(Two years later)

"Remind me why I have to do this" Kahliah ordered as Alice, a friend and fellow assassin laced up her corset.

"Because you have to keep up appearances, it might be hellish but you will get used to it and it is better than being caught" Alice replied as she laced Kahliah's corset tightly.

"Yes, I know and the corset... I can just about deal with, the party to celebrate my birthday, I cannot deal with"

"Appearances" Alice reminded her. Kahliah pinned her long blonde hair back roughly, forcing it to stay in place as she looked in the mirror. She shrugged and asked "who is attending?"

"Some assassins, some civilians, basically everyone but they are all curious and desperate to see you"

"Yes, I get it, they want to see how 'boarding school' is treating me and I completely understand that, they think I'm some fragile little girl that is made of glass but if they knew, they would shut up and leave me alone"

"Kahliah, calm down"

"THEY DO NOT KNOW A SINGLE THING ABOUT ME! THEY DO NOT KNOW HOW I AM FIGHTING TO SURVIVE, HOW I REFUSE TO GIVE UP AND GIVE IN TO GRIEF!" she yelled as she fought with her hair. Alice finished it for her before helping her into her dress.

"Do not worry; I am sure your father has kept it simple"

"Sure, if simple was possible with him. He needs people to believe I have just come home, no one can believe it if he does not make an effort"

She shrugged her shoulders and put on her ridiculous hate before forcing herself into horrid shoes. She sighed and walked down the stairs, her father just as dressed up, not in his usual gear. When in public, he was James, a young man and heir to a small fortune, a widow after his wife was murdered by thieves when Kahliah was younger, a backstory they had rehearsed and lived by most of their lives. It was a cruel thing but necessary considering the secrets that laid buried in their minds, hidden away from view. She wanted to throw off her shoes, throw them into the nearest bin and yet somehow resisted it, somehow she used all her strength to smile and wave as she took her father' smooth hands, surprisingly smooth for their profession.

"How many men do I have to dance with?" Kahliah whispered under her smile.

"Four, I cannot keep them away either" James replied under his breath.

Kahliah hid her displeasure well as she walked down the last step, praying they were decent men; people her age not ancient men who wanted power and children before they died. She smiled at a couple of people, inside wanting to cut them open as she took a glass and finished it quickly.

"How long do I have to suffer this?" she asked Alice.

"Be nice, we all have to do this" Alice hissed as the first man walked towards Kahliah, a young man easy on the eyes for sure but the manners of a dog. There was the remainder of whatever he'd eaten on his shirt and a wine glass in his hand. He flicked his blonde hair like he was God's gift to women and offered his hand to Kahliah as if she was supposed to be grateful about receiving it when all she was thinking about was the different ways of removing it from his arm. She reluctantly took it, moving to the middle of the dance floor as they danced together.

"How are you tonight?" he asked, saliva and bits of food spraying at her as he asked.

"Fine" she lied, struggling to think of something nice to say about the evening. She looked around her, biting her lip, hopeful about finding something but only managed to say "the music is lovely"

"If this were my evening, I fear we would be kissing by now" he replied, ignoring her comment or not realising it was merely so she appeared polite.

'Fearing that is exactly what I am doing right now' she thought as she looked around, hoping there was a way out. If she had a knife in her hand, it would be covered in blood and his crown jewels would be missing, on the floor while he begged for mercy, that would be in an ideal world but in an ideal world, her mother would be alive and she would not know of any other world but she did know of the other world, one of terror, fear and danger, one where it wanted to kill her and searched for ways to kill her. She wanted to destroy The Shadows but first, she had to survive a birthday party, one of her nightmares.

He finally let her go, stuffing his face at the snack table as she took a deep breath and searched for the next person she had to dance with. The first one was awful, too ridiculous on many levels. If she had to marry him, she would be tempted to give herself up to The Shadows, that punishment seemed more manageable than she deemed others. She wanted to rip off his crown jewels as they danced, she even considered refusing to dance with him but that would see rude, not what a woman from a boarding school would sound like.

