When I first met Roman Rose, I am sorry to say that I thought him terribly attractive and charming. Perhaps that’s why I’ve found myself in this mess, namely sitting in a cold dungeon (alright, warm room) in an Evil Sorcerer’s castle. Said Evil Sorcerer is also Roman Rose, whom had charmed me so at the ball.

If I hadn’t liked him so well, maybe I wouldn’t have felt so betrayed when he had kidnapped my betrothed, and then subsequently rushed into saving him without a clue as to how to do it. I also might have been more willing to kill him - Roman Rose, not my betrothed - when I had been given the chance.

But, no, the Evil Sorcerer Roman Rose had to charm me and make me think that maybe, you know, he wasn’t such a bad guy after all.

I’ll have you know right here that he is a bad guy. The worst guy. That’s why I’m stuck in his stupid castle, with no hope of ever leaving. Or, really, of him letting me leave. Because I will escape, of course. And I’ll take Prince Gabriel with me, because he was the whole reason I came here in the first place.

So I suppose you’d appreciate it if I started from the beginning. I shall, just for you, and also because I have nothing better to do with my time.

The ball where we met was held in honor of Prince Gabriel going away. I was going with him, but I was only a low-class noble and Gabriel was the Crown Prince, so no one bothered to even pretend that the ball was in honor of me going away too.

Gabriel and I were going away to some foreign country to ensure that we remained allies. I was coming because I was the future Queen - although nobody but the Queen, King, and my parents knew that quite yet - and it would be to the country’s advantage to have the foreign people like me as well as Gabriel.

Gabriel and I had never really courted each other. Well, we had, I guess, but we never really did so by choice. We just ate dinner together or went on walks or the such because we knew we were going to be betrothed. And I had known Gabriel since we were babies. Our parents knew each other and had promised Gabriel and I to each other when we were eight. My parents thought it would be great for my status and his parents owed a debt to my parents, and, besides, they liked me and really could care less if I wasn’t a Princess. They aren’t like that.

I like Gabriel well enough, of course, but it is slightly worrying that I don’t…you know, love him yet. I mean, I’ve tried, really I have, but I guess you just can’t force something like that. Perhaps in marriage we’ll learn to love one another…?

I’ve gotten off track.

The ball was a week ago, to date. I wasn’t very excited about it. I wasn’t dreading it, per se, but there were many balls at the castle, and the same people came every time, and the same thing happened every time, so there wasn’t much to look forward to. Sure, I got to dress up in a fancy dress provided by the Queen - as I was going to marry her son - but that also meant a tighter corset, and after the excitement of the dress was over, what did I have? Squished lungs, broken ribs, and too many layerings, that’s what I had.

So I wasn’t expecting anything exciting to happen at the ball. It was only another tedious social event to remind me that I would be horrible as Queen.

“Lady Athena,” my maid breathed, beaming at me. “You look absolutely stunning. The color does wonders to your eyes.”

I smiled wearily and turned to the mirror, taking shallow breaths. Hazel really had gone a tad overboard on the corset this time, although to fit in to the dress, I suppose, it required it.

The gown I was wearing was silver, which somehow brought out my bright green eyes - something I didn’t understand, but there you go. It was simple yet beautiful and obviously very expensive. Intricate designs of black roses and vines lined the neck, long, flowing sleeves, waist, and bottom of the dress. It was wonderful. My curly white-blond hair was half up, pinned with little fake black roses, the rest flowing loosely where the sleeves of my dress left my shoulders bare.

An hour later, standing near the refreshments, I wanted nothing less than to put on a looser, lighter dress, and tear the ball gown to shreds. I couldn’t care less how beautiful it was. I wanted it off. And my feet were killing me. My clear, plastic slippers weren’t practical whatsoever.

“Stella, can I leave now?” I whined to my best friend.

She looked at me, amused. “No, Athena. This ball is in honor of your betrothed. You should be here for him.”

I looked darkly across the room, where he was smiling awkwardly to a group of girls he obviously wanted to be away from. I debated going over there and rescuing him, but decided against him. If I helped him, the women would begin pestering me. I really wasn’t in the mood to do small-talk with anyone.

“Yes, yes,” I said nonchalantly, waving my hand at her. “I’ll be right here for him, if he so chooses to come over to me.”

Stella rolled her pale blue eyes. “You’re a horrible person, Athena.”

I shrugged a shoulder. “I know, I know.”

So, yes, maybe I didn’t try that hard to fall in love with Gabriel. But I had tried before, and it wasn’t working, so why should I waste my time trying now? Later. I would resume falling in love with him later. I was spending my whole life with him. Of course I’d have time to fall in love.

