A/N: Hello to all! Thank you for reading the 2nd chapter!

To all my readers, BEWARE. Things will escalate quickly in this story. I'm saying this now, so you will know why the story progresses quickly. I want to finish this story before the start of my classes on January, because I will be too busy to even write a paragraph by then.

To the people who reviewed, thank you thank you thank you! You don't know how much your messages mean to me. You've given me the courage to post the next chapter.

Here it is! I hope you like it, and I hope to hear your thoughts! :)

The next three weeks has been very busy for all citizens in Strangia. Everyone is bustling and hustling, even the Hatters. Although soon, there would only be three Hatters left. Mr. Sacheverell Smith asked for Fanny's hand a day after the messenger arrived at the town. Their marriage will be done a week before Sophie and Lettie will go to Kingsbury. The wedding, plus the preparations, have given the ladies no free time at all. Because Mr. Smith paid their debts immediately, they have already closed the hat shop, which caused a huge disappointment to the women in town. Even without the hat trade, they are already very busy.

Martha could not help much in the preparations and packings of her sisters' luggage, bags, and boxes, since she's already too busy helping her mother with her wedding. Lettie wants her older sister to make her gowns for the cotillion, however, Sophie knows she could not finish all 14 gowns, including hers, in time. Fanny tells them that Mr. Smith knows many seamstresses who can help, but with the wedding clothes to make, and with the short time they are given, they can only make four gowns for each lady. Martha helps and looks for others, but all tailors and seamstresses are already hired by other ladies. Sophie could not make new gowns from scratch, instead, she remade and customized her and Lettie's dresses. With her deft and talented hands, her own redecorated gowns are almost as good as the brand new ones from Mr. Smith's seamstresses.

Fanny and Mr. Smith's wedding is a simple one, which is big surprise for the ladies, because Fanny is a lavish woman. But no one utters a single complaint. Everyone is busy and pressed for time. Soon after the wedding, everyone helps with the last preparations of the two older Hatters, especially Sophie, because she is still making hats and other accessories for Lettie and herself. Although Sophie grumbles all the time, because she has no interest in finding a husband, yet. Very soon, it is time to bid farewell.

"Do you think Martha will be alright alone there?" Lettie asks, once they are comfortable in the carriage.

Sophie finishes sewing jewels into a hat before answering, "Of course. Fanny is sending her again to Filbert and Hazel School. And maybe, when she reaches the marriageable age, the king will have cancelled the order to marry an Ingarian soldier, and she will be able to choose freely whom to marry."

"That would be nice," Lettie ponders for a few moments, while her sister sews beads and other decorations onto the hat. Lettie blinks at this. "Sophie, you really should rest. There are bags under your eyes. It's not making you look lovely!"

Sophie's red rimmed eyes look up from her work. "I am not lovely, so what will the bags under my eyes do to me? Besides, there are only two hats left to do."

Lettie huffs when her sister continues her work. "We've been arguing for years because of this." Indeed they have argued so many times when Sophie refused to put creams and powders on her face, like Lettie wished and wanted, because she said that cosmetics won't make her ugly face prettier, instead, it would just emphasize her flaws. "You are lovely. And just because you don't know it doesn't mean that others don't see it! And it won't hurt for you to sleep, you know. You've been working with our gowns and accessories for many days and nights, you've lost sleep."

"I have three more days in this trip to sleep and rest, Lettie. I can finish the two hats now. Why save the work for later?"

"Sleep is more important! Besides, the gowns you made are already beautiful, they actually do not need any accessories to go with them. And you have three more days to make those hats."

The sisters continue to bicker for a while, neither side wanting to back down. The footman of their carriage chuckles at the strong-mindedness of the two ladies. The argument seems to last forever, until Sophie cries out in surrender, "Fine! I'll sleep!"

Lettie laughs out in joy. "Finally! Now give me that hat."

Sophie looks at her younger sister warily. "Why would you want the unfinished hat?"

Lettie grins. "Why, I'm going to finish it, of course! I know how to sew, you know. I am a daughter and a sister of a hatter."

Sophie doesn't know whether she should laugh or scoff. But she doesn't laugh because she's annoyed from their bickering, which was tiring, and she doesn't scoff because it will lead to another argument, which will be tiring. So she settles for a neutral face. "Oh yes, you know how, but you absolutely lack skills."

A wider grin. "Oh, no faith in me, older sister?"

A sigh. "Whether or not you make a mess out of it, you'll get to wear it, little sister."

Silence.

A tired, triumphant smile. "Just leave the hat alone. I'll finish it later."

A groan of protest. "But I can try!"

An exasperated sigh. "Oh, shush! Do you want me to sleep or not?"

Sophie wakes up a few hours later and quickly finishes the remaining hats, before going back to sleep. The trip is a bit uncomfortable, considering the rocky and uneven terrain, Lettie notes, but Sophie's sleeping like a babe in the softest crib.

