It was the dawn of a new day. Within the ladies' wardrobe portion of the manor, Eepop got herself dressed for the upcoming festivities. Some of her maidservants helped her to get fitted into her dark-reddish plum purple corset, finishing off with a pale, yellow-tinged lily white dress fitted over her frilly undergarments. Thick ribbons were tied through tiny holes inserted over and under her shoulder sleeves. After a little bit more than a quarter of an hour, Eepop had finalized her outfit, taking her mother's large glowing green emerald hidden away inside her dark blue jewelry box. Closing the lid, Eepop hooked the family heirloom upon the neckline of her formal gown, regarding it a bit as she twirled back and forth in front of the large mirror. The precious stone glinted at the sight of the mirror, making her look away. She was finally ready.

Coming down the majestic stair, she readied herself for what was to come in the main room.. Except this time around things were to be a bit different from what she was accustomed to. Loud, bellowing bursts of laughter from both a man and a woman echoed across the walls of the manor, one of the laughs Eepop recognized that was coming from the voice of her own mother, though the man's outburst she had no firm recollection of. Curious, she eagerly entered the room, taking a peek at the scene while she turned her face slightly out of the side of the wide doorway that graciously offered entrance.

A butler hurtled back and forth within the vastly spacious compartment, attending to his mistress' wants, which was a slim glass of wine. As he was going out in his slightly creased uniform from weariness, he made a heedless bow towards Eepop and proceeded to exit the main portal. Breathing with anticipation, Eepop slowly entered into the room, distinguishing that her mother was enjoying the company of a dashing young man approximately several years older than her with his fair light brown hair combed neatly to the side.

"Oh, Eepop! We were just talking about you. Here is the man who asked for your hand!"

'Here we go again.. Okay Eepop, now only turn him away like the other men like last time..'

"But I think that we have finally found a suitable match!" Ipap continued in her high-pitched trill, "This young man here, he has a generous amount of money... NO! An inheritance that is more than enough to support you and your children alone! Perhaps both of your future grandchildren as well!" Ipap hastily added, giving the young man a look of approval, which was returned by a solid white grin. "It would give me utmost joy if you can give your consent to this marriage proposal, darling..! Not only would it bring happiness, but joy and comfort to you and the potential family that you both would lovingly share with each other..."

Somehow, Eepop shut herself out from her mother's speech and became outright deaf to it. It was very rare for Ipap to be so accepting of a suitor, since she always gave the right to choose to Eepop, aside from being picky here and there about the amount of wealth each man had. She felt as if her freedom to choose was deftly compromised the last minute, as if she was plunged into a huge, gaping pitch-black hole that offered no means of climbing out, no escape. Her gaze now focused on her mother's mouth, which looked like it was moving, speaking words in which a voice had never been put out nor uttered. She glanced at the young man, who was eyeing her head to toe for her compliance to her mother's wishes. She knew at once that he was at first searching within her face any sign of positive validation concerning her consent to his proposal. When she silently refused to give any, the young man now regarded her features closely as if she was a toy being put out for show by a glass display case at a front of a shop.. Leaving looks of satisfaction after he peered at Eepop for her slim, petite figure and finally stopping at her breasts which made her cheeks feel red hot. Feeling content about his observations, he stopped treating her as his eye candy and began focusing on Ipap's voraciously loud chatter filling up the room.

"Ahh! Now that our plans have been discussed," Ipap hollered, "let us invite the nobles inside the dining room! Surely they cannot be waiting for us."

But wait they did. It was considered common courtesy for the guests to wait until the host is prepared to start the feast. The bell has been rung, and the meats have been brought in, first served to the hosts, then to the nobles, earls, lords accompanied by their ladies, and finally to the lower guests.

Eepop didn't even pay attention to what was about her. All she knew was that she felt scantily clad from the torso up after she was throughly scrutinized by her fiance', so she folded her arms across her shoulders and chest hoping to cover what was lacking in the torso-revealing dress. Never before has she felt like this, she has worn similar clothing on previous occasions and yet didn't feel this way.. She was duly objectified by that man, and this haunted her; made her more aware about herself and her appearance. Eepop felt as if everyone had their eyes on her when they weren't. It truly was a terrible feeling that sunk up from the pit of her stomach.

