~~~~~~Nighttime~~~~~~~

Eliza scurried home as quick as her feet could take her. Luckily, she made it in time before Peggy did. Peggy was punished to get slapped by the handmaidens. Peggy wined and moaned from the pain she received. 

"She's the one who brought it up! Why take it out on me?!" Peggy argued with tears welling in her eyes. 

"After promising you'd stay beside her and coming back seperately, you think you have the right to talk back to me with an excuse? Must I command these ladie to beat some sense into you?!" the Lady Mother yelled at her youngest. 

Peggy sharply shook her head and glared at her eldest sister. After she was told to leave, Peggy stomped her way out of her mother's chambers. When it was Eliza's turn to take the punishment, Eliza walked towards their handmaidens to receive the same. However, her mother dismissed the ladies. 

"Sit." --Eliza obeyed her mother and sat beside her. 

"So... Did you meet that Alexander Hamilton? Was it enjoyable enough to defy your parents over it?" Lady Schuyler asked Eliza with a disapointed look on her face. Eliza stayed silent, not expecting her to know that. 

"Forgive me, Mother," Eliza apologized softly. 

"There's nothing to forgive, since you and that man will never meet again. For if there is anyone who can never end up with you, it's him," the Lady Mother finalized. 

"Mother..." 

"Sharing feelings with the son of your father's greatest enemy... Are you out of your mind?!" 

Greatest enemy? Eliza asked herself. She wasn't aware of her father's affairs at the palace, especially rivalry. "What are you trying to say?" she asked, puzzled with the words "your father's greatest enemy." 

"His father, James Hamilton, is attempting to cause the downfall of the Nepalese. If witnessing your family succumb in a crimson tide is not enough to stop you, go ahead and fulfill your wishes," Lady Schuyler said. Eliza was taken back by what she just learned. She had many questions with the outside world that's been happening outside her bubble. Now that she learned one thing she didn't know her father had, her bubble burst. 

~~~~~Later that night...

"WHAT?! A handmaiden? So that lady who pretended to be Her Highness was a handmaiden?" Church asked Alexander, appalled by what he had learned about the woman he bumped into earlier. He, Alexander, and Tilghman were at their usual bar place to drink and feast after a while apart. 

"See? Told you he got himself a woman, didn't I?" Church told Tilghman who's been drinking more than 2 cups of alcohol. Alexander faced Tilghman, hoping to hear an approval from him. 

"Right... So now what are you going to marry that handmaiden?" Tilghman asked with a tense look in his eyes. Presuming he was just drunk, Alexander grinned not knowing the answer. 

"She might have been ousted from the palace, but will it be alright?" Church asked Alexander, wondering if there's hope for forbidden love. 

Alexander sighed, hoping that life was easier to accept his love for the handmaiden. He gazed at the star's reflection in the cup of wine. The stars reminded him of the stars that shined in Eliza's dark caramel eyes at night. She wasn't like any woman. Eliza wasn't as polished as the ladies of the brothel, but there was something attractive in that, and she had a sense of humor. He now recalld their first meeting. She had been more of a tomboy in the palace. Everyday they've spent together, she seemed freer and softer. 

"I'll have to make sure of it," Alexander spoke with a low tone, gazing at the stars' reflection in cup of wine. 

"Fine... Let's suppose you'd be fine with that. But would someone as covetous and controlling as your father... let his son join a mere handmaiden in conjugal ties?" Tilghman asked, scoffing at Alexander with disrespect. 

"Hey... You fool. You're drunk..." Church scolded him, unbelieving he just heard that. 

"What are you implying?" Alexander asked, his demeanor changed. He noticed Tilghman hasn't taken his eyes away from his. His eyes were filled with resentment. 

"I wonder who else could promote someone deprived of his title to chronicler, if not your father. With our esteemed lord chancellor pampering your every step, I can see why you'd be filled with such resolve," Tilghman continued. 

"You little..." 

"Tench Tilghman... Watch your mouth," Alexander murmured, gritting his teeth. As he glared at Tilghman, he fought the urge to punch Tilghman for speaking to him in that tone. 

