"I am a knight!" a wood stick pointed to the sky. It was gripped tightly by a young boy with a decisive gaze. He stood on a rock but might as well stood on the top of a mountain. A high-pitched giggle escaped behind the hands of a young girl. "Do you dare mock me?" he pointed the wood stick towards the girl whose eyebrows went up before another giggle escaped. "I will show you then," the young boy jumped from the rock and landed on the grassy ground with a thud. He swished his stick from side to side, like a sword, attacking an invisible opponent under a litany of roars. He planted the stick on the ground in a final act. "You are dead," he cried to no one in particular. A thunder of applause rained. The girl's hands clapped together as if she was assisting the final act of a play, eyes shining with admiration. The boy's cheeks warmed up under her gaze.

Each time Lach would visit the castle he would go straight to the stables and play with his new unexpected friend who was eager for adventurous and playful game and who was pretty. Very pretty.

The boy's hands were deep into a hole, digging it as he removed handful dirt after dirt, gathering a mountain to his side. Not far away, under a pine tree, the little girl sat prettily, her pinkish dress folded nicely under her knees. Next to her laid a dozen of daisies which she wove into each other to form a circle.

"Which village are you from?" the boy asked, hands deep in the mud, looking at her from over his shoulder.

She paused her craft as her gaze wiped their surroundings. "I am from here."

The boy frowned, sitting on his butt. "Does your father work for the Castle?"

She nodded, and it spurred a grin on the boy's little face. "Like my dad."

She threw a puzzled glance at the hole. "What are you doing? You will get dirty." Lach raised his hands and winced. His fingernails were encrusted with brown dirt that would probably take a life-long time of bath to remove. He could already hear the irritated tone of his mother scolding him for getting so messy and already witness the sheer horror stretching her features. Lach shivered, the image sending a chill through his spine that quickly disappeared with a shrug as his fingers sank back inside the brownish paste. He would deal with that later, but now he was too busy digging a hole for monsters to care.

"I would be less dirty if you would help me," he said matter-of-factly. A little help would be appreciated so he could finish the hole before monsters attacked them again. "Besides, what are you doing?"

A beam bloomed on her face as she raised the circle of lilies. "A flower crown." Her expression turned sour upon seeing the stained sleeves of the boy's tunic, the cream color turning brown. "I can't help you. My father will get angry if I get dirty."

"My mom will get angry too. Well, she is always angry." Giggles flew in the soft breeze and settled warmly in the boy's chest. Something shifted, and a pinkish fabric appeared from the corner of his eyes before another pair of hands dove deep into the dirt. Lach gave her a grateful nod, and they dug until the sky colored orange and the piles of dirt were as big as their size. In the effort, something shiny slipped from her neck. A golden sun-shaped pendant that made the boy's eyes squint so much it shined.

The boy removed his hands from the hole, placing his stained palms on his pants, smudging the tissue even more. "What's this on your neck?"

She looked down at her pendant and grabbed it as if it was the first time she had seen it. "A gift from my mother."

The boy's brows angled high. "The only gift my mama gives me are spankings." The giggles couldn't be stopped. It tremored her whole body and rumbled the entire surrounding. He observed her for a while before it became contagious, and the boy's body started to tremor too. She wiped the wetness at the corners of her eyes, and he resumed, tone more serious. "But it's okay because when I become a knight, and my purse will flood with gold, I will be able to buy my mama a necklace like yours, and she will be happy." He threw another glance at the pendant before clawing back the dirt away.

Her chest settled down like the silence around them. "I am sure you will be the bravest knight."

"You bet I will be." He pushed himself on his hands, standing up. He retrieved the forgotten wood stick on his side and swung it in the air. "And, I will kill all the monsters trying to attack you. I will kill them all."

She rose as well and retrieved the flower crown and placed it on the boy's head.

"You are now a real knight." She smiled brightly. The wood stick lowered down at his side as the little boy tried his best to pushed back the warmth rising in his cheeks.

**

The sky progressed into darkness as the fateful celebration approached. Some would see it as the new Favor, the chance for Ornuv to regain its grandeur others were dreading it like impending doom.

For the Princess herself, the latter was the case.

Still, she let expert hands dive her body into a flowers-infused bath and let them scrub every inch of her body. 

Her hair was styled into thick braids, retracing the form of her scalp and falling to her hips before they were gathered back into a low, intricated bun. Her cheeks were powdered berries giving her rich complexion a vibrant glow. Her lashes extended to the sky, increasing her gaze before her eyelids were covered in gold dust, and her lips were painted a soft coral.

Her slimmed body was draped into the finest tissue the Kingdom had ever made, hugging her waist tight but bouffant at the skirt. The gown itself is a sky blue fabric embroidered with gold sparkling designs.

As the last touch of orange disappeared beyond the window, a gold crown with spikes like the sunrays was placed on her braided head. Its weight awakened the reality of the situation for the Princess. Her chest heaved slightly upon seeing herreflection in the lengthy mirror glass.

"You look exquisite." Lily appeared from behind her. She sported a beautiful emerald-colored dress. Her curly hair was also styled into a low bun, leaving two curly strands, the color of autumn leaves, hanging from her forehead.

"You looked beautiful too." Amaya smiled at her softly before observing her gown. "Do you think I shine enough for these men?"

Lily scoffed. "You are the Sun of Ornuv. No matter what you do you will always shine. "

"How reassuring."

"The Queen would be so proud of you."

Amaya gazed down at the hem of the dress tumbling down on the floor, fidgeting with her pendant. "Do you believe so?"

"Of course, your Highness."

Amaya sighed heavily as she turned away from her reflection and faced the other woman. "Lily. I can't do this, " she whispered and it's almost plea for help.

