Dalila sat comfortably in the centre of the greenhouse. Wonderful smells and colors surrounded her from all sides. She slowly looked up at the blue sky beyond the glass roof. Warmth seeped through onto her face and she smiled. The weather was nice which meant the plants would get a lot of light. Yet as happy as she was something was off. She wondered if the flowers also wanted to leave their glass cage, just like her. She wished she could feel the wind blow against her hair but it wasn’t going to happen any time soon.

She took a deep breath and went back to sketching the blooming roses in front of her. Soon she totally forgot about being sad and became engrossed in drawing. She wanted to do the beautiful flower justice as her fingers darkened with pencil marks. When she was done, Dalila examined the picture under the sun and decided she was satisfied with the outcome. The girl slowly stood up and walked towards the lilies. She always checked on them before leaving.

Few moments later a servant came in to assist her in returning to her room. The blonde insisted many times it wasn’t necessary. She appreciated the help but her body was strong enough to get up at least one flight of stairs alone. When she reached the bedroom, her mother was sitting in the corner, waiting. The woman seemed very serious and Dalila quickly sat down too.
“Is something wrong mother? Is the kingdom having political issues again?” Dalila asked with concern. Her mother smiled kindly and brushed her hand through Dalila’s hair. “Nothing for you to worry about sweetheart. It’s just we have a favour to ask of you, we arranged a marriage with another kingdom and we need you to marry the man as soon as possible.”

Things suddenly went quiet. Dalila stared at her mother. She knew sooner or later a time like this would come but it made her slightly disappointed. She had hoped to have gone outside the palace grounds before a proposal like this came. Then again maybe getting married was for the better, having someone trusted out of the palace beside your side would be nice. Married couples appeared quite happy to her. Dalila nodded her head and smiled, “I’ll do it mother”.
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On the other side of the palace the news unfortunately didn’t go down that well.

As usual Alec spent his morning horse riding. He woke up early in order to avoid people. He didn’t like to be distracted when riding. After saying goodbye to his sister, he left the palace and entered the stables. It was calm, the quiet only broken by the sound of horses once in a while. He walked up to his horse Butler and patted his head. He lead the horse out to the track and prepared to mount it. The sky was clear but the air was still cool from the cold night. It didn’t bother him much as he jumped onto the back of the horse.

He laughed as the horse galloped and jumped over any obstacles in the way. Being outside like this made him feel free of the constraints that came with being of royal blood. It filled with joy. Soon this peace was broken as people gathered around the stables. Although Alec preferred being alone, he didn’t really mind the watchful eyes. He was used to people cheering him on while he was on his horse, especially women. He’d show them a fake smile to satisfy his parents and then just ignore them. He swiftly stopped the horse and slid down, spotting his father in the distance.

The crowd of people parted to let him through and bowed. His father, just like always, didn’t even smile at them just looked ahead and walked head held high. “Alec may we talk for a moment?,” he asked calmly. Alec cursed in his mind. There was absolutely no way to escape with all these people watching. If he just set off running it’d cause a lot of trouble, even he they didn’t find him for a while. Alec shrugged and followed the man.

“What is it dad? I was planning to go hunting so I am a tad busy. Can we speed this up?,” Alec finally spoke once they were inside. His father didn’t reply straight away. They both sat down. The atmosphere was awkward to say the least. His father cleared his throat and began, “Alec, as you know we need to get one of the kingdoms to join us and mother and I decided it’d be best to….” Alec cut him. “I’m not getting married, not to some posh little princess.”

“Listen to me son. This isn’t your choice it has already been arranged. Just like your sister , you will marry a beautiful lady from the kingdom and you will be nice to her. Please don’t make this troublesome. You’re twenty-four for god’s sake act like a man not a wild child,” the words of his father were stern.

“Whatever,” Alec got up and rushed out the door. He expected this moment, he just hoped it’d come later rather than sooner. At this point all he could do was wish for his future wife to be a fun person.

Emalyn and Martin were having their usual lunch out on the balcony, when their parents came out with their faces ecstatic. Martin looked at his younger sister with an eyebrow raised, as she shrugged at looked at their mother. "Yes, mother? Father?" Martin looked at them also, happiness glimmering in his eyes.

