Life became much easier after befriending Swethyna. She was a godsend from the Fates, the thing that grounded me to the palace. But I was about to discover something more than Swethyna and my sister were keeping me there.

   As if to further solidify that Swethyna was a sign from the Fates to me, we ended up having similar schedules which allowed for us to see each other whenever we liked, working together.

   The more I got to know her, the more she resembled both Minryn and Feria to me. Her appearance resembled more like Minryn at a younger, more handsome age and her efficiency at cleaning was very striking to Feria's passion for tidiness. Though she reminded me of them, Swethyna had her own bold personality which she wasn't afraid to hide. She was friendly and always seemed cheery and up in spirits. Swethyna was also well into womanhood- ten years my senior- yet she was still unwed and childless. Not wanting to be rude, but curious as to her celibacy, I questioned her about it one day as we tidied a room in the west wing.

    "You're going to be an old maid soon," I said in a jocular manner but with a serious, concerned undertone.

    She wiped down an ornate dark oak table, a small, free smile on her face.

   "I know, I'm aware. Maybe to others I'll be viewed an old maid past her glory years of marriage and childbearing, but there isn't a time limit for love. The only thing to overcome time is love, and I will wait diligently for it."

   "I never thought you the poetic muse." I grinned.

   She swatted her cloth at me in jest.

   "Those moments don't last too long, don't you worry."

   Her words stuck with me though. When I was back at home, I thought more about falling in love and courting the young men in my town and the surrounding area, but those thoughts were lost after I came to the palace. There were fine looking young men at the palace serving as guardsmen and servants, but no one bothered talking to me like Swethyna had, so I never sought after them. The closest I had come to courting a young man was Esteban, but it was clear he never sought after me the way he wanted to for my sister. Still, my mind wandered to him on nights when I stared up at the ceiling. He probably knew both of us were gone by then- I never told him I was leaving. After that day when he mentioned Feria, I never spoke to him again, avoiding him often. Some days I was tempted to write to him, but I never found the heart to do so, not after our last encounter.

    As the days went on, I learned more about Swethyna. She was a hard worker who came from a nearby, more destitute village. She explained how suffocating it was living in a village that was slowly wasting away- it was impossible to thrive there. So she came to the palace in hopes for an opportunity at a new life, she came with nothing but a diligent spirit and hadn't regretted a single day here.

   "Perhaps one day I will feel the same." I said, collecting my materials as we finished our last room.

   "I pray you will. This palace has been kind to me when all my life I've had nothing but maltreatment."

   "I suppose perspective is to thank for that."

   "I suppose so."

   Once our duties were done, we would part ways for the rest of the day till evening when supper was served in the quarters. Swethyna had other things to attend to for she was wanted quite often by the others, and I enjoyed time to roam the areas designated for me to explore. Though it was nice having a guide to tour me along, I treasured those precious few hours alone to think to myself.

   Just as we parted ways, I realized I forgot my duster in the room and knew there was trouble to come if I didn't immediately turn back to retrieve it. So, turning sharply on my heels, I hurried back to the room, but just as I was about to step inside, somebody approaching from up the hall called me by name.

   "Aelita."

   The voice was familiar, but it still took me by surprise when I turned to face the prince.

   "Your High-"

   He reached me, gently touching my shoulder to stop me from dipping into a curtsy. I noted the radiant, controlled smile on his face, as if he seemed glad to see me.

   "Please, please, I told you to call me Odel."

   I simply nodded, too fluttered to command any words to be uttered.

   "I've been searching endlessly for you. Sometimes this palace is much too grand in size, I'm afraid."

   "You've been looking for me?"

   "Yes. I always seem to miss you, though. I went past the servants' quarters numerous times but you were at work whenever I had time to search for you. Every time I thought I had learnt your schedule, you still would never be where I believed you would be. Now it seems fortunate has shown itself to me at last."

   At first thought, I was worried something was wrong which was why he would be searching for me so meticulously, but I knew I had done nothing afoul so I was intrigued by his reasoning for seeking me.

   He gave a small, timid smile that still brightened the entire hall more than the windows letting in the bathing sunlight.

   "I was wondering if you would accompany me tomorrow afternoon for a stroll out in the woods. If that is fine by you. Would it be?"

   His offer caused me hesitation.

   Why was the crown prince being so genteel and asking me, a new servant girl of all people, to take a stroll with him? My suspicions were forming in my mind, but my prolonged silence had made him nervous as indicated by his tone and facial expression.

   "Perhaps I should have taken into consideration your schedule. I'm sorry if I have inconvenienced you in any way. We can always plan for another time if that would suit you better. Perhaps you could plan the time, would that be better?"

