•One•

A maid walked into her mistress's room and pulled open the curtains to the floor-to-ceiling windows, bringing light into the large bedroom. She opened the window slat then, letting in a cool breeze to disrupt the dust mites that had begun to form overnight. From the large four-poster bed came a mewl of protest. The maid smiled at the lady who pulled a pillow over her head to sleep for a while longer.

The maid had nursed the lady since she was a babe, had watched her grow into the beautiful woman she is today. If it weren't for the maid's mother and father's arduous work and pleasant company, the maid wouldn't have had such an excellent job that paid well. The King and Queen of the Asaya Empire. They ruled most of the southern parts of the continent and were kind to their people and therefore, the people trusted them and were loyal.

The maid went over to the woman in the bed and shook her gently. "Go away Philippa!" her mistress whined.

Philippa, who could not speak, shook her head in silent reprimand. She shook the woman again only to be told to go away again. Smiling with a mischievous flash in her hazel eyes, Philippa went to the end of the bed, grabbed the edge of the blankets and comforters, then gave a hard pull. Her mistress squeaked in disbelief and sat bolt upright while the linen fluttered to the ground at the maid's feet.

"It's too early to get up! Must you always do this every day?" the woman whined.

Philippa pointed to the open window and raised a brow as if to say, "It's not that early."

The woman in bed grumbled under her breath and went to her bath chamber, undressing and getting into the steamy bath Philippa had prepared a few minutes before. While her mistress was relaxing, the maid made the armoire and got out the dress the Queen wanted her daughter to wear for the day until it was time to change into her gown for the ball that evening.

A knock sounded on the wooden door of the huge bedroom and Philippa went to answer it, seeing the Queen herself smiling there. "Hello, Philippa. Is Jacqueline awake?"

Philippa nodded and pointed to the bath chamber door where a sliver of light could be seen from within.

"Wonderful!" the Queen expressed delightedly and clapped her hands once. "Please make sure to have her in the dining hall in an hour so she may eat and accompany our guests."

Philippa nodded again and smiled. Having said everything she needed to, the Queen turned and left. Philippa shut the door and went to go help her mistress finish up.

An hour later, Jacqueline entered the dining hall in a green dress with gold trimming, an emerald stone at her throat, and her brunette hair pulled up into a crown of braids. Philippa, as the Princess's personal maid, got niceties that other staff didn't have. She could wear nice dresses and pearls, go to balls, and keep Jacqueline under strict supervision, and sleep in a bedchamber close to her charge. This morning, she dawned on a midnight blue dress and black flats, pulling her own hair back into a shimmering black tail. Atop her head was a crown of flowers that Jacqueline insisted she wear because she was said to be beautiful. Philippa didn't think so but didn't argue.

In the dining hall were several people, two of which were Jacqueline's parents. Two women about Jacqueline's age were whispering to each other on one side of the table while on the other sat five men. Three, Philippa knew to be the King's advisors. The other two, however, she had never seen before. One was adorned with jewels that made him shine blindingly in the light. He had golden hair and blue eyes, his teeth were crisp white when he smiled, and he had an arrogance of an adolescent boy. The other male was the complete opposite: black hair, chocolate brown eyes, and clothing that would make him disappear in the night.

When the two women entered, the two unfamiliar men looked over. The pretty one gave an even bigger smile with a sparkle in his eyes that Philippa could read as lust: that made her slightly angry and protective of Jacqueline. The other, however, looked bored and went back to his plate of food, ignoring the princess with obvious disinterest.

"Jacqueline, you look beautiful!" the Queen announced loudly.

The King nodded with a small smile. "You're looking more and more of your mother every day, daughter."

Jacqueline smiled and turned to Philippa. "Have you eaten?" The maid nodded once. The princess gave her a delightful expression and said, "Alright. Have an hour of reprieve then come find me."

The maid nodded and walked out of the room. When the princess sat down beside her mother, the man with blue eyes said, "You look lovely today, Princess."

"Thank you," she replied politely.

The King spoke up now. "Jacqueline, I would like you to meet Prince Roderic and early King Bardulf. Both are here to seek an alliance with us through a marriage to you."

Jacqueline set her utensils down and stared at her father in disbelief. "Marriage? But I am only ten and eight years old!" She glanced at the dark man sitting at the table across and to the left of her. "And I mean no offence, but I won't be taking an old man as my husband."

"Jacqueline!" the Queen scolded.

The dark man held up a hand and smiled at the Princess. "The Princess may speak freely since this is her home." His eyes that were once bored, now hardened. "But I am only a few years older than you, Princess. I do not like being insulted before I am fully understood. Since this is your kingdom instead of mine, I will not act out of refined manners. But for the future if you become my bride, do not speak like that about me in front of my subjects. You may do so when we are alone, but consequences will be handed out otherwise."

"Is that a threat?" the Princess hissed.

"Jacqueline be polite and keep your voice even," the King ordered as kindly as he could.

But the dark man replied, "Not a threat, Princess. It's a promise, and I always keep my promises."

The Princess gave an audible gulp and kept her mouth shut, seeing the menace in the man's dark eyes that went black. Understanding her retreat, the man stood up swiftly and bowed to the King and Queen. The latter said, "Won't you stay with us for a while, King Bardulf. I apologize for my daughter's insulting words, but we do love your company."

"Apology accepted, my Queen. But I have matters to attend to that cannot wait any longer." He bowed again, pushed in his chair, then left the room.

King Bardulf, although dark and menacing to many who got onto his nerves. But on the inside, his thoughts were a tornado of different problems and people. He had so many problems within his kingdom in the North. His people suffered starvation and cold. He needed this alliance so he could help them, even if it meant dealing with an ungrateful Princess that thought him too old for marriage.

He snorted. That mouth of hers needed punishment. If she married him, he'd give her that punishment, and her loving parents would not have the privilege of saving her. If not for his people, he'd let the Golden Prince have her to save him the trouble. He saw the lust and desire in Roderic's crystal blue eyes and knew his motives. Bardulf agreed that the Princess was a beautiful creature with femininity radiating off her in waves. And although her dress was the modest kind, he could still see her curves and imagine what she looked like beneath the cloth.

Bardulf's hands shot out to catch whatever he ran into, hearing the soft gasp of surprise that was not his own. Looking down, he saw the maid that escorted the Princess to the dining hall earlier. "Excuse me, mi' lady. My apologies."

As her face turned up, he saw wide hazel eyes and luscious lips. Those lips curved upwards into a soft smile as she shook her head. Her tiny hands pushed his chest to be let go, so he obliged. The maid stepped back, and nearly fell over the small table next to the wall if Bardulf hadn't reached out and caught her again.

"Careful, there. No need for an injury," he said.

The maid gave a heavy sigh and shook her head, slapping her palm to her brow as if to say, "Clumsy me."

The King did a once over of her figure and found her to be as beautiful as the Princess, if not more. She was small, her head only reaching his chest, and she was slim and graceful. Her black hair gave a soft glimmer from the torch light not far away while her face held soft features and an embarrassed expression. Suddenly, she stood to the side and gestured for him to continue, bowing slightly. Bardulf blinked in surprise and remembered what he was doing. He gave her a small smile. "Thank you. And be careful next time you go around a corner, okay?"

Her face turned pink when she nodded. The King found himself staring at her for a moment too long and abruptly started walking, mentally chiding himself.