As we walk into the room everyone turns and looks at us. Why are they looking at me like I'm some kind of evil rogue? Oh, wait I am one, that's why. Man, I can be stupid sometimes.

"Prince Xander who is this?" one lady asks.

"This is Joanne Steel," Xander says, his voice taking on a friendly tone. "But I call her Jo. She's my fiancé."

"Then why haven't we seen her before?" a man asks and Xander glances at me.

"Xander wanted you all to meet me but I was scared that you would all judge me too harshly," I say in an innocent tone, making my face look sad. "because I come from a village on one of the small islands and that I look like some scruffy little-"I break off, forced tears falling down my cheeks. Xander wraps his arms around me and I burry me face in his chest, feeling stupid but hoping they will buy the act.

Xander is murmuring comforting tings, I think, it mostly sounds like him making soft sounds. A few minutes later I look up and everyone has sympathetic looks on their faces. Xander quietly asks me to go talk to the other girls and they immediately start asking me questions about my life in a small village. I try to keep a nervous look on my face but I'm starting to get annoyed. One of the girls asks me how I came to the main island and why I did.

"Well I was about five when a horrible fire destroyed my village, so we traveled here. I wanted to stay behind but realized that no one would be there to take care of me," I say sniffling a bit.

As I talk to the girls they introduce themselves but I quickly lose track of who's who. Suddenly Xander is here asking if he can steal me away from them. When they say yes, he leads me out of the ball room and down the hall.

"You look like you needed a break from them," Xander smiles warmly at me.

"Thanks you have no idea how hard it was to keep up the act," I lean against the wall and Xander puts a hand on the wall near my head. Not trapping me, but insisting I stay.

Xander smiles and begins to lean closer to me. He leans slowly and suddenly he's kissing me. On the lips. My eyes widen with shock but I can't bring myself to pull away.

Xander draws back, smiles, and walks away. I stand there for a few minutes, feeling confused. First he can't stand me then he's nice and friendly and now he kisses me! None of this makes any since.

I slowly walk back to the ball room where I pause, feeling someone watching me. I turn around but see nothing; I shrug off the feeling and walk in.

Xander walks me back to the stables after the ball ended. After Xander kissed me, the rest of the night was a blur.

We get to the stable and Xander tells me good night, and then walks away. I walk into my room and put my head against the closed door. Suddenly from behind, somebody grabs my hands, the touch and grip id familiar. Then the person speaks.

"Did you have fun tonight?" says an all too familiar voice.

"Vijay!"