The sky was in its best state; calm and collected with large puffy clouds drifting lazily, and flocks of birds flying to the east. Cool gusts of wind occasionally pass by, making curtains ripple and flags whip side to side. A soft melody trickled from the windows of the highest tower, notes nearly blown away by the wind. All in all, it was another beautiful spring day.

Flowers of every kind sprung from various bushes lining the sturdy brick walls of the magnificent palace stand high and mighty in the middle of the kingdom. As unusual as it seemed, the flowers contributed to the glowing beauty of the structure, adding in bright, cheerful colors instead of the usual dull walls. Many people used to stop by when they pass, admiring the scenery and also greeting the fair maiden watering the said plants in the gardens.

The maiden could always be seen wandering aimlessly in the garden with a few guards watching her from afar. She didn't like it when they came close to nag on her or offer to bring her gardening tools because she might vent out her anger on them. As she strolled beside the flower beds, her brows knit together in irritation, jet black hair moving gracefully with the breeze.

She'd rather stay here in the garden rather than in the palace, courtesy of a certain princess hidden inside its walls. The princess was very obnoxious- spoiled for some people- but no one breathed a word in fear that the girl might tell on them or send them packing. It was a rather challenging feat to calm himself whenever she's around, yet the maiden managed.

It wouldn't be long until the princess called for her, so she reluctantly tore her gaze from the plants and made her way to the guards. The six of them went back inside, abandoning the materials the maiden was holding earlier. She needed to change her clothes; they were so hot and uncomfortable that she wanted to toss them out the window without any second thoughts. Then again, the dress wasn't hers, so she needed to fold them neatly and lay them on her table by the window.

"Hee!" the princess' gentle voice called from her own chambers.

Zipping the dress up, Hee ran towards the princess' room and knocked twice before opening the door "You called, princess Jessica?"

Rolling her eyes, Jessica rose from her bed and pulled the other in, slamming the door behind them "Yes, I called, Heechul" she frowned and examined the dress "You're trying to take it off again!"

"Of course I'll take it off, men aren't supposed to wear dresses!" Heechul replied irritably, ripping the wig from his head "How long are you going to make me do this Jessica?"

"Until Father comes back" Jessica answered patiently, ignoring the outraged look the male was giving her "You need to prove yourself first"

Throwing the wig on the bed, Heechul his heel and exited the room, eyes blazing with anger and malice. His and Jessica's relationship was odd, plain odd. Ever heard of dress up? Jessica liked that game.

In fact, she liked it too much that he made all her suitors wear dresses and put on wigs to look like women. Many men had gave up on asking her hand for marriage because they couldn't withstand her request. She was beautiful, yes, but she can also be very scary when something angers her.

Sinking down on his own bed, Heechul raked his fingers through his short black hair and stared at his reflecting in the full length mirror in front of him. His cheeks were tinted red from the blush on he wore earlier, his lips were painted dark pink and his eyes were lined with thick eyeliner, making them look fierce and very much alive. He looked like a freaking barbie doll who had short hair and a flat chest.

(Jessica had also suggested that he should wear a bra underneath, but he pointedly declined the offer.)

Its been eleven months, eleven months of torturous cringing and angry lip biting whenever a stranger mistakes him for a girl. Heechul may look similar to a girl, but he was very manly. He wanted to impress Jessica, to show her his determination, so he persevered just to have a shot of asking for her hand in marriage.

They'd known each other for a couple of years and they had many friends in common. Heechul was a prince from another kingdom across the country. Due to his father's old age, he went on a journey to Jessica's kingdom and visit her, hoping to find the appropriate wife to help him rule his people. However, he didn't expect that his feelings for her would escalate from a common friendly relationship to a complicated love affair that would surely make him crazy.

Every time his eyes landed on her pretty face, his heart skipped and his breath caught in his throat. She had that particular aura that made him weak in the knees and light headed. Heechul liked that feeling a lot, but he was tired of waiting and following her around like a slave.

He was supposed to be a royal prince, born with a silver spoon was raised with utmost care, and he should be treated like a prince. Servants do these kinds of things, not royal bloods. Then again, why did he let her order him around?

