Mateo was sitting in his study the next day, going over a few books. He had decided it was best to review some theory before trying out another spell from the Codex Maru: he did not want to repeat yesterday's scenario. Causing one explosion was more than enough.

The royal wizard's mind wandered to the previous day's events. It had been a delightful surprise to wake up and find that he was lying on the floor with his head resting in Elena's lap, to see her pretty brown eyes looking down at him. His heart had skipped a beat when he had felt her stroke his hair and when he saw her smile. Mateo loved Elena's smile: he thought that she had the most beautiful smile in existence. In fact, he thought that she was the most beautiful girl he had ever laid eyes on, and he was fairly certain that he made that particular fact obvious when he had reached up to touch the princess's cheek.

Mateo groaned and hit himself on the forehead with a book. He had worked so hard to conceal his feelings for Elena and he managed to give himself away with one small gesture. He was surprised that Naomi did not say more than she did when she saw them, but he was grateful for that: he knew that if she had the faintest inkling of his feelings, she would never let him live it down.

There was a knock on the door and Mateo ran a weary hand through his hair before getting up and crossing the room. He went up the stairs and opened the door, only to immediately back away at the sight of Naomi. His friend smirked and stepped inside, closing the door behind her before going down the stairs. Mateo watched her nervously, bracing himself for whatever she was going to say.

"Relax, Mateo. I'm not here to tease you," Naomi said placidly.

"You're not?" Mateo replied, still eyeing her warily.

"No. I'm here to give you some valuable advice."

"And that would be…?"

"Tell Elena that you're in love with her."

The young wizard let out another groan and sank into an armchair, burying his face in his hands. "I knew it," he mumbled. "I gave myself away yesterday."

"You've been giving yourself away for ages," Naomi said, taking the armchair opposite of his. "I've never seen you smile at any other girl the same way you smile at Elena. There's also the fact that you get flustered when she touches you, and that you sometimes blush when she looks at you, and –"

"Okay, okay, I get your point. Does Elena have any idea about this at all?"

"Nope. She's completely clueless."

Mateo sighed in relief. "Good… She doesn't need to know," he said quietly.

Naomi huffed. "Don't tell me it's because of that stupid law that says Elena can't be romantically involved with a royal wizard?"

"How do you know about that?"

"I have my sources. You shouldn't let that law stop you from being with the one you love, Mateo."

"Uh, Naomi? That's exactly what the law is for."

"And it's wrong! Why should you be punished for something someone else did years ago? You're not evil, Mateo. In fact, I don't think you could be evil even if you tried."

"Thanks… I think…"

"Look, the only way that law is going to change is by someone doing something. Elena needs to know how you feel in order to get the wheels in motion."

The royal wizard blinked. "That's all fine and dandy, Naomi, but what if Elena doesn't feel the same way? All that will do is make things awkward between us," he said.

"No, it wouldn't, because Elena wouldn't let things become that way." Naomi stated matter-of-factly. "She cares way too much about you to let something like that get in the way of your friendship."

"But…"

"Come on, Mateo! Stop worrying so much and think just for one moment about how things would be if you took chance with Elena and it paid off."

Mateo opened his mouth to reply, only to close it again as his mind began to wander. He found himself imagining the feel of Elena's lips against his, the sensation of running his fingers through her long hair, holding her hand, and pulling her close to him. Mateo smiled to himself, a dreamy sigh escaping him before he could stop it.

A giggle brought him back to reality and Mateo blushed as Naomi gazed at him with a knowing look. He awkwardly cleared his throat and sat up straighter.

"Had a nice daydream there?" Naomi said smugly.

"No comment," Mateo replied. "But… it would be nice to be able to take Elena out on a date or something."

"Exactly. So what do you say?" Are you going to tell her how you feel? You'll have to keep your relationship a secret, of course. For now, anyway.

"I'm tempted to do it, but there's a lot to consider here, Naomi."

"I know, but this is the only way things will change. Not just for you and Elena, but for future members of the royal family and royal wizards, too. I'm pretty sure you're not the first royal wizard to have fallen for the crown princess of Avalor since the nutcase who tried to take over the kingdom."

"I'm not. I have my ancestors' journals and some of them had written about being in love with the king or queen of their day. It's quite heartbreaking to read."

"And you don't want the same fate, do you? Watch Elena be married to some prince and write about how the girl you love will never be yours in some journal?"

"Of course not!"

"Then do as I tell you."

Mateo bit his lip and nodded. Naomi grinned and clapped her hands together before getting up.

"Good. Let me know how it goes," Naomi said cheerfully. She looked at the clock. "I'd better go; I've promised my dad that I'd help out at the harbour this afternoon."

"You don't want to be late," Mateo stated. "And I will tell you how it goes, but only because I know you would never forgive me if I didn't."

"You've got that right. See you around, Mateo."

"Yeah, see you."

Naomi waved at him before leaving the study. Mateo watched her go and sighed, running a hand through his hair. He had to be mad to do this, but the idea of Elena being with someone else was enough to convince him to follow Naomi's advice. He was a little frightened that Elena would reject him but he knew that she would do it with kindness. Mateo did not want to spend the rest of his life wondering if the princess ever returned his feelings, even if it was only for a moment. Naomi was right: he had to take a chance.

The young wizard picked up his books and closed them. He was not going to get any more studying done. Taking his tamborita, he left the study and locked the doors. If he was going to tell Elena how he felt, he was going to do it before he began to lose his nerve and have second thoughts. Mateo took a deep breath and started to make his way towards the palace.