Princess Milla sat in front on her dressing mirror watching as her maids combed and styled her hair.
"Your hair is very pretty." Giti complimented. She had never failed to tell the princess how much she admired the colour and texture of her hair.
Her door opened and the other of her personal maid, Jasia, came in with an envelope in her hands.
"Your Highness Moon Hall sent a letter to you." She handed her mistress the envelope and sat on the floor beside the princess in anticipation of what the letter contained. Milla gave her a look and Jasia smiled abashed, the princess shook her head amused.
Jasia has always been a busybody in the affairs of her mistress but Milla knew it was because she cared for her. She opened the envelope and read through the letter. Giti flicked her hands silently telling other maids to see themselves out.
"Concubine Keiwan is inviting me for lunch." She revealed when she saw Jasia's eager eyes on the letter.
Giti smiled. "She is going to like you."
Jasia thought other wise. "She wants to see for herself if you are worth her son."
"Jasia!" Milla reprimanded. Jasia looked down but she wasn't sorry for they all knew she was correct.
Princess Milla left her room with her personal maids in tow. Before she left home, her mother had told her that she must impress the king and Concubine Keiwan. As she walked, she heard a faint sound of music floating in the air.
She paused. "Where is this sound coming from?"
"From the east side of the palace I think." Giti provided. She moved towards the east side of the palace and walked over a bridge constructed over a little stream. The sound grew louder and she followed it. She ceased moving when she saw a man in a gray coloured robe with an extremely long hair playing on a panpipes. He sent out such a melodious sound, so wonderful.
Toban Tressor stopped playing when he felt that he had a unexpected audience. He turned and the wind fluttered his long hair.
Milla stopped short, what an attractive man! The only person capable of being this handsome was the second prince, stories said he was as beautiful as a woman.
"Your Highness." She curtesyed, her maids mirrored her.
"You do know this is a private ground." He stated quietly.
"Yes, I heard the sound of your music from afar and I was bewitched by it." She told him.
Toban smiled at the woman's chioce of words. Bewitched.
"You are?"
"Milla Corllie of Neo."
His pretty eyes flickered in realisation. "Princess." He said and gave a slight bow.
He studied her and felt that the rumours were true, she indeed looked like a porcelain. Fair and easily breakable, he didn't need someone like that in his life.
Yet. "Do you play?" He inquired.
She shook her head in regret. "No, I have no talent in music it seems." When she was a child, her mother had employed so many music instructors to teach her any musical instruments. But she had a mind like a sieve when it came to music, she always forgot.
Toban chuckled.
"Well, I'll take my leave Your Highness."
He watched her walk away with one word in his mind. Fascinating.
Concubine Keiwan observed the princess. She was indeed as pretty as a picture.
"Sit down." She allowed. "I heard that you grow so many kinds of plants at home." She waved her hand and a maid poured them both tea and stepped out.
"Yes, I love plants."
The concubine decided to test the princess's wit. "You know know why you were invited to the king's birthday banquet?"
Princess Milla met her eyes without flinching. "Yes Your Highness."
The concubine nodded in satisfaction. The princess might look delicate but she sure had backbone.
•°•
"Do you feel regretful that you don't know martial arts?" Nimo asked as she and Sessa roved leisurely around the palace.
"Sometimes."
"Would you like to learn?"
"Probably, I've never really thought about it. I couldn't learn it when I was little because of my health condition."
"If you put your mind to it, you can learn it. Health condition or no."
Sessa smiled.
"Will you teach me? If I'm interested?"
"Sure." Nimo answered casually but her face glowed.
"Why do you like books so much?" She asked him curiously. He turned and looked at her, no one had ever bothered to ask him such question. Even his mother.
"Hmm...I'd say it's because I didn't have the chance to see other sights, books were the closest things to me, they were in my room, almost everywhere in the house. So it stuck on me, it kept me company during my lonely days."
"You really missed a lot."
"I know. Tell me about your childhood."
"Me? I was quite lonely too...but not really. I've always loved martial arts, it made me the weirdo among my peers. During those times, I remember other girls delightfully dressing up, grooming their hairs and all that. It just never appealed to me."
"That because your are...weird." Sessa teased. They burst into laughter.
"I thought you were going to say it's because I'm special." Nimo spoke in between laughs.
"You wish."
Princess Milla sighted two figures laughing carefreely as she walked back to her designated residence, their genuineness drew her forward.
"That is the Crown Prince." Jasia informed her mistress.
"How do you know?" Giti asked.
"Have you not heard of this saying: black hair, white dress and a book equals to the Crown Prince." Jasia defended her statement.
"But he isn't with a book." Giti stated the obvious.
"Alright! Both of you, that enough." The princess put an end to their bickering.
Nimo noticed a familiar woman walking towards them, and then she remembered.
"Isn't that Neo's princess?" She whispered. Before Sessa could reply, the princess was right in front of them.
"Your Highness." Nimo saluted.
"Your Highness." The princess saluted Sessa. He nodded and introduced Nimo.
"I was just coming back from Concubine Keiwan's place and I didn't expect to see you on my way." Milla conversed.
"Oh really?" Sessa glanced at Nimo but her face was strangely undecipherable.
After a bit of polite conversation, Milla went her way.
"Your Highness, that girl is very pretty. Are you sure she doesn't have a thing with the Crown Prince?" Jasia spoke her mind.
"Jasia!" Giti called.
"What? Rumour says the Crown Prince is very reserved but there he was laughing with a woman."
"Jasia have I been too lenient with you?" Milla asked.
"No Your Highness." She felt sorry.
"If he does like her, it has nothing to do with our engagement, after all this is all but arranged. And besides, a king can have as many wives as he chooses."
"Yes Your Highness." Both maids answered exchanging glances at the convincing voice of the princess.
Despite all of her lectures to her maids, deep down she could help but wish someone would find her special enough.