"Father, I must find her!" Gilbert said, standing firmly afront his father's throne.

The king rolled his eyes. "She's probably no more than a peasant," he sneered.

Gilbert sighed, looking down. "But father...I love her..."

The king groaned. "Fine. You have a week."

Gilbert smiled, embracing his father. "Thank you!" The king mumbled something in response.

The week passed quicker than Gilbert thought possible. He only had a few hours left to find his girl, his wonderful girl from the woods. There were few houses he hadn't checked. One of them was the de Noailles household. He decided to get it out of the way, so knocked on the door. Shuffling could be heard inside, confusing the man.

꧁___꧂

Mary shoved Adrienne into a closet. "You are not marrying the Prince!" she hissed.

Adrienne started crying. She knew she would never marry her love. Her whole body wracked with sobs.

Why her? Why must she be cursed with such a fate? But why should she complain? She had a good life. Better than many.

Her head hurt from crying and thinking so hard. She wanted to get out of the closet, but she was trapped. She pulled her knees to her chest, sniffling.

Outside the door, she heard voices.

"Of course these two are the only girls in the house! My late husband and I never had children!"

Justine was denying Adrienne's existence. Again. Maybe the prince's advisor would know that Jean had children with his first wife. Or the prince himself, but Adrienne deemed it unlikely that he himself was there.

"But didn't your husband have children of his own?"

There it was.

"Yes, but he sent them to live with his sister."

Not all of them. Adrienne was still there.

"All of them? He didn't have at least one stay with him?"

Yes! Adrienne! She was there! Just...hidden.

"Well, one is in the palace. She's a servant."

Rosalie was the one in the palace. But what did that matter. Adrienne was the one the prince was looking for.

"Ma'am, if you don't mind me asking, what's in that closet your daughter appears to be guarding?"

Adrienne was! Just open it! She wanted out badly, but she was too scared to speak.

"Nothing!"

Mary spoke this time. She sounded like she was hiding something-- which she was.

"Then can I look?"

Adrienne sat in silence, waiting for a response from someone. But it didn't come. Instead, she saw light and the silhouette of a man. "What are you doing in here?" he asked, offering his hand to her.

She stood, taking his hand. "Mary forced me in here," she whispered.

Now in the light, the pair could see each other clearly. She saw the man's eyes widen with shock.

꧁___꧂

Gilbert delicately placed a hand on the girl in front of him. It was her. The girl he'd been pining for. His girl from the woods.

"A-are you prince Gilbert?" she asked quietly, her blonde locks falling in her face.

He smiled, nodding. "Are you the girl from the ball?" he asked in return.

This time she nodded. "I'm Adrienne," she told him.

"I've found you at last, Adrienne," he whispered, holding her close.