The formal introduction

"Your Highness!" Harris twisted his body towards Shaun.

"Why are you here?" He asked looking at me.

"Uhm... Your Highness, this- ah... She is h-here- so..." Dean and Shaun laughed as Harris stuttered. Harris was shocked and his face going pale. "She's with me, Your Highness. Please forgive her as she do not know what she's doing." He bowed all the way to the ground.

I stood up and brushed my clothes. "I don't know how he's going to protect me with that attitude." I joked while shaking my head.

"You should get up now. Let's talk inside." Shaun said and we left Harris there lying on the ground, dumbfounded.

I walked beside Shaun. "Why'd you get him?"

"They say he's the best at your school."

"Best? I know someone better."

"Why?" I furrowed my brows at him. "Why are you smiling? Who's better than Harris that made you smile like that?"

"Smile? When did I?" Did I really smile at the thought of him?

"You just did."

"I didn't!"

"Ok, you didn't. Just tell me who's better than Harris?" He said in surrender.

"Blaze." He raised an eyebrow at him.

"That guy you told me about when I went to your house?"

"Yes."

"You think he's the best at your school?" He gave me a malicious smile.

"I'm not saying he's the best because I have some interest in him- I mean, I still hate him but I- but he's really skilled. You don't- shouldn't- You should appreciate or acknowledge someone's talent even though you hate them. And I think he really is... You know what? Shut up." Shaun just laughed.

"You always babble when you talk about him. I wonder why."

"I don't." I rolled my eyes at him.

"It makes me anticipate meeting this guy." What? I stopped walking, so did he.

"You've met him already." This time, it was his brows that furrowed.

"How could I have?"

"What are you saying?"

"I should be the one asking that."

"Was I wrong?"

"You know that I can't understand you, right?"

"I thought- and I was sure that he was the one you talked to when we met at the plaza. Was I mistaken?"

"What's his family name?" He asked me.

"Who?"

"That Blaze guy you always talk about."

"How would I know? I'm not even allowed to ask why he's late." I get annoyed as I remember how he asked me not to ask him any personal questions, how could I know his family name?

"What's his power?"

"I don't know... Something in the brain. There was a time when he made me forget about my headache. Amazing, right?"

"Blow me." His face full of shock. "I never... thought..."

"What?"

"You never told me he was the head of the royal guard's son."

"I never knew. I found out from you." I only overhead his conversation with Dean back there that's how I found out. He kept on nodding his head.

"What?"

"So you wanted him to be your royal guard."

"When did I said that?"

"Even if I knew that before, I don't think he would do it."

"Why?"

"Why are you curious? You said you didn't like him?"

"Then why did you talk to me about it when you won't tell me!?"

"I wasn't. I was talking to myself."

"You know you are annoying sometimes?" I rolled my eyes at him.

"I know, you always reminded me." We already reached my house, my real house. "And I already asked 'your' Blaze to be my royal guard but he rejected quite a number of times. Do you think he would agree if it's the Princess he's going to guard?"

"That guy has a lot more curiousity than you think he has. He would be dying to know who the Princess is. You know he was always curious of who am I."

"You did it again."

"What!?"

"You were smiling. And your smile had just reached your ears."

"That's so exaggerated!"

"And you were not annoyed that I called him yours."

~And one more thing..." He pushed the hair falling on my face to my ear. "I'm yours."~

I suddenly remembered when he told me that he was mine when we were walking towards the open field.

"Now you're blushing."

"I don't blush!"

"Then what was that? Your face just turned up bright red. Did you swallow a laser?" He mocked me.

"Shut up!"

"Why was he curious of you? Do you think he likes you too?"

"Too!? Too? Are you fuckin' serious?" He flicked my forehead. "Ow! Why do you guys always do that?"

"You're inside the palace walls lady. Your bad choice of words are not acceptable."

"Whatever." I rolled my eyes at him. How could he think that I like Blaze? And Blaze likes me? No, no. He's just curious and he doubts me. Harris and Dean finally arrived inside.

Shaun mentioned them to sit at the sofa opposite to where we are sitting. "Let's not skip the formal introduction even though the two of you seems to know each other, judging from the way he buried you earlier." He started off.

"Princess Sheen, Your Highness. This is Harris Dril, he will be your royal guard starting today. He was approved by the royal council and His Majesty gave his blessing on this." Dean said.

"You're telling me that she-" he pointed at me. "is the Princess?"

"I know you were shocked, but the proper way of addressing the Princess is Your Highness. And pointing a finger towards anyone of the royal family is considered very impolite." Dean really looks and sounds intimidating whenever he does his job.

"Please forgive me, Your Highness." He bowed to me.

"That's ok, you saved me earlier." I laughed and he gave me a sideward glare trying not to show Dean and Shaun that.

"How is he going to- you know... like protect me? Is he going to stay here or-"

"If he's going to protect you here, did you think we would have bothered getting someone from your school?"

"I did think. I just wanted to ask you so you would be wasting your time and saliva answering my questions. Why?"

"We are not asking you to stick with her for twenty four hours. But when she is in danger, we hope you will always be the first one to stand up for her, protect her, fight for her. You know how important the Princess is to our realm, right?" I hissed at the word important. Who in this realm ever think that I'm important? "We need you to help her conceal her identity. There are already some doubting her identity and there will be more in the future." Dean looked at me, contemplating whether he would continue what he's about to say. He moved closer to Harris and whispered. "And report to us who she interacts with everyday. Keep an eye on those two dark faes lurking around."

"You know I can hear you, right?" I said irritated. Why do all of them doubt Lumine and Zeno, they're good faes.

"And tell me if she has a boyfriend or someone that makes her smile and blush and blabber and her face lights up million times than her usual happy expression." I glared at Shaun.

"Wait. Do your girlfriend know?" I asked Harris.

"Can she know?"

"You think?" Dean asked him.

"I'm sorry. She doesn't know." He lowered his head.

"What if she started doubting?" I asked him again.

"Why are you always so full of questions? I'm sure he can handle it on his own. Are you trying to get rid of him because he's not the one you wanted?" Shaun scolded me.

"I was just curious on how. And when did I said I didn't like him?" My voice started sounding irritated.

"Why are you getting annoyed? I was just mocking you."

"Why can't I be curious? You always tell me not to ask questions but you answer others questions which is exactly the same from my questions. Why am I the only one not qualified to ask? My questions are not always irrational." Memories of Blaze telling me not to ask him personal questions came flashing back.

"What are you? Judging the way you just blabbered, I think that was meant for-"

"Shut up!"

"Ok! Ok! Aren let's head back to the main palace. We'll leave you two to decide on your own on how you'll be interacting with each other without getting caught." He told me and Harris.

"Your Highness, I told Lily to serve you two, food for lunch." Dean cut in and they both left us.