Crimsonwings92: Oh my god…I did it. I actually wrote another fanfiction! I'm not just talking about a fanfiction for this particular game, but a fanfiction AT ALL! I've been gone for so long dealing with all kinds of crap that, for a while, I lost my will to write as well as my creativity…but I'm back! Aha! I'm so excited! To commemorate my return, I've done so in the category of one of my favorite games: Be My Princess by Voltage Inc. So, without further ado, here's the first story of a collection of stories to come.

Disclaimer: Be My Princess is a game product belonging to Voltage Inc. The characters and canon story plot does not belong to me, but this fanfiction and Giavanni does.


Glenn Casiraghi: Bus Buddies

Glenn always rode the bus alone.

It wasn't like he had no other choice than to take the bus. There was, of course, the option of taking the limo to and from school, an option his mother and father had tried on numerous occasions to make him consider since they certainly made the money to have a limo and a driver that he could take advantage of. However, he didn't like the kind of attention arriving to the private school he attended in a limo brought him: all the girls staring and most of the guys glaring. It was too bothersome and it made him uncomfortable.

So Glenn always rode the bus alone.

Now, when I say alone, I don't mean that he was the only one on the bus all the time; I mean he just sat by himself while everyone else crowded into seats around him or away from him. No, it wasn't because he was unsightly and no, it wasn't because he had some disease that was physically visible- he didn't have a disease at all, now that we're on this topic. That was just the way things worked out; every day, twice a day, to and from school, he would sit in the third row to the right, next to the window. Business men, mothers with their children, elderly couples, and even other teenagers like himself, mostly girls gossiping about how attractive they thought he was, thinking he couldn't hear them or wasn't paying attention to them; they would all sit in opposite seats in front of him, in the row beside him or in back of him. He didn't mind; really, he didn't. It gave him the space needed to do some of his homework if he so chose and the solitude he enjoyed that allowed him to reflect on his thoughts in peace, no societal pressure to entertain another human being with idle chatter.

It's just a simple fact stated: Glenn always rode the bus alone…until he met Skull Candy.

Of course, that wasn't her name and yes, it is a 'her'. Skull Candy is just the nickname he gave the girl for lack of anything better to call her and for the fact that when she first came into sight, when her body emerged onto the bus, the first thing he noticed were the bright green Skull Candy head phones on her head. It was just a mere moment he spent looking her over, watching as she smiled at the bus driver and paid her fee, before he was burying his nose in his latest book of choice, The Devil in the White City. He figured she would take note of that invisible shield he apparently had surrounding him, but that was not to be the case for within a few seconds…he felt his once wide open space being invaded. It wasn't a big thing, really; it wasn't like she was a large female that needed two seats instead of one. It was just that…he could actually feel her sitting next to him; there was no longer that spacious room he was so used to. Now, it was just that little space of his seat, the window he was so familiar with…and her.

Because of his own curiosity of the girl, who must be new, he thought, since he had never seen her before, he found it difficult to concentrate on the words staring back up at him. It wouldn't hurt, right? To just glance at her? To see what kind of person was brave enough to penetrate that shield of unapproachability that was his own? Clear brown eyes slowly, casually, drifted away from the words that awaited his attention towards the female that invaded his 'space'. She looked to be around his age, but she lacked the uniform of any private school he was aware of, which told him that she was probably a student at a public school. It was just barely transitioning into Autumn, finally, and therefore the last warm days of the Summer were upon them, hence why the girl donned a pair of blue jean shorts, a white shirt with some kind of red lettering scrawled across the front, which was hidden by her fashionable black vest, black thigh-high socks and a pair of noticeably worn red and white converse. This girl had flawless ebony skin and a rather curvy frame that she seemed unashamed of; inky black locks flowed past her shoulders in smooth waves and contrasted prettily against her dark blue eyes, a strange attribute for a girl of her ethnicity…perhaps she was the creation of bi-racial parents? Or maybe it was an eye deformity that blessed her with such a pretty color? Either way, her appearance alone quietly demanded attention and it was that radiating, sun-shiny aura that he could practically see just rolling off of her that kept it.

