"Mother" Crystal shouts as she collects her dress and runs towards her mother.

"What do you think you are doing?" Coral asks as she stares at her daughter in displeasure.

"Oops sorry, where are you going?" she asks curiously and Coral raises her hand stopping her from being anywhere near.

"Your hands are greasy Crystal and a Royal should never run in anywhere with her dress held up like that" she scolds Crystal who groans.

"Oh come on mother, not you too. I have heard all about this from every male around but you are no male, have some mercy on me" she grins but her mother shakes her head still in displeasure.

"It seems Diego, even if he took you away for your safety forgot to teach you manners a Royal should have...

Maliska, take her to her room and clean her please" Coral orders as she walks away.

"It's okay, I can clean myself just fine" Crystal grumbles as she turns to walk away but stops when she finds the woman following her.

"Well I said I..."

"No one defies the Queen's order" the woman speaks bowing her head and Crystal frowns.

"Well in that case as your future Queen I ask you to leave me alone" she orders making a shooing hand gesture.

"I will keep that in mind for future, Princess" the woman nods making Crystal groan before she slowly turns and runs out of the hallway while the woman gasps calling her name.

*******

"May I know, who are you hiding from?" Diego asks startling Crystal who yelps jumping a bit.

"Diego" she gasps happily jumping to hug him.

"I missed you to, my little fairy" he grins.

"When did you arrive, how Aura is and Dante, is he alive?" she asks happily making him laugh.

"He will survive and Aura sends her love" he grins as he holds her hand and puts it around his arm walking out of the library.

"So, how is a Palace life faring you?" he enquiries.

"Dull. I cannot do this or that and if I try to do anything Adrian is there to drag me to my room and I have to stay inside until he comes to escort me"

"Hmm, I do not sense any dull moments in there" he smiles.

"Why do I even have to stay here? Can I not go back with you?" she asks.

"I am sorry, Princess I cannot take you back with me ever again. This is your home, this is where you belong"

"But it's so strange and lonesome in here, no one smiles back at me and I have to spend hours learning sophisticated things we can do normally...

Like I cannot put my elbows on the dining table, always sit straight, cannot eat my food as soon as it is served...

Eat slowly, chew, taste, gulp and sip water...Ugh, it's painful" she groans making him laugh.

"You will get used to it" he pats on the back of her hand.

"I do not want to, being a queen seems like a terrible idea and whoever thought it will be great should be hanged" she grumbles.

"You should not think such evil things on a dead man" he warns making her glance at his way.

"Our late King and your father always imagined you will be a Great Queen, doing all the rights in this world full of wrongs" he smiles making her smile sadly.

"Can you tell me more about him?" she asks as they walk silently.

"Just know, he has always been kind" he smiles.

*******

"I know how to ride a horse" Crystal protests as Adrian checks on the horse's sole.

"Never said you don't"

"Then why do I have to have someone hold the reins for me"

"A Lady never rides a horse like a man, also your dress will make it difficult"

"I can always wear some pants underneath" she grins as she jumps and sits on the horse making Adrian shakes his head in displeasure.

"Yes, but you are not a man nor are you any other woman, you are to be a Queen and a Queen should act like a Lady not some wild untamed dog" he sighs making her sigh.

"I don't want to be a Lady" she grumbles.

"That's why we are trying hard to turn you into one, now get off the horse before he throw you off and you fall down unladylike" he warns as he runs his hand soothingly on the horse.

"I heard some maids, they were going to the market. I have yet to see it, can I go as well?" she asks and he shakes his head no.

"Please Ad, I have been good have I not?" she begs.

"It's a place filled with human Cry, we can hardly handle you. I cannot take the risk to expose you to humans"

"What do you take me for? Some wild animal?" she asks offended at his words.

"No, but the more distance we have with humans the better. You are soon to be a queen and you need to start and think like one" he speaks as he walks away with the horse.

"Perhaps you should learn some human manners or read a book on how to treat a girl" she shouts but he just keeps on walking away from her.

"This place is no fun" she mumbles kicking a pebble as she makes her way back to the castle only to stop as she finds her mother along with some woman walking towards the back of the house so she follows them.

*******

Crystal hides behind the bushes as she finds her mother along with some women standing making a circle and chanting something, she watches as the flower on the middle of them disappears before it appears once again making her gasps in shock.

The flower dies as the concentration of the women breaks hearing her gasps and she stands wide eyes getting caught.

"Crystal" her mother shouts at her and Crystal steps out of the bush to walk towards them.

"What are you doing here?" her mother asks and she gulps nervously.

"What were you all doing?" she asks instead and her mother tilts her head before a soft smile forms on her face.

"Would you like to learn it?" she offers and Crystal frowns not knowing how she should answer.

"Don't fret child, what I will teach you is way better and fun than what others are teaching you. I am sure what I will teach you will be better than the soups you taste in your lessons" she states.

