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Chapter Text

Long ago in the old South, sometime after the civil war there lived a man called Lucifer Magne who owned a great apple orchard that had been passed down from generation to generation. Having ownership of this magnificent orchard made Lucifer a very rich man with many luxuries. He lived in a great white house pillared with eight marble columns on each side. Blue shutters that surrounded the crystal windows while gold curtains draped over them, ten rooms the made up the entire house, and at the center of the house just across from the fireplace mantle there was a grand piano which Lucifer delighted in listening to so very much.

Now with Lucifer having such vast wealth it was only natural that he spoiled his very elegant wife Lilith and their charming young daughter Charlotte. He showered both of them with countless extravagant gifts that were worthy even of royalty itself. Dresses spun from silk and satin for his wife and the best crafted toys for his daughter. Lilith and Charlotte wanted for nothing but what made the two most happy wasn't the gifts and the luxuries. No what brought them the most joy was when Lucifer would take time off from work to go walking with them in the family apple orchard.

They would walk out in the warm sunshine, then cool off in the shade of the trees, pick a few of the apples off the branches to munch on, and little Charlotte would sometimes climb those trees or swing from them. Then sometimes when they would go out at dusk the tiny girl would end up falling asleep in her mother's arms as they would sit under one of the trees to watch the sun set. Happiness seemed eternal for the Mange family but alas nothing is meant to last forever. 

One tragic Autumn Lilith was struck down with yellow fever. Her husband spared no expense in regards to her health. He hired the best doctors and physicians to care for her, bought the most reliable medicine and antibodies no matter how expensive but sometimes even when you can afford the best it still isn't enough. When Lilith felt that her end was drawing near, she called her child to her bedside and said,

"My dearest Charlotte, be sincere and good, and then our dear God will reward you for all you have suffered." With this she closed her eyes and died.

The entire Magne household was heartbroken by her death but it was Lucifer's heart that never healed. After his wife died all joy and light in him just faded away as if it was never there to begin with and it changed him very drastically. For that first year in which she passed, Lucifer and Charlotte visited her grave everyday and wept but eventually visiting her grave became too much to bear and so did living in the very house he had shared with her. So he completely immersed himself in his work and in society which led to him neglecting his daughter. But despite this Charlotte loved her father and would take any opportunity there was to comfort him.

One way of comforting him was through music. You see Charlotte had a very lovely singing voice and graceful way of dancing so when her father would return home from work, looking very unhappy she would ask one of the servants to play the grand piano near the fire place and she would dance and sing to cheer him up. It would make him smile sometimes but it was only for a short amount of time. Nevertheless Charlotte remained ever devoted and loving to him.

As the years passed the cute little girl grew into an extremely beautiful young woman with long golden hair that was finer than the finest silken strands, sky-blue eyes that were always full of laughter, skin as soft and ivory as a dove's feathers, a mouth is as enticing as a rosebud, and cheeks as bright and rosy as the apples in her family's orchard. But she wasn't famed for her beauty alone, she was also of unparalleled goodness and sweetness of temper. Taking her mother's words to be kind and genuine to heart, she behaved as a saint would to anyone she met no matter who they were and what they had done. This made her greatly adored by many.

Her father was proud of the woman she had become but when young suitors began asking him to court her he began to fear that should she marry she would leave him for good. 

"Lucifer your fears are unwarranted." Said his fellow rich patriarch Stolas as they were having their useful meetings of discussing business. "When my daughter Octavia married, just before she left on her honeymoon she assured me of her love for me."

"How if I may ask?" Lucifer replied.

"Why she said that she loved me as she loved her life." 

"My daughter Helsa did the same thing." Interjected Frederick Von Eldritch an oil baron. "When she became engaged she told me that she loved me more than diamonds and rubies. More than silver and fine gold. Truly Lucifer, no daughter would ever value her husband over her father."

"Well I wouldn't say that Frederick." Stolas said. "I mean as fathers, we do wish to be to be the only important men in our daughters lives. But when they become women we must be ready to take a second place."

"Not my Helsa. She's assured me I will always come first in her life."

"Well of course she'd say that." Stolas mumbled quietly to himself. "She wants to make sure that she stays in your will in case one day you eventually realize what a leech she is."

But this conversation gave Lucifer an idea on how he could ensure that he would always have Charlotte's love. Then one pale gray day when a skittering wind splashed rain against the front of the house where he sat, Charlotte rushed onto the porch and said to him,

"Father come inside. You're shaking in this foul wind that blows so damp and cold."

Lucifer smiled at how considerate and thoughtful she was to him. He then told her about his conversation with Stolas and Frederick. 

"Charlotte with your mother no longer in my life, you are to be my only comfort in my old age." He said. "So I have a question for you my daughter. How much do you love me? And before you answer, think carefully about what you will say."

And Charlotte did think very carefully about what words she would use. Lucifer had told Charlotte what words Stolas and Frederick's daughters had said and while she knew enough about Octavia to know that her words were sincere, she knew that Helsa merely flattered her father to gain favor and larger gifts. Helsa's words may have been grand but they held no love or meaning. Not like how Charlotte's would.

She began to think about all the things about her father that made her happy. All the most splendid memories she shared with him which brought her back to those childhood days where she would roam the apple orchard with him and her mother. How it was because of those memories that whenever she bit into a crisp apple it automatically reminded her of when she was happiest and the fruit had become more valuable to her than all the gold and jewels in the world. At last she found the right words. 

She took her father's hand and said to him with all the love in heart,

"Father I love you more than the all the apples that grow in our orchard."

But these words did not please Lucifer. He was expecting his daughter to say words that were as grand or more grand than what had been said to his associates. Angry, he pulled his hand away from her.

"Is that your answer?" He asked, hoping that her response had only been a joke.

"Yes Father." She answered sincerely.

"How can you insult me so?" He said angrily. "I have been bitterly deceived by you! You have never really loved me!"

"Father that's not true. Can you not see the true meaning of my words?"

"Yes and it has become clear that you love me no more than a common piece of fruit! Nothing truly precious or valuable like gold or jewels, or perhaps even the world!"

It broke Charlotte's heart to think that her father preferred fancy false words spouted by greedy people like Helsa over simple yet true words that came from her heart. 

"I have denied you nothing and have devoted myself to you since the day you were born! There is no one that I have ever loved more than you! But you have taken my love and laughed at it!" He shouted.

"No Father! You misunderstand!" She cried shaking her head. "Allow me to explain what I said."

"There is no explanation needed! Do not think that you can win back my favor with more deception and lies! What a cruel and ungrateful girl you are! Leave me now and nevermore be daughter of mine!"

Charlotte pleaded with her father to at least give her a chance to make the meaning of her words more clear but he would not listen. Instead he drove her out of the house and shut the door in her face, threatening to send the dogs after her if she ever set foot on his land again. So in tears and with great distress, Charlotte left her beloved home which she had known since birth and would undoubtedly never be able to return to again.

Chapter Text

It was stormy that night and the sky had darkened to a most frightening degree. The cruel wind pulled Charlotte and pushed her harshly about, forcing her into a murky and gray-green bayou. The ground was marshy and wet, walking on it left her shoes soaked and her clothes were torn by the brambles and thorns that got caught on them. The creatures in the bayou were unkind to her as well. Alligators snapped at her heels in hopes of making a meal out of her, wild pigs chased her away if she came too close to their territory, vultures screeched harshly at her, and other beasts would either claw or bite at her.

Finally the exhausted young woman found a safe place among the wet reeds and past the tall rushes and tangled vines where there lay a bed of Spanish moss. Not the resting place she was accustomed to but her feet were so sore and she was so out of breath from running that she hardly cared. With that last of her strength, she laid herself on to that bed of moss, said her prayers, and fell into a deep sleep. Her last waking thoughts being,

"Oh what's to become of me?"

She wasn't sure how long she slept but when she awoke the storm had passed and the wind wasn't blowing so hard. She had become hungry now and began to check the pockets of her now tattered clothes for any food that she may have brought along with her. All she could find was one apple that she had plucked from one of the trees as she was walking back from the orchards. It had about one bruise or two but still good enough to eat. She was just about to bite into it when she heard the sound a twig snapping. She stood up and became stiff, fearing that what was walking toward her was another alligator or wild pig but to her relief it was a woman.

A tall, slender woman as black and sleek as a velvet cat with mysterious and glistening eyes. Her hair was kept wrapped up in a shawl and her arms and legs bore scars that Charlotte recognized as coming from lashings and whippings. No doubt this poor woman was once a slave and judging by the scars, a very mistreated one.

"Good day to you, child." The woman said politely.

"Good day." Charlotte replied in an equally polite tone.

"I apologize if I am disturbing you at the moment but I have been wandering around all night and now I am so hungry that it is unbearable. Please, would you mind sharing some food with me if you have any?"

Charlotte looked down at the apple in her hand. It was the only food she had and there was no telling when or if she would ever get anything to eat again. But when she looked back at the woman she saw that she looked very frail, starved, and withered. Like she had not eaten in weeks. As hungry as Charlotte was in that moment, her kind heart would not allow her to deny food to this woman who obviously needed nourishment.

"Here you go." She said handing her the apple. "I'm afraid that's all I have though."

"God bless you child." The woman said with a grateful smile before biting into the fruit. "You're the first person I've met who's treated me with any decency. Everyone I've met while traveling across these fields and bayous have either ignored me or spat in my face. Makes me wonder how parents are raising their children in this day and age."

"Where are you wandering to good woman?"

"Call me Rosie, child and I am on my way to visit my nephew. He's the only family I have left now which means I'll have to visit him quite often. I do enjoy his company but Lord the trip to his home is a trial. Especially when I have to trudge through this mucky wetland and deal with nasty mosquitoes and snakes biting me. I swear if I didn't love my nephew as much as I did I wouldn't have made the journey."

"Do you have much further to travel now?"

"No. Thank heaven. I'll just rest for about a minute or two then be on my way. But what's a lovely and well mannered thing like you doing in this God forsaken bayou?"

So Charlotte told Rosie the whole story of how her father had banished her for taking her heartfelt words of love as insult to his once unbreakable devotion.

"Oh child." Rosie said shaking her head with sympathy. "One of the cruel but true facts of life is that a man's pride can lead him to do many foolish and regrettable things."

"But perhaps it is my fault." She said. "My words did sound quite simple. Perhaps I should have spoken more extravagant words."

"My dear girl there is no wrong in speaking what's in your heart."

"I hope you're right but even if I wasn't wrong I'm not sure what I'm going to do now. I don't know where to go or who to turn to. My father was my only family and all my friends were his and they'll no doubt want nothing to do with me once they learn that I've been disowned."

"Well honey only you have the power to control what kind of life you'll have from now on." Rosie said. "But that doesn't mean you can't have a little help."

"What do you mean?"

"Since you gave me all that you had I think it's only natural that I give you all that I have."

"That's not necessary."

"I insist." She said. "I'm going to give you the most precious and valuable thing that I own. The most magnificent gown there ever was."

Rosie opened the satchel she carried with her and pulled out the garment that she kept inside. However it didn't exactly fit the description of "The most magnificent gown there ever was." In fact it was quite homely looking. A ragged, gossamer dress made from gray-green moss. Not at all what Charlotte was expecting but she did not want to hurt Rosie's feelings or seem ungrateful so she accepted the gift.

"Wear this moss gown proudly and I assure you it will prove useful." Rosie instructed.

"Thank you. I will." Charlotte said taking it from her.

"Now tell me, child, are you willing to work to get by?"

"Yes I am."

"Then follow the nearest dirt road and it will lead you to a cotton plantation. You'll find work there. It'll be difficult but if you work hard then the rewards will be great."

"Alright but I don't see any dirt roads nearby."

"It's right over there."

Rosie pointed to the left and when Charlotte looked in that direction she saw that just over the next marsh was a dirt road.

"Oh there it is." She said. "Thank you so much Ro-"

But when she turned back around to thank the woman she was already gone. Charlotte was left confused but didn't dwell on it long. She did as Rosie said, taking off her old clothes and changing into the moss gown which was surprisingly comfortable, then going over the marsh and down the dirt road to look for the cotton plantation she had spoken of. 

The plantation was quite a sight to be hold. Seemingly endless rows of cotton plants that were thriving and ready to picked. Green, sheltered, fertile nooks and a great elm tree that spread it's broad branches over the land. Lush fields and tall grass where she could see the deer prancing about as it was mating season for them. A small pond where ducks and geese would float on the surface. Magnolia trees lined among the roads and pathways. But the piece to resistance was a manor house that stood at the center of this great land, a manor house that was much more grand and lovely than her own home. 

Like her former abode it was white with pillars but there was also much more color. The roof, chimney, doors, shudders, and even the windows were rich with Autumn colors such as red, orange, and a darkened yellow. Color contrast was very unique and quite fascinating, at least to her it was.

When she knocked on the front door it was answered by a servant. A gruff looking man with a grisled beard yet respectable clothes. When he took note of Charlotte's ragged dress, dirty hands and feet, and tangled hair he became rather annoyed.

"Sorry ma'am but we don't take in beggars." He said.

"Actually I'm looking for work." She said. 

"We already have enough staff."

"Please I'm willing to do anything and I have no where else to go. I won't ask for wages I just need a place to stay."

This man was the head of staff and he didn't like the idea of opening his master's home to such a dirty looking girl. But he was not without a heart and he took pity on her.

"Very well." He told her. "You can work in the kitchen. You won't be paid any wages mind you and if there are any complaints then you're out of here. Understand?"

"Yes sir."

"What's your name girl?"

She was about to answer but then it occurred to her that if anyone knew that she was the disowned and disgraced daughter of Lucifer Magne then she would no doubt be sent away. She could not think of regular name that would suffice at the moment so she decided to let them call her by the nickname her mother gave her when she was a child.

"Call me Apple Cheek."

"Apple Cheek? What the hell kind of name is that?"

"It is the only name I can use for now."

"Well I guess it kind of suits you considering how big and red those cheeks of yours are. Niffty!" 

At his command a rather short but pretty young maid came running to the front door.

"Yes Husk." She replied.

"Escort this young woman to the kitchen and later prepare one of the unused servant quarters."

 "Yes sir. Follow me Miss."

Charlotte did just that and wondered what fate had in store for her now.