   "Oh, no, you're date is doable. Tomorrow at noon you said?"

   The small smile was beginning to return.

   "Yes. Are you comfortable with the time, though? If at any time or reason you want to change it, I would be most will-"

   "It's a wonderful time." I couldn't resist the smallest smile of my own creeping up.

   That reassured him. He nodded then bowed slightly to me. "Excellent. Meet me by the bridge to the servants' quarters and I will be waiting there at promptly noontime."

   "Of course."

   Excusing himself, he begun off down the corridor until disappearing out of sight. Nonetheless, I waited until I was in the privacy of a close by room to let my smile spread to the fullest extent. Something inside me stirred in excitement at this new, sudden event. Never in my life did I believe the prince would reach out such a welcoming hand to me- all stemming from our first, perilous meeting before.

This, and the new friend I had made in Swethyna, made me believe the Fates were finally being generous to me.

I had not a thing to wear for an afternoon stroll with the crown prince. The only garments I had were my servant dresses and the one frayed dress I wore when I first arrived. Some of the other girls and women would buy material to create a dress for themselves whenever they scraped up enough money to go out to the nearby villages, while others got sent nice dresses from home for their birthday or another special occasion. I would ask Swethyna for a dress to borrow, but I had a more svelte figure than her. The option of asking the others in my room wasn't viable either. There would be the usual questioning as to why I would need it and I knew if I told the truth envy and strife would follow suit, so I never bothered with them.

    There was always my sister, but something kept me from approaching her about it. I never even told her about the first time I met the prince years ago on my way to Lochmere or the time after our bicker. It seemed I never got around to telling her about such things, but I felt there was more to the reasons why I hadn't told her anything.

   In the end, I nearly considered sending a message to reschedule our stroll, but I knew that was childish so I did with what I had. I worked the night before on trimming and mending the worn sleeves of my old dress, making them shorter than before. I also spruced up the brim of the skirt, cutting it a few inches. As it neared afternoon the next day, I carefully braided my hair in a style slightly different than the one I did everyday. I prayed I look presentable to go on a stroll with a prince.

   I was surprised how anxious I felt about going on a stroll with the prince, a prince who gave me no reason to be nervous, but inside, I was excited.

   As I crept out of the quarters, there he was, just as he said he would be, waiting patiently by the entrance. Involuntarily, a small smile crossed my face as I approached and greeted him. He always returned my smiles it seemed.

   "You look pleasant today."

   "Thank you, but it's really nothing special." I eyed him, eager to start out. "Are you ready?"

   "Of course."

   "Then lead the way."

   I was taken aback when he looped his arm in mine and started off that way, down the hall, away from the quarters. After a bit, I became accustomed to the gesture and welcomed it. Though we traveled in silence, I enjoyed the quietness of it all- it allowed for me to take in the palace and the grandeur I had yet to explore.

   "So forgive me for not asking this of you the last time we met, but I was in quite a shock." He began. "But how are you adapting to life here? Do you enjoy it here?"

   "It has been..." I knew if he had posed that question to me the first time we'd met, I would have told him my troubles and disillusionment. "Hard to adapt here, I must say, but my load has become much easier over the past few days, thankfully."

   "I'm gladdened by that."

   We walked in a silence a bit more until arriving at the door leading to the outside. Exiting the building, I wasn't expecting what I saw.

    The palace was such a place of extravagant detail and design, crafted for a splendid look. But the outside wasn't like that at all, no hand of man had meddle with it other than to maintain the small garden- which wasn't grand at all. We had stepped into the palace that nature itself had crafted, and it was just as flawless, if not more, than the palace made by man.

   For a minute, I was frozen in awe of the lush greenery of the long stretching meadow, of the rich forest ahead. But what drew my eye was a sight I had never witnessed before, one so pure and magnificent I nearly took a staggering step back. A valley unlike anything I'd ever seen laid beyond us. I lived in a province where no mountain range existed, so it was a bewildering, stunning moment to see such a marvelous valley.

    It took only a few moments for me to recollect myself as Odel pulled me along toward to forest and meadow, away from the spectacle before me.

   The pathway through the forest was wide enough for us to walk side-by-side, but there was a good amount of overgrowth to be mindful about.

   "Do you enjoy taking walks back at home?" He asked.

   "I never really took strolls. I merely walked from destination to destination- leisure walking wasn't encouraged. Besides, forests are all my province have, there's nothing much to observe in them."

   "Understandable."

   I glanced over at him and straightened myself a bit.

   "You talk like a prince."

   That caused him to look at me, puzzled.