She looked around the room, a couple of men stared at her like an animal would a piece of meat. She avoided them as she drank, she was not going to be nor play the victim and wait for her handsome young man to rescue her, she was not going to allow herself to be a victim, to either be a victim that night or have her heart broken and shattered into pieces as part of a cruel, sick game.

"Madame, may I have this dance?" an slightly older man asked, stretching his hand hopefully, even more hopeful as she took it, secretly reluctantly as she watched the ladies giggling desperately around her. As they danced, his hand made its way down her back, touching her bottom several times, each time she removed it until her father caught it. He grabbed the man, practically dragging him out of his home, throwing him out. He threw an apologetic glance to Kahliah who fought the wish to glare back. It was not alright, it was disgusting and he was disgusting. A man with hands that wondered was a man whose hands she wanted to remove.

"I cannot believe the cheek of some men, it is as if I am an animal" Kahliah stated in shock as she drank.

"Calm down, just a couple more people, I am sure things shall start to improve" Alice reassured her.

"What if they do not? I already feel myself getting sick, the vile and repulsive men, why must they be on the invitation? They are disgusting and are probably promised to others"

"I have had a thought, what if you say you would like some air? Then you can go outside and I can get your father to deal with them?" Alice suggested to try and keep Kahliah calm.

"Very well, I shall try that but I cannot nor will not promise anything" Kahliah replied as a young man with dirty blonde hair, cut very short, so short she could barely see it, hurried over to her. He offered her his hand which she took with a smile, they chatted about life, about the things they had in common but there were no sparks, no hints of passion. If he was a drink, he would be a boring, basic wine with no strength, punch or fire. This was not going to be a man who would help her, look after her when she needed it and soothe the flames when it was necessary.

"Your family are quite unique, your father comes from a very old line of money, does he not?" the young man asked.

"Pardon me?" Kahliah replied.

"Oh, how silly of me, I have forgotten to introduce myself. My name is Henry, Henry Davenport. My parents will be thrilled if I join with your family... of course we would have to get to know each other but politically and financially I am a perfect match, Miss de Balon, I can keep you in a nice home with luxury goods, wealth added to your name"

"I... need some air" she replied as she hurried outside.

"Let me join you" Henry asked.

"No, please, I just... I will be a few minutes" Kahliah promised as she practically darted outside like a frightened animal. She took a few deep breaths outside as she leaned on her favourite stone statue, her mother carved, immortalised in stone. "This night cannot end well" she commented to herself as she waited for Alice to notice but she was unusually distracted ushering away uninvited guests and those thrown out by James.

"Miss de Balon, please, do consider my offer. If you do not like me then perhaps we can live separate lives, married merely on paper. Our families would be proud; us joined together, two of England's finest families. Perhaps even the royal family will attend the wedding, maybe we could host tea for them once or twice a year" Henry suggested as he chased her, following her through the winding maze.

"You are moving too fast, Sir, you forget I have given you no answer"

"But you do not understand, Miss de Balon, we could be a great family, have many great children and if you will forgive me for stating but there is no guarantee that you shall receive another marriage proposal, there may be no other and I may be your perfect match"

"Leave me be, I have given you no answer and it shall not be the answer you seek!" Kahliah yelled, her corset slowing her down.

He grabbed her arm and practically pinned her to the bushes. The look of fear in her eyes was dulled by the dimness of the garden. He touched her cheek and whispered "I find you very beautiful, you are a fine woman, Kahliah and I will win your affection, I shall do anything you ask, just let me call you mine"

A man forced Henry away, a tall man of a clear strong build; there was not an ounce of fat on him or a hint of dirt in his dark jet black curls. Henry walked back towards Kahliah only to be met with a blade touching the tip of his throat. The dark haired man forced Henry to step back as he said "no one owns anyone in this world or another and wait until she says the words before you touch her"

"I was merely asking her... wait, why I am explaining myself to you? This is between myself and the lady, not you!" Henry argued.