At the moment, she paid him no attention. Her headphones were plugged into her phone and she was entertaining herself with her music that he was able to hear only snippets of, not enough to be able to tell what it was she was actually listening to. Her eyes- those deep sapphire orbs that were so intriguing- remained glued to her phone screen, making Glenn wonder what it was that she was reading or looking at. No matter…she was occupied…as was he, the brown eyed teen quickly turning back to his book in an attempt to regain focus on what he had been reading before she stole away his concentration. Try as he might, though, he couldn't refrain from taking glances at her, feeling himself being drawn in by some invisible force, a tiny voice in the back of his mind whispering 'listen…ask…talk.'

Far too late at this point; just two stops before his own, she reached over to pull the cord which lit up the sign at the front of the bus that read 'Stop Requested' and then stood from her seat, slinging her backpack- a simple gray object with designs that appeared personally done by someone who was more than likely bored one afternoon…or many afternoons- on her shoulder and moving to stand by the door. The bus pulled to a stop, the driver opening the doors near the back to allow the occupants who wished to leave make their exit and like that, she was gone. His world returned back to normal for the next two stops, Glenn returning his attention to his book before his own stop approached. His daily routine of traveling back home after a day of school normalized and he forgot all about Skull Candy…save for a single, pestering image of bright green headphones and the smell of brown sugar and vanilla.

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The next day went on as usual; he completed his classes with ease, attended his afterschool archery club meeting and practice before making his way to the bus to return home. He hadn't thought about Skull Candy once…until she arrived in his life again and took that seat right beside him just like she had done the day before. His space felt smaller again, but he didn't let it be known, even if he did shift a little more to the left, almost pressing against the side of the bus in order to feel like he had more room than he was given. Another warm day, which meant another outfit suited to keep the wearer cool in the heat of the afternoon; an army green one piece jumpsuit, the bottoms actually forming a pair of shorts that were rolled up once to give all other patrons a peek at her thighs, and a pair of black, lace-up ankle boots. A black tank top peeked out from underneath the button up top, a rather impressive cleavage teasing the masses, and her black hair was lifted into a ponytail, shorter tresses falling into her cute, round face. Still, though, still she had those bright green Skull Candy headphones fitted comfortably over her ears and still, she had them plugged into her phone, bobbing her head to the music flowing through them, her blue eyes gazing down at the screen once again.

Glenn was vaguely aware of the smell of vanilla and brown sugar, the young man trying to ignore his new, nameless acquaintance and finding the task easier said than done. How is one supposed to ignore such a strong, unique, demanding presence such as the one this girl possessed? It was powerful, yet passive. Obvious, yet subtle. Did she even know the kind of presence she exuded? Was she aware of how interesting she appeared? The Devil in the White City was once again forgotten as Glenn took lingering glances at the strange girl beside him, the girl who never looked back…who didn't even seem to know that she was sitting next to someone. It was as if she were in her own world…was this how others felt when they encountered him? A young man who paid no mind to the passing lives around him?

Light brown eyes reread the same paragraph three times and comprehended none of it, shifting to the right whenever movement was noticed in the corner of their vision. Skull Candy settled back against the hard plastic of the bus seats, the thin pad of material doing close to nothing in terms of providing a more comfortable ride; Glenn had just gotten used to it. She tucked one leg underneath the seat and the stretched the other out underneath the chair in front of her, her phone still held up to her face. Was she reading something? Watching something? Multi-tasking? It was hard to tell without appearing like a nosy jerk. Back to his book; there was nothing else he could do besides that and attempt to concentrate on the words that he needed to process for notes later. Silence. That voice in the back of his mind again, 'Listen…ask…talk.'

Such wishful thinking, really. Just like the day before, two stops before his own, the girl reached over to pull the cord and stood up as the bus pulled over to the side of the road. She grabbed the hanging strap to keep herself from jerking forward and then swung her bag over her shoulder while turning towards the back door. Skull Candy waited for the other patrons to exit, smiling at an elderly lady that thanked her when the girl helped her down the stairs, before she herself finally stepped down the stairs and out onto the sidewalk. The doors closed, separating Glenn from the vision that was the foreign girl, and the bus pulled away from the curb. The air was clear, he could concentrate again; clear brown eyes returned to the book and suddenly, the words all made sense.

