Evie had banned Kyuhyun from her chambers until he was invited back in. Iseul obviously needed some time to digest the information that had just been bestowed on her.

Iseul felt horrible. Kyuhyun had explained to her what had happened the night before. She was speechless. She hadn't a clue who would want to kidnap her. She'd been drugged with chloroform – that was what Kyuhyun suspected anyway – and almost hoisted onto a wagon. Kyuhyun managed to stop the kidnappers before that happened. He'd then carried her to the palace and taken her to Evie's chambers. It wasn't considered appropriate for women to stay in men's chambers unless they were married.

Iseul wanted to go home but Evie made it clear as day that there was no way in hell that that was going to happen. So Iseul had no choice but to confide in Evie. Due to the drugs still in her system Iseul fell asleep pretty early that night. Evie thought it was safe to leave her for a while so she could speak with Kyuhyun.

When she entered his chambers she found Kyuhyun and Sungmin, his best friend and personal guard, in front of the fireplace. Judging from Kyuhyun's expression he'd been talking about something that troubled him quite a bit.

“Kyu, she needs a job. I didn't want to offer her anything before checking if it was okay with you, but it just so happens that I need a maid,” Evie said, making Kyuhyun sink just a tiny little further into grumpiness.

“I have no objections, since there isn't any way to turn a peasant into a royal. I hate that stupid rule...” Kyuhyun sounded a bit bitter.

“Ah, so you do have feelings for the girl!” Evie sounded victorious.

“I suspected it... Leave that little problem to me, I'm sure I can think of something,” she said before turning and skipping out the door and down the hall.

Sungmin giggled, “your cousin's a tad nuts...”

“A tad? She's the craziest person I know,” Kyuhyun grinned. 'She's also amazingly good at finding ways to do impossible stuff and persuading people with FAST talking' he thought with a hopeful smile.

***

“Oooh, would you look at that !”

Was the first thing Iseul heard when she woke up the next morning. She looked in the direction of the voice and found Evie standing at the largest window with a pair of binoculars. She couldn't help giggling.

“Oh, you're up! Come on, you have to check this out.” Iseul got up and walked over to where Evie was standing. Evie handed her the binoculars and helped her find the person she was looking for.

“His name is Donghae, he's one of Kyu's guards,” Evie excitedly explained.

“He's cute,” Iseul answered, but she didn't seem very excited.

“...but you're interested in someone else,” Evie finished with a small sneaky grin on her face.

“Huh? Wh-what? N-no, there's no such thing, I-I don't like anybody that way, I...” Iseul stammered and blushed.

“It's okay, no need to get all stressed over that now. You'll admit it one day. As for right now, how would you like a job as my maid?”

“Y-your maid? Uh... I don't know anything about being a maid, I-” she sighed, “I can't.”

“Whyever not? Besides, I don't know how much work you'd be doing, mostly just following me around...” Evie looked at Iseul expectantly.

“Ah... All right then... but I really have no idea how to be a lady's maid. I-” Iseul froze.

“My goodness, forgive me for speaking casually with you, your highness,” she curtsied and stayed in mid-curtsy.

“Oh some on, don't be stupid, I don't want to see a shred of formality from you ever again, got it?!” Evie said as she pulled Iseul up from her position.

“B-but-” Evie cut her off “but nothing, we're friends and I conveniently have a job opening for you, now, not another word on the matter.”

The girls got dressed and Evie decided that Iseul should get to know the palace and the people in it. They went down to the kitchen and ate and chatted with the staff – Iseul quickly discovered that Evie hadn't a drop of royal snobbery in her blood – and took a grand tour of the whole palace and its courtyard.

The last place they visited was the library. Iseul wanted to find a book to read so she wandered off to the far end of the library while Evie went ahead with her master plan. You see, Kyuhyun was always in the library at this time of day and evie had employed herself as his personal cupid/matchmaker. She found him reading a book about the royal laws, he'd also piled up all 30 volumes of History of Law and Royal Legislation of the Kingdom of Rea.

'He must be losing his mind, I told him I'd take care of it... tsk' she thought before approaching him and nudging his shoulder. He looked up as she whispered “aisle 2”. He looked pretty confused and was about to say something but Evie was far too impatient for that.

“Go there you idiot,” she taunted and he obliged.

As he rounded the last shelves and stood at the end of aisle 2 he understood why Evie had sent him there. 'You're so sneaky, cousin dear, I must remember to thank you later,' he thought to himself. He watched Iseul as she inspected the books one by one. Something in the highest shelf caught her eye and she desperately tried to reach it. 'I should probably help her...' Kyuhyun thought devilishly as he walked toward her.

She jumped a little as she felt something, no, someone press into her back. Then the book she'd been looking at was given to her by an obviously male hand. The man behind her didn't move when he'd given her the book and she was beginning to feel a little... warm?

“Is that the book you were looking for?” Kyuhyun's familiar voice whispered in her ear.

She gulped. “Y-yes, your highness,” she nervously stammered.

He sighed. “You don't need to be formal with me, I don't like it.” He turned Iseul around to face him. She didn't look at him but merely stared at her toes. Which, ironically, included his in her line of vision.

“I'm still the same guy you got to know, I'm still your friend. Just because I have a title doesn't mean that we can't continue being friends,” he continued trying to convince her. The way she acted towards him lately felt like being stung by a thousand knives.

“Y-yes my lord,” Iseul hesitantly whispered.

Kyuhyun let go of his shoulders but didn't go away. He was about to say something when the afternoon bell rang.

“I have to go, I have lessons till the dinner bell,” he said and left. When he was no longer in sight Iseul let herself fall against the bookshelves. She stared in the direction he'd left and sighed. 'Why am I falling for a prince? Wait... I didn't just think that did I? I can't have feelings for him, I just can't!' She desperately thought to herself.