Daisy had never been one to frequent balls. Usually, she found them to be rather overwhelming, often leading her to sneak off to some quiet corner to be alone. However, since she had turned sixteen, her parents were urging her to attend more and more social events in hopes that she would find herself a man that would be willing to take her as a wife. Daisy had never even been courted by anyone at that point, so the idea of marriage remained quite foreign and distant to her. Of course, she had to attract a man's attention first, and that was easier said than done.

She had spent a long time getting ready, spending a large portion of it just picking out a dress. After much frantic dressing and undressing, she finally settled on a light pink gown with off the shoulder plumed sleeves, embellished with little blue and white flowers along the top of the skirt. Part of her worried that it appeared too childish, but at the same time, it felt odd to try to dress older than she actually was, especially if she was seeking out a future husband. After many failed attempts at complex updos, she opted to leave her golden brown hair hanging down in loose curls with just a silver hairpin to keep the front strands out of her face. All her other accessories were silver as well, from her heels to her earring studs. She had a silver bracelet to match, but that was the trinket she had turned in with her invitation acceptance, so she would not get it until she arrived at the Caerhayes castle. The bracelet was an old family heirloom, passed down many generations from mother to daughter until it finally reached her. Sometimes, she liked to imagine all the places it had been, how many balls and events it had seen with her mother and grandmother and great grandmother and all the ladies before her. There was something comforting about it, as if all her ancestors were with her whenever she wore it, but at the same time, it made her feel even stronger pressure to keep up with their expectations. After all, they had all gotten married and had daughters to pass the bracelet to, so it was hard not to expect the same from herself.

Daisy shifted in her seat, trying and failing to take her mind off of the reason why she was there tonight. Most of her friends had gone out with one, if not several men by now, so why couldn't she? Was it because she wasn't pretty enough? Maybe her cheeks were too round or her hair was too thin or her nose was too big. Or was it because she wasn't as talented as the others? She couldn't carry a tune to save her life and her sewing skills could likely be topped by any young boy who had never held a needle in his life. Or was it because she was too quiet and reserved? She tended to avoid large social events and often froze up when trying to talk to new people. Daisy frowned to herself, scuffing her shoe against the carriage floor. It was her own fault for not engaging with more people and from shying away from interactions. Why couldn't she just talk like a normal person without feeling awkward or uncomfortable? She was the one making it harder for herself, so she had no one else to blame. Sucking in a breath, she sat up straighter in her seat. Tonight would be different. Tonight, she would conquer her social anxiety and be the one to approach and introduce herself to people. It couldn't be that difficult, right? But already, just the thought of it was making her so squeamish that she was tempted to jump out of the carriage and run back home like a child. No, she asserted, she had to grow up and face her fear whether she liked it or not.

Looking out the window, she peered out at the elegant gardens that surrounded the castle. Even as she sped by, the vibrant flowers that dappled the dark green bushes caught her eye, appearing like little splashes of color on a dark evening canvas. She called out to the carriage driver to stop for a moment, wanting to get a better look at the blossoms and take some time to appreciate their beauty. Stepping out of the carriage with the help of her footman, Daisy made her way to one bush with camellia flowers of varying shades of red and purple. Every single flower looked as if it was hand sculpted by a master artist, yet each was unique in its own way. Her fingers traced over the delicate petals, wondering how something so beautiful could be grown. There had to be some kind of secret to maintaining such a lovely garden. If it was magic, she would not even be surprised. Walking along the stone pathways, she felt breathless staring at all the flawless blossoms. How could this place be real? And if it was, how was it that she was allowed in? Such a perfect place could only have room for perfect people, she supposed. She looked down, fiddling with the skirt of her dress. What was she doing here? She didn't belong here. If no one ever noticed her before, why would anyone now, especially in a place as regal and exclusive as the Caerhayes castle? A lump formed in her throat and she felt frozen in place, unable to take another step forward nor turn back toward the carriage. She couldn't do it. She couldn't.

"Lady Daisy," the footman called. "We should be on our way. I don't want you to be late."

"I'll...I'll be there in a moment," she replied softly, but remained where she was. She wrapped her arms securely around herself and breathed in and out deeply, trying to calm herself down. It'll be alright. The worst that could happen would be that no one would notice her like always. It would be just like any other night, and as disappointing as it was, at least she was used to it by now. Sighing to herself, she turned to head back toward the carriage but stopped when something caught her eye: a small patch of daisies. Crouching down next to it to see a closer look, she spied one flower a little off to the side from the main group. It was missing a petal or two and the white petals were spotted with bits of black. She considered picking it for herself, but stopped. It was a part of this garden despite its imperfections, so she decided to leave it there. Standing up again, she returned to her carriage with a newfound strength. She would make the most of this night, no matter what the outcome would be.

