Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this story.

They all belong to their rightful owner: Craig Bartlett.

Title: "The swineherd"

In the last chapter: When king Arnold's attempt to propose to the princess failed miserably, he decided to take a much different approach. He disguised himself as a poor swineherd and asked for employment at the court. As a swineherd, the princess did not seem to care much for our hero, but slowly she started to open up to him even as he made the mistake of being too familiar with her.

To get the princess' attention, Arnold created an instrument that played the melody she knew so well and sold them to her in exchange for a kiss on her cheek. The next day he made yet another instrument, but demanded a kiss from her lips for this. Just as the kiss was about to take place, the emperor and the empress caught them and threw them both out of the palace.

Author's 1st note: Here is the next chapter! From here and forward, it's almost 100% my own imagination since the original "The swineherd" ended by the palace, differently but still at the palace ;) Enjoy! :D

[Please notify me if you notice any grammar mistakes. This isn't my first language, so there's bound to be mistakes.]

Chapter 2: "I am not a princess anymore"

By the time the princess and the swineherd had reached the forest, she felt scared. She had never thought she would get kicked out by her own parents. She had nothing, she knew nothing and she was nobody. She only knew the way of a princess, but now she was a woman no better than anyone else. She held her hands around her bare arms, cursing that she had chosen a dress with no sleeves that morning.

It's summer. Why is it so cold? Helga wondered and visibly shook. She felt a piece of material land over her shoulders and arms and she turned to frown at the person who had given her the cloak.

"I am terribly sorry, your highness." Arnold said and stepped in front of her to tie the strings on the collar of the cloak.

"This is your fault…" she said, tears brimming in her eyes.

"I know… I will take responsibility." He answered and put his hands on her shoulders. "Stick with me."

"Stick with? What is that supposed to mean?"

"I am the only person you know outside the palace. I said I would take responsibility, so I will take you to a small house I own in the forest." Arnold explained, hoping that his servants had done as told and left the house in its shabby state so the princess would continue to believe that he was a poor swineherd.

"Are we going to live out here?!" Helga asked in disbelief and looked around. "Where are we?"

"I believe we are in the land of Fairytales." Arnold replied and frowned at the disgusted look on Helga's face.

"Oh, yes. This is where that short excuse for a king lives." She said with disdain dripping in her voice.

"Yes… he is said to be very kind though." Arnold said, but Helga just snorted.

"He doesn't have any sense!" she insisted. "He came to the palace not too long ago and offered me a rose and a nightingale. Did he truly think that my father would find that tasteful?"

"Well, the rose and the nightingale was for you and not for the emperor."

"Any man with common courtesy knows that he needs to go through the father first before he has any chance with the daughter. It even counts for peasants as well."

"Perhaps King Arnold considers your highness a human with her own feelings and with the capacity to make her own choices in life." Arnold said and hoped that he hadn't said too much. Helga looked at him in surprise. She considered his words for a moment, but then the sound of a crow crowing made her shriek and jump into his chest. He was about to lift his arms to hold her, but she jumped back again, realizing what she had just done.

She readjusted her dress, trying to win back some of her dignity. "I'm tired… How far away is that house of yours?"

"Not too far away. We can live there until we earn some money." Arnold answered and started walking.

"Earn money?" Helga repeated and followed him. "How?"

He smiled at her. "Trust me. We will figure something out. For now, we can live from things we find in the forest." He answered and she scowled deeply.

"From the forest? There's nothing edible here!" Helga insisted and felt her stomach growl. She prayed that he hadn't heard her, but a snicker told her that he did. He started walking around; grabbing random strays of grass and pieces of bushes, it seemed like to her. "Are all peasants this odd?" she wondered aloud, continuing to rub her bare arms, but then remembered the cloak and tightened it around her.

"I can make us some soup when we get home." Arnold said, as an explanation to why he was collecting all these plants and herbs Helga had no idea what were called.

"Soup…?" she repeated in disbelief and watched him as he continued to crawl around on his elbows and knees, he was basically eating the dust off the ground.

"Your highness have had soup before, have you not?" Arnold asked, but didn't wait for an answer before he started to list the things he would need in the soup. Words like chanterelles and nettles; words Helga had never heard before and she could feel anger rise within her the more he spoke.

