Princess Emma of the White Kingdom considers herself a lover of beautiful things, which is why she is absolutely in awe of what she sees in this ordinary market. She grew up in a palace and she has always had the finest things and finest foods, yet here in this simple market she is just so overwhelmed by everything. Everything is so vibrant and colorful and she doesn't know where to look. And the smells, oh the smells are wonderful. She's trying really, really hard to hide her excitement. After all no one seems over the moon with excitement, even if all people look happy and what have you. Oh, but this is pure torture. She would love nothing more than to let loose and try this and that, and definitely that thing over there looks amazing and smells even better and she can't really do much if she's honest. She can see now that she didn't really think her plan through when she snuck out. The plan was brilliant and she snuck out undetected. The only trouble with that plan was that she forgot to grab any money at all, and she's surrounded by all these beautiful things, and she can't get anything.

It's not like she can just use her title to get the stuff she wants. First of all, she's sneaking out and second of all, she's in the neighboring kingdom. But it's not her fault she had to sneak out, because really her parents knew she was always enamored with the tales she heard about the Golden Kingdom, so how dare they leave her at home when they start the negotiations. They're finally trying to reach a place of understanding after much animosity and they couldn't take her? She decided then and there that life was somewhat unfair.

Oh, but it wasn't as if she could let loose too much. She knew that. She was trying to not attract too much attention to herself. She was unsure how fast the news traveled about the new negotiations and seeing someone from the White Kingdom could raise suspicion. It wouldn't be hard to spot her, fair skin, blonde hair, green eyes, they'd instantly know she was not from around. The people of the Golden Kingdom had a darker complexion, usually dark hair and dark eyes. No, its best if she keeps low and stays hidden, and she really doesn't need some dirty looking stranger to smack into her and knock her down, because come on what is this?

"Hey, watch where you're going!" and, really, Emma shouldn't yell that because it attracts more attention and this is bad, so bad. The stranger just looks at her for a moment before speaking.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to ..." and that's all Emma hears because she's so lost in those beautiful brown eyes looking down at her, and this stranger extends a hand and, oh, wait what? The stranger just looks at her, a look of concern on her face, and the world comes back into focus, and she hears

"Hey are you ok? Do you need help getting up? Are you hurt?"

All Emma can do is just nod and grab the hand of the stranger and be lifted up, and that hand is so soft Emma starts to lose her focus again, and her hand is tingling, and what's going on? At least people lost interest in the scene, which is good, and Emma just needs to go because what the heck just happened? She's so confused. She just turns around muttering a hasty "sorry I have to go" and walks away while the stranger looks after her, a look of confusion on her face.

Emma keeps moving through the fair, but it looks like it's lost its shine somewhat, because she keeps thinking about this stranger. But what could be so special about this person? Looking around there are many beautiful people in here, and the Golden Kingdom is renowned for the beauty of its people. She's just being silly. It was a full on day, it's hot, she hasn't eaten, so yeah, it's just that, or so she hopes. She really does hope because if not then she might be in a bit of trouble. She can't tell much about the person beyond their eyes, and those hands, so soft, firm, but so soft and that touch was just so different than anything she's felt before. She tells herself that maybe it's her magic just reacting to this strange environment filled with a different type of magic.

So, she keeps walking, and there is a commotion not that far from her and a crowd gathering. She wants to know so she waves her way through people, and gets to see what this is about. Turns out its a couple's competition so she stops and looks at some of the tasks the contestants have to go through. Turns out its quite fun, but she's starting to get hungrier by the minute and she needs to find a way to get some food. For free, if possible, she's not keen on selling whatever she has and she's not sure she'd be able to do that.

Emma slowly backs out of the crowd, her thoughts going a mile a minute about everything, and she doesn't look where she's going until she literally walks into someone. She's about to fall, but at the last minute someone catches her and relief floods through her because at least she's not on the ground again.

And then there's this amazing laugh, more beautiful than Emma has ever heard, and it's that voice again. The stranger's saying,

"Seems that we keep meeting like this. Should I start yelling 'hey watch where you're going?'" and then there's a smirk. Oh, the nerve of this person. Emma's pretty sure she's blushing quite badly. Why is she so frazzled by this beautiful stranger?
Now that she can finally get out of her initial stupor she can see the stranger is a woman with beautiful brown eyes and very kissable lips, and that sexy voice that always enthralls her and those soft hands and...
What is wrong with her daydreaming like this? She needs a smart comeback. No way is she going to be bested by this commoner. She's a princess and she has composure and grace and "ugh stop thinking and make the comeback."

"You could yell that, but you would just cause a scene now and it would look rather idiotic on your part, but be my guest and start yelling minutes after I ran into you."

The stranger just lifts an eyebrow and looks at her with amusement. Her grin spreads even further when Emma's stomach makes its presence known. Of all the times her stomach decides that it must be fed, and why, oh why, did this happen? Emma is so embarrassed, she's pretty sure her face is the same shade as a tomato. But suddenly they're both at a loss for words as they stare at one another, and Emma just looks down and mutters another hasty and quiet "I must go now" and she makes a run past the brown-eyed woman hoping she'll get lost in the crowd.
For a second, she turns back and looks at the woman she left behind and the woman is looking at her, and their eyes meet, and Emma's heart just skips a beat, then a second and a third beat and, oh no, what's going on? She must leave otherwise she's just going to stand there and stare like a fool.

So she runs. She's been going and going for the past five minutes and she has no idea where she's going. She's getting tired and her stomach starts to make noises again. So she sits on the bench and just enjoys the sun and thinks how this was definitely not one of her brightest ideas. Sneaking out like that, without a proper plan, to a place she's never been before, to a place where until recently she wasn't welcome, she's not sure that she's welcome now.

So what if the Golden Kingdom has so many things to offer, and so many beautiful things to see? So what if the Golden Kingdom is not this grey area of just rocks with the occasional oasis? It was stupid of her to come here. Who knows how the negotiations are going? She hopes they're going well. Her parents talked about trade and establishing a long lasting relationship between the two kingdoms looking for a mutual ground. She hopes they find it.

She loves this place and wishes she could come here again, on a better day, not like now. There is so much more to see. The green hills, the ocean everyone tells her about. She must go see it one day. She wants to come here quite often. Maybe she'll run into her again, and maybe they can explore this together and see it all together. Her thoughts are suddenly invaded by images of the woman she bumped into - the soft hands, the beautiful eyes. Emma's mind conjured up the image again and Emma is finally able to think. No one made Emma lose focus before like this woman did. No one made her get lost in brown eyes, or be so affected by a mere voice. And that touch, it made Emma's hand tingle and feel warm at the same time. Was it Emma's magic reacting? It couldn't be. Could it be that this person had magic? But then again she's touched other magic users and none got such a reaction out of her, so it can't be that either.

Suddenly, the sun is blocked. Might as well, she thinks, it matches her mood. Except that now she's also being offered food. Someone is offering her food, but who and why? She looks up and it's her and at first she's so happy, but then dread overcomes her because how come this person found her?

"Are you stalking me?"