As much as he wanted to deny it, Heechul was and is still truly and deeply in love with princess Jessica. He, with his foolish heart, was caught in her trap, a trap that could lead him to commit even the heinous of crimes just to please her. Now he sounded like a desperate man running after his lover. Heechul wasn't even sure if Jessica was harboring feelings for him; she was really hard to read because of that face. If only he could make her admit what she had been keeping in her heart.

Sighing, Heechul stripped the crimson dress from his body and grabbed some 'normal' clothes from his dresser. Most of the clothes in his cabinet were wrinkled thanks to Jessica's dresses, which occupy most of the space. Finally, he managed to pull out a pair of drawstring pants and a white loose shirt in place of the dress.

Suddenly, a trumpet was blown, signaling the arrival of another suitor for Jessica. Since the King and Queen were away, the princess' attendants greeted the guests warmly and escorted them in a private chamber at the left wing of the palace. Heechul guessed that it was a prince from abroad, judging from the amount of slaves he brought with him.

Sprinting towards the balcony, Heechul craned his neck to catch a glimpse of the prince, but the foreigner was already inside the castle. With a sigh, he went back into his room and brought out his violin-a prized possession of his. Although the instrument was rather old, Heechul never replaced it. Even the most expensive violin could not compare to the heavenly sound it produced.

Closing his eyes, the male sat down on the top most set of the marble stairs and started to play a sweet, enticing melody like the one he usually heard from the highest tower. He swayed his body as he played, letting the song posses him and let his head drift high in the clouds. His violin was the only luxury he brought from his kingdom, so every time he played it, he felt like he was back home wrapped in his mother's comforting arms while his brothers bickered like bratty children nearby.

He missed them so much to the point that he wanted to abandon Jessica and take care of his sick father until he died. Yet if he did that, his father's last request would not be granted, and he didn't want that to happen. He had to have Jessica by his side when he decided to go home and live again with his family. Disappointing his father was the last thing in Heechul's mind.

Still immersed in playing the violin, Heechul failed to notice the sound of footsteps getting closer, until he opened his eyes and stared at a pair of flawless legs in front of him. He raised his eyes and locked gazes with Jessica looking down at him.

"Where did you learn that song?" she asked curiously, head tilted like a child.

Setting down his violin, Heechul leaned his head against the banister and spoke "I always hear it from my bedroom. It comes from the piano in the highest tower of the palace"

"Oh" Jessica said meekly "I'll just go and entertain my guest, Hee. See you later" And just like that, she was gone, descending the marble staircase leading to the chambers.

Heechul became intrigued, finger tapping his chin thoughtfully. Why did Jessica seem so interested with the song?

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After a few hours, the suitor left with his entourage. Honestly, Heechul wasn't surprised since he had witnessed a lot of men going in and out of the palace without any luck. He was the only one who had the guts to stay and fight for the princess' attention-not that he had any one to compete with.

Thinking back, he hummed the opening notes of the enchanting song being played every morning. He realized that the pianist might’ve been practicing to perfect that particular song. Heechul often heard small mistakes during the first few days he listened to it. But as time goes by, those mistakes started to disappear and the song became complete, bit by bit. It suddenly dawned on him that he had already seen the player, maybe once or twice, because he knew every person inside the castle. People didn’t go out of the palace often due to the King’s strict orders.

Since he was a little boy, Heechul had dreamt of being a musician. He often escaped from the palace to practice with the other children who played instruments for various occasions all throughout the land. Music became his inspiration to achieve his goals and become the perfect prince suited to rule the land. But as much as he wanted to pursue his dreams, he never got the chance because of the important position he held.

So whenever he had the opportunity to play, he greedily grabbed his violin and lost himself in its heartwarming tunes with every movement of his bow.

Now, his goal was to discover who the mystery pianist was. He was going to ignore princess Jessica for a while to do what he wants. Heechul was sure the princess wouldn't batt an eyelash even if he went missing for a long time.

