credulous rabble's empty conjecture. If I were to become king, I would have to always cope with treacherous disdain. But seeing my children inveigled by it engulfs me with dispair. "

Eliza looked back to him, and a part of her felt that reassuring.

"And if that is because lives depend on such vile falsehood, no matter how prepostrous," Lord Schuyler assured his daughter from worrying about the throne being overtaken. "Forgive me," Eliza apologized for doubting her father. "It's alright," Lord Schuyler spoke softly and gave a warm smile. Both exchanged smiles, happy of how assuring it was for Eliza to let him know what was bothering her, and how her father's feelings towards being king was expressed.