Eliza rushed back to her quarters as quickly as her feet could take her. She quickly closed the door behind her and slid down her back against the door til she sat down. 

The side of her father she hasn't seen before was a ruthless politian who would not countenance anyone standing in his way. In his tone, he seemed to have no compunctions in eliminating Alexander, and possibly his family too. 

This did not bode well for the lord's daughter. 

Sometime later, her lady-in-waiting went to let her know that her presence was needed. "My Lady? His Lordship is heading out." Eliza didn't reply. She could tell that something was bothering her. "Oh come on, let us go see him off. Are you okay?" Rose rushed to Her Lady's side. 

"You're trembling...and you're tapping your finger on your lap so quickly. You do that when something's wrong." 

But instead of answering her lady-in-waiting's question, all Eliza could hear was the ringing in her ear. 

"My father....he couldn't possibly do that to him. No way. There's no way," Eliza shook her head in disbelief and shed a tear. 

"My Lady, I told you His Lordship is leaving. Let's go before he suspects anything," Rose reminded her. 

Eliza knew she was right and obliged to let her lead the way. Hearing that her father was leaving, she knew that he was on his way to use his plans to action. 

Moments later, the children and the mother gathered around to bid their farewell to Lord Schuyler. Eliza was the last to be escorted. 

Lady Catherine Schuyler- My Dear. I will be waiting

Jemmy & Peggy- Have a safe trip, Father. 

"Father, where are you heading to?" Eliza asked him, avoiding eye contact. Her father stepped a step closer to his eldest.  He noticed something was different about Eliza today. She gripped onto her skirt, unwilling to see him off. 

"Seems like anguish haunted you the whole night. But today, I shall bring your concerns to an end." Avoiding to answer her question, he patted her on the shoulder and left the mansion. 

Still in shock of what she overheard, Eliza almost fainted until Rose managed to catch her. "My Lady! My Lady are you alright?" Eliza didn't say a word. 

Her mind was blank until she recalled her father leaving and realized that he was about to take action sooner or later. What am I doing? I shouldn't just be standing here! I got to warn his family! If I don't make it, he'll surely kill Alexander! she thought. 

She walked away like nothing was wrong until no one was around. Eliza ran to her family's garden as her secret ticket way out. 

However, Rose managed to catch up to her and took Eliza's hand to get her attention. "Where would you go? Keep this up and you will collapse!" 

"Get out of the way, please," Eliza impatiently asked Rose who stood in front of her to block her path. 

"I will not! I cannot let you go any further!" Eliza budged her way out of Rose's blocking and didn't listen to Rose any further when she called her, pleading her to stop. 

"I must! I must alert him!" 

Suddenly, the presence of her mother Lady Catherine Schuyler stopped her from going any further. "Alert whom for what? Escort her to her quarters!" 

Against her will, Eliza was taken by the arms to bring her to her quarters as ordered. Her mother followed in pursuit and stood between the frames of the doorway to keep an eye on her eldest for a while. 

"Don't even think of stepping foot outside the door. It's what your father wishes for, so do not dare to defy him!" 

"Why are you keeping me trapped inside? Let me at least know the reason!" 

"Why are you so frantically trying to leave?" Lady Schuyler asked with frustration of her daughter's disobedience. Eliza realized that questioning was not going to make her talk, so she decided to speak up. "Is my father truly intending to wipe out Lord James Hamilton's entire household of Nepaleses'?" 

Lady Schuyler opened her mouth, shocked to hear that she must have heard everything. She closed the door behind her and remained calm to explain. 

Lady Schuyer- So you've heard. Then, that should also tell you the reason why I cannot allow you to leave. Should you run to alert Alexander, your father's plans will fail, and our household would pay the ultimate price for it. Would you bring your demise upon your parents and your siblings all for his sake?

Eliza- Why must Father do something so heinous? What did the Hamilton family possibly do to deserve this brutal end?! Mother, this won't get us anywhere...

Lady Schuyler- You're a girl from the House of Chatilot, and you live in a country that is divided. You may NOT fall in love with a Nepalese, especially one that sprouted from your father's hate! Unless there is some profit in it for you. Your life will not be easy because you wish it to be so. You will have to wade through blood and you will know loss, you must be stronger. 

Eliza- And this is your fortune for me? Well I regret it and I will until then! 

The lord's wife slapped her middle daughter, Eliza took a few steps back after the impact of her mother's whipping hand and almost tripped. Her mother forced her towards a supply room, and pointed her finger at the door. 

"I don't have TIME to argue with you. I have a household to take care of while your father's gone. You will stay in there out of sight, where you can't embarrass us anymore," Lady Schuyler said. 

She didn't wait for Eliza's response instead had the men push her inside the supply room and shut the door.

Leaving her alone in the darkness with a broken spirit, and a broken heart.

What has happened to her life? It seems everyone in this town has a secret. Who can she trust? Any how do all these faces fit into the tapestry of lies? Eliza collapsed to the ground, realizing there was no one there. 

To her surprise, she saw a rip on the hem of her skirts and decided to send Alexander a warning. 

She took off her feather accessory, but had no ink to write with. Then, she had an idea when she noticed how purple her healed bruise looked underneath her skin.

Eliza- If you want something done, you've got to do it yourself.... 