Chapter Text

Down into the kitchen Charlotte went, following after the maid called Niffty who then introduced her to the cook called Katie. Now Katie was as mean and ill tempered as she was ugly. She would always bellow and screech at the other staff members in her terrible voice while also insulting them to no end. However when the master of the house or anyone high in rank was around she was careful to always act humble and sweet. One look at Charlotte and the old cook automatically decided that she despised her.

"Who are you?" Bellowed the repulsive woman.

"I am called Apple Cheek." Charlotte answered. "They said that I could work in the kitchen."

"That idiot Husk expects me to share my wages with the likes of you?" She replied with a scowl.

"No ma'am. I am to be given no wages. All I ask is that I be given a little food and a place to sleep."

"You can eat whatever you find and you'll sleep in the cellar." Katie said. "And you're never to leave the kitchen. Upstairs won't see you nor hear you."

Charlotte performed each task given to her diligently without complaint and she was grateful to be given work however she never smiled or sang or laughed or joked. She only cleaned dishes, pots, and pans and swept and scrubbed the kitchen floors, all while dreaming of returning home. How she wished she might have another chance to tell her father how much she loved him. But eventually she came to the sad realization that such a chance would most likely never arise and accepted that she would spend the rest of her life in this household.

The cook was very cruel to her and always gave her the hardest chores to do. The other staff weren't too friendly toward either, they didn't deliberately act mean to the girl like Katie did but they either just ignored her or looked upon her with disgust. Only the household maid Niffty treated her with decency and respect, she always spoke kindly to the apple cheeked woman in the moss dress and often tried to engage her kitchen conversations. Sometimes she would even be kind enough to share her wages with her. Charlotte was pleased that she had at least one friend.

One day there was great excitement in the kitchen.

"The young master has finally returned from his hunting trip." Niffty announced. "He's killed enough fine bucks to feed everyone in the house and sell what's leftover to the butcher. He wants to celebrate his victorious killings by holding a festival. A week long festival with picnics and balls and so much more."

"What's that to be happy about?" Katie snarled. "That only means I'll be cooking to feed hundreds all night long, everyday this week and no amount of wages will be worth that."

"But it's to be a frolic Katie." Niffty explained. "Everyone is invited to attend even us lowly kitchen staff."

Charlotte was surprised by these news. Her father nor any other master or mistress she knew would even consider allowing their staff to attend parties and other festive gatherings. 

"Is everyone in the house hold invited?" She asked the maid.

"Everyone who has a ballgown or a suit." Niffty answered. "This will probably be the grandest event this plantation ever knew, Apple Cheek. Maybe even grander than the parties our old master would host. God rest his soul."

"How much I should like to go." The moss dressed woman said as she recalled how much she used to love to sing and dance at celebrations that were her held in her former home.

"What! You dirty impudent slut!" Said Katie. "You among all the fine gentleman and ladies with your filthy, mossy frock? A fine figure you'd cut!"

"I know I have no right to show my face to such an occasion. It was only wishful thinking."

"Don't even imagine, disgracing everyone at the festival with your unsightly self! The young master would be enraged if he saw you! He would probably have Husk drag you into fields and whip you for embarrassing him."

Charlotte shuddered at the thought. Although she had never felt the pain of whipping she knew the horrors of it. While her father was kind in regards to her and her mother, he was in truth a cruel master. She had heard many awful tales of how he would have paid help and slave alike whipped or lashed, if any of them angered or displeased him. After the war he no longer owned slaves but that didn't stop him from whipping or lashing the paid help and sometimes she would be a witness to it. Her mother would often try to shield her from it and she succeeded most of the time but once in awhile she would get a glimpse of the butler getting struck for merely spilling a glass of wine or that once maid who had become quite deaf in her old age and was unable to hear her father calling her one day but he mistook it to be her choosing to ignore him, so he had her beaten. It made Charlotte very ill and sad to see such acts of cruelty. 

Just then she was snapped out of her thoughts by Katie dashing a basin of water into her face. 

"Soak up that water!" She demanded. "And after that get started on the pots and pans."

Charlotte silently did as she was told. When the cook finally left to gather up spices for tonight's dinner, Niffty approached her and began to converse.

"Don't listen to her Apple Cheek." She said. "The young master wouldn't dream of letting a hand or belt be raised to a woman."

"I have never met him." Charlotte said as she finished scrubbing the last pot in the sink before moving on to the pans. "I've never even seen him."

"Oh he is a prince Apple Cheek. He's only been with us for a year, moved in after the passing of his father, the former master but we've never known a finer gentleman. He's so go-lucky and charming. A smile is always on his face and he is courteous to all of us here. Even nasty old Katie. Oh I'd give anything to dance with him at the festival."

"He sounds wonderful. Though I am certain that I shall never lay eyes on him nor he shall ever lay eyes on me."

"Does that mean you're not coming to the festival?"

"You heard what Katie said. My attendance would be most unseemly." She said. "Besides I have no gown to wear and my hair is in such disarray. I would only be laughed at. But would you mind telling me all about it when you return?"

"Of course."

The first night of the festival all of the household went to the ball. Everyone that is except for Charlotte. Alone in the cellar, she tried to sleep but the music from the ball teased her ears. She thought of all the wonderful balls held at her father's great house and how she would spend the entire night singing, dancing, and laughing. It brought back all kinds of happy memories, happy memories that quickly became sad ones when she realized that terrible moment her life that those memories lead up to. She began to cry. Cry and weep that she would never again know such joy. Or so she thought.

"Child please, enough of this boo-hooing! Tears will not solve your problems."

Charlotte was startled by the sound of a familiar voice and tuning around, she saw sparkling lights like fireflies all aglow fill the dark room. She blinked her eyes and there stood Rosie. 

"Good heavens!" Charlotte said, awestruck of what she just witnessed. "Am I dreaming?"

"No honey, you're wide awake and I'm really here."

"But why are you here?"

"Remember when I told you that only you can control what kind of life you have but sometimes you might need some help with that?"

"Yes."

"Well that's why I'm here. To give you a little help in making your life better. You and my nephew that is. He definitely needs help in making a certain life changing decision."

"I do not understand."

"You will in good time. Now we best be gettin you ready."

"Ready for what?"

"The ball of course. Can't have you showing up there with your hair all messy and your hands dirty. Allow me to just touch you up a little bit."

She washed Charlotte's face, hands, and feet first then she pulled out a brush and combed out all the tangles in the young woman's long blonde hair which made it shine and look very silky. 

"There you're perfect now." Rosie said.

"Um..." Charlotte said looking down at her mossy rags in skepticism. "Are you certain of that?"

"Positive."

"But...But don't you think I should probably change into something different?"

"I should say not. What you have on now is more than suitable for the occasion."

"I do not mean to insult your tastes in clothing." She replied looking up. "But I really don't think this dress is appropriate."

"Look again sweetie."

Charlotte looked down at the moss dress again. It shimmered and glowed, transforming into a beautiful silk gown blue as the heavens and embroidered with stars. Her entire face was filled with wonder and disbelief. This gown was one of the loveliest she had seen in all her life. Even lovelier than the ones sold to the rich and wealthy. Was this exquisite gown and the mossy dress really the same thing?

"Things aren't always what they appear to be." Rosie said. "Take me for example. One look at me you'd probably I'm just some feeble, homeless beggar. Not at all clever and calculating witch-woman."

"You're a witch-woman?" Charlotte asked, looking a little unnerved at the realization. 

"I am but don't be frightened child. I'm the good kind. The kind who likes to help good people when they need it the most and I'd like to tell you more but now is not the time." She explained. "Now off you go to the ball but remember that this gown holds magic as long as the morning star shines. When it fades it will look as it did before. Don't forget."

"I won't." Charlotte smiled with appreciation. "Thank you. Thank you so very much."

With those words said Rosie disappeared in the same sparkles that came before and Charlotte hurried upstairs to the ball.

Chapter Text

Upstairs the ball was a sight to behold. The entire room was bathed in gold which came from the light of the golden chandelier that hung above all the guests. Gentlemen and ladies were either  joyously dancing about, loudly conversing in friendly chats or idle gossip, or helping themselves to the complimentary drinks. The only person there not finding pleasure in this gathering was a young man hiding himself the shadows of various corners. 

A lithe looking fellow who was dressed sharply in a fine suit which consisted of his best coat and trousers. He was dark eyed and both his skin and hair were a shade of light brown. He was Creole but one could mistake him as a white man who had just been in the sun too long. He was very handsome and he sported a most charming smile on his face even though in truth he was actually quite bored with the evening so far.

His good friend Husk who was dangerously close to falling into a coma due to how much whisky he had chugged in the last hour, had urged him several times to interact with the ravishing young ladies who had been making eyes at him ever since he first entered the room. But the young man had no intention of indulging them because while they were indeed very pretty and very good with flattery, he knew not one of them were interested in him. Not genuinely that is.

"You know somethin." Husk slurred in his intoxicated state. "Women's attention is wasted on the wrong men. Here you have nearly every broad swoonin over you and you just hide from them. Do you have any idea how many lonely single men would kill to have your luck with the women?"

"No." Chuckled the young man. "But I do know this Husker if you take another swallow of that whiskey it will be one, two, three, floor for you."

"What? You think I'm a lightweight? I can handle it! I'll drink you under the table!"

The young man smirked and rolled his eyes. Truly his friend's intoxication was the only thing he found amusing about this ball. Or at least it was until a hush fell over the crowd. He turned his gaze toward what had captured everyone's attention and for the first time in his life he was completely astonished. At the entrance of the dance hall there stood a woman more lovely than any he had ever seen in all of his life. She shimmered under the chandelier light and moved with such elegance, overcoming each guest at the ball with her grace and beauty. However she seemed entirely unaware of just how radiant she was and that made her all the more beguiling to the young man.

At first Charlotte found herself so amazed by the ball that she didn't notice everyone staring at her. Everything was just so magnificent, from the decor to the music. It was also very diverse which she found to be very refreshing. When her father threw galas like these he only invited the wealthy and elite and although the people apart of that social group were indeed present there were also guests from the poor and the servitude. It made her feel much more at ease because it gave her the idea that the master of the house would be welcoming to every kind of person.

After admiring the ball she finally noticed the stares of all the guests. It made her feel very shy and self conscious. Like she had done something wrong or looked a certain way that was disturbing or awkward. Perhaps Katie was right. Maybe she would only be seen as a subject of ridicule here. She should probably just go back to the cellar before everyone started laughing or spouting insults at her. 

She was just about to leave when she was approached by the most handsome man she had ever seen. She could tell that he was Creole because her father had educated her on how to distinguish them from black people with a lighter skin tone or white people with a darker skin tone. He said it was so she wouldn't associate herself with them, calling them half breeds or the product of a union that should never be. But Charlotte didn't care about any of that. White, Black, or Creole he was still no less human than she was and he was still the most dashing gentleman she had ever beheld. 

"Good evening my dear." He bowed politely to her.

"Good evening to you as well good sir." She said replying with a curtsy to him.

"Excuse my sudden approach but once I saw you I just couldn't resist saying something to you."

"Oh I beg your pardon, have I disrupted anything?"

"No, no, no." He said shaking his head. "Not at all. In fact you've made this occasion much more bearable for me. Why I haven't been this amused at a party since that failed banquet of 1867 when the whole gathering was interrupted by a group of ex soldiers attempting to loot the place. Ha! So many Yankees."

Charlotte giggled at his remark. He found her laughter to be the equivalent of crystal bells. What a delightful lady she was. None of the women he had seen tonight could compare to this darling creature. Especially when she smiled and her blue eyes sparkled with joy. 

He noticed that she had started scanning the room for something or someone. 

"Are you looking for someone my dear? A sweetheart maybe?" He hoped not.

"Actually I'm looking for the master of the house." She answered. "I wanted to thank him for allowing me to attend the ball."

"Oh?" He said now much more further intrigued by the young woman. "Have you not met the master yet?"

"I've never even seen him but I assume he'll be where most of the guests are gathered. Do you know where I could find him?"

"Oh he's around." His grin spread wider. "But you probably won't find him in a large group. He's actually not that very social."

"Really? I assumed he was considering that he's a throwing a week long festival and allowing so many people to attend it. Even his own servants are invited."

"Well you see this festival is more for the benefit of his staff rather than himself. He's never been for one for parties or social gatherings but his servants have been very good to him, well most of them that is so he's decided that he wants to show his appreciation."

"How thoughtful." She said. "Not many masters are that grateful to their staff. He must be a wonderful person to serve." 

"Indeed he's quite a man or so I've heard." He nodded. "You know some of the young ladies came here hoping to become the future mistress of the household." 

"You mean some of them want to become the master's wife?"

"Yes. Do you have that desire?" 

"Oh no. Not me." She chuckled at the thought. "I don't see myself becoming a bride any time soon. I just came because it's been such a long time since I've attended a celebratory event. I just wanted to have a little fun tonight." 

"That's all?" 

"That's all. Besides how could I want to become the master's wife when I don't even know him? Sounds kind of silly, don't you think?" 

"I agree." He said liking her more and more. "And you are certain that you know nothing of him? Nothing at all?" 

"I know that he's a very good hunter and apparently very good to his servants but that's pretty much everything I know about him." 

"Very interesting. Do you know his name by any chance?"

"No. But could you tell me his name? Or perhaps what he looks like?"

"I could but I haven't even introduced myself yet and that's very poor manners on my part." He outstretched his hand to her, she hesitated shyly but eventually placed her own hand into his. He grasped it gently and brought the back of it slowly to his lips so he could delicately kiss her knuckles which made her heart flutter. "Alastor. Pleasure to meet you. Quite a pleasure."

He spoke so kindly and respectfully to her. It had been so long since any gentleman had talked to her in such a way. Nowadays most men just scoffed at her or would speak to her as she were a lowly dog. Before tonight she was certain that chivalry had become a thing of the past. Thank God for this man who proved her wrong. 

"And you are?" He inquired. 

"I..." She became flustered. "I am very pleased to meet you as well." 

He laughed at how adorable she looked when she was nervous. Of course part of it was also to hide how anxious he was at the moment. He was very good at hiding how he really felt about something and at the moment he was sauve and collected on the outside but inside he was a nervous wreck. 

Just then the sound of a new song summoned all the guests to dance again. It was to be a waltz so all of the ladies and gentlemen began to partner up and take their stances. Alastor, still holding on to Charlotte's hand humbly asked,

"Would you mind sharing a dance with me my dear?"

