"Ah~ What a relaxing life." I breathed out.

I currently laid on Fluffy's back as they slowly floated through the water. With enough food and time, Fluffy grew into a healthy adult of their species. Needless to say, I did as well.

‘This has to be the blessing of good genetics!'

I was as beautiful as any average princess in these types of stories. Long, flowing black hair, piercing purple eyes, and a strong, gorgeous figure too! Of course, I had a little more muscle definition than-well, any lady in society, but that didn't matter to-

"Kali."

I sat up quickly.

"Warren!"

Just as I had become a young lady, Warren had become a young man. Twenty now, and still about a head over me in height. His facal features were gentle and his build a show of his strength.

‘Just my type! A soft looking but strong guy!’

I went to get up off Fluffy’s back.

“Wah!”

That was all the noise I could make as I slipped and went crashing into spiky scales below.

“Kali!”

Before I knew it I was in the tree shade with my tunic off, under shirt red in multiple spots, and sat next to Warren as he cleaned and wrapped the wounds on my abdomen. 

“You could stand to be more careful, you know?”

“I know...” I responded, defeated.

He smiled down at me while carefully putting on the wraps. As gentle as always with his movements.

“Your 18th birthday is coming up soon, Kali. What would you like?”

“Hmm.” I looked up at the tree swaying above me.

‘Would it be too cliche to ask to marry him? But I don’t even think he knows I’m technically a noble yet.’

I pondered the thought for a moment more, humming the whole time.

‘Well, it doesn’t hurt to try!’

“Well, since it’ll be my coming of age I think I’d like to get married.”

He froze for a moment.

“Ah. I see.” He said deadpan as he finished securing the bandages. His efforts to hide his reaction was fruitless as I could see right through him.

“Yes indeed. I’d like to marry a tall, handsome man of great wealth and impressive station.”

He looked up at me a little as he put his first aid supplies away.

“I feel like that’d be difficult, Kali. Not many people are strong enough to overcome some…differences.”

For a noble to marry a commoner they would have to be willing to abandon their life. Their wealth, status, power, their very own names. To choose such a path would mean losing everything.

“That’s alright. The man I have in mind is a very good friend of mine-my best friend, in fact. If he were to choose me he would have to struggle, but it would be well worth the strife.”

He hummed a little in response. I could have sworn his neck was covered in sweat. His face seemed pale.

Over the last four years we’ve become very close, no different than best friends. We’ve even used romantic gestures and the like the entire time but…Well, it couldn’t be more plain and simple that he must be afraid of a union in some manner or another. To be 20 and not even engaged in the empire isn’t taken lightly.

I couldn't tell if he was simply holding out, or had an actual fear of marriage. It was clear we had romantic interest in one another, but as long as I stayed the tossed away girl in the woods things wouldn’t ever progress further than that.

‘I almost wish I could tell him my identity. Does he truly not know?’

I looked at him blankly, eyes wide. Embarrassed, he rubbed his neck and looked away. After a moment of gathering himself, he stood up and offered me his hand.

“It sounds like that person is willing to face the whole world for you.”

“He doesn’t have to.” I said, taking his hand.

As soon as I stood and threw my tunic back over my shoulder I heard a voice in the distance.

“My lady!”

I could hear Amelia as she ran through the forest.

“My lady!” She shouted.

Stumbling through the bushes Amelia looked right at me.

“My lady Kali!”

Her voice was frantic and her eyes wide. As soon as she cleared the foliage she fell to her knees. She was sobbing.

“Amelia! Whats happening?” For her to be like this-I had no time to worry about what Warren would hear.

“Your father…” Amelia cried out. “Guards have been sent to take you to the imperial palace, my lady!”

A chill entered my body. My father…if he was calling for me after all this time there would be only one answer.

“Amelia-”

Before I could even comfort her, guards appeared from the bushes.

“Your Highness Kalisto Andromeda is required by imperial decree to return to the northern palace at once.” Without a second to spare they separated me from the others, physically blocking me from Warren and Amelia.

The urge to barrel right through the guards went and passed.

‘If I were to do that I could be charged for going against imperial decree. The best thing that I can do is to hold it in for now…’

I looked past the guards' shoulders. I saw Warren looking at me with wide eyes. He seemed to be going through a wave of emotions. There was nothing I could say to him in this moment to fix anything-and so I settled for looking him in the eyes with a silent apology.

I turned to Amelia who looked up at me from the forest floor. She was a mess of tears. Forced to be my nanny at the young age of 14, she raised me as her own until now. Her fear of what that man would do to me was unimaginable.

“Amelia.”

With a small hiccup she looked up and we locked eyes. I gave her the best reassuring smile I could in that situation.

“I’ll see you soon.”

She tried to hold her tears for a moment, face scrunched, but continued to cry.

“My lady…Kali…I’ll be waiting for you.”

And without a moment to spare the guards whisked me away to a carriage outside the forest line, it’s destination without a doubt the imperial palace where my father waited for me…