The ride to town was brief, for their mansion was not that far away from it.

"Rory, while Georgia and I are shopping, you must gather the groceries," Cheri Hayden handed
Rory a list, "Do not talk to strangers. Be back at three o'clock sharp. That gives you one
hour. You hear me?" Cheri said.

"Yes miss," replied Rory once they reached town. She hurried off to go about her chores.



Meanwhile, a couple of blocks away, strolled Prince Tristan. He had disguised himself in
peasant clothes for one of his visits among his subjects. Princess Michelle was kind
enough to cover his absence so his parents wouldn't notice. King Author and Queen
Elizabeth were not happy with Tristan's' strolls and were especially not pleased the last
time they caught him sneaking out. But he didn't care. All those years, sometimes with
his sister, sometimes alone, Tristan would come to town, always looking for her: the
dark-haired girl with the deep blue eyes. The first time he saw her, she stole his heart.
Tristan could never work up the nerve to talk to her, especially because she was just a
lowly peasant, while he the Prince, was expected to marry a noble or a princess. And if
she ever knew who he was...Tristan just let the thought hang in midair. She all ways
seemed so sad to him, except when she talked to his friend, Sir Jess. Tristan wondered
how the girl knew Sir Jess. He certainly never mentioned her, but yet, Tristan never
brought his dream girl up in any of their conversations. Time and time again, Prince
Tristan wondered what was wrong with her, why she always seemed so sad. The Prince
wondered if the peasant ever noticed him either. Pulling his head out of his thoughts and
daydreams, Tristan looked across the street, seeing the girl being frightened away from a
horse, and yelled at by the noble who owned the steed. Her heavy bags dropped and
Prince Tristan then decided he could not stand it any longer. 'That's it,' he thought, 'I'm
not just going to sit back and study her anymore. She need's help, I'm going over there.'

"Sir, do you have a quarrel with this young lady," Tristan addressed the nobleman.

"Just tell her to get away from my horses, and take her lousy bags with her. Or else, I'll have
her arrested for disturbing the peace," shouted Lord Gellar.

"Yes sir, come on." Prince Tristan took Rory's bags and led her away from the enraged lord. 'Never did like him much anyway,' Tristan mused. "Nobles and lords, they are all stuck up." Prince Tristan told her. For a minute, he saw her smile at him.

"Thank you," Rory told him, only then realizing whom she was addressing. It was her mystery man, the guy she saw, almost every time she came to town. Rory glanced at him. 'Yeah, it is him,' she thought. Tall and broad, dirty blond hair and the most soulful blue eyes she had ever seen. All those years ago, when she had first seen him watching her, Rory thought of him as a potential friend,until Georgia dragged her away, scoldingly. Since then, every day she saw him, Rory's feelings toward him had grown, though she never really realized that until now.

"I really must be going though."

"Miss, do you need help carrying those bags? They really seem too heavy for you." Prince Tristan asked. His eyes met hers and immediately, Tristan felt his heart jump.

"No, it's okay. I can handle it." Rory attempted to pull some of the bags out of his grip and then tripped.

"Look. You cannot carry all these packages on your own. Why, when I find the person who put you up to this level of servitude..." Prince Tristan had become infuriated. 'How could anyone treat the girl this way?' he thought.

"You'll do what?" Rory began, believing that he was just a peasant. "Cheri, my stepmother does not tolerate anyone disagreeing with her. You do anything to her or her daughter and." Rory
let the words hang in the air.

"I don't care. Let me help." Tristan insisted, his royal authority slipping through his disguise. Tristan bent down to pick up the couple of bags she had dropped. "What's your name?"

"Lorelei, well, Rory Gilmore," the girl replied, "but please, don't help.... Go. I'm not supposed to talk to strangers."

'Rory' Prince Tristan thought, 'It's such a perfect name for her.' Tristan continued to walk alongside the girl, no Rory, he corrected himself.

"I don't care." The Prince replied, "So, you live with your stepmother?"

"Yes, and my stepsister," at that moment Rory got a feeling that she could trust this man with anything, tell him anything. "I don't really consider them family though. I'm more like their slave." She forced a small laugh.

"Oh, well maybe if you want to..." Prince Tristan's invitation was cut short as they rounded the corner and Rory saw Cheri and Georgia standing around, waiting for her.

"I must go." She said interrupting him and running off to meet them. She disappearred in the crowd and he could not find her again.



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