"Hi, Princess." He looked startled.

"Meena, please," She corrected him.

"You can call me Liam."

"Um... Hi Liam..." She said scrupulously. All she wanted is to know his name and so she didn't know what to do next.

Liam was confused. Every royalty treated him the same way, despising and banishing. Therefore, he never tried to get close any one of them, and same with this little Princess. He took the initiative.

"Would you mind if I ask why you want to know my name that bad, Princess?"

Meena was shocked because of the question. She couldn't do anything but stared back at him.

"How could a page boy like me dare to approach you, your majesty?" He didn't understand why he got this much annoyed. Probably, it was because he had been alone for a long time. Sir Philip was the only person he trusted, even though he was a Knight, he was a good one. This Princess might just like the other royalty, just wanted to laugh at a farmer's son who wanted to become a knight. "So please, forgive me princess. I gotta go." He said and head straight to the center of the festival, where he could get some food for the whole hard-working day.

"I just want to make friend..." Meena muttered. Her voice was so soft and vulnerable as a small animal. "You are... the one kid I've known. I saw you playing with a sword on the grass outside the castle the other day, climbing up the trees to get some apples. Your neutral tan and brown clothes blended in with the tree trunk and your coppery hair was like a flame drawing... and... and..." Meena hesitated. She had never be this honest befor. But he was leaving, she didn't want that. She wanted to find a way to keep him here, talking and playing with her. He stopped walking so this might work. "You don't know how much free you look. I've been longing for freedom, outside the castle walls... I want to know about the world outside... All I want is to make friend." Meena cried. She told him everything and that was embarrassing as each sentence she said was each time she had to take off her clothes in front of people. Her little heart squeezed in her chest. It was a very uneasy feeling that she had never had before.

"I'm sorry, Prin-... I mean, Meena. I was too much." This girl made him surprised. He had never known a princess could feel this lonely. The same feeling when he was in the special training for Knights. Those kids in class always teased and made fun of him. He didn't care. "Words can't break your bones." Sir Philip always said that he was mature than his real age.

Meena still cried. She couldn't stop the tear flowing down. Her head hurted as she tried to stop hiccuping and breathing to hold the tear in.

"How about I invite you to eat some Taiyaki?" Liam knew he had scared the girl by his anger caused by being annoyed. He knew she was honest and he didn't mind to make friend with the princess.

"What is that?" Meena curious. Tears still came out of her eyes but it seemed slower.

"You'll know when we get there. Mr. Hayazaki makes them so good that you won't be able to resist. He's one of the business man from Japan coming here for the Harvest Festival."

Liam told Meena more about the people coming to their country at this Festival, such as Russian and their beautiful Matrioska, the Dutch and their sweet-smelling tulips, Chinese and their delicate pottery and so on. Meena really get distracted from crying and she soon enjoyed his story.

They went to a small Japanese shop. Meena was so in love with the fish-cake with cheese filling. She had never had anything that delicious before. She met an Japanese old man with a complete white hair. She wondered how he could travel such a long distance to her country at his age, but she loved the fish-cake so much that she forgot to ask him.

Meena was so happy since Liam said he would be her knight that night and walk her home. They talk about a lot of stuff outside and inside the castle.

"I will visit you every Sunday and bring you something from "the outside." So don't be sad, 'kay?" Liam smiled and waved his hand as he left.

"I won't. I will wait for you. Goodnight."

"Night. Sweet dream, Princess."

Tonight probably was the happiest night in Meena's life. She felt asleep, dreamt about Russia, Netherlands and China, the people and the things in those places.

Meena would still be happy if everything kept going that way, Liam visited her every Sunday, sneakily through the windows, he brought her lots of cool stuffs, sometimes it was food, sometimes it was dolls and toys, there were also flowers and little animals that she can only saw them in the book. It happened for one and a half year until one day, Rowena found out Liam on the princess' balcony at night.

"Princess. It's really unappropriated to let a men climb up to your room at night. You even let him in instead of calling the guards. This is crazy. I have to..." Rowena was shocked. Meena could see her panic on her face, which is turning pale.

"Please, Rowena. It's not what you think. He is my friend." Meena cut her off. She had to explain, somehow, so that Rowena wouldn't tell her father about this.

"What kind of friend sneak into your room at night, Phillameena?" Rowena raised her voice. "Now, young page boy, tell me your purpose behind all of this. What do you want from the Princess?" Rowena looked at Liam scornfully.

"Sorry Miss. I don't want anything from Meena. You can do anything to me, as long as Meena won't get in any trouble. She never let me in. I broke in." Liam stood up. His consistent eyes made Rowena hesitant.

