• "But Justin, your maids don't like me." I complained. I was a commoner in a small village talking to a prince, yes, odd but true. I had pulled my brown hair into a ponytail so the winds on the beach wouldn't tangle my hair and my hair would stay out of my hazel eyes. I looked into Justin's dark brown eyes that were pleading. He wanted me to stay the night again as I had last week, which is ridiculous considering were both seventeen. His black hair looked as if he hadn't got a brush through it, but to me it was rather appealing.
    "Now Yvany, you're just saying that, I know Marsha loves your company, and besides the maids are only jealous because you get to spend time with me and they don't." he smiled. I shook my head in disagreement.
    "I do agree Marsha loves to have me over but I don't think they like me for other reasons." I said looking out to the ocean. Justin and I had became great friends when he found me sitting here out on the sand when I was only five and him a couple months older. We came very fond of each other and soon seeing each other became a routine. One day he told me what he was and asked me to meet his father. I agreed to go and when his father saw how great we got along he allowed me to stay the night every Friday and it's been a routine for twelve years.
    "The only other reason I can think of is that you're prettier than them." he replied turning to me. I laughed and he frowned.
    "I doubt that, besides, I bet Catherine would be upset if she heard you say that, she believes everyone is beautiful in their own way." I snickered. Catherine was an overly kind princess on whom Justin's father suggested that he marry.
    "Catherine is a crazy but kind girl, kinda like you." he grinned. I smacked him playfully in the leg and smiled. I was about to reply when I heard my father's shouts and knew that was my calling home.
    "I've got to go." I said standing up and brushing the sands off of my pants. Justin stood up with me but his expression made it clear that he was not about to let me walk home alone. I started to leave when he grabbed my hand, stopping me dead in my tracks.
    "You're not going home unless you say you'll stay the night." he said planting his feet on the ground refusing to let me move an inch. I sighed knowing where this was going.
    "I need to talk to my father about it." I replied trying to take my hand from his but he held on tight.
    "Nonsence, I'll just say that it was an order from the prince, I mean, who would say no to me?." he smiled slyly. I sighed and shook my head as we started walking, Justin still keeping hold of my hand. He did this every time I was sure my father would say no. We came into view of my house/shack and he let go of my hand. My father was standing on the porch with an impatient expression, that is until he saw who came with me.
    "Your highness." my father said bowing down, his vioce full of respect.
    "Mr. Wilson, I would like to know if my dear friend Yvany could stay the night tonight." Justin said. My dad glanced to me and I immediatley knew there was going to be hell to pay the next night.
    "Absolutely." my father smiled innocently, though niether of us were fooled. I walked inside and started grabbing my things when I heard a crash outside and I ran to the noise. When I got in the doorway I saw Justin standing there with a rather amused look on his face when my father had tripped and fell into a bucket full of water. I froze, that was the bucket that I was supposed to move earlier, but didn't. My father glared at me as he picked himself up off the ground. He smiled to Justin but when he turned back to me out of Justin's view he glared again.
    "I'm terribly sorry father, I meant to move that earlier." I apologized reaching for the muddy bucket but Justin stopped me.
    "A lady shouldn't have to get her hands dirty, let me." he said picking up the bucket. He tossed it out of the way and smiled at me. I supressed a laugh and nearly ran back into the house. When I had gotten my stuff, Justin and I headed off to his kingdom, or his father's really.
    We got there reasonably around supper. I walked into the guest room where Marsha was waiting anxiously. Marsha was Justin's four year old sister her loved to play princess with me, but instead I was the princess and she was my captor and the prince. As soon as she saw me she grinned ear to ear and flung herself at my legs. I embraced her fragile grip and smiled.
    "Wanna play princess?" she asked. She had very nice coherency for someone her age.
    "Absolutely, will you be the princess this time?" I asked already knowing her answer. She shook her head.
    "No, I'm gonna be the bad guy." she replied.
    "And what about a prince?" I asked expecting her to say she was going to be that too but someone else answered.
    "I think I can fill that part." a voice replied. I whirled around to see Justin standing in the doorway watching me. I stood upand looked to Marsha.
    "Are you akay with that?" I asked. Marsha's eyes were wide with excitement, Justin has never offered to play with us before.
    "Yay, Justin's going to play with us!" she yelled hugging her brother tightly. We started playing, the plot same as usual. I, the princess, get captures py the bad guy, Marsha, and the prince, Justin has to save me. But in the end it went a little further than usual.
    "Now the princess and prince have to get married!" Marsha sang. I stared at her in silence as they waited for me to say something.
    "But don't you think that maybe we should postpone the wedding until I'm gone?" I asked trying to ignore the uneasiness Justin's happy expression gave me.