"You were frightening the lady, if you call yourself a gentleman, you will turn around and leave, leave her alone until she says the words you want to hear and I mean when she says them, not when you think you hear them and act accordingly. Are we clear?" the man asked, holding the blade closer so it pressed against Henry's throat. Henry walked backwards, bowing as he hurried inside. Kahliah panted as she struggled to catch her breath in her tight corset.

"My... thanks, sir" she managed to get out.

"You are welcome, may I escort you out of the maze?" he asked as he offered his arm to her.

"I could have handled him myself" she complained.

He chuckled and replied with "I never thought nor said you could not, I just wanted to help. Forgive me, my asking but did I do something wrong?"

"No, I am sorry, I am just... not used to receiving help from others" she admitted as she took his arm. She gasped for breath, struggling to walk as he scooped her up; making sure her dress covered her up as he carried her out the maze. She sat down, taking a few deep breaths before she asked "will I see you inside? I am sure father would love to say thank you to you... Mr, I beg your pardon, I do not know your name"

"Holton, William Holton and I would rather not join the party... I did not receive an invitation to it and feel it would be too disrespectful of me"

"Well Mr Holton, I would like to thank you and invite you inside" she replied.

"William, please. Miss, I cannot enter, I cannot be invited to someone else's party, now can I? It would be improper of me to impose on Mr and Miss de Balon"

"You know the names of the hosts?" she asked, playing along.

"Yes... I, I read it in the papers" he confessed, embarrassed.

She stood up and smiled at him briefly, her eyes glistening as she met his sea blue, oval eyes. "Good night then, William"

"Goodnight then Miss... forgive me, Miss, I do not know your last name"

"Kahliah, Kahliah de Balon and my father would love your manners, Sir. Perhaps our paths shall cross again, I hope so"

She walked inside, dropping a small handkerchief as she hurried inside. Alice ran to her aid as she watched William pick it up gracefully, a small handkerchief as white as snow with a little red 'K' embroided on it, she had done it herself when she was fourteen and bored, lonely waiting for her father to return, hoping he was returning. She walked over to her father, hugging him as Alice rushed over, William watched outside, just stood outside to make sure she was safe, he had never seen such fear in eyes before that night and never before that night laid eyes on such a beautiful woman, a creature of sheer beauty.

"Kahliah, are you ok? Mr Davenport said he was threatened by a madman, are you hurt?" Alice asked as she briefly checked Kahliah over.

"Yes, by this damned corset!" she snapped before she panted. She looked around the room and asked "where is my father?"

"Dealing with Mr Davenport's father, thankfully they have agreed that you two would not make a good match, not an instant one. Your father said that if you loved him, he would reconsider but it has to be a love match, not an arrangement"

"Good, so he should! I am not marrying that... man, he is no gentleman!" Kahliah snapped as she walked upstairs. She untied her corset and breathed easily again as she shut her window. "Can I not just live in one life? Do I have to live as two? Kahliah the daughter of a rich man, educated by boarding school and Kahliah the assassin, educated by a man she calls her uncle, the same man you call father"

Alice fetched her a glass of water, suspecting it was alcohol and a tight corset that made her struggle to breathe. The poor girl was stuck in her corset for hours until her father made up a crazy excuse and got people to finally leave. She lay there in her bed; in her nightdress just thinking about life and about how she would probably have welcomed someone like Henry if she was not an assassin, if she had not become what she had to become to survive. Her survival was the reason for her becoming an assassin however; ironically she could not survive in her old life anyway because the boredom she felt after having tasted her new life was indescribably awful to her, dull and boring without a hint of an end. She brushed the knots out of her hair, hopeful the new day would bring with it, a new adventure, a new hope and dream... a new life, better than her old life.