Just as Stella walked away to speak with another one of our friends, a tall man with dark blue hair, dark violet eyes, and a handsome pale face approached the refreshment table. He was dressed all in black - a black suit, a black shirt, a black tie, a black cloak…even black shoes. I didn’t blame him, though. Black looked good on him.

No matter how good he looks, of course, he’s still an Evil Sorcerer and an asshole.

“Hello, Lady…” he paused, obviously waiting for me to provide my name.

And since I couldn’t predict how evil he was, being blinded by his looks as I was, I gave it to him. “Lady Athena Black.”

He smiled at me. “Hello, Lady Athena. I am Sorcerer Roman Rose.”

My eyes widened. I had certainly heard of Dark Sorcerer Roman Rose. Everyone knew he was evil. Of course, nobody could really say any specific instances that proved his evilness, but he was a Dark Sorcerer. Of course he was evil.

“You’re - “ I began, not really sure what I was going to say but knowing I had to say something.

“Please,” he interrupted me. “I’m not evil. Truly. My father was, and I live alone, but have you ever heard of anything that I have done that could be labeled as evil?”

No, I hadn’t. That was just what I had been thinking. And he was really so handsome, and it was really a pity that someone so handsome could be so evil, and wouldn’t it be wonderful if he wasn’t evil?

I bit my lip. “Yes, you’re right. I suppose I could speak with you, at least in public.”

And there was also a certain…attractiveness…to someone so dark, an attractiveness that I certainly couldn’t explain but I’m sure many girls felt.

Roman grinned at me. “Great. I’ve been wanting to speak with you.”

I raised an eyebrow, wondering why someone like him would want to speak with someone like me. “Oh?”

He nodded, a small smile present on his face. “Yes, indeed. Your mother spoke very highly of you.”

I grinned. “My mother? You spoke with her?”

He nodded once more. “She’s a charming woman, I must say.”

“Thank you,” I said on behalf of my mother, offering him a large smile. I loved my mother, and anyone who complimented was instantly excellent according to me. A weakness I have, I suppose.

Roman grabbed a cup of fruit punch and raised it to his lips.

“Is it as good as everyone claims it is?” I asked him, a smile still playing on my lips.

He nodded, smiling at me in return. “It is.”

He grabbed another cup of fruit punch and held it out to me. “May I offer you a drink, Lady Athena?”

“Thank you,” I said, taking it. “And you may call me Athena, Sorcerer Roman. I like you.”

Roman laughed softly at my bluntness - which I now regret, seeing as it certainly isn’t true any longer, and was rather stupid of me to think in the first place. “Well, thank you, Athena. Call me Roman.”

I smiled at him. “Of course.”

“So,” Roman said, “do you have any idea what this ball is for?”

I laughed. “You came and you don’t even know what it’s for?”

He shook his head, smiling sheepishly. “No. I was just in town and heard of the ball. I thought it would be fun.”

I shook my head. “No, no, Roman, these balls are never fun. There are always the same people and the same stories and the same music. I’m only here because…well, my mother made me, I suppose.”

“I don’t know,” Roman said, smiling charmingly at me - yes, he was quite charming, sadly. “I find that I am rather enjoying myself.”

I grinned largely at him. “Why, surprisingly, I am too.”

“So, what is this ball for?” he asked me, raising an eyebrow. “You haven’t told me.”

“It’s for the Crown Prince Gabriel,” I answered. “He’s going away.”

“Hm,” he said thoughtfully. “And the ball isn’t for you as well?”

I shook my head, confused. “Why should it be?”

“It’s just your mother said that you were going away as well,” he told me. “Why don’t they throw the ball for you as well?”

I shrugged. “I’m just a low-class noble, Roman. They’d hardly bother with me.”

Roman looked at me, surprise showing on his face. “But you are to be Queen, are you not?”

I turned to him, the surprise now on my face. “How do you know that?”

“Your mother told me,” he answered. “Am I not supposed to know?”

“Well, not many people know that Gabriel and I are betrothed,” I informed him. “We’ve been promised to each other since children, see, and they aren’t planning on announcing it until Gabriel’s 18th birthday.”

Roman nodded in understanding. “And are you already 18?”

“Yes,” I confirmed. “Gabriel turns 18 in a month.”

“I’m 20,” Roman told me proudly.

I raised my eyebrows at him. “Oh, are you now?”

He nodded.

“Well, then, I simply must leave Gabriel immediately and elope with you,” I told him matter-of-factly. “I love older men.”

He grinned and I laughed at the absurdity of it. I really wasn’t conducting myself well for a woman who is betrothed, but it wasn’t as if I had chosen to marry Gabriel. It wasn’t as if we were in love with each other.

Really. I wasn’t being that horrible.

“Well, then, I shall take you away immediately,” Roman said. “We shall ride off into the sunset on…swans.”