"I would love nothing more."  

With that answer given he whirled her away to dance. 

Chapter Text

The gentleman called Alastor prided himself very much on his dancing and for good reason too. Not a limb about him was idle and his feet moved with great swiftness and passion. He didn't move with the music, he let the music move him. He knew that dancing wasn't just steps it was a feeling inside that you had to trust but at the same time will it to suit your body perfectly. That was the lesson his dearly departed mother had taught him from the very moment he decided that he wanted dance exactly like the fine gentlemen he would see at grand parties held in this house, years ago as a boy when he would sneak over and spy on them through the windows. Because he had that lesson memorized by heart he was an impressively splendid dancer and always thought that he was the best in the whole country, but that belief was dashed the very moment he saw Charlotte dance that night. 

She stretched out her delicate white arms and hovered gracefully about the room. Every motion displayed more and more the perfect symmetry and elegance of her figure. The expression which beamed in her eloquent blue eyes touched the heart of the young man far more than anything he had seen in all the years he had lived. She didn't just dance, she floated and in that moment he decided that he would dance with none other the livelong night.

Their hands clasped together and their fingers interlaced, he held her waist with great strength and gentleness while she firmly yet tenderly grasped his shoulder. They moved in perfect sync with each other as if God had specifically created them to be partners to one another alone. His look and hers were instantly connected and they had no intention of gazing at anything or anyone else the whole time they waltzed. Soon the world around them faded away and the couple imagined that they were the only people living in a place of eternal music and light. They danced again and again, until Alastor noticed that she was looking rather peaked.

"Are you alright my dear?" He asked her.

"I'm fine." She assured him. "It's just that I love dancing so much that sometimes I over do it."

"Your passion for it shows." He said observantly. "You dance divinely. Better than anyone I've ever seen."

"Thank you but it's nothing really. All it is, is just combining the movement of my body with my feelings. I just move to how I feel in the moment. Does that make sense?"

"It makes perfect sense. I've always felt that's exactly how dancing should be."

This woman was beyond astounding. Not only a gifted dancer but she actually understood the true passion of it.

"Well considering that you may have overexerted yourself maybe you need a drink to help you regain your energy." He offered.

"That would be nice." She said.

He led her over to where refreshments were being served and right next to them, slumped over an open window was Husk completely drunk. Charlotte couldn't help but find it very humorous to see the usually grouchy and straight-faced head of the staff slurred and laying about. When he looked up at Charlotte she became worried that he would recognize her but he didn't due to the fact that her hair was neatly brushed, her face was clean, and that she was dressed so finely. Also being heavily intoxicated didn't hurt either.

"Alastor who's your friend?" He asked. "She's a real looker."

"Oh you know this man?" Charlotte asked Alastor, not recalling ever seeing him with Husk and it might have been her imagination but for a moment she thought that Alastor looked panicked by her question.

"Yeah I know him alright!" Husk answered in a ramble. "I spend everyday working my ass off for-"

"Disappear Husker." Alastor said quickly shoving his drunk friend out the window. 

"Hey!"

"Oh my." Charlotte gasped looking over the window to see if the man had hurt himself but as it turns out the window was only a foot from the ground and Husk pretty much just passed out drunk as soon as he hit the grass. 

"What on earth did you do that for?" She asked Alastor.

"A thousand apologies my dear but typically when Husk has had a little too much to drink he will say things that are not meant for a lady's ears." He answered half truthfully.  "It's always been my belief that women should not be exposed to anything vile and that includes crass language."

This man's charms and chivalry never ceased to amaze her.

"So tell me, which drink would you like?" He asked her. "Whiskey? Wine?"

"Tempting but I don't think I should risk drinking alcohol just yet." She replied in a teasing voice. "What if you were to take advantage of me in my tipsy state?"

"Perish at the thought." He said feigning horror. "Dear if I wanted to take advantage of any woman I would have done so already but I'm nothing if not a gentleman."

"Nevertheless you'll forgive me for still being cautious."

"Of course and with that in mind I think you would much rather prefer the spiced apple cider."

"Yes." She smiled. "I would like that very much thank you."

He fixed her a glass of it and she brought it to her lips to drink the apple sweet and cinnamony spiced beverage. One sip and she was instantly reminded of her old life with her father and mother. How happy and carefree the thee of them once were. For a moment she was saddened at the thought that she would never have that with her parents again. 

"Is something the matter?" Alastor asked upon noticing the brief change in her mood.

"Oh no. No it's nothing." She said. "The cider is wonderful. Although I do not see many apple trees in this area."

"That's because there aren't any apple trees on this plantation. There's no room what with all cotton plants growing here so the cider has to be imported from the Magne orchard."

"Oh..." She said. 

"Apples aren't common around here which is such a shame because apples are a very valuable crop."

"You think so?"

"Yes. Not only are they tasty and make a fantastic food or drink but they have many health properties. As the saying goes an apple a day keeps the doctor away."

"Very true and did you know apples can help you keep your teeth clean?"

"I certainly did not." He held out his hand and began to count his fingers as a means to list something. "Hmm now let's see surpassingly beautiful, a passionate dancer, a cheeky sense of humor, and obviously intelligent. My what other talents do you posses my charming belle?"

"You flatter me good sir but I'm really nothing special."

"I beg to differ. You've peeked my interest and now I wish to learn so much more about you. For example I would very much like to know your name."

"Oh...I...I don't know if I'm ready to disclose that piece of information yet."

Now Charlotte really did like Alastor. She liked him a lot, in fact he was probably the finest man she had ever met. Which was why that she didn't want to tell him that she was some dirty beggar woman who scrubbed the kitchen floors. Not yet anyway. Not until they became closer with each other. He seemed like the kind of man who came from a humble background so he would most likely not look down on someone in her position once he really got to know her. She would tell him eventually but it would have to be at just the right moment.

"Oh I see playing a little of the coquette are we?" He chuckled. "Very well I'll play along and try to earn the answer to my question."

She giggled and glanced out the window at the night sky which allowed her see that the morning star was beginning to fade. Time had flown much quicker than she thought, if she stayed her a moment longer then everyone would including Alastor would see her in a mossy ragged mess. 

"Oh my goodness it's become so late!" She said turning. "Goodbye."

"Wait! Won't you allow me to escort you home?" He asked.

"No thank you but I enjoyed meeting you. It made this night one of the greatest of my entire life."

"Hold on will I ever see you again?"

"Maybe. I don't know. Goodbye."

"Wait!"

He tried to get her to stay a little longer and explain whether or not this would be their only meeting but she was fast as she was graceful and like a feather caught in the wind, she was gone instantly. Completely out of his sight but not at all out of his mind. Who was that enchanting woman? Where did she come from? Oh he prayed that he would see her again. He just had to see her again. If he didn't then he wasn't sure what he would do.

Said woman ran downstairs and back to the cellar completely unnoticed by anyone and quickly closed the door just as the shimmering gown changed to moss and rags. She had made it back by the skin of her teeth but she wished she could have stayed longer. Oh what a wonderful man Alastor was. The way he looked at her, the way he spoke to her, the way he held her, it was as if she was the most amazing thing in the world. He made her feel special. Being with him seemed too good to be true.

But maybe it was too good to be true. Maybe it had all been a dream. Yes, perhaps she had fallen asleep and dreamed the whole thing. Rosie, the gown, the ball, Alastor. She had been dreaming it all and now she had finally awakened. 

"It was real wasn't it?" She asked out loud wondering if the wtich-woman could somehow hear her. "It wasn't just a dream?"

No answer. She sighed and sat down on that old mat that she slept on with intention of going to sleep under the belief that she had dreamnt going to the ball until she found something on her mat that she knew for a fact wasn't there before. An apple. And not just any apple the exact same apple she had given Rosie that first time they met. This all but confirmed that her night with Alastor was no dream and it caused Charlotte to fall asleep with a smile on her face.

Chapter Text

The next morning when Charlotte went into the kitchen to do her usual chores she was in a very good mood. In fact she was as happy as a lark. Last night had just been so grand. Probably the grandest night of her life, the ball was so beautiful and the young man she had danced with was no doubt the best partner she ever had. She'd never forget that wonderfully romantic waltz she shared with him, the way he had held her would forever be in her memory. She replayed the whole scene from last night in her mind the entire time she swept the floor while humming to herself the melody of the song that they had waltzed to. 

"Well you're awfully happy this morning Apple Cheek." Niffty said observantly. "Anything interesting happen last night?"

"Oh no." She answered. "I just had a very nice dream that's all. But what about you? Anything interesting happen last night at the ball?"

"Oh Apple Cheek you missed a real treat. Wonderful music and dancing all night long. So many dashing gentlemen. Dashing, sharply dressed, and single gentlemen!"

"Did you dance with any of them?"

"I danced with a few and I had a splendid time. But then they ran away from me."

"Oh no, why?"

"Because I asked if any of them were seeking a wife and apparently that's creepy. Or at least that's what Husk says but what does he know? He hasn't had a lady friend in the last twenty years."

Charlotte giggled.

"But aside from watching men flee from me due to commitment issues, the ball was a fantastic frolic and the best part about it was the mysterious guest who arrived."

"Oh?" Charlotte said feigning ignorance. "Tell me about this guest?"

"She was the most beautiful lady in all the world I'm sure. Her hair was like the sun and it sparkled in the light. She also had the most exquisite gown. I don't even think that the master's tailor could have created a more gorgeous garment. And she danced like she was walking on air, her feet barely touched the floor."

"That amazing huh?"

"Amazing and so much more. All the gentlemen desired her and all the ladies envied her. But I think it was the young master who was the most beguiled by her. He didn't take his eyes off of her the whole time she was there."

"Really?" Charlotte thought back to the ball and tried to remember anyone paying any special attention to her besides Alastor but no one came to mind. 

"Funny thing though no one knew who she was and she never told anyone her name." Niffty continued. "She was probably the daughter of a rich land owner or something."

"She seemed rather pretentious to me." Katie said before she started carving up a chicken. "I mean if she really was a woman of wealth and class then why would she just leave so suddenly without even giving her name or thanking the host? Seems to me that she might be hiding something."

"If she is it's really none of our business is it?" Niffty said. "After all we don't know her."

"I'm just saying the rich and the wealthy have much more scandalous secrets than the poor and the help. For example I just recently learned the most juicy news about Lucifer Magne."

Charlotte went stiff at the mention of her father's name.

"The Lucifer Magne?" Niffty said. "As in the owner of the Magne Apple Orchard?"

"That's him. I heard it yesterday from the men who delivered the apples purchased from his orchard to make cider for the ball. Apparently he disowned his daughter."

"No." Niffty gasped. 

"Yes."

"What for?"

"They didn't say but I have a pretty good idea. He probably caught her in bed with a field hand or something. That's usually why most fathers throw their daughters out. For being a bed hopping harlot."

"You're one to talk Katie." Husk said entering the kitchen. "Before we hired you, you were every fat cat's favorite mistress until age caught up with you."

"How dare you speak to me that way." Katie said. 

"Well stop spending your working hours gossiping and I won't." He then felt a great pain in his forehead as a result to the hangover he woke up with. 

"Have a little too much to drink again Husk?" Katie smirked.

"Oh be quiet you insufferable shrew!" He put his hand to his forehead. "I'm going to see over the arrangements for tonight. Niffty bring me something for my head when you have the chance, will you?"

"Yes sir." She said hurrying to the cupboard to fix Husk some special tea that had been known to cure hangovers instantly. "Apple Cheek could you bring me the kettle please?"

"Sure thing." She grabbed the kettle and filled it to the top with water before handing it to Niffty. 

"Will you be coming to the picnic tonight Apple Cheek?" Niffty asked once she put the kettle on the stove and dropped the tea leaves into it. "There will be plenty of delicious food and games to play. To some it'll be more fun than the ball because you don't have to be so formal."

"No I won't be going." Charlotte answered. "By the time it starts I'll be much too tired from my work to go but please tell me all about it tomorrow."

"Alright but such a pity that you won't come."

At the end of the day when all work was done and she was once again alone in her cellar room, she contemplated weather or not she should attend the picnic. Part of her wanted to go to not only take part in the festivities but because she hoped that she would see Alastor there. But the other part of her thought it would be best if she just stayed in for the night. Word about what happened between her and her father had spread quicker than she thought and she wasn't sure what she would do if anyone put two and two together. Not to mention the dress she was wearing was no longer suitable for a public gathering.

However before she could make a decision Rosie flashed before her eyes again.

"Feeling a little nervous this time?" She asked her. "Can't say I blame you. I'd would no doubt be the same way if I had a strapping young man waiting for me."

Charlotte blushed.

"You mean..." She trembled a little. "You mean he's going to be there?"

"Yes and for the record it's just as rude to keep a gentleman waiting as it is to keep a lady waiting."

"Well how do you know he's waiting for me?"

"Child you're the only the reason he's going to the event in the first place. Last night he attended the ball just to be proper and he had no intention of being involved in any of the remaining galas this week. But after meeting you he's decided to participate in the whole thing, hoping that he'll get the chance to see you again."

Charlotte's blush spread all over her face and she tried so hard to smile.

"But I don't know what to say to him. I've never really had a gentleman caller. That is, if that's what he is. What should I do? How should I address him?"

"Just be yourself when you're with him. Like you were last night and maybe this time give him a name to go with that pretty face of yours."

"No. Not yet. Not until I'm certain."

"Certain of what?"

"Certain that he won't be ashamed of who I am."

"Why would he be ashamed?"

"You know why. Because so far I'm only known as two things. Either the disgrace to the Magne family name or the dirty kitchen maid. Even the household cook looks down on me for what I am."

"Don't take it personally honey, she looks down on everyone even her master and she doesn't really know what is really means to be worthless. If she did then she'd realize that she's the very personification of it."

Charlotte giggled.

"Now enough talk, time to get you all dolled up again for tonight."

Like before Rosie washed Charlotte's face and brushed her hair, styling it properly for the occasion. Then once more she changed the moss and rags into a glittering gown. This one was golden and embroidered with flowers, very befitting for an evening outside. 

"I really don't know how I can ever repay you for this." The blonde said admiring her gown. "I really appreciate you helping me. But I don't understand why you're doing all this for me."

"Because you showed me compassion when others would not and I'm a firm believer in paying it forward."

"All I did was give you an apple."

