The following afternoon Keira was sitting on one of the large stone benches that were placed outside in the castle's main garden as she awaited Edwin's arrival. Earlier that morning her mother had helped her change her appearance a bit and now instead of her usual yellow colored dress she was wearing a green dress with a white bottom that had gold colored trimming at the end of the sleeves and she had a gold and red headband in her hair. Before instructing her to go out and wait in the garden her father had told her that he had a good feeling that she would be interested Edwin and had invited him to stay in one of the castles spare rooms for a season or two but she didn't care. She already knew that she wouldn't find herself interested in him and had her mind on other things.

She looked over at the sunflowers growing beside her feet and plucked one of them and began to examine it. After a moment she looked up at the small fountain that sat down the path in front of her and began to think once more about her past. She remembered how she and Celia used to run around and sometimes even play in the fountain. That would always enrage her mother and she would yell at for hours about she was ruining her dress but she would always notice how Celia's mother never seemed to care if she got a little messy. Then again she was from a different social class and had different views about life than her but it was things like that she just couldn't seem to understand. Celia and her mother had almost always felt like family to her so why should they be any different than her? That's when her thoughts began to shift back to Jack.

Why should it be considered so wrong for her to possibly have feelings for a farmer like him?

He was courteous and kind and cared about her well being just like how all the suitors she had met with claimed to feel. The only difference between them was their social status but why was that such an issue?

She looked at the sunflower in her hand once again before glancing over at the archway leading in to the garden and noticed as Celia began to walkthrough it with a young man she hadn't seen before by her side. He was wearing a small, flat yellow and brown hat that covered up part of his long blonde hair and he had green eyes and was wearing a long yellow tunic with white leggings underneath and had a hoodless gray cloak on that was held together by a gold pin.

"Princess Keira." Celia greeted as she bowed before her. "Your suitor Sir Edwin has arrived."

"Thank you Celia." Keira said as she stood up from her seat.

Celia took a step back and bowed before Edwin before silently leaving the area.

Keira looked at Edwin and he proceeded to bow before her as well.

"It's an honor to meet you Princess Keira." He said as he looked back up at her.

"Here we go again…" She thought. "Good day Edwin, I trust your journey here went well."

"Yes it went quite well. I've never seen a kingdom as lovely as yours." He told her before noticing the sunflower still in her hands. "That's a beautiful flower you have there."

She looked down at it realizing she was still holding it.

"It's almost as beautiful as the young woman holding it." He continued.

Keira could feel that anger she felt from a few nights ago already begin to return to her but she still tried her hardest to smile.

"Thank you." She said.

Edwin seemed to notice her uneasiness and sighed. "I'm sorry."

She looked at him confused. "What?"

"I'm sorry if I'm trying to seem a little too proper but it's what I was told to do." He told her.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"I was told my lord to make as good of an impression I could on you so that maybe if we were to be wed there could be a chance at peace between our two kingdoms." He explained. "I just don't want you to think I'm acting like this because I want to."

Keira's smile returned back to her face only this time it didn't feel as forced as before. "That's alright."

"I can tell that most suitors you meet with probably come on too strong and I assume it's dreadfully annoying for you." He said.

"Of course it is." She told him as she sat back down on the bench. "Every time I meet with one all they do is constantly comment me and never talk about anything else. But you, you seem a little different."

"Well I'd hope so." He said. "I wouldn't like to make my slightly prolonged stay with you and your family any awkward."

"Oh yes that's right. I forget you were staying with us. How long will you be here?" She asked.

"Only a few seasons." He replied. "Your father insisted upon it."

Keira smiled at him again before looking back at the sunflower in her hand.

"Forgive me for intruding in your personal affairs but your father mentioned that you had some sort of trouble with a peasant a few days ago." He said causing her grip the sunflower tightly in her hand at the word 'peasant.'

"I had no trouble with a farmer." She said angrily as she stood up. "In fact he saved me from trouble."

"I wasn't saying you had any trouble with this peasant. I was merely stating what your father told me." He told her.

"Don't call him that!" She shouted angrily to both her and Edwin's surprise. She wasn't expecting to get this angry this fast.

"Calling who what?" He asked.

"Stop calling the man who saved my life a peasant. He has a name, it's Jack." She told him.

Edwin stepped back and placed his hand over his chest in a formal sort of way. "I can tell you're a little upset at the moment. I'll let you be for now and when you feel more relaxed I hope we can continue our little conversation. Perhaps over dinner?"

Keira didn't answer but rather continue to stare angrily at Edwin until he nodded his head and walked away. As he passed through the archway leading back inside Celia emerged from the other side and walked over to her.

"Keira what was that about?" She asked sounding concerned.

"He was calling Jack a peasant and I got upset that's all." Keira told her.

"Jack?" Celia asked sounding surprised. "Keira please you must get him off your mind."

"Why should I?" Keira asked.

"Keira, he is what everyone says he is, a peasant. You're not going to see him again so there's no point in getting upset over him." Celia told her.

Keira looked angrily at Celia and tightened her grip on the flower's stem causing it to snap in half "How dare you. I know it seems like I might not see him again but I know I will."

"And how will you do that?" Celia asked.

Keira looked at her confused for a moment before coming angry again. "I'll… I'll find a way."

She began to storm off leaving Celia standing alone in the garden.

"You'll see!" Keira shouted as she reentered the castle.

Later that night when most residents of the castle were asleep Keira slowly emerged from her room and began to silently walk through the moonlight halls of the castle. She had skipped dinner that evening, claiming she was still upset, in order to sneak into one of the castle guard's rooms and steal a cloak which she was now wearing with the hood up. When she neared the castle gate she hid behind the wall and looked over the corner to see if there were any guards out on patrol in the area and when there weren't she quickly ran out towards the bridge. As she ran across it she stopped for a moment and looked back at the castle before continuing her run towards town.

A/N: Please R&R.