Princess Molodia stood on her balcony looking between the Knight standing in the courtyard below, and the prince who stood behind her. The prince Berno was hansom with blue eyes and blond hair, though slightly pudgy. He had been the one she loved for so long. But things had changed. She looked back down in the courtyard at the Knight. He was hansom also, with curly brown hair and eyes like sunlight on a shadowy pond. The moonlight gleamed off his doublet and his hair giving him a luminous appearance.

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He could love her, she could tell. Sure Berno was chosen to marry her, but he didn't love her, not truly. And did she love him?? Well she once did. She remembered when she first saw him. He seemed to shine in the midst of the crowed. But she wasn't dumb, not she. She wanted someone who was more than beauty. So she dressed as a court artist, and began painting a picture of him. He noticed her soon after that. Their eyes met a million times in that afternoon, and she fell in love.

She remembered his face when he realized she was the one he was brought to marry. And then the months after, the poetry, the beautiful letters. But he lived in a distant castle, and so letters was all she had. As a prince he was too busy to visit her often. And so her romance was as real as a dream.

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Molodia looked back at the courtyard. Berno's personal knight still stood there in the moonlight. Her heart skipped a beat. She could still feel tingling where he had touched her hand, helping her off her horse this morning. There was just something about this knight. She knew he could love her like she wanted to be loved. Truely, deeply, and endlessly. She wanted to be loved for her, and valued how she deserved. Berno's Knight Demonte could do that. She didn't know how she knew, but something told her he could.

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Flustered by the decision she had to make, she walked back into the castle in search of her friend, the maiden Geanette. She found her in one of the sitting rooms with the lord Ylezi, her fiance. Molodia and Geanette went off into another of the many rooms to talk.

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"you have to talk to Demonte..." Said Geanette "Tell him how you feel."

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"I know" sighed Molodia "But, I don't want to hurt Berno. I just feel like he's going to thing I led him on."

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"He probably will. But you have to do what you feel is right."

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With this advice Molodia walked slowly back to the chamber where Berno waited for her. She stood by the door a minute getting her breath, and then walked in nervously.

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"Berno, we have to talk."

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Molodia could tell from his face that he knew what was coming.

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"Berno, we've grown apart. I love you, but, it's so hard. It's like loving a dream of someone. This is the first time I've seen you since our engagement. I cant go on like this. Maybe if you lived closer, and I saw you more, it would have worked. But we're both kidding ourselves. How can I love someone who's never here?"

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Molodia put her arms around his neck.

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"I don't want to hurt you. But I think being together will just hurt us both worse. Find someone who deserves you. Someone who worships you, as I didn't. And be happy."

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She turned away, and then turned back.

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"Also. I would like to get to know your knight Demonte better. I've seen him, and I think I could love him."

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"Who?" Berno asked, looking confused.

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"Your Knight, Demonte, who travels with you everywhere." Molodia answered, wondering why he was unable to recognize the name of his own Knight.

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"Oh." Berno said. "Demonte... The knight... Yes."

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"And I was wondering," Molodia said slowly, feeling bad for having to ask this s of the man she just broke up with. "Would I ha ever a chance with him??"

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Berno looked at her with unfocused eyes. "I don't know." He stammered.

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Just then there was a knock on the door. Molodia opened it and was surprised to see Demonte standing there.

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"I...I'm going to head back to my room, if that is ok with you your majesty" Demonte said to Berno.

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"Wait!" Said Molodia "Can I talk to you for a second??"

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"Me?" Said Demonte, surprised.

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"I'll just leave you two alone." said Berno, walking towards the open door, and then closing it behind him.

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Molodia walked out on the balcony, and looked out at the stars, aware of Demonte standing behind her.

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"I... I.. just wanted to tell you. That I think I could love you." Molodia stammered "I don't expect you to love me back. I just though I should tell you, in case you did feel the same."

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The next few seconds were blurry and awkward, like a feverish dream. Molodia walked away, down to the sitting room with the lords and the ladies of the court, feeling quite rejected. It wasn't a new sensation for her. Many princes had rejected her hand because she wasn't beautiful, and elegant like princesses should be. So rejection wasn't something that was hard for her to bare. All she needed was her friend's support. To her surprise, and confusion, Demonte followed her down the hallway, and into the sitting room, where all her friends, as well as Berno lounged. She sat by Geanette, who had left the side of Ylezi in one of their many fights. Glancing over at Demonte ocationally, who seemed to be looking right at her constantly, her confusion grew. Did he like her or not?

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Finally she told Berno and Demonte that if they wanted to they could come sit on the girls side. It seemed like a good way to put it. If Demonte did like her, he'd come sit, if he didn't, it was already an insult, so she wasn't putting herself out to get rejected even more. As she hoped, Demonte came and sat by her. But that still didn't mean anything necessarily. After sitting like that for a while, Molodia decided she had to do something. So she looked at his pocket watch, pretending to care what time it was and then left her fingers lingering against his as she pulled away. When he still didn't' do anything, she wiggled them slightly, and then, joy, he took her hand. And finally she knew. He loved her back.

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They spend the whole night in embrace. And her virgin lips experienced their first, second and third kisses ever. What bliss.

In the morning he came back. Him and prince Berno. She noticed Berno gaily flirting with all the ladies of the court as she sat in Demonte's arms. Geanette, who had another horrible fight with Lord Ylezi, and broke their engagement for a 27th time, seemed to be the center of his interest. Out of the corner of her eye she watched the man who she'd loved for so long, slip phaselessly out of her life. A hint of jealousy tinged her view. But it was washed away by the touch of her Demonte. She turned and smiled at him, feeling the happiest she had in a long time.

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