Josephine slowed for a moment before stopping when the young man laughed. Did he think this was a joke?<span style="font-style: italic">"I do not think that giving him money changes a thing. I wish it did but I am far from as ignorant as you think...again assuming about me."</span>She glanced back, turning a bit and only staying for her unbidden curiosity.<span style="font-style: italic">"On the contrary I try to do much more than you see here but it does no good...my father undermines me. I had one such fight with him just this evening, hence why I was out among the commoners to see you with the guards. I can do nothing until my father allows it which he will not do because we see differently on almost everything."</span>Her lips parted to speak, but she kept to herself. 'Why do you allow your father to hold you back? You have a voice of your own, he cannot take that completely.' Little did she know that was entirely false. A person's voice could be easily drowned out if there was enough noise against it to make everyone deaf to it.<span style="font-style: italic">"However, it is obvious you will not believe me so the effort to speak to you was naught but a waste of my time."</span>Josephine took into note his polite gesture at the end. But what he said lastly stunned her as she turned completely to walk off.<span style="font-style: italic">"Have a good night madam."</span>'How did he know?' She had not realized the cloak was not as shadowing as it had always been; when she had been yanked back earlier by it, some of the buttons near the top which typically hid her form had come off. Josephine didn't glance back though, giving nothing but a nod and walking quickly off; taking alleys and ways that were hard to follow, just in case the young man tried to pursue her.<br/><br/>Once Josephine had gotten to her home, she snuck in through the back door. Surely her parents weren't home yet... they left for work around an hour before, and often didn't come back until later in the evening. Lucky for her, they weren't around, as they disliked this charade of hers. As good as it was to standup for the people of the city, it was dangerous for her. Tell her something she didn't know; and honestly she didn't care. What else was she going to d, let everyone suffer while she sat and watched? No way. The young woman took off her hat, freeing her snow white hair from the ponytail she had put it in earlier that day. Her mind was distracted by thoughts of what had happened with that noble a little bit before. He was strange, curious.... different, to say the least. Interesting... though she tried to ignore it. "Josephine!" The voice stopped her dead in her tracks as she was going up the stairs, and she glanced behind her. Her older brother, Alyxander, stood smirking up at her from the bottom of the staircase. "I thought mom and dad told you no more games." "It's not games. And if you speak a word to our parents, you are in serious trouble." The boy only smirked wider. "You know you can't threaten me." Just then, the front door to the small home came open, and their parents bustled in. Both were grinning crazily. "Josephine, Alyxander, your mother and I have grand news to tell you." Their father chimed. "Our family has been invited to the royal ball tomorrow night. It's that exciting." Exciting was the last word on Josephine's mind. "Well, lucky there is only room in the carriage for three." She answered. "Because I am not going." "Oh come on, Josephine, don't be like that. This is a great chance for all of us. Don't take this as a bad thing." The young woman indignantly rolled her eyes and swiftly retreated to her room. She would hear none of this, now was not the time to bring this kind of event up. But she knew her parents wouldn't give up so easily. They'd be back at convincing her later.