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A month passes for Glenn and his new bus mate, Skull Candy. He still doesn't know her name…he still hasn't talked to her. He still sits in that same seat near the window and awaits for her presence to invade his world, make him feel like a small fish in a wide lake. During the first week and a half, he was doing a rather good job at forgetting about her as soon as she stepped off the bus at her normal stop, only the lingering scent of vanilla and brown sugar reminding him somewhat of his the strange female. However, after that week, that girl's image made a habit of popping up in his mind at the strangest of times, unwarranted; he even saw her face when he slept, a vision of big, round sapphire eyes peering at him and those pretty lips of hers parting as if to say something…but no words ever come out. Maybe it was because he had never actually heard her speak before.

Autumn was settling in nicely, the leaves already beginning to change color from their usual green to a light yellow. Some of them were even beginning to turn that fiery red. The days were becoming cooler, ushering persons such as himself into coats and long-sleeved shirts. Even Skull Candy was dressing for the weather, today's outfit consisting of a pair of dark blue jeans, a white tank-top, a black zip-up hoody with the words Jabbawockies written on the back in white graffiti art, and black boots. She still had those headphones with her, but this time, they were lying prone around her neck. She looked comfortable in her outfit…well, she looked comfortable in every outfit she wore, but this one seemed like something girls would call their 'lazy outfit', something they chose when they didn't want to really dress up. She looked…cute…and tired. That was something new, the fact that she looked tired. When Skull Candy got on the bus and sat in the seat right beside him, she released a long sigh he had never heard from her before and slumped in her seat with her eyes closed. He gazed at her from the corner of his eye for as long as he was permitted, basically until she opened her eyes again and he looked away quickly to avoid an awkward confrontation.

At some point, once the bus started moving, she repositioned herself to sit up a little more, but that tired expression still hadn't left her face and she was still slouching just a little. What kind of day did she have? Perhaps she didn't get enough sleep the night before? Now that he thought about it, she was always on the bus with him after his club activities…did she have some as well? 'Listen…ask…talk,' that voice said in the back of his mind again, Glenn shaking his head slightly and returning to his notes; he had a test the next day and wanted to get a jump on studying. The bus bumped along the road, coming across unusual traffic for a Wednesday afternoon, and that entire time, Skull Candy had moved…of her own free will. While Glenn was caught up in the literary devices used throughout The Devil in the White City as well as figuring out which connotations and denotations were used throughout chapters 5 to 13…he felt a sudden weight on his shoulder. Inhaling sharply yet quietly, he slowly turned his head to the right and looked down; Skull Candy had fallen asleep and appeared to have slipped down from her seat onto his shoulder.

Glenn…wasn't sure what to do. On the one hand, he had this urge to nudge her off since she was invading his personal space and for someone like the oldest Casiraghi son, who was not used to having someone so close in his private bubble, it was unsettling. On the other hand, though…she smelt so good…and she looked so peaceful…so cute. He couldn't just abruptly push her off and still feel like a gentleman. Besides, when would he get another chance to be this close to her? To gaze upon her face without fear of being caught and called a pervert or a jerk? So he let her sleep and use his shoulder as a pillow, his cheeks tainted a sweet pink as his eyes returned to his notebook, the words jumbling together incoherently in his mind. The bus ride continued. Skull Candy remained asleep and Glenn…he remained embarrassed until her stop arrived. He had nearly forgotten that she got off the bus two stops before he did and could only be grateful that other patrons got off at this stop with her, someone pulling the cord to bring the bus to a halt. Now, to wake her up…

"Um…Hey…Miss?" he said in a soft yet awkward tone, flinching at the way his voice sounded almost nervous and clearing his throat, "Hey, isn't this your stop?"

Reaching over, he placed his hand on her shoulder and shook her just enough to rouse her, noting to himself how his hand engulfed her smaller shoulder. Was she really that much smaller than him? Again, he shook her shoulder, that doing the trick as the ebony beauty stirred from her sleep, groaned softly, and then blinked back into the conscious world. Skull Candy looked confused and dazed for a moment, her dark blue eyes glossy from sleep as they peered around the bus before turning to land on him. Now…Glenn was a martial arts expert in his division, the young man having started his training when he was just a young boy. So of course, any beginner would experience pain such as being punched in the gut or slammed on your back, having the wind knocked out of you; Glenn was no stranger to it and, in a sense, had gotten used to it…but this was a whole new phenomena in and of itself. Now, with one look into those blue eyes of hers, all of the air simply rushed out of his lungs. She didn't lay a finger on him, didn't glare…didn't do a single thing. The air just left him…and suddenly, it was hard to breathe.