"Yes but that simple act of kindness told me all I needed to know about what kind of person you were and I realized that you might be able to help me fulfill a certain obligation that I have."

"What obligation is that?"

"That's for another day and you have some place to be. Now you remember what I told you about the gown right?"

"It's magic lasts as long as the morning star is up. Once the morning star sets the gown will turn back into moss."

"Correct. So pay close attention to the sky tonight. That is if you really aren't ready for anyone there to know who you are."

"Don't worry I won't get too distracted this time." She smoothed out the skirt of her gown and slipped on a pair of shoes. She was just about to walk out of the cellar when she turned around and hugged the kind witch-woman. "Thank you again." 

"You're welcome." Rosie said as she disappeared again.

Charlotte was grateful to Rosie for helping her but she couldn't stop wondering why she had chosen to do so. While giving the only food you have to a starving person is a very selfless and kind act, she didn't think it was enough to warrant all this aid. At least not in her terms. In fact if this woman had magic why wasn't she using it to help herself? Surely she is in so much more desperate need of it then Charlotte did. 

And what about this obligation Rosie had mentioned? She said that Charlotte could help her fulfill it and the young lady would gladly help her do so especially after what all Rosie had done but what was it that she needed? And how could Charlotte help? Did she have a house somewhere that need to be cleaned? Because so far cleaning was the only useful thing the blonde believed that she was capable of.

"I will dwell on it later." She told herself. "Now I must hurry."

And off she went.

Chapter Text

It was very warm outside that evening and much more guests were in attendance at the picnic than there were at the ball. Children were among the guests and most of them were running around in the grass trying to catch Summer fireflies which they would then keep in a jar so they could have their own personal lantern. One overly eager five year old was so hell bent on catching one firefly in his sight that he was not paying attention to where he was running to. This carelessness led to the child tripping and tumbling down a hill, landing into the pond. 

The shock of the fall predictably caused the poor boy to burst into tears. He just sat there dripping wet and sobbing for his mother but he had wandered too far for her to see or hear him. However he was not completely unnoticed.

"Oh my, you poor dear." A gentle voice said.

He looked up to see a beautiful lady dressed in gold calmly approach him. With great gentleness and care, she lifted him out of the pond while not at all caring about the boy dripping water on to her gown, even using a part of her skirt to wipe his tears away. Luckily though no stains were left on the garment. 

"There now, no reason to cry." She said comforting him. "You only got a little wet. That's all."

He calmed down a little.

"You shouldn't be all by yourself like this." She told him. "Why don't we try to find your mother?"

The boy nodded and Charlotte went up the hill to where the picnic was being held, unaware that her entire scene of compassion had been witnessed by Alastor. The young man had been eagerly awaiting her arrival for quite sometime and as soon as he saw her from a distance he was quick on his feet to greet her. She was more beautiful than he remembered and he would have spoken to her himself right away had she not immediately gone to that small boy's aid. He had become curious and wanted to see what she would do. Her kind and gentle nature was just as astonishing as her beauty, wit, and grace. Truly this young woman was one of a kind. 

"Good heavens, Edmund. What a mess you've made of yourself." The boy's mother said to her son. "And while wearing your Sunday clothes no less."

"I'm sorry Mama." The boy called Edmund said. 

"Well at least you didn't twist your ankle or worse." She turned to Charlotte. "Thank you for helping my boy. He can be a such a handful. I turn my back for one minute and he's already gotten himself into some trouble."

"I'm just grateful he wasn't hurt." Charlotte said.

"Excuse me, Madame." Alastor said walking toward them with a folded white towel in his hands. "I believe you might find this rather useful."

"Thank you sir." The mother said when he handed the towel to her. She then took her son somewhere to dry him off, thus leaving Charlotte and Alastor alone with each other.

"I'm glad that you were able to make it to the picnic." He spoke first. "Part of me worried that last night would be our only meeting."

"It might have been." She said trying not to become flustered. "I...I almost didn't come tonight but I suppose I just couldn't resist a tasty meal outside under the stars."

"In that case you must be quite famished my dear." He offered her his arm. "Will you allow me to escort you to a proper table?"

She nodded with a smile and hooked her arm with his. He led her over to the various tables which were set with many mouth-watering delicacies. Jambalaya, crawfish, salted pork, roasted venison, rice, red beans, turnip greens, potatoes, and buttermilk biscuits. To drink they had whiskey, cider, tea, wine, and milk. And for dessert beignets, chess pie, and bread pudding. Charlotte couldn't remember the last time she had consumed a more delicious and filling meal. Everything she put in her mouth had a most sumptuous taste and she savored it all.

"Enjoying the jambalaya?" He asked after noticing that her bowl was halfway empty.

"Yes it's wonderful. Probably the best course I'd say." She answered.

"I'm glad to hear that because you see I made the jambalaya."

"You did?" She said.

"Yes. It's my mother's recipe and it was my favorite food in all the world when I was a boy."

"I can see why. It's marvelous really. You're a good cook." But then a thought occurred to her. "Wait I thought all the food here was prepared by the cooks of the household."

"They are but...But the master is so fond of my mother's recipe that he insists that whenever jambalaya is served, that I be the one who cook it."

"You and the master must be very close if he trusts you to prepare a dish for him."

"Oh yes we're very close." He grinned. "A lot closer than you would suspect."

She chose to eat the beignets for dessert and she offered some to Alastor but he wasn't one for sweets. She on the other hand could not resist the soft pastry with powder sugar and honey. She had never tried one before that night and they were so wonderful tasting to her that she hoped for a chance to enjoy them again.

After dinner the guests began to participate in some activities that were being set up by some of the master's foremen. Activities included horse shoe toss, croquet, gambling card games which Husk would no doubt spend the whole night playing, and Alastor's personal favorite shooting targets.

Now Charlotte was not fond of guns. In fact she was too terrified to even touch one. She had this fear that somehow the weapon would just explode or go off shooting everyone in sight. So naturally she was very anxious when Alastor insisted that she fire a few shots. 

"I'm not sure about this Alastor." She said shaking with the rifle in her hands. "I've never even used a firearm."

"All the more reason why I should teach you my dear." He chuckled. "Suppose some scoundrel broke into your home and attempted to do you harm, you would have no way to defend yourself should you choose not to take this lesson."

"But I-"

"Here let me help you."

He put his own arms over hers and helped her grip the the rifle firmly. Her cheeks became warm as she felt his chest against her back and his strong arms around her. She was now more nervous than ever.

"You're so tense." He told her. "Relax."

"How can I relax? If I miss someone could get hurt."

"Don't worry my dear, I'm with you and I never miss a target so neither will you if you have my assistance. Now just take a breath and let it out, make your aim, and slowly pull the trigger."

"Okay."

She was still a little unsure but she did as he instructed. She took in a deep breath then let it go, aimed for the target in front of her, and slowly pulled the trigger. A shot rang out and the blank that was fired from within the rifle hit a perfect bullseye.

"Well done." He said. "And on your first try."

"That was only because you were helping me. If you weren't here then I definitely would have missed."

"Perhaps but practice makes perfect as they say. Care to take a shot on your own?"

"Maybe another time."

Alastor chuckled at how adorable she looked when she was anxious. He felt that she would probably make a great shooter if only she would let go of her fear and practice. But he would respect her wishes tonight and move on to another activity. 

Later a bonfire was started and all the guests gathered around to listen to long stories of travels made to distant lands and states or experiences in the war or legends of the supernatural. The men who spoke these tales were very expressive with their words. Charlotte could picture the events in the stories as if they were happening right in front of her. She was intrigued by description of the hot savannas of Africa and the fish merchant ports of the Northern states which she had never seen before. She felt grieved by the sorrowful words used to portray how the many brave men fought and/or died during their many battles during the civil war. And she shuddered and clung to Alastor as she heard the spooky myths of ghosts and apparitions. 

Normally Alastor did not like being touched so suddenly but he rather enjoyed seeing Charlotte retreat to him when she felt frightened. Each time her hand touched his side when a ghost story scared her he would just move his arm to her waist as a way to assure her that if such beings did exist, he would not let any of them harm a single hair on her head. No words were said but she knew that she was safe with him. In fact she didn't think there was anyone else in the world that she would ever feel more safe with.

Eventually the two of them broke away from the gathering and decided to walk across the plantation and see if any deer were out in the fields. They saw two: A buck and a doe. Obviously intending to mate with each other. Alastor and Charlotte were careful to be quiet and to remain hidden so they wouldn't frighten the deer away. They watched the buck and doe playfully prance through the tall grass.

"They're so graceful when they move." Charlotte said quietly. "Is there any creature more beautiful?"

"I only know of one." Alastor said gazing at her. He then plucked a magnolia from one of the trees that line the path and gave it to her. 

"Thank you. It is lovely." She said upon accepting it. Then she looked up at the night sky and saw that the morning star was beginning to fade. "Oh."

"What's the matter?" He asked.

"I must go now."

"So suddenly? Again?"

"I must. It's...It's hard to explain. Goodbye."

"Will I see you again tomorrow night?"

"If fate is kind." She said. 

And like the night before she left in hurry without an explanation and returned to her cellar room where her golden gown changed back into mossy rags as soon as the morning star faded completely.

Chapter Text

Once again Charlotte began her chores with a smile on her face and a melody being hummed from her lips but this time she also had the magnolia Alastor gave her pinned in her hair. Between doing her work she would take a moment to pull that flower from her hair and inhale it's sweet perfume, thus bringing back the wonderful memories of when she was with the gentleman who have given it to her.

"Good morning Niffty." She said to the maid who entered the kitchen to prepare mid-morning tea. 

"Good morning to you Apple Cheek." The maid replied.

"Isn't it the most lovely day?" Charlotte sighed while admiring the magnolia in her hand. "The sun is so bright and the birds are singing. Everything is so green and flourishing, it's almost like the entire outside is a beautiful painting."

"Goodness, you seem to getting happier and happier lately. Another good dream?"

"You could say that."

Her cheeks were rosier than they had ever been in all her life and she suddenly found herself dancing with the broom and imagining that it was the charming young man who was now constantly on her mind.

"Ahem!" Niffty coughed which snapped her out of her daydream. "I wouldn't drift off like that during the day if I were you. If Katie catches you like that she'll have you thrown out."

"Oh! Sorry!" She blushed in embarrassment. "Honestly I don't know where my head is today."

"It would seem that your heart has replaced it as the organ that controls you." Niffty giggled. 

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Oh I don't think it's any dream that's made you this happy and absent minded Apple Cheek. I think you've met someone. Someone who you fancy very much so."

"No. Not at all." She quickly hid the magnolia.

"You can deny it all you wish but I know when a girl is lovesick. It's happened to me plenty of times although it's never worked out in my favor."

"Lovesick?"

"You're showing all the symptoms. You're blushing and giggling and singing to yourself. You're day dreaming and having a most difficult time focusing on your work. That can only mean one thing. You're in love."

"Don't be silly Niffty." Charlotte said before getting back to sweeping the floor. "How could I be in love? I haven't even had the opportunity to meet a young man. I spend all my days working in the kitchen and all my nights sleeping in the cellar."

"Very well, keep your secrets if you must. But you can't fool me. You're head over heels for someone. I won't make you tell me anything if you don't want to Apple Cheek but I do hope all goes well with you and your paramour."

Charlotte's blush deepened. Love? Is that what she was feeling? Is that what was sparked inside of her the night she met that wonderful man? She never thought that she would ever fall in love. Not even when she was still living with her father. Despite having many suitors interested in her, Charlotte had no intention of ever marrying. Her plan was to stay with her father and take care of him for the rest of her life. The reason for this plan was because number one most potential suitors were only interested in her for her great beauty or to gain control of her father's land. And number two it was because that her father had become so lonely and grieved by her mother's death that she felt he would just die without her. But things were different now weren't they?

Her father had discarded her, deciding that he would be much better off without her. He no longer wanted her comfort or her love. He chased her away from her own home and declared that she would never again be seen as his daughter. It broke her heart and ever since then it had made her feel completely alone and worthless. However she was starting to not feel that way anymore.

For the rest of the day she tried so hard to focus on her work but it proved to be a very futile effort because there was nothing and no one she could think about other than Alastor. She just had to see him again. She would see him again. Tonight at the next event planned for the festival. In fact she had every intention of attending each and every event for the remainder of the week. Oh but would she do once the week ended?

Little did Charlotte know that the man she had become enamored with was also unable to focus on anything because of the person he had recently met at the festival. He just didn't understand what was wrong with him? He was becoming moody and oblivious to things around him. He found himself waiting for evening to come sooner. Whenever he closed his eyes all he could see was the fair skinned blonde with angelic blue eyes smiling at him and then his head would hurt, his tummy would ache, his skin would tingle, and his heart would race. It was so strange. He had only been with her twice and already she ruled his entire being.

"Sir I'm not sure if you're aware of this." Husk told him as he assisted him with cleaning one of Alastor's many rifles. "But you appear to be in a daze. Please return to reality before you accidentally hit the trigger and possibly kill someone."

"Oh Husker I fear that I am going mad." He still had a smile on his face but his eyes were filled with confusion. "My head is spinning and my thoughts can only focus on one subject."

"By subject you mean that young lady you've recently been spending time with?" Husk said. 

"Maybe." Alastor replied with a grin.

"Sir you act as if you are the first man to meet a pretty woman."

"She was by no means pretty Husk. She was beautiful. The most beautiful creature on God's earth."

"Alright I'll admit she's a real looker and if she had a sister I'd jump at the opportunity but I don't think good looks is enough to ensnare your thinking process like this. I mean after all you don't know her."

"I know that she's very intelligent, witty, compassionate, and a gifted dancer.

 "You don't even know this broad's name. She hasn't told you who she really is. Don't you find that a bit of unsettling?"

"No because technically I haven't told her who I really am."

"Which reminds me, what up with all the secrecy?"

"I guess I thought it would be interesting to see how she would treat me if she thought I was just an average fella and I found the results of that to be very entertaining."

"Entertaining isn't really the word I'd use but it is a little amusing to see you cooing away like some poor tormented dove."

"Husk what is it exactly that you're implying? And before you answer keep in mind that I'm not opposed to using violence for conflict resolution."

"With all due respect sir, you as the Greeks would say have been shot by the arrow of Eros. You've become smitten, bedazzled. You've lost your head over the mystery woman. In other words you've fallen madly in love with her."

