((sorry I hadn't answer, have been busy))<br/><br/>Josephine noticed the secretive glances the young man beside her snuck, but didn't comment on the action. She found herself looking over at him as well, her gaze linger on his for a moment too long after she had spoken before turning away again uncomfortably. Her heart was fluttering in her chest, the corset of her dress suddenly feeling much too tight; but she tried to ignore it. What was she so worked up about? Surely this mysterious gentleman who stood at her side was nothing too special. Even so, her thoughts remained stuck on him, returning to him each time they were drawn forcefully away. What was this emotion that stirred within her heart?<br/><br/>Josephine had always lived a quiet, secluded life, never allowed to have the freedoms even the other peasants had. She'd always wondered why her parents were so protective of her. She was no one special, she was not a precious treasure to be guarded. And definitely not a maiden to be trapped in a tower to await her knight in shining armor. The girl had long since brushed aside such fantasies and fairy-tales as figments of dreams for children. She was never the type to fall in love easily, nor had she ever before. Friends of hers were few and far between because of her captivity, so she had never been given the chance to let love blossom. What would it feel like? How would she know, when love arises? She didn't know... but this strange feeling that had overtaken her was very new to her, to say the least.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">"It is just as you say. You seem like a complex thinker, do you ask these questions of yourself often?"</span><br/><br/>The young man's voice snapped Josephine back into reality, and for a moment she was quiet. It was a harmless question for her, but if asked of any other lady it would have been a bad thing to say. 'Would it be bad if I spoke true?' "No... 'twas a mere thought, a passing fancy." She replied softly, looking down at the garden, then at the star-lit sky. There was a slightly hidden tone to her voice, as her pause had proven she was wary to answer. It was then that she realized how close they ad gotten to each other. She may have shifted slightly herself, without realizing it. But there was something between the two of them; a gravitational pull, a bond that was there before its time... was this love? 'What am I thinking? He must think I am insane, from what I had said before. He would never fall for me. And why should he? He's obviously a noble, and here is the only time I'll probably ever meet him like this... but I... he doesn't seem like other boys of his status. He's friendly and sweet, not so stiff... but is he nervous about something? The  way he diverts his eye towards the door... there it is again... yes, he seems edgy.' "Is there something wrong? Have I said something to put you at discomfort?"