   "I know you're supposed to," I explained, watching the path ahead of me. "But I guess it's odd hearing it all the time."

   He didn't seem to know how to respond, but he soon found his voice. "I'm sorry. If it bothers you I can always-"

   "There it goes again." I said absently, observing the serene forest. It was nothing like my forest back at home.

   Now he was flutstered, unsure of what to say.

   "P-perhaps I could speak to how you would prefer I do so? Would that make you more comfortable?"

   Finally, I smiled to myself then looked over at his troubled expression.

   "Speak how you prefer, but don't feel as if you must remain so rigidly formal. We are friends, are we not?"

   I wasn't sure what had made me so bold and more at ease with his presence when just minutes ago I was worrying myself silly over being invited on a stroll with him. I would like to believe it was the strength of those great mountains that gave me confidence.

   My response soothed him greatly. "Yes, we are."

   We journeyed along the path which led us to into a vibrant meadow. It was there were I paused to stare out into the endless, tall grass field. Noticing my pause, Odel ceased from walking to stand by my side.

   "Is everything well?"

   The breeze pushed gently past us, making our clothes flutter. A sudden euphoric energy built up inside of me and was released with the next gust of wind.

   The nature here felt like a piece of the high-spirited nature I was used to back home- as if it had followed me here. A smile spread across my face, then in a sudden burst of energy I ran, like a child, into the meadow, letting the tall grass tickle my legs whenever the wind played through it. Disregarding my shoes, I ran barefoot, letting the dirt get between my toes; my hair somehow became free of its braid, cascading waves of blond flowing in the breeze. I didn't make it far before I heard my name being called.

   "Aelita? Are you okay?"

   Catching my breath, I watched him from my place for a moment- we stared back at each other. Then, as if observing something change, the concern in his eyes faded and he merely stared in fixation back at me. Not thinking about anything other than our presence, I signaled for him to join me and, to my slight surprise, he did.

   Running to my side, he gasped for breath with a bright smile on his face as if he had never experienced something so freeing as this meadow.

    "Have you ever done this before?" I asked.

    "What? Run through a meadow? I can't recall such a time."

    That only made me smile more. So I told him to follow me. We didn't run like before but we still made haste to our steps as I led us to a massive oak tree in the center of the field. There, we rested and took relief in the shade.

   "You are a free-spirit." He said, looking at me.

   Rubbing my elbow, I scoffed slightly. "You believe so?"

   "Who would dare run into a meadow without any say so and pull others in?"

   A small smile slid onto my face as I stared at the ground. "I'm usually not like this. I don't know what's wrong with me today."

   "Nothing's wrong with you." He said with a firm gentleness.

   My eyes met his. We held each other's gaze for several seconds before I sheepishly pushed back my hair and stared at the hard packed ground.

   "What types of things do you do all day?" I changed subjects.

   "I go to breakfast then start my day looking over some written reports from throughout the kingdom, next I try to study some ancient laws or, most of the time, I write some mock laws myself. Sometime during the day I'll join my father in hearing out the people then see if there are other things that need my tending to. My days are never fully the same, let's just leave it at that."

   "It must be interesting to have a different schedule every day."

   "Well, not drastically different, but never the same."

    Rest against the base of the tree, I let my mind drift for a bit until a new question, for me this time, is presented.

   "Correct me if I'm wrong," He began hesitantly. "But you- the day you saved me, I remember something peculiar occurring. I could have sworn, on my life even, that you sent something like- like glass shards out from behind to startle the horse. But I fell off and was unconscious, so it could have been a mistake on my part. But it's plagued me for all these years to know if what I had seen had been a figment of my imagination or a real action."

   All while he had been explaining himself, I kept my gaze straightforward and my face expressionless to what I was thinking. I let silence drift by for a bit before speaking up once more.

   "Glass shards? I sent them?"

   "Yes, or at least I have my suspicions."

    The main reason behind my elusive response was not due to shame in what I could do, but rather how he would react if he knew. I could see our friendship growing during the time I would be here and I wanted to keep a valuable ally by my side, one who wouldn't be repulsed or frightened by me or what I could do. I had heard stories, over the years, of how some people mistreated those gifted with abilities merely because of faulty human fear or envy. I wanted to know Odel wasn't like those people, but I knew there was no other way of discovering that other than telling him the truth. Something about his eyes and the connection I was sensing with him, told me I could confide it with him.

   "What you saw wasn't a mirage." I said, drawing lines in the dirt with my finger. "I needed to stop the creature, but I was so far away, I couldn't do anything. But then I acted. I reached out my hand and sent ice to startle the creature which would halt it in place so you could jump off- at least, that was the idea.