Alastor briefly stiffened at the allegation, then he burst into a fit of laughter. 

"Me? Fallen madly in love? Husk is this a joke?"

"Again with all due respect sir, you know that I have no sense of humor so obviously this is no joke."

"Husk I know what this probably looks like but I can assure you that I have not allowed myself to foolishly become infatuated with a pretty face. Now I do find this young lady to be very charming and intriguing but not so much that I would allow myself to become that attached to her."

"Then why are you participating in the festival?"

"For appearances. A man of my position must have proper manners and class even if it means I must attend events that I find to be a great bore."

"Uh-huh. Sure. I totally believe that."

"Husk what you're accusing me of is utterly ridiculous and I think it would be best if we end this conversation now. Besides don't you have to make sure that the arrangements for this evening are made?"

"Yes sir but I have to tell you out of all the events, this is one that I completely loathe."

"I'm not too fond of these farmer competitions myself but if they need to display their pigs and cattle to feel important then who are we to deny them that joy?"

"I just wish that those farmers would bathe their livestock before showing them off. Most of them smell worse than an outhouse in hell."

"Perhaps but it has often been said to live is to suffer."

"Well my nose will definitely suffer tonight."

Alastor chuckled and he turned his attention back to the rifle. He tried very much to polish the nozzle of the weapon with the luster cloth but he was once again overcome with thoughts of Charlotte. He had never really gotten attached to any woman no matter how lovely she was in appearance. But Charlotte was more than just stunningly beautiful, she was filled with so much spirit and goodness. She was just so different from the other people he had known in his life because she actually saw the real him. She saw the real him and she liked the real him, and alas there were very few people in his life like that. That's what made her all the more irresistible. But surely not irresistible enough to turn him into some love struck fool. Right?

Chapter Text

For the rest of the week a new routine had developed for Charlotte. She would spend her days doing her usual chores in the kitchen and in the evenings she would wait for Rosie to appear and transform her mossy rags into a beautiful new gown just before she would leave to attend the fun events being held. Upon arriving at each event she would spend the entirety of it with Alastor and no one else. They would talk, laugh, and just enjoy each other's company.  But then she would leave before the morning star faded and return to her little cellar. 

"Why does the magic last only until the morning star fades?" She had asked Roise once.

"The magic I use is very much like help in general." The witch-woman had answered. "It's my understanding that help is very beneficial but very limited. Everyone needs help once in awhile but you can't always rely on help from others. Sometimes you have to do things on your own. In other words, don't always rely on my magic."

Charlotte didn't fully understand what she meant by those words and she didn't really think much of them after that conversation. She just focused on spending time with Alastor for as long as she could and during all that time they spent with each other they began learn interesting things about one another. Like how the two of them had quite a few differences and disagreements in regards to certain subjects.

For example Charlotte rather enjoyed the farmer's competition because she loved animals. Her personal favorite being goats. She would stroke them and kiss their heads, treating them as precious pets and companions. Alastor on the other hand did not really see animals as anything other than a source of food or work. He was not cruel to animals nor did he support the idea of animal abuse but he didn't want them to live under the same roof as him. Especially considering the lot of them had fleas and made such irritating sounds.

Another example would be when a wild pig hunt was held the day after and Alastor enjoyed hunting very much. The thrill of chasing down one's prey and catching it with your own superior quick wit made him feel like he had all the strength and power in the world. However Charlotte did not like hunting at all. The loud shots fired by the guns frightened her and she could not bear the sight of the blood being shed from the poor beasts once they had been killed. Now it wasn't that she was opposed to eating meat she just didn't like viewing the gory parts that led up to the meal.

But the thing about having a good relationship is that you don't always have to agree with each other or like the exact same things as your significant other. But sometimes you have to put aside your own dislikes and discomforts for the other person's sake. So when Charlotte wanted to play with the nanny goat and her kids who were on display at the competition he just smiled and stood by in the pen while she acted affectionately to the creatures. And when Alastor shot the largest wild pig ever seen, Charlotte congratulated him for his cleverness although she avoided looking at the dead swine. They compromised with each other and that in itself made their relationship grow stronger.

Not to say that they didn't have anything in common. They learned that they both found their greatest pleasures in music and dance, that they were greatly entertained by stories weather they be told in front of them or read from the pages of books, and that they both had their own special kind of food that brought back happy memories from their youth. For Charlotte as you already know it was apples but for Alastor it was venison. He was more to savory tastes than sweet and he often told his sweetheart how many of his happiest childhood memories had taken place when he was either hunting for deer or learning to cook it with his mother. His dear sweet mother who he loved so very much and missed so terribly when she died.

Charlotte comforted him when he spoke of his mother and how he had lost her at a young age. She knew all too well of that loss and how painful it was.  She longed to tell him how much she understood his pain. She longed to tell him about how she had lost her mother as a child as well and how like him she would give anything in the world to see her mother again. 

Yes it seemed like a match made in heaven and with each evening they spent with each other, she became dearer and dearer to him. So much so that soon she was the most dear and precious thing he had ever known. He desperately wanted to know her name and he would often try to get her to tell him but she would always laugh it off and continue to keep her identity a secret.  Always slipping away from him just before the morning star faded and this only made his want for her grow. At long last Alastor realized that his wanting for this woman and his desperation to know who she was could only mean one thing. He had lost his heart to her and she had lost hers to him as well. Which was why she dreaded the seventh day of the week for she knew that was when the festival would end and she would most likely never lay eyes on him again. 

Oh but how could that could be? How could she just never see him again? Even if it was to be, could she really go on in life without him? The very being who had brought joy back into her life after so much sorrow? Because of him she could smile again and laugh again and sing again. Because of him she could once again love someone so much that she no longer considered her life most important. A love so deep and true, a love that she had never believed she would ever know, and a love that she knew she could never be parted from.

"No." She had decided. "No this will not be goodbye forever. Because tonight I shall tell him everything. I no longer fear unveiling myself to him. I no longer care if he knows that I am just a ragged kitchen servant or the rejected Magne daughter and I believe that he will not care either. He is most likely a field hand or an apprentice or someone of humble position like I am now, so he wouldn't be ashamed of my occupation."

On the evening of the seventh day they were having another ball and Charlotte had every intention of not only attending this ball but to also tell Alastor her name and everything about her that she had kept secret from him. Like many nights before, she waited in the cellar for Rosie to appear and when the witch-woman did as such, she as expected transformed the mossy dress Charlotte wore into a splendid gown. This one was the most beautiful of all and Charlotte's favorite. The gown was pure white with waves upon it and trimmed with silver. She practiced what words she would say to her darling once she was ready to confess for she did not want her love to be misunderstood again.

"If you speak from your heart child then he will know how you feel." Rosie had told her that night. 

"But my words could offend him if I am not careful." Charlotte replied. "If he is offended, he may send me away just as my father did and if he were to do that then I...I...I don't know what I would do. But I know that it would break me."

"This man is not your father. Though very prideful like he was, the man you desire is genuine and will not be pleased by pretty words if they are false. You may speak your heart to him without fear I assure you."

"You speak as if you know him so well."

"I know him quite well and someday we shall talk more on that subject but now you must hurry. Hurry and see him, tell him your name and of how much you love him. I can promise you that you will not regret it."

"I pray that I do not." 

Charlotte turned around to find Rosie gone again. She then turned back to face her reflection in a nearby glass. She looked lovely but was she lovely enough that the man she loved would still see her that way, even after she revealed all her secrets to him? No doubt it was risky but she could not give into to fear. Not when love was involved. She had to tell him tonight. If not then they would most likely be separated forever.

She looked away from the glass, slipped on her shoes, quietly left the cellar, and quietly made her way upstairs to where the ball was being held.

Chapter Text

As usual Charlotte amazed everyone at the ball with her incredible beauty and as usual Alastor was the only gentleman she wanted to spend the evening with. This ball was especially wonderful because aside from dancing there was also going to be a concert of singers. In the middle of the event, all the guests became quiet and were seated as a group of richly dressed ladies and gentlemen sang before everyone.

As Charlotte listened to them she could not help but be reminded of how she used to sing for her father whenever he felt grieved. In fact it was a reminder that was so strong that she instinctively closed her eyes and joined in with the chorus, singing for the first time in such a long period. But she sang so much more harmoniously than any other that the performers became silent and all attention was shifted toward her. They couldn't help it, her voice was more beautiful than any that had ever been heard. Alastor was immediately charmed by her vocals and was certain that not even the angels in heaven could sing better. He was in love, madly and beyond all reason. 

So in love he was with her that as they danced together he could not resist pressing her fondly in his arms and kissing her lovely brow. She was surprised by his sudden gesture of affection but welcomed it by caressing his cheek with the palm of her hand. They were completely lost in each other and as the evening grew more late he led her out on to the balcony of the house where a view of the entire plantation could be seen. The cotton plants, the magnolia trees, the duck pond, the fields, but what Charlotte found to be the most lovely was the starry night sky. So many of them twinkling and shinning like diamonds.

"This place is so beautiful." She said. "Everywhere I look I can see so much beauty. Everything here is just lovely."

"All of it is nothing compared to you." Alastor said making her cheeks become even more rosy. She looked away from him shyly. "Does my flattery make you uncomfortable, my dear?"

"No." She answered. "Forgive me but it has been so long since someone has complimented me. Unfortunately I have become very used to being insulted and ignored."

"Who in their right mind would dare commit such a sin?" He took both of her hands into his own.

"It does not matter. I...I should not trouble you with my own petty woes."

"Oh trouble me please. I could not bear the thought of you ever being treated poorly." He took her into his arms again. "You should be cherished always."

Charlotte felt her heart flutter because of how gentle his words and his touch was.

"You are so kind to me." She told him. "You have made me feel so happy. I never thought that I would ever know such joy as this."

"Neither did I. To be perfectly honest you are the most wonderful person I have ever met."

"Do you really mean that?"

"With all my heart."

She moved her hand to his cheek again and brought his face closer to hers. For a moment they just stood there under the stars in the silent night, holding each other and sharing gazes of adoration. The two leaned in and at long last their lips met. They kissed. Kissed their mouths, their eyes, their cheeks, and then their mouths again. Their love was so deep and true that they could no longer keep it contained.

"Please tell me your name." Alastor pleaded when their lips parted. "Tell me so that I may engrave it in my heart forever."

"I beg you, do not jest." She said breathlessly. 

"I would never play a jest with you. Not in regards to this."

"I want to tell you who I am but I am afraid of what you will think of me once you learn who I truly am."

"Whatever you tell me, it will not change how I feel about you and I must confess I haven't been entirely honest with you myself."

"What do you mean?"

"I spoke the truth when I told you that my name was Alastor but I am not merely just some guest who's attending the celebrations here." 

"I do not understand."

With her hand still in his, he directed her attention to a house in the distance. It lay just at the edge of the cotton plants, a small and drab house which could only give shelter to a small amount of people. 

"Do you see that house my dear?" He asked her.

"Yes I do." She answered.

"That is where I was born and grew up. My mother was a slave on this plantation and when the war freed her, the former master allowed her to work here with pay. He was very good to us, he paid for my education and made sure that I was sent to the best schools. He also taught me how to use a rifle and would take me out hunting on a few occasions. After my mother died and I became a man he helped me find work in polite society. For many years I wondered why he treated me and my mother especially different from all other servants and slaves and I did not get my answer until he died about a year ago."

He looked away from the house and turned back to face her.

"When the former master died his lawyer informed me of a secret that his client had been carrying for twenty-two years and that secret was that the former master was my father. He and my mother were secret lovers and he had intended to marry her but my grandfather refused to allow it. He forced my father to end the relationship but by then my mother had already become pregnant. My father was not allowed to marry her but he spent the rest of his life secretly supporting her and myself. And it was written in his will that everything in his name would be given to me once he had passed on. His money, his house, and his land."

Hearing his words, Charlotte felt her heart pound with fear. She began to pray from the very depths of her soul that what she feared was not coming to pass. For if it did then she believed that all hope of happiness was lost.

"My name is Alastor Devalcourt and I am the master of this house and of this cotton plantation. When I inherited all of this, I had no intention of sharing it with anyone because I did not believe there was anyone I could see myself spending the rest of my life with. But after meeting you things have completely changed." He once again took hold of her hands in a most tender manner and kneeled down. "I love you. I love you more than I have ever loved anything or anyone that I have ever known and I would be most honored if you would become my wife."

Charlotte felt her heart shatter into thousand pieces at this revelation. The man she loved was the young master. A man of great wealth and status. Which meant he could never accept who she really was. A kitchen servant marrying a land owner? It was unheard of and completely un-befitting. She was not worthy of him. As much as she wanted to, she could not marry him.

She pulled away from him with tears already forming in her eyes. This caused his smile to fall and he became concerned.

"I...I should never have come here." She finally spoke.

"What?" He said standing up.

"I made a terrible mistake attending this festival."

"Whatever do you mean? Have I offended you in someway?"

"No. No it's not that it's just...I...I can't. I can't accept what you are offering."

"Why not?"

"I cannot say."

"Is it because that you do not love me?"

"I cannot say that either. I was a fool to associate myself with you. I had no right to and to marry me would be a terrible mistake on your part."

"Why do you say such things?"

She looked up into the night sky and saw that the morning star was beginning to fade.

"I must leave you now. For good." She said starting toward the balcony door. "Thank you for spending this week with me. It was the most wonderful time of my life and I shall never forget it so long as I live."

"No wait!" He grabbed her hand desperately. "You can't just leave for good! At least not without an explanation!"

"I don't have time to explain."

"Then tell me who you are and where you live." He persisted. "So that I may find you."

"I don't want you to find me. I want you to forget me and acts as if we never met."

"You cannot ask that of me." He said. "Not when you hold my heart. Please, if I can't see you again I know I will die."

"No you will live. You will live and love another. One who is suitable enough to be your wife. Goodbye my sweet Alastor. You will never know how much our time together meant to me."

She broke away from him and fled from the balcony. He chased after her as quickly as he could, refusing to let this be a permanent farewell but he lost her in the crowd of dancing guests and by the time he made it through them, she had vanished without a trace. 

"Sir are you alright?" Husk asked approaching him at the stairway entrance.

"Where is she?" Alastor asked his servant. "Where did she go?"

"Where did who go?"

"The young lady I was with. She ran off and I don't know to where."

"I didn't see her."

"She just went right this way."

"I wasn't here."

