I am punished.

My step father hates me, I am sure of it. My mother is proud though. She is just like me. She's on my side, though step father doesn't accept it.

"Well, I apologize, step father, but I had to!" I say to him.

"Delilah, no princess like you should ride a horse, out in the witching hour, for anything." Step father says, sternly. He never yells, but he never understands.

"But, step father. I love him…" I almost start to cry. How can my father not understand? My lover was in trouble! I just had to save him. Who knows what would have happened if I did not…

"Darling, darling, come come," my mother burst in through the big doors of our library. "Tell me what happened, once again. I love the story." She smiled. We moved along to the living room, away from my 'father'. "It's no story, it really happened, mother." I say, but I smile, enjoying how she loves my little adventure I had last night. Quite horrendous, it was.

And so I began.

He wouldn't look me in the eye for the whole time we were together. Something was bothering him. I thought. "Daniel, what's the matter?"

"Nothing, Delilah. It is nothing to worry about…"

"But you sound unsure." I said, biting my lip. What could be wrong? I thought. "I cannot tell you." He said. I grabbed both sides of his face and moved his head up, making him face me."Daniel, you have such fear in those eyes. Please tell me." I pleaded. He broke away from my hands and turned away.

"At midnight…." He started.

"Yes…?"

"I…"

"You what, Daniel?"

"No, I must not tell you." He started to walk away. "Daniel! Come back. Why can you not tell me?" I jumped right behind him and hugged his back. "It will break your heart." He said. Then a tear dripped down his face. I was shocked. "Oh, Daniel, what is the matter." I said, but not in a question form, more of a statement. I came up to his front and I wiped away his tear, but another one followed. I kissed his tears. "I'm so scared…" His voice came out in a raspy, dry, whisper. "Please, go ask my brother Phillip to tell you. For I, cannot," And he broke away sobbing, running away. " I am very sorry, my dear!"

I started to run after him but I stopped. No, I must go to Phillip's house.

30 minutes later, I was there.

I knocked on the door. "Hello? Please, Phillip, open the door."

After a while of waiting and knocking, finally Phillip opened the door.

"What is it?" He yelled in my face, his eyebrows in a obtuse V shape.

Phillip was not exactly the nicest man in the world.

"Oh…Daniel sent me here. He could not tell me what was bothering him. Do you know?" I asked so urgently. Phillip stumbled back into the doorway.

"Come in," he invited me. I was a bit nervous, since I haven't been in his house for a while without Daniel by my side. Usually Daniel would snap back at this grumpy old hag, Phillip, when he were to yell at me. But no matter, I am here to find out what is up with Daniel.

"Daniel seemed so…worried." I whispered.

"Delilah…Sit down." Phillip patted the seat next to him on the leather couch. I sat. There was concern in his eyes.

"Yes… what's the matter?" I breathed out.

There were so many questions building up inside me. Why was he crying? Why couldn't he tell me? Was he not allowed to? Or could he just not because it was hard?

"Daniel is in big trouble." Phillip said very softly.

I bit my lip.

"How?" I leaned in. He patted my hand.

"Oh, my apologies, I did not offer you any cookies or anything! A princess like you should have fine treatment." He got up and walked swiftly over to the kitchen.

"Oh Phillip! Stop changing the subject! Daniel said you would tell me. PLEASE tell me!"

Phillip came back with a plate of cookies and a glass of milk. Goodness gracious, I thought. This isn't working. How will I ever find out? He sat back down and put the plate on the wooden table in front of us. I took a cookie and obnoxiously started chewing. I sighed.

"You're annoying me. Tell me. Now." I begged.

"Now?"

"YES."

"The whole dreadful thing?"

"Mhm."

"Alright, so you know how we are in poverty?" Phillip asked. I stopped chewing. I nodded.

"He stole a emerald that the miners found."

"Daniel?"
"Yes"
"Go on."

"He wanted to sell it. To get more money. For us, to buy food."

"Yes…"

"And he got caught. He got caught stealing not just the emerald but also small diamonds and other jewels."

"And…?"

"He's been caught many times before, as you must know. But this time it was over something precious!" Phillip raised his voice. I backed away a few inches.

"Sorry for yelling," He said softly. I nodded. "So today at midnight… the miners and other villagers want to…get."

"Get what?" I leaned in.

"Rid. Of. Him." He said and closed his mouth as if that's everything I needed to know. I gasped though, guessing that they would want to…

"KILL HIM?" I screamed so loudly I thought I was going to faint. Phillip nodded slowly, looking down.

"I have already said too much." He said.

"But… How?... Where?"

"Don't try to stop them, they already set up the hanging material." Then his hand covered his mouth in a blink of an eye. "Oops."

"They're. Going. To. HANG HIM?" I stood up, knocking the plate of cookies to the floor. "Of course I will try to stop them! This is despicable!" Then I started to cry. Phillip stood up next to me, with his arm over my shoulders. I leaned into the crescent of his shoulder. I couldn't stop the tears. Suddenly I ran out.

"Oh, Delilah!" My mother slams her thighs. "Get to the good part!" She wipes away her tears. This is the sad part, please, move one."

"Sorry." I smile, sadly, at the memory.

So I ran out of Phillip's house and went to search for Daniel. It was already quarter till 4 and the night was coming. The wind was harsh, blowing onto my damp cheeks, burning them with an icey feeling. I went to the miners shop. He wasn't there. I went to the bread bakery. He wasn't there. I went to the park. He wasn't there.