"You!" she said and he turned to look at her. "I can't believe you!" she continued. "We're out in the middle of the forest during the night! We've just been kicked out of the palace, do you have no sense of what is going on here?! I am a princess! I don't know how to live like anything else and you're just strolling around with dirt in your arms! I'm angry and I'm scared and - - "

Arnold threw the stuff he had collected to the ground and put his hands on Helga's face. She stopped mid-sentence, staring at him in shock as his thumbs caressed her skin soothingly. "Calm down." He ordered with impatience in his voice, but also worry. "I know that you are scared, that is to be expected, but I just told you, right? We could be much worse off; we could have no place to go and no money at all." He said and started to collect the herbs again.

After a moment, Arnold saw Helga crouch in front of him and she grabbed a chanterelle. She observed it for a moment before offering it to him. He took it with a sour face, but she didn't let go of it. "Princess…?" he questioned and noticed the discomfort on her face.

"Swineherd… don't leave me."

Arnold hadn't expected Helga to plead with him, but she really was. "I won't." he answered and she looked at him. "I already told you, right?" he reminded her with a smile and held a hand out to her. She took it and he helped her stand up, but she slipped in her shoes and ended in his arms once more. "I think the first thing we need to do tomorrow morning is get you a dress you can walk around in." Arnold observed even though he wouldn't mind her continue to fall into his embrace.

"Oh, God forbid…" she muttered and arched her back, almost slipping in the mud again, but getting steadied by Arnold. "I suppose, however… that a different pair of shoes would be appreciated."

Arnold chuckled at Helga's words and then they started to walk deeper into the forest. Helga would deny it if anyone asked her, but she stayed close to the swineherd, hoping that no wolves would come to take them. Arnold was an honest man, but he didn't have it in him to tell her that there were no wolves in this forest. It would mean she would let go of his hand after all.

Once they were near the house, Helga frowned deeply. "This is a house? Do all peasants live like this?" she asked as she noticed the holes in the roof and the rotting wood.

"Some live with even less." Arnold answered and wondered if he shouldn't continue to speak, but he couldn't help himself. "It is far worse in your kingdom. In the land of Fairytales, King Arnold does his best so that everyone can have enough to live by." He added and opened the door for her.

She frowned at his words, but said nothing as she walked inside. "I'm well aware that my father is not the kindest of people. You don't have to remind me." She said after a moment.

Arnold sighed inaudibly. That's the part you noticed? He thought with a frown and walked towards the bed. He crouched under it and pulled out a thin duvet and pillow. He fluffed both before he put it on the bed. "I'm sure that you're tired, princess. Please get some rest." He said and she walked towards the bed.

"This is a bed?" she questioned, but sat down on it anyhow.

"For a peasant it is." Arnold said tiredly and opened the small closet nearby.

"I'm sorry, but I don't have any nightgowns, but I suppose that this can keep you warm just as well." Arnold said and gave her a long robe.

She looked at it with disdain, but noticed that he was walking away. "Where are you going?" she asked, scared that she would be left alone in the house.

"I'll try to find some wood for the fireplace so we can keep warm. You just get some rest." He answered and then disappeared out of the door. Helga had tried to say something, but she hadn't known what, so she had kept quiet. She looked at the old robe and sighed. Is this my life from now on?

Helga woke up to something she had never experienced before; the smell of hot soup and the sound of someone whistling a familiar tune. She blinked, observed her surroundings and sat up in shock. "Where am I - - " she said in a panic and saw someone she knew well turn around to look at her in surprise.

"Are you feeling all right, princess?" the swineherd asked, though she now remembered he was no longer a swineherd.

Helga sighed and pulled the duvet closer around her. "I don't think I ever will be again. I thought that yesterday had only been a nightmare." She answered and hid her face on her knees. Arnold wanted to say something soothing, but didn't get a chance before their stomachs rumbled in unison. "You seem just as hungry as I am." Helga said with a gleeful smile.

Arnold coughed awkwardly. "When I returned yesterday you had already fallen asleep. I couldn't bring myself to wake you up even though you were hungry." He explained and thought that she was very adorable as she titled her head to the side.

"Didn't you eat?" she asked in confusion.

"Oh, uh. No. I… didn't want to eat without you and I didn't want to wake you up. You've been sleeping soundly ever since." Arnold answered and noticed the surprise on her face.

He was waiting for me? She thought and looked around. "Wait. Where have you been sleeping?" she asked, when she noticed there were no other beds than the one she was in.

"The floor." Arnold replied casually.

"The floor?!" Helga repeated in horror and stepped out of the bed. "Is your back not aching then?"

"The floor is not as bad as you make it."

