"Love cannot be forced, love cannot be coaxed and teased. It comes out of heaven, unasked and unsought."
— Pearl S. Buck

All I can hear is myself panting and the sound of my heavy footsteps as I trample over leaves. Branches from the trees are scraping against my delicate skin and I trip over a log. My heart is beating twice as fast and my breath has become rigid. I can still hear the voices of my pursuers but I'm immobilized, it takes all my strength to make the slightest move. As I try to stand up from the ground my legs stagger to every direction but I manage to form a brisk walk. The bag in my hand is slipping from my grasp and I can clearly see the gate from where I am. I climb up the nearest tree and balance my knees on one of its branches that leads over the gate. It is strong enough to endure my weight and I hurl the bag onto the other side of the gate. My hands clamp against the top of the rails and I fling my self over landing on my bottom. I make sure to grab my bag and every part of my body aches with pain as I make my way to the window. Landing on my four paws a loud bang escapes from the floor. The door nob turns slowly and I panic with no time to hide. Relief floods my face and I let out my breath when I see who it is.

“I was afraid you weren't going to make it this time,” Daniko says worriedly.

A smile flashes on my face and I reply with, “Turn around.”

Without hesitation he listens to my command and I change into my gown that I pulled out from my bag. This is a usual routine between both of us, me escaping every morning into the city and Daniko covering for me.

“Does she know?” I ask.

“No, not yet but you better make it fast because I bet she is about to check up on you,” he says. I look at my body laying on the floor and I wobble into a standing position but immediately fall back down.

Daniko offers his arms up in the air and says, “I can carry you to your room.”

I nod in response, he marches to my direction and lifts me up off the floor. I let out a yelp in pain.

“Are you hurt?” he ask.

“Nothing serious, just sore and tired. Don't forget my bag.”

“I got it.”

I close my eyes and dangle my feet that hang over his arms. I can hear the sound of his every breath, his every heart beat.

“What are you thinking about?”

“I don't know, that I can't wait until I get to my bed.”

He laughs and says, “Oh, I'm sure you'll have plenty of time to do that once Naila gets through with you.”

“Maybe she won't find out, maybe the guards won't tell her.”

“The guards did not just spend their time chasing you if they weren't going to turn you in.”

“How would you know?”

“Because I am one of them, Did you forget? You may be able to charm your way out with the young ones but not the older ones, they won't fall for your tricks.”

I give him a sly smile and say, “Do I charm you?”

“What?”

“You said that I charm the younger ones and they fall for my tricks.”

“Well, you have me carrying you all the way to your room which happens to be at the third level and lets just say you are not the lightest person in the world. What do you think?”

“Hey!” I say while smacking him in the arm, “You offered, you didn't have to do it.” He looks deep into my eyes and I can't look away from his beautiful light blue ones. Whit out taking his eyes of me he opens the door walks in and sets me down slowly on my bed. The way he looks at me I can't help but think that he thinks of me as something more.

“Get some sleep,” he whispers as he walks out and settles my bag under my dresser. Although I'm tired, I'm restless and I can't get the slightest ounce of sleep. A couple of minutes pass and suddenly I hear Daniko's voice from outside my door.

“Naila don't wake her up, she's asleep,” he says.

“You and I both know what she did this morning, no princess should be up this early running around the city by her self. She could have gotten hurt or recognized and King Vansen can not handle this kind of publicity going out to the media,” says Naila.

“She's fine. Nothing happened.”

“I can not keep give any more warnings, if her father finds out she will be in serious trouble. Stop helping her, you know she wouldn't be able to get away with this if it wasn't for you.”

“I made an oath to protect her and that's what I am doing.”

“Well, she has an important meeting today, I need to notify her. You are dismissed King Vansen awaits you in the throne room.”

I hear the door creak open and the squeak of Naila's soft quiet steps. She opens the curtains and bright light shines threw the window. I squint my eyes and see her staring right at me.

“I heard about your little vacation this morning,” she says.

“How did you find out?” I say not ever bothering to deny what she said.

“I have my ways. Two guards just told me this morning that they saw someone in the capitol that looked just like you. She was dressed in a peasant outfit and when they approached her she took off running into the woods. Any memories coming back to you?”

I let out a grunt knowing there is no possible way to get myself out of this one this time.

“Myllar I know that was you, don't let you father catch you.”

“Then I won't be caught, problem solved. And besides I have Daniko remember?”

“You were listening to our conversation.”

“Yes and I also heard that I have an important meeting to attend to today. Is it with the council?” I ask.

“No, I don't think so” she says.

“Do I have to go?”

“Yes and it is my duty to make sure you are there.”

Naila is my personal servant, although she may be small she can be very threatening. She calls the servants in and they start making my bed. Naila seats me on the chair next to my dresser to brush my hair and she notices my bag. My bag is under the dresser clearly visible, I try to hide it between my feet but she snatches it from right under me.

“What is this?” She says while opening my bag and pulling out the antiquated outfit I was wearing.

“I can't believe you actually wear these filthy old rags.”

“I was trying to disguise myself.”

