“How deep will your people go?” Prince Elton suddenly asked David.

David sighed and scratched his head, “They are loyal, no need to ask.”

“Then tell them to search even more, to find something to stop the engagement.” Prince Elton was then looking at David. “Father won’t be driven away by money for something small, it must be something that would ruin reputation or them having nothing left to their name!”

David raised his eyebrows at the Prince, “Having nothing is already in motion, Your Highness. Leonard severely depended upon Cid very much for business, if we could just keep an eye on the business, it should show a steady decline now that Cid has gone.”

The Prince also raised his eyebrows, “…You have too much faith in your friend!”

David scoffed, “And you not enough.”

Prince Elton laughed and shock his head, “If we could wait a month, that would be better, but the ball is held tomorrow.”

“Engagements can be broken, Your Highness.” David stated smugly.

The Prince gave some thought to this, while staring at the horizon, “…My sister will not be at fault, but it still won’t look good for her.”

Putting hands to the back of his head, David sighed, “Cid won’t care, he will still marry her!”

The Prince hit David with his empty hand, “Who is to say that Cid can have my sister!?”

Laughing at the Prince, David backed away from him, “Then you will tolerate her being sad?”

“She will have me, there will be no need to be sad!” The Prince declared.

“You really don’t know what love is do you?” David stated with his hands up in surrender.

The Prince stood still again and clenched his free hand by his side, “I know what can be achieved without it!”

Shaking his head, David looked at the Prince, “Perhaps it is something that you need to see up close or go through yourself to understand it then. I pity you, Your Highness, that you have not been able to know to any extent what someone may do for love.”

The Prince frowned, “I have achieved enough, traveled and will bring peace and prosperity to the kingdom. Love makes people stupid and so I think it would be wrong for me to go through it.”

“Whatever, young Prince!” David said, putting his hands down, only to be hit again by the Prince.

“You’ve become quite disobedient!” The Prince stated openly, kicking David lightly behind the knee and seeing David fall, only to roll away from him.

“Your Highness, please forgive me…” David stated lazily, as he got up and kept a distance away.

Lifting a hand and waving it in annoyance, the Prince frowned, “Away with you!”

David smirked and shrugged, “See you tomorrow at the ball.”

Prince Elton watched as his friend David left and sighed. It looks like the engagement will have to continue for now. They will still have to find a decent reason to stop the marriage before the wedding takes place though.

Looking at the palace, to a certain area, Prince Elton’s eyes flashed with disgust.

He had to not only stop this wedding but stop his father from being the King of this country!

With children becoming slaves and being hidden away, working with little sleep and food, there had to be something there that was connected to the King!

Even if there wasn’t, he was going to stop it! He knew about them now, nearly finding the base with just a few more days, then he was going to use the army to go and free them!

In the time he had left, before freeing those poor children, he was looking for a place to hold them that would be big enough and even found a business that would provide food and water. Since he was going to use the business’s pastries and bread for the ball, to hopefully give the business more customers in return, the business had relented in giving a helping hand to gift some food for a short period of time.

Not only this, but Prince Elton had a loyal companion within the authorities to already start searching for parents who had missing children. Some of those poor children might be able to go back home, yet…Prince Elton was sure, some wouldn’t even be from the capital…Which meant that a wider search needed to be done and names needed to be found!

It was only one job that he was in the middle of right now…

Yes, Prince Elton had plans!

He had plans to expose those doing things illegally, he had plans to broaden their kingdoms horizons, knowing himself that they were behind in technology, and also on top of all that, work the land better.

They wasted too many things, and didn’t plan, making the kingdom easier to invade and that was not something the Prince wanted to continue to see!

He was determined! Determined to be a better King then that of his Father!

***

Woman with formal gowns, draped down to their feet, exited their carriages, walking up the palace steps and holding onto a man’s or brother’s arms. Males would wear top notch clothing that made them look elegant and gentlemanly. Palace servants helped carriages move forward, their job being ever repetitive throughout the whole afternoon and evening.

It was, after all, a big event!

Not only were the people able to enter into the palace, but it was a celebration over a person over the royal family becoming engaged!

Music fluttered around the ball area, to four open areas around it and lots of food and drinks were there as well, and that of a dancefloor.

Many went up to the newly engaged couple, who were standing at the front, yet, there was a faraway look in one set of eyes.

She hardly knew how things had come to this point…

How had she become engaged so quickly to someone that wasn’t Cid? How had it come to a point where there were weeks in between times that she had seen that one person?

It didn’t make sense to her and she had fallen into a daze, not knowing how to deal with the current situation.

