"You know your going to be in big trouble for being out here, Guinevere," my guard, Jason, reprimanded me.

I waved my hand at him. "Jason…you know my father's rules are unjustified and I have every right to break them. So please let me enjoy my time out here while I can."

Jason was silent and leaned against an oak tree, watching me fiercely. He never enjoyed me going outside of the castle and into the forests that were apart of my father's domain. He always thought that a thief or vagabond was hiding behind the trees waiting to attack me or worse. Being one of the few and rare Princess of Princesses, I needed to be guarded carefully and taking care of luxuriously. While other people enjoyed this life, like my younger siblings and mother, I detested it. I loved feeling the breeze against my face, whipping my hair around and the smell of the Earth and its children. I had my own personal garden that was tended to hourly. My father wanted to give me the best so I wouldn't disobey him, but I did anyway.

"Milady Guinevere," Jason said, his voice serious. He sensed something dangerous near and told me to go by him without actually saying it. I stood up slowly, brushing the dried grass and leaves from my dress and walked over to him. Jason and I had been friends since we were little. His father had been my guard while his mother was my mother's lady in waiting. His mother, Lady Haley, took care of me while my mother was pregnant with my younger sister, Faith. At first my father didn't care that Jason and I were together so much seeing as how his family cared and protected me. Then it became different when I turned twelve and became a woman, for a better use of words. Jason was fourteen at the time and training to become a royal guard. My father didn't want to take the chance of us getting together and ruining the royal bloodlines if I were to bear him a child, so he forbade us to see each other until he decided it was all right. That time came around two years later when Jason finally became a royal guard and was assigned to me. Ever since then, he took his duty of protecting me very seriously, almost to a point of obsession. I never mentioned my view of Jason to anyone for fear of him being denied to protect me. He was still my best friend.

"What is it?" I whispered as Jason turned around and headed towards the castle. His hand grabbed mine and pulled me in front of him. Jason was the best guard in the royal guard. He had a muscled body and good senses that helped him protect his charge, me. He led me through a maze of trees and bushes, trying to be as quiet as possible. It was difficult with my dress dragging on the ground, pulling dried leaves and twigs.

We stopped a few yards from the castle doors. I used this time to brush the decayed Earth from my dress and to look presentable. Jason looked at me oddly, his dark indigo eyes guarded.

"What?" I asked, running my fingers through my long blond hair.

He shook his head. "Forget it. Just thinking about things, but never mind."

I titled my head at him. "Tell me, Jason."

He ran his fingers nervously through his black hair. "Your birthday is in two days and I was wondering if you had thought about…you know, the whole marriage thing."

"Oh," I said shocked. I hadn't been thinking about it, but now that he brought it up I felt suffocated. My throat became dry and my hands began to shake. I breathed deeply, trying to calm my nerves. I was turning sixteen in two days and I was to have a husband soon. My legs felt like water and I collapsed to the ground, shaking.

"Gwen," Jason said, using my childhood nickname.

"Oh god," I whispered, twirling a strand of hair around my finger. "Oh god, oh god, oh god."

"Hey," Jason said, grabbing my hand, "why are you shaking? What's wrong?"

I looked at him. "I can't breathe…I can't breathe or think or walk or stand. I can't. I can't!"

"Okay. Okay, it's going to be all right," he soothed, wrapping his arms around me. I liked the feeling of my body against his. He made me feel safe in his arms.

"Jason, I think I can stand," I told him. He had been stroking my hair so softly, so comfortingly.

He released me and stood up. I followed after him and wobbled a bit. Jason was prepared to catch me if I fell, but I managed to keep on my feet.

We walked in silence back to the castle, afraid that I would have another panic attack if we had continued the conversion. I was sure I would anyway. We walked through the heavy double doors and into the foyer. Maids and guards, ladies in waiting and knights were walking here ad there, talking amongst themselves. As we walked up the stairs, Jason was stopped by a young woman abut my age.

"I've been looking everywhere for you," she said directing her attention towards Jason.

"Not now, Chelsea," Jason said, his tone hard.

"I need to speak with you, though," she whined, ignoring my presence completely.

"Later," he said sharply and put his hand on the small of my back, urging me to continue walking.

I caught the look of jealousy from Chelsea and stopped. "I'll be fine, Jason. If Chelsea needs to speak with you, be a proper gentleman and speak with her. I'll see you later tonight anyway."

Jason raised an eyebrow at me. He knew I was forcing him to spend time with Chelsea, but I didn't care. If he was married, it would be much easier to talk to him about my marriage. Although I knew this was the right thing, I couldn't help but feel a ping of jealousy for Chelsea. She could marry Jason and have a nice family and I couldn't. I had to marry a pompous prince that I didn't even like and have a family that I wouldn't even want. The life of a princess was not the greatest.