A few minutes later, she arrived at her assigned gate, a golden number one sparkling at the top. The fact that gate one was designated for her was a surprise. How many other gates were there and was anyone else assigned to the same one as her? The footman helped her out of the carriage, and she hurried over to the white clad attendants who were waiting for her.

"Apologies for the delay. I hope I'm not too late."

The attendants smiled. "All is well, Lady Daisy. Now, please follow us in."

She obliged, thanking them as they held the large oaken doors open for her, and finally stepping foot in the castle. The magnitude of the sight she saw before her almost made all her insecurities come crashing back over her, but she shoved them all down and hid them behind her best smile. No, the gilded winding staircase that seemed to lead straight up to heaven and the sparkling glass chandeliers that appeared as delicate as ice didn't intimidate her. She'd definitely seen paintings as beautiful and as intricate as the ones that decorated the high ceilings. Of course, she was lying to herself, but who else had to know but her? She followed the attendants down one of the side hallways before stopping at a room. They handed her a bright yellow daffodil corsage and promised to return shortly with her trinket. Thanking them sincerely, she stared at the door, inhaling deeply to calm herself before opening it and entering.

~~~

Milo stretched out his legs, enjoying having a carriage to himself for once. The Caerhayes castle wasn't far from where he lived, so although he knew he couldn't get too comfortable, he still wanted to enjoy the moment for what it was worth. Usually, his four brothers and two sisters accompanied him to everything, but this time, he had been personally invited and gladly jumped at the opportunity. It wasn't that he didn't like being around them—he adored his siblings with all this heart—but sometimes it was nice to have some time alone to do his own thing. He was almost eighteen after all, and he figured it was important to prioritize having more independence. This was not his first time at the Caerhayes castle, but no two balls were alike. Although people often assumed that it was only for the rich and powerful, that wasn't always true. You just had to know the right people, or the right people had to know you. In his case, it was his cousin who always invited him and his siblings to come whenever there was a special ball. But tonight was different. He could feel it in his bones, and he couldn't wait to see what the night had in store.

The castle gardens were always a marvelous sight to behold, no matter how many times he saw them. Sometimes he could spend hours just wandering around, enjoying the tranquility of it all. His favorite spot was off the main paths, tucked away behind a wall of hanging vines. There stood a large willow tree with a sparking swing hanging from one of the branches. Little flowers blanketed the ground, and unlike the rest of the garden, these were allowed to grow wild instead of being perfectly cultured. Despite this, it still managed to be the most beautiful spot to Milo, being so perfectly imperfect. He especially loved all the butterflies that frequented that area. They often danced from flower to flower and all around him like little fairies in dainty dresses. He liked to imagine that the willow tree housed all the fairies whose magic made everything at the Caerhayes castle all the more beautiful. The thought of it always made him smile. If he could, he'd sneak out to visit it again tonight.

Gate one was almost always the way he entered, but he knew there were at least seven other gates around the castle. The invitation curiously instructed everyone to arrive at separate gates, so he figured it was because there was a great number of guests coming and they wanted to make use of all the entrances. Soon enough, he arrived at his destination, thanking his carriage driver before stepping out. Ahead, he spotted two familiar attendants, clad in their typical white uniform.

"Good evening, Charles and Talisa," he greeted the attendants. "How are you tonight?"

They smiled. "Quite well, thank you," Charles replied. "How about yourself?"

"I'm doing well, thank you."

"Excellent. If you would please follow us, there's something brief we need to do before we can go to the ballroom."

He raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Well then, lead the way."

Milo followed the attendants down one of the side hallways before stopping at one of the sitting room doors. They handed him some yellow daffodils to adorn his suit before promising to return with his trinket. That was another odd thing about this night in particular. He'd never been asked to do anything like this before, and he wondered what about this specific night required the use of a trinket as collateral to ensure attendance. Maybe he could ask his cousin about that. He had chosen to turn in a blue butterfly brooch that he often pinned to the front of his suit to make his outfit a little more interesting. He owned multiple in a variety of colors, so butterfly brooches sort of became his trademark among people who knew him. He settled down in the room while waiting patiently for the attendants to return.

Not too long after, the sound of the door opening caught his attention. Standing up, he was caught off guard to see an unfamiliar young girl in a pink ball gown walk in instead of the attendants. She seemed just as surprised as himself, her pretty hazel eyes widening and her eyebrows raising at the sight of him. He was stunned in more ways than one, struck by the way her golden brown hair fell around her face and framed her rosy cheeks. Around her wrist were yellow daffodils that matched his own. Coming to his senses, he offered her a smile as he made his way over to her.

