It all seemed like something out of one of those romance novellas Pim used to read out o her brother quite often. And if he'd roll his eyes at her antics and impressions, she'd just run after him, book in hand.
The princess always fantasised having a lover. She's wished to have someone look at her, as if she'd hung every flicker of light in the night sky; to have a person to hear her mimic her brothers; to lay on the roof of the palace, staring out the observatory and reading out her audacious verses to a soul, the verses she'd compose.
The young princess wasn't someone who feared easily, but she was afraid she'd never be able to witness a love so beautiful, so enchanting like that of the Gods and mortals, and how the humans deemed themselves mighty enough to conquer the heart of an immortal. What romantic didn't enjoy a tragic love story? But who was the princess, to ask for something so precious?
And then came waltzing in a new face in their kingdom. A menace to her entire existence, Jumpol. She'd been convinced the young aristocrat was up to some mischief. And she had not been wrong, but a bit off about the kind of mischief.
A particularly pleasant evening, when the sun was just about a few minutes away from going to sleep, she had seen the young man. He had been sitting out in the royal garden, in the arena reserved for the king's subjects. He was sly enough not to be seated in plain side; he sat in one of the lesser frequented corners, right behind the gigantic oak tree. Pim wasn't sure what the crook was up to now (she believed he was one). But the second she went forward and hid behind a marble pillar, making sure her small frame was hidden from his view, she balked at the sight.
The delinquent sat with his legs outstretched, and on his lap lay the head of a boy, and teh boy was none other than the crown prince himself. Pim watched in silence as Jumpol's hands were embedded in her brother's soft hair and stroke. The young prince hummed a tune familiar to Pim. It was one of the hymns he'd composed, one of those late nights he stayed up late at night reading. Pim's blood boiled at the sight of the duo. How dare a meagre merchant put his hands on the crown prince, on her brother nonetheless!
Just as she was about to storm down the steps of the veranda, she paused. They were talking. Thoughs he'd been taught to not eavesdrop, old habits dies hard. Mother would probably assign her another wretched teacher if she was to ever hear about this.
"Will you leave after the Royal Fair, Jumpol?"
"Of course not, my Prince. I shall stay as long as you deem my being worthy to be by your side." The wretched boy replied.
"I want you by my side then, forever. Till spring gets tired of our love. Till the sun decides it's done bringing light to us." "Till Princess Pim comes bashing me with those ghastly big books of hers." And Pim had never heard a sound so gorgonizing being elicited from her brother's being. His laugh was full of love and affection and his smile, it was enough for her to know. After all, the prince was her brother. And her brother was in love with a title-less trader, who came barging into their lives bringing a wide variety of gems. But little did everyone else know, he captivated the rarest sapphire of the kingdom in return.
