I stormed down the hall angrily, whipping my hair back, my dresses dragged on the floor as I walked making me even angrier. I picked up my skirt stomping down the hallways. I didn’t care how unladylike my behavior was, the workers could stare and gossip for all I cared, it didn't mean anything to me. In fact, I hoped that they did gossip about me, I’m sure that would infuriate my parents, and maybe scare away all the suitors that they decided to choose for me. I know that being the Princess of the Kingdom of Eldoria is a blessing, it's one of the most powerful and richest kingdoms in the world after all. But I definitely don't feel very lucky, the constant pressure from my mother and father, their total obsession over who I marry, when I marry, and what I would wear when I marry if my pinkie toe was painted the right color when I get married. I did try to find interest in the whole marriage thing, I truly did, but it just didn’t feel right for me. I didn't want to be paraded around like livestock in front of men who looked me up and down with only a look of greed in their eyes. It absolutely disgusts me, to men I am just a way to advance, marrying me would bring anyone extreme wealth, power, and societal status,  everyone knew this. I stormed out the back doors, past bewildered workers, and into the gardens.
 
“Princess, where are you going, it's not time for an afternoon garden walk”, asked the butler that had opened the door for me. 

I was already past my boiling point, “Oh really? Well, then I guess I’ll just leave then” I retorted. I turned and then stormed out of the gardens into the forest behind the castle walls. I knew that my actions were childish and immature, but I was tired of acting like a perfect obedient princess who let nothing phase her.

“Wait Princess,” the butler ran behind me trying to catch up as I slipped out the gates, “It is not safe for you to be alone outside, let me call you some guards to escort you,” he shouted

“Don’t”, I shouted back, I entered the forest and allowed myself to be hidden behind the large redwood trees that I grew up playing hide and seek behind and climbing on. I loved nature, the trees, animals, some of the bugs, and the smell of the fresh clean air without any of the pollutants of the city air. The forest calmed me down, and I felt like I could think clearer.

After a good five-minute stroll through the forest, I came to one of my favorite clearings, there were little natural springs that trickled down a small waterfall into a little pond. I sat down on a rock and finally noticed the state that my dress was in. The bottom was torn and covered in mud, and some sticks and critters had hitched a ride on the train of my dress. I brushed them off and sighed. It was one of my favorite dresses, in my favorite color, light pink, and simple with a sweetheart neckline and a short train with light lace work. The dress complimented my golden brown hair and hazel eyes. I sighed and brushed off the sticks and critters, and leaned against the rocks. I let myself relax in the silence with the sound of water bubbling and the trees rustling in the wind. It was at times like these that I would wonder who I would have been if I wasn’t the princess of Eldoria and if I wasn't born with my whole life already mapped out by the royal advisors and my mother and father. If there were no expectations for me if my marriage wasn’t one of the most awaited celebrations in the whole kingdom. Who would I have been if I was just Elara, not Princess Elara, not “One of the best women to wed in the whole world” according to the Elodoria top gossip newspapers? Who would I have been? I believe that if I had been born just a common girl perhaps I might have been a doctor, I have always had an interest in plants and their medicinal values, or maybe I would have been a simple farm girl who took care of the animals. No, I don't think so. I love my elegant clothes and collection of jewelry too much. I would have been a girl that lived for herself, a girl that loved to learn and explore, that wasn’t afraid to voice her opinions and would stand up to injustices, who didn’t let sociality expectations for young women stop her from being her true self. That I knew for sure. Maybe one day, I could be her. I hope with all my heart that that day will come soon. I yawned and looked up to the skies watching the clouds move. I never realized what a blessing it was. It was just being able to lay and watch the cloud move across the sky and to study the great white fluffy shapes until they resemble some animal or something as such. 

“Well, what do we have here?” said a voice from behind me.
I took a deep breath prepared to be annoyed at whichever guard the damn butler had sent after me. I stood up brushing off my dress. I turned around, but the guard behind me was not in the green and yellow of the Eldoria royal guards uniform. No, this wasn't a guard at all. It was a woman, a woman in a black tunic, pants, and a cloak. She wore travel boots and had a dagger adorned with rubies on her waist. I stood up, crossing my arms. 

“And who might you be?” I inquired, looking at this strange woman up and down. 

“I, your royal highness am Valentine of The Northern City of Estonia,” she said bowing, “at your service”. 
She straightened herself up and we made eye contact, she had the most beautiful bright brown eyes that sparkled in the sunlight and long dark eyelashes. She was beautiful, but not in a way I have ever seen before, she wasn’t pretty, no she was something else, something much more than pretty.  She had tan skin and short shoulder-length curly hair adorned with golden beads, and bright red flushed lips and cheeks. Her shoulders were broad and filled out her men's tunic, it was obvious that she was strong and muscular and she seemed to be about the same height as me. 