He looked outside and his eyes desperately scanned the area for any sign for his beloved. Her blonde hair, her blue eyes, her white gown, she had to be somewhere within sight. She just had to be. She couldn't have just disappeared into thin air. 

"It would seem that she is gone with the wind sir." Husk said. "But perhaps it is for the best. A brief fleeting moment of romance that was just not meant to be."

"Bite your tongue Husker. I'm not going to let her go just yet." Alastor declared. "Not until she tells me that she doesn't love me as much as I love her. Until she speaks those words to me I shall continue to pursue her."

"But the festival is over. It is very unlikely that she will come back to this house."

"Then I shall search for her."

"You don't know her name or where she lives. How do you expect to find her?"

"I don't know but I have to try. I'll search to the ends of the earth if I have to."

With that vow made he went back aside with his servant following, unaware that the woman he seeked was hiding in the bushes by the stairway wearing only a ragged dress of moss. She watched him leave with tears streaming down her cheeks and blew a kiss to him just before she discreetly walked back to her quarters. 

Chapter Text

When Charlotte finally made it back to the cellar she was greatly saddened. Saddened and angered. Angry at herself for not being smart enough to figure out that Alastor was the master of the house. Angry for foolishly letting herself fall for someone higher in rank than she was. But she was not only only angry at herself, she was also angry at Rosie.

"Rosie where are you?" She called out once she was alone in the small room. However no one responded to her call. "I know you can hear me! I want to speak to you! Show yourself!"

But the witch-woman did not appear.

"You knew didn't you? You knew all along who he really was and you didn't tell me!" She cried bitterly. "It's not fair! You know we can't be together! It's not possible! Now because of you I'm hopelessly in love with a man that I can never hope to be with! I wish...I wish that I had never met you! Because then I would have never come here and met him and...And end up loving him so much!"

She buried her face into her hands and sobbed. The poor girl believed that everything had just been some cruel joke. That she finally knew the joy of loving and being loved in return again only for it to be snatched away from her by the horrible truth of social status and shame. She cried herself to sleep, certain that she would never see her sweetheart again.

As for Alastor, as soon as dawn broke he went off to search the countryside for the beautiful stranger. He was very desperate and he asked nearly every person he encountered if they had ever seen a young lady with hair like the sun, skin like ivory, and cheeks like apples but to his great disappointment none of them could recall seeing such a woman. After many weeks had passed he decided to return home, thinking that he would never find his darling. 

Through the kitchen window Charlotte watched the young master return and it broke her heart to see how sad and discouraged he was. She longed to tell him who she was but alas she feared that he would only love the woman in the shimmering gown. Not the spurned daughter of Lucifer who now cleaned the kitchen. If her own father tossed her aside for being simple then there was no doubt in her mind that Alastor would do the same.

"He'll love again." She told herself as she watched him. "He may long for me now but in time he'll forget me and find someone else."

Charlotte was certain that both she and Alastor would be better off not seeing each other again. After all what could she possibly have to offer someone as rich and refined as him? She had no dowry, no name, nothing. Should she marry him she would only disgrace him. She should just leave him alone to court a woman who was equal to him in wealth and stature.

Unfortunately she failed to realize just how much her absence would hurt him. Alastor had fallen so deeply in love with her that he could not bring himself to do anything anymore. He no longer hunted or worked or danced or played music. He did nothing but stay in his room brooding. Soon he barely had the strength to eat and denied all food being brought to him which made him quite ill.

"Sir please let me in." Husk called from behind the door of his master's bedroom.

"Go away." He replied in a quiet voice of depression.

"Sir you have not eaten in days. You probably can't even move now due to the lack of food. At least try to stomach some gruel."

"What is the point Husk?"

"The point is to keep yourself from wasting away."

"If I cannot see her again then let me waste away." He heard his master sigh. "Perhaps she never existed at all. Maybe she was nothing more than a figment of my imagination. But I'm not sure if I could bear it if that's all she was."

Husk and nearly every member of the household tried to get their master to eat and to regain his appetite for life but it was a futile effort. He was in utter misery, agony, and heartache. Only one person could possibly bring him back to life and she was staying as far away from him as possible. Although to be fair she had yet to know just how unwell he was. But then one afternoon...

"He turned away the gruel again Katie." Niffty said walking into a kitchen with a tray of food that had been untouched. 

"Food not up to his majesty's standards?" Katie spat.

"You know that's not true." Niffty said in defense of her good master. "It's because his poor heart is still sick."

"What do you mean?" Charlotte asked having overheard the conversation as she was scrubbing the floors.

"Oh Apple Cheek it is just dreadful." Niffty said. "The young master has become very ill. He's dying for love of that mysterious lady. He won't eat and he's becoming weaker with each passing day. We're beginning to fear the worst."

A knife of guilt plunged itself deep into Charlotte's heart at hearing those words. Was Alastor really missing her to such a degree? Missing her so much that he had decided to stop living? She did not mean to cause him such pain. 

"We've never seen him like this." Niffty continued. "He's so weak now and he won't leave his bedroom nor will he let anyone in."

"How long has he been like that?" Charlotte asked.

"Ever since he came back from an unsuccessful search for his lady love. Oh how devastated he was that evening. If I didn't know any better I'd swear that he was dying of a broken heart."

The knife of guilt was just twisted deeper. So deep that it tore right through her heart and into her very soul. 

"Can nothing be done for him?" 

"All we can do is try to get him to eat." Niffty then turned to Katie. "Katie, Husk has ordered you to try to prepare another meal for him." 

"I'm getting really sick of cooking for that ungrateful man only to have him toss it aside." Katie complained. "If you ask me, good riddance if he starves himself to death."

"Shame on you!" Niffty snapped. "You are the one who is truly ungrateful." 

"That's right." Husk agreed upon entering the kitchen. "When you came here asking for work, Alastor knew that you were just a good for nothing harlot but he hired you anyway. In my opinion he should have just turned you away."

"Well pardon me for not expressing eternal gratitude to the oh so great master of the house." Katie scoffed. "I just find it irritating that he's all high and mighty when in truth he's no different from the rest of us. He's not so great."

"He's better than you'll ever be." Charlotte spoke up. 

Charlotte surprised by her sudden burst of courage. She knew better than to address the cook that way but she just couldn't stop herself. She would not allow one bad word to be said about Alastor. But her courage was slightly diminished when the cook stared at her in an especially vicious way.

"Excuse me but were you talking to me?" She snarled.

"Ye...Yes. I was." Charlotte replied, determined to defend her love no matter how scared she became. "You...You have no right to speak of him that way and furthermore he's no where near the same as you. You're cruel and vindictive. He's gentle and kind and you don't deserve to breathe the same air as him."

"You insolent wench!"

Katie drew back with the intention of striking Charlotte only for her arm to be grabbed by the tight grip of Husk.

"That kind of treatment will not be tolerated in the this house hold." Husk said. "Katie my master can look the other way in terms of insult and gossip but not in abuse. Which is why I do believe he would not object to me dismissing you over this."

"You wouldn't dare dismiss me." Katie bluffed. "If you did that then who else would provide food for your precious master?"

"I would." Charlotte volunteered. "That is...If you would let me Husk."

"You can cook?" Husk asked.

"I am no gourmet but what I can cook will be suitable. I can prepare his meals until you find another cook."

Husk was quite skeptic but he figured that there was no harm in giving her a chance. Also he would have the perfect excuse to finally rid this house of the insufferable woman known as Katie.

"Very well." He told Charlotte. "You can try to cook his dinner for this evening. Nothing much, just make something like soup or stew."

"Yes sir. I will do my best."

He turned to Katie.

 "You're dismissed. Now get off this property before I sick the hounds on you."

The mean cook protested but eventually she was forced off the property and never allowed to set foot on it again. 

Chapter Text

For Alastor's dinner that evening, Charlotte had decided to cook a stew that she was certain would be tasty and have enough to help whoever consumed it restore their strength. For the meat she used leftover venison from the picnic. She made sure that the meat was nice and tender, not at all tough or lacking in flavor. For the stew broth she used juice from a barrel of apples that had been purchased which she then mixed with some herbs. Apples were indeed an excellent food source of health so she was certain that this stew would make Alastor well again. That is if he would eat it.

She wasn't sure what to do about all of this. She knew that she was the cause of his sorrow and she so desperately wanted to tell him how much she loved him but the fear of shaming him still had a strong hold on her. 

"You are cruel to him." A voice said. 

Charlotte was alone in the kitchen stirring the stew in the pot when she realized that it had become dark outside and Rosie appeared in mist of fireflies just as she had done many times before.

"Truly what you are doing to him is awful." The dark skinned woman scolded. "He spends day and night pining away for you and yet you ignore him. How can you be so cruel hearted?"

"I am cruel hearted?" Charlotte said. "You are the one who pushed me into his arms even though our positions would eventually keep us apart."

"My child the only thing keeping the two of you apart is you. He said that he loved you and he asked you to be his wife but you ran from him. He has spent weeks searching for you but you hide from him. You have broken his heart and it is killing him. Do you not see that?"

"I do now but I...I...I don't know what to do about it."

"Is it not obvious? You must go to him and you must love him. That is the only way he will recover."

"But what if he doesn't want me? The real me."

"You are letting fear and insecurities keep you from happiness. I give you my word that no matter what he learns about you it will not change his feelings toward you."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because he knows all too well how it feels to be rejected and considered lower than dirt."

"What do you mean?"

Rosie sighed then sat herself down on a chair that was right next to the fireplace. Her hands gently took hold of Charlotte's and looked at her as a mother would when she is about to enlist wisdom to her child.

"I have a story to tell you. A story about myself and my nephew. A story that will explain what it is I need you to do for me." She explained. "You see my dear girl I was not born in this land. I come from a place across the sea where the grass is tall and the sun is most hot. I lived there for four years but then my own father sold me and my mother into slavery. For years we were bought and sold by many masters, the lot of them were very wicked to us and the most vile of them all spent many nights violating my mother which sadly is how my sister was conceived. The many years of hard labor, beatings, and violating took a great toll on my mother. A toll so strong that she died the very night my sister was born."

"I am so sorry for your loss." Charlotte said empathizing with Rosie.

"That night I had to go from sibling to parent and I raised my sister alone without any help. I loved her dearly and did my best to ensure that she grew up loved. When she was still a child we finally came here to be the slaves of Eli Devalcourt. A bigoted man but he was the least horrible of all the masters I had known. When my sister became a woman she was a real beauty and she attracted many male gazes. One of which happened to belong to our master's son. Everyday he'd come around our little quarters, acting all sweet on her. I knew he was trouble and I told my sister to avoid him however she could not resist the lure of romance."

"So what happened?"

"Well after the war ended that boy surprised everyone on this plantation by deciding that he was going to marry her. But again his father was bigoted and he refused to allow that union. So they never married but they did have one type of union and that is what led to my sister birthing my nephew nine months later."

Upon hearing this Charlotte put two and two together.

"Alastor is your nephew?"

"Yep." She confirmed. "Lord I'll never forget the day my little sister told me that she was going to have that baby. I thought I would die of a heart attack right then and there. I couldn't believe that she would have actually done something so foolish. But what was done had been done and all I could do was just help her take care of that little baby and I did. I loved him like he was my own son and when his mother took ill I promised her on her deathbed that I would look after him. Growing up he was often treated very badly by others because of his background. They would throw rocks at him, call him names, sometimes a group of his peers would hold him down and roughly scrub his body with dirt or ice water."

"Oh my goodness." Charlotte said trying hard not to picture her beloved being subjected to such vile actions.

"It wasn't until he inherited his father's land that everyone just turned around and started being nice to him. But he was no fool, he could see through them which made him a very smart young man but unfortunately it also made him decide to never marry which would give him a very lonely life and I couldn't allow that. So naturally when my nephew reached marriageable age I made it my goal to find him a suitable wife but I had to ensure that said wife would only love him for who he is instead of what he had inherited and that's where you came in. From the moment you gave that apple to me I knew that you would be the perfect bride for him."

"But I am worthless." Charlotte protested. "My father has left me with nothing to offer him."

"Honey what you have to offer him is the one thing no one has ever given him apart from myself and his parents. Love and acceptance. When you first met him you didn't know he was the master of the house but you could tell right away that he was a person of mixed European and African descent but instead of being disgusted by him, you were charmed by him. You thought that he was the most wonderful man in the world and it wasn't because of his wealth. And it did not matter to you that his ethnicity was something high society frowned upon. That in itself makes you more than worthy enough to marry him."

"I suppose. But what if...What if he doesn't accept me?"

"Can you love and accept him even if the world sees him in a negative light?"

"Yes."

"Then I'm sure that he can love and accept you even if the world sees you in a negative light. I know my nephew and he is not so shallow and vain." 

Rosie then changed Charlotte's dress back into the same lovely white gown she had worn the last time she was with Alastor and cleaned up both her hair and face.

"This time when the morning star fades do not run away." She said. "Stay with him. Stay with him and tell him what's in your heart."

"But I'm still so afraid. Won't you come with me?"

"No. I've helped you when you needed it but for this part you'll have to do it on your own. Have courage and trust in love."

And just like that Rosie was gone again. 

"Hey Apple Cheek!" Charlotte heard Husk call from the end of the hall. "Is the master's dinner almost finished? It's getting late."

"Yes." She called back. 

"Alright I'll send Niffty in."

"Actually, may I take supper to him? I want to see if I can convince him to eat it."

"You may try but I doubt you'll succeed."

She carefully poured a good portion of stew into a bowl which she then placed on a tray set with silver ware and a cloth napkin. On the side was a cup of freshly brewed tea and a few slices of bread that had just came out of the oven. 

Before leaving, she put her hands over her heart and began to say a small prayer. She prayed that Rosie's words would prove to be true. That once Alastor saw her after the morning star faded he would still love her as much as he said he did the other night. She prayed that he wouldn't reject her love and send her away just as her father had done to her. But most of all she prayed that God would give her the strength and the courage to continue with her choice to approach Alastor and stay with him, that she wouldn't back out.

With her prayers said she picked up the tray that held the meal she had cooked and carried it as she proceeded up the stairway.

"I am coming my darling." She whispered. "Tonight you shall suffer no more."

Chapter Text

At long last Charlotte stood in front of the door to Alastor's bedroom while holding a tray set with his meal. After taking a deep breath, she raised a fist and lightly knocked on the door. 