"Rowena, please don't tell father. He just visits me and tell me about the outside world. You know how I feel lonely behind the castle wall. How my father and brothers never care about me. You're the only one who has been with me this whole time. You have to understand." Meena cried. She couldn't stand if there was something bad happened to Liam. This was her fault asking Liam to be her friend.

"Poor child." Rowena sniffed. Tears came from her eye, the rare tears of an old lady. She hugged Meena. How could she not know how her little princess feel. But being lonely that much to do such a risky thing like letting a guy come in her room at night was too much. If anyone else know, instead of Rowena, Meena would be in big trouble; people would laugh at her as an unhonored Princess and she would have to live in shame in the rest of her life.

"I'll let you go this time." Rowena said. "But you have to swear that you would never come back or appear in front of Phillameena ever again."

"You have my words, 'mam." Liam bow down and then jumped off the balcony. He gave a last look to his lovely Princess before disappearing in the dark.

"No... Rowena... No... Why you have to do this? Why you have to drive him away?" Meena bursted into tears.

Rowena couldn't say anything. She knew her princess had a feeling toward that young men. But that was impossible for a page boy and a princess. Unless he was a Knight.

Philameena cried until she got too tired and felt asleep. Rowena, in the other hand, she couldn't sleep at all.

Meena was so mournful the week after. She did every daily things perfectly but without the smiling on her face. Her eyes were dim and lack of vitality. Rowena knew the reason but she couldn't help. It was all for Meena's good.

One night, Meena received a strange no-name letter on her vanity desk. She hoped it was from Liam. Who else could put a letter on her desk like that?

"Dear Meena,

By the time you read this letter, I'm already on my trip to the North coast. I'm sorry that we won't be able to meet for a long time. The King ordered me to join the army for the war with the barbarian Esbritian. The war will last long and be fierce, but we will survive and go back in victory.

Wait for me, Princess. We will meet again and, at that day, I will have a big gift for you. From now I won't be able to be your Knight every Sunday, so you need to take care of yourself for me. Please be happy and smile more because your smile light up my world.

Sincerely,

Liam"

Why him, why he had to go to such a dangerous place. He was just a page boy, not even a Knight. How father knew about him and ordered him to go?... Tons of questions came up in Meena's head. And the only answer she would think of was Rowena.

"Princess, why are you still up at this late? Shouldn't you-" Rowena entered the room to check Meena as usual, but she was interrupted by Meena.

"It was you, wasn't it? You told my father to send him away so that he won't be able to see me ever again, didn't you? And to a war... he probably die. Why did you do that?" Meena couldn't stand what just happened. She felt like she got betrayed by the one she trusted the most.

"Yes, I told your father to let him go to that war, but it's not what you think. Everything I do is for your sake." Rowena said with a calm voice as if it was like a normal thing happened daily.

"No, you just want him to die. I hate you, Rowena. You're cruel." Meena scream in tear. "Please get out of my sight. Please don't let me see you again. My heart can't stand this anymore."

"I'm sorry. I don't ask you to forgive me. It's all good for you." Rowena sighed and said before she closed the door.

The next days, Meena was so cold to Rowena. She didn't talk to her, although Rowena was all always be by her side trying to advise or teach her how to do thing as a princess. She just followed like a no-soul puppet.

A few months later, Meena heard that Rowena asked her father to retired since she has been too old and couldn't take care of the Princess as well as before. King Richard was sorry to hear that but he still let her go back to her small village near at the East. She was old, indeed, and needed to rest. He gave her some money and sent some servants to ride her back home. Meena didn't say anything, she just kept silence the whole meeting.

Later on she got a new young maid who wasn't as good as Rowena in her thought, but she was ok with it.

------------------

Three years later, Meena now growed up more beautiful. Everyone talked about her as most glorious lady in the kingdom, the one that every men would fall in love at first sight. The only thing which was not perfect at her was she had a deadly cold eyes, she never smiled and rarely talked.

Meena had not heard anything from Liam. However, she believed he would come back and she would be the first person he wanted to see.

"Princess, have you heard about King Arthur and his son, would visit our palace next week?" Rosaline, Meena's new maid, said when she was combing the princess' hair. She loved the hair so much since it was the softest, smoothest hair she had ever seen. After two years serving the princess, she still couldn't stop herself admiring the princess' beauty.

"No, I have not. What's about them?" Meena didn't really pay much attention.

"Some royalty say that King Arthur wants to let his son marry you to strengthen the cooperation between the two kingdoms."

"Is that so..."

It was probably the truth. No one in this castle loved her. They raised her up, teached her how to be a Princess and finally would sell her away by a business wedding. Meena couldn't help but sigh. She would be willing to wait for Liam forever. It was so weird that she often dreamt about him but he was still a little boy in her dream while she grew up older and older. It somehow scared her, she didn't even know whether Liam was still alive, how he looked like now, his messy coppery hair and his chocolate tan skin, how would they change the next time they met...