Their Father cleared his throat, then announcing, "you both have done your kingdom proud as you both have been selected to be married, with royalty from another kingdom, whom we need ties with. Martin turned pale white as fear overtook the happiness, and he stood to object. "Father I am to leave for war in a week. " his father nodded, sighing. "I know son. But you will come back a war hero to us all." Martin grew red. How was he supposed to marry with a war so soon? He was going off to fight for a kingdom who they had an old truce with. He left, the doors to the throne room swinging open. The King rubbed his forehead, aggravated. The queen rubbed his arm as he walked away, and say next to Emalyn who had started crying.

"What is it, my child?" She placed her arm loosely on Emalyns shoulders. "How am I supposed to marry a man I've never met? Can't I be like you and Father?" The Queen shook her head. "No dear, I'm afraid not. Your father and I were one of the few lucky ones who actually did love one another." She reflected on their past. They were arranged too, only they were actually secretly in love. Emalyn left and went out to the stables where she rode her faithful stallion, a big black horse, with a white mane and tail. They often used her for the carriages with the others. Emalyn rode off into the huge green pasture. She didn't want to be married so soon. Couldn't she see the world... Alone?

The next morning things in the palace were Rather busy. Cooks ran around the kitchen in a hurry. Maids were also restless, cleaning every speck of dust so that every single corner looked perfect. Decorators and flower arrangers were invited to decorate the ballroom and surrounding rooms. A small orchestra was setting up on a stage situated at the corner of the room.

Dalila had been witness to preparations of a number of balls but none of them were as grand as this was would be. After all her parents wanted their destined meeting to be perfect. She was overjoyed they paid so much attention to everything for their happiness.

“All this fancy set up won’t change much if the person we’re to marry isn’t nice….,” her brother said walking down the stairs from which Dalila was watching the hustle downstairs. She looked sternly at her brother but then giggled slightly. “You can’t say such things Alec. They are sure to be lovely people!”

Alec sighed and mumbled something along the lines of “I guess”. He hugged his younger sister and continued down the stairs. He stole a fruit from the kitchen and existed the palace. These were his last few moments before meeting her. In about two hours the air would feel different, he wasn’t sure if it’d be heavier or maybe somehow lighter. Everything would be revealed tonight.

Time passed too quickly for Alec and incredibly slowly for Dalila. As the clock struck five it was time to get ready. The man groaned with dissatisfaction as the maids helped put on his suit. The clothing felt stiff and uncomfortable and he couldn’t wait to get out of it. Dalila on the other hand chatted cheerfully to the maids while they dolled her up.

Then came the anticipated moment. Dalila and Alec were both at the balls main room. After an announcement of their arrival and main introductions their parents ordered them to stand aside and wait. Alec hoped the arrival of the other kingdom would drag out for as long as possible. He leaned against the wall watching people party like nothing was about to happen. His sister was a bit more restless but she too stood waiting.

Suddenly trumpets played a tune and they could spot a pair of silhouettes at the entrance of the palace. They had finally come.

Martin and Emalyn had a quick wardrobe change and dolled themselves up for their grand meeting. Martin was nervous, but was mainly freaking out about how he was supposed to tell his apparent new fiancé that he was leaving for war in less than a week. Emalyn was mainly nervous about meeting this man. Sure, she was named the most beautiful in the kingdom of her fathers, but she was the princess.

Martin held his arm out, escorting his sister up the stairs, and they stopped briefly at the doors. "Nervous?" He asked, feeling her grip on his arm. She not simply nodded, her eyes fixed on the doors as they were opened. Emalyn let go of her brother, her hands slightly shaking, and as they walked through they saw two silhouettes, a man and a woman. They continued walking as Emalyn intertwined her hand together in front of her to keep from shaking.

When Martin looked up he saw his fiancé and gave a charming smile. "I'm Prince Martin. You must be Princess Dalila." He bowed in front of her, after kissing her hand. He wore a nicely hand sewn, stiff suit.