"Leave me be Husk." She heard him say in a low, sad voice. 

"It is not Husk." She called gently. "I have brought your supper. I know that you have recently been rejecting your meals but I made this especially for you. Won't you at least have a look at it?" 

At the sound of her voice he became completely stiff. Not entirely sure if he had actually heard her or if his broken heart had finally driven him mad. It couldn't be her, it just couldn't be. Yet he would know the sound of her melodious voice anywhere. 

He weakly stood up from his bed and slowly walked toward the door. His hand had barely ghosted over the knob when he took a moment to hesitate. Then finally he opened the door and on the other side he saw his angel. 

"I'm dreaming." He said in disbelief. "Are you real?" 

"Yes I am." She answered. 

But he still feared that she was merely an illusion his mind created, be it whether he was awake or asleep. His body trembled from both fear and weakness. He was overcome and his knees began to buckle. She quickly set the tray down on a nearby shelf and went to his side, helping him back into bed. 

"You are so weak." She said feeling guilt ridden at the sight of him in this state. "Oh my dear one, how could I make you suffer so?" 

But he did not give her a look of anger or sadness or disappointment as she expected him to. Instead he gave her a very weak but adoring smile. It was the first time in weeks that he had smiled and he raised a shaking hand to cup her cheek. 

"I thought that you had deserted me." He breathed. 

"No. Never." She pressed his hand closer to her cheek and held it there. "Oh forgive me my darling. Please forgive me. I was so foolish to hide from you." 

"That doesn't matter anymore. You've come back to me so all is forgiven and forgotten." 

She smiled at him tenderly and after staying like that for a moment she lowered his hand from her cheek and stood up. 

"Don't go." He pleaded. 

"Hush." She said softly as she returned to his bedside with the tray. "You've gone too long without food and it has made you ill. If you truly love me then please eat your supper so that you will regain your strength." 

He did not argue. He only opened his mouth and allowed her to spoon feed him the stew. He found it to be very delicious and by the time he had finished it he had regained enough strength to eat the slices of bread and drink the tea on his own. Charlotte was relieved at this but she knew he wasn't completely healed yet. Now that he had eaten he needed rest but he had so many things to say to her. 

"Who are you?" He asked. "Where did you come from? Why did you run from me so many times?" 

"Sleep now." She soothed. "And come morning I shall answer all your questions." 

"No I cannot sleep." He said fighting to keep his heavy eyelids from closing. 

"You must." She persisted. 

"No because I am afraid that this is a dream and that if I sleep now then you will be gone when I wake." 

She moved the tray to his nightstand and laid down next to him in bed. 

"You have nothing to fear. I promise I will be right here by your side when you wake up tomorrow and I will tell you everything you want to know about me." 

"Will you at least tell me your name?" 

Her hand caressed his face as she whispered her name to him lovingly.

"Charlotte." She kissed his high forehead. "My name is Charlotte." 

"Charlotte." He repeated the name as if it was the loveliest thing in all the world. "That's a beautiful name." 

His half lidded eyes continued to stare at her and a genuine smiled graced his features. He intended to stay awake for as long as he could so Charlotte began to gently comb her fingers through his hair and sing a lullaby to him.

"Now is the hour

When frogs and thrushes

Praise the world

From the woods and rushes

Sleep, my love

Sleep, my only

Deep in the dark."

His will to stay awake was strong but her gentle touch and soft voice weakend it. Soothing him and lulling him into slumber. His fear was eventually overshadowed by the warm comfort he felt in her embrace and he couldn't resist any longer. 

"My love, do not leave me." 

His final words before he fell into a long awaited sleep. Charlotte soon felt herself becoming very sleepy and she dozed off. She slept for a very long time. Longer than she thought she would. She had expected to wake up while it was still dark out but the sun had just begun to rise when she awoke and she saw that Alastor was already wide awake.

He was holding her delicate frame in his strong arms and still smiling at her in the most loving way she had ever seen. Her heart fluttered and she snuggled into his chest. She couldn't recall a time where she had felt so safe and warm. She might have fallen right back to sleep had she not noticed that her dress had changed. Gone was the gown of purest white, replaced by the dress of ragged moss. 

She slightly flinched and moved a little so he could see her attire better. She trembled, afraid that the young master would no longer love the girl in the tattered dress. But she dared to ask, 

"How much do you love me now?" She looked away from him in utter shame. "I am no one of great worth. I have no title and no dowry. I am just a poor wench who scrubs the kitchen floors. Not at all worthy of you." 

"My dear, is that why you hid from me? Because you feared I would reject you?" 

She nodded, still not facing him. He cupped her cheek again with his hand and turned her face to look at him. 

"Oh my sweetheart, I love you more than ever." He declared. "Rags and a low status could never hide your beauty or your wit or your goodness. Even as you sit here in a garment of moss, you still shame every lovely thing I've seen before you."

Charlotte smiled in relief but she was still unsure. 

"But there are other things about me that most people would find shameful." 

"Most people perhaps but not me. Whatever I learn about you I swear I will not be ashamed. If it is really so bad then I shall look past it and focus only on the wonderful things about you." 

With each word he said Charlotte felt her fears and doubts fading away. 

"I love and care for you above all things in this world. But I must know, do you love me? Do you care for me as much as I do for you?" 

"Do you truly want to know?" She asked. "Do you want me to tell you what I really feel for you in my heart?" 

"Yes. More than anything." 

Charlotte then looked deeply into Alastor's eyes and took hold of his hand. She decided that this would be the ultimate test to see if he truly loved her. To find out if he would accept her weather she be simple or elegant. 

"I love you." She said with her whole heart and soul. "More than all the apples that grow in an orchard." 

She held her breath and waited for his rejection, only to be met by a sudden embrace. 

"Do you really love me that much?" He asked stroking her long blonde hair. 

"Yes." 

"My dear Charlotte you have no idea how happy you have made me. When you left me that night I was terrified that you did not love me at all but now that I know how you really feel. Now that I know that you love me more than something that has given you happiness since childhood, I am overjoyed." 

Charlotte's eyes filled with tears. But not tears of sorrow, tears of joy. Alastor had been paying attention when she told him how apples were always a constant reminder of when she was most happy. How they were more valuable to her than gold or silver. And that he unlike her father, understood that when she said that she loved him more than apples, she was really saying she loved him more than what makes her the happiest. 

"Please marry me Charlotte." He said. "I give you my word that I will cherish you forever and that you shall want for nothing." 

"Yes I will." She sobbed. 

She lifted her head up to gaze at him in pure adoration. He leaned down and kissed away her tears. She returned kisses to his mouth and soon they were in each other's embrace, kissing passionately. Together at last and never to be parted again. His lips moved to her neck and with each kiss he peppered on her throat he whispered,

"I love you."

"I love you too." Charlotte sighed as she relished in his touch. "But we mustn't. Not yet. You are still unwell and think of the scandal. This could ruin your reputation."

"I care not for what others think of me but I will not make you a subject of false gossip. We shall wait until our wedding night."

Suddenly there was a knock at the door. The two of them turned blood red in the face as the fear and embarrassment of being discovered entered their minds.

"Good morning sir." They heard Husk call from the other side. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine Husker." Alastor answered. "Just dandy."

"You sound much better today. I take it that means you finally ate something."

"Yes I did and tonight at dinner I plan to make a very big announcement. I want every member of the household there."

"Yes sir. I'll make the arrangements."

"Thank you."Alastor turned back to Charliotte and took her hands into his own so he could kiss the backs of them. "And you'll be the guest of honor tonight."

She blushed and smiled with all the happiness she felt in that moment.

Chapter Text

By the week's end Alastor had completely recovered and the very minute he announced his engagement to Charlotte the entire house hold made preparations for the wedding. Niffty cleaned and decorated the entire house from top to bottom, Husk saw to it that a proper minister was reserved and that all invitations were sent out to the right people. Now normally when a land owner or anyone else high in rank was to wed, he would invite as many people as possible to give himself a better reputation and to show off his vast wealth. But Alastor was not a pretentious man and he cared more for sincerity than favor so he only invited his trusted friends, neighbors, and servants to the occasion. 

Finding another cook to make the wedding feast was no trouble and per request of the bride and groom, venison jambalaya was to be among the delicacies and the wedding cake was to be apple flavored. The best aged wine and whisky would be served, the halls would be cleared for music and dancing, and as for Charlotte's wedding gown the couple had a special seamstress chosen to make it. 

Rosie, Alastor's aunt had often told him how she always dreamed of making a wedding gown for his mother when she got married but sadly that never came to pass. So Alastor promised her that if he ever got married he would try to convince his future wife to let Rosie sew the dress. When he first mentioned the idea to Charlotte he was worried that she would much prefer an expensive dress from one of those stores that women of the rich and elite would shop at but to his surprise she loved the idea.

So Rosie was invited to come a week early and when Husk saw her at the door he was startled by her homely clothes and rough appearance. He assumed that she was a homeless wanderer or beggar.

"May I help you?" He asked her.

"Is this the Devalcourt estate?" She asked.

"It is."

"I am here to see my nephew Alastor."

"You're Alastor's aunt?" He said looking at her skeptically.

"I am. I have my invitation to his wedding in here somewhere."

Rosie began to check herself for the slip of paper she had received, asking for her presence at the occasion but she could find no trace of it.

"Oh dear. It would seem that I left it home by mistake."

"In that case I can't let you in." Husk said.

"But I'm his aunt. His only living family member. He's expecting me and he'll be so dreadfully disappointed if I'm not at the wedding."

"Uh-huh. Sure." Husk said not believing her. "I'm sorry but no invitation, no entry."

"Excuse me but I would reconsider turning me away if I were you. My nephew is quite fond of me and if he discovers I couldn't witness his marriage because of you he will be very cross."

"Lady I think you might be a little confused because you see my master has never mentioned having an aunt."

"Are you saying I'm lying?"

"Either that or you've been drinking bayou water. Now look I can't have homeless people causing trouble here. Especially so close to my master's big day so I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"But I was invited."

"You're really testing my patience here ma'am. Now go on before I-"

"Auntie Rosie!" Cried the cheerful voice of Alastor has he went to greet the woman at the door with a hug. "So happy that you could make it."

"Oh Alastor, you didn't think I would actually miss your wedding? It's the first wedding I've ever been invited to." She teased before returning a hug.

"Husker my good man, could you have Niffty make up a guest room for my dear sweet aunt?"

Rosie smirked at Husk who nodded and quickly went to find Niffty while hoping that his master's aunt wouldn't tell him about how he almost sent her away. 

"You didn't walk here all by yourself did you Auntie?" Alastor asked her.

"Yes I did but I'm a strong woman. I can handle anything believe me. Now where is that future niece in-law of mine? If I'm going to make her dress I need to get started right away."

"She's in her room and she and I have a little surprise for you Auntie. I know you said that you didn't want to me to buy you a new dress to wear to the wedding and that you'd rather make one so instead I bought you the finest red silk I could find to use as the fabric."

"Oh you're such a sweet boy and you remembered that red was my favorite color." She kissed his cheek. "Thank you honey. Well I better get started, I only have seven days to get two dresses ready."

"Do you need me up there to help you?"

"Oh heaven's no! Boy didn't your mother and I raise you with any common sense? The groom never sees the bride in her dress before the wedding. That's bad luck. Now run along and don't you dare come into that room until I say so, unless of course you want me to take a switch to your behind."

"Auntie I'm not a little boy anymore."

"I know which will make it all the more embarrassing for you now that you're a grown man. So you better listen to me."

"Yes Auntie." He chuckled. 

That entire week it was nonstop planning and making sure that everything was perfect. When the big day finally arrived the house was full of good friends and neighbors. Rosie wore a silk red dress with a petticoat embroidered with roses, many of the guests were amazed to see a dark skinned woman wearing such a elegant and magnificent garment. However what really astonished them all was Charlotte's wedding gown. 

It was an ivory lace gown that was long sleeved but went below the shoulder. The skirt had a few ruffles but not too much to make the gown puff out and the middle of it was a white silken sash. Her veil was also lace and her golden hair was pinned with pearls and magnolias. She was breath taking to her groom and he swore with his whole heart and soul that there never would be anything in his life more beautiful than her. 

She took her place by his side and in front of the minister. The couple exchanged both their vows and rings, and as soon as the minister declared them husband and wife they kissed which caused all their guests to applaud. Then the newly weds moved to the dining hall for the feast and after dinner they danced until dusk.

The servants quickly accepted Charlotte as mistress of the house and those who were not courteous to her when she was a lowly kitchen scrub woman apologized to her countless times. Alastor wanted to dismiss them but his wife insisted that they be forgiven. Rosie loved Charlotte as a daughter just as she had loved Alastor as a son and all the neighbors adored her, finding her to be very charming and lovely. In almost no time at all she became beloved by everyone but no one more so than her husband.

Alastor and Charlotte loved each other above all things in the world. They spent nearly every hour of everyday together if it was allowed and if they ever had an argument like most married couples do they would sort it out in the end. The couple spent many days taking walks outside, dancing, playing music, singing, reading books, or helping each other out with work. They made love every night they weren't too exhausted from the day's events, falling asleep afterward with smiles on their faces and waking up the next morning in each other's arms. The two were very content and serene, believing that nothing in this world could have made them happier. 

But within a year they were proven wrong because their deep love led Charlotte to become pregnant and the news of that made Alastor shout and laugh so hard with joy that even heaven could hear him. On the first day of Spring Charlotte gave birth to a healthy baby girl and she was christened Caroline. People came from all around to see the child and they brought many gifts while remarking that Caroline was by far the most beautiful baby that they had ever seen. A darling child with blonde silk curls and rosy cheeks like her mother, and dark eyes and an everlasting smile like her father. 

Charlotte would sing to her and cradle her before putting her to sleep in her crib. Alastor would sit her on top of his knee whenever he took a moment to read or just sit outside on the porch of the house. Rosie showered her in kisses every chance she got. Niffty would give her little bubble baths and even the sourpuss Husk could not resist trying to make her laugh with a funny face or two. Yes, there was no child in the entire south that was as loved as little Caroline Devalcourt and there was no mother in the entire south as devoted or caring to her child as Charlotte was to hers.

One night as she was laying in bed with her husband sleeping on one side and her baby sleeping between the two of them, she could not help but take a moment to just stare at the both of them. Her mother was right when she had told her that God would reward her for all she had suffered if she was kind and patient, and God had given her the greatest reward she could ask for. There was nothing in this world for her to want for now that she had Alastor and Caroline. 