"Well…" Helga insisted, but then wondered why this bothered her so. Her mouth kept talking though. "If the floor is truly not as bad as you say then we will switch sleeping places tonight." She stated and crossed her arms stubbornly as if what she was saying was to her own benefit and not his.

"Your majesty, that is not necessary…" Arnold insisted, but he couldn't help but smile. So even she can be kind and considerate. He observed as she frowned at him.

"Are you questioning me? Do as I say, swineherd. You are in no position to argue against me." She said and approached him. He tilted his head to the side. Still stubbornly proud though. "Is this… soup?" she questioned with a deep frown at the boiling water in the pot.

"Yes, with chanterelles and nettles to mention a few things." Arnold answered and used a wooden ladle to get the soup into the wooden bowl in his hand.

"Chanterelles and nettles… if my father heard I was planning to eat this, he would get a fissure." Helga said and sat down on a chair near the wobbly table, which she noticed it was when she put her elbow on it. She made a low gasp in surprise when it wobbled beneath her. "Something is wrong with your table." She stated and leaned down, wobbling the table and noticed that one of the legs was shorter than the other were. "Oh, for heaven's sakes! I know you are a mere swineherd, but surely you have the mathematic skills to measure four legs in the same size?"

"Why do you assume I made this table?" Arnold asked with a frown and put the bowl of soup in front of Helga.

"You hopefully didn't pay for this?" she asked and put her spoon into the soup. Arnold didn't know what to answer to that; he hadn't been in the house before after all. Perhaps his servants had made the table wobbly to make the scene of a poor swineherd living in this house more realistic?

Helga didn't seem interested enough in the subject to pursue it any further as she simply put the spoon into her mouth.

Arnold waited expectantly. "Well?" he inquired and she swallowed.

"I do not hate it as much as I thought I would. That being said, I do not care much for it either." She answered. Arnold sighed before grabbing a bowl for himself. "Where was it you said we were going today?" the princess asked before he sat down in front of her.

"To the town. It's market day so many travelers will come to trade or sell their wares. It's a perfect opportunity to get you a new dress, shoes and perhaps find some work for the both of us." He answered and smiled at the frown on her face. "It'll be fine. Eat up and get your strength." He ordered gently.

With a big sigh, Helga grabbed the bowl in her hands and chugged the rest of her soup down. Arnold stared at her in shock, but she just looked back at him. "You told me to eat up, right?" she asked and stood up from the table.

"I didn't expect you, a princess, to be able to swallow it all in one go." He explained and did the same thing since she was tabbing on the table impatiently.

"I have been taught good manners, they are not a part of who I am and I fail to see what I would gain from pretending around you." She explained and walked towards the closet to fetch her dress. Arnold smiled curiously, as he stood up and walked out of the house to give her time to change in peace.

"Are you in pain?" Arnold asked.

"No, I have just always fancied Victor Hugo so I figured I would honor him by impersonating one of his most famous characters." She retorted angrily. He shot her a slanted look and she rolled her eyes. "Quasimodo!"

He frowned. "I know who you were speaking of!" he argued before she tripped over yet another stone. She growled in pain and noticed that Arnold was offering her his hand. "Let me help you." He said, but she frowned at him.

"We can't be seen walking around arm-in-arm! What would people think?" Helga said and took another step, but slipped yet again.

Arnold managed to grab her arm and saving her from the fall. "People will not think anything. To others, we are merely two strangers." He reminded her, but her face remained distrustful. "See?" Arnold asked and gestured to the townspeople around them. Then the princess experienced something very foreign; she was not in everyone's sight, no one paid her any attention and no one questioned or shot her dirty glances for holding a man's arm.

Helga observed the people around her as she walked next to a man in a more familiar way than she ever had before. She had never walked among peasants before; she had barely seen them up close. A young girl circled playfully around her mom as they walked. The mom looked tired and worn down, but she was smiling happily at her daughter. The child almost crashed into Helga, but Arnold managed to pull Helga to the side before it happened.

The girl was about to apologize, but then stood in awe at the sight of Helga. "Mommy, a princess!" she said and took her mom's hand excitedly.

The woman's eyes scanned Helga's dress, but even though she obviously noticed the holes and cuts on the dress, she smiled at her daughter. "Well then, you should curtsy, right?" she reminded her and the child held skirt out clumsily and curtsied.

"Good morning, your highness." She said and giggled.

Helga giggled as well and curtsied far more elegantly. "Good morning." She answered and the girl jumped excitedly back to her mom.

