//FLASHBACK//
•TEN YEARS AGO•
"Princess Aurnia? Princess Aurnia?"
A sly smile appeared on the young princess' face as she peered slowly at her governess, who was frantically looking for her. Her tiny palms were pressed into the cupboard for support while she squatted with a heavy, crimson dress clad around her.
Mathilda, her governess, was drenched in her own sweat—looking for Throuvalon's sole heir to the throne, the ever-mischievous ten-year-old princess, Aurnia.
"Dear Lord, I will surely get scolded again by the king tonight if he finds out that Aurnia missed another lesson."
Aurnia silently giggled while covering her mouth behind the cupboard when she heard her governess' troubled voice. Her big doe eyes were gone every time she would laugh or smile, and two cute dimples would appear, making her smile more endearing.
Her smile had turned bigger when she saw her weary face and her head jerking around frantically.
"Your Royal Highness, please come out now."
She heard her again, and when her governess could not find her, she moved again to the next chamber.
Her heels clanked against the marbled floor of the palace as her governess strode outside the chamber that she was hiding in.
"Yes!" She exclaimed softly when the clanking of her heels finally disappeared while she was punching in the air.
"Finally, some peace. What's the best activity I could do to pass some time?" She muttered to herself.
The young princess eventually slumped to the floor when she began feeling strain in her muscles. She sat down there for awhile, thinking carefully about where she should play her next prank and her target.
She stretched out her legs in front and leaned her hands on her back for support. "Hmmm… why not I should visit the stables and surprise the stable men with the horses' new haircut?" She thought mischievously; an impish smile was curling in her lips as she wiggled her toes excitedly.
The young Aurnia was hepped up to execute her prank on the stable men, so she flipped to the side and was on her fours to rise on her feet when her hazel-brown eyes were met with two smoldering ash-gray orbs.
"AAAAAAAAH!" Aurnia's ear-splitting scream reverberated across the chamber as she fell back with the cupboard behind her.
She immediately tried to back away from the stranger, but there was no more space to fall back on. Her heart was pounding hard against her chest, but the stubborn princess isn't someone that anyone could easily threaten with. She is the one who always threatens everyone, not the other way around.
She lifted her chin up and glared at the young boy in front of her, who was staring at her with furrowed brows while he was crossing his arms against his chest. Nevertheless, the princess acted like she was not at all perturbed by his imposing presence.
While trying to stand up, she staggered to her feet because of her heavy dress. She sneakily threw him a glance, and her cheeks were flustered in both annoyance and embarrassment when she saw the corners of his lips curl.
She was embarrassed because he saw her struggle to even stand up, and annoyed because she doesn't like how this young boy was able to make her lose her cool.
"What are you looking at? Do you even know who I am? I am the princess of this kingdom, and you must bow to me." She scoffed at the young man while she raised her brows at him.
However, the young boy only looked at her with nonchalance while his arms were crossed across his chest. "And so what if you are the princess? Being the princess does not give you a free pass to prank everyone. If only you hadn't neglected your studies and spent your learning hours on pathetic tricks, then you are probably equipped now with the basic etiquettes of how princesses behave."
Her jaw dropped in disbelief when the boy started lecturing her about how she should act. She instantly concluded that she hated the boy; no one had ever treated her that way, only him.
She looked at the boy from head to toe and noticed something about him. If it weren't for his ordinary clothes, she would have mistook him for someone who comes from a noble family with how he carried himself in a very dignified way. In fact, he looked more noble compared to half of the true nobles' sons that she had met a few times.
Nevertheless, she won't tell him that, not when he rudely insulted her.
She snickered at him and stomped her feet, "Hmph, what do you even know about how people like me should act when you're not even at least a noble yourself?"
When she thought she had already gotten her revenge, her high hopes were instantly crushed when the young boy maintained his composed expression.
The young boy tilted his head to his right; his ash-gray eyes bore into hers, seemingly scrutinizing her in the most brutal, blunt way. "Anyone who was adequately knowledgeable would know that you weren't cut off from being a princess. A princess doesn't only mean pretty dresses, shoes, a luxurious bath, a comfortable bed, travel, and countless servants. It's a duty to which you must adhere and a responsibility to which you must commit. Clearly something you don't know."
She could hear the sarcasm and mockery in his voice right off the bat, prompting her to lose her cool. "Who even are you to lecture me about these things? I bet you aren't even qualified to be at least my governor."
The young boy smiled for the first time, although it did not reach his ears. "Who am I?" He chuckled, then fished something out of his pocket and took out a strip of white rope. "Finally, a sensible question from you. You will know once we reach His Majesty." He answered and grabbed her hand.
She tried to free her hand, but the young boy's grasp on her wrist was tough. "What are you doing? Let go of me this instant. Wait until my father hears about this. Don't ever blame me if you get yourself hanged by the tree." She threatened when he started tying the rope in her hand.
Unperturbed as he always was, he just gave him a small smile, held the ends of the rope, and began walking away, with her following him with no choice.
"His Majesty had warned me about your quite erratic behavior and that I would definitely have a hard time bringing you to him, so when I told him how I could drag you to him, he agreed with no choice as long as you meet His Majesty. Your presence has been requested by your father for an important matter. Unfortunate for you, I fear, you couldn't visit the stables today to give the horses new 'haircuts'."