Well almost nothing...

Now Charlotte was by no means unhappy with her life, in fact she was happier than she had ever been and she thanked God for that everyday. But sometimes she would become very sad because she still missed her father and desperately longed to reconcile with him. But it looked like she would never see her father again. 

She looked at Caroline and thought to herself that there was nothing in the world that could ever make her disown that child. She couldn't imagine life without her and the thought of doing to Caroline what Charlotte's own father had done to herself horrified her.

She sat up in bed and took the sleeping Caroline into her arms, rocking back and forth as gently as possible and she whispered to her baby. 

"I love you more than all the apples that grew in your grandfather's orchard." 

The lack of body heat woke Alastor and he moved to his wife's side of the bed. 

"Is something wrong my dear?" He asked before lightly kissing her cheek. 

"No." She answered. "I'm just taking a moment to appreciate what God has given me." 

"Hmm...I think I shall do the same." His arms went around her waist and back, holding her as they both admired the precious little girl they had created together. 

Chapter Text

One bright and lovely Autumn morning Alastor and Charlotte decided to take a walk together and they brought little Caroline with them. She sat up in her pram, wearing the Sunday bonnet her great Aunt Rosie had knitted for her, and playing with her silver bell rattle. Completely oblivious to the conversation her parents were having about her.

"She'll only be attending the best schools in this entire state." Her father said. "Her education will be the finest that money can buy. She'll be taught reading, writing, arithmetic. My daughter won't just be the prettiest girl in this county, she'll be the smartest as well." 

"Our daughter." Charlotte corrected with a teasing smile. "Don't forget that I'm the one who actually had the baby, and for fourteen hours no less." 

"Yes and I'll be forever grateful to you for going through all that to bring Caroline into our world." 

He leaned over and kissed the baby on top of her head. 

"Do you suppose we could teach her music and dance?" Charlotte suggested. 

"Of course and when she reaches the proper age I'll teach her how to use a rifle." 

"A rifle? But Alastor she's a young lady." 

"So?" 

"So, a young lady doesn't use a firearm." 

"Who says? Both my mother and my aunt knew how to use a rifle and a musket. That's how they kept gophers and crows out of the crops." 

"Is that so? Then I guess I have no objection to it. But how old would she be when you would start teaching her?" 

"Well I was eight when my father put a rifle in my hands for the first time."

"Absolutely not. She will at least be at an age with two digit numbers before she even lays a finger on a weapon."

"Fair enough."

They continued on down a dirt road and all was peaceful until suddenly Caroline started to become fussy. 

"Oh what's the matter sweetie?" Charlotte picked up Caroline and lightly bounced her to soothe her cries. That was when she noticed that Caroline had dropped her rattle and that is what caused her to cry. "Dear, it would seem that Caroline has dropped her rattle during the walk."

"I'll look for it."

Alastor began scanning the dirt road for his daughter's toy but did not see it. 

"Is this what you're looking for?" A voice asked.

Alastor looked up from the road and saw that the voice belonged to an older man who was lingering on the road, seemingly confused and lost. But in his weak hand he held the little sliver bell rattle.

"Oh yes thank you my good man." Alastor said taking the toy from him. "Thank you very much."

Alastor returned the rattle to his daughter which brought a smile back to the babe's face. As Alastor was putting Caroline back into her pram, Charlotte glanced over at the man who had retrieved her child's toy and she was instantly shocked. 

Had he been just an old friend or neighbor she probably would not have recognized him. For the last time she had seen him, he stood proud and strong but now he hobbled all frail and feeble. Yet despite the drastic change, Charlotte would know him anywhere. This poor pitiful man was her father Lucifer Magne. 

She rushed to his side and said.

"Good sir, do you know who I am?"

The man squinted his eyes and stared at her but he did not recognize his daughter. 

"I hope you are a kind lady who will spare a little bread and meat from your table." He said.

Charlotte was deeply grieved that her own father did not recognize her. 

"My dear, do you know this man?" Her husband asked.

Instead of answering the question she simply replied,

"Alastor may we please allow this poor man to spend the night dinning with us in our household? He looks so hungry and weak."

"I don't see why not."

She turned back to Lucifer.

"Good sir you are welcome in our house."

"Thank you." He said almost crumbling to his knees. "That woman I met on the way here told me that if I stuck to this path I would meet good people, willing to help me. But I wasn't sure if she was right."

"What woman?" Charlotte asked.

"She was dark skinned but dressed so elegantly in red. Never thought that I would see anything like that."

Once again Rosie had helped Charlotte with what troubled her but she only helped her in matters of aspects that the blonde could not control. Now the rest was up to her.

She and her husband helped Lucifer back to their house where they had Niffty make up a guest room for him and set out a plate for him at the table. However Charlotte had two instructions for her servants. Number one that they do not address her by her first name in Lucifer's presence and number two that only an apple be served to him at dinner. The servants were puzzled by her request as was her husband, but they did as they were told.

"Sweetheart I don't understand." He said to her as they were dressing for dinner that night. "Who is this old man and why are you giving our staff such peculiar orders?"

Before answering, Charlotte checked to see if anyone was within range to hear what she was about to say. When she saw that no one was close enough she finally decided to come clean about everything. On the morning after she had helped him recover from his illness, she had told Alastor her real name and that she was a kitchen servant but she had mentioned nothing of her family or where she was from. So in that moment she revealed to him that the old beggar man was in fact her father and how she had ended up at Alastor's plantation in the first place. When his wife told him the whole story he became furious.

"I shall have him thrown out immediately." He declared.

"No don't." She pleaded.

"You are his daughter. His child. He should have spent his entire life treasuring you but instead he threw you away like common trash! And for what? All because you told him how much you loved him?"

"He misunderstood what my words meant."

"Then he must not have truly loved you at all! I knew what your words meant the very instant you spoke them to me and hearing them made me the happiest man in all the world! How is it that I could see the love behind your words when he could not and he's known you so much longer than I have?"

"I've been asking myself the same question since the very moment I saw your reaction to my words. I do not know why he could not understand and it breaks my heart that he couldn't. But I will not hate him for it."

"I cannot forgive him for what he has done to you."

"You must. For my sake. I have forgiven him."

"How? How can you forgive a father who would discard you as one would discard a pet they've grown bored with?"

"Because I love him and if you really love me then you will try to forgive him too."

Alastor went silent for a moment. Then he took his wife into his arms and held her close to his chest.

"Oh Charlotte. You really are one of a kind." He brushed his forehead against hers. "I love you so much. I just can't stand the idea of anyone hurting you. It angers me especially when the person is your own father. Someone who was supposed to love you and take care of you til his dying day. I can't even imagine myself just disowning Caroline like that."

"I know. Me either." Her eyes filled with tears. "Every time I look at her I can't help but wonder why anyone would just never want to see their child again. If Caroline was to somehow disappear from our lives I know I couldn't go on."

Alastor gently pulled away from his wife and then grabbed a handkerchief from his jacket which he used to wipe her tears away. 

"Smile my dear." He said. "You know you're never fully dressed without one."

She giggled at his words and her smile only became stronger when Alastor waltzed over to the bassinet across from their bed where Caroline had been taking her afternoon nap. She had just started rubbing her eyes and yawning when her father picked her up and placed two little kisses on her rosy cheeks. 

"Come on, sleepy head. It's almost dinner time and it is most improper to let a hot meal get cold." He said to his daughter.

"Speaking of meals, were they able to buy the barrel of apples I requested last week?" Charlotte asked. 

"Yes indeedy." He replied. 

"Good." She said gently grasping his arm with her hands. "In that case let us be going."

With that said they proceeded downstairs and toward the dining room.

Chapter Text

That evening at dinner Lucifer was seated next to Charlotte at the table and when the food was served he was only given an apple. But Lucifer was so hungry that he didn't care about the simplicity of the meal and when he took the first bite tears began to swell into his eyes and he broke into a sob.

"Good sir is everything alright?" Alastor asked while trying his very best to remain polite and courteous to him. 

"I beg your pardon." He wept bitterly. "I did not mean to cause a scene but it's just that my meal has just made me realize what a terrible mistake I had made long ago."

The man then told a tale of how he was once the wealthy owner of a prized apple orchard with an adoring wife and a devoted child. But after his wife died he became very bitter and cruel, mistreating his workers and driving his daughter from his house over the most foolish reason. He then spoke of how shortly after his daughter left his abused workers revolted against him, they stole all his money and burned down his house and orchard, leaving him with nothing. And ever since he had been wandering around having to beg for his food. 

"And now that I have eaten an apple after this tragedy." He bemoaned. "I have been reminded of much more happier times. Of when my wife lived and when my daughter was with me. This simple fruit has reawakened my long buried happiness and it has also made me realize just how deeply my daughter loved me and how wrong I was to send her away. She undoubtedly hates me now and I would not blame her for she has every right to. But I would give anything in all the world to see her again and tell her how sorry I am."

Upon hearing this Charlotte moved her hand to gently grasp her father's and then she said to him with all the love in her heart,

"I love you more than all the apples that once grew in our orchard."

Lucifer looked at her, his eyes seemed to clear for a moment and he finally recognized his daughter.

"Charlotte?" He said almost terrified to hope. "Is it really you?"

"Yes Father. It's me. Your little Apple Cheek."

"It is you!" He cried recalling the nickname his wife had given her when she was a child. "Oh my dear Charlotte, how I've misjudged you. How I have missed you."

"Those are the words I have so longed to hear." She said before hugging him. 

"Can you ever forgive me?" 

"Always Father."

"But how can you? I doubted your love for me and disowned you thoughtlessly." 

"Yes but I still loved you even after that and I see now that you have regret your actions. I will not bear a grudge toward you."

Alastor then approached the two of them with Caroline in his arms. He still looked very skeptical about pardoning Lucifer for what he had done to his wife but he eventually gave the man a smile of forgiveness. Charlotte was pleased but then a whole new fear occurred in her heart. What would her father think of her husband? Lucifer had always been a bigoted man and Alastor was of Creole descent. Would he approve of their marriage?

"Father." She said nervously. "This is my husband Alastor Devalcourt. He's a wonderful man and he's been really good to me. He loves me so much and I love him. I pray that we have your blessing."

Lucifer looked at Alastor, he handed his daughter to his wife and then held his hand out to shake it with his father in-law. Charlotte held her breath as she waited for her father's reaction and to her surprise not only did Lucifer take his hand but instead of shaking it he got down on his knees.

"Thank you." He said. "Thank you for taking care of my daughter and loving her when I failed to do both. I am forever in your debt sir and you have my blessing for a long and happy marriage. I pray that it lasts much longer than my did."

Charlotte was shocked by her father's instant acceptance and gratitude to a type of person she remembered him not even considering being human. She wasn't sure if he had given up his bigoted views or if his eye sight had just gotten so bad that he found it hard to notice that Alastor had a mixed ethnic background but either way she wasn't going to risk possibly angering him again. So she said nothing about it and smiled.

"And this is my daughter Caroline." She said moving her baby girl to an angle where her father could see her better. "Your grandchild."

"I...I have a grandchild?" He asked unable to comprehend the idea. 

"Yes, do you want to hold her?"

He held his arms out and she carefully placed Caroline into his lap.

"Isn't she beautiful?" 

He held his grandchild close and smiled.

"She looks just like you did at that age." He smiled. "So of course she's beautiful."

Charlotte felt her heart fill with great amount of joy.

With everything forgiven, Alastor invited Lucifer to live with them for as long as he wished and there was much rejoicing and dancing in the house that evening. Charlotte danced with her father which she very much enjoyed, Alastor danced with his aunt, and the couple each took turns dancing with Caroline although they didn't so much as dance with her as hold her while swaying to music.

When things became more quiet that evening, Charlotte discreetly pulled Rosie aside to have a private conversation with her. 

"It was you, wasn't it?" She asked her. "The woman who directed my father to the plantation."

"Perhaps." She smiled. "Of course I myself have never really cared for bigoted or prideful people but it would seem that losing his wealth and status had humbled Lucifer and made him see the error of his ways. I felt that he had been punished enough and that he had earned back a little happiness."

Charlotte threw her arms around Rosie and hugged her with all the gratitude she had within herself.

"Thank you. Thank you so much." She said. "How can I ever repay you for all that you've done?"

"All I ask of you child is that you be good to my nephew and my grand niece."

"I will. I'll be good to them and love them for the rest of my life."

"Then you have helped me fulfill my obligation to my late sister and that's all I ever wanted."

"Excuse me ladies." The two women looked back to see Alastor walking toward them with Caroline. "I do believe that it is very much passed Caroline's bed time. Auntie, would you be a dear and tuck her into her bassinet so that I may be able to have the last dance with my wife?"

"Of course. Just leave it to me." Rosie replied.

Alastor and Charlotte then kissed Caroline good night and handed her over to her grand aunt.

"Now I must warn you Auntie, she might be a little difficult when you try to put her down." He said.

"Oh nonsense. If I could handle the fussy little baby you were then I can handle any fussy baby."

Alastor blushed, Charlotte giggled, and as soon as Rosie was gone the couple entered the dance hall where they waltzed together just as they had done many nights before. Her father sat on the sidelines and watched them in a very pleased manner. This night was truly one that Charlotte would never forget for it was the night that she knew that she had gotten everything she could ever want and would be happy for the remainder of her life.

"Apple Cheek is a very adorable name." Alastor said to her as they danced. "And so very befitting of you."

"Oh? Don't you find it a little silly?" She asked.

"Not in the least. In fact I think I might start calling you that." 

"Oh no."

"Oh yes." He teased. "After all who else has such pretty cheeks that are like that of fresh apples."

Charlotte began to laugh just before he twirled her. Alastor pulled her close to his chest and whispered into her ear,

"I love you, Apple Cheek more than all the venison I have hunted on this land."

She responded by capturing his lips into a kiss that was more passionate and full of love than all the other ones they had shared before. He moved his arms to stroke her hair and cradle her close to his heart. There never would never be a single couple in the entire South who loved each other as much as they did and as the years went by Charlotte and Alastor fell more more deeply in love than even they had imagined possible. A love that they would share with Caroline, Rosie, Lucifer, and all others who had a special place in their hearts. Which is why that it was only natural that they lived happily ever after.