The next morning Amber stood waiting for Krystal to get ready before escorting the Princess to her daily schedules. Looking at Amber’s hair tied back into a pony tail, Krystal gets to see more of Amber’s forehead revealing a different look of Amber. Krystal was shock how different Amber looks with a different hair style. It was hard for Krystal to keep her mind focus.

“Princess, your breakfast is getting cold. Is something wrong?”

“No, not at all.” Krystal said fixing her posture and gesture.

“Is my hair not to your liking?”

“It’s fine.” Krystal said as she focuses eating her meal trying to hide the fact that she find Amber more handsome than usual. When Amber looks away Krystal focus all her attention on Amber, wanting to touch Amber’s face. Her face turns red at the thought of Kissing Amber.

Ahh... I can’t think of it like that. Krystal touches her own cheeks as she lost herself in her thoughts.

“Princess, what’s wrong.” Amber said feeling worried.

Victoria interferes and whisper to Amber, “Can you leave Krystal for a few hours. I need to talk to her and when you come back, have some tea with me. We got some things to talk about.” When Amber left worries appears in Krystal’s eyes. “Princess, you are being too obvious. If rumors gets out that you fell for your knight, you will lose your knight.”

“What do you mean Ms. Song?” Krystal asks. “What’s obvious?”

“Pay attention to the way you look at him.”

“The way I look at Amber. Dose he realize already?” Krystal said feeling unsure.

 “I don’t know about Amber but rumors are lurking around the castle.”

“What did they say?” Krystal said feeling eager.

“This isn’t the time to get excited. Rumors about you and your knight won’t be good, even if it isn’t true.”

“But, I…”

“No buts. Even if you want it to be true, you can’t have that knight.”

“You’re cruel Ms. Song!” Krystal yells. “I hate you. I don’t want to see you ever again.” She locks herself in her room refusing to see anyone.

On Amber’s breaks she hangs out with her fellow knights practicing fencing and hand to hand combat. Krystal was observing them from her balcony with binocular while moping about what Victoria had said to her.  Krystal refuses to face the truth in Victoria’s words.

When Amber is on her way back from her break, she head to a tea room to meets up with Victoria. The expression on Victoria’s face was serious as she sat sipping some tea.

“Ms. Song?” Amber said feeling weary about what Victoria will say to her.

“Amber, do you realize the princess is falling head over heels for you?” There’s anger in Victoria’s voice. “Well.”

“I won’t deny it but what should I do to stop it. I don’t want to ruin my job and my family name. At the same time I don’t want to fail to please the princess.” Amber said feeling unsure of what to do in her situation. “Should I tell her that I am female? Though I never thought that anyone would confuse me as a man, after all, I’m much smaller and shorter than the average man.”

“It might just work. I’m sorry. I thought you were aiming for Princess Krystal downfall from grace.”

“I could never do anything like that.”

Interrupting their conversation enters Siwon. He bows to Victoria and Amber then said, “The Princess refuse to eat her meal. She won’t let anyone enters her room, even her maids.”

“I’m sorry again. It’s my fault.” Victoria said. “Let me talk to her.”

“I’ll stay here until you call for me.”

“No, it is best you go home for tonight. I don’t want Krystal to have excuse to ask for you if you are not in the castle.”

“Very well.”

“Perhaps you should stay out for a few days. I’ll explain it to the King. The other knights will still be here beside her.”

“I understand.”

Victoria walks up to the door of Krystal’s bedroom and she knocks softly and said in a soft voice, “Krystal. Can I talk to you for a moment? I’m sorry if I made you angry.” Behind the door Victoria could hear Krystal sniffling.

“I’m fine. I just want to be left alone for today.”

“I’ll leave you alone after you talk to me.”

“I refuse.”

“Then I’ll talk here with Amber listening to our conversation.”

Hearing Victoria say that made Krystal rush to the door. “Don’t say anything else.” Krystal looks at Victoria with sad eyes saying, “Come in, only you and no one else.”

Krystal eyes are puffy red and she is still in tears. Knowing that she can never choose her love is more frightening than losing her life.

