Finally. After weeks of preparation and worry it was the night of the Kang family's Great Ball for my older brother. Since he was the heir to my family's fortune, the first born, it was required that he find a proper woman and marry her before or by the time he turned twenty three years of age (a ripe time to marry so my father put it). Aron was twenty two now and with the dead-line of marriage approaching, my mother decided to open up the palace to all the people of every kingdom and stature (though usually the poorer peasants didn't attend due to lack of ideal clothing) for a Grand Ball. It was a bit cliche but it had proved to be effective in our family's past as such an event was exactly how my mother and father became acquainted.

   As for me, Kang Baekho, the second and youngest son, threeyears younger than Aron, I had no real real duties or rules as far as our kingdom was concerned. Eventually I had to marry of course and I still had studies to attend and combat to learn but since I wasn't the heir, my rules weren't as strict as Aron's. I could almost do whatever I wanted. I could leave the palace with only a single guard or maybe two where as Aron had to take a guarded carriage even for a simple trip since he would be the primary target for rebels or rival royalty. I left the palace a lot actually. My home was great and everything but I loved to be out among the people my family has looked over for generations. Some day Aron would watch over them and he would surely allow me to help so I wanted to create connections now. To me, a such a bond between ruler and subservient was the key to a successful reign. And this seemed to be the thought of all our ancestors considering how long we had ruled and how prosperous our kingdom was.

   I loved our land and even more so I loved being able to participate in the festivities held in the main, local village. Some were celebrations of natural holidays, others little festivals just for fun to ease the stress of the working classes. My parents didn't usually attend due to meetings with councilors and such but Aron and I always snuck out to participate. It was during one of these just-for-fun carnivals that I saw her.

The girl that had ben swarming my mind for the past two and a half weeks.

   She had been playing and watching over a few of the orphanage kids (I liked to visit there so I recognized them easily) near one of the food vendors, planning to buy them food I supposed. She was absolutely breathtaking. Her face was as smooth as porcelain and her cheek bones set a bit high. Her hair was an un-natural sun kissed blonde and I wondered if it had been dyed with expensive oils like mine was. Her smile was white and simple yet so captivating, her eyes, deep pools of mystery that I wanted to dive in and explore. The girl's build was small, delicate, and the clothes she wore were loose fitting and seemed to be hand-me-downs from older brothers. But I didn't care how she dressed, she was still beautiful no matter what her body adorned.

I needed to know her name.

   As soon as I moved to approach her and the kids though a group of festival dancers separated us and, just my luck, when they moved down the road, she was gone.

   Since that night she was all I could think of. I wanted to know everything about her. Her name, what it took to make her smile,what she liked to do, how old she was. But of my few trips into the village, I had yet to see her again.

   During my reading lesson, taught by my mother, I was questioned why I seemed to be so unfocused. I hesitated thinking she may laugh but when I did tell her of the beautiful girl that seemed to be hiding from me she merely giggled.

"Baekho, you're in love." she smiled. "Love at first sight."

   Ok, maybe I was in love. Was it possible to fall in love with a girl I had simply just glanced at? I didn't care. I just needed to meet her. My mother always told Aron and I that love was a magical thing that could prevail through any tribulation. If I truly was in love, I didn't mind. I just needed to meet her. To confirm my mother's diagnosis. And to settle my mind so I could return to a regular sleeping pattern.

   After a few weeks of not seeing her, a week away from my mothers Grand Ball, I decided I needed to make the first move. I sent men with me on my trips to the village, looking eagerly for her, I was about to give up, convinced she was maybe a traveler or the daughter of a seasonal merchant that was far gone by now, when finally, my gaze was graced with her luminescent air once more.

   She sat on the edge of the villages fountain, smiling as she watched the children play. I wanted to approached her but honestly she made me nervous. The longer I stared at her gentle, soft, yet bright smile, the more acrobatic flips my stomach did. What if I approached her and began to stumble! I'm a prince! That would look horrible! So I decided to send a guard with my letter. Once he was beside her I hurried away. I didn't want her to see me, not yet.

   My guard returned an hour later and I looked at him with hopeful eyes.

"The invitation to the ball for her and her family was delivered your highness." he bowed. "She had no deciding answer whether to attend or not however."

"That is fine. Thank you." I replied calmly, hiding a maybe overly enthusiastic smile behind my poker face, and dismissed him, my heart pounding. She took it! Maybe she would come! All I had to do now was wait. And although it was painful, at least it was less so then my wait before to even see her again.

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Gosh! So sorry it took so long! Had no idea how to start it. Sorry it's so short lol