Special Chapter #1: An Afternoon Tea Session With The Prince

-PRINCESS MARIONETTE-

-One year ago-

"Your Highness?"

I felt someone yanking my body behind me while I was still sleeping. While tugging the blanket closer to me, I tried to ignore whoever is this person daring to interrupt my beauty rest.

"Your Highness. It's time for you to prepare."

Well, who was this again? And what does she mean by prepare?

Again, I just ignored this person and continued my way towards dreamland.

"The prince would be here any minute from now, your highness."

Hmm... the prince, huh? My fiancee' would visit me today? How sweet--

When realization finally dawned upon me, my body automatically got up from the bed and turned to face the person standing on my right, who is none other than my personal maid Ying. I almost screamed in horror when I saw the time on my small clock placed on top of my nightstand says three in the afternoon.

"My gosh Ying, why didn't you wake me up earlier? Gosh, I'll never have enough time to prepare for my fiancee's afternoon date in the garden." I said, feeling agitated to my personal assistant all of a sudden.

"I was waking you up for more than thirty minutes now, your highness," she said. I didn't miss the chance to see her squint those pair of eyes at me while plastering a half-hearted smile on her face.

"Whatever. Just go out now, I have to change and prepare myself." Upon hearing my instruction, Ying willingly obliged and went out of my room while I, on the other hand, almost ran my way to my shower room to clean myself.

---

I felt as if I was racing against time when I started to prepare the list of things that I have to bake for the afternoon. If there's one skill I can be proud of, it would be my superb baking skills taught to me by my late mother- who happened to pass away last year.

No worries, I don't wanna talk about it either.

Anyway, while I was mixing the ingredients to bake butter cookies, my personal assistant is currently standing beside me and passing me all the ingredients that I will need.

"Would you like me to do that instead for you, princess?" said Ying politely.

"No, I'm fine. I want everything to be prepared by myself." I said, not bothering to look at my personal maid while I'm busy reading the recipe book I inherited from my mother.

"Oh. Okay then."

"Thanks by the way for organizing this list, Ying." I suddenly blurted out while looking at the list. "I was able to determine what to do first."

Then I turned to face her for a while. "I'm so lucky to have an organized personal assistant."

I saw her face flushed upon hearing my words, then gave me a sincere smile.

"I'm so glad to have a kind master such as you, your highness."

"Blah, blah. Enough calling me 'your highness'. It irritates me." I narrowed my eyes at her as I pressed my lips together. "Princess Marionette is fine, or just Marionette."

"Oh okay...Princess Marionette."

After that short conversation with her, I resumed on what I was doing.

After preparing the food, I instructed Ying to watch out for the cookies I baked while I'm out picking fresh flowers in our garden. As I pulled out several flowers, the front of my dress was smudged with mud as well.

I looked at it for a few seconds and shrugged it away. Without minding it, I hastily went to the kitchen where I have left Ying and showed her the flowers I got from the garden with enthusiasm.

"Ying, will these flowers look lovely in the table?" I asked curiously. Ying, in turn, placed one finger to her chin and pretended to think.

"Yes, princess." she finally agreed. "I think it would add attraction to the table."

"Alright!" Without a warning, I left Ying again to go to the man-made greenhouse built in the center of the garden and placed the set of flowers on the center of the table.

A few moments later, I went back to the kitchen to help Ying with pulling out the cookies in the oven once we both heard that ring sound coming from it.

"Uwaahh... this smells delicious!" I said, feeling excited all of a sudden. I bet when my prince had a taste of my deliciously-baked cookies, he will definitely fall for me right this instant! Not to mention I have a caramel cake prepared too. I know he likes caramel so much!

The reason why I am stressing myself too much on preparing these things is that this will be the first time that my fiancee' betrothed to me and I will be having our first ever date together.

I already met him during the time he was introduced to me by my father as my betrothed, but I never knew that I would fall for him this hard. He is such a sweet, caring, lovable, fun to be with, and super handsome gentleman. No one in this entire country would not fall for a bachelor like him!

Well, my bad, since he is not already available for anyone else but for me alone.

While humming a song, I also helped Ying with decorating the table and placing the plates and fork above it.

Later on, when we finally finished placing all the things needed on the table, I saw my personal assistant turned to look at me. Her gaze landed on my dress.

"Princess, what happened to your dress?" she asked curiously.

"Huh?" I didn't get what she's asking at first, but then when she pointed the dirt on the fabric of my dress, that's the time my eyes widened and started to panic.

"Oh no. I can't let my prince see me like this!" I blurted out.

"No worries, your high-- I mean princess. I have prepared an extra dress for you to wear this afternoon. It's in your bed right now." Ying said calmly.

"Really? Hooray! You're my savior Ying!" I beamed while hugging the girl all of a sudden.

After I pulled away from her, I immediately dashed off towards my room and saw the dress that my personal assistant was pertaining to earlier. With a quick motion, I hurriedly changed into this one.

When I was finally finished and was about to go back to the greenhouse, my hands flew over my face as I saw heavy drops of rain started to pour all over the place. Wahhh, why is this happening to me?!

I saw Ying run her way towards me.

"Wahhh Ying, why is fate so cruel to me?" I said and wailed like a five-year-old kid who's toy was snatched away from her.

"What do you mean princess?" asked Ying in a confused tone.

"Can't you see? Since it started to rain, my prince couldn't make it in here." I said in between my sobs. "After all the trouble we went through just to prepare our date."

I lifted my hand and rubbed the tears that started to roll down from my cheeks. Maybe we could have the day moved to some other time...

"My princess?"

My head instantly went up when I heard that familiar gentle voice of my prince calling out for me from behind. The moment I turned to look at him, I saw his majestic figure standing right behind me, and our eyes immediately locked gazes as I stared into his handsome, angelic face.

"Why are you crying my princess?" he asked with a hint of concern. Even his face shows that he's indeed worried for me.

"M-my prince? I-I thought *sobs" you would never come!" Like a younger sister to her older brother, my hands stretched forth and encircled him in a tight hug. I felt him hugged me back and stroking it gently.

"I have never skipped any of our meetings before. Why would I skip this one?" he said while chuckling.

"Because...because it's raining outside?"

As I pulled away from him, I immediately saw that radiating smile from his face that could light up my whole world.

"No matter what happens, I will always be here for you, my princess."

Ying brought us an umbrella that we could use to go all the way to the greenhouse. Once we finally reached the place, my personal assistant started to pour us some hot tea and the cookies I have baked earlier.

We have some casual chit chats while eating. And as soon as we are finished, I thought he would be leaving immediately since he stood up from his seat.

"Watch this, my princess."

After saying that, I saw him lifted his right hand, and a faint white light glowed from it. A few moments later, I saw all the droplets from the rain ceased to move from its place, like time itself stopped that moment... and all that could move is just him and me.

From the droplets that are currently around us, my prince formed several shapes from it like a unicorn, a seahorse, a bird, a fish, and many others. I felt like a kid back in my seat, clapping my hands and making an extremely happy face as I watched him do this.

Soon, when it was time for him to leave, I accompanied him until we reached the doors of the castle. Before he bids his farewell, I saw him pulled something behind me, later turning out to be a magical red tulip that he never fails to give me during our formal meetings. He knows it's my favorite.

"Thank you." My face flushed the moment I accepted the tulip from him.

Later that day, I saw myself waving at him enthusiastically as I watched him ride on his carriage. I also saw him waving at me in return, before the carriage started to move away and went out of my sight.

Ahhhh... I wish I could be with him... forever.