“Oh Princess,” Victoria said in a worried voice as she wrap her arms around Krystal. “I’m only telling you this because the tears you will cry when the both of you fall in love would be worst than this.”

“I rather find love than never to have known love.” Krystal said.

“There’s something important you need to know about Amber.” Victoria said in a serious voice. “Listen carefully. Amber is…” Seeing Krystal’s eager eyes hoping for good news it was hard for Victoria to tell Krystal the truth.

“What is it about Amber?” Krystal said.

“Amber is off for the rest of the night so you don’t have to worry about Amber seeing you like this.”

“That’s good to know.”

“Also one more thing, you must prepare yourself to hear this news.”

“I’m ready for anything. I’m not afraid if Amber has a flawed character. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t.”

“Focus princess. This is important that you hear what I say. This will change the way you view Amber.”

“Do you think I would be ready to hear it today? If it is going to break my heart worst than I have already broken my heart, I don’t want to hear it.”

“Amber’s character isn’t flawed but there is a secret Amber is keeping from you. Just beware of the secret.”

“And you know about Amber’s secret.”

“Yes, but you are not ready to know about it are you?”

“No, I don’t believe so.” Victoria’s words made Krystal question the Amber she has been observing until now. It’s true she never asked Amber about anything and has only base Amber’s action on her actions alone. It just never occurred to Krystal to ask Amber about herself.

Krystal’s snuck out for some reading time in the library she looks up for some romance books to bring back to her room to read. There’s the famous Romeo and Juliet, Cinderella, and a few other tales of love. With these books, Krystal plans her attack on love. Knowing Amber isn’t around to see what she’s planning, it made her feel more courageous to seek out what love truly is.

That night with the help of Min, one of Amber’s fellow female knights helping Amber guard the Princess Krystal, she is now helping Krystal sneak out of the castle.

“Princess I don’t think this is a good idea.” Min said as the avoid appearing in the sightline of the castle wall guards.

“How well do you know Amber?” Krystal said curiously.

“Princess, I known Amber since we became knights around the same time.”

“What’s your relationship with Amber?”

“Just friends. Why do you ask?” Min said. “Could it be that rumor is really true?”

“What rumor?”

“That the Princess is falling for her Knight and that’s the reason why Amber is her knight. Saying that Amber ranking in knighthood is thanks to the princess pulling the strings behind the scenes.”

 “Don’t consider those silly rumors to be true.”

“I’m sorry Princess. I was only stating what I heard around the castle.”

“Does Victoria already know?”

“Your head maid must have already known. This rumor alone will ruin your reputation as a respectable Princess.”

“I didn’t know rumors have such power.”

“Rumors have the power to ruin you or gain you support regardless of how little or how much fact is supporting it. The word of mouth among the people is a powerful thing.”

“Do you know where we are going?” Krystal said as she steps into mud.

“Of course, if you don’t want to be seen, you take the dirtiest path.”

“Good thing I’m wearing commoner clothes.”

Looking at Krystal in dirty clothes Min says, “Princess it is best that you don’t stick out like a sore thumb. You don’t want to be discovered before you see Amber in her everyday attire do you?”

“Are you afraid you will get in trouble?”

“Yes and now. This is quite fun compare to what we have been doing. Though the pay is better, it is just more work.” Seeing Krystal’s  scrunch up brows Min said, “Don’t worry princess. I enjoy my job, that’s why I became a knight.”

“Why did you agree to help me if you know this will get you in trouble?”

“In my book, trouble means fun.”

They finally made it outside the castle without anyone noticing them. This is Krystal first steps outside the castle walls. She had never dream about what’s beyond the castle walls before. All her life, there was nothing to sway her into wanting to venture out into the unknown until she saw Amber. Everything and anything she can get her hands on to learn about Amber is worthy enough for her to step outside her comfort zone. To explore the vast world she have been deprive of all her life is an adventure she is ready to take.

_ _ _

From the Author: Krystal is pretty no matter what she wears. Only if f(x) stylist would care more about f(x).