"The princess talked to me!" she bellowed and followed her mom down the street.

"I didn't think you would like children." Arnold admitted and resumed their walk.

"I do not like them; I envy them. The peasant ones at least." Helga corrected and he looked at her questioningly as she sighed. "Their parents expect nothing of them because they will continue to be what they are even as adults; peasants. These children don't have to do anything else except being children and then take over whatever their parents' business is when they are old enough."

"You don't think they have to know anything?"

"Of course they do, but only about one thing. Cobblers will learn about shoes, a farmer about animals and food, they all have one thing they need to focus on. Through my whole life I've been studying geography, economics, manners, spinet, arts, how to reign, but all those things are useless out here."

"Those things have made you smart; that isn't useless." Arnold insisted and Helga quirked an eyebrow at him.

"How will wits help me out here?" she asked and he smiled smugly at her.

"I'm sure you'll prove to be quite useful." He answered and walked towards a stand with jewelry. Women were gathered around the stand, observing and touching a particular necklace with pearls.

"Your husband won't be able to take his eyes off you when you are wearing these pearls. They are all gathered from Eastern lands." The merchant said and the women gasped.

Helga managed to squeeze through the horde of women. "Eastern lands?" she repeated and the merchant grinned widely at her, recognizing her as a valuable customer due to her dress. "How much are you selling these for?" she asked and the merchant gestured to a piece of paper attached to the necklace. Some women gasped at the low price, but Helga frowned. "How can you sell pearls for so little? The shipment itself costs more than this." She pointed out and noticed the panic on the merchant's face.

"I have a dear friend of mine who pays for the shipment, ladies. We have an understanding." He explained and some women nodded naively while others looked at Helga for advice.

"I see…" she muttered with a smile and held her hand out. "May I?"

The merchant's face grew tense, but he gave Helga the necklace and she looked it over. "They are beautifully made… but nevertheless made. These are fake." She said and some women gasped while others frowned in doubt.

"They most certainly are not!" the merchant yelled and tried to grab the necklace.

"Oh, but they are." Helga insisted as she held the pearls out of his reach. "Ladies, I will now teach you something that will serve you well for the rest of your lives. Real pearls are rough and you will feel that if you rub them against each other or against your own teeth."

Arnold smiled at the way Helga spoke to the women: formally, but not arrogantly. She was truly trying to teach them something and not just to show her own wisdom. "Do any of you ladies smoke?" she asked and several of them nodded. "May I borrow your tinder box?" she asked the woman closest to her. She gave it to her obediently, smiling like a small child expecting a magic trick. The merchant watched Helga with a scowl, trying to figure out what she was planning, but with little luck.

"If you are still unsure whether a pearl is fake or not, there's one thing that will tell you for sure." Helga said and squeezed her hand tightly around the middle of the necklace so that several of the pearls ended in a straight line due to the string holding them all together. "You see, real pearls…" She started and struck a few sparks from the flint and steel.

"No!" the merchant cried when he saw the flame under the pearls.

"Real pearls do not melt." Helga finished and in front of the eyes of everyone, the white pearls started to drip down to the ground, just like the strange woman had predicted. No sooner than when the first three drops had fallen to the ground, the women scowled the merchant. They yelled and cursed words, Helga had never heard before in the palace, but decided to remember and soon the merchant had run off to escape the angry women.

"Thank you so much, madam!" a woman bellowed and took Helga's hands thankfully. Helga almost pulled back; the physical touch was very foreign to her and made her slightly uncomfortable, but she forced herself to accept the handshake.

A man approached Helga as well and took his hat off while the woman stepped aside. "I thank you as well, ma'am. I was planning to buy the pearls for my wife. I do not come to the town very much and have never participated in the market's day. It didn't even occur to me that anything could be artificial around here. Could I perhaps pay you for your time?"

"My time?"

"I wish to find a proper anniversary present for my wife, but I am horribly ignorant. I wish to buy your expertise, if I may?"

"Expertise? You are kind, sir, but this is my first time at a market as well. I am not fit to teach anyone anything." Helga insisted, but Arnold stepped slightly in front of her to stop her.

"What are you doing?" he asked in disbelief before the man sighed disappointedly.

"I was so hoping to find some help. Your first time to the market? And yet you could see through the crook so easily. Where have you learned such things?" he asked.

