I gazed upon his majestic blue eyes. His eyes caught mine for a second then looked away. He was the king of Solinia and he was standing in front of thousands of people. How could he ever love a simple peasant girl like me. I was so small and delicate and fragile compared to him, a man with muscles and power in his arms, hands and legs. It was hard to imagine that such a man would actually be attracted to an unassuming girl.

My heart sank in my chest when I realized that this was what all those girls had been talking about. The king spoke to some of his men and then approached me, stopping a few feet away from where I stood. I stared at his shoes, not daring to look up. He didn’t say anything, just waited until I felt comfortable enough to look up.

His face was stoic, but there was a glimmer of sadness in his eyes. “You have no idea how beautiful you are.” he said softly, cupping one side of my face. He stroked my cheek, his other hand resting on my shoulder. I couldn't help it; I burst into tears.

I buried my face in his chest and cried quietly as he pulled me close. “Shhhh….” he whispered as his arms wrapped around me protectively. He held me tightly and kissed the top of my head. I tried my hardest to stop crying, but my body just wouldn't obey.

"Why do you always cry?" he asked softly after several minutes.

I sniffled once before lifting my head, wiping my nose and cheeks with the back of my hand. "Because you don't want me." I admitted quietly. I saw his jaw tighten briefly, but it seemed to relax quickly. His arms tightened around me again before he let go of me and stepped back.

“Come with me.” he said as he pulled me after him. He walked through the crowds. I followed him through the crowd, trying desperately to hold in my cries. when we got into a quiet clearing, he stopped suddenly and turned towards me. “Why can’t you accept your place in the world?” He asked me harshly.

Tears stung my eyes again. “Because you don’t really want me!” I shouted. "I've been in love with you the first time I saw you, but you were always too good for me. You deserve better than me." I told him, staring at the ground, unable to meet his eyes.

"Why can't you accept who I am?" he demanded.

"I'm a peasant, I'm ugly and weak, not pretty or strong. Why would someone like you even want me?" I sobbed.

He took another step forward and placed both hands gently on either side of my face, his thumbs stroking over my cheeks. "Please, please just listen. Listen to me." He begged.

I lifted my head. He was kneeling down, his blue eyes locked on mine.

He swallowed heavily before taking a deep breath. "I've loved you since the moment I saw you.” He began. "The way you laughed...the way you smiled..you're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen." He said earnestly. His thumbs brushed my cheeks, soothing me further. "But...but…I know that you don't think so." He finished. I closed my eyes tightly against his words.

I shook my head. He sighed sadly and reached out, brushing my hair behind my ear. "Why don't you believe me?" He asked me.

I opened my eyes and gazed at him. "Because I'm a peasant…" I whispered, staring at his eyes, feeling them bore into my soul. "And I'm ugly and weak and you deserve so much better than me." I told him truthfully, my bottom lip trembling.

"Why do you think that?" he questioned me softly, holding my gaze steadily.

I hesitated. He watched me intently and waited patiently for me to answer his question.

"You deserve more. I wish I was better." I finally answered quietly, looking down at the ground, tears streaming down my face as I said it.

A gentle hand touched my chin, tilting my face upwards so I was forced to look at him. " If words can't prove to you how much I love you, then this will." he said as he leaned toward me , closing the distance between us and pressing his lips against mine.

I gasped, shocked by his action, and froze in place for a minute as I processed the feeling of his kiss. The touch of his lips, his soft hair, his scent. He broke off the kiss and moved away from me and sat on the ground, crossing his legs beneath him. He patted the space next to him invitingly. Hesitantly, I went to sit beside him. My fingers traced over my lips as I stared up at him.

I was still in shock. This was the only person who ever loved me. Who cared for me. For more than half a year. I looked at the crown sitting on his head and frowned slightly. A crown made for a king. Not a peasant's child. I felt my eyes start to sting. He reached out and laid his hand on my arm. "Don't cry. Don't cry. Everything will be okay. You'll see." He said softly.

I nodded slightly and wiped the tears from my eyes.

After a minute or two passed, he cleared his throat. "What's your name, sweetheart?" he asked me.

I looked at him surprised and blinked. He smiled softly at me, his thumb rubbing circles on the back of my hand comfortingly. "Tell me your name."

"Um..." I looked down at our joined hands and swallowed. "Yuriko..."

"That is a beautiful name." He told me. He tilted his head slightly, looking into my eyes. “How old are you Yuriko?” he asked.

“Nineteen.” I replied.

"Good.” He nodded to himself, then looked at me again. “Are you hungry?”

I looked at him in surprise. “No...”

He grinned slightly. “Then come here. Let's go find something to eat.” He said as he moved his hand from my arm to my hand, lacing our fingers together.

I followed obediently as he dragged me through the streets of Solinia. People looked at us curiously but did nothing except give us a curious glance. Once we arrived at the food stall, the shop keeper greeted him warmly and ushered him away without any hesitation. I was glad he didn't make any attempt to leave me behind.

We ordered our foods and sat down at a small bench under a large tree. We ate in silence, enjoying each other’s company.

After eating we wandered through the market district aimlessly. I didn't recognize any of the shops. The town wasn’t large and they weren’t expensive, so I was sure that we must be near the castle or somewhere along the road to the castle. There were many people in the marketplace. Many were wearing different colored clothes and different hairstyles. Some wore hats with bells attached to the ends. They were very common, but I couldn’t help but stare a bit. I thought about what the villagers said to me. About how pretty I was. I blushed slightly and looked away.

“Do you want to try something new?” He asked me quietly. He offered his hand to me and I hesitantly placed mine in his. I felt my stomach twist painfully as he led me through the market. We entered a clothing store and immediately headed for the dresses.

I picked out a pink dress with white polka dots, a black cardigan and black pants. He selected a black shirt and black pants, and we left the store. We started walking slowly through the marketplace.

The sun had already begun setting as we continued to stroll through the market. He stopped at a clothing stall and bought me some clothes and shoes. "Would you like to stay at the castle tonight?" The king asked me as we stood next to his horse.

I nodded. “Yeah, if it isn’t too much trouble.” I told him.

He chuckled softly and smiled at me, his eyes lighting up as he did. “It’s no trouble at all.” He assured me. He mounted his horse and held out his hand to me. I grasped his hand and climbed onto his horse, wrapping my arms around his waist tightly. He grabbed a hold of my hand and swung a leg over the saddle. I wrapped my arms tightly around his waist while he grabbed hold of the reins. We galloped off, through the market, heading towards the castle.