Jemma Simmons had spent her whole life living in a castle and her eighteenth birthday was getting closer and closer. She lay on her bed in her chambers, reading like she always did when she had nothing better to do. That was until she heard a knock at the door.

"Hm?" She looked up from her book towards the door, letting her soft brown hair fall in front of her hazel eyes as she lifted her head.

"Princess Jemma? Your father requests your presence in the throne room." A voice sounded.

"Okay, I'll be right there. Thank you." Jemma answered, hauling herself off of her bed and making her way towards the throne room to see her father.

Once she entered the throne room she gave a curtsey and looked to her father with curious eyes. He had never requested to see her before unless it was to tell her about a formal dance because of a celebration, so she was curious to know what he wanted to see her for.

"You wanted to see me father?"

"Ah, yes. Jemma, my only daughter and heir to the throne. Since your eighteenth birthday is coming up, your mother and I think that it's about time you found a Prince to marry, and before you say anything we have already chosen a suitable choice for you and you will meet him next weekend at the annual ball. His name is Grant Ward, and he is being informed about this situation as well."

"What? You expect me to marry someone that I've never met before? That I might not even love? How could you do this to me?" Jemma shook her head in disbelief and ran off before her father could even answer her. She ran out of the castle and down to the stables, where she thought that she would be alone.

She slid down the wall and put her head in her knees, not noticing the other person in the stables at the time. She hardly ever came down there, she didn't really know any of the workers and certainly not in the stables. A place where she never normally ventured to because her father was so overprotective that he wouldn't let her out of the castle on horseback.

"Your highness?" A quiet voice asked in concern for the young girl.

Jemma looked up, her eyes meeting that of the stable boy's sky blue ones. She quickly stood up when she saw him and gave a small smile in which he returned.

"Yes? Sorry, I don't come down here all that much." She answered. "What's your name?"

"Fitz ma'am. Leo Fitz." He told her. "You look stressed, is there anything that I can do to help?"

"Oh please, call me Jemma and no, this isn't exactly the sort of thing that people can help with."

"Well, what is it that's worrying you ma- Jemma?"

"It's my father, he wants me to get married."

"What's wrong with getting married?"

"He's chosen a husband for me, some Prince or something. Grant Ward, even his name sounds boring. I don't want to marry someone that I've never met."

"Will you meet him though?"

"Yes, my father has arranged some ball thing and I have to meet him then."

"Maybe he won't be that boring."

"You're a bit of an optimist aren't you?" Jemma raised an eyebrow with a smile.

"I try to be." Leo answered, as he was nuzzled by one of the horses in the stable block behind him.

"Maybe I need a bit of optimism- you're a little young to be a farm boy aren't you?"

"No. Eighteen years old I am, I started this job when I was sixteen." He answered proudly.

"How did you even get this job?"

"I only live with my mum and she can't work so, I came here to see the King and requested a job so that I could earn some money for her. I get fed, but the food isn't the greatest. Us workers just get the leftovers normally." He shrugged a little.

"That's awful! You deserve a proper meal."

"No, it's okay. I'm used to it now."

"So you don't get any of the little snack foods that we have? You just get cold meat and potatoes that don't get eaten?"

"It's just the way things are done Jemma."

"Well, when I'm ruling this Kingdom, I'll make sure that the workers get a decent meal."

"I appreciate that greatly, but most of 'em say that and they just end up forgetting about us."

"Well, I promise not to forget about you." She told him. "Shake on it?" She held her hand out.

"You wouldn't want to shake my hand, it's all dirty and -"

"Leo. I don't mind, I'm not afraid of a little dirt." She told him, earning a handshake from him.

"Okay. Thank you Jemma."

"You're welcome." She smiled. "Are you the only farm boy here?"

"The one and only."

"That must get really lonely."

"Oh it's okay, I've always been one to keep to myself. I'm used to being alone."

"Well, you don't have to be alone anymore. I'm going to come down to visit you every day!"

"What about when you meet your prince?"

"Okay, almost every day and even on that day I'll try to get out in the evening to come and see you. Do you have a house in the village, or did you get given your own bunk here?"

"Own bunk, so that I can tend to the horses overnight if needed."

"Which bunk is yours?"

"The one right next to the stables." He told her.

"Okay, well if you're not in here then I'll knock there to come and see you."

"Thank you Jemma."

"You're welcome."

"Shouldn't you be getting back? Wont people be looking for you?"

"They'll only start looking for me when it gets dark. Not that there's anything dangerous in the castle boarders anyway, besides I want to keep talking to you."

"You really want to be my friend?"

"Of course I do! I don't have many friends, I only really have Skye but, she's not always around."

"Who's Skye?"

"She's one of the staff, but she's a year older than me so, I made friends with her."

"Do you make friends with all of your staff?"

"Only the ones that I find interesting."

"I'm interesting?"

"Of course you are! An eighteen year old farm boy, who started work at sixteen." And super cute. "Of course you're interesting."

"Thanks, I think."

"You know, I think that we'll end up being really good friends Leo."

"Me too."

"And as a sign of our friendship, tomorrow I will bring you a sandwich."

"What kind of sandwich?"

"That, my dear farm boy is a surprise."