Emalyn slowly walked up to the man and smiled shyly. "Princess... E-emaly-yn.." Her cheeks turned a rose color and she cupped her hand over her mouth. Her dress was a white, and a little puffy by her waist, her sleeves longer than her arms. "I.. I'm really nervouss.. " she stuttered and looked down.

Dalila’s heart pound as the man came closer to her. He looked like a kind man and she liked him instantly. She thought luck must have really been on her side as the man placed a kiss on her hand. She smiled at him too, her eyes glowing with excitement at getting to know Martin better.

“It’s really nice to meet you, I hope we can get along well,” she said cheerfully, also bowing gracefully. She stared at him for a few moments trying to think of something to say. It was a little hard to think of a conversation starter with your future husband you just met. Then an idea popped into her head. “Maybe we could dance? I don’t have much practice but that way you could tell me more about yourself.”

Emalyn seemed different than the other women who approached him. It could have been the situation they were put in but Alec was sure it was something else. The woman made he feel at ease. She was beautiful. Of course it wasn’t enough for him to fall in love, but seeing her all flustered unlike any other royal lady he had met, made him realize it wouldn’t have to be such a bad thing marrying her.

As she blushed Alec decided it was probably time for him to say something. He reached out his hand and boldly yet also gently cupped her chin so she would stop looking down. “No need to be nervous. I’m Alec. Would you mind if I have the first dance?” He let go of her face and bowed.

Martin smiled, and nodded. "It'd be my pleasure to escort you in the first dance m'lady. " He smiled, and took her hand, as they walked into the more open area. Soon, they were in rhythm, and he smiled. "Have you danced often? You're quite well at it." He chuckled, and focused.

Emalyn smiled as he lifted her face up, and she nodded. "Why, of course, Prince Alec." She smiled brightly, as they went out, not too far from Martin, and his fiance. She frowned at the thought that she wouldn't be his number one girl anymore, and they wouldn't be together as often. She sighed, and focused on the dancing.

It wasn’t hard for Dalila to synchronize with Martin. They danced together well and she felt at peace being led by him. His hold on her was reassuring as they swayed in time with the music. The pairs of people around them were unimportant. For the first time ever the woman felt this was a dance specifically for her. She felt special.

“I don’t dance too much. It’s a little tiring but I enjoy it. Do you? You’re leading me quite well.”

Talking to him was easy and she wanted to know more, “Tell me about your kingdom. Is it pretty? Any interesting things you wouldn’t find here?”


Alec was surprised at his own behavior. This was possibly the first time he danced with someone outside of the family at his own choice. Emalyn wasn’t hard to lead but something seemed off. They danced quietly for a little while and once the song finished he decided to change things a little.

“Would you like to get out of here for a while, there’s this hill nearby with a lovely view. We can take a breather, I don’t think anyone will notice if we disappear,” he said winking and began walking looking back at her to see if she’d follow.

"Why thank you, and I'm not sure if I can tell much of a difference betweens our homes yet. You do realize, you're coming back with me?" He grinned, and kept his grip on her, swaying in time with her.


Emalyn watched him walk away, and felt a pang. She turned to console her brother, but he was too busy gazing into the eyes of the Princess. With Alec growing smaller in her vision, something took over her, and she walked and caught up with him. She felt a little bad for choosing a man she'd just met over her brother, but he's obviously already forgotten about her.. so.. why shouldn't she forget him? "Sorry, I dazed out for a moment. We're going to a lovely view on a hill?" She asked, and intertwined their hands.

The moving homes thing was a detail her parents forgot to mention. She was extremely happy to see another place, to finally leave the palace for once but anxiety circled at the back of her mind. Would she not cause them trouble? Dalila was sure Martin and the people at his home would take care of her but she didn’t want to be too dependable or a bother. Yet his grin and reassuring touch reminded her things wouldn’t be that bad. It would just take some getting used to. She looked into his eyes and returned the smile.

“I can’t wait! I heard your kingdom has a wide array of flowers that don’t grow here. I’d be glad to see them with you.”

A smirk appeared on Alec’s face as Emalyn caught up with him. For a moment he thought she wouldn’t come. In a way he was testing her. A woman for him had to be at least slightly spontaneous. He held her hand firmly as they slipped out through a side door. He gently pulled her along as they made their way up the hill.

