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𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐃 𝐎𝐅 𝐋𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐒 𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐎 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐏𝐎𝐄𝐓𝐑𝐘 𝐀𝐋𝐎𝐔𝐃 𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐎𝐍 𝐒𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐀𝐃 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐄𝐃 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐄𝐋𝐅 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐎𝐈𝐑𝐄𝐄. "And why won't you be attending?" Anastasia inquired to her mother who had not left her bed and held cards filled with the portraits of ladies and a pamphlet of Lady Whisteldown.

"Because if I wanted to watch fools I could visit one of your brothers but it is a sight I do not wish to endure," she twirled a piece of her curl on her finger. "Besides, I feel as though I am mere moments away from capturing this Whistledown."

Charlotte had a evil twinkle in her eye as she seemed to be matching the young ladies to each corner of the tray. Anastasia came to stand by her mother and loomed over her shoulder to see several familiar names but she plucked Eloise Bridgerton's from the pile and pinched it between her fingers.

"Well, you can remove her from your list of targets, she is certainly not Whistledown," the princess held it in her hand but her mother clawed it back and held it.

"I think your emerald clouds your sense of judgement, my dear." The Queen pondered Eloise's card once more, "last season I tasked her in revealing who Lady Whistledown truly was but perhaps she never unveiled her because in actual fact she was covering her own tracks." Charlotte seemed pleased with her own theory as she hummed in agreement to herself whilst Anastasia looked at her oddly.

"No mama, Eloise is not Lady Whistledown and perhaps the reason she was unable to appease your quest in finding your nemesis might have simply been because of the pressure you bestowed upon her." Anastasia stared her mother down with a fire in her eyes whilst Charlotte appeared baffled, her daughter reached over and took the picture from her hands once more. "Good day, mother," she curtsied before turning on her heel.

Anastasia started at the picture in her hand as she walked, she could throw it in the fire place but to ruin such a perfect portrait seemed criminal. Instead, she found the book with a dark blue spine and gold embroidery before slipping the photo in the centre of the novel.

"Pamela," she called over her shoulder and her maid arrived in seconds with a bright smile.

"Yes, Miss?"

"May you fit me in the blue and gold gown for tonight, I'm feeling the need for something bold." Anastasia murmured to herself as she trailed her pointer finger over the rough cover of the book where the corner of the portrait peaked from.

𝐋𝐀𝐃𝐘 𝐃𝐀𝐍𝐁𝐔𝐑𝐘𝐒 𝐒𝐎𝐈𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐒 𝐖𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐍𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐒𝐀𝐏𝐎𝐈𝐍𝐓 𝐀𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐀 𝐆𝐀𝐙𝐄𝐃 𝐔𝐏𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐀𝐃𝐎𝐑𝐍𝐄𝐃 𝐈𝐍 𝐅𝐋𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒. As she crossed the threshold she gave polite smiles to those strangers who admired her or when strangers spoke to her as if they personally knew her but only a genuine grin was saved for the rarest of people.

"Princess," Lady Danbury opened her arms wide as she presented her living room which appeared to have turned into that of a circus.

"Lady Danbury, I find myself enraptured with todays soirée, you truly do always get your way."

The elder woman simply shrugged her shoulders with a hearty sigh before gesturing to the couch that consisted of Edwina, an empty space.

"Diamond," Anastasia greeted with a bright bright and sat in the centre of the couch with Kate Sharma standing behind them like a watchful hound.

"Your gown is most beautiful, princess," Edwina grinned with all of her pearls on show and Anastasia cooed at her doe eyed face.

"I thank you Edwina but my, you and your sisters silks could not compare to those from England." Kate bashfully looked down and Edwina seemed to brighten tenfold, "I must request an audience with the two of you, I should like to get to know the two of you better, I consider us friends."

The two sisters looked to one another before looking back at Anastasia, "we must gratify your wish and we thank you for your kindness."

"You may not think me so kind when these lords make absolute baboons of themselves," as the three giggled amongst themselves Eloise seemed to part the crowd and make her way to stand besides Kate.

"Miss Eloise," Eloise's gaze instantly softened as she looked down at the princess.

"An- Anastasia," she lightly corrected herself which only the princess caught into as she gave her a knowing glance.

"Miss Bridgerton, you must be the Viscounts sister,"Kate noted on how close the two were to one another and thought the princess an excellent judge of character.

"One of them but do not hold that against me."

"The fact that you are the Viscounts sister almost makes me think better of him," Kate mused and discovered she most admired the Viscounts siblings compared to himself.

"We should certainly not give him too much credit, now, should we?" Eloise shared a smirk with the eldest Sharma.

"We certainly should not," Anastasia jutted before patting the empty space besides her, "sit, Eloise."