A few days later, King Arthur finally arrived. Meena's father asked her and her other brothers to gathered at the dining room that night to welcome the neighbor King and his son. She had no choice but to dress up neatly and join the dinner. The two Kings talked a lot about policies and the collaboration in business, things that she got bored to listen to. However, that couldn't annoy her as much as the neighbor Prince's eyes. He didn't even stop look at Meena throughout the dinner. He stared at her as if she was some kind of delicious food that he would grap and and devour her anytime.

Meena couldn't stand that look any longer and decided to leave the table. She wanted to have some fresh air in the big garden near her bedroom. Rosaline followed her. Wandering for awhile, the Princess soon felt hungry, she couldn't eat much during the dinner. That Prince really creeped her out. She couldn't believe how she could stand marrying to such a guy like him. Meena asked Rosaline to bring her some Taiyaki while she sat down in the white gazebo in the middle of the garden. Since she knew about Taiyaki, she had asked the main chef to specially make it for her. The royal chef had a hard time to make the fish-cake until Liam gave him the recipe and he was really thankful about that.

"Hello, Princess." It was a grating voice from behind Phillameena.

"Who's there?" Meena startled.

"May I produce myself, my dear Princess. I am Prince Alexander of Cambidiomiranta, your neighbor kingdom." Alexander bowed down as a greeting. He had watched the Princess since he first met her. She was so bloomy. He couldn't wait to take her all.

"Phillameena." She introduced herself as politeness. "What bring you here, Prince Alexander? Shouldn't you have dinner with my father inside?" Her voice was as cold as the ice in the North Pole. Alexander decided to ignore that, all he wanted is her.

"I just follow you here. Why don't we have some small talk?" He approached near Phillemeena and touched her face.

"This is an appropriate, Prince Alexander. Please be watch yourself." Meena dodged away and shouted.

"Ha... Don't you know we're gonna get marry soon?" Alexander smirked. "My father already said that he would ask King Richard for the marriage. Sooner or later you will have to be with me, the rest of your life." He raised his voice and came closer to Phillameena. "Let's see how you could dodge me after we get married."

"Let's talk about it later, shall we? We haven't even get married yet." Meena stood up. She wanted to get out of the garden as soon as possible. She was scared but she tried to keep her voice calm so that he wouldn't do anything further. "Please forgive me now, Prince Alexander. I have something to do."

Meena walked as fast as she could. She was afraid that guy would follow her. As soon as she got to her bedroom, the tears burst out again. She felt more hopeless than ever. So, the rumour was true, she would have to marry a horrible guy.She didn't want this.

At the same night, Meena collected some necessary stuffs and some Taiyaki that Rosaline finally brought her after hours. She made a ladder by the blankets and climbed down from the balcony. She ran into the forest to the North near the castle. She had never been here before. She used to long to play here with Liam. She wouldn't imagine that she would come here in such a situation: running away from a business mariage.

Meena kept going deeper and deeper into the forest. She wanted to see Liam again, she would go to the North coast, across this forest.

Three days had past and now Meena was out of food. She would have to find some wild fruit to eat. It was getting dark but Meena was hungry. The darkness in the forest scared her but she got to survive. Sounds of little animals made the place creepier.

Meena finally found some wild berry after hours groping in the dark.

She heard a rough roar from behind when she was eating the berries.

Meena was frozen when she saw the bear right behind her. It was double taller than her, and stinky furry bear. It raised its arm and wanted to hit her.

"Watch out!"

Meena didn't know what happened. When she opened her eyes again, she was in a steady arm and the bear laid in front of her with a spear through its chest.

"Meena?... Is that you?" A strange husky voice.

"You... are... Liam?" She recognized his flaming coppery hair.

The guy in front of Meena was taller and much bigger than Liam since they last met. He was wearing an armor with the kingdom's badge.

"I am. So glad I see you again." He gave her a tight hug. Meena couldn't feel more safe in his arms. "Was the bear scared you? And why are you in a forest by yourself? What happened?" Liam soon realized there was something wrong with Meena. She was covered by dirt, her dress looked sloppy and her long black hair was messy and muddy.

Meena cried. She couldn't stand how much crying she had lately. Everything was so depressing for her. She had to disguise under a cold-hearted cover and stay away from other people. If it wasn't Liam, the door in her heart wouldn't be able to open again. Right the time she met him, every wall she had built up was collapsed, she let all her emotions flow out like a waterfall. She told Liam everything, from Rowena had retired and she felt guilty about that, she had a new maid, Rosaline but she knew she hadn't been nice to her even once, she might have to get marry with the son of the neighbor kingdom, how she felt lonely these days, how she still got trapped behind the castle walls and so on.