Because of this, she ate very little. The air in the room was currently too stifling, too suffocating...! Putting down the fancy utensils, Eepop felt as if the walls of the great room were gradually closing in on her, as if it's tightening its own grip on her- constricting her in a terrifying fashion that only foreshadowed over her then ever since she came of age.. That selfsame feeling which made her end up losing her ignorance over the realization that her wishes over an ideal marriage that involves giving herself up for a man she truly loved and respected would come true. Because from the day she was born, her life was already set in stone for her.

. For once in her life, Eepop's deepest fears have finally become a reality... Long gone were the days she can ably refuse a suitor without any trouble. .

Eepop's eyes began to sting, welling up with warm, fresh tears. No. She cannot cry here. Not here, not now. Not in the grand dining room where all the guests dined and looked at her from across the other side of the table in approval, it could potentially ruin her mother's reputation. Not while she was in her supposed fiance's presence, who was overly joyful that the noble girl Eepop would automatically accept his proposal, according to their age-old tradition passed down through generations.

Eepop excused herself from her companions, and began to walk away from the crowded dining room amidst the tense apprehension of her guests. Chatter erupted across the floor.

"Where on earth is that girl going?"

"Doesn't she know that she's getting married off to this man? He is very important!"

Such murmurs between the esteemed guests slowly flooded the room, and Eepop was now more determined than ever to find an exit. She quickly dodged house servants and attendees without much thought needed.. Her only desirable want at the moment was that she had to get out of here. Everyone stared at her. Strange girl, maybe the marriage is making her poor head too frazzled. But deep down she should be happy about it, no doubt. And so they chuckled amongst themselves and leave her be, surely it must be . After all, a marriage between two wealthy families is something to look forward to, therefore it's worth worrying about.

Eepop pushed the back mansion doors open with such a force that it hit the outer wall of the manor with a shaking crash. Ignoring the noise and desensitizing herself from the major disturbance, she angrily trudged through the flower field where she held so many cherished memories in her youth.. It was the exact place where mother promised her she will have her happily ever after with the prince of her dreams. Her head began to ache as the recollections flooded into her head like a rising tide, crashing upon the coast.. Seeking for a way; or an outlet or a crack that leads within the comforting sanctuary of the vast land.

Tried as she might, Eepop simply cannot erase the simple memory that was distant yet remained so soundly untouched by the hands of time. Before she knew it, her thoughts pursued her until she ended up giving in to them, and reminiscing of better days despite her good judgement.

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"M-mother! Will you think that my prince will be able to find me..?"

"I don't see why not, darling. I bet.. He will come to you, in this very same flower field, riding upon great horse by his side. He will snatch you up, into his arms.. And show you to your happily ever after."

Young Eepop giggled, content with her mother's answer. She then happily placed her head on her mother's lap while she picked at the yellow daisies in the flower field. Ipap then looked at her with a tender, motherly, and loving gaze as she began stroking her daughter's dirty blonde locks with utmost care.

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The memory soon faded away as if it was some distant dream. Her heart began to swell upon thinking of this memory, so and so that it felt big enough to burst. 'Oh Mother.. Why did you change..?' Eepop thought to herself, finally allowing some of her tears to be shed upon the folds of her dress. As her dainty silken slippers ignored the path, Eepop made the yellow golden daisies and frail leaves accompanied by their stems crunch underneath her feet as she torn herself away from the place she found safety, the place where she was so sheltered.. The place where she called "home".

Eepop didn't care where her feet led her to. She had to go somewhere. Anything, anywhere away from here..!

Her run has taken her through the vastly wooded park where all the nobles resided, and closer into the industrial area, where the large town was adequately placed in the middle of all commerce. It was a place where both the wealthy and the middle class courteously interacted with each other on business on a daily basis, each to their own prospective interests.