Where could he be?

I saw him walking out of the library. Of course! I piped in my head. I ran up to him. I hugged his chest and started crying.

"Daniel, oh Daniel. Why?" He hugged me back.

"I'm so sorry," He whispered through my hair, kissing my forehead. "I am so stupid."

I couldn't answer because the tears just kept coming.

"Go home," He whispered. "Please." I didn't move. He picked me up and I cried in his arms. He carried me all the way to our castle. He snuck in side up to my room. There were no guards on duty. Probably at lunch break. I thought. He put me on my bed in my room and kissed my forehead again. Then he jumped out my window, and climbed down the tree. I fell asleep before I knew it.

The clock chimed half before midnight. I shot out of bed. I looked out through my bedroom window. The night was dark as a nightmare. There was a group of torches a bit far out to the north, right up to the clock tower. I got out of bed and slipped on my shoes. I grabbed my winter jacket and gloves and climbed out of my window and down the tree. Finally when I touched the ground, I ran to the stalls behind the castle.

I smiled. "Hey, StarNight," I cooed. I brushed the black stallion's shoulders and main. "Let's go for a ride." I pulled on her saddle and buckled it up. I walked over the shelf in the stall. I grabbed the knife. I hopped on my horse. I started StarNight out and everything was going fine till I heard a voice.

"Who goes there?" The guard said in his black uniform.

I sat taller in my saddle. "I am going for a ride." I announced.

"But, M'lady, at midnight?" He asked, his eyebrows go up.

"Yes."

He jumped in front of the horse. "Oh, but you must not!"

"Move!" I yelled. I leaned down and pulled him up by the collar of his jacket. My strength surprised me. "You must not speak to anyone of this event," I snarled. He gulped. "Understand?"

"Y-yes, M-M'lady." The guard stammered. I threw him down to the pavement and StarNight jumped over the gate, succeeding. I yelled with might. StarNight ran as I kicked her with my heels.

"Faster, faster!" I whispered loudly in her ear. She ran as the lightning. The cold wind blew into my face, my hair whipping back into the wind. I rode all the way to the clock tower. I started to hear yelling. I gasped as I saw Daniel hanging down from a rope, wrapped around his neck and his face slightly red.

My eye widened. "Daniel!" I yelled.

His eyes shot up directly to mine. Shocked splashed on his face."Delilah! No!" He howled. Villagers and miners ran at me, with torches. StarNight roared and backed up on her two back legs. I started to slip, but I held on tightly.

"Calm down, girl!" I shouted. When she set back down on all four legs, I jumped off her and stood, waiting for the people to surround me.

"Princess Delilah, it is you!" One miner said. I rolled my eyes.

"Yes, it is me. Do you have a problem with that, sir?" I scowled. I led StarNight and tied her near the podium where Daniel was hanging from. I winked at him. I saw a smile forming in the corner of his lips.

"N-no, I do not, M'lady. But what are you doing here in this hour?" He asked, leaning to one side.

"That, is non of your business, sir." I said as politely as I could. I took my knife and as fast as an blink of an eye, I tore the rope that Daniel was hanging from. "Run!" I shouted. I don't know what happened to Daniel because I turned my back on him to this miner. He came up to me, trying to shove me. I shoved him down to the floor. "NO, TAKE A STEP BACK!"

"But princess! You must not. We have to kill this thief! Do you know how many precious stones he has stole?" The miner stuck a capped knife in my face. I spit in his face. I couldn't take this anymore. I had to do something! I tried to grab the knife out of his hands, but he was too strong. He hissed in an evil-like way and gave me a toothy grin. Beads of sweat formed on my forehead and neck. He pushed me to the ground. I let out a soft grunt. I got up and growled at him.
He laughed as I said, "Don't touch me!" He unleashed his knife and slid it to my throat. I was breathing heavily.
The miner raised an eyebrow. "The kingdom does not have to know that Princess Delilah will die. We can say you ran away." I gulped.
I saw a flicker of a shadow. "Yahhh!" Daniel pounced on the miner that was grasping me tightly around my chest and neck. I started to see back colours. I couldn't breath, he was squeezing my neck tighter, and tighter. Soon I was free. The miner was on the floor, bleeding in the head. I fell to the floor.
"Uhg," I grunted. Daniel asked me if I was alright. "Fine," I replied with a sigh. "Let's go." He held out a hand to me. I grabbed it and got up. The miner stayed on the floor, and the rest, backed off. I smiled, in a powerful-feeling way. They made a hall for us. Daniel and I made our way back to the castle. We climbed back up to my room, through the window. This time Daniel stayed and cuddled beside me, snug and warm in the bed. And so I am here.

"Delilah! My dear, it is as if I had heard it the first time! This is just wonderful! You are so brave, my dear daughter." My mother claps her hands. I smile and blush.
I turn my head as I hear the living room door open a crack. In slips Daniel. "Oh." Manages to squeak through my mouth. I blush and stand up. Daniel swarms up in front of me, arms on my waist. He pulls me close, as if we are the only ones in the room.
My mother smile. "I will leave you do love birds alone." And she leaves.
I smile and touch my forehead with Daniels'. We dance, but to no music. He kisses me softly on the lips and whispers, "thank you, Delilah." I nod and kiss him again. Happy to be with him, safely. He is my prince now and lives in this castle, just a room away. We continue to dance as the moon comes up and washes our worries away, through the window.