"My dear Meena, I won't let you to suffer any more of these. I will talk to the King about this. Let's go back to the castle." Every tear dropped down from her eyes was like a cut in his heart. He couldn't stand how a shiny girl who was always playful now crying painfully in front of him.

"But, Liam... I don't want to go back. I don't want to marry that guy... Please take me to somewhere, anywhere, far away from that place..." Meena was tired of the palace and the royalty.

"We have something to make clear. Princess, no matter what, you will have me by your side. I will protect you." Liam caressed Meena's hair and smiled.

Meena felt comfy and calm when he touched her. Everything would be fine. She had him with her now. She wasn't lonely.

Liam then brought her back to the army's camp. They were heading back to the castle after winning the war with the barbarian Esbritian. Liam was ordered to go out and hunt with some other soldiers and that was how he found Phillameena.

When they got to the castle, it was the next day morning. Liam asked to see the King as he had brought the Princess back and he got summoned to the big hall to have a face to face talk with the King and Princess.

"Meena, I was so worried. Where have you been? Why did you leave the castle?" King Richard startled. His old heart squeezed in his chest when he saw his only daughter covered with dirt and mud.

"You would make me get marry to that Prince Alexander, wouldn't you?" Asked Meena. "You would sell me to that neighbour kingdom by that business marriage, wouldn't you?" Her father should know why she left.

"Meena... who made you think it that way?" The King suprised. "I never said that, and why would I make my only daughter get marry to a guy who's known as the crazy philogynist in the other kingdom?"

"But Alexander said I soon would have to marry him. Father, you don't know how much I was scared..." Meena was shocked.

"Poor child, he has some kind of mental illness. I wouldn't let him out of my sight and see you." King Richard sighed. "Yes, King Arthur asked me for the marriage but I didn't accept. You're my precious princess, I won't let anyone harm you even by a single feather, don't you know, Meena?"

"All these years, you never really talk to me. I've been long to see you or to play with you when I was a kid and later on I gave of that hope, the hope that you would spend time for me. I thought you never love me." Meena was confused. She looked at the King questionably and she realized the sorrowness and guilty in the King's eyes.

"Meena, it was my fault. I was too busy taking care of the country instead of taking care of my own daughter." His voice trembled when he talked. He stood up and took off his crown. "Now, I'm just a normal father trying to apologize to his daughter. I swear I always love you and I have never stop loving you. Since the day your mom died I promised to myself that I would bring you the best thing that I could." He took a long gasp when he mentioned about the Queen. "I work so hard every day try to bring wealthy, happiness and peace to our country, so that you wouldn't have to worry about anything bad. Meena, please forgive your father."

Meena couldn't say a single word since she was so surprised and happy. She ran into the king's arms and cried. She had never felt this family-warm love before.

"And this young man, thank you for saving the princess. May I ask for your name." The King looked at Liam and said.

"You can call me Liam, your majesty." Liam bow down professionally.

"You are Liam?" The King was surprised. "You saved the war in the North coast. I've heard people talking about this a lot. A young brave soldier rescued the Full General from the barbarian Esbritian and gave a lot delicate strategies, which played an important role in the victory of the North coast."

"You overpraise me, your highness. I just wanted peace for our country." Liam smiled.

"From now on, you will be leveled up to Senior Lieutenant Colonel and will have the full power to command the Knights in the palace and will take the responsibility to protect the inner center of our kingdom."

Liam was so surprised that suddenly from a soldier now, become a Colonel.

"Liam... So that what you did at the war? You were so brave, I'm so proud of you." Meena said merrily.

"Princess, I have to tell you something about Rowena. She talked to me about joining the war in the North. That was the only way that I can be a Knight and be able to be with you, so I agreed. She did that for your sake, you should see her and apologize for what you had done."

"Oh my, what a horrible me! What I've done was so wrong... I need to see her soon. Rowena... I'm sorry." Meana muttered the last words.

"I can take you to the West Village tomorrow if you want, Princess. It won't take us long, we should be back within two days."

"Please, Liam. I couldn't wait much longer to see Rowena again, it has been three years... Father, may I go with him?" She asked the King.

"Yes, you may. I would provided the fastest horses and finest cart to go there." Answered the King. "Is there anything you need that I can help?" He asked Liam.

"May I marry your daughter, you majesty?" Liam said without a single hesitation. The King was surprised but he saw the certainty in Liam's eyes, this young man ain't joke.

"You would have to ask the princess about this. This is her marriage. She should be the one who decides for her life." King Richard laughed.

"Would you marry me, Princess?"

"Please... call me Meena."

"Meena, would you... argh... this is so embarrassing you make say this for the third time..." Liam palmed his face.

"You don't have to, Liam. I do." She smiled and gave him a kiss.