"Your highness! Come back!"

On a horse racing from the palace guards, was twenty year old Prince Manuel or Manny of Mexico. The young prince had just been told by his father and many others that he needed to take a wife, one of nobility. Out of all the suffocating royal things he had to do this was the final straw. The young man decided to runaway while the guards were busy with the hunt.

"Prince Manuel! Be reasonable!" A guard called.

"Your father will not stand for this!" Another one said.

Manny quickly jumped off his horse and dodged into the woods. To his relief they followed the horse.

"Phew!" He sighed. "Finally, I few minutes alone. The nerve of my father demanding I marry right now and to a total stranger. Ha! He must be loco if he thinks I'm going through with it."

He sat against a tree and slumped. Why? Why did he have to be a prince? Why did he have to go fight wars? Or marry whoever was wealthy or royal? Why couldn't his father understand he just wanted to explore or live his own life? His mother would have, may she rest in peace.

One thing for sure he couldn't hide here forever. Maybe he'd wait until dark and then stowaway on a ship. Or fake his own death, that would stop the search parties. But he couldn't break his father's heart like that. Suddenly his thoughts were interrupted by someone singing.

It was very faint but as he followed it, he could hear it better. It was a beautiful voice. Reminded him of his mother when she used to sing.

"Yo se que tienes in neuvo amor

Sin embargo te deseo lo mejor

Si en mi no encontraste felicidad

Tal vez alguien mas re lady dara

Como la Flor

Con tanto amor

Me diste tu

Se marchito

Me marcho hoy

Yo se perder

Pero ay...Como me duele

ay...Como me duels."

Determined to see who owned the voice he came out of the woods and saw Frida scrubbing sheets as she sang. He wanted to see who she was but he was afraid that she would recognize him, call out his name, and alert the guards so he decided to walk away.

"Hey look a woman's here!" He heard a nasty voice say.

He turned to see two dirty looking men staring at her. He recognized them as the kingdom thugs Sergio and Diego. They usually spent their days robbing people, getting drunk, and harassing innocent young women.

"What a beauty, this must be our reward for all the work we've been doing lately." Sergio said.

"Let's see if she wants some company." Diego said.

As they approached her they stepped on a stick getting her attention. She stood up and turned around.

"Hi there, you lost?" Sergio asked.

"No. I'm not. Who are you?"

"Just a couple of guys passing through."

"If you're here to rob me I'm afraid that you'll be disappointed because I have nothing of value." She said.

"That's too bad." Diego said.

"But maybe you can satisfy our other needs." Sergio said. He grabbed her chin only to have her bite his hand.

"Leave me alone!" She cried.

"Oh this one has fire." Diego said.

"Yeah I love that in a woman." Sergio said. "How about a kiss beautiful?"

"No thank you." She said annoyed.

"Oh come on!" He said grabbing her roughlyby the arm.

"Let go of me!" She demanded trying to run away.

"After you give me that kiss!"

"No!"

"Didn't you hear the lady?!" Manny stepped out from the trees and with great care pulled Frida away from Sergio and shielding her from the two men. "Leave her alone!"

"Or what?"

Manny drew his sword and pointed it at the thugs then with one swipe he stripped them down to their underwear. They looked down, screamed like girls, and ran away. He turned around to ask if she was okay but found himself stunned and speechless when he saw her. For she was the most beautiful woman he ever seen in all his life.

"I...I hope those thugs didn't cause you too much distress. Are you alright?" He asked when he could finally speak.

"Yes but who are you?"

"You don't know me?" He said surprised.

"Should I? Are you a thief?"

"No! Senorita, I am no thief. But you really don't know who I am?"

"No. Are you someone important?"

"No! I mean people say I am but I'm nothing special."

"If you are important then forgive me but I don't get out much so I don't know a lot about important people. So what brings you by?"

"Well I was in the middle of a hunt when I heard your lovely singing and I knew I just had to find out who owned the voice."

"Oh that?" She said blushing. "It's nothing just a song my mother taught me, she's gone now."

"I'm sorry my mother's gone too. She died when I was twelve."

"I'm very sorry about that."

"She used to sing a lot, music was one of her favorite things."

"Can you sing?"

"Noooo. Unfortunately I inherited my father's terrible voice."

They both started to laugh.

"So you have a name?" She asked.

"Manu...Manny. Just Manny."

"Pleasure to meet you." She held out her hand to shake. He took it and planted a kiss on her knuckles.

"And you are?"

"Just a maid."

"Don't you have a name?"

"I had one but I don't go by it anymore."

"Then what do I call you?"

She thought back to the nickname her mother gave her. "Frida."

"It's a pleasure Frida. I haven't seen you in town."

"Well as I said I don't get out much and I don't have any friends." The doves cooed in protest. "Oh I'm sorry except for Perla and Tanya."

"Who are they?"

The doves flew down, one landed on her shoulder the other on her finger. "This is Perla." She said to the one on her shoulder. "And this is Tanya." She said to the one on her finger.

"The doves?"

"Yes. And there's also Luiz and Miguel."

"And who are they?"

"The iguanas who live in my basement. They look scary but they're actually very nice but they do steal from the kitchen sometimes."

"You're friends are doves and iguanas?"

"Is that a problem?"

"No. I just never thought of animals as friends."

"Isn't your horse your friend?"

"How did you know I had a horse."

She pointed to the gray horse walking up to him. "Oh no! If he found me then the guards can't too far behind." He thought. "I have to go but I would like to see you again."

"Me too. When and where?"

"Friday, noon, same place?"

"Yes."

"I'll see you then."

"I'll be waiting." He got on his horse and galloped away. She smiled as she watched him leave. "Isn't he handsome Perla?" The dove cooed in agreement. "I wonder where he lives."

...

"Hijo, that is the third time this week you've tried to runaway this month." King Rodolfo said.

"Sorry Father but your little marriage plan wasn't on my mind...until now." Manny said.

"What's that?"

"Well I met someone but I'm not considering marriage just yet."

"Who is she? A princess?"

"Um well she's beautiful enough to be one."

"Hijo." He said easing an eyebrow up.

"Okay, she's a peasant girl I met in the woods."

"A peasant girl? Manuel-"

"Manny! Father, you know I hate going by that. Why don't you call me that anymore?"

"Well for one thing you were a boy at the time and second what do you know about this girl? You can't just see someone and then feel something."

"You wouldn't have said that about mother."

"That was different."

"No it wasn't, you told me it was love at first sight and if I remember correctly you didn't know she was a princess for a month and you still pursued her."

"Oh boy. You've got so much of your mother in you. Every argument we had either ended in a stalemate or her winning."

"Does that mean I win?"

That song was sung by Selena, one of the greatest Latin American singers ever may she rest in peace