They arrive at Kingsbury two days before the start of the cotillion. The luxurious houses, the green gardens, and the sparkling streets of the capital of Ingary leave the two sisters' jaws hanging until the carriage stops in front of an inn where they will stay until they live with their chosen suitor.

"If this is what the streets of Kingsbury looks like, I do not know what to expect of the palace," Sophie tells her sister, the awe could be heard in her voice.

"Let's look around!" Lettie says cheerfully, unable to tear her eyes away from the foreign place.

"If we have time after settling into our rooms and opening our bags, then perhaps, we will," Sophie says in reply.

Lettie finishes first and bursts into Sophie's room with excitement. "Come on, Sophie! Finish that later. Let's go out for a stroll!"

Sophie gives her sister a smile and says, "Alright. You wait downstairs. I'll just get my shawl."

"Are you seriously wearing that?" Lettie asks once Sophie appeared next to her.

Sophie looks down at her storm-gray dress, and same-colored shawl. "Yes. Is something the matter?"

"Yes! You wore a gray dress yesterday, and the other day. Do you not want to wear other colors? Gray makes your skin dull, ashen, and sickly. And it does not complement your hair."

"Oh, that's alright. I do not want to catch attention, anyway. And besides, you will absolutely stand out when you are next to me."

Indeed, walking beside her gray-dressed sister, Lettie glows in her warm and buttery yellow dress. She's so happy and excited that her face blooms in beauty, which gets a lot of admiring looks. The place is so beautiful that both sisters momentarily forget about the sole reason why they have come.

"Oh, Sophie! Look at that! It looks wonderful from afar. I wonder if it is more wonderful closely," Lettie walks off to the direction where she saw the sight, not waiting for her sister to answer.

There are too many people around that it is very easy to be separated from someone. "Lettie," Sophie calls out, when she sees she lost sight of her sister. "Lettie!" When she does not get an answer, she thinks Oh, dear. What am I supposed to do now? There are many wonderful sights around and I do not know where Lettie went! After wandering helplessly for a while, the red-haired lady decides to go back to the inn.

The place still is foreign and unfamiliar to her, and she did not take note which corners they turned while walking. First, I am separated from my sister. Now, I am lost! Oh, what shall I do? Sophie tries to calm down her panicking self. I should go and ask for directions. That will certainly help.

But the streets are busy with the arriving carriages of Strangian ladies, and there are many, many people milling around, some are flirting, some are walking briskly, some are chatting and laughing, and some are shouting loudly. Sophie grows dizzy from it all. It does not help that she is too nervous to speak a single word to anyone. I seem to have lost my voice! Or perhaps, is it because I have not socialized for weeks that I am now a mute? She remembers that for months, she only left the hat shop when she has to go to school, or to buy something from the market, or to deliver an ordered hat to a customer personally. She tells herself, Strangians and Ingarians are here in these mob of people. They are just people, just like you. They won't hurt you.

To avoid the crowd, she decides to just walk near the buildings and find her way back to the inn somehow, since there are still a few more hours before sundown. She is already panicking and it does not help her when some people tried to talk to her. Vendors offer her their goods, some women try to chat with her, and some men try to flirt with her. Sophie tries very hard not to run away from them. However, she has no more self-control left when a handsome light-haired man in an elegant suit corners and stops her.

"Hello, lady," The man's voice is too velvety and soft that her knees seem go weak hearing the two words from his mouth.

Sophie shrinks away from him and tries to make herself small. She does not look at him in the eye as she stammers, "E-excuse me. I have to go somewhere."

"Are you new here? Maybe you are a Strangian. Many Strangian ladies are lost here. Are you lost, by any chance?" The man obviously attempts to soothe and calm her down, but it is doing the opposite effect. Her breaths become shallow and fast and her heart feels like it is going to burst. She fears she would have a heart attack.

Almost ashamed to admit the truth, her answer comes in a whisper. "No. I am not lost. I am looking for my sister."

"Oh," his voice turns sympathetic. "Do you wish for me to help you look for your sister? Kingsbury is a large city."

His kindness makes her feel more ashamed than ever. She quickly stammers a "N-no! Thank you," before running away from him.

This place is just the streets! Oh, how could I ever survive the cotillion? She thinks, while running away. And when she finally sees the inn, she thinks that she is finally safe. However, she bumps into two men in military clothes.

"Oh, I am very sorry!" She stammers, while panting. She tries to run for the inn, but the men block her way.

"You look tired, miss," the soldier looks at her. "and scared. Would you like to come with us for a drink?"

"We would keep you company for a while," the second one grins at his friend.

"N-no, thank you. I am going back to my inn," she tries to skirt away from them, but is blocked again.

"Oh!" The first soldier chuckles. "You are a Strangian lady! Are you here for the cotillion? I am a soldier who will also attend the event. Say, how about I propose to you now and you accept? I would not mind missing the cotillion if I can bring home a pretty wife tonight!"

