The Trouble with Being Royalty

Nuada walked through the castle courtyard.

He had lost the girl again. She just seemed to disappear; he was beginning to wonder if she had even existed.

"NUADA!" He looked up to see Nuala rushing towards him. "Father... he didn't believe that I didn't know where you were... he made me tell him... I'm so sorry..."

"NUADA! What do you think you are doing?" Nuada saw his father coming towards him and he bowed.

"Father I can explain..."

"You had better do!" He yelled. "Do you realise how humiliating it was to have to apologise to all those dukes and lords because my son had not turned up to choose his own bride? I was counting on you Nuada, this is your future!" Nuada stood up and looked his father in the eye.

"If it is my future then why are you planning it? Don't I get a say in this?"

"That was the point of today! You were going to have your say on whom you want as a bride..."

"And I had to choose from a group selected by you!" The king was taken aback by his son's outburst. "If, during all the time I had spent at those events and occasions when I had to meet with all those girls, I had actually met someone I would consider taking as a wife then I would have told you! I never did! You are still trying to control my life just like you always have done! How do you know I even want to get married? How do you know I even want to be king? You don't! You know why? BECAUSE YOU NEVER ASK!" With that he stormed away towards the castle.

The king watched his only son walk away from him. He sat down on the steps leading to the great hall. Nuala sat down next to him, taking his hand in her own.

"Father, he is just under pressure. He will come around, just give him some time."

The king said nothing, just squeezed his daughter's hand.

That night, no matter how hard he tried Nuada just couldn't get to sleep.

The only thing on his mind was the beautiful girl and her even more beautiful voice. She was an angel. She haunted his mind and would not leave him alone.

He sat up, holding his head in his hands and trying to understand what was happening.

It was one look. He saw her once. So why was he becoming obsessed with her? He didn't even know her name.

He got up and went to the window, staring out at the full moon.

"I have to know who you are. I have to know your name. I need to know if you are real."

While Nuada watched the moon and thought about the beautiful girl, Aurora watched the moon and thought about the beautiful man.

She had been thinking about him all day. It was impossible to get him out of her head. Aurora had been so occupied with him that she almost ignored her aunts. As a result they were getting quite concerned about her because she kept going off into daydreams. Such wonderful daydreams...

She shook her head. He wasn't even real! He couldn't be.

She looked up and sighed.

"You are a stranger of my imagination. So why am I falling in love with you?"