Chapter I

Flo was walking home from his fishing trip when he saw a figure loitering just at the doorsteps of his house. It was a man, around in his forties, with a tall and strongly built. Flo immediately recognized the man and sighed. She is here again, he thought to himself. It was a situation he had been in before, and he did not welcome it at all. Reluctantly he walked towards the man.

“A good morning to you, young Flo! I could tell that you had a very good catch last night,” the man spoke, stroking his beard. He was looking at the bucket of fishes that Flo was holding in his hand. Surprisingly for all of his gruff exterior the man spoke with a dignified accent that was clear and concise.

“Good morning to you too, Master Sosimo… so what is she up to this time?” Flo said, his voice clearly lacking any tinge of enthusiasm. He was already starting to feel tired and sleepy from a whole night of fishing.

“Well she has brought some food for you and your grandmother,” Sosimo replied. “She has been waiting for you inside for over an hour.”

“Haven’t I told her not to bring any more stuff for me again… me and my grandma are very happy with the way things ar-”

Sosimo put his big hand firmly on Flo’s shoulder which Flo could feel great strength from the man. “She is a nice girl. Just be nice and be a good host, alright?” He looked at Flo. “Remember who she is.”

That’s exactly the problem, Flo thought to himself as he stepped into his home.

It was just an ordinary stone house, just like the other houses in the village. There were only a couple of furniture inside – two wooden tables, some chairs, and a bed and closet each in of the two rooms. A beautiful young girl, around sixteen years of age, was sitting down together with an old lady in the main room, both of them happily engaging in conversation. The girl was elegantly dressed, her long silky hair tied nicely into a braid. She noticed Flo’s appearance immediately.

“Morning!” the girl exclaimed, standing up and turning her attention towards him. “Your grandmother was sharing some funny things you did when you were a child!” The girl smiled, her big blue eyes dilating. “Anyway I’ve brought breakfast for you and your grandmother!” She was pointing to the food that was spread onto the table. “I specially got the master chef to prepare it for you. Come and try it!”

“Thank you very much, Princess Adelaide. I’ll have it later,” Flo spoke to the girl as he walked into the kitchen, putting down the bucket of fishes and his fishing rod onto a table. “A person of your status shouldn’t be here in this old and dirty village.”

“I just wanted to see you…” the princess muttered.” I’ll leave if you finished the food that I’ve brought for you.”

Flo came out of the kitchen and looked at what the princess had brought for him. Nicely placed on the table it was some rabbit meat, bacon and eggs. The sweet aroma of the food made his stomach growled. Flo quickly faked a cough to drown out the growling of his stomach before sitting down to eat.

It was the best meal he had in a very long time, but he ate it quietly, without any form of expression. He did not want to give any signs to the princess that he was enjoying the food.

Flo finished the meal quickly. “So how was it?” Adelaide eagerly asked, waiting for a response from him.

“It was nice… alright, I think you should get going. I’m just came from a fishing trip and I’m tired.”

“Besides, your brother won’t be too happy if he found out that you have been here,” Flo replied in a monotonous tone, wiping his mouth with his sleeve.

“Alright then… take care… I’ll come and look for you again when I’m free…” Adelaide uttered, not expecting such an indifferent response from him.

“Take care on your way back, Princess Adelaide,” Flo replied, without looking at her. Adelaide looked at the floor, her face holding a look of disappointment. She ambled towards doorsteps slowly.

She stopped at the doorsteps and turned back to Flo. “Tomorrow is the Festival of Autumn… and I’m the chosen flower girl this year. The opening ceremony will be at noon… I hope you will be at the town square to see me, Flo.”

The princess then walked out of the house and left the village with Sosimo.

***

“You shouldn’t treat her with such coldness,” Flo’s grandmother spoke to him, her voice soft and gentle. “She genuinely cares for us.” The old lady had remained silent throughout the exchange between the two young people.

“Grandma… But she is the princess of Durante!” Flo exclaimed, as he took the fishes out for the bucket and started to wrap them up in a big piece of cloth. “We commoners should not have any contact with the royal family at all.”

“Well, a person has all the right to befriend another regardless of class,” Flo grandmother stood up and started to clear the table of the plates and cutlery. “You don’t have to bother her background.”

“I can see that she likes you.”

“Grans!” Flo was losing his patience and getting uncomfortable with the topic. “I’m going to the village square to see if I can sell these fishes alright?” He placed the fishes into a basket and slinged it over his shoulders. “I’ll be back as soon as possible.”

“Take your time,” his grandmother replied. “and be back safe, my dear Flo.”

***

“Heh, It seems like that kid doesn’t appreciate your efforts at all,” Sosimo said to Adelaide as they rode on his stead Falk, a majestic-looking brown stallion, across the thick evergreen woods of Uland.

There was no response from the princess, as she sat in front of Sosimo. “Well you can’t blame the young lad,” Sosimo continued on, while skillfully maneuvering Falk to avoid the uneven parts of the terrain. “Just imagine the princess of Durante trying to befriend a village boy.”

“Or maybe he is just afraid of that brother of yours!” Sosimo laughed.

“Stop it, Uncle Sos…”

“Anyway you’re supposed to meet with the royal tailor now to have the final adjustments on the outfit that you’ll be wearing tomorrow. We better hope that we reach the castle back in time or else there will be big trouble for both you and me. You do know that I’ve brought you out without the King’s permission.”

“I just hope he will attend the ceremony…” Adelaide murmured, as Sosimo commanded his stead to pick up speed.

***

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