There had been no choice and she knew now that her marriage was mostly done for money. She had tried once to stop the engagement, only to be yelled out and scolded to a point that she nearly had to kneel.

Then, on top of that, she seemed to feel at a loss for courage. So…She was here, not feeling the want to fight anymore. What would she be fighting for if she did fight?

The person that she wanted to be with was gone. The person she wanted to be with had accepted this fate like he was happy for her.

Should she really just accept it then? Accept marrying a person that she had no feelings for? Should she accept that she may not even see the man that she missed so much again?

…How had it come to this?

“Princess.”

Princess Bethany nodded absentmindedly, to someone taking her hand and kissing it. So many had done this already…

The women would curtsy, the men would kiss her hand.

This really was the second time she had so many people that were giving her attention yet…She felt nothing…

“Princess.”

Ah, this one was a woman.

In her eyes, she saw the woman curtsy and then slowly walk away.

Is that woman…Has she been so desolate before like her?

What about this man, did he say goodbye to a friend of his and watched her marry someone else?

“Princess.”

Princess Bethany tried not to sigh and act improper, lifting her hand to the next gentleman.

Did this man come across Cid? Did he see him somewhere?

A loud noise was heard, and the Princess watched as her betrothed laughed happily and walked inside, leaving her behind. He was even talking so openly to a woman that looked like she was happy to be beside him. Seeing her look back to smirk didn’t even do anything to the Princess as she got herself ready to leave.

Will this be my life from now on? Left behind and even placed as less important than another…

“Princess…”

A certain voice, a certain…

Turning slightly and looking up to the man coming up the stairs, Princess Bethany lost her sudden curiosity and slowly turned back to walk into the palace…She wished it to be so. She wished it was him.

Yet, even if it was him…That person…What would she do?

She would be happy, happy that he was safe and sound. But…What’s the point of even thinking of this?

Trying to forget a certain person’s voice, along with their face, Princess Bethany walked into the ballroom.

Unknowingly, Princess Bethany had been right, and it had indeed been Cid’s voice! As Cid had been on the other side of her, closer than that of the other gentleman that had been walking up the stairs.

He had just about been ready to come before her, to take her hand, when she had walked into the ball room, but he came to a still…

He had seen her now. She had been right there in front of him…

As much as he thought he fulfilled his request on seeing the pretty Princess, his legs carried him in further into the ballroom, as his eyes continued to watch her from behind…

Yes, he has missed her! Missed her complaining and fidgeting! Missed her playing up in men’s clothing and laughing! He had missed finding her hiding around some corner like a scared little rabbit!

Perhaps that was why he followed her in, having thought previously that one look would have been enough to go back home afterwards…Because…Princess Bethany was not laughing, she was not complaining…

It was wrong…

Cid knew it was wrong, she was so different like this that he swallowed in frustration.

The King himself talking, the crowd’s talking, the announcements, the food and drinks…None of that seemed to faze Cid out of his one-track mind of watching a certain Princess.

In the space of an hour, he had slowly gone closer to her, often stunned to the lack of life in her eyes.

She looked so different…

If only she would lose that lost look on his face, he’d be alright to leave! If only she would smile, laugh at something, anything, he would feel lighter!

But no…As he slowly got closer and closer to her, his heart grew heavier and heavier.

He wanted to race up to her and take her away! Demand her to smile!

His resolve to let her go started to crumble into pieces as he continued to see her this way!

How could he let her stay with someone if she wasn’t happy!?

How could he do nothing right now!?

But what could he do!?

Conflicted, Cid could only watch with his longing eyes at the forbidden fruit that was meters away from him…

Dammit, what do I do!? What will make her happy!?

Should I…Somehow stop the wedding then? Is that what she wants?

Clenching his hands into fists, Cid stood firmly, knowing that he wanted to race over there now and talk to her!

Don’t do anything stupid! He told himself sternly.

As it was, he was in the presence of his stepfather!

…Just over at the other side of the ballroom was Leonard!

Even though Cid was in special clothes that the Princess had gifted him, making him look like every other gentleman, instead of his usual look of a slave, Cid had to be very careful not to stand out…

…As much as Cid was thinking of not standing out, there were two people that had indeed looked at Cid with questions in their eyes.

The giveaway to who he was, even though he was well dressed and now had a short beard on his face, was that Cid was watching the Princess so intently!

One person narrowed their eyes, smirking to himself upon finally finding his ‘prey’. The other was the opposite, having raised eyebrows and frowning to the obvious problems that could occur from this!

Steven was acting like he was paying attention to everyone, but he was ready, ready that is to leave and follow that slave and capture him!