The next morning, Heechul woke up before the sun was shining in the sky. Grabbing his clothes (he only slept in his undergarments), the prince darted out of his chamber and proceeded to the tower where the piano was located. Guards just bowed and let him pass when he encountered them in the halls. And due to his rush, Heechul failed to notice a flurry of thick pink fabric brush past him while he was on his way to the corridor heading to the staircase.

The prince gritted his teeth when he tried to open the door, but was pointedly denied by the piece of wood. It was locked from the inside, and the princess possessed the keys to all the doors in the palace. Of course, Jessica wouldn't give that to him without a very good reason because every room in the castle held priceless items that existed for hundreds of years. He actually agreed with the princess in some way.

Walking back to his room glumly, Heechul sighed as the opening notes of the melody drifted from the tower. He needed to meet the pianist, he just needed to.

Day after day passed. Dawn was followed by dusk, yet Heechul failed numerous times. He woke up earlier than the previous day, but the door remained locked for some reason. He tried fitting in different keys for different rooms, but he also failed. He tried climbing the tower, but it was too steep and he almost broke his back when his foot slipped from under him.

Heechul was becoming increasingly restless and nervous as another day passed by. Jessica seemed to be in the same condition, but she was better at hiding it under her usual expression. Her suitor had almost beaten her yesterday, and she's worried that he might overtake her today. She was also getting a little tired of hiding, too delicate to compete with an eager man like Heechul.

From all her suitors, Heechul was the only one who developed an interest in her music. She played it numerous times in hope that the right man might notice it and look for her, but not one of them did. Only Heechul noticed it. Jessica may look indifferent and strong enough to take on any problem that comes in her way, but she was the opposite.

She wanted someone to appreciate what she does and also have the same interests as she did. Heechul was a good choice, but the princess was still hesitant. Jessica preferred to test him rather than blurting out her secret. She needed to know if the prince was devoted in doing a task so that she may know how he would handle ruling the kingdom by her side, as spoiled as she is.

As normal people say, its better safe than sorry.

Catching her was a difficult task itself, yet Heechul finally did it one morning.

He stayed up all night and his himself in the creepy tower. Its was cold and rather dangerous, but his curiosity ot the most of him. Much to his delight, the wooden door opened and a shock of blonde hair came into view. His eyes widened when he saw the princess huffing and puffing, cheeks redder than apples as she closed the door and leaned against it to catch her breath.

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"Good thing I woke up early" she muttered to herself, sitting on the chair and positioning her fingers over the piano keys. Heechul watched her play, eyes closed and body swaying with the melody. It was one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen, and he was immediately captivated by the princess. Not only was she beautiful, but she was also a wonderful musician.

During his stay in the palace, she had only shown him one side of her- thats it. Heechul talked to her daily to make Jessica comfortable and finally open up to him. But as soon as he came close, she pulled back with a frown on her face. After months and months of trying, heechul convinced himself that his love was enough to make him stay by her side.

Coming out of his hiding place, he placed the of his violin on his shoulder and held it in place with his chin. Then, he started playing the song, blending it with the sound of the piano to make an exceptional melody nobody had ever heard. Jessica's head had snapped in his direction the moment she heard it.

For one second, the prince though she would get angry and hit him. Instead, he received a satisfied smile and a pleased nod from he woman in front of the piano.

When the song ended, Jessica walked towards him and gently placed her hands on his shoulders "You're a wonderful man, Hee. I just hope you'd continue your determination once we get married" she smiled sweetly.

Heechul's eyes widened in surprise, a smile slowly appearing on his lips "You like me?"

Jessica chuckled "Who wouldn't like you, Hee?"

"But-"

"It was only a test. I liked you from the first time we met and I continued to harbor feelings for you even after you went home. To tell you the truth, I was a bit nervous that you wouldn't like me back"

"Ridiculous" Heechul muttered, cupping her face in his hands "who wouldn't like a girl like you" then he leaned down and pressed their lips together, firm and reassuring. Both of them smiled when the kiss ended and remained standing there, grinning like teenagers "I haven't proposed yet Jess"

"But I did, so prepare your best dress tomorrow because we are getting married!"

"Did you say 'dress'?"

Jessica winked "You heard me right, Kim Heechul"