Chapter Four

. . .

"Who goes there?!"

Before Prince Julian could respond to the guards, the girl grabbed his wrist and pulled him with her for an evening chase.

They ran and ran, and later found themselves hiding in a bush—barely evading the pursuit of several palace guards.

"What do you think you're doing?" Julian said between breaths. "If you're planning to silence me with brute force, I suggest you change your mind."

"Brute force?" The girl eyed him as if it was the most ridiculous accusation she had heard in years. "What can a girl like me exert for some brute force? Besides, I already told you I'm not a bandit."

"And I already told you I'm not convinced."

"Look, this is a misunderstanding," she said, her eyes vigilant, and her voice as quiet as a whisper. "Out of pity that it might be hungry, I fed that crow with some seeds about an hour ago."

She showed him a blue sachet filled with sunflower seeds inside.

"I never expected it to come back with some token of gratitude," she said.

As his eyes looked down at her hand still on his wrist, an inexplicable flicker of energy surged through his skin. He reckoned that the sensation he felt earlier when he grabbed her arms was not mere static.

It was something that resembled sparks.

"Here," she pulled his wrist up and pressed the gold button on his palm with the hand that clutched it throughout their chase. "You can take it back even if you don't believe me."

Julian ought to be entertaining his guests in the inner hall by now, rather than hiding behind a bush with a stranger.

His once-immaculate velvet pants were now smudged with dirt at the knees, and his boots were also muddy from the chase.

But he, being suspicious by nature, took his time to scrutinize the girl beside him.

He took great pride in judging other people by their appearance, and this was not the time to waste such talent.

What if she were really a bandit? He thought. Better safe than sorry.

The girl was crouching down like him, and her white dress had to suffer from the muddy trail in its helms as well. It was a simple dress, but it was evident to him that it was crafted from the finest materials.

"Bandits don't spend much on their clothing," he murmured to himself, "I guess this one's a pass."

Her skin was as pristine as a white rose. He reckoned having mistaken her for a celestial being at first sight.

"Bandits live a tough life of wounds and scars," he murmured once again."It's a pass as well."

She carried herself and spoke with much grace and dignity. Even her vocabulary was way better than his.

If he hadn't attended school with other royals from different kingdoms, he would have guessed she was of noble birth as well.

"Solid pass." he blurted out, a little louder this time.

The girl turned to him with a cold look. "What is it that you seek from me, good sir? You already have what you need. Why are you still here?"

Julian cleared his throat--ready to present the fruit of his investigations. But before he could utter one smart word, a series of loud and heavy footsteps approached their direction.

The girl scoot over and covered his mouth. Too close, he could hear her faint breathing as the sound of footsteps slowly faded into the distance.

Julian couldn't wrap his head around why the guards were marching at an unfamiliar pace. Their marching tempo always synced with his heartbeat.

Tonight, that was not the case.

The girl's grip loosened on his lips.

"Your hands are soft," Julian blurted out awkwardly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to imply anything suspicious. It's just that... well, a bandit's hands are usually rougher, so I also passed you on that one."

She gave him an incredulous look. "You still think I'm a bandit?" the girl asked with much aversion. "To what extent do I have to prove myself just to make you trust a word I say?"

"It's your fault for running away from the guards," he said accusingly. "That's why I found you more suspicious."

"Fine..."

Her slender fingers fidgeted with the gold necklace that hung around her neck. The pendant, with an "L" at the center, seemed to comfort her in some way. Julian had noticed this nervous habit of hers before.

"If this is what it takes to make you believe me, then so be it." She muttered, "I hope mother forgives me for this."

The girl took a deep breath, ready to turn herself in to the guards. But Julian felt an unexplainable sense of urgency wash over him, compelling him to stop her.

Before the girl could even make a sound, the prince grabbed her hand.

Hand-in-hand, they hurried through the night once more, their hearts racing as they evaded the guards. As if by magic, they found themselves back where they had started - standing by the bridge where their misunderstanding had first begun.

