White sand poured through her chubby little palms into the pink bucket she had resting in the giant sandbox she was currently sitting in. Her five-year-old hands patted the sand at the top of the bucket to prevent the threat of it spilling over the brim. Once satisfied that it was packed down enough, she picked up the bucket to turn it over and onto the sand, carefully placing it next to the other stacks of sand she had previously packed. When she pulled up the bucket, it revealed the perfect outline of a castle's tower in the form of sand. She smiled with pride as she took in the whole picture - an entire square castle taking over more than half of her giant sandbox.
Suddenly, as if a cannon had launched from an attack, she watched as a blue bouncy ball landed atop one of her towers, crumbling it back to just sand. She didn't know how to feel at that moment. Shock, confusion, hurt. Soon after, she watched as a wall of ivy next to her sandbox begin to shift, revealing a dark-haired boy around her age with the brightest blue eyes she had ever seen.
"Oh, hello!" His smile broadened on his young face when he saw someone after emerging from the secret passageway.
Her sky blue eyes were wide with shock still, seeing this boy appear from what she believed to be a magical place.
After seeing the teary-eyed blonde girl with pigtail ringlets, his eyes swept over where she was and what she was doing. He noticed his ball crushing down a part of her castle and he instantly dropped down with her in the sandbox apologizing, frowning.
"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean for my ball to hurt your castle." His hands quickly grabbed her pink bucket and started to fill it with sand. "Let me help you fix it." He tried to reassure her.
Wiping her eyes, she smiled and gave a little giggle. "Thank you."
The young boy looked back at her and decided he liked hearing her giggle and seeing her smile. She had a pretty smile.
Once he erected the new tower for her, he dusted off the sand from his hands. "There. All better!"
She thanked him again as she held out his ball to him. When he reached for the ball, he supplied her his name.
"My name is Mamoru, by the way. May I have your name, pretty princess?" His eyes were shining with joy.
This time peals of laughter erupted from her chest. No one had ever called her a princess before except her daddy. She stood up and he watched as the sand fell down her yellow dress before she curtsied low.
"You may, milord. I am Usagi, princess of the sand kingdom."
It was his turn to laugh. "A pleasure meeting you, Princess Usagi." He stood up and bowed to her.
"Mamoru, lunch time!" A kind voice hollered out. Both children looked to the way of the secret pathway.
"I have to go, but I hope we can be friends?" Mamoru had pulled the ivy wall so he could go back through before turning back for her answer.
She smiled, nodding her head. "Of course, my prince."
His broad smile looked as it had when he first saw her before disappearing to his magical place.
Usagi now treasured her castle more than ever now that she had a prince to share it with.