She was on her own now. 

~~~

When the full moon had risen to its highest, Alexander and his father were, taking a stroll around their mansion. 

After the argument with James, Alexander wanted to convey his undying love for the "princess" to get his father to understand. "She might not be of noble descent, but she is a cheerful and bright lady. Meet her at least once for my sake," Alexander asked with calm tone.

Lord Hamilton stopped in his tracks and faced Alexander to see how much he's changed (good thing) because of a woman. "So who is this woman?" 

Alexander opened his mouth to answer, but couldn't find the words. 

"You told me she was not of noble birth. But when I asked whether she was a brothel woman, you told me it wasn't the case. Is she perchance a handmaiden?" 

Eyes widened, Alexander didn't know how he figured it out. His father asked him once more, yet the only time he could identify her as a handmaiden was when he was taken prisoner to court- which was when he saw Eliza with the other handmaidens. "You're right. But she was already ousted from the pala-" 

"Alexander. No matter how much you cherish her, and the fact I can accept it, people will not be so lenient about this union of yours." 

"That doesn't concern me in the slightest. I will wait until you give us your blessing." 

Lord Hamiltoin didn't say a word afterwards, trying to find the right questions to ask his son. "Would you go through with this, even if staying with her can endanger your life?" 

"Yes, Father. How could I spend the rest of my days with a woman, when I love another?" 

His father exhaled through his nostrils and studied his son's determined look in his eyes. He understood that Alexander seemed to know what he was doing and responded with a nod. "Remain at home for the time being."

"Yes, Father," Alexander calmly answered, giving his father a respectable bow before taking his leave. 

~~~ 

Night skies grew darker, the stars appeared, but nothing seemed beautiful for Lord Schuyler's daughter who was pacing back and forth in the supply room. 

Her heart hurt and the more she breathed in to calm down, the more painful it got. 

Moments later, Rose brought a plate of food for Eliza. "You have not eaten a thing all day. So please at least have a few spoons." 

"Rose, you have to help me. Help me get out of here," Eliza pleaded, trying to finish what she was doing.  

Rose shook her head, unwilling to get herself in trouble. "I cannot do that."

"PLEASE! I'm begging you. Think of it as saving two lives and please let me go to him." 

"And what on earth would you do when you meet him? Your Lady the Mother told me. She said Sir Alexander will soon perish," Rose said, turning away her direction from Her Lady. Eliza could feel her eyes welling. 

"No! Why would he? He's not going to die. It's not too late to tell him! I won't let it happen. I'll make sure it doesn't!" 

"Will you please get a hold of yourself?! How are you going to stop your father? Erase that man from your mind. Forget him once and for all!" Rose yelled. 

When Eliza was done, she scooched closer to the door and tried to see Rose through a small opening of the locked door. She pushed her hand through the opening to give her her ripped cloth of her pink dress in an urgent manner. "Bring this to him. I'm asking you."

The lady-in-waiting looked down at the pink cloth and became shocked when she saw a hint of dark red liquid. "Blood. My Lady, is this blood?!" she asked, but was ignored when Eliza had to continue. 

"After tonight,  it will be over between us anyhow. But I'm fine with it ... even if we never meet again, I'll be fine. So all I want is for him to survive this." 

"My Lady..." 

"Only you can do this. Nobody else can. So bring this to him." 

Rose looked back at the cloth and didn't want to risk Her Lady to draw any more of her blood just to send a message. She nodded to assure Eliza she will and took her leave before anyone could see it. 

She left the mansion of the Schuylers and made quick haste to where Alexander dwelled. She found a guard and gave him Eliza's cloth for him to deliver to Alexander. 

Meanwhile, Alexander came out of his chamber just to see that there were so many guards rushing with torches in their hands. He found a guard coming to him. "Why are all those armed guards..." 

"Lord Schuyler is on his way here."

"Lord Schuyler?! Why would a Chatilot lord come here...."

"I am restricted by your brother to inform you any further. But I can tell you that I believe that is why some lady told me to convey this to you," the guard said, handing him over the cloth that Alexander received. 

"Some lady? Wait, how did she look like?" Alexander asked, wondering if she was Eliza. 

"Probably a lady-in-waiting of sorts." 

"A lady-in-waiting? Where did she head to?" 

"My apologies. It was so dark I couldn't..." the guard answered all he could before he left to continue his duties, leaving Alexander to unfold the note he was given. It said: 

"Meet me at the church  - Betsey"

When he finished, he suddenly began to realize how dark the red ink was and looked back at the word "Meet". 

"Blood!" Alexander whispered, horrified that something may have happened to her. He was ready to take his leave but was halted by one of the guards at the entrance of his home. 

"I was ordered not to let anyone out," he said. 

"I will be right back," Alexander answered and rode on his horse in the dark of the night. 

But little did he know that he just passed Lord Schuyler's carriage that was on its way to Lord Hamilton, and that the group of ruffians that attacked him and the love of his life were driving the carriage. 

~~~

At the mansion of the Hamilton family, Lord Schuyler and Lord Hamilton were having a talk while the guards kept an eye on men who drove the lord here. 

To James' suspicion, there was something wicked about the man's faces. There were scars. 

He walked towards the carriage, preparing a sword by his side. "Step aside," he asked the men with an upsetting tone in his voice. 

"My lord, I wonder what the problem may be..." one of the ruffians asked, looking up at the lord's son with a grin, and chuckled beneath his smile. 

"I said step aside!" James yelled, shoving him out of the way to the carriage until he saw a light hurt his eyes. His eyes darted at a sword that was being stored underneath the carriage. 

Realizing that the jig is up, the man pushed James before he could take the sword. He took the sword from under the carriage and took an amount of red that glistened with his sword under the moonlight. 

James learned that the Chatilots were going to attack Lord Hamilton, he ran and cried out to his father while the guards of the Hamiltons crossed swords with the ruffians. 

"Father!"