"Sir!" a voice cut the tension between Alexander and Tilghman. 

"What is it?" Tilghman asked, averting his attention from Alexander to Charles who just came. 

Charles- Lord Schuyler is looking for you.

Alexander looked back at Tilghman, not knowing what his game is for being so rude about his father "pampering his every step." "How about you, then? Playing Lord Schuyler's retainer now?" Alexander talked back in a low tone. 

"Why? Can't I?" 

"You two! What's wrong with you?!" Church asked. Church didn't want these two to fight. Alexander and Tilghman didn't blink when their eyes met. Tilghman left and Alexander felt the need to drink his stress away by drinking his cup. He heaved a sigh, trying to figure out Tilghman. 

After spending his time with Church, Alexander was dropped off by his carriage back to his home. Frustrated by Tilghman comparing him with his father in a negative tone, Alexander didn't want to deal with Tilghman, even if Tilghman were to recover from being drunk the next day. As usual, he would fix himself up and find his father to let him know he's come home. But this time, his father didn't answer. Alexander called again only to find his happy father and his ambassadors answer his call by letting him enter. After a while, they had news that didn't make Alexander feel any better.

"Father just told you he will find you a suitable bride, so why look so surprised?" his elder brother, James, asked with a puzzled tone in his voice.

"You will have to pardon me, Father. But I am not yet ready to..." he asked but was cut off by his father who is pleased to do the work.

"I shall find a reputable candidate and soon arrange your betrothal,"

Alexander couldn't believe it has come to this. His day could not get any worse. As much as he doubted his father would be happy about him and Eliza the handmaiden, it's time that he took a stand, but with caution. "But I already have found fondness for another woman..." he confessed, lowering his gaze from his father's.

James didn't approve of his younger brother's rude behavior, but his father wanted to listen further to what Alexander had to say before he could make his decision to accept. "What clan is she from?" Lord Hamilton asked calmly.

"She's not a noble damsel..."

"w-what?! so you're in love with a whore who could be after your fortune? OUR FORTUNE?" James scoffed, objecting the idea of accepting a commonor to the family name. "Is she a whore from a brothel?" Lord Hamilton growled with his eyes widened from the statement he didn't expect from that of a son.

"No."

"Then?!"

"Father, don't take heed of his palaver spoken in vain. Brother, let's leave!" James pleaded, and then faced his brother with shame. Alexander wanted to continue, but was yelled at by his brother to come out of the quarters.

Alexander finally obliged, exited the building and got punched by his brother. "Even when your agasconades with Her Highness forced Father to resign, I didn't feel this disapointed in you! Stop begriming our family name with such trifling escapades! If you cause any more problems to this household, than you are not a man worthy of the name," James scolded Alexander for his behavior. Leaving Alexander in the dark of night, he heaved a sigh and left.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Back at the Schuyler's mansion, Eliza thought and thought. There was so much going on outside her bubble, it became overwhelming for her. First Angelica argues about her being like my father, then tells her her father and his are enemies, and now her own mother reminds her of that. 

She got up until she saw Tilghman looking a little wobbly today. She didn't know he had been drinking. Tears were welling in his eyes that didn't see eye to eye with Eliza. He couldn't stop thinking about Eliza not loving him. He stared blankly with dull eyes as Eliza curtsied to pay her respects. Eliza thougth he needed some alone time, but when she took her leave, Tilghman stopped her. 

"I saw you earlier today. Since when..." Tilghman talked, but seemed sad about it. Then he continued: "Since when have you started meeting Alexander again?" 

She quickly turned around to face Tilghman whom she left behind. Her eyes widened and her mouth opened from the shock that he may have known her secret. "Are you telling me you were at Her Highness' residence?" she asked.

"Don't you realize that you two... can no longer meet each other?" 

"And who can decide whom I may or may not meet? Can anyone judge that, or is it up to fate?" Eliza raised her voice, having had enough of people trying to stop her. 