   I knew his eyes were on me and just that thought made me want to stare back at him.

   "How did you do that? Where did the ice come from?"

   "My hand. I'm blessed by the Fates with the gift of winter. I can control the cold."

   "Blessed by the Fates?"

   "Yes, it's quite a rare, treasured blessing to receive from them. I found out when I was younger, perhaps seven or so."

   He didn't say anything for the longest time, making me fidget slightly like a small child. I kept my eyes to ground, though.

   "Does that disturb you?" I questioned, unable to take it anymore.

   "Disturb me? Why would it do that? Why would the blessing that saved me disturb me?"

   I lowered my voice an octave. "Because it does some people. I know that."

   Another soft breeze fluttered past us. Finally, I heard him speak as softly as the wind, "Aelita, lift up your eyes to mine, please."

   My eyes felt like lead balls in my sockets and I didn't have the courage in that moment to lift them up, or even my head. To help me, his finger guided my chin to lift my head up where, finally, I had the strength to look at him.

   "I could never be disturbed or disgusted or turned away from you. Your gift is beautiful and has gone to a well-deserved young woman who has already proven herself accountable to handle such a burden."

   His words stirred something inside of me. I had never felt so proud of my blessing in that moment- I knew I used them for how they were intended to be. The only person who had ever made me feel so honored was papa, he always held that glimmer in his gaze whenever discussing my blessing; maman and Feria didn't seem to full grasp it. But in that moment, something came alive in me, all due to his words.

   "Your words are flattering." I breathed. I had just realized how close we were, his warm breath stroking my face. "I'm not sure I deserve so much praise. It was the Fates who blessed me with such a thing in the first place."

   "I once heard, maybe it's foolish, but I once heard that a man with power who doesn't abuse it is stronger than a faultless man."

   "I never thought of it as such a great burden."

   "Well it's not a burden, it's a blessing."

    My eyes stared into his. I was looking for something but unsure of what exactly.

    Suddenly, he leaned the rest of the way forward, pressing his lips against mine. His kiss was as soft as his lips looked. It lasted only the briefest moment, but I ravished in it, it warmed not only my body but my soul. The reason for such a brisk kiss was his swift end to it. He was immediately ashamed of himself.

    "Forgive me. I-I don't know what I was thinking- I wasn't thinking at all. Forgive me for acting s-so-"

    I cut him off mid-sentence with a more prolonged kiss of my own. I was terrified of the rejection I'd receive for it, but he had already opened the door and I was seizing the opportunity. His hand reached up, not to push me away, but to draw me closer to him as our kiss deepened.

   I had never kissed anyone before in my life at that point, so I fretted over the satisfaction of it, though I tried my best to let passion be my guide.

    Eventually, we pulled back from our exchange; both appearing momentarily sheepish at what rash thing we'd just done, but all the while my mouth was burning with passion for more.

   "It is getting late, perhaps we ought to return." He spoke up, starting to his feet.

    I felt some disappointment with that decision, but never revealed it as I followed suit to began back. It wasn't becoming late at all, but what else could he have said? We never said a word about our exchange until coming into view of the palace again. He stopped me before we reached the door.

   "Aelita," He was having trouble finding the words to speak- odd for him.

   Placing a hand on his shoulder, I offered a small smile.

   "Thank you for the stroll." My eyes found the grand mountains again in the distance. "The nature out here is breathtaking."

   Whatever he wished to say vanished from his lips as he simply nodded and offered back a kind smile of his own. We entered without giving away any indication of our behavior in the meadow. We were about to part ways with a quiet farewell when he called back to me.

   "I would be honored by your presence tomorrow in the drawing room upstairs."

   A brighter smile had spread across his face, passing onto me.

   "Until tomorrow, then."

   "Until tomorrow."

    With that, we went our separate ways, me to the servants' quarters and him to wherever his duties requested of him.

    The minute I stepped foot in my room, I wanted to find Swethyna and tell her everything, but she wasn't around so I kept my joyful feelings to myself. Nothing could harm me the rest of the day. I thought endlessly about him, about the meadow with the pleasant breeze, and the shady tree. My first kiss still lingered on my lips. When Swethyna finally did appear, I whisked her off to a private place where I told her everything. She listened, of course, and was quite happy for me. There was one other person I wanted to tell, but she would be somewhere else doing her work. Besides that, I felt a tad bit reserved about telling her, which was absurd seeing how much we shared with each other before, but nonetheless, I never told her.

    That night, I dreamt of Odel and the joy he brought me. I felt it in my soul, but I never truly grasped the realization that something had just been planted and was now blooming into something much greater.