Author's Notes: This one's for "Ron and his Sakura." Thanks for the warm welcome and encouragement! It's a one-shot for now, with the possibility for expansion as time and my inspiration allows.

I researched the Internet for nearly a day trying to find some history on how Princess Marlene and Allen Schezar actually became acquainted in their close relations. I could find nothing substantial, and let my imagination conjure this little tale.

As always, no flames please. However, I will accept constructive criticism in order to develop further as a writer.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. I make no money. I only write about what I enjoy.

Summary: (Pre-Series) A chance meeting between a patrolling Knight and a defeated princess.

A Destined Encounter

The sound of muffled weeping carried gently in the late evening breeze. For the most part, chirping insects and the thick foliage in the Asturian Palace Gardens smothered the pitiful noise. Every time a sob would get just a notch too loud, it was followed up by a few moments of eerie silence.

Allen Schezar kept one hand on the hilt of his sword as he patrolled the area. In his brief years as a Knight Caeli, he had never heard of anyone being attacked on the palace grounds, but there was always a first time for everything. He had encounters with children getting lost in the gardens, but that was usually in the daytime after they wandered off from the daytime tour. And, the garden tours never took place at night. Once dusk fell, most of the flowers closed leaving the trees and bushes shades of dull green. The purpose of the tour was to showcase the blooms, not the greenery.

His heart pounded in his chest, the usual fear of encountering the unknown. However, his cool exterior showed no sign of nervousness. Years of practice taught him that it was normal to be fearful of what you would have to attack. The mastery came in knowing that defending another life was the ultimate objective.

The breeze gently swirled his long, blonde hair about him. He could feel a slight chill from the night draft pass through his shirt, leaving a sensation of ice on his shoulders. He was glad the long, overcoat-like vest kept his back warm. He could deal with cold anywhere but on his back. It was one of the reasons he refused to cut his hair, he mused. The length kept him warm when adequate coverings weren't available. It was a primitive survival tactic, but it worked.

Pushing aside his wandering thoughts, Allen rounded the next row of rosary bushes. They were shrubs that produced red or white flowers in a circlet. Each flower within the circlet looked like a gemstone with a long, thin leaf between that appeared as a string. The shrubs stood tall, just up to his shoulders. He tried to look over the bushes, but he could see nothing in the immediate area.

He kept moving, following the labyrinth of foliage. He briefly remembered getting lost amongst the plants early in his career as a Knight. It was a rite of passage so to speak. The veteran Knights arranged the schedule so the rookie would have to patrol the gardens alone without a map. After the new Knight would not be able to find his way out, they would show him the secret passages hidden amongst the plants. It was their way of seeing how well the rookies could handle a bit of fun and embarrassment.

Hearing the crying grow louder, Allen returned from his own memories of the ritual. There was definitely someone in the garden. At first, he thought he might have been hearing the wind rustling or an animal fleeing in the night. Now, he was certain of what he heard, and he was glad he listened to his instincts as often as he did.

Taking a deep breath, he realized he was practically upon the hapless wanderer. In a fluid motion, he stepped forward and drew his sword into a defense stance.

"State your business," he said calmly but with authority.

Then, he felt his stance relax. "Princess Marlene?"

The oldest daughter of the House of Asturia was sitting on a small stone bench under one of the willow trees. Her shoulders were slumped in defeat, the pale lavender handkerchief in her hand stained with tears. Her long, amber locks were haphazardly hanging free from any hair ornaments. The jeweled ribbon that was supposed to be worn on her forehead as a crown sat in front of her on the ground as though thrown there in a fit of anger.

"I'm sorry," she whispered looking up. Her puffy eyes were rimmed with more unfallen tears, a sign she had been in the garden for quite a while. "I didn't mean to worry you."

Allen returned the sword to the sheath by his side. "It's getting close to midnight, Your Highness, you shouldn't be out here."

His comment brought a strange snort from the princess. "Lately, it seems there's a lot of things I shouldn't be doing."

Allen seemed taken aback. "I wasn't trying to offend you, Princess Marlene. I was merely stating that it's a late hour, and if I was caught allowing you out here…"

"Then, you never saw me. Now, return to your little perch from where you came," she interrupted. "I'm angry, and I want to be alone."

He decided maybe a different approach would be better. Acting his part as a guardian would only invoke her anger. It was a risky tactic, but if it would get the princess back to the safety of the palace, he was willing to give it a try. "Is there something I can do to make you less angry?"

Her eyes passed over the ribbon crown. Then, she looked to him realizing he was actually being sincere. Any of the other Knights would have picked her up and carried her physically back to the palace by now. "Can you turn back time and make me born a regular citizen and not a princess?"

"Your Highness," he started but then dropped it. He could never answer that request with any kind of positive answer. It was a rhetorical question. "You know I can't."

"Then, will you speak nothing of my outburst tonight and allow me the confidence of our meeting? I promise to you once I have alleviated myself from my anger, I will return safely to the palace."

Allen looked at Princess Marlene, one of the royal heirs he had sworn to protect. No matter what he chose, he would be in violation of his vows as a Knight Caeli. If he walked away and something happened to her, he would be a failure to his fellow Knights and the royal family. If he stayed with her to keep her safe, he risked danger happening in the area of the castle he was to patrol. He knew which was the lesser of two evils. But, he knew what was expected of him was to return her to the palace quickly and with no negotiation, even if it was by physical means. It was the directives her father told each of the Knights should they find his daughters out and about when they weren't supposed to be. Allen decided he would risk staying with Princess Marlene until she calmed down and would return on her own. He could always try to explain that he was earning the princess' trust before snatching her like some bandit.