    "No, silly, then we wouldn't have a princess and the prince would be all alone." Marsha pouted.
    "Yeah, and you don't want me to be alone, do you?" Justin asked turning my attention to him. I stared into his eyes and it was almost like eveything but me and him had disappeared, like we could feel each other's touch. I forgot what we were doing until it came back to me.
    "I guess not." I said positioning myself in front of Justin and Marsha started the pretend wedding. Again the story went farther than I had planned.
    "You may now kiss the bride." Marsha smiled looking up to Justin. I looked to her and then to Justin who seemed rather pleased with the idea.
    "I think it's time to go to bed." I said trying to change the subject. It didn't work.
    "I won't go to bed until you and Justin are married." she insisted. I sighed knowing there was no way out of it. I silently watched as Justin bent down and pressed his lips to mine. It was weird, kissing your best friend, but it was a nice weird, the kind of weird I wouldn't mind doing again. We kissed a little longer than necessary and when we pulled back Marsha was wide eyed and grinning.
    "Alright, let's go to bed." I said quickly picking Marsha up into my arms and headed to her room. It took me a couple minutes to get her to sleep because she wouldn't stop babbling about what had happened in the guest room. I was sitting on the edge of her bed brush a stray hair out of her face when I heard someone in the doorway.
    "You know, I think you'll make a great mother." Justin's younger brother, James, commented. He has black hair like his father but green eyes like his mother.
    "Thank you, James." I replied standing up to leave the room but he blocked me off.
    "It would also be such a shame for you to get married to someone as useless as my brother, me on the other hand. . ." he trailed off.
    "I don't intend on marrying you or your brother, now if you excuse me, I'm very exhausted." I said slipping under his arm. He didn't stop me and I headed back to my room. I slipped on my gown and was about to lie down when I heard a knock at my door.
    "Come in." I called. Justin walked through the room and out of instinc I immediately stood up and curtsied.
    "Don't ever do that again, you know I hate it when you show me respect." he smiled.
    "Whatever you say, your highness." I snickered. He shook his head and smiled.
    "So, you're in here because. . ?" I asked plopping down on the bed.
    "Well, I wanted to talk to you about something that I do believe is rather important." he repiled. He stepped closer to me in an akward silence.
    "What's so important?" I asked still not understanding where he was trying to go with this. He sat down in front of me staring straight into my eyes, as if he was searching for something. Again, it was like everything had disappeared and it was only us.
    "It's a akward topic to talk about to your best friend, but I was just wondering, what are you planning to do in the future?" he asked. This wasn't akward, well, not really.
    "I was hoping someone would ask for my hand but I don't want it to be just someone randomly, I would like to know I love this person." I replied not being specific on who I wanted that person to be, even though it was him.
    "And this, person, do you love him?" he asked.
    "Absolutely, every time we're together it's like the whole world disappears, he always makes me laugh, and he's my best friend."
    "Have you told him that you're in love with him?"
    "No, his father is insising for him to marry but I'm not good enough, besides I'm pratically his sister, that would just be weird."
    "Hmmm, what if he loves you back and is just waiting for your confirm of love for him?" he asked. I was starting to get supicious but I restrained myself from asking why he was aksing me all these strange questions.
    "Then he would have to show me that that is how he feels." I replied.
    "And how would you suggest he does that?"
    "I think the best way to win over a woman is to show her and only her affection, oh, and dancing, every girl loves to dance."
    "Well, that sounds quite easy." he teased.
    "Hmm, maybe it is, I should try to make it more challenging." I grinned.
    "Thats not fair, what if he only has a limited amount of time to show you how he feels?"
    "I wouldn't care, he already has my heart, I don't know what more I can give."
    "What about you as a wife?" he questioned. My heart stopped, was he asking for himself or was it for a friend, or worse. . . his brother.
    "Then if that is what he wants then I don't see why he shouldn't get just that, I mean, I do love him." I replied trying not to ambush him with my questions as he did me. I failed.
    "Why are you asking me these questions?" I asked. He seemed taken off guard but he smiled deviously.
    "Wouldn't you like to know." he said standing up. I jumped off the bed and blocked the door.
    "You're not leaving until you tell me." I insisted.
    "I don't have to leave." he replied stepping closer to me. We were inches apart and I was pressed up against a door.
    "And where do you plan to sleep?" I asked.
    "I guess we'll have to share a bed." he said simply. He put his hands on my arms. I didn't notice he moved me until I was standing aside from the door and he opened it.
    "Goodnight." he smiled. He kissed me quickly on the cheek and left me there to stand and think about the whole conversation.