"But you and I shall soon join in conjugal ties," Tilghman desperately told her, wanting to stop her from seeing him again. 

"I was already informed of our betrothal..." Eliza informed in a neutral tone. 

"So you knew. If that's the case, why still meet..." Tilghman spoke and failed to speak further, knowing speaking the words "still meet Alexander" would become painful as it is. 

"I merely thought that a friend of Alexander's could also be a friend of mine, but I never considered you as a prospective spouse," Eliza bowed before she took her leave, leaving Tilghman alone. 

He felt hurt by those words. What hurt more was that she knew about their betrothal and never bothered to accept the fact she is to be married to him other than Alexander. After a moments time, he looked down feeling the pain that stung his eyes. 

"So you knew..." a voice told him. Tilghman knew that voice and turned to face the father of his arranged spouse. Tilghman quickly lowered his head to hide his tears that were filling his eyes. But Lord Schuyler noticed. He invited Tilghman inside to comfort him with some food and a cup of wine. 

In his quarters, Lord Schuyler poured wine for Tilghman and himself while Tilghman was drinking his sadness away with more than two cups. The feeling of being rejected was even more painful than physical scars. Once Tilghman was done, he hit the cup on the table, stressed about everything is was conflicted to choose. Before Tilghman gets any worse, his future father-in-law grabbed him by the wrist to prevent him from grabbing the whole bottle of wine. 

"Losing your mind over this will not change a thing. I'm sure it's hard to bear," Lord Schuyler spoke softly. 

Tilghman understood and gently took his wrist away from his grip. Tilghman couldn't help but stare blankly and listen to Schuyler speaking at the same time. "Contending over the same woman with a dear friend can't be easy," Schuyler said, trying to get himself to understand Tilghman. 

His future son-in-law shook his head, either disagreeing or accepting with the idea. He doesn't understand why choosing his friend or the woman he fell in love with could be so hard. "No, it's not that. She's merely a friend's woman-"

"No she isn't. She is YOUR woman, the one you shall marry SOON. Am I wrong? At this point, that James Hamilton will soon meet his demise." By the mention of James Hamilton "meeting his demise", he didn't like where Lord Schuyler was getting at. He even accidently dropped his cup, leaving the cup to clang on the ground. 

"What are you..."

"We will act on the day His Majesty leaves the palace to visit his sister, Angelica. This morning, I had my men fully armed for the occasion. Unless we first rid ourselves of that lord, your household and mine will soon be slaughtered. You have 3 good reasons to do so. To save your father, protect your woman, and last -but not least- be the one who grants your friend a peaceful demise." ATilghmanndre noticed that the lord was being so calm about all this. He couldn't believe the father would demise such a plan to slaughter and claim. 

"But Alexander is my friend!" Tilghman argued, still shocked by what the lord plans to do with him. 

"Would he be able to go on without his father? Only if his last moment comes at the hands of a friend of his will, he will find peace. Can you draw this blade against Alexander Hamilton?" Lord Schuyler asked as he brought out a sword holder with a sword in it. He patiently waited for Tilghman to give his answer. 

Leaving Tilghman to choose, Lord Schuyler left his quarters to go check on his daughter after Tilghman headed back home on horseback. It took the lord a while to find her until he saw her moping and sitting in the stairs with Rose. 

Eliza felt bad that she may have been too harsh on Tilghman, and was feeling sad and tired looking for him all night. She noticed her father who sat beside her and stayed quiet for a while. "Your mother told me you met him again?" he asked, waiting for Eliza to respond. But she didn't, and she knew that there was no point in asking for forgiveness now. 

"Despite what goes on between our clans, your feelings remain unchanged," he concluded, facing his daughter who stared at the ground. 

"Yes. And also, what Mother told me still heavily weighs on my mind. Is there really no way to restore amity between you and Lord Hamilton?" she asked, with hope in her eyes. 

Philip- "It is too late for that now. Elizabeth, I fear that this might hurt you..."

Eliza- I cannot erase that man from my heart. If only you could mend fences even after a few years, I would patiently wait. 