"Um…wait, is this my stop?" Was that…Was that her voice? He had never heard it before! You would think spending a month riding next to each other on the bus would warrant some kind of situation where she would need to speak, but no…not once. Her voice was…not what he had expected it to be, in all honesty. It was rough, for a girl, with a slight rasp to it. Maybe it was because she was waking up from her nap. "Oh my god, I can't believe I almost missed it! I would have hated life at that point, haha!"

Wow…that was humorous. Glenn stared at her as she gathered her things quickly and then popped up from her seat. Yes, popped. Not jumped- popped. "Wait, wait! Don't close the doors yet!" she called to the bus driver, catching him just before he pulled the lever to seal the other patrons in. She made her way towards the door, stopped on the step, turned to Glenn and gave him this bright grin that made his heart stop, "Thanks for waking me up! I owe you one."

"It's…It's really no big deal," the brown eyed teen replied quietly, averting his eyes as his cheeks flushed a bashful pink. He missed the way she just nodded at him and then trekked down the stairs for he had caught sight of a small, black canister that was sitting in the middle of her previously occupied seat. "Ah! Hold on, you forgot your-"

It was too late. The door had closed; the bus was moving…she was already gone. Glenn, the young man having stood up with the canister in hand to give back to her, slowly lowered back into his seat and gazed down at it. It was a pretty blank object, nothing written on it to tell him what it actually was…whether or not it could hold some kind of major importance to her. Well, whether or not it was important had nothing to do with him. He had to return it to its rightful owner…it belonged to Skull Candy and to her he would give it back. He didn't worry too much about it and placed the canister in his own bag; he would see her again tomorrow, right?

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Wrong. She didn't take the bus the next day like he had thought…like he had hoped. She didn't take it that day or the next day or any day for the rest of that week. Glenn wasn't one to jump to conclusions, but he couldn't help but wonder if…something had happened…or changed. Did she get a car to drive herself around in instead of taking the bus? Was she carpooling with friends? Maybe walking instead? Or…Or did she get hurt after she got off the bus that last time? Hit by a car? Assaulted? Kidnapped? Such strange thoughts for a stranger to think about another stranger, really, and Glenn knew that…but for one reason or another, he didn't really see her as a stranger anymore. That girl, with those big blue eyes and flawless ebony skin, was a comforting presence in his life, one that he hadn't realized was there until she was gone. He had grown used to her being there, taking the bus with him, invading his space with her silent warmth and bright green headphones. He had given her a name; he knew her to some extent…so when she was just suddenly gone, it was hard not to notice. The ever so meticulous student that was Glenn Casiraghi who would spend his free time on the bus studying or getting a head start on his homework now only sat in his seat, gazing out the window to the world outside, Aldous Huxley's Brave New World sitting unopened in his lap. Were the trees always clustered together like that on this street? He couldn't remember ever seeing them there like that. And that park…had it always been there? Surely he would have remembered seeing children playing there before now…right? Was that an ice cream shop?

It was amazing how many things he had been oblivious to. The world around him that was just waiting to be discovered if only he would give it the time. Look…statues of children playing leap frog…that was cute. Had he really been missing those all this time? Had he really been so unaware? So stuck in his own private world that he just…tuned the real world out? And to think…it was the absence of a stranger that drew his mind away from his books and into the scenery passing him by. Skull Candy…he couldn't stop thinking about her, about those sapphire orbs that haunted his dreams, that raspy voice that bounced around in his head…that grin that was so carefree, so warm, it could draw a smile out of him without issue. What was she doing? Where did she go? Will he ever be able to see her again…and return her canister?

"Hey, you got a new book."

At first, Glenn hadn't even realized that someone was talking to him, but little by little, he became aware of a presence sitting beside him and slowly turned his clear brown eyes from the window to his right, his eyes widening noticeably. Skull Candy. Did she actually just talk to him right now? It almost felt like a dream to see her here… a cruel dream if it were one to begin with. However, there was no mistaking the authenticity of those bluer than blue eyes, so round and happy…they could only belong to her.