David, on the other hand, saw Steven do this, ready to interrupt anything that Steven might do!

Without Cid knowing, that he was already found out, David was ready to send someone to get Steven’s attention and to go and get Cid out of here!

It had been a long time since David had seen Cid, to only see him in trouble, and he rushed to whisper to his father that Cid was there.

Benjamin was so glad to have finally found Cid too, but he too saw the predicament upon what Steven may do.

They both had to try and immediately get Cid back to safety! As…There was only a certain amount of time before Cid would be seen by Leonard, or told by Steven, and so before that happens, they wanted to get Cid away, especially since they wanted to talk to him and see how he was going!

What they never thought would happen though…Was that Cid had his own plans and all they could do was try to work in the shadows to protect him!

It wouldn’t be plans Cid made initially, but that was just how it looked like…As…

Seeing Steven touch the pretty Princess…And seeing the Princess absently just nod and lower her head in such defeat!

He couldn’t handle it anymore and slowly got closer, not even knowing what he was planning to do anymore!

In just a split second, Cid pulled the Princess around a corner and put his hand over her mouth.

Ah…Her eyes were showing something different. So, she must still have some fight within her…She must!

Putting a finger to his lips, showing that he wanted her to be quiet, he saw her nod with her wide eyes staring at him.

…Did she already know who he was?

Taking away his hand and pulling her away and into one of the four outer rooms, Cid looked back at her, to still see a shocked, wide eyed look on her face.

Would she act like this with just anyone that has taken her away!?

Suddenly, Cid was a bit angry!

She really has no idea!

…She really should take better care of herself!

Stopping, after going downstairs and hiding in bushes, Cid found her in his embrace before he even knew what he was doing!

He had…

What was he doing?

The Princess was here, he was holding that soft body of hers…

In his time of being in a daze, he was suddenly kicked on his leg and Cid yelped. “Hey!”

She had turned around by this time, ready to leave the bush area…But stopped after Cid had spoken…

Cid swallowed…

Did he give away who he was? Should it matter if she knew?

She was always someone that he trusted, she was so sweet…

“Princess…”

Reaching out to the Princess, Cid touched her shoulder and stood behind her, noticing that she still wasn’t turning around.

Silence overcame the area and Cid didn’t know what to do.

Had she…Did she really not like him anymore?

That’s right…She had said that she hadn’t wanted to see him ever again!

…He’d completely forgotten about that!

Frowning, Cid removed his hand from her shoulder…

He didn’t want to leave…But…

Taking a step back, he watched as the Princess suddenly turned around.

Cid put a hand up defeatedly and took another step back, “I forgot.”

That was all he could say…If he spoke more, he was afraid…Afraid of making false promises. Afraid that, even if she might have any type of feeling for him, she would only state that it was too late…

It was always too late…There had never been once that he could be with her, and he knew that, but why, right now was he still thinking that he wanted that chance!?

For a few moments, Cid stared at that pretty Princess in front of him. He took in that hair, that nose and ears, those beautiful eyes of hers.

In turn, the Princess was certain that this man was indeed Cid!

She had intended to walk away, repeating what she had last said to him but…

After he had placed his hand on her shoulder, after his words being his, knowing who he was…She couldn’t seem to have put one foot in front of the other!

Now turned to face him, seeing him different than before, Bethany wondered how his short beard would feel, how nicely dressed he was…How nice it was to be the center of his attention once again.

She was unable to move, unable to do anything but stare right back at him.

An unknown time passed by and Cid finally was able to snap out of his daze. “I’m sorry.”

With that, Cid turned to leave, swallowing his pride.

He had forgotten all about what she had said!

All that had mattered was that she was not happy, and he had forgotten!

Feelings had resorted him to have acted without thinking!

But, after a few steps, just about out of the bushes, hands went around him, and he stopped...

The pretty Princess was...Hugging him...

Her arms were around him, she was behind him and he could feel her head lowered on his back.

It really was ironic...All of it!

How he adored her and thought...

Unable to stop himself, he placed his hands over hers, tenderly brushing his fingers against hers.

"…I didn't mean it!"

With her clear words coming from behind him, Cid turned around and took her into his arms.

"I didn't mean it!"

Hearing a sob from her, Cid held her tighter and felt a happiness surge right to his heart.

That's right, he probably knew deep down that she hadn't meant it all along!

Hadn’t he…All this time, just used her absence and words as an excuse!? He had clung onto her words to give him a reason to stay away…

Did he honestly think that he could have cut ties with her so completely though?

…He felt like an idiot…

She has, and always will be…The only one for him!