Lianna had worked in the stables all of her life. Her parents had either died or left her when she was very young, it wasn't something she gave much thought to really since her upbringing in the castle had left her wanting much. She was perfectly content grooming horses and occasionally helping out in the kitchens—many of the other servant girls fancied catching the eye of a knight or a duke that visited but to her nothing felt better than the stables.
She had seen the world of the noblewomen, and it wasn't something she envied much. They always had some 'duty' to their families and most of them tended to get married young to old fat men.
Sure, they got to eat well and dress well but from the complaints she'd overheard in her years here being a noblewoman was the worst.
Maybe it was because she spent so much of her time among the knights as a part of her job—she knew how these men thought. She had often heard them speak about the servant girls, generally when they mistook her for one of the stable boys. And she knew where many of the dukes spent their nights.
No, to her a life working in the stables was the best life. Of course it wasn't that she lacked ambition or imagination, but it usually never went on par with those of the other girls. If she could Lianna would have become a knight a long time ago. She had the abilities for it, she could ride just as well as any knight, and her swordplay was something to be applauded. Not that she let many recognize her when she participated. And she always made sure to know who she was up against before deciding to win or lose.
Going up against a Lord or a high-ranking Knight and winning would mean attention would be turned towards her. That wasn't something she could afford, a woman at a low rank like her being able to fight wouldn't be accepted well in the society.
She had beat the prince in a sparring match once when she was twelve and the king had ordered her to be brought forward so that she could be taught alongside the prince—of course she had been terrified because she had been dressed like a boy so they had just assumed she was a skilled stable boy from the stables.
The captain of the guard had however figured it out, and had interceded before the entire court found out that the prince had been beaten in a duel by a girl that worked in the stables.
Surprisingly, the king and the prince had taken it very well when they found out she was in fact a 'she'. The king had allowed her to continue working in the stables—so long as she didn't continue participating in the duels.
The prince and the captain of the guard had been even more considerate—they let her train alongside them. The prince had been ten at the time, two years her junior and the captain of the guard thought it would do him good to have someone close enough to his age and actually competent with a sword to fight with.
This was how she was able to continue her job at the stables, many of the young girls who worked at the stables were moved to the kitchens when they reached thirteen or fourteen but she was still working here. At the age of twenty-two she had to work pretty hard to pass of as a boy. Her hair was tied under a bandana and she made sure to wear loosely fitted pants and shirts when she left her chambers.
Her face was usually covered in soot and anything dirty she could get—therefore she was virtually unrecognizable to anyone that didn't know her well.
She was running to the stables now, the Prince had asked for her presence there. In the ten years she had gotten to know the Prince very well and she knew what he wanted her for today.
In fact, the whole kingdom knew—Prince Lucien was to choose a bride before he hit his twentieth birthday. The poor boy had been agonizing about it for the past two months. Especially to her—agonizing to no end. Every week, once a week without fail he would make her ride out with him into town so that he could get away from the train of noblewomen that had shown up at the castle.
"Lian!" She heard him as she walked into the stables. The Prince was a tall handsome fellow—at least she assumed he was. She'd grown up with him and to her he was like a brother—his face was definitely proportionate and the way the kitchen maids talked about him made him seem like some sort of Adonis.
"Shirking your duties again Lucien?" She asked raising an eyebrow at him.
"I made sure to be done with all of my princely duties Li, and mother and father won't go looking for me this time."
"You told them where you were going?" She asked wondering what his highness' parent's reaction would be if they knew their son was looking for a wife among the commoners.
"Yes, trust me they just want me married off—they don't care if its with a commoner or an empress."
The girl shook her head. "I seriously doubt that." She muttered as they both mounted their horses and rode out.
"These women in the palace, they frighten me." He confessed when they were halfway to the city.
"You're scared of women?" She asked laughing—then thought about it. The noblewomen could get awfully frightening.
"If you were actually my sister—they'd be afraid of you to be interested in me." He added wistfully.
"Oh please, if I was your sister I would have caused wars by now." She shook her head.
"Your diplomacy would be sticking a sword through the representatives." He laughed. "At least it would be something fun."
She shook her head. "I think Anabel is the perfect sister for you—she keeps the women away from you."
"I don't know who they work harder to impress, me or her."
"Well she's perfect." Lianna replied, the prince's sister was in fact perfect. At least the most perfect thing Lianna had ever seen. The girl was diplomatic, kind, beautiful beyond word and she knew the girl was smart.
She was the same age as the Prince—five minutes older but unlike the Prince the king and queen were in no hurry to marry her off. The girl had a lie of suitors that could wrap around the castle grounds twice. There was no hurry.
She had spoken with the princess a few times before—she was one of the few people that knew that the Prince's right hand man was actually a woman. However, other than greetings and sometimes helping her get her saddle Lianna didn't know her too well. She had heard word of her around the castle—through servant gossip that being the Princess' maid was the best and most relaxing job.
The girl liked to do everything on her own—she even came into the kitchens sometimes to make her own food.
"That's because you don't know her." He shook his head, "If you only knew her temper."
Lianna raised her eyebrows. "Her temper? Please… I heard she couldn't even hurt an ant."
"Not an ant maybe—but she screams at me every chance she gets."
"Well that's because its you. Lucien if anybody could anger her its you."
He shrugged. "That's true. Though she hates it when her maids hover around her—she can complain about it for hours when nobody is listening."
"You're joking." Lianna couldn't imagine the perfect princess saying anything bad about anyone.
"No way. Its true… Mother and father worry that her aversion to maids will make it hard for her once they find her someone to wed."