"Would it be too bold of me to ask what has tainted your happiness so greatly?" he asked.

Princess Marlene watched this Knight carefully. It wouldn't be the first time one of them played some trick on her or her sisters for the sake of maintaining her father's orders. "You'll think I'm nothing more than a silly girl."

"Perhaps that is true," Allen offered. "But there was a time I was nothing more than a silly boy."

His comment sparked a small smile from the princess. Maybe, just maybe this Allen Schezar, Knight Caeli wasn't like the others. "My sister, Eries has butted into my business yet again. I had secretly been learning l'ash ange…"

"Personal combat?" Allen asked skeptically.

Princess Marlene crossed her arms over her chest, her irritation becoming evident again. "I should have known you were just like the rest. Go back to your perch."

Allen shook his head in apology. "I'm sorry. I didn't doubt you wanting to learn l'ash ange. The concept just took me by surprise. You seem so gentle."

"Which is exactly why I wanted to learn it. What if I had to defend myself one day? I don't want to have to depend on others for my safety all the time."

"And, Princess Eries found out about this?" he asked trying to get back to the original topic. It was getting later by the minute, and he still had to finish his watch.

"She saw me sneaking out before dawn with my practice sword. She told Father, and he had the instructor banned from the palace. I'm forbidden to learn any combat. The two of them instead hired a lute teacher." Princess Marlene suddenly stood up, her anger renewed. Her hands clenched into fists. "A damn lute! They want me to learn how to play a lute."

Allen saw humor in the situation and resisted the urge to laugh at her outburst. Although it was comical on the outside, he could see that it was tearing her apart to her very soul. He took a deep breath to push aside the immediate laughter he felt.

"Did they say why you shouldn't learn l'ash ange?" he asked.

The princess suddenly pulled down the glove that covered her arm. A bruise the size of her fist was evident on her forearm, even in the dim moonlight. Then, she lifted her skirt to show him the welt on her thigh, just above her knee.

Dropping the skirt back and replacing the glove, she explained, "They said I'm destroying my body and they'd rather see it being used to unite Asturia under a marriage than in combat under war."

"I can't say that I disagree," Allen said and then realized his mistake on many levels. He could feel the heated flush on his face. "I didn't mean…"

Princess Marlene suddenly laughed. "I just embarrassed a Knight Caeli. I didn't think it was possible."

He turned his face for a moment, trying to get past the embarrassment, and try not to understand why it felt so comfortable. "Your Highness, I should think baring yourself as you just had would give you some kind of shame."

"I'm being forced to learn the lute," she reminded. "I consider that pretty shameful."

Allen turned back to her and couldn't help the laugh this time. Of all the ridiculous problems a princess could burden, learning a musical instrument seemed so petty. He tried to picture Princess Marlene sitting with an instructor. In his mind's eye, he could see her losing her patience and using the lute to smack it over the instructor's head.

"It's not funny!" she complained. Then, she sat back onto the bench and found herself giggling. There definitely was something different about this Knight. She wanted to be angry with him, but she found his laughter comforting and natural.

Allen suddenly realized Princess Marlene was no longer angry. He stopped laughing so he could listen to her melodic laughter. He found himself looking upon her with a new kind of admiration. Her beauty was no longer comprised of just physical features. Tonight's patrol in the garden allowed him to see her for the woman she was. Her soul was bared to him, and he thought it was the most perfect and flawless sight he had ever witnessed.

The princess felt her own laughter quiet down. She looked to Allen, finding calmness and charm in his blue eyes. He didn't look upon her as though she was a burden he was entrusted to guard. He should have just dragged her back to the palace, but he chose another option; he talked to her. He let her open up, and he allowed her the opportunity to mend her own emotions.

"Thank you," Princess Marlene said gently. She stood from the bench and began to walk past him. She feared staying in his presence any longer would stale the moment, and she needed to return to the palace before Eries discovered she was missing.

He said nothing as she moved to walk away. A soft scent of florals lingered when she passed. He shifted his attention from the intoxicating aroma and looked to the bench under the willow tree. He saw her jeweled ribbon was left on the ground. Picking up it, he turned back to royal daughter.

"Princess Marlene," he said gently.

She took a sudden breath. His voice now sounded like a song when he spoke her name. As she turned, she felt him take hold of her hand. Her heart suddenly raced, and she was certain he would feel her tremble.

Allen gently placed her crown into her hand. He couldn't explain the sudden nervousness he felt. He was sure he could feel her fingers trembling under his own, and he hoped she wouldn't notice. The last thing he needed was a princess teasing him about having the jitters.

Princess Marlene caught his blue eyes with her own one last time. She had the sudden desire to look into them and see so much more about this man, this Knight. It was too much to take right now. She just spent the entire day fuming over her sister and father. Ending the day by fawning over some Knight was only going to bring more trouble. Feeling some strange pang, she pulled her hand free, grasping the crown. She took a step back trying to remember how to breathe again.

"Good night," she sighed.

Allen watched her disappear into the foliage. He could still feel his fingers shaking. He was never nervous around anyone before, especially a woman. Perhaps, the fear of being caught off his patrol was getting to him. Then, the gentle breeze of the night carried the floral scent from Princess Marlene's hair by him again, and he felt the racing of his heart start anew.

He had to keep his distance. Growing attached to her would end in disaster. He knew it. Tonight was a chance meeting, and he could not allow it to be anything more.