I left Jason and Chelsea alone and walked up to my bedroom. I enjoyed the calmness of my canopy bed and the gentle breeze coming in from my balcony. The air smelled sweet and floral. I walked over to the balcony and leaned against the railing. The air was heavy with the fragrance of roses, odd since they weren't supposed to be in bloom for another three weeks or so. I heard yelling and shouting below my balcony and looked to see what was happening. A young woman was being attacked by men. She was carrying a basket in one hand and her baby in the other. My balcony was attached to the castle, but extended over the castle wall. A project that my father had done to give me more freedom. I gathered up my skirts and kicked off my shoes.

"Please! Someone help me! Please!" the woman cried to a passerby. The man kept walking, ignoring her.

That was when I noticed that her attackers were thieves. They were fashioned in raggedy clothes and moved with a quickness and speed of a person trying to hide. They also didn't care to attack a young defenseless person out in the open. Such disgusting creatures they were.

"Milady!" screeched my nurse maid, Jackie from my doors. I climbed onto the rail and estimated the distance. It was about forty to fifty feet from the ground. It would hurt when I landed, but nothing major.

"Milady! Step down from there!" Jackie tugged at my dress. I nearly fell, but I caught myself with my feet.

"Jackie," I said coldly, "Let go."

She released me slowly, but I jumped as soon as I was free. The air lifted up my skirts, but no one was looking. The air was cold and refreshing and once again heavy with roses. I landed with a thud and on my knees. The thieves turned around and stared at me. The young woman gasped in horror at what I had done. The baby hiccupped.

"Get out of here," I said, getting to my feet.

The leader of the group put his hand on his hip and smiled. "Why? And who are you?"

"I am no one that you need to be concerned with. Leave here now before you die. You and your people are not wanted."

"My people? And what exactly are my people?" He began twirling a red pendant around his finger.

"Thieves," I said plainly.

"Right. Thieves are not wanted here because you are afraid of us, am I right?"

"If we were afraid of you, vagabond," I spat, "I would not have jumped down here to confront you. Does your brain work in your head? Do you even have one? And if you do, do you enjoy being so mind-numbingly stupid?"

He glared at me and growled. "I am not the leader of this gang, but if I was, you'd be dead."

I spread my arms wide. "Let him come. We'll see if he kills me."

The thieves snickered at my confidence, or stupidity. The young woman stared at me, her eyes wide in disbelief. I nodded my head at her to go, but she shook her head.

"You are my-"

"Hush," I told her. I didn't want these thieves knowing that I was a princess. I crouched down to pick up her things, but she stopped me.

"You don't have to," she whispered. Dirt streaked her face and bare arms. Her hair was oily and matted. The baby was the same way and about to cry. He only wore a piece of brown bagging from potatoes. She was just a peasant girl. I had never encountered my people like her. I had always mingled with the rich and high society people. This was horrible.

I grabbed the baby from her arms and wiped his face. The dirt came off and he looked a little cleaner, but not perfect. The young woman picked up her things and looked at me.

"Stay here until I leave," I whispered to her.

"Yes."

I returned the baby to its mother and walked over to the gang of laughing thieves. I tapped one on the shoulder and he turned around.

"Is your leader coming or is he a chicken shit?"

The thief's eyes widened. "Oh, he's coming. Don't you worry about it, sweetie."

It was instinct. I didn't mean to do it, well maybe a little, but I never even thought about it. I slapped him hard across the cheek. The contact turned his cheek red and my hand was stinging.

"Feisty, aren't you?"

"It'd be wise to watch your tongue, you disgusting vermin."

"Someone has a large vocabulary," he smiled.

"It's no surprise. After all, you've grown up in the dirtiest of the dirtiest, where people don't know a single thing about proper hygiene. It makes sense that they wouldn't know about proper vocabulary either."

He glared at me. "You better watch your tongue," he snapped, grabbing my chin.

I yanked my head away from him and kicked him in the shin. He collapsed and grabbed his leg, whining in pain. The day was turning into dusk and the sky was darker. A perfect time to escape. Adrenaline rushed through me as I darted for the forest. The young woman was behind me in a flash, breathing hard and the baby was crying.

I stopped a few minutes later. The young woman bowed to me.

"I thank you for doing so much, princess," she whispered.

"It's fine."

She held out her son. "This is for you. He is my son and I know you can give him a more suitable life than I. Name him whatever you want, but please take him."

I was speechless. This woman was giving me her child because I had saved her? This was disturbing and not right.

I began to shake my head when she cried out. "Please! I beg of you, Princess of Princesses. Take my son and care for him like your own. Take him away from me."

The silence was deafening. I reached out my arms to take him when someone from the shadows spoke.

"So, the Princess of Princesses decided to show herself…excellent."