"Poor Strangian ladies. Your lines of suitors must have been cut in half when your soldiers lost their lives in the battlefield! And in the end of the cotillion, the Strangian soldiers who survived will be left with no ladies to marry!" The second soldier laughed loudly and is joined in by the first one.

Sophie's fear melts into anger. She stands up to the soldiers who made fun of her country. "Well, then! You should wait for the end of the cotillion to bring home a wife. And I am very sure that I will not be that unfortunate lady!" She runs away from them, before they could even answer or block her again.

Lettie is waiting for her in her room. "Oh, Sophie! Where have you been?" But before hearing her sister's answer, she tells of the wonderful sights she saw.

After letting her younger sister talk, Sophie tells her of what happened to herself. Lettie's eyes flash. "I have experienced the same thing! Some military officers tried to take me by force when I politely declined their offers. They are animals!"

Sophie squares her shoulders and levels her gaze to her sister's. "Lettie, I have decided to be very disagreeable during the cotillion. If those soldiers are nothing but rude and insensitive men, then I shall not be a graceful and polite person as well."

Lettie nods, although she looks worried. "I would love to do the same, but how will that turn out? Won't we be in trouble afterwards?"

"Trouble, it is then! They think that ladies are just trophies and objects to win and take home as a prize. I will make it very clear that I strongly oppose the idea of marrying soldiers who defeated our country with violence."

Lettie's face becomes sad. "While I think that you have a point, we cannot deny that in the end, they probably won't change opinions or minds. After all, in their eyes, we are just ladies with pretty faces."

On the first day of cotillion, Lettie looks at her sister's pearly gray gown while they are waiting for the carriage to pick them up. "Gray? Again?"

Sophie takes in a deep breath when the carriage stopped in front of them. "I have no care if they think I look dull or ashen or sickly or boring." She raises an eyebrow, when they get in the carriage. "No, erase what I said. I would love it if they think I look dull, ashen, sickly or boring. That means they would leave me alone."

Lettie sighs and looks out at the window. "Oh, how I wish I have a gray dress. Why have you not made me a gray one?" She obviously does not feel as lovely as she look in her purple gown. She was almost taken by force by another soldier yesterday when she went out for a stroll without her older sister. She was lucky to get away without scratches or bruises. Sophie was so surprised to see her sister very angry when she got home. Lettie was as determined as Sophie to ruin her status at the cotillion. "I shall be as blunt and as rude as I can be," she said.

"Gray does not suit you, Lettie," Sophie remarks, smoothing the wrinkles of her skirt.

"Well, gray does not suit you either," Lettie snaps. They are silent until the carriage stops and the footman opens the carriage door for them. Neither lady is eager to get off the carriage.

The kings of Ingary and Strangia each give a small speech, welcoming the Strangian ladies and complimenting the bravery and efforts of Ingarian soldiers. Prince Justin, the brother of the king of Ingary, stands beside his fiancé, Princess Beatrice, the daughter of the king of Strangia. Neither of the couple looks happy or pleased to be beside each other. Sophie, Lettie, and a few ladies who do not wish to be at the cotillion feel a small spark of satisfaction.

"Do you think men will be turned off if I eat a lot?" Lettie asks her older sister when the royalties have given the signal to start the cotillion. They are in awe of the ballroom of the Ingary Palace, but neither of them are delighted to be there.

"I guess so. Are you hungry?" Sophie asks.

"I have no appetite, but my stomach is rumbling. I have not yet eaten breakfast."

"Well then. I shall go sit by the chairs over there. Come join me if you're done eating."

Music is played by a quartet at the corner of the room and flirting is to be seen all around the room. Sophie and a few ladies sit the chairs, either they are observing or waiting to be accosted. Sophie looks at the clock and wonders why Lettie is taking too long in eating. Then she sees that her sister is talking with a few men, but she is not enjoying herself. She looks like she's giving them a piece of her mind. Sophie lets herself smile a little. So far, she herself has not been approached by any man. She gives them all a cool glare before they speak, which scares them away.

Her throat is parched from not talking. She stands up to go the table full of food to get herself a glass of water. And someone taps her shoulder on her way.

She turns to see the light-haired man whom she met two days ago. She does not let any recognition show and keeps her face cool, partly bored and partly annoyed to be stopped.

The man in front of her smiled in an affectionate way and bowed gracefully and says in his velvety soft voice, "We meet again, lady."

Sophie curtsies and answers in her best icy tone, "It is a pleasure to see you again, sir."

The man is not disheartened by her tone, in fact, he seems amused. He smiled wilder and continues to speak in his smooth voice, "But it seems I have not been given the pleasure of knowing your name. May I be graced at this moment?"

Sophie hopes she does not let her discomfort appear. Never before has she been talked to like this! She answers icily, "Sophie Hatter."

The man makes a charming move of reaching for her hand and kissing it. At this moment, Sophie could not help herself from blushing. The man smiles charmingly at her, "And I am Howl Pendragon."