"Umm, I don't know" she mutters staring at the dead flower which blooms back to its original form and Crystal's head snaps towards her mother meeting her gaze.

"Until the guard dog is around you, I will never show you things you are capable of, but if you try and are interested I am sure we can find a way out...

To learn things that are useful" she speaks before she walks to where Crystal is and runs her hand through Crystal's hair.

"While you may inheritance this kingdom from your father's side, you have yet to explore what I, your mother's heritance has in for you...

You are at the exact ripe age to learn what these hands can do except pick a cup of tea" she speaks holding on to Crystal's hands before she walks away along with the women.

Crystal stands on her spot staring at her palms with a frown, deep in her own thoughts.

*******

"Where were you?" Adrian asks stepping away from the wall next to Crystal's door as soon as he sees her.

"Can I not be out of my room for a while?" she groans.

"Don't groan it is not ladylike"

"Of course, because you know all about ladylike things, are you sure you are not one yourself"

"Cry" he warns making her groan again.

"You are to stay in your room and walk around with an escort" he reminds her.

"And you need to stop being so bossy, what kind of Royal does it make me?" she asks.

"The one who is too talkative"

"I am going to be a queen someday and I cannot let you order me around"

"But you are no queen now"

"That is because you do not..."

"Enough" he stops making her sigh.

"What do you want anyways? Waiting in the wee hour in front of my door is not very gentleman like" she points out.

"That's because I am no gentleman but a man with responsibilities that you are not letting him do. Your father handed me your life in my hands, to guard you"

"And I do not understand what you are guarding me from? I do not see any dangers that are waiting for me or perhaps if you tell me what they are I may be aware to never meet them" she speaks making him narrow his eyes at her attitude.

"Four a.m. on the training ground tomorrow" he snaps making her blink a few times before she jumps from the bed.

"Excuse me" she shouts but he says nothing and just walks out.

*******

"Open the door" Adrian's loud voice along with the bang on the door makes Crystal groan and beat her pillow in annoyance.

"I am not awake" she shouts irritated as it really was a wee hours that he has come to take her for training.

"And I am a fairy Godmother" Adrian snaps making her turn her face and glare at the door.

"And ogre would be a better description for you" she shouts back getting up from her bed.

"You better get up and see me on the grounds or I shall unhinge your door" he warns making her throw a pillow.

"Of course your majesty" she snaps before she makes her way to wash her face.

Crystal yawns once again as she stands in front of Adrian who narrows her eyes as he hands her a wooden sword.

"Stop yawning" he asks before asking her to attack him.

"I would rather have a real sword if I am to attack you" she speaks before she drops the sword and sits on the ground.

"Get up we are here to train sit and enjoy the view"

"It's too dark for me to even see your unmanly face so how can you accuse me of enjoying the view"

"Do not be difficult Cry, get up hold the sword"

"And suddenly I am not a lady anymore but one of your trainees"

"A Queen should be able to protect"

"Can we just cut it out, a queen, a queen and queen I have had enough of that word. You all assume I will be a queen what about my thoughts, my desires what if I do not want to be a queen?" she groans as she lies on the ground.

"If every living being would get to be what they want to don't you think this place will be nothing but a hideous one?" he asks making her sigh.

"I do not want to be here, I want to go back to Aura and do whatever I like"

"But you cannot, and you are here now, forever and it's a very long time. I should at least teach you how to protect yourself if times will be against us...

Not everyone likes the idea of a woman ruling them, so come on get up"

"But then why do you like the idea of a woman ruling you?" she questions making him sigh as he picks up the sword from the ground.

"Because a woman is a deadly weapon, she may look fragile and innocent but they do have an even greater evil inside of them"

"You think I am evil"

"I know you are"

"What..."

"And I also know, that I will not let that evil within you overpower your innocence, now enough of talks" he speaks interrupting her.

"You are one weird man Ad, I wonder whoever that woman is, who will win your cold heart"

"Perhaps I do not have a heart for a woman to win"

"In that case good luck to you when your invisible heart start to beat and makes you feel alive" she grins taking the sword from his hand as she raises the first strike.

*******

"Ugh, I hate him" Crystal whines as she lies on the bed in pain.

"It was your first day, you should not have pushed so hard" one of the maid's states making her groan in pain as all of her muscles aches.

"One strike, all I wanted was to get one strike at him. Could he not be a man and just take the beating? But no, because he is no man and now because of him I am nothing but a body full of pain" she winces turning to lie on her back.

"Shall I cancel all of your day's plans?" the maid offers and Crystal groans.

"And never see another sunlight ever if Ad finds I missed any of my classes, no thank you. But maybe we can do the classes in my room instead"

"And fire us all?" the maid gasps making Crystal frown.

"What?"

"You do know, no one is to step in your room not even the guards until its dire need? He has warned us all off clearly that no one without the Lord's permission to enter the rooms and you have all of your classes in here?

That's a terrible idea" the maid clarifies.

"Are you sure he is not my father?" she sighs.

"We all are" the maid smile.