Helga shrugged. "My father taught me how to spot a crook miles away. He would never let his daughter be naïve enough to fall for such a mindless trick." Helga answered and frowned at another stand nearby. "Speaking of which…"

Arnold and the unfamiliar man turned to look in the same direction as Helga who didn't wait for them to notice before she approached the stand. "You have an exceptional wife." The man said.

Arnold sighed happily. "If only she will be someday."

The man chuckled. "I can imagine she is hard to impress?"

Arnold snickered as well. "You can call it that." He answered before they walked towards Helga who was watching a female merchant closely as she was trying to convince a male customer that he must have miscounted the amount of copper he had brought with him.

Helga kept on eye on the weight as the woman placed the copper back on one bowl and some triangular stones on the other. "You see?"

"Well, I'll be damned. Perhaps my old eyes are starting to get to me." The man said and put a few more pieces of copper on the bowl until the weight matched. Helga frowned and stepped closer to the weight. Just as the woman was about to sell, Helga took the copper in one hand and the measuring stones in the other. The weight instantly tilted towards the side the copper had been on.

"Sir, I think you may want to see this." Helga said and the man looked towards her.

"You insolent brat!" the woman said in horror as Helga put one of the measuring stones back in place. The weight now stood perfectly still, easily balanced on both sides.

"Well, would you look at that…" she muttered and looked at the female merchant accusingly.

"I… I had no idea!" the woman insisted, but no one around the stand believed her.

"Of course not. You are a busy woman." The customer said with venom in his voice before grabbing his copper pence out of Helga's hand. "Thank you, child." He said, took his hat off and walked away.

She looked down in her hand and noticed a couple of pence in her hand. "Sir, you forgot two!" she said, but he simply waved at her with a smile and continued his way. Helga stared at the coins in her hands and went back to Arnold and the unknown man, leaving the female merchant alone with what used to be potential customers. "I did not expect to get paid…"

"He was thankful. Some people show appreciation through money." Arnold explained teasingly and Helga shot him a small frown.

"And I am one of them." The man said and took his hat off again. "Please, my dear. What you did just now proved my point. You see things I cannot. Please may I buy you help?" he requested.

Helga looked down the street, stall standing next to yet another stall and continuing beyond her eyesight. "Well, I am going through the stalls myself anyway, so why not? I might as well serve some justice in the meantime. I accept." Helga answered with a smile and offered Arnold the coins so he could hide them in his satchel.

"Thank you, my lady." The man said gratefully as they started to walk.

"I would say the bigger issue here is to find a stall with an honest merchant." Helga muttered with a frown. "I have yet to see a stall that does not ooze of greedy tricks and mindless games."

"I am starting to question the honesty of the rest of the world and not just the palace." Helga admitted when she and Arnold had said goodbye to the strange gentleman who had paid Helga a more than decent sum of money once they had managed to find a proper gift for his wife.

"You must remember, your highness, that the merchants here are also just trying to make a living." Arnold pointed out before they continued through the street.

"By stealing and cheating?" Helga questioned and looked around, frowning at most of the merchants she had already caught cheating one way or another.

"They are starving just as much as the next peasant. It's not a fair world we live in, no matter how much the king is trying to make it be." Arnold explained, a sour expression on his face. He knew that his kingdom wasn't perfect and he was wondering if he really couldn't do anymore for his people.

"Well, these peasants should be grateful. According to you, their king at least cares. That's more than what I can say for my father." Helga said, but then her eyes caught something and she stopped walking.

Arnold almost stumbled, since he was still holding her arm around his, but managed to balance himself and look in the same direction as she did. "Pink. Why does that not surprise me?" Arnold muttered teasingly, when he saw the pink fabric on a dress in one of the stalls. The dress consisted of a white and puffy shirt with a brown corset around it. The skirt was long and white, but had a pink apron wrapped around the waist.

"My mother often said that my taste in dresses was the only feminine thing about me." Helga admitted and hesitated to walk towards the stall.

"That is not necessarily a bad thing." Arnold insisted and used his arm to push Helga towards the stall.

"How is it not? I am a woman, am I not?" Helga questioned and he shrugged.

"I have always wondered why we expect women to behave one way and a man the other. This close-minded way of thinking only brings pain to others, so I have decided to ignore all these unwritten rules about how I myself or anyone else should act. After all, a woman is a woman as long as she sees herself as one, yes?" he asked with a smile and started talking to the merchant, but Helga wasn't listening anymore as she simply stared at the swineherd. What an interesting way of thinking… I have never met a man like that. Then again, I have only ever met nobility… Perhaps I should reconsider my opinion of him? She wondered and noticed that the merchant took the dress she had been having her eye on.

