Erica

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"I don't think I can do this." A beautifully dressed girl stood before a mirror while servants doted all over her adjusting her dress.

"Hey, I know you can. I mean you met my parents, and you were just fine, weren't you?" A smiling Louis reassured her.

Georgie shifted her weight on her feet, a nervous frown dawning her features.

"That was different, and you know that. The Duke and Duchess of Trencent are much more welcoming than I fear the rest of society will be."

"Ah but you were nervous about meeting them as well." Louis chuckled walking up to her and placing a gentle kiss on her forehead.

She simply let out a huff and gave him an unimpressed look.

"Look Louis, you do not understand-"

"I do understand. Georgie, I am in love with you, and I want the whole kingdom to know it. Who cares what everyone thinks?" He wrapped his string arms around her.

"I care. I feel like a stain on the Trencent name."

"No one would dare think that." he squeezed her tighter before yelping and letting go as one of the adjustment pins in George's dress came loose and pricked him.

Georgie could not help but giggle at the goofy idiot before her.

"Louis, I really do mean it you know. I am not a good person. I did something horrible to someone close to me..." Georgie looked away and back into the mirror.

"There was a life on the line. You did not have a choice." Louis defended.

"There were two lives at stake, and I killed her." Georgie was nearly suffocating from all the guilt and sadness she carried.

She would forever blame herself for not only betraying but killing her friend.

"Georgie." A fragile voice called as he entered the room.

"Hey, what are you doing out of bed Mister?" Georgie moved away from Louis and to her sickly younger brother.

"I wanted to see you." He gently wrapped his arms around her frame careful to avoid the pins unlike Louis had done earlier.

Georgie ran her hands through his hair in a soothing motion before stopping on his forehead to check his temperature.

"Benjamin. You are far too warm to be out and about." She scolded.

"Your sister is right Benny-boy. You should be in bed resting." Louis gently smiled.

Louis Trencent had a soft spot for the boy, but he was not the only one, his mother, the Duchess of Trencent, absolutely adored Benjamin to the extent that she had personally moved the boy into a grand room under the Trencent roof where she could keep a careful eye on his health.

Georgie had always felt like a burdensome charity case around the Trencent's and tried everything to repay them for their kind hospitality, but the only payment the family asked for was for her to stop trying so hard.

While Louis and Georgie escorted Benjamin back to his room, Georgie could not help but feel relieved that her brother was doing better. Although slow, his recovery was beginning to show.

He would be okay.

Georgie had at least managed to save one life that day, but the price was far worse than she had ever imagined. If she had known what would have happened to Erica as a result of her betrayal and forced lies, she would have done everything in her power to change it.

She would have fought tooth and nail for a friend.

Erica deserved this kindness, this happiness and not her.