The Bridgerton had never rounded a chair so quick and let their shoulders brush against one another, "all of the tons jewels in one place, how marvellous." She giddily clapped her hands together whilst Eloise huffed and rolled her eyes loudly.

"Yes, how thrilling it is that we have been made the prey for these beasts," Eloise already scrunched her nose in disgust as the first man walked into the empty space with a boyish grin.

"Well that is where your wrong, darling as we are the predators and they the clueless sheep," Anastasia said whilst raising a brow. He set a table and candle but with a flick of his wrist a flower appeared and the crowd around them gasped, he gifted it to Anastasia who smiled tightly before passing it to Edwina.

The next Lord held two large, flattened silver plates in his hands before he rubbed them together and hit them against one another letting a large sound erupt.

Eloise leaned next to Anastasia's ear with a uncomfortable gaze as one man simply started to dance, "I thought this was about poetry."

"It seems the men's spirit for competition lead them to forget the rules," he ended with a bow although it was clear no one thought it as impressive as he did. "They truly are such odd creatures." Eloise snorted and leant some of her weight against the princess as they watched another appear with a disk on a sting that spun. The Bridgerton appeared disgruntled with these bizarre acts of chivalry and was thankful Lady Danbury interfered.

"Let's all take a small pause," Anastasia had never darted for a glass of lemonade but alas.

"Princess," a deep voice sounded from behind her and she let her shoulders sag in disappointment.

"Yes?" She turned with a plastered smile that easily morphed into a pleased one, "oh, it is you."

Colin seamed comforted with her natural warmth, "shall I take that as a compliment?"

She laughed lightly before nodding, "you shall, I thought you were another one of these mosquitos coming to bother me about marital status."

Colin cleared his throat and shook his head, "not at all, simply wanting to badger on about your travels, I seek to journey some place new. Do you have any suggestions?"

Anastasia was quite charmed with how at ease the conversation with Eloise's brother felt, he was a gentleman but with a puppy aura that she adored. She shared her tales of her most memorable encounters in such exotic places like Peru or Italy but she did tell him to steer clear of Israel, the rulers were quite vicious.

From across the room Eloise stood with her mother, nursing a glass in her hand as she watched how smitten her brother appeared to be with the princess. She turned to her mother who was staring down the cakes at the table, "mama?"

"Yes, dearest."

"Would you allow the princess to accompany us to our ancestral home, the same day the  Sharma's would arrive of course." Eloise inquired and Violet looked content with this suggestion, more so that her daughter had a friend in such a high rank.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea, we must tell the princess at once, where is-

"She's this way," Eloise looped her arm with her mothers who let out a noise of surprise at the feeling of her being whisked away. "Princess."

Her mother pinched her arm at the curtness of her tone and made her bow accordingly whilst Anastasia finished her laugh. "Viscountess, I must say your son has a bravery for wanting to journey to such parts by himself, without my crew I wouldn't get out of half the incidents I got myself into."

Eloise squinted her eyes at this whilst the other Bridgerton's seemed grateful with her words.

"Truly, he has his fathers spirit but I must ask you, princess if you would like to accompany use at Aubrey Hall before the ball with the rest of the ton?"

"That sounds like a splendid idea," Anastasia looked to Eloise who had not taken her eyes off of her form. "And I gladly accept, I thank you Bridgerton's," she nodded her head and Violet curtsied once more even when Eloise tried to hold her upright. Anastasia met Eloise's eye once more and gave her a peculiar look, why was she staring at her like that?

"Pardon me brother but I must steal away the princess, important matters of," she took her by the arm and thought on her words, "modistes to discuss." Her mother couldn't have given her a prouder look as she dragged the princess away by the arm.

"Where are you taking me?"

Eloise said nothing and brought them outside where they stood under the cover of darkness and out of sight.

"This brings back memories," Anastasia laughed to herself as she thought on the first time they met but Eloise was eerily quiet. "Oh, spit it out."

"You need to stay away from my brother," her tone was demanding and accusatory.

She tilted her head in confusion, "I beg your pardon." Eloise took a step closer and stared up at her with a fixed look.

"Stay away from my brother."

"And why should I do that? We were simply exchanging pleasantries."

"Then let that be the last of your pleasantries."

Anastasia was more perplexed and slightly concerned at Eloise's behaviour, she seemed agitated. "Eloise, have I done something to upset you?"

The Bridgerton girl rubbed her face with her hands, "I- you," she threw her hands down by her side and looked at Anastasia helplessly. "Are you planning on marrying my brother?"