"Hehe, that's kind of funny," she stated in that voice of hers, a voice that was still slightly raspy, obviously not a product of awakening from a nap, and yet held a hint of feminine delicacy, enough to remind him that she was indeed a woman…a lively, talkative, friendly woman, "You have Huxley's Brave New World and my class is reading Orwell's 1984. Two very different books, but in the same realm of possibilities really…I think you'll like your book, though. Then again, I could just be biased because I love Brave New World, hehe. Twitching babies."

With that last, ominous statement, Skull Candy settled back in her seat and opened up her book to the last page that was bookmarked, the corners of her lips turned up into the faintest of smiles, her demeanor still just as warm in this serene state as it would be if she had been actively associating with him. It was like she had just popped out of his own imagination, her appearance was so sudden; Glenn was very close to poking her just to make sure that she was indeed really there and he wasn't making her up. He gazed at her for a long time after that, unsure of what to say. What does a person say to another person that they had missed…but didn't really know in the first place? He was only thankful that he had a reason to speak to her at all.

"…Oh…um…" he started, catching her attention as she looked at him while he pulled his backpack up into his lap and then rummaged around inside of it for a moment, "…Here. You dropped this the last time you were on the bus."

Pulling out the black canister, he held it out to her, being hit with the brightest smile he had ever seen on her face in the next instant as she took it from him; "Oh my god, I thought I had lost this! Thank you!" she answered gratefully, "This thing was expensive and I was debating on whether or not to buy another one. Now I don't have to, haha!"

'So it was important,' the young man thought to himself, unaware of his pink-tinged cheeks as he looked away from her, "You're welcome. I was wanted to give it back to you sooner, but you had dropped it that day you fell asleep on the bus and I didn't see you at all after that."

"Oh, yeah. I went on a retreat to the mountains with some friends for the week. I was going to bring this, but, as you can see, that didn't happen."

"What is it, anyway?"

"Mace," Skull Candy responded with a grin, Glenn just blinking back at her in slight surprise before she leaned in close to whisper to him after looking around to make sure no one was really listening, "It's super strength and illegal in most places, hehehe." She leaned away from him and placed the canister in her own backpack, "Because of its…status, I had to pay a pretty penny for it. I'm glad that it isn't lost forever. In the wrong hands, this can be pure evil, hahaha! Thanks a lot, Brown Eyes!"

Brown Eyes…that gave him pause. Glenn turned to face her once again, seeing her happily texting away on her phone, more than likely telling a friend that she had gotten her mace back; "Brown Eyes?" he repeated, causing her to look up from her phone, her expression one of curiosity, "You called me Brown Eyes."

Skull Candy seemed to have paused herself, those blue eyes of hers widening a fraction when she realized that she did, in fact, call him Brown Eyes, a realization that pulled a bashful laugh from her as she twirled one of her wavy black locks around her finger; "Uh, yeah. That's what I call you in my mind…Brown Eyes," she explained briefly.

Glenn just continued to stare at her, warranting a clearer explanation. "Well, I didn't know your name, but the first thing I noticed about you was those big brown eyes of yours. I thought that they were just so pretty that the next thing I knew, I was just calling you Brown Eyes…in my head…quietly."

There was a moment of silence as the bumped along the bus ride, Glenn's eyes drifting away from hers in thought while Skull Candy fiddled with the paper cover of her book. Things had turned slightly awkward for her, the teen girl starting to think that maybe she shouldn't have told him that she thought his eyes were 'pretty'; guys were weird about that kind of stuff. However, a moment later, she heard a warm chuckle and turned her head to see the boy she knew as Brown Eyes starting to laugh into his hand, the shiny tresses of his brown hair brushing over his brow as his bangs swept over his left eye. There was this cute little pink blush across his cheeks that looked to be the product of either embarrassment, laughter, or the chill on the bus. Either way…it made her heart skip a beat to see such a smile on his face, this boy she had never seen look even partially amused before let alone like he wanted to laugh.

"Um…I know it's not the best name, but I didn't have much to work with. Devil in the White City was just pushing it too far," she continued, offering him another smile, her response he waved away while shaking his head.

"No, no, it's fine. It's just that…well, since I didn't know your name, I had a nickname for you, too."

"Really? What was it?"

"Skull Candy."

"Skull Candy?...Oh! Because of my headphones!"