Then reaching its peak he and let go of her hand. He pointed upwards, “look. Pretty isn’t it? I’d have to say the stars have a bit to go before they can reach your beauty though.”

He took of the jacket of his suit and lied it on the ground. He sat down on it and motioned for her to do the same.

Martins face pleated relieved as she said those words. "Ah yes. I think that is one of the things we are more known for are our flowers. " he swiftly twirled her then and smiled as she landed on his arms. But when he looked up, Emalyn was gone. He had a frown, but quickly bee placed it with a smirk., he'd moved on so fast he was sure Emalyn hated him.

Emalyn sat down next to her Alec, smiling at his comment still. She then chuckled lightly. "You're going to have to hoist me up later." Her dress was not as puffy as it appeared to be but it was still a little big. Emalyn laid in a way on his shoulder that hhis arm was keeping them both up, and if he felt the romance, he could just simply turn her head and kiss her.

This was by far the best dance Dalila ever experianced but she was starting to feel a little tired. While her mind was set on keeping the magical moment going her body was slowly giving up. She sat down on the stairs with a drink in hand and looked at the man.

"I wouldn't worry about your sister, I'm sure Alec will take good care of her," she reassured her partner with a smile.The fact her brother ran off somewhere with his new lady, suprisingly, didn't bother her in the slightest. In a way she was proud her brother wasn't making a big fuss out of it.

Alec felt a wave of joy as the woman sat beside him. His heart beat almost as quickly as when he rode a horse when she lied on his shoulder. He laughed light heartedly and embraced her, calming himself down. Emalyn was almost shining in the moonlight. He joking thought that maybe she was just a night spirit ready to disappear at sunlight, only to be replaced by a spoiled little princess brat. Thankfully this wasn't the case.

He turned to her. She was very close and Alec decided to kiss her on the cheek. He wasn't sure if kissing her lips would be to bold of a move and didn't want to scare her. "So, what do you usually do on evenings like these when you're at home?"

Martin watched Dalila sit, casually sipping her drink he wasn't quite sure where she got it from. He sat next to her and wrapped an arm around her waist, and after she was finished drinking, Martin cupped one hand on her cheek, the other still on her waist, and kissed her. Meh knew it might have been too soon but he had been waiting for this.

Emalyn scratched her chin. "I would honestly be on my horse. There's this beautiful lake in the woods behind the castle. " she shrugged and sighed tiredly. It had been a long journey here, but maybe it was worth it. Then Emalyn didn't know what she was doing but she looked up at him with bright eyes and went for the kiss. She had one had on his right cheek, and his lips were so soft.

Dalila’s energy slowly began to re charge as Martin sat beside her and wrapped her in a warm embrace. She was slightly startled as the man placed his hand on her now bright red check and kissed her. While surprised, she didn’t mind at all. In fact it was quite enjoyable and she kissed him back gently forgetting about the ball around them. From then on time went quickly, they danced and chatted a bit more. He was a fantastic man. Unfortunately soon it was time for the woman to sleep. She felt it was too early and she wanted to spend more time with him but her body couldn’t take much more action. She gave Martin a small goodnight kiss and excused herself.

“Oh so you like horseride……” Alec couldn’t finish the sentence and she kissed him. Not waiting long, he kissed her back passionately. Soon he was lying on top of her kissing her deeply. The cool air soon didn’t bother him at all as he became warmer and warmer. His misfortune at being told to marry turned into something happy. He realized this looking back at Emalyn. She had a fun personality, seemingly similar interests and by god was she good at kissing. Realizing, by the place of the moon it was past midnight, Alec straightened himself up. “Thank you for the lovely evening, I’ll see you in the morning.” It might have been an impure thought but he almost wished to share the bed with her, however it would have been a great dishonor to them both. He just had to wait for their marriage.
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The morning sun shone into her room. She remembered the almost dreamlike night she had yesterday. She wondered if Martin was awake yet. She called in her maids and got dressed in a simple light blue dress. She brushed her hair. Breakfast at her request would be served in the greenhouse. She decided to wait there for Martin and check on her flowers in the mean time. She’d have to say goodbye to them after all.