Her feet took her across the busy intersections where the wheels of carriages ran across the busy, cobblestoned street. Ordinary gentlemen and ladies crowded the streets, with some having at least one or two children in tow. Eepop swerved to and fro past the crowds, avoiding pedestrians that might serve as an obstacle to her obligatory run. Some passerby abruptly looked at her with curiosity, as she was dressed much differently; in a fancier fashion compared to regular city folk. Whilst running, Eepop felt as if she was, unmistakably free. As long as the distance continually increased between her and the manor, she was assured that she can at least keep to herself an avid sense of security against her imaginary pursuers.

But that sense of feeling free was short-lived.. Eepop violently bumped into someone who happened to suddenly get between her and her line of vision from the left. The impact caused her to fall by the man whom she crashed into.

"Agghh!! Ow.." Eepop cried out.

Thankfully, the two appeared not to be bruised nor hurt aside from groaning about jerking back from the abrupt recoil that the force of the push so caused.

'Mm-mmgh..! I must apologize..' Eepop thought ashamedly to herself. "I-I'm so sorry, I-" She started, and then stopped herself.

She stopped mid-sentence because she glanced up at the man with whom she bumped into. Eepop was surprised that he already got up, brushing himself off of the dust from the cobblestone pavement. The man was slightly tall, sporting a striped dark red and deep brown corduroy vest with three shining bronze buttons sewn on the front, along with a clean collared long-sleeved shirt and worn-out black slacks. He had tussled, blonde hair and a cold, hard gaze that complimented his glacier blue eyes, giving off an icy glare at first sight. Despite that, Eepop couldn't help but stare... Those eyes; they seemed to shine like a pair of deep, dark sapphires hidden away, enveloped completely underneath a vast blanket of stones. It seems like there was something more to this young man... However, it intimidated her a bit that he immediately put her under scrutiny in return once he got back up, not to mention that he didn't even offer his hand to her in order to help her up.

Eepop gasped. This man she bumped into, wasn't just any other ordinary townsperson. Thanks to the gossip and chatter provided by the many mirthful nobles she interacted with in past parties, Eepop was very well aware of the fact that they brought up the topic of a certain outcast of a man who recently moved into their neighboring shire. They jeered that he was very strange... Locking himself into his home days on end denying any necessary social interaction in order to work on strange contraptions and inventions that would soon be released into the public to be tested. These inventions caused minor inconveniences here and there, with some being more successful than others, of course. But despite all that he had a cold air and demeanor about him. His outer characteristics made him rather resentful and uncaring towards others overall; to which his neighbors treated him in an almost similar impertinent fashion. Nobody liked him, nobody seemed to care about him other than purchasing his inventions only to conduct business with him. One thing was for sure: as long as they can pay him some cash in exchange for his services, they can eventually make him go away at the same time so as to not be too engaged with him.. Then it was most certainly worth the trouble to deal with the man anyways, and make use of the inherent convenience his inventions provided within their homes.

The adrenaline rushed in Eepop's brain at once. She was literally racking up her brain thinking of an excuse.

"Uh-Uhhm..! Sorry for bumping into you, but I have to go..!"

Eepop abruptly got up, disregarding the awkward exchange she recently made with the blonde-haired man. Avoiding his now changed look of sudden astonishment, she brushed right past him, the force of the wind buffeting against her medium-length hair now flying up and down her shoulders. She felt her billowing satin dress sway with the wind, thus exposing her pale white ankles and shins. Eepop turned at a sharp corner to her right, hoping that the man has forgotten their forced interaction by now. She somehow felt her hot temper pumped in after her adrenaline rush cool down like a tea kettle opened on one end to release steam, only to stop after a certain duration of time. Eepop panted as she was short of breath, slightly leaning down hands on her knees, looking about her dark surroundings.

And so her eyes darted back and forth. She unknowingly walked into a dark alleyway, and was completely unaware that a pair of glowing red eyes that lay underneath a shady, ferocious mask... Was watching her menacingly from above.