"Are we buying this?" Helga asked and Arnold nodded.

"We came here to buy you a dress, after all. I am also buying you some clocks, they are easier to walk with though you will need to get used to them first, I believe." He answered.

"Clogs…?" she repeated in confusion. He grabbed a pair of shoes and showed them too her. "Oh, those hideous things?!" she asked in disbelief and took them in her hand. "Do all women in this town wear these…?" she asked, but as soon as she turned around, she noticed that every woman passing by wore shoes similar to her own. "God, spare me…" Helga muttered, but took her own high-heeled shoes off and had to admit that it was a relief. She quickly changed into the new ones and tried walking around in them.

Arnold snickered at her clumsy way of walking. "How do they feel?"

"Strange… Better than the ones I wore before, but strange." Helga confessed and took the dress from the merchant when she offered it to her.

"Want to change now?" Arnold asked and she looked questioningly at him.

"Where?" she asked and he offered her his arm again. She followed him until they were in a secluded ally. She questioned the safety of her situation, but the thought of getting out of the heavy dress and the much too tight corset underneath it was too tempting. Therefore, while Arnold stood guard, the princess changed into the much simpler dress and threw the other one into the garbage.

"I have finished changing." She declared.

He turned to smile at her. "Does that feel better?"

Helga looked down at herself. "Physically, yes… My pride though is less than satisfied." She admitted.

"It suits you though." Arnold insisted and she scowled.

"Demons! That is not a compliment!" she retorted and was about to start a rant, but then heard music somewhere. She walked past Arnold to look through the street and noticed peasants running towards her right. "What is all the commotion, swineherd?" Helga asked and stepped out into the street. She was almost trampled down, but Arnold pulled her back to him.

He ignored the warm feeling that spread in him at having her so close as he answered. "At the end of the market day, it's tradition to hold a festivity."

"Festivity?"

"Chatting, drinking, eating, dancing."

"I know what a festivity is! Though back at the palace, we called it balls."

"It is not quite the same as a ball. I believe the way they dance is also quite different."

"I can imagine…" Helga said and dared to take a few steps back into the street.

Arnold observed her curious look. "Do you wish to participate?" he asked, but as he had figured, she looked at him with disgust.

"Dear swineherd, would you care to take a moment and listen to the nonsense coming out of your own mouth? I am a princess, perhaps not as much as before, but nevertheless raised as one. I wouldn't know what to do at this kind of festivity. Besides, I cannot possibly dance in these… clogs as you call them." She insisted, but her eyes kept going back to the crowd of people.

"You need practice with the clogs and I dare say this is the perfect opportunity. Would you rather go back to the cabin?" Arnold asked and she frowned again.

"No…" she admitted and looked down at his arm.

"Well?" he asked and offered it to her. With a sigh, she took it and let him lead her towards the gathering.

The closer Arnold and Helga got to the festivity, the more the princess clung to the swineherd, not that he would complain. She felt nervous in these new surroundings and she could recognize little to nothing compared to the balls in the palace. People were frolicking, dancing happily and chatting loudly; at a ball, the chat would be more of a mere whisper and if anyone dared to be a little too noisy, someone would be sure to have them know. Even the music was different. The music at the balls was always calm, collected and beautiful. The sound here was almost a little noisy in her opinion. She wondered if the musicians had even been educated at all.

"What is the name of the orchestra?" she asked and Arnold looked questioningly at her.

"You don't believe I know the name of every single person in sight, do you?" he asked and she shook her head.

"No, but surely you know the name of the group?"

"Princess, this is not an orchestra; they are merely villagers who have gotten together to play for tonight. They are not hired to be here. If you know the song they are playing, you could go up and grab one of the unoccupied instruments and play along." Arnold explained.

Helga looked up at the small stage where the musicians were and noticed for the first time that instruments were lying carelessly around, ready to be either stolen or played with by any hillbilly that would dare. "Are any of these people taking this seriously?" she asked in mockery.

Arnold snickered. "This is supposed to be fun. We are not here to impress anyone." He explained, but she didn't look convinced.

"Parties are always a way to impress people. It is a way to meet nobility, gain valuable acquaintances and make your home a household name!" she insisted.

"Not here, it's not. You see any nobility around?" he asked. "E-Except you, of course."

Helga's shoulders fell and she looked around at the happy people around here; she felt like a fish on land. "I don't belong here." She murmured, but felt Arnold's hand squeeze her shoulder.

