I stopped and sat down, i was panting and breathless from my run. I brought my legs up close to my body and wrapped my ars around them. Baro loked sincere...like he meant it. I shook my head. No, this can't happen. 

"Min!?" 

I looked up, Taeyang stood there, shocked.

I quickly got up and started to back away, to shock to sy anything.

"Wait Min!" He said.

I started to move back faster until he caught my wrist.

"Why couldn't you tell me?"He asked sadly.

"B-because, I didn't want to hurt you" I whispered.

"It only hurts more if you're avoiding me" He said, pulling me closer to him.

"I-I-I can't Taeyang....my parents migh-"

"I know..."He smiled meekly, "I know everything, and they're right, we can't be together..."

"But...but I don't want to get married..I don't want to be with him!" I cried out, I grabbed his shirt.

"I want to be with you!" I cried out again.

He smiled sadly, grabbing both my hands and pulled them off his shirt, then he held them close to his chest.

"I want to be with you too.."He said, "But....We should accept what has been done...you need to marry him, even if you don't like it, you have to, for the people, for your kingdom.."

"B-but Tae-"

He placed a finger on my lips, "No, Min, It might hurt, but please.....don't love me..."He said.

He let go of my hands and backed away.

"I'll stay by your side still, as your bodyguard....just don't love me" He smiled then walked away. 

I stayed silent. Letting all the words sink in. Not, love him? But...I do... Taeyang disappeared around the corner and I stood there, in the hallway alone. I sighed and walked to...somewhere. I just walked, trying to wrap my head around the wrods, that were thrown at me. My legs started to hurt again. I opened a nearby door and entered it. I walked to the couch in the middle of the room and just sat down. Closing my eyes at the same time.

"You seem tired, my child.."Her voice floated in the air.

"Mother...I'm tired...of everything..." I muttered.

"Please...be strong, I know you have been through a lot" Her voice, was closer.. something made the couch sink down.

I sighed in exhaustion. 

"Mother..you know don't you?" I asked her, opening my eyes a little, she sat there in a kimono, black with pink cherry blossoms, scattered across the dress. 

"Know what?' She asked, smiling a little.

I sat up," You know everything...what happened that night, how I felt, how I felt before...everything" I said.

She looked out the window from the sofe, a bird flew across the blue sky. 

"Yes..I know everything..." She finally said after the long silence.

"Then why did you lie to father?" I asked her.

"Because, the lives of many people are at stake, if I told your father why it was a bad idea, he would cause a full fledged war.." She sighed.

"Your father loves you very much, he cares about your safety" She added.

"Mother...what do I do? I don't love Baro, I hate him. You know what he did!" I turned to her, "Just look at these!" I pulled the blouse out of the skirt and pulled it up, showing her the scars that was slashed along my stomach. Then pulled it back down.

"I know sweetie...just stay storng and power through..it might get better..." She placed a hand over mine.

"You never know...what he could be truly feeling.."She stood up and smiled.

"Are you going somewhere?' I asked her.

"Your father needs me...stay strong my child" She kissed the top of my forehead, then stood back. A whirlwind of cherry blossoms appeared and covered my veiw of mother, then when it settled, she was gone. Just the scent of the cherry blossoms lingered in the air.

I stood up and just walked out of the room, tucking the blouse back into the skirt. I walked back to the same room I ran from, I opened the door quietly and Baro was still there, so was Viola. She was scolding her older brother and then when she heard me, she stopped.

"AH!! Princess! Please come in! It's time to pick a theme!" She hurried towards me and grabbed my amr, pulling me to a big table in the middle of the room. It was bright and the window's curtains were drawn back.

"Okay, as I said before, 4 themes to choose, which one do you want?" She asked me.

"Masquerade" I said imediately.

"Really? Baro asked.

"It would be creative, every one would have their own, unique mask, each indivual will have to make one of there own however" I said.

"Oppa, what did you want?" Viola turned to Baro.

"Victorian and Black and Red.."He said, scratching his head.

I knew what that meant, whenever he scratched his head, he wasn't sure, or he was nervous.

"We can have both" I said, "A Victorian Masquerade..."

"Wait..is this for the actual wedding?!" I asked Viola

"Oh! no way! It's for the engagment party, it will spectacular!" She exclaimed before writing down a few things on a clipboard.

"Uh.....Viola, is there anything else that needs to be done?" Baro asked his little sister.

"Oh yes! The flowers need to be choosen, what suit you are wearing, what the Min is wearing at the party...security..who's being invited..." She said.

"Oh okay, do we have to do anything?" He asked again.

"Nope, well Min,needs to come with me to pick a dress, oppa, you can go" She smiled and grabbed my arm, pulling me into another room.

Closing the door behind me, she smiled and clapped her hands. 

"Nina Hopkins, will tailor a dress for you..."She said before leaving.

"Princess, please take off your clothes and stand on this please" She said.

Nina was standing next to a box.

"What? like strip ?!" I asked, surprised.

"No, no!" She laughed, "Just take off your clothes, keep your underwear on though"

I slowly peeled the clothes off and stood onto the box, it was a little cold and her warm hands were going around my body, measuring my legs, arms.

"You have a nice figure..."She muttered.

"Huh?"

"Your body...it's perfect, like a mannequin...right size bust....your legs are long.....hmmm" She muttered.

I hugged my body, uncomfortable.

"You can get dressed, I know a good dress for you..." She waved me off before setting to work, taking out fabric rolls from high cupboards, threads out of draws....

I dressed and watched silently as she sketched on paper, a dress.

Frills on the front, large sash, hugging the models waist. A white and spikey collar, puffy shoulders, a large bow on the back, the sleeves, were loose around the edge.

"Whats that?" I finally said, pointing to the weird, net-like dress.

"Its a crinoline, it helps keep the dress up and poofy, if you would like..." She said as she add the final touches to the dress.

"When wil the dress be ready?" I asked.

"It will be ready, in maybe....4-6 days, Princess, if you may, please leave me to do my work in peace" She asked polietly

"Oh yeah..sure.."I said as I walked out of the room, Baro sat there, reading through some files.

He looked up, when he heard me close the door.

"So...."

"The dress will be ready in less then a week" I said, then I started to walk out.

He grabbed my arm.

"Do...you want to eat?" He asked.

"Eat? With you? Sure why not.."I said.

He smiled a little, then he opened the door for me. I guess he must feel happy, I'm just hungry.