I stared hard into his face. He was not someone I knew. A pageboy maybe? He returned my gaze with emerald eyes. I felt my face burn hotter.
"Who are you?"
The boy chuckled. It was a pleasing, warm laugh. "Call me Cedar." He said with a sweeping bow. His sandy colored hair seemed barely tousled.
The sun was coming up over the trees. With the mist gone, the air warmed all around me. How much time had gone by?
"I'm very pleased to meet you Cedar, but I must be getting home. My mother will begin to worry." I said giving him a quick curtsy and climbed up onto Moon's saddle.
"A princess should never be left alone in the woods." Cedar said mounting his own horse.
"No, I'm fine, I know the way back."
"I insist!" His horse was now trotting beside Fair Moon.
He grinned at me and I gave him a half smile back.

"Mother, stop fretting."
Queen Arabella was busy playing with my brown curls. She centered my tiara then proclaimed me finished.
"Oh what is this, Dear?" she pulled a twig loose from my hair.
"A hairpin." I said quickly taking it from her hand and changing the subject. "Shall we go find Father and greet our guests?"
Another suitor was coming with his parents, the King and Queen of Merdyll.
Mother left my bedchamber to search for my father. I sighed looking at the twig in my hand. A week had passed since I saw the Forest Boy. Ever morning since then I had gone to the pond waiting for him. This morning was my last search.
I stood up to look into the mirror. A different person seemed to stare back at me. A pale creamy faced girl with beautiful brown eyes and curls. A lilac silk gown with a gold sash draped gracefully on her perfect body. The sight made my vision blur. I held back tears.
So many girls desired to be beautiful. Many princes wanted lovely wives. Why did I not think myself lucky?
This was not Ava. It was the Princess Avaline I hated. I would never love that part of who I was.
There was a knock at the door.
"Avaline, the prince is here. And my he is quite handsome. Come down and see. Father is waiting."
My mother's steps faded away as she strode down the corridor.
I sighed again and made my way down to the Entrance Hall.
Father stood talking to a tall handsome man and a graceful woman. Both were dressed in their finest.
A young man stood apart from his parents. With his arms behind his back and his legs apart, he looked just like his father only with a kinder face.
His emereld eyes stared into mine.