"Yes, you do. All you need to do is let loose. No one is going to judge you for what you do here. I know it's a foreign subject to you, but you can act exactly how you want around here." He insisted and looked at one of the tables. "Just look." He said and stepped onto the table, earning the attention of the people around him.

Arnold started dancing something Helga didn't know the name of and frankly, didn't want to either. She was so unbelievably embarrassed on his behalf; it didn't even look like dancing! She looked around, expecting people to look at him funny or laugh at him, but instead they were clapping and hollering. She arched her back and looked up at him again, noticing the knowing smirk on his face. She started smiling unsurely before she clapped in synch with the townspeople.

Arnold suddenly offered his hand to Helga and at first, she just looked at it in confusion, but then she stepped back and shook her head violently. "Have you lost your marbles?!" she asked, but then some people behind her started to push her towards him. "Hands off!" she scolded, but soon her hand was in Arnold's and he had pulled her up on the table.

Helga feared that he would force her to dance the way he had just before, but instead he pulled her into a dancing position she knew. How does he…? She wondered as she followed his steps flawlessly, this type of dancing not only familiar to her, but more of a second nature.

"How do you know - - " she tried to question, but then he lifted her up from the table and jumped to the ground with her in his arms. She shrieked, but followed him easily as he swung her around until her back was against his chest.

"I would bring you rings of gold. I'd even sing you poetry." Arnold sang and Helga turned her head to look at him in shock. What he was singing was an old folklore from her kingdom, coincidentally also the only song she had ever played on the spinet. She didn't think anyone but her own people knew it."And I would keep you from all harm, if you would stay beside me." He continued and she narrowed her eyes in suspicion when he smiled expectantly at her.

"I have no use…" Helga started and he continued to smile. "I have no use for rings of gold. I care not for your poetry. I only want your hand to hold." She continued and he swung her under his arm again.

"I only want you near me." He sang loudly and she couldn't help but laugh at the surrealism of the situation. Here she was, singing the oldest folklore of her kingdom with a swineherd she had only known for a short time, but she did not feel uncomfortable nor even out of place anymore.

"To love, to kiss, to sweetly hold for the dancing and the dreaming. Through all life's sorrows and delights. I'll keep your love inside me." They continued in unison, their feet moving fast and furiously on the ground.

"I'll swim and sail on savage seas with ne'er a fear of drowning and gladly ride the waves of life, if you will marry me." Arnold finished and lifted Helga up into the air. They were laughing loudly and happily, applause echoing around them.

"How… How do you know that melody?" she asked, her hand resting on his chest once he had placed her on the ground again.

"From you…" he answered and put his hand over hers. "You played it on the spinet… right?"

Helga gazed into Arnold's emerald eyes, her heart starting to nestle comfortably in her ribcage as if it had waited to be placed there. Why did he seem to hold her in such high regard? Did he truly care for her? Her mind was still unsure, but her body seemed to have already decided to trust him as she felt herself lean closer to him. His eyelids lowered and he leaned closer to her as well.

Just as her eyes closed, she heard a roar across the street. She and Arnold looked in the direction of the voice and Arnold gasped.

"Run!" he said and started running with Helga's hand in his own.

"What is happening?" she asked fearfully and turned her head back to look at some men in uniforms breaking the festivity up.

"Remember how I said that no one would care how you acted this evening?"

"Yes?"

"That may not have been entirely true."

"You lied to me?!"

"Townspeople won't care, but the police is of a different opinion!"

"The what?!" Helga repeated in shock and followed the swineherd until her legs ached.

They kept running until they reached the forest and Arnold gradually slowed down. "I believe we are safe now." He said before Helga's head touched his shoulder. "Your highness?" he questioned, feeling his heart pick its speed up again once more.

"Dear swineherd, I do not know about people in the town, but people of the palace is never allowed to run with such speed and indignity, so if it makes no difference to you… I would like to request a break." Helga said and Arnold couldn't help but chuckle.

"You were very quick on your feet despite the circumstances… and even wearing clogs as well. Yes, I believe a break is justified." He answered and helped her sit down near a tree and sat down next to her.

Helga looked up into the starry sky; they weren't too deep in the forest so the trees weren't tightly packed and thereby covering the sky just yet. "Where did the sun go?" she questioned and he quirked an eyebrow at her. "Don't get snide with me." She warned and looked back into the sky. "What I mean is… back at the palace, I watched a lazy world go by… this day has just flown away."

