The heat reigned supreme into the afternoon hours of my day of birth. Underneath the immaculate shade of the overreaching branches of a maidenhair tree, Tallis and I were sprawled out on the grassy hillside.

Though I wanted to round up fizzles with him, since he has never done so before, that would have to be saved for another day. It was too hot to walk around the forest in the traditional dress. I had already banished my heels and the headdress with utter delight.

A pin that had been annoying me through the jousting event was now stuck into the ground like a battle-weary sword. My long brown hair was completely down, falling over my shoulders with wild abandonment.

I finished the tedious task of creating a flower ring by meticulously twisting the stem, only for it to break as soon as I tried placing it onto my finger. I let out a sigh of utter frustration. Tallis was quiet, intent upon studying a fallen leaf from the tree. It was already starting to lose its color: the green shade being infected with yellow gold.

"Winter will be here before too long. I hope we get a few more weeks of warmth though," I remarked filling the deafening silence.

"Why would you wish for that? It is only going to get hotter. And you've done nothing but complain about the heat today," he said, his eyes still glued to the wide piece of foliage.

"No. I've complained about this dress. If I were wearing something more appropriate for this weather, I'd have nothing to complain about."

Tallis just grunted at this and rolled his neck about before laying his back against the hill. Highveine laid out in front of us below our feet. When he closed his eyes, I leaned over and poked his cheek.

"Are you going to sleep? Are you tired or just bored?"

The corner of his mouth twitched, and he kept his eyes closed. "Neither. Well, maybe a bit tired. I am just thinking and enjoying the silence. You should try it."

"I hate silence."

"I've noticed." He then opened his eyes and turned on his side facing me, prompt up on his elbow. "What would you like to talk about? Since you've ordered me to be here."

"Oh. I am sorry. I didn't realize."

"Realize what?"

"You are upset with me!" I scoffed. He raised an expressive eyebrow. "Don't act like you're not. But why are you upset? Do you not like spending time with me?"

He sighed. "It's not that. I just don't like being ordered."

"I was joking!"

"Sure you were..."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing. It's just... you're a princess. If you tell someone to do something, they must do it. They can't make the choice, no matter what intentions you had. Maybe you should think about that next time you jest."

"You would do anything I order you to do?"

"I wouldn't have much choice. You can easily turn things around on me. If you started screaming right now and claimed that I touched you in anyway, I would be killed. No questions asked."

"I would never do that!"

"I'm not saying--- that's not the point. The point is you have that power. Just forget it. I'm sorry." He had sat up and now drew his long legs up, resting his forearms on his knees and looked out at the village.

I took a deep breath to calm down and tried to understand his point of view. I suppose if I grew up in less-than-ideal circumstances... if I grew up following orders instead of giving them....

Clearing my throat and placing a hand on his arm, the words fell from my lips softly as the breeze that shook the wide leaves above us.

"No. I am sorry. I do not know so I can't even pretend to understand what you've been through. I've never had to think about such things. I will not order you to do anything from now on. I promise... so if I asked you to stay here and talk to me... will you?"

His stormy eyes connected with mine. I watched in fascination as they became lighter as if thunder clouds rolled away leaving a grey sky morning in his eyes.

That moment seemed to stretch though surely not even a minute passed before he replied with a "Yes". Why doesn't time make sense when he is around me? It moves too fast or too slow. Though it was perplexing, this weightless sensation was what I missed when I was not around him. Is it possible that he does not feel it too? Is it possible he does?

His body seemed more relaxed, and he leaned back bracing himself with his hands. My body mirrored his without much working thought. My legs stretched out and ankles crossed.

"Did you enjoy the jousting?"

"It wasn't terrible, but I still don't see what all the fuss is about. I enjoyed the sword and hand-to-hand combat though." He paused. "Your sister---"

"Which one?"

"The blonde one. She had fallen earlier."

"Olive."

"Yes. What is wrong with her? Wait. That didn't sound right."

I laughed. "It's okay. I know what you mean. She is clumsy and uncoordinated is all. Queen Rosemary, my father's fourth wife and mother to my little sisters Lavender and Violet, had once said elves were responsible."

"Elves?" He asked, his voice leaden with skepticism.

"Invisible creatures. Only as tall as your knee. They like to play pranks like hiding your stuff, making your dogs bark at seemingly nothing, or tripping you."

"Elves aren't real."

"Yes, they are. Just because you haven't seen one doesn't mean they are not."

"True. But I am not saying they're not real because I have never seen them. I'm saying they're not real cause no one has ever seen them."

