Chapter 3

Befriended

It was a sunny afternoon as the sun's rays shone down onto the grass. The morning dew was quickly evaporating as Sunny softly treaded on the grass. Spring was wonderful, doing wonders to the garden.

She was just about to go take a nice and refreshing plunge in the lake when she heard shouting nearby. Curious, she followed the furious racket and knelt by to eavesdrop.

Around the corner, the young princess spotted a boney little boy, begging the man that stood before him for some food.

"Please sir! I haven't eaten for days! Could you spare me even some of your table scraps?" The boy asked eagerly while looking at the glistening pound of chicken in the man's left hand, drooling. He quickly wiped the saliva from his face and stared at the piece of meat with hungry eyes.

The boy's flesh, it seems, was only a thin layer covering his body. You could see every bone in his body, moving with him. His stomach growled, frustrated at the young boy. The sight was so horrible to any human. But to Sunny, it was some beautiful creature that was being smacked in the head by some stranger.

In half a second, Sunny realized what had happened. All of a sudden, the man's free hand came like lightning and swiped the boy's face, leaving a dark mark in its place. The young boy whimpered and tried to run but another hand came and grabbed his shirt collar. As the boy struggled, the fabric broke and he sped away at where Sunny was hiding.

They collided with each other. The boy's shagged hair was flowing with the wind when it all came to a stop where he realized he had just collided with a young maiden. Immediately, out of instinct, the boy helped her up, cleaned her of dust and bent his head over, apologizing for what just happened. Over and over again, he would mutter, "I'm sorry, please forgive me!" But within the first few seconds, he was stopped.

"Stop that! I'm okay if you wanted to know." The clear voice broke into his nonstop ramblings.

Fearfully, the boy lifted his head and took in the woman's beauty. She had black hair that seemed to go on forever and a kind face. Her smile made the boy blush bright pink. Sunny laughed and a ringing sensation stroked the boy's mind. He felt as if he was floating.

Sunny was really worried about the mysterious boy so she slowly held up her hand to him for help. At first, he didn't take it. He seemed to be thinking whether to trust her but after a few moments, he silently took her hand and she guided him into the gardens. The aroma took the skinny boy by surprise. His head was swarmed with thoughts as Sunny dragged him by the arm towards the gates where the palace door stood, guarded by two ferocious looking guards. Fear took the boy's heart and he softly murmured something under his breath and tried to get away. But Sunny's grasp stood as firm as ever and he finally realized that this maiden was someone who had handled battles before. Just looking at her hands made him think about what battles she had fought. Even though her hands are pure white and delicate-looking, he could see past all that and recognize a true warrior's touch when he felt one.

"Guards, stand at ease. Let me pass!" Sunny ordered. She hardened her face slightly to strike fear in the guards but then she quickly turned back into her normal, worry-free self and smiled as they let the doors open.

"Come on, let's go in!" She encouraged him. As the boy stepped in his very first steps into the palace, he felt like a rich man, like a king! Boldly, he held his head up high as the young maiden guided him into the dwellings of royalty.

To the boy's embarrassment, he didn't even know the name of the young maiden and he trusts her right now with his life! One toe out of line and he could get his throat sliced open! His thoughts wandered into his life and he wondered whether this would be the moment the young maiden proclaimed her trickery and so he would have to be beheaded for crashing into her earlier today. Hands clutched his throat tightly and he felt a pang of humiliation in front of the people who were obviously servants, staring at him like he was the lower being.

"So... what's your name, anyway?" A voice asked and broke the awkward silence. The boy shook his head and realized that the maiden was speaking to him.

"My... my name is Pin... What's... what's... what's your name then, fair maiden?" Pin managed to choke out.

"My name is Sunny!" Sunny exclaimed happily, cautiously avoiding her last name. "Oh, how did you get so thin, Pin?" She added as she realized that he was still quite hungry and as thin as flesh can be.

Pin realized his state and he blushed. The girl, Sunny, was obviously concerned about him. Nobody held concern, only pity and sarcasm. Pin had never known anyone who even tried telling him that if he was okay or if he was hungry. And oh how hungry he was! For the last years of his life, all he lived on was table scraps that he managed to steal from the tables or he would have to hunt in the wild and eat leaves.

Remembering the first few years of his life brought tears to Pin. He was abandoned when he was born and he was proclaimed an orphan in his first year at the orphanage. Pin was always so alone. None of the other kids wanted to be friends with him. In fact, no one wanted to even talk to him! All they would do is send short messages to give them his valuables or they would pound the living lights out of him.

Sunny was worried when she sighted her newfound friend, weeping. She patted him on the back and told him to cry whenever he needed to, she won't stop him. Small thanks were given in gestures since he had started hiccoughing and sniffing too much. They headed towards where Sunny was currently living and she was really disappointed when he asked if he could take some things to sell out.

"No you may not sell my things! Don't you know how to act around other people's homes?" She replied back.

There was the word she was dreading that she would utter in front of him: "home". Pin had never realized that this maiden was actually a princess! Pin turned beet red. He slightly bowed, sending shivers of loneliness up Sunny's spine.

"You- you're a PRINCESS!"

Sunny sadly shook her head and replied, "Look, I was meaning to tell you but ---"

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU WERE RICH ALL ALONG!" He screamed excitedly. Images of him sitting on top of mountains and mountains of riches came into his mind.

Sighing in complete exasperation, Sunny took one hand and clamped it over her face in humiliation. She had never made friends this way and she would never make any friends. Although her father had permitted "peasants" to befriend her, she knew that he suspected she was never having any friends. "Friends" would all want her money, power and even body. She doesn't know what's more sickening, taking advantage over someone or tricking someone into thinking that they were your friend so you would be their slave, doing whatever they ask, threatening to leave you if you didn't do what they desired. Tears slowly ran down her cheek and the sunlight shown straight into the water, making her face glisten of a beauty that was greater then what she had before.

In the middle of his ramblings, Pin stopped and admired her face and how she looked so beautiful, even when she was in pain.

Pain, Pin knew it so well. Hid head bowed low and his eyes cast themselves down. An apology followed after his tears.

The princess realized that her friend was crying with her and she held him, wrapping her arms around him, protecting him. She felt incredible sadness over him and it swept her off her feet. It was like a soft kiss from sorrow at her neck, biting into her skin and penetrating her mind. She held Pin closer and firmer until they were in full embrace, crying over each other's grief.

They didn't notice a pair of eyes watching over them. Quick as it appeared, it faded in the darkness, whispering:

"I'll be back for you..."