Alec sighed as obnoxious light shone into his eyes, waking him up. He was pretty tired and decided against riding his horse this morning. As he got up and wondered about inviting Emalyn for a ride after breakfast. He didn’t bother changing into day clothes and walked downstairs.

Martin soon awoke in one of the guestrooms, his sister in the other. He had a wonderful night last night with Dalila, and almost wished to take it a step farther. He sighed, shaking the thought out of his head, and got dressed in a simple suit, casual attire for the royals he supposed. Soon after awakening, he heard of Dalila in the greenhouse, and walked over, opening the door. "Why, you look lovely this day, Dalila." He smiled, and wrapped his arms from behind her, and kissed her head.

Emalyn awoke in a guestroom, dreaming about last night, and how her fiance was the most gorgeous, strong, passionately kissing man she'd ever met. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad, but, maybe it would. It was too early to tell. As she awoke, she dressed in a casual fitting light purple dress, and went out on her balcony. She shed a few tears at her brother, embracing that weakling of a woman. She was almost certain there was something wrong with her, but she didn't know what. With a blank face, she went downstairs where she found her fiance, still in his night clothes. "Well, good morning." She grunted, and grabbed some juice, going to the balcony in the living room.

A bright smile filled her face as she sensed his presence from behind. He kissed her head and she looked up to meet his eyes. “Thank you,” she responded with a lighthearted giggle. She felt so safe in his gentle embrace. She wanted to trust him as much as her brother. It’d take time but she believed Martin deserved her trust. Thinking about her brother made her wonder when he’d show his face. The woman was beginning to miss him, the new princess seemed to distract him from greeting her. She sat down at the neatly arranged table and locked her eye with Martin. “Welcome to my own little kingdom she said looking around the greenhouse, did you sleep well?”
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Emalyn’s harsh greeting made him wonder if she was unhappy with what happened last night. It’d be surprising considering how much fun they had but she could have been concealing her true feelings. Alec also wondered if getting dressed would have been a good idea too. He followed her to the balcony and grabbed her arm softly with just enough force to stop her. “Good morning to you too Emalyn dear, has something happened you don’t seem to happy?” He spun her around and hugged the lady to cheer her up. “We might want to head to breakfast, wouldn’t want to make our siblings wait.”

(Hold up dinner tome.)

((I'm going to sleep pretty soon anyway so take your time. I'll answer when I wake up))

Martin smiled as they sat down, and looked around as his fiance spoke. "It looks marvelous, and suits you nicely. I'm sure we can have one made at my castle especially for this." He smiled, and took her hands from across the table. "I slept well, did you my dear?" He asked in a concerned tone.

Emalyn smiled as he asked her if she was alright, and she shook her head, and buried her head in the crook of his neck almost naturally. "Forget our siblings, they are moving back to my kingdom soon anyway. " She sighed, and wrapped her arms around his waist, and just stood there, leaning on him with her eyes closed. This moment felt so right... everything felt so right. "Perhaps we can skip breakfast and go out for a ride, love?" She asked, adventure sparkling in her eyes.

She was glad Martin mentioned ma king a greenhouse at his palace as Dalila was beginning to worry about abandoning her little botany hobby. She wondered if her lillies would survive a long carriage journey but those thoughts quickly drifted away as the man took her hand. “I slept very well, one usually does when they’re very tired.” Breakfast was peaceful and Martin’s company was very enjoyable. At the back of her mind she questioned why her brother never showed up. She was glad he was happy but a pang of jealousy filled her heart. She shook away the thought and smiled, “What would you like to do now?”
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Alec was close to being surprised as Emalyn mentioned skipping breakfast. He thought about it for a few moments as he swept his fingers through her hair. He was sure Dalila would understand, he’d make it up to her. Now he had a second lady to take care of. “Sure, just let me get changed.” His feet quickly carried him upstairs and he quickly ran back down. He let Emalyn to the stables and introduced his horse along with another he was planning on lending Emalyn. “Well then, hop on. There’s a cool place in the forest I can show you.”