"That's right," Glenn nodded, his smile still on his face, but softer now that he wasn't laughing anymore, "The day you sat next to me on the bus, the first thing I saw right in my face was your bright green Skull Candy headphones. You had them with you all the time, listening to music, I assumed, on your phone, that that just became your name after a few days...Now that I'm looking at you, you don't have them on today."

His brown eyes swept over her body, looking for the distinguishing color of her headphones that were usually around her neck or over her ears and finding no trace of them. Skull Candy realized this as well and giggled.

"Oh, yeah. I was late this morning trying to make sure my ride didn't leave me and forgot to snatch them off my desk as I was running out the door. To be honest, I feel kind of naked without them."

"Is that so? Maybe I'll buy you an identical pair and carry around with me just in case you forget yours again and you won't feel so naked," he said jokingly, making her laugh and then pinch his cheek playfully.

"Awww! Aren't you sweet?" she said before she heard the tell-tale ding of the bus bell, the young girl looking up to see her stop coming up very soon, the bus preparing to pull off to the curb, "Well, here's my stop. It's been real, Brown Eyes, but it's time for me to hop off. Missing my stop causes weird anxiety issues for me."

She stood from her seat after making sure she had everything and prepared to disembark from the bus, but a sudden large, warm hand gently taking hold of her smaller one made her pause in her step. Skull Candy turned to look at Glenn curiously, finding him staring back at her with this small smile and a twinkle in his eyes.

"Glenn."

"…I'm sorry?"

"My name is Glenn. Glenn Casiraghi," he introduced himself finally, shifting his hold upon her hand so he was holding her fingers almost tenderly.

Skull Candy stared at him for a moment, grabbing hold of the strap above her head to keep from jerking to the side when the bus started braking, before she smiled and nodded at him, "It's nice to meet you, Glenn. My name is Giavanni Valdani."

"Giavanni…that's a pretty name."

"Thanks! I like to think it is!"

At her laughter, Glenn's smile grew a little wider and a little warmer, the young man bringing her giggles to a halt when he closed his eyes, brought her hand up to his lips and placed a gentle kiss across her knuckles. At that point, Giavanni was beyond grateful to have the ebony complexion that she did, otherwise she was sure her face would have been as red hot as it felt.

"It's a pleasure formally meeting you, Giavanni," he said, her name sounding like a sweet candy upon his tongue as it flowed through her ears, making her tongue-tied and unable to come back with a witty, playful remark that she's known for, "Will I see you tomorrow?"

"Uh…Uh, y-yeah! Yeah, you will," she replied, finding the clarity within her muddled mind to smile brightly at him and nod.

Glenn himself returned the smile and then released her fingers, Giavanni glancing behind her to see the doors opening and people exiting the bus; "Well, then…later…Glenn," she bid to the boy, her voice holding a warmth within it that made him shiver when she said his name.

All he could do was just wave at her as she exited the bus, the young girl turning to smile at him one last time before the doors closed and the bus driver pulled away from the curb, leaving her behind until another day.

Glenn used to ride the bus alone.

He had no qualms about it. He felt no sort of loneliness or isolation that was bothersome. It was actually quite peaceful for him to get his own space, to think without restrictions and move about without having to worry about disturbing some stranger next to him.

But as of late…he's found himself a companion to ride the bus with, a beautiful girl by the name of Giavanni 'Skull Candy' Valdani. A girl with lovely ebony skin, eyes as blue as the deep sea, a smile so bright it could light up your world and a laugh so warm it could make your spine tingle. She's funny and sarcastic and quick-witted; she's sweet and kind and warm. Their time together is not as long as he would like it to be; in fact, he's thinking about asking for her phone number to see if they would be able to see each other on weekends, but he's afraid it might freak her out a little bit to take a such a step and the last thing he wants is to lose her so soon. All he wants is to become closer than the "bus buddies" that they are.

Well, she calls them "bus buddies", but he calls her…his possible future. Maybe he will try and get her number.

End Story


Crimsonwings92: Oh my god, I just suck at endings! And to be honest, this story didn't even turn out to be what I thought it would be! Still cute, though, I have to give that to myself, haha. There is more to come, people! The other princes are on their way! Please read and review and, if you have any ideas for the 'first meeting' of the other princes, I'll be happy to listen to them. It's fun getting feedback from my readers. XD Until the next story, my loves! Ciao!