“Swan?”

He nodded solemnly. “Yes. I find swans so much more elegant and romantic than horses.”

I laughed appreciatively. “Well, then, swans it is. I will have nothing less.”

I believe it was the most fun I have ever had at a ball, which is something I really don’t want to admit. But I console myself in the fact that he was only acting.

We talked - and, okay, flirted - for the rest of the ball, pretty much, until the clock struck one in the morning and Stella dragged me away.

“And who was that?” Stella asked me on the way back to my rooms.

I shrugged, unable to keep the delighted grin off my face. “Just a man.”

She looked at me skeptically. “Just a man? Athena, you were all over him.”

I blushed. “I was not! I was only talking with him.”

“Yes, all night,” she said. “I don’t believe you spared a second of you time for Gabriel.”

I rolled my eyes. “It’s not as if he tried very hard to speak with me either.”

Stella sighed. “Athena, you are going to marry him. Do you understand? You can’t go about flirting with other men.”

I nodded reluctantly. “You’re right, of course. You always are.”

She smiled at me. “I know, Athena, dear, I know.”

Shoving her playfully, I entered my rooms.

I woke to find the castle understandably in an uproar. The Crown Prince Gabriel, the first maid I saw when running out told me, had gone missing in the night. And there was a note at his bedside table.

I ran, in a panic, to his rooms, where his mother, the Queen, was standing, a look of absolute shock on her face.

“Oh, Athena,” she said, eyes filled with tears. “I can’t understand how this happened.”

“Who did it?” I demanded, anger starting to grow in me. Who dared kidnap my betrothed?

She closed her eyes hopelessly and leaned against a wall. Her personal maid, Rozabella, approached her, but Queen Ebony waved her friend wearily away. “It was the Sorcerer Roman Rose.”

I didn’t think. Nothing was running through my mind. All I could feel was a growing sense of betrayal, guilt, and anger.

“Roman Rose?” I croaked out, my face most likely even more pale than it was naturally.

Queen Ebony nodded, her eyes still closed. “Yes, yes, the Evil Sorcerer Roman Rose.”

People always labeled Roman as Evil Sorcerer Roman Rose, instead of the usual plain Sorcerer. Until that moment, I hadn’t fully believed that he was evil. But I did then. I do now. He was, is, evil.

“Oh, Moon Goddess,” I breathed.

“Would you like to see the note?” Rozabella asked me, holding a piece of parchment up.

I nodded and took it from her. It read:

He sympathizes with our loss? He was the one who took him!

I gritted my teeth in anger, some of the anger at myself for actually liking Roman and not seeing how evil he really was. “I shall rescue Gabriel.”

Queen Ebony looked at me in shock and Rozabella furrowed her red brows.

“What?” Rozabella said. “Athena, you can’t. He’s an Evil Sorcerer. You couldn’t possibly beat him.”

I set my jaw in determination. “I may not be able to beat him, but I can certainly sneak around him and rescue Gabriel.”

Queen Ebony shook her head earnestly. “No, Athena, please - “

“No, my lady, I must do this,” I told her firmly. “He is my betrothed. It is my duty. If I were the one taken, he would attempt to rescue me.”

Queen Ebony looked about to protest more, but Rozabella interrupted her. “Ebony, I think she has to do this. She is right. He is her betrothed.”

Queen Ebony seemed torn, but reluctantly nodded. “Yes. But, Athena, please, be careful. If at any time you feel your life is in danger, I want you to save yourself and leave immediately. Do not show yourself to the Evil Sorcerer.”

I nodded my head. “Of course. Thank you, lady. Thank you, Rozabella. I will go speak with Stella, and then I will leave.”

I began to walk out the door but then stopped and turned to the two adults. “Please don’t tell my parents until I am gone. They would never approve.”

They nodded and I went on my way to find Stella.

“Stella,” I said when I finally found her wandering through the halls. “Stella, I’m going to go rescue Gabriel.”

She sighed. “I knew you would. You really liked Roman, didn’t you?”

I looked at her in confusion. “What do you mean?”

She shrugged her shoulders. “You know that you’re not only attempting to rescue him because he’s your betrothed, Athena. You’re not in love with him. There’s also the fact that you feel betrayed by Roman, isn’t there?”

“How did you know it was Roman at the ball,“ I asked.

“After I heard it was Roman who captured Gabriel, I realized who the man at the ball was,” she answered. “He was familiar to me, anyway. I had seen him before, a couple years ago.”

“Oh,” I said. “Well, nevertheless, I’m going to rescue Gabriel. I have to.”

Stella nodded her mane of dark brown hair. “Yes. Come, I’ll help you get ready.”

An hour later I was off.