"Well, being invisible is kind of their thing. And how would you explain Olive? They pick on her. Queen Rosemary told us you must occasionally jump twice, spin around in a circle and hold your breath for five seconds to keep them from bothering you. And usually when Olive does this in the morning, she has a better day."

"Usually? As in not all the time?"

I shrugged. "She's probably cursed."

Tallis's laugh shook his shoulders and he barely managed his next few words. "You are ... something else."

"What's so funny about being cursed?" I pretended to take offense, but my giggling made my act entirely unbelievable.

"You were just so nonchalant about it!" He continued laughing and I never wanted it to end. He actually seemed like his age when he laughed.

"You don't believe me, do you?"

He was about to say something when a faint snapping sound made both of us turn toward the forest behind us. There was nothing in sight; however, a prickling crawled up my spine as if a pair of unseen eyes were watching.

Of course, we were just talking about sneaky little tricksters, so my mind was probably just paranoid. Tallis must have come to the same conclusion as he turned back forward. The mood seemed to have died.

"What time do you need to prepare for your ball?" He asked after clearing his throat.

"The ball begins at sunset. So, I will probably be expected to return when the sun is dipping in the east skies."

"Alderias doesn't have a time system yet?"

"What do you mean? We tell time by the position of the sun in the sky. Like everyone does."

"Not everyone. What if, for instance, it is storming? How do you tell the time then?"

"You don't. There is nowhere you need to be during a storm. It is best to stay inside. Why would you need the time?"

He adjusted his position, sitting up straighter and turning himself to face me completely. I smiled to myself at this. He does this when he thinks I am not understanding what he is saying so he has to reword and rephrase, and apparently, reposition himself entirely.

"Okay, forget during a storm. What about a very cloudy day? Where you cannot see the sun, only daylight. And you have something you need to do or somewhere you need to be at a certain time. What do you do?"

"Does this something have to do with food? Cause then my stomach would just let me know it is time."

"Then no, it has nothing to do with food..."

"Then is it really that important?"

"Yes. You must meet someone at a certain time. And you don't want to keep them waiting."

"Hmmm.... well, I'd either meet them first thing in the morning or before bed time?"

"No... you have to meet them at a certain time during the day."

I rolled my eyes feeling frustrated. "Then I'd meet them during, before, or after a meal."

"What if you're out in the forest on a cloudy day. And you need to meet with someone at the castle a couple of hours before dinner. How would you know when you need to head back to the castle and get ready?"

"Usually, I'd just stay out as long as I can until someone drags me back."

"I am definitely talking to the wrong person about this."

"Yeah. Probably. I don't understand what you were getting at. Who am I meeting again?"

"Doesn't matter. It was rhetorical."

"Oh! Sometimes when I am in trouble and I have to sit and write for punishment, Mildred would turn a sand glass upside down and I would know I have to sit until all the sand is on the bottom once again. Does that count?"

"It is a time-keeping mechanism, to be sure. But that works to measure elapsed time, not relative to the time of day."

"Although I sometimes shake it to make the sand go faster. Anyways, speaking of dancing---"

"Were we though? ---"

"This is your first ball, correct? You are going to have so much fun! And I'll give you the honor of being my fourth dance partner, after my father, cousin and Prince Jareth, of course. I would rather dance with you first rather than Reginald but apparently that's just not done. Dancing shouldn't have rules."

"Uh... are you asking me to dance with you?"

"What? No? You'll have to ask me, of course."

"I don't dance."

"You've never danced, or you don't know how to?"

"It doesn't matter. I just don't want to get your hopes up."

I thinned my lips and narrowed my eyes but decided I would not bother him about it. I suppose there are those that just do not enjoy dancing... I just thought they were all grumpy, old men. He does not know how to have fun, I decided, I will definitely need to take him out fizzle herding one day.

"How is the music box coming along? I have been meaning to ask you."

"It doesn't sound quite right yet. But I think the cylinder, or the comb is just a bit crooked. I will just need to unscrew it, readjust it, then screw it back into the bedplate."

I nodded blankly, not understanding what any of that meant but he said it in a way that made me think he probably could not explain it in any simpler terms than that. He was the smartest peasant I ever met, I think... maybe the smartest person I ever met, period. Father was smart in a kingly way. Mildred was smart in a teacher way. Ruby was smart in an older sister way. But I think Tallis was on a whole other level.

My thoughts slipped out of my mouth. "Is everyone in Maru as smart as you or are you considered a genius there, too?"

To my surprise and pleasure, the inventor's sun-kissed face took on a faint pink hue, or perhaps the sun was playing tricks. He laughed nervously and shot up to his feet, pulling me up by the hand effortlessly. His hand transmitted its warmth to mine and too soon he let go.

"We should go get ready for your ball, Princess."

Thanks for reading!