Arnold gave her a lopsided grin. "They say time flies by when you're having fun." He pointed out and Helga snickered loudly at the comment.

"I can see the headline already: Princess goes from balls to harvest festivals… and has fun. It'll cover page five, six and seven." She joked and even laughed for a bit. "I am only a shadow of myself now."

"And perhaps that's a good thing?" Arnold suggested. Helga seemed uncertain, but didn't answer his question and simply leaned her head back and looked into the sky. Arnold considered saying some more, but he simply joined the princess in looking at the sky. "Do you know any constellations, your highness?"

"Oh, dear God. No." Helga said and chuckled at the mere thought. "I may have had to learn many things, swineherd, but my father never believed that star gazing could possibly benefit me in the future." She turned to look at him. "I assume you know some since you are asking?"

"I do not in fact. I enjoy looking, but I have never learned any names. I was hoping you could teach me."

"Sorry to disappoint." Helga said with a tone in her voice Arnold didn't like. She seemed sad and somehow insulted.

"Your majesty?" he asked gently and put a hand on her shoulder. She flinched and looked down at it, but didn't ask him to remove it nor did she move away herself.

She sighed; she knew what he was asking. "I believe if I had to guess what my parents felt when they looked at me, I would say disappointment." She explained and looked back into the sky.

Arnold let his hand fall from her shoulder, but moved closer to her, watching as she placed her hands on her lap and fiddled with her thumbs. "Isn't that the life of a princess?" he asked softly.

The corner of her mouth lifted. "Perhaps so, though that would make me a whiny brat so I choose to believe it's only me." She stated and pulled her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them to keep them steady.

Arnold observed her for a bit. "It shouldn't be like that… I do not know if it's different for princes or not, but I believe king Arnold have had a good childhood."

Helga snickered and looked at him. "You sure are fond of your king, aren't you?" she asked, quirking a curious eyebrow.

He shrugged a little nervously, silently wondering if she had figured it out and was merely pretending not to have. "I dare say most of his subjects are fond of him. I have never heard anyone say anything else at least." He answered, copying her position.

Helga moved her head to look in front of herself towards the darkening forest. "Incredible. If your precious king had brought more impressive presents, I am sure my father would have convinced me to marry him… I would be on my way to a wedding now and not to a shabby old cabin in the forest." She stated thoughtfully, gazing at nothing in particular.

Arnold wasn't sure whether to smile or not. "Do you regret rejecting him?" he asked. She seemed to think about it for a bit, but then shook her head. He frowned in confusion. "Even if it meant to live in comfort in a palace?" he asked and she simply nodded. "Well, why?"

Helga looked down at the ground, moving her clog-clad feet experimentally. When she rubbed the wood together, they made a small sound, she was starting to grow fond of for some reason. "If I had said yes to the king's proposal… I wouldn't have met you." She admitted in such a small voice that the swineherd had to strain his ears in order to hear her. He did though and his eyes widened as she looked at him, her eyes brimming with uncertainty and shyness. She coughed awkwardly and stood up. "Well, enough with the sentiment."

"Princess." Arnold said with urgency in his voice as he stood up.

"I am not a princess anymore. Stop calling me…" She answered, but stopped talking when she felt his hand take hers. She looked at him, noticing a look in his eyes that made her nervous. "S-Swineherd, d-don't misunderstand!" she said even as he moved closer to her. She never attempted to step away, but her mouth kept ranting in panic. "D-Don't you dare…" she warned, but closed her eyes just as his lips touched her cheek. Her blue eyes blinked open in surprise; she was sure he had been aiming for her mouth. Perhaps he had changed his mind the last second?

When the former swineherd moved back, he smiled innocently at her. There was a hint of contempt in her eyes, perhaps due to her pride being shattered for letting him kiss her, but mostly she looked shy.

"Let's go home." Arnold said and looked at her as he walked backwards, waiting for her to follow him. She did, albeit slowly at first, but picked up her pace and followed him with ease.

"Home…" Helga muttered as if it was a foreign word and moved her hand up to her cheek, touching the spot which was still warm after his kiss.

Author's 2nd note: Ah, we only have one chapter left, which will be up tomorrow ;) This chapter is a little longer than it should have been, but I hope that doesn't make anyone hope the last will be just as long xD

The song I used for what was supposed to be a folklore from Helga's country is "For the dancing and the dreaming" from the animated movie "How to train your dragon 2". How many of you recognized it? :D