• The young woman leaned back in her chair, relaxing as she waited for the man she was supposed to meet. Again her father had set up another meeting for another prince. A soft sigh was heard as the plush chair let her sink under the new found pressure. Suddenly a grin crossed her pale face. Her lavender eyes sparkled slightly as she heard footsteps. He was there.

    "Milady, he's here." She couldn't see him, but she knew the guard was at her side. Just like he always was. Just like normal. The young girl nodded, approving. Letting the guard know to let the man in. She fixed her dress, a deep scarlet that faded down into white, from wrinkles, her large golden bracelets nearly falling off her tiny wrists, and her small crown becoming slightly crooked. She stood up, bowing to the man she couldn't see, and sat back down, her, almost, clear cape fell under her as she sat back down. Crossing her legs, the girl then flipped her hair slightly. Just to get it out of her face, not to show off. Then the scar was noticeable, very noticeable. The scar from the last one.

    After a few minutes the man was sent back out. "So Milady? Does the king need to request another prince?" The young girl shook her head.

    "No, I think he'll do just fine." And with that she dismissed the guard to stand to the side. The girl continued to smile as she thought of the man she had just met. He had potential. Personality, charm, wit, and best of all, he didn’t care about her disability. She was ecstatic. This man didn’t care if she was blind! All the others did but this one didn’t! A large grin crossed her face as she stood. She had to refrain from giggling until she got into her room, but that didn’t stop her from grinning like a wild woman.

    The large, wooden, door croaked, almost in agony, as it was pushed open once more. By a guard. He was holding it open for her father. She knew her fathers footsteps. She’d always know when her father was coming. He just had big feet; it was hard to miss sound. The sound of large feet, covered by a leather type material, against a stone floor.

    “So Alexandra, how did this one do?” Her father asked. She knew he was smiling down at her. He always was. It was hard to imagine him without that large grin on his face. Alexandra grinned again and ran to her father, stumbling slightly as she tripped over her own shoes.

    “He did great daddy! I think he’s the one!” She said, clinging to her father in a tight hug. She felt him chuckle and she smiled when he hugged her back.

    “That’s great darling. I shall prepare—“

    “Daddy? Can I take some more time to get to know him? I don’t want to marry a total stranger.” She pouted, she’d have to pout. It was against the law to interrupt a man, no less her father; the king, from speaking. But what she had to say, she thought, was far more important. Another chuckle escaped her father as he watched her pout. This girl was a piece of work. She always managed to escape trouble, even though she was hardly in it.

    “Of course darling.” He agreed? He agreed! Alexandra grinned, a bright grin this time, and clung even tighter to her father.

    “Thank you daddy!” She continued to cling to him until he laughed again. When she let him go, she felt a bit cold. That’s what you get for holding someone until your comfy. The cold in return when you let them go. “May I go now daddy? I’m extremely tired.” She whispered, to prove her point she yawned.

    “Yes you can, just get up early. I am going to schedule a meeting between you and the prince for tomorrow.” Alexandra nodded in agreement and started to move past her father, keeping her hands out slightly. Just incase she would run into something. She didn’t need a broken nose along with her blindness.

    “Bye daddy~!” She grinned as she held onto the back of a guard. The guard that had been standing by her throne was now leading her to her room.

    “Aaron? Are we almost there? My feet are starting to hurt.” She whined a few minutes after they left the throne room. A sigh let her know that the guard had heard her.

    “We are almost there Miss Alexandra.” He replied, about ready to just stop and let her find her own way, even if it meant letting her fall down a large set of stairs. It wasn’t her fault, no; he just wasn’t having a good day.

    “Thank you Aaron.” She smiled brightly and held onto his arm a bit tighter. She’d never admit it, but she had grown attached to the guard that she was clinging to. He was always so gentle with her. Always so kind, even if he was having a bad day. Alexandra always knew it was wrong to have a crush on the help, but she couldn’t help it. It was his damn fault for being so nice! Once they reached her room, she smiled at him again.

    “You too nice. You know that Aaron?” It was more of a statement than a question, but she was also curious. Why was he so nice to her? Was it because she was blind and her father could kill him with the flick of the wrist.

    No. It couldn’t be.

    … Could it?

    “Aaron?” She spoke in almost a whisper, stopping the man from walking off by grabbing the arm that she had held earlier. “… Aaron why are you so nice to me? Is it… Is it because I’m blind? Is it because of my father?” She even heard her voice crack. Alexandra winced and tears started to gather in her eyes, a few escaping the dam that held them. A cold, metal clad, hand touched her face. She winced once more, it was then she realized that Aaron was wiping her tears away.

    “Now you know that’s not true.” He told her, his voice barely above a whisper. It tore him apart to see her cry. Such a small child, a small blind child. That’s what he saw. But that’s not all he saw. He also saw a strong girl who could defend herself when needed, a strong beautiful girl. But he could never say. He’d most likely be executed if he spoke about how he felt for the princess.

    That’s just how things were.

    Alexandra lifted her head to look at him, if only she could. If only she could see that face that she had longed to see. If only.

    If only…

    “Th-Then why?” She asked through a few hiccups.

    “I’m sorry but I cannot say.” He frowned, almost wincing, when he saw the look in her eyes. She thought he was lying to her. “Just believe me when I say it’s not because of your problem, or because of your father.” ‘It’s because of you. You’re the reason I’m so kind. You… You’re special, in your own way…’ He sighed once more and closed his eyes; he would wait until she was calm again to leave.

    He always did.

    “… Thank you Aaron.” She suddenly threw herself at him, wanting to hug him. It surprised the man. He wasn’t expecting the young girl to launch herself at him. He stumbled, soon regaining his balance, and looked down at her. She was holding him tightly, her eyes clenched shut as if she was expecting him to pull her off, and she was shaking.

    Alexandra was crying, hard at that. He frowned, knowing that she was hurting. He hated that he couldn’t do anything to help. It was forbidden to have a guard in the princesses’ room, especially when said princess was to be married. He sighed and started to rub her back, waiting for the girl to calm down. Even when she had stopped crying she continued to shake. Sobs continued to fall from her lips.

    Soon the sobs turned to hiccups as she calmed down. Once she was able to hold herself again, she did. But not like a princess should. Her shoulders were slumped, her back was hunched over, and her head was down as her eyes were closed. She wasn’t asleep, just thinking, and trying to calm down. This worked after a while. Alexandra looked up at Aaron and smiled a sad one, but still a smile.

    “I’m sorry about that, I didn’t mean too.” She told him softly, shakily. Soon she let her head fall as she started feeling around for her door. At this point she didn’t care if she fell and broke her nose. It might feel better than standing in front of her best friend, more over the man she had fallen for over the years that he had taken care of her, crying her eyes out.

    Once she was in her room, and on her bed, she wailed into her pillow. Glad that the sound was muffled by the silky material. Once she was done screaming at the defenseless piece of fluff, she threw it over to the side. Her legs were pulled close to her body, the red on her cheeks contrasted against her pale skin. Most likely from crying and suffocating herself, slightly, with her pillow. It hurt, why did it hurt? Why did it hurt to know that she’d never feel truly happy until she could see his face? Why? She grabbed the pillow from the side and screamed in it once more, making sure that she didn’t have anything left.

    Why did it hurt so badly?!

    Suddenly the girl fell over to her side, still curled up in the fetal position, and frowned. A soft sigh escaped her lips and she soon fell into the darkness called her dreams.