Murmurs rose behind them and Lily gave the servants lining up to the side a scornful look before searching Amaya's gaze. "You can't possibly do that right now." She whispered back. "This is not an appropriate time."

"What if I do not fancy any of them?"

Lily gave her a look. "There must be one person. Princess."

Amaya paused, her mind travelling to the stables. "I do not believe so." She sighed. "Besides, we could be searching for the Favor instead of throwing unnecessary balls. We are wasting times," she drawled out.

"We already talked about it," Lily hissed with a tight smile as she glanced at the servants' shock expressions.

Amaya walked towards the window, observing the night sky. "The Favor is lost, not destroyed. We still have a chance to get it back."

Lily turned towards the servant with a smile stretching so tightly it hurt her features. They stood straight. "Could you please leave us alone?" The servants scurried away before the door closed. Her smile dropped as she turned back to Amaya. "You need to stop talking about the Favor. If the King knew you would be in trouble. And do you believe he would let you go searching for it?" Lily blinked quickly as if Amaya was out of her mind to think about this possibility.Amaya frowned slightly.

"It is just a thought."

Lily grabbed her shoulders. "The thought you need to have right now is about your future husband." Amaya closed her eyes tightly as if punched in the gut. "No. No. No. Enough of this behavior. Get yourself together. Because if you do not take that ceremony seriously, I fear you will end up with the worst man ever." Amaya raised a questioning brow. "The one your father will choose for you."

It spurred a chuckle from both girl. "You are right. There won't be worst outcome than this."

Lily caged her hands into hers. "You got this."

Amaya smiled softly. The first since she started to get ready. "Thank you, Lily."

Lily opened the door, "Now, let's find the future King." Amaya inhaled deeply before passing through the door.

**

Night had englobed Ornuv entirely, and while the day ended, it was only the beginning of the festivities. The light illuminated the castle from each window, and music vibrated its rigid walls.

"I wish I could attend the party." Rid sighed. He let his head rest on one of the stall windows.

"I don't wish that." A horse's muzzle was deep into a bucket as Lach held it. I would rather eat dry hay than spend an entire night surrounded by those arrogant pricks." Hay spilled from the bucket as the horse devoured it. "I am good here."

Rid pointed towards the castle. "There is a room full of beautiful and rich ladies, and you would rather be here with the animals?" One horse bumped his muzzle into Rid's back, offended. "I am just kidding!" The animal gave him a dull look that wasn't convinced in the slightest.

Lach glanced over his shoulder. "You are totally correct." Still, he had a good reason for staying here tonight. The young lady he met had promised she would come tonight, and Lach thought it was good enough to finally bring the subject to Rid. "Besides...There is something else." Lach rubbed the back of his neck. He felt fluttered as if he was ten again, but then again, it had been so long since his chest bloomed at the sight of someone.

Confusion wiped Rid's face. "Tell me more."

Lach's lips curved. "You were right. I met a girl."

Green eyes widened as Rid jumped to the roof. "I knew it!" He pointed at Lach. "You can't hide anything from me. I can read your mind." Lach rolled his eyes. "So, who's she? Where does she come from? What does her family do? Don't tell me her father is a blacksmith. Blacksmiths are the worst, and you know what they can do with hammers. Trust me. Do not, in any case, chase a blacksmith's daughter. " Lach's lips stayed tight, and Rid settled down. "What's going on?" Lach rubbed the back of his neck. "Don't tell me you know nothing about her."

Lach snapped. "Does it matter? I just met her." He showed his back, fidgeting with some reins hanging on a wall. "We didn't talk much yet," he mumbled.

Rid crossed his arms. "What's her name." Lach kept silent. "You don't even know her name?" the last word edged with disbelief. "You know. The first thing you say to a lady besides telling her she is the incarnation of a Goddess on earth is to ask for her name," he said with a pointed look. "God Sun, Kristina did real damage to you."

Lach spun around. "Spot mentioning Kristina and I did ask. But she wouldn't tell me. Not yet."

Rid's lips pursed. "That's not a good sign, my friend."

Lach filled up the bucket and brought it to another horse. "She assured me I will know by tonight." The skepticism in Rid's narrowed eyes wouldn't disappear. Still, Lach's body got giddy at the idea of seeing her again.

"Tonight? What do you need to wait for tonight?" Rid arched a brow. "What a strange lady." He picked up a straw and slipped it past his lips, mumbling his speech.

"She is anything but strange. She is sweet and kind but also got some string character. She is also as beautiful as the sun." Lach's expression fell into bliss.

Rid patted his shoulder. "Well, boy, if I had known I would ever see you like that-"

"Stablemen!"

They both flinched. "Yes, Sir!"

The small and sturdy man strode inside the stable and darted his eyes at both young men. "We have a problem." They both frowned. "I was told, they needed help inside to insist for the ceremony."

Rid's eyes sparkled. "Really?"

Lach showed the bucket. "What about the horses?"

"The stablemen of the castle will take over here."

Lach's frown deepened. If he was going to the castle tonight. Then he wouldn't be there when she came back. "But-"

"Don't you want to be paid more?" the man stated and Lach closed his mouth.

"How much?" Rid chimed in.

"More coins you can see in a single night that you would see in a month."

Shock widened Lach's eyes. That could pay a part of the house but-

"We will do it," Rid jumped in again, and Lach glared at him. This could help relieve some of his burdens, but he would die before serving those pricks.

"What are you doing," Lach leaned towards him, mumbling.

"Helping us out of this misery," Rid replied before spitting the straw and racing outside the stables.

The stablemaster's eyes stared at Lach as he stood still. "What are you waiting for? Let's go!"

Lach sighed as he put the bucket down. If being around those pricks meant he could earn enough to cover the house debt, he would swallow his pride and do it.

He just hoped he would be back in time to see her.