"Hello there."

She looked a bit flustered, straightening out her skirt unnecessarily. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to disturb you, but the attendants told me to wait in here."

"It's perfectly alright," he assured, extending his hand. "My name's Milo. What's yours?"

"I'm Daisy." He took her hand in his and kissed it, the simple gesture making butterflies flutter in her stomach. He seemed nice enough, about her age and rather handsome. His ginger brown hair was combed neatly and his light brown eyes appeared almost golden in the light. Freckles dusted his nose and cheeks similar to herself, and his voice was low and gentle and smooth.

"What brings you here tonight?"

She hesitated. "I'm uh...I'm looking for a husband."

He couldn't suppress a chuckle. "Well, you're up front. I don't suppose you see a potential one in me, hm?"

She blinked, at a loss for words for a moment. By looks alone, the thought had definitely crossed her mind, but she wasn't going to say that out loud. "I don't know, could you see me as your wife?"

He laughed again. "It's a little early for that, don't you think? Shouldn't I get to know you first?"

"I...I suppose."

"Well, where are you from, Miss Daisy? I don't believe I've ever seen you before."

"I'm from North Eltham. My family has lived there for many generations."

"Ah, that's not too far away. Do you not like to frequent parties? My family hosts quite a few for the youths in the area."

She shook her head, a small blush creeping onto her cheeks. "They tend to intimidate me. I'm not exactly the most social."

"That's alright. Not everyone is."

"Are you?"

He shrugged. "It depends. Sometimes I need a break to be alone though because it gets a little too much."

She nodded. "I understand that." She wanted to say something more, but her throat closed up. Everything she thought of sounded stupid in her head, and she figured it would be best to keep it to herself. He probably thought she was strange for bluntly mentioning she was looking for a husband, so keeping her mouth shut seemed like the best option to not worsen the situation. At the same time, how was she supposed to get to know him better—or interact with anyone for that matter—if she just stayed silent? She tried her best to maintain her composure while her thoughts leapt and somersaulted around in her brain, crashing into the walls and making her head hurt slightly. Should she say something or not? This is why she hated having to talk to new people.

Luckily, the return of the two attendants saved her from enduring any awkward silence. Charles and Talisa presented the two guests with matching boxes, opening them to reveal a sparkling silver bracelet and a glimmering butterfly brooch. Milo took his trinket nonchalantly and pinned it to his suit, oblivious to the way Daisy reacted with her eyes slowly shifting from the fancy pin to the boy next to her.

"You're Milo Belcourt?"

He stared at her, eyebrows raised. "How do you know that?"

"How could I not? You're Milo with the butterfly brooches. Everyone and their sister are in love with you."

He blushed. "Ah, well, I couldn't tell you why. Not sure what they see in me."

She blinked rapidly, feeling the self consciousness start to creep back in. Rumor had it that he had girls throwing themselves at his feet wherever he went. They proposed to him, not the other way around, but he had allegedly rejected all of them. He could have any girl that he wanted and whoever was lucky enough to marry him would be the envy of the generation. Now, here she was in his presence, but what chance did she have against everyone else?

Noticing how she seemed to freeze in place, Milo took the bracelet out of the box and reached out for her hand. Almost in a daze, she held it out to him as he clasped the jewelry around her slender wrist. She wanted to thank him, but her throat closed up again and only a pitiful squeak left her mouth. Milo offered her a reassuring smile.

"Please, don't feel like you have to treat me any differently. I'm just a normal person."

She knew that, but at the same time, he was Milo Belcourt. This was her one shot to maybe get his attention. At the same time, she knew herself too well and trying too hard would only make her look like a fool. But she had to at least try to get him to like her. What kind of girls did he like anyway? She couldn't pretend to be someone she wasn't, because he'd see right through her. But what else could she do? Well...she could do exactly what he told her and treat him like any other person. That made the most sense to her anyway.

Her nervousness was almost tangible which made Milo frown a little to himself. She already seemed like a rather jittery person, and finding out who he was almost seemed to put her more on edge. It always bothered him why people couldn't just act normally around him. Yes, his family was wealthy, but so were most of the people he knew. He hated getting special treatment, especially because it never felt like he earned it. Looking over at Daisy, he worried that she would be just like the others, playing the fool just to gain his attention, but at the same time, she seemed to be too shy of a person to even attempt that. But he knew he couldn't just make too many judgments and assumptions, especially since he hardly knew her. She seemed nice enough, so maybe she would surprise him.

"May I?" he asked, offering her his arm.

Daisy acquiesced, linking her arm around his and allowing him to lead her to the ballroom. "Thank you."

"Of course. I want you to have fun tonight. Please don't worry too much, okay?"

She smiled shyly, the butterflies in her stomach fluttering again. "I'll try my best."