Introduction

In a western kingdom in a western country, Aurum of Blackland, there's a girl who lives the way she enjoys it. Sadly, talking about something she'd enjoy, it's not the same from her parent's perspective. A young lady who posts the brightest cyan eyes and the girl who has the tiniest red curls in the whole country.

Looking at her, wearing a long plain pink dress, no curves, no puff sleeves, no sheer tights. She is wearing a literal dress with no other sews besides the sleeves and the hole for her head to fit right in.

Mary Alice is in the wild again. In the long fields of grass and the wide view of the horizon, she could hug the embrace of freedom just now and then. Far from servants, far from honorifics, far from titles, she is plain Mary in here.

No better than the reckless princess inside the palace.

Although she doesn't want to return to her home yet, the town hall's bell already rang. Meaning night is about to fall, she have to start riding Stallion or she'd be home by midnight. Mary Alice is in the outskirts of town, two cities away from the palace she lives in.

Slowly and almost like she didn't want to move an inch, she is reaching the ranch where she brought Stallion, her black horse, to be kept.

"How have you fared for a few hours, Stallion?" she asked the horse as if she's expecting a response from it.

"Are you famished?" she added while preparing her horse for a long adventure, not that coming home excites her, just the journey. "No worries, you'll be sleeping and full when we get back, that's for sure and certain."

After wasting a few minutes talking to her horse and preparing herself, she could finally go.

Wearing her black riding hood, she departed from the ranch. Several people from the town has seen her going away and had nothing else to react but shaking their heads in dismay thinking, 'the princess had escaped again'.

In her two decades of existence, people in town had gotten used to the sight of the princess going to the wild and being rogue at least once a month. She's the only infanta of the kingdom, yet she's also the black sheep of it.

Mary Alice knows that doing these would not make her any different of people neglecting their duty. By doing so, she is being irresponsible of her birth oath. She just wants to breathe and feel plain, how envious of her to want to feel and be a commoner at least once in her lifetime.

Her parents, the king and queen of the monarchy, their not harsh nor strict. They're actually loving and caring compared to some of young people around her age has been complaining a lot about.

King Lessandro and Queen Veronica are the best. It may not seem like it, but Mary Alice thinks they're precious. It's not her family that's making her want to go wild every time she does so, it's the title itself. Princess.

It's so suffocating.

All the homeschooling, all the distancing to commoners and how she can't even be in the same plane as her parents when travelling. Not getting the wrong side of much it, she's not a fool. She could ace a normal university if she would be given a chance. Well, of course, that's happening in never.

Humping Stallion for almost three hours, she finally sees the palace starting to peek from behind of the tall trees she's coming through. Mary Alice sighs, she's back again.

Play princess, play decent, play regal.

Thankfully, no one's forcing her to do much more than anything she does now. Although in some angle, the citizen of the town where she was just a few hours ago are quite right; she escaped. It's supposed to be dinner and piano lessons she must be paying her attention to.

Instead, she went to the back, to the ranch and picked the most common-looking horse their palace has. There Stallion goes, swaying it's hips. Also, no one could deny the chemistry between her highness and the black horse.

As the gates of the palace opened, a horn was blown altogether with an announcement, "Her Highness Mary Alice is back!"

Oh and she can't help but move her head sideways in disappointment.

Upon her arrival, the maids, butlers and other helps formed a line in front of the double door. This has always been like this but she still can't feel contented and proud whenever experiencing so. Thinking of so many aspirants, so many young ladies in her age wants her place.

If she would be in any way given a chance, she would gladly give her life up for a simple and happy life. It's not like her parents make her less of a happy person but it's just she feels tied to something. She's promised to the throne when she wants to be something else.

"May I?" One of the butlers offered it's hand to take care of Stallion from there.

Mary Alice being Mary Alice, she raised a brow, "I think this is something so manageable for me, mister butler."

Her intimidating gesture made the butler look down and be ashamed of himself. Not to get the wrong idea, she isn't a bad princess. She's not bad ass or whatever, but no one can deny that she isn't also called the black sheep of the royal family if she isn't one.

"Alice! Your attitude!"

The young princess was surprised hearing an old maiden's voice shouting and stopping her mischievous acts. Not so long after, a small smile exposed the perfect white set of teeth of the infanta.

An oh so familiar voice from someone she really cherished. Miss Granny!

"Hey! My Loving and my greatest mother dear, Miss Granny! When did you arrive?" Excitedly, she praised the old woman who just rebuked her for her naughty and uncool attitude towards the only-offering-help butler.

The 'Miss Granny' just rolled her eyes out of frustration. "Don't. Don't "Miss Granny!" me, you coarse and such a naughty young princess, hmmph."

Mary Alice didn't pay attention to her rants and just walked fast near her who is standing at the huge door frame of the palace. When she had enough distance between the two of them, she aimed for a hug. A tight and the tightest hug she could offer to her favorite and almost like her own birth parent than the ruler of the kingdom.

Miss Granny is her personal maid ever since she has earned consciousness of everything. No one can talk casually and without the honorifics to the princess among all the servants aside from Miss Granny.

It's like she is acknowledged as almost already a part of the royal family.

"Where in the gracious heavens have you been, young cactus?" she sniffed. " You naughty young cub, follow me. I'm scolding you after the dinner," she gestured her guide to the largest and brightest dining hall in all of Blackland.

She went ahead the woman and the maid can't help but comment on her state, "what are you wearing, Mary Alice? A riding boots of a royalty and a plain commoner's dress? What an amazing fashion taste of yours there, huh? Very commendable."

"Oh stop it, G. It's just me and my past time."

"Yeah, yeah whatever, your highness."