"Oh…" Lianna shrugged. "She has a lot of choices—its not like the kingdom is in need of money or anything so she has more freedom."
He nodded. "I guess. I just wished I could have more time."
"Why do they want you to settle down so soon?" He hadn't even reached twenty yet—and the men usually didn't get married until they hit twenty-five.
"Mother went to some astrologer and he told her something vague about my life being empty until I found my soulmate."
She shook her head. "I never understood the obsession the upper class have with fortune telling."
"Honestly me neither."
They were at the town now, and Lianna could see the tents of the circus being raised as they entered the crowd.
"The circus is here early this year." She commented and she saw the Prince's eyes light up.
He had been in love with the circus since the first time she'd brought him here when he was ten and the boy was still obsessed with it.
"Maybe you'll find a gypsy girl and fall in love with her." She added, "then you can run away with her and join the circus."
"If only…" He grinned. "I would join without a second thought."
"Haha, well Anabel would be a better ruler than you anyways."
"Honestly if not for the law she should be queen." He replied. "I'm the younger one—she deserves the throne."
They stopped at one of the stables and the prince handed a bag of coins to the stable-boy.
"So are we exploring the circus today?" She asked folding her arms. At least she wouldn't have to muck out the stables today. If the prince asked for her then her chores at the castle would get covered.
"Oh yeah…" The prince grinned and she could tell he was having a hard time controlling his excitement. Even at the age of nineteen he could barely control his excitement.
The circus was just barely beginning to be set up—this was usually Lianna's favourite time to be there. Before the crowds came in and while the circus people were still setting up.
"Lianna! Lucien!" A large man came bounding towards tem his arms held out to embrace them.
"Eddy!" Lucien cried gleefully. "It's been so long, you still remember us?"
"Of course I do little princeling. You almost ruined the circus, what is it, three times now?" The large man pulled them into a tight embrace.
"Any new acts this year Eddy?" Lianna asked dicking under the man's arm and towards where the rest of the circus lay.
"Well, we had to leave Anya at Durn so her replacement is going up for the first time tomorrow night."
"For the tightrope act?" Lianna asked. Anya had actually been one of Lianna's favourites.
"Yes, its this youngling—she's actually not much younger than the princeling."
"She's experienced?" Lianna asked.
"She says she is, Anya seemed to trust her so we're letting her do her thing. She's doing a duo with Haku."
"But Haku is a firebreather—how does tightrope and fire-breating go together?" Lucien asked.
"That's the surprise little Prince."
"So that's the only new thing this year?" She asked.
"Well, yes. Oh Anya left a letter for you by the way." Eddie pulled out an envelope from his pocket.
"What is it?" Lianna asked.
"I'm not sure, she'll be arriving for the last week of the fair—she didn't say what the letter was for."
Lianna nodded. She had known Anya for a long time, she had been the first one she'd met at the Circus, and Lianna looked up to her like an Aunt.
"Well go look around then—maybe one of the acts will let you practice with them." Eddie grinned and walked off to yell at the other circus acts.
"Are you gonna read the letter?" Lucien asked when Eddie left.
"Later probably, I want to go see the replacement for Anya." She said. If she didn't enjoy working at the palace she would have joined the circus a long time ago.
It wasn't just Lucien that loved it so much—though for him it was the circus attractions and the freedom that he found so fun. It had always been an excuse for him to leave the castle-grounds, some sort of ritual.
It was something more for her. She loved the people, and the mischief it brought along. Sometimes she would just want to let it blow her away with it.
But the safety of the castle was enough for her for now.
"It's that tent right?" Lucien asked pointing at one of the taller yet thin tents. "Ugh, its been two years don't blame me for forgetting."
She entered the tent first, and the Prince followed after her.
"Hello?" She called looking around for the replacement tightrope walker.
She could hear the tent flap open and close as Lucien walked it. "I don't think anybody's actually here…"
"I guess we'll have to co-" her sentence was interrupted as she heard a thud on the trampoline and a tiny blonde girl stepped out.
She was small, her hair was curly and went down to her waist and she had big blue eyes that took up half of her face.
"Hi! Who are you?" She asked. Not waiting for their answer. "I'm Mara, from Durn, I'm the new tightrope walker. You might have heard of me if you're one of the circus people but I don't really know many people because I'm new." The girl said all this really fast and stuck out her hand.
"I'm Lianna…" She answered taking the girl's hand to shake and she turned towards Lucien waiting for him to introduce himself.
The boy looked flustered, and she nudged him out of his state. "I-I'm L-lucien." He answered shaking his head. His face had turned cherry red and Lianna raised her eyebrows confused.
She looked back at the girl—who had finally seemed to notice him, her face was slightly red as well and Lianna just felt confused staring at them.
Had they met before? "Do you two know each other?" She asked.
"Um.. I-uh.. I think maybe." The girl answered after a long pause.
"At Lorraine?" Lucien asked. The girl nodded. "You're that girl!" Lucien's face brightened up as he grinned excitedly.
"I didn't think I'd see you again." The girl replied.
"I thought I imagined you!" The boy added.
Lianna slowly edged her way out of the tent remembering the first time Lucien had told her about the girl he'd met in the woods of Lorraine.
He had been convinced he'd met an angel.
He had gone off on his own in the woods and had at some point met an angel crying in the trees. He had been sixteen years old. He had befriended the angel and she had told him a sad story. In the end the angel had given him a kiss and left him in the woods. She remembered the story the angel had told him, something about her father dying and leaving her at the care of her step-family.
He had pined over the angel for a few months until he began to believe he had imagined her.
Lianna grinned and walked towards the other booths, knowing the Prince wouldn't be ready to go home for a while.