She hated parties. She especially hates parties that she had to dress up for. Especially when they didn't let her choose her dress...

I can't believe they classify this as appropriate for an occassion like this. She tugged on the skirt, annoyed at how short it was. I feel like a prostitute in this thing...

Shihna had slipped away from a party that the king had held for them because they had rescued princess Hilda. Of course, Zelos had taken all of the credit for it. He was probably retelling the story of how they rescued the princess, embelleshing it to make his role in it even more prominent than it really was. And of course, everybody would cling to his every word, and the princess would fawn over him and...

And she was outside, sitting on a bench in the garden all by herself, in an outfit she was dying to change out of and shoes that were so uncomfortable that cutting her feet off seemed like a logical solution to end her pain.

And he wouldn't care.

Not like it mattered because she didn't care if he cared or not.

What he did or how he felt wasn't her concern at all. Not one bit. The princess could bat her eyelashes at him all she liked because she didn't care.

She was just going to sit on this bench and enjoy the fresh air as much as she could, despite her hatred for fancy parties and the outfit she was wearing.

"Oh, there you are."

Well, that plan just shattered to pieces.

"I was worried about you," the red-headed Chosen said, sitting down next to her. "Why are you sitting outside all by yourself?"

I'm sitting out here because your fanclub keeps on glaring at me, and are most likely making up rumours about me right now. The men aren't much better because they're flirtatious idiots just like you. "I got a little sick of the party so I wanted to be alone for a while," she replied, biting back the words she really wanted to say. "And what are you doing here?"

"I was a little concerned about my voluptuous hunny so I went looking for you."

"Well, you found me so you can go back to your adoring fans now," she grumbled. "I'm sure the princess misses her knight in shining armor."

"Oh, is the peasant jealous?" he teased her playfully.

"Not particularly. The peasant doesn't care for philandering knights anyway."

"Perhaps the philandering knight isn't as bad as you think he is."

"Or perhaps he's worse than I thought," she grumbled. "Now leave me alone."

"...The knight doesn't necessarily have to stay with the princess, you know."

"The peasant doesn't expect the knight to leave his princess," Shihna mumbled, turning away from him.

"She doesn't expect him to...but he can."

"Fairy tales don't end that way."

"Ours can."

Time seemed to stop as she heard him murmur those two simple words. She hesitated, fumbling for words that she could say in response. "B-But it won't because we're living in reality," she stuttered.

"I can't turn this story into a reality?" Zelos asked, turning her face towards his with his hand. "Or are you just scared because having me by your side might be more difficult to deal with than watching me be with someone else?"

"I-Idiot. You know that it'd be impossible for me to have a relationship with you," she grumbled, frustrated with the blush that was spreading across her face from the touch of his gloved fingers. "You're the Chosen, and I'm just an outcast from Mizuho. We're not meant to-"

"None of that ever mattered to you before," he interrupted. "It shouldn't matter now. Besides, after we save the world...I'm not going to be the Chosen any more. I can be with who I want to be with."

"Your fanclub is going to be in tears over that," she stated sarcastically, pushing his arm away. "And the princess too."

"They'll get over it. I'll probably be forgotten once they find their next target." He held back the desire to laugh at how Shihna was constantly making comments about Hilda. She was so stubborn about her feelings. "As for the princess, we're...not like that."

"Maybe she doesn't think that way."

"Even if she doesn't, I can't return her feelings anyway. There's a gorgeous commoner that I've got my eyes on."

"Geez, go back to the party and use your cheesy lines on somebody who will actually fall for them," she grumbled, punching him in the shoulder lightly.

"Only if you come back with me." He stood up and held out his hand. "My beautiful, well-endowed princess."

"Idiot," Shihna grumbled, ignoring his gesture. "I never said that I'd be your princess."

"Your eyes told me that you would be," Zelos said, ignoring her protests as he took her hand in his. "Let's go, your highness."

"You stupid, philandering knight..."

SakuMeiMei Says: Merry Christmas! This is completely unrelated to Christmas...or winter even. XD

I enjoyed writing about a sarcastic and cynical Shihna. She's so cute. The last half of this was hard to write, but overall I'm happy with how it turned out. Happy, I am. :3

I might do something New Year's related if I find the time.