Chapter 3

After we ate he invited me for a walk along the park's river, and I didn't know why I was with him and still we are both strangers even though we know our names. He looks kind. We sat by the river and as if I forgot the time, I forgot that I was a princess and forgot that I needed to go back to the palace. I can feel the cold breeze of the air, I watch the people around, they look happy even though they just living a simple life and I envy them because I don't feel the happiness they have.

"Aren't someone looking for you yet?" He asked suddenly, "you say you're just new here, you might need to go home now and might someone look for you."

I shake my head, "I'm fine, no one is going to fine me." Yes! I lied but it doesn't matter.

He shrugged his shoulder, "you look young and still you need the guidance of your parents."

I look at him with disbelieve but his still smirking at me, "are you insulting me, mister?"

I heard him chuckled.

"Excuse me, I'm not that young that you think, I'm 18 years tomorrow---"

He laughed me again, "oww so your seventeen, you're underage so I'm right, you're still young."

I don't want anyone insult me like that because I'm not in the legal age but at the same time I don't feel offended. I don't find his statement offended, it's because his funny and kind. I don't know, theirs a part from me that his kind that's why I feel so comfortable with him, is this called friends? I shocked, it means I have a friend now! Oh, my god! I found a new friend.

"How about you, how old are you?"

He shake his head and scratched his chin before he answered me, "I'm older than you."

"What?"

"I said I'm older than you."

"That's it?"

He chuckled again. I hate him but his laughed is viral. I want to smile but I need to hide it but I think my mission was failed because I'm laughing with him.

"That is not a number, you're so unfair."

"Happy birthday, by the way."

I stop and what he said made me blushed. That's the first time that someone greeted me beside from my parents and my cousins. He sounded genuine.

"Thank you---"

I couldn't finish my sentence when some grabbed my both arms. A commosion started in the park, I saw the two royal guards holding me, I want to get rid of them but they holding me too tight and some of the royal guards blocking Rehan because he wanted to come with me.

"Hey, don't touch her!" I heard him scream.

"It hurts! I will call my parents and fire you when you hurt me!" I sounded like a spoiled brat but they know who I am and they know what's my attitude is.

"You are the one don't need to touch the princess!" The royal guards said to Rehan.

I heard some people murmured and shocked of what was happening right now. I saw Rehan stop and shocked too.

"Princess?"

"Yes, so get away from us!"

The royal guards pulled me and pushed me inside the wagon parked from the distance. My face almost dropped to the floor of the wagon but to my surprised I heard a loud slap from my face. I look who did that but it more shocking that my mother was there too. I want to shout at her that why she hit me but I can't.

"You are disgrace to the family, Russiana." Her teeth gritted and I saw how angry she is to me. "How many times do I tell you that don't do anything that will suffer our family. What is someone will kidnap you or kill you? Do you think we will know? No! Because you don't understand everything!"

The tears started to fall from my eyes. She is the most person I hate from the palace, my own mother. I don't but I feel that I'm not her daughter the only one who care for me is my father, the prince Dmitri.

This is how I hate the palace because my parents were both product of arrange marriage when they're both young and I know right now they don't love each other. They do things like couples do, to family and kids is to have line or heiress of the throne. They need to produce many sons and daughters just for the throne. Same with me, tomorrow the same date of my birthday I need to prepare myself, meet my future husband to protect the kingdom and the bloodlines of each kingdom. It hurts because I need to undergo on that such lame tradition.

I stayed on the floor, my mother kept talking and saying harsh words until we got to the palace. The wagon stop and she say something again before she went out.

"Act normal, Russiana. Don't embarassed me to the palace."

I wiped my tears and went out to the wagon. I saw my cousin Valerie approached me and hold my hands.

She wanted to talk but when I she saw my facial expression she shut her mouth. I'm older than her three years and he has a brother Marcellus the future king of Avalon, they both daughter and sons of King Egon and Queen Germaine.

"Do you want some tea?" She forced to smile just to show to me that were good.

I shake my head, "I'm fine, I don't want to talk right now, Valerie."

"I'm sorry."

I leave her and when I entered the palace I saw my father. I ran and hug him. This time I didn't hide my feelings and cried to him. He patted my head and saying sweet things.

"Hey my little princess, let's go to your room and let's talk there."

I nodded and he wiped my tears.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

"No, it's all right, my princess, I understand."