Martin hardly missed his sister, and hoped she would understand as he tried to forget her. He smiled and had a good time with Dalila, noticing she perked up when he said something about building a green house at his kingdom. His kingdom. It was going to be his as soon as dear old dad passed away.

"I'll follow you, my dear." He replied, and smiled charmingly.



Emalyn smiled bright as he went and got dressed, feeling accomplished. When she was introduced to his horse, she knew her made should be by soon, her father had promised. Or maybe.. He forgot that too. She frowned at the thought then hopped on her lent horse as instructed to do so. "Lead the way , handsome." Emalyn started trotting out of the stables, and laughed,.

Martin allowed Dalila to take the lead and decide what they could do. His smile reassured her wherever they went they could have a good time but Dalila was still a little worried about disappointing him. She wondered if he knew she never left the palace and that her pastimes were limited. She thought about what they could do and only one thing popped into her head.

“Why don’t we go to the library then? It’s calm and there’s a beautiful stained-glass window which let’s in an almost magical light if you close the blinds.” The woman wasn’t sure if it was romantic enough but they could make it work.
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Emalyn’s laugh as she rode out made him happy. He was glad he could cheer her up, even in the slightest. He led the way on his horse down from the stables and up a large plain of thick green grass and small flowers. They continued further until the castle was only a little speck in the distance and flowing water would be heard. They stopped at the bank of the river and Alec let his horse go, he knew the horses were trained to come back when called.

“It’s pretty cool, isn’t it?”

Martin smiles, nodding to we as she makes the suggestion. "Of course dear. It sounds marvelous." He stood, taking her arm, but letting her lead the way.

Emalyn soon dismounted as well, going to Alec's side. "It's beautiful, love." She smiled, and pecked his cheek. "What shall we do out here.. All alone?" She asked with a hint of seriousness, seeming nervous. She was never alone with a man, much less one that she was supposed to wed soon.

She led him up the stairs and then down the hall. The library was at the back of the palace where it had the most space to thrive. It occupied three floors but could only be accessed by the one in the middle. Like she said, colorful rays of light radiated throughout the room.

“Well this is it, it’s quite a relaxing place.” She walked down a smaller stair way to the first floor where a few couches stood. She motioned for him to sit down. “I come here quite often, I know every little secret and hideout in this place. People rarely come here anyway so we’ve got it all to ourselves.” She said this while raising her hands, maybe a bit dramatically, and spinning around.


Alec couldn’t help but laugh as she asked what they could do. He wondered what she expected him to do anyway. He didn’t consider himself a man capable of making someone nervous. He began taking of his shirt and winked at her playfully.

“Considering it’s pretty warm I was going to take a dip in the river. The current is pretty weak and the water isn’t cold. Why not jump in with me?”

He didn’t really take her dress into consideration but a princess was sure to have many clothes. Ruining one to have some carefree fun shouldn’t have been a problem.

Martin sat down next to her and put his arm on her shoulders. "It's nice, but mine is bigger." He smirked, kissing her head. "I'll give you a whole tour of the castle as soon as we arrive. " he smiled. But inside he was dying as he told her these things that he may not be able to promise, as he had to leave for war.

Emalyn watched him undress, a shocked expression in her face as he had more muscle than she had thought. She was about to join him, but hesitated. She then let her dress fall to the ground, revealing her in a bra and underwear. She jumped off the dock, and came back up soon after. "It feels amazing!" She laughed.

“It must really be a sight to admire then. So many books. It sounds amazing.” She was in awe just imagining it. So many experiences would await her once she made the journey to Martin’s palace. She was happy to be able to do it all with him by her side. Even with all these joyful thoughts her mind still drifted to her brother.

“What kind of person is your sister?”


Like he expected it didn’t take her long to get in. She looked like a water nymph as she came up from under the water. He dived and came up top closer to her. She embraced her and kissed Emalyn softly in the water. They had fun like this for a while. As afternoon came Alec decided it was time to get back. He put his clothes onto his wet body, knowing they’d dry as the rode anyway. Before mounting his horse he picked a few wild flowers for his sister, she wouldn’t be too dissatisfied that way.