Disclaimer: Libba Bray owns these characters; I do not.
The boy and the girl play in her gardens, unmonitored due to the fact that her mother is neglectful and the fact that they are too young to merit any chaperonage. They like it better that way, free to be childish. Today they are pretending that they are a prince and princess.
They both do look the part. Her fair hair is shining and her eyes dance, full of spirit. He has been raised to be noble, and so he is, with her, eager to show off. They are both extremely good-looking, even as children. Today there is no shadow in her eyes and no shame in his.
She pretends to be imperious, changing the game so that he is her knight. With his typical good grace regarding her, he accepts the change in the game without protest. He kisses her hand slowly. Even then he loves her, even when he doesn't know what love is. And she has never been kissed by any man before. This is before she thinks the touch of a man who knows her is unclean, so she relishes the feel of his lips on her hand. He is her best friend, and she loves the intimacy that they have in their status.
"What do you want, my lady?" he asks her seriously, completely taking on the role. "I live only to serve you."
She giggles, impressed at his seriousness. "I would like you to slay the dragon that lives over there." She points a little bit away.
He picks up a long stick and pretends that it is a sword, waving it about in imitation of killing the dragon. She laughs, amused.
When he returns to her, she takes the stick from him and places it on his shoulder. "I declare you Sir Simon, a knight of the realm," she pronounces. He smiles at her, the smile that could make anyone melt.
"Walk with me," she commands, but before they know it they are near the pond in her gardens, and he has pushed her into it. She shrieks with delight mixed with fury, and to appease her he jumps in after her. They splash in the water, pretending now that they are not wealthy children that should never have considered doing such a thing but are peasant children who could play as much as they wanted. She doesn't know how to swim, so she can only walk slowly, as the water makes her movements sluggish. He splashes all around her, his expertise in swimming not much more than hers. They laugh and splash and play, and they don't even think about the grim future that awaits them.
It was the last day of innocence that she had, the last day before her father stole it from her. Someday she will become cold and distant and detached, but today she is happy to be warm and loving and free.
It was the last day before he would be allowed to play with her, for it would be considered improper past a certain age. He doesn't know this, though, and braids a flower in her hair, content to play and not worry about the future.
Someday they both will become important people in society whose every moves are examined closely and critiqued mercilessly, but today they are content to simply be children.