"What?" Her eyes blushed out of her head and Eloise suddenly felt very ashamed of even presuming but after Penelope's words in her ear and seeing them together, it set a fire in her that had been stoked. "Eloise, just because I talk to a man does not mean I want to have his children, what truly makes you think this way?"

She peered down at her with her feet bringing her closer so if she felt it necessary she could let her hand brush her cheek. "You were talking to him."

Anastasia couldn't help but let a small laugh pass her, "because I was talking to your brother you thought I wanted to marry him."

Eloise threw her head back and groaned to the stars whilst Anastasia gave her a sympathetic smile, "do not mock me."

"I do not intend to it's just that you are adorable," she cooed and went to grab Eloise whilst she swatted her hands away, the two ending up laughing with one another with Anastasia's hand around her waist. "But rest assured Eloise, I do not wish to marry any gentlemen, for quite some time."

Blue and black clashed and the two brightened at the sight of one another before Eloise nodded, belief in every word she had to say. She unlatched her arm from her waist as she tore their eyes away from one another, leaving Eloise to search for more.

Anastasia held her arm out, "shall we?"

Eloise grabbed her arm and did not seem keen on letting go, "we shall."

As they entered Anastasia found it more acceptable to stand behind the chair as all of Lord Lumley's attention was centred on Edwin. He read poetry like a masterful writer and managed to swoon all of the ladies, young and old but as they applauded Eloise and Anastasia held back laughs as they looked at one another.

"Gentlemen, thank you all for the most splendid display of your talents this evening," her voice tightened around splendid, "a memorable occasion to be sure."

"Pardon me, Lady Danbury," a rustle was heard as Anthony rushed in.

"Brother, what are you doing?" Eloise whispered whilst already shaking her head.

"Uh, Lord Bridgerton, I did not expect you."

"I seemed to have called off the guest list," he eyed Kate out the corner whilst she stared at him with a barren hatred. "Surely you would never deny a young man whom you've known for nine and twenty years the pleasure of your company."

"Well that's debatable."

"And neither would your footman at the front door."

Kate butted in, "apologies, Viscount. You appear to be late again and we were bringing the evening to a close-

"Surely Miss Edwina has time for one more."

Anastasia turned to whisper in Eloise's ear, "I shall enjoy seeing them bicker at Aubrey Hall."

Eloise nodded, "they do make for an excellent source of entertainment."

Penelope, who was stood behind the two, shifted her gaze between them with her eyes getting narrower each time.

Eloise met her brothers eye and folded her arms over her chest as he untucked the paper that had been folded. "What is it truly to admire a woman? To look at her and feel admiration," he seemed to stutter his words, "to delight in her beauty, so much so that all your defences crumble-

Anthony appeared to pause and crumbled the paper before throwing it into the fire behind him, "my apologies, I cannot do this, I cannot recite words when they are someone else's entirely." The princess stood closer to Eloise till her back met one half of her chest and she felt her chest tighten as a dream drifted in her head.

"It appears that no matter what your brother is to do, Edwina will always favour him over any other, a diamond and an emerald all in one family." Her low and raspy tone, the breath from her whisper hitting her neck left Eloise to tighten her fingers into the metal of the chair. She branched it like it was her anchor, her life line or else she may fall or commit an act that was frowned upon in front of all these people.

"Yes," Eloise breathed in and out whilst shutting her eyes tightly, thank full all attention was one those in front of hers. "How pleasurable."

Anastasia furrowed her brows, she only meant to jest but the applauding from the crowd at his words made her step from Eloise's back and do the same. The Bridgerton felt the warmth leave her instantaneously and when she looked behind her she found an empty space, a frown overtook her.

"Eloise," Penelope came up to her friend as she saw her distraction.

"Pen," she smiled but still her eyes wondered for the beauty dressed in blue.

"Are you alright? You appear uneasy," Eloise snapped her head back down to her friend and shook her head.

"No, I was just- it doesn't matter."

Anastasia had followed Lady Danbury who trailed after Kate when she left in a sort of frenzy, she had excused herself but apparently Eloise had not heard her. Lady Danbury had managed to convince the eldest Sharma that if she wanted to never marry than she would never have the entitlements she had.

"And what of you, Anastasia? Will you ever marry?" Kate asked politely, albeit out of turn but they were three women sharing their adversities.

"Perhaps, perhaps not but I fully agree with Lady Danbury's view, I understand that not everyone is as fortunate as me. I am the princess and I may decide who I marry and when I marry but other cannot," she leaned in close to Kate, "but rest assured, when I am Queen we will all have that choice, no more shall be the name spinster."

"That shall be a challenge, your grace," Lady Danbury inputed but it was clear she was fully invested.

"Is that not what life is about, now," she took both women's arm, "let us brace society with a smile."