"Why are you helping me?" the girl asked him, still gasping for air.

Julian crossed his arm across his torso and offered the beautiful stranger a bow. "I apologize. I was late to realize how detrimental it would be for a young lady's reputation if she were dubbed a bandit. I was too ahead of myself, and for that, I sincerely apologize."

"Apology accepted," the girl breathed, gazing up at the sky in wonder. "The sky is too beautiful to hold onto ill emotions tonight."

"Right," he said, his eyes fixated on her. "It's beautiful."

The girl was glowing underneath the moonlight, and Julian had to keep his breathing steady from its sight. Oddly enough, Butler Stans's voice suddenly replayed in his mind.

[If you find a girl whose beauty shames the heavens in your eyes…]

"Do you like looking at the skies too?" she asked, her eyes waiting for the prince's answer.

When his unresponsiveness made the girl's eyebrows furrow, Julian quickly looked away. He cleared his throat and shook his head to snap out of his daze

"No, I was talking about the wisteria tree," he lied, tilting his head to conceal his warm cheeks. "I hate looking at the sky. It's a waste of time."

The girl shifted her gaze to the wisteria tree, and the look of admiration in her eyes made it clear that she had bought Julian's lie.

"Indeed, the wisteria in full bloom is a sight to behold," the girl said with admiration in her voice. "But why do you hate the sky? It sounded like you have a strong reason behind your words."

The girl's question caught Julian off guard. He hadn't realized that his dislike of the sky was so apparent.

He hesitated for a moment.

But there was something about the girl's gentle gaze that made him feel comfortable enough to share.

"Have you heard the legend of the sun, the moon, and the earth?" he asked cautiously.

"I am familiar." The girl nodded before reciting a poem from memory;

"Two celestial orbs grace the Earth with their light;

In the heavens they all spin in harmony;

The Sun brightens days, and the Moon roams at night;

'Til the Earth hogged the Sun's light in a selfish plea.

When it shoved the Moon behind its shadow;

The Moon bled and deprived its gloaming of glow..."

'That's the one," Julian said. "I assume you already know what it means?"

The girl's answer was quick and confident. "Betrayal," she explained. "The earth's betrayal of the perfect harmony it had with the sun and the moon led the moon to deprive the earth of its moonlight. This legend holds that a lunar eclipse symbolizes betrayal and its consequences."

The girl's eyes were scrutinizing Julian's expression. "What about this legend?"

He smiled weakly.

"I was born during a lunar eclipse," he said. His expression darkened as he continued, "And because of this silly legend, I have been seen as a symbol of betrayal and bad luck my whole life."

Julian looked back at the girl, unsure of how she would react to his vulnerability. He hoped he hadn't revealed too much with his confession.

The girl beamed a smile, her eyes wide with wonder. "Really? That's incredible!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with a sense of awe and excitement.

Julian's eyebrows furrowed deeply, his voice tinged with a hint of irritation. "Incredible?" he repeated incredulously. "I was condemned to suffer from betrayal since birth. What part of that is incredible?"

"I was born on a meteor shower," her answer silenced him.

"You were born on a lunar eclipse, I was born in a meteor shower," she smiled, "Can you believe it? The fates brought us together for a reason."

"What reason?" he asked, "So you can rub salt in my wounds?"

"No." The girl said gently, her innocent eyes calming his nerves. "So, I can share my good fate with you now that we're both here watching the same sky."

Her words evoked a cuddling warmth that consumed Julian--permeating every bit of his soul.

He wasn't sure if it was because of this warmth, but the golden button somehow felt ice cold in his hands. Like it no longer belonged to him from that moment on.

His heart pounded like drums inside his chest.

And at once, the prince realized how Butler Stan's words made complete sense.

"If you find a girl who makes your heart race, and whose beauty shames the heavens in your eyes, she'd be more than worthy to keep this as a token of your love!"

. . .