She raised an eyebrow and smirked, she was waiting for my response. I looked away, breaking eye contact. 
“What brings you here, Valentine of The Northern City of Estonia?”,  I finally respond by gesturing to the clearing.  

“Good question my princess, I have just arrived here at the palace after a 4-day journey and thought a nice walk in the forest would be a good way to clear my mind. Now I must ask, what is the crowned Princess Elara of Eldoria doing in the forest all alone? Your disappearance from the palace has caused quite a ruckus, servants are everywhere searching for you, you know.” she said still with a smirk on her face. 

“Oh no, isn't that just terrible”, I said sarcastically, rolling my eyes and sitting back down on my rock.
Valentine sat down next to me on a patch of grass facing the pond, playing with the grass. She had strong and calloused hands. I wondered what kind of life she lived. Her way of dressing was quite abnormal that was for sure, in fact, I had never seen a woman in men's clothes before at all. 

“This is a very nice little place you have here my princess. Do you come here often then?” asked Valentine as she turned to face me. 
I realized that I had been staring at her the whole time and quickly looked away. 
“Yes I do, I find it quite claiming and it's easier to think here”, I respond. 
“I can imagine that as the Princess of  Eldoria, you might have a lot to think about, marriage, the battle over Port Sila, preparing to be a great queen”, said Valentine. 

She was the first person ever to have acknowledged the hardships that accompany being the crowned princess. Anytime I had mentioned any struggle or hardships in the past I had been called spoiled and sheltered. I understood that I was blessed with luxuries and the fact that I had never had to worry about money nor food, but that didn’t mean that a perfect life. It felt nice to have someone acknowledge that for once.

“How did you know that I was the princess?” I inquired.

“How could I not know?” she asked, “You're the famous princess with the long golden hair and hazel eyes, your beauty is talked about in almost every paper around the world.”

I blushed looking down at my hands and picking at my nail polish, “that's a bit of an exaggeration” I said quietly.
“Oh, I can assure you that it is not my princess that it is not, if anything it was an understatement”, said Valentine with a small smile on her lips. 

I smiled back, she made me feel comfortable when she complimented me, it was different from the complaints that I get from men, their eyes would rake my body up and down and their compliments made me want to become a nun so I could wear the nun robes and live around other women all day. Or the compliments that I would get from other women, their compliments always seemed to make me feel even more insecure. No, I enjoyed her compliments. 

“I think we should get back to the palace, you need to give the poor servants a break from looking for you, and I need a good nap”, said Valentine. 
She stood up and extended her hand to me. I gave her my hand and let her pull me up. She then bent down to brush off my dress from the mud and sticks.

“Oh you don't have to do that”, I said embarrassedly as I bent down helping her clean my dress. 
“Of course I do, you're my princess, it's my duty”, she responded standing back up. 

I shook my head smiling and started to walk back toward the place. We walked in silence for a bit before Valentine broke it. 

“Do you know what kind of tree that is?” she asked, pointing to a tree with golden leaves. 

“I do, a ginkgo biloba tree. You can make ginkgo biloba tea and it will help with memory”, I said proudly. 
“That's right, I wasn’t expecting that from you, my princess. But did you know that this tree is female? And because it has fruits that means that there must be a male ginkgo biloba tree somewhere nearby”, said Valentine.

“There are male and female trees?” I asked astonished. In all my studies of plants, I had never learned this. 
“There are. You must have done some study of plants haven't you?”
“I have, I love to learn their medicinal values. Even though my mother and father see it as unladylike and unattractive. They said I would scare away all the good suitors”, I responded. 

“I think that it is attractive”, said Valentine with a smile on her her eyes glittered in the light. She was just mesmerizing. 

I was so captivated by Valentine that I failed to notice that we had made it to the palace gates. I sighed mentally preparing myself to face my parents rathe and all the other princess duties that I would have to perform. 
Valentine opened the gate for me and followed behind me as we entered the gardens. A very panicked-looking butler immediately rushed over me to. 

“Where have you been my Highness, all the servants have been looking for you everywhere?” he asked.

“I-”

“She was showing me around the palace, sir. I asked her to show me around not knowing that she was the princess. Her Highness being the kind woman she is gave me a welcome tour. I am so sorry for any trouble that I may have caused”, Valentine said interrupting me. 
“I see,” the butler said, “We must be on our way your Highness. Have a good day Miss. He gave Valentine a nod and took my arm escorting me
away. 

Valentine gave me a nod and I walked away and I smiled back at her. I didn’t want to leave her. I wished that I could really give her a tour of the palace and learn more about this strange and addicting woman