Philip- I wonder if his son will think the same, upon finding that you're my daughter

Eliza- I believe in him. Is he not the same man who risked his own life to save me?

Philip- He is? So he's that man who saved you from those ruffians you mentioned earlier. Your relationship was this deep?

Lord Schuyler gazed at his daughter deep in thought. He thought If I took away the only thing that mattered to her, it'd be painful for me not to see her smile again..." 

A moments later, he got an idea to make her daughter happy. He stood back up, and decided to say so before he took his leave. 

"Very well. Your father admits defeat. I'll have to once again suggest betrothal to King Edward. Instead, you must not reveal your identity to Alexander, at least until his father is convinced. Is that clear?" he asked with determination. 

"Father are you sure?! I mean, yes I will bear that in mind, but is this what you want to do?" Eliza asked as she shifted back on her feet. His father nodded and walked away after bidding her goodnight. 

"Father, you can't imagine how glad I am to have you as my father!" Eliza cried out to him, happy to realize how lucky she is to have a supportive father. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In her jolly spirits, Eliza couldn't wait to get married to Alexander again. She decided to practice embroidery to make for her father and Alexander. For father, she embroidered a flower that symbolized the House of Chatilot. She even decided to write a note to him that this flower will always remind her of her father. 

"Now you even start embroidering? So you can give it to Sir Alexander?" Rose didn't know she was going to make two: one for her father and the other for Alexander. 

Eliza looked up and couldn't help but grinned bigger than ever. She pulled the thread after pushing it up through the fabric. She eagerly poked through the fabric to continue the pattern, but accidently poked her finger, and a drop of blood grew. She felt ashamed that her blood dripped onto the fabric she was embroidering on. 

"See? I told you to focus when you do that. I vividly recall telling you that thinking about men can be harmful to your thumbs," Rose reminded Her Lady with how silly men are. 

"I wanted to make one for my father and Alexander, but this won't do. I'll have to ask Mother for more cloth. And also, Rose, look around at how lucky we are to be alive right now! Maybe you will find someone like him someday, and then you will change your mind about men just like I did," Eliza spoke with confidence, unable to help but tease her lady in waiting who scoffed at the idea, saying no thanks. Feeling carefree to do it again, Lord Schuyler's eldest headed to her mother's quarters. 

Meanwhile, Lord Schuyler couldn't stop thinking about his plans to defeat Lord Hamilton, and the joyful look Eliza gave for him. However, after a spy came, having heard the news that King Edward went to visit his sister to check on her, from him became too perfect to resist. He couldn't choose whom to choose. Therefore, he talked it over with his wife, Lady Schuyler, before he could make up his mind. 

"As to why, I will be heading to James' residence by the eventide," Lord Schuyler informed his wife. 

"Philip, should anything happen to you tonight, what will happen to me and the children?" Lady Schuyler opened up the concern in her heart. Her husband felt warm in his heart to see how much she cares for him. 

He rested his arm on her shoulder to reassure her of his safety. "Catherine, my dear, I will not go there to die. Take care of the children in my absence."

"I will." 

"Thank you," he thanked her, then looking down blankly. 

By reading his facial expression, Lady Schuyler knew there was also something in his mind: what would become of their daughter's smile? A few moments later, she opened her mouth as if she was hesitant to ask. "How do you plan to deal with James?" she asked. 

Philip -"I cannot possibly spare his sons. So can James be the only one to pay?"

Catherine- "I wonder how Elizabeth will react..."  

Philip- All the more reason why I should slay him. How could she love someone who's dead anyway? For my daughter's sake, James Hamilton must be dealt with.

Feeling the air has gone cold, the woman who was outside the quarters trembled from the fear of what she overheard. Her fingers danced with fear, she accidently dropped the handkerchief of the embroidered flower. Noticing that it was tainted with blood, she quietly bent down to her knees as she shook from fear. Her blood made her think of the innocent that will get slaughtered by her father's actions. 

Eliza couldn't help but hold onto her own neck to keep herself from whimpering when her parents could hear her.