“Well that didn't work out so well did it?”

She starts brushing my hair and I try to hold still from the glare that is blinding my eyes. Light is reflecting in the mirror from the window. The glare takes up most of my vision in the mirror but I catch a glimpse of my amulet that I have on. All I can do is squint at the mirror helplessly as Naila brushes my hair. Being so taken cared of, I feel like a child. There are many servants pacing back and forth allover the place making sure to please me at my every need. The word bored is not a unfamiliar word to me, for I constantly experience it in my own little world, literally. Trying to distract myself I trace my birthmark's pattern that is located in my inner wrist on my arm. My father has the same marking in the exact same place that I do, as well as the rest of my ancestors before me. It's a symbol, that represents who I am and where I come from. Only royalty by blood have it. Some of the other worlds have them too but their different and it's only the royalties. After I am done being changed into one of my most exquisite gowns Naila starts to put in my crown and I beg her with pleading eyes not to.

“Myllar, you need to wear your crown,” she says determinedly.

“I am pretty sure that I am not a stranger to anybody here, I don't see why I need to brag about it.”

“Please wear it, your father King Vansen said that you need to be dressed properly.”

“I am dressed properly. Why do I need go again?” I ask

“I don't know darling, I just follow his orders.”

“Will you be there with me?”

“I'll wait for you outside by the door.”

“What about Daniko?”

“I'm sure he'll be there. Why do you have such a fascination with him anyways?”

I crease my eyebrows and trying to avoid the question I say, “I'll wear the stupid crown okay.”

“That's the spirit,” she says with a laugh,“now come on, you don't want to be late.”

We pass by all the rooms until we get to the big double metal doors of the throne room. There were two guards, one of each side of the door and they open them to me let me in. I turn to Naila to see if she is going to keep her word and as promised she stands next to one of the guards by the door to wait for me. As I walk in I hear the doors close behind me and I'm shocked to see what I'm seeing. On the left side wall of the room in a perfect strait line there is 300 guards in their familiar silver uniform. And on the right side there are also 300 guards but I don't recognize them. They are wearing a different uniform than the guards I'm use to, theirs are white, they must be from some other planet. Both sides of the guards are wearing there protective mask so I can't see there faces. I wonder if one of them is Daniko.

As I make my way in between the line of the statue like guards to where my father is one of them in the silver uniform catches my eye. He makes a signal with his hand and I immediately know that is Daniko. I smile and he nods to confirm that it is him. My father is standing near his throne chair talking to a man with auburn hair, they both seem oblivious of me being in here. The man isn't facing my way so I can only see his back He is tall and seems quite wealthy by the close he is wearing. There's this sick feeling in the pit of my stomach that I can't deny. My surroundings seems unfamiliar to me. I don’t know why he is here, I don’t even know why I'm here.

When my father notices me, proudly and a bit smug he says, “My daughter has arrived.”

The guy turns around slowly and a smile slaps on his face when he sees me. He looks about my age, and he is very handsome.

“Ah...yes...she is very beautiful,” says the guy.

Obviously they had a conversation about me, I'm curious about what they were saying before I entered the room.

“Myllar this is Prince Kyran of Planet Crater,” says my father.

I should have know he was a prince, he is wearing short sleeves which would have left the birthmark on his wrist exposed. Of course it isn't exactly like mine and my fathers, since he is from a different planet but it would have been a dead give away that he is royalty if I would have payed any attention to his arm.

“Hello, I'm Myllar Estrey,” I say introducing myself to Kyran as I flash him a smile.

“It's a pleasure to finally meet you. I've heard so much about you,” he says as he takes my hand and kisses it. He lingers on the kiss and I don't why but I feel uneasy around him . I pull my hand out of his grasp and try to give him a fake smile. I still don't understand why they want me here for.

“So can anybody tell me why I'm here?” I ask.

“Take a seat first Myllar,” says my father.

“Thank you, but I'm fine father.” There is definitely something going on, they seem suspicious like there's something they're keeping from me.

My father begins and says, “You see it's not that complicated...Kyran and I decided that on your eighteenth birthday which is only two days away, you two should get married.”

“What?” I yell. “You can't be serious, you can't force me into an arrange marriage!”

Kyran gives me a big smirk and says, “My princess you and I will rule Siderneta...you will marry me, become my queen and have my children.”

I can't believe what I am hearing I just met this stranger and he is already practically proposing to me. My eyes are wide open, I look at my father, I'm outraged. How could he do this? Do this to me, his only daughter. I have always been so isolated. I have never been allowed to leave the palace without a group of bodyguards to protect me. And now he is just giving me away like nothing. They told me the news like if I had no other option, and truth is I don't' think I do. I can feel the tears welding up in my eyes and I am not going to cry in front of them. Thoughts are racing through my head, I feel dizzy and I don't know what to do. It takes me a while to realize what my body is actually doing but I'm heading to the door. My father calls out my name but I just ignore him and run in between the center of the guards. One of the guards in the silver uniform steps out of the line and I know it's Daniko. He tries to stop me to block my path but I just push him out of the way and he lets met through. There is no turning back now.

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