Once, there was a kingdom, and in this kingdom, lived a loved and kindhearted king. He was playful and treated each and every one of his people as if they were of his own flesh and blood. This king had ruled for quite some time, and had come to be very wise. But this king had a son, a prince, who had a heart cold as ice. He was always negative and hotheaded, and was mean to everyone who crossed his path. The king tried to help his son to be more compassionate, but the prince refused. He shut himself away from the rest of the world so he could be left alone with his bitterness.

The king was very worried about his son, as the king was getting quite old and knew he wouldn't be around for much longer. He wanted to ensure while his heart was still beating that when he was gone, his son would be pleasant and sweet, with a wonderful future to look forward to, but it seemed at this point like it was never to happen. The prince was becoming more and more twisted and evil as time passed, and the king planned for him to take the throne in mere months, when the boy turned seventeen. There was no hope for the poor prince.

Or so it seemed, till one day that could have been mistaken for any other. It was a common day, and that was how it began. But that all changed come afternoon. It was dawn out, and the twilight stars were peeking their eyes into the sky, beginning to awaken. The royal manor was busy preparing dinner, when a soft knock echoed through the enormous greeting hall. The king himself went to the doors and pulled them open to reveal a small little girl, covered in shredded rags and ashes, dirt, and scum. At first sight, one would have mistaken her for a young girl of 10, but as she struggled to stand it became plain to see that the girl was of about sixteen years of age.

With dirty blonde hair and tired, crystal blue eyes, the girl stood and looked into the eyes of the king. In a soft, voice, the girl spoke,

"Your majesty, sir, I'm so deeply sorry to be a bother. I come from a small, neighboring village, over those mountains. My whole village was struck by a wildfire, from which I was the only survivor. I have been traveling through those mountains for days, searching for anybody, and I've finally found you and your kingdom. I haven't eaten since before I began my journey, nor have I drunk a thing, and these are my only clothes. I wondered if maybe you could point me to the closest shop where I could pursue a job, or maybe get a bite to eat," She explained.

Now, I guess it nearly goes without saying, but this king was very optimistic. The beggar girl at his feet seemed gentle and kind, much like himself, and he saw hope in her. So he welcomed the girl into his manor, and sent her to one of the biggest chambers in the whole place, along with many beautiful dresses and a maid to help her. On her trip up to her room, she ran into the young prince, who stopped at the sight of her. As he was about to spit out a few evil words at the girl, he caught a glimpse of her face and quickly looked away. Confused by what he was feeling, he stomped away past the maiden. She felt even worse at the idea that her presence was upsetting one of the castle's inhabitants. She had no idea that this boy was the kingdom's prince. So, at that moment, she swore that she would only stay for dinner, and then slip away in the darkness.

After bathing and dressing, the girl was escorted by her maid to the dining room in a luxurious, blue gown. As the servant sat the girl down, the mighty king came in and sat himself as well. After a few moments of chat, the two heard whispers of disbelief filling the hall. Mere seconds later, the prince walked in, dressed in his royal garb. The surprised girl realized that this had been the rude young man who she'd ran into earlier in the halls, and couldn't believe that this boy was the son of such a kind king. The prince sat down to dine next to his father and guest, trying unsuccessfully to keep his eyes off of the mysterious girl. A foreign feeling filled him, the same one that'd overtaken him earlier when his eyes had first met hers. He'd pondered what it could be, and still could not place it.

They had a wonderful meal, during which the king and maiden chatted and laughed whilst the prince sat in silence, watching his two companions. They dismissed, and the girl was taken to her room, where she was yet again washed, and dressed for bed. The prince, however, traveled alone to his room, where he sat in deep thought, still trying to place the feeling. Abandoning his hopeless struggle, he begrudgingly went to sleep. But he became restless, and couldn't lay still, so he got up and began to roam around the castle halls in thought. Footsteps suddenly echoed through the halls, footsteps other than his own. He tried to ignore the tiptoes, but his curiosity got the better of him, and he followed the sound. It led him to the front doors, where he found the poor, young girl dressed in her dirty cloak, hood covering her face, reaching for the door handle.

"Wait, no!" He shouted as he grabbed her hand and spun her around. Her hood fell down, revealing the girl's face, and her eyes met his. The prince was finally able to place the feeling that filled him.

And he smiled for the first time.