Lumi looked at the deep green dress she wore. It was too conservative for her liking. There were layers of the dark material, and then another layer of a sheer silk fabric going over the bottom of it.

"I don't like this one Macy," Lumi turned in the mirror, looking down at the floor-length gown and scowling at it.

"And there are buttons..."

Macy paused in her cleaning to stare at the princess. She wondered what Lumi had against buttons. That was the third time she had made the comment.

The dress reminded Macy of a military uniform with a feminine spin. Out of all of Lumi's dresses, this one was her favorite, but she wouldn't tell the princess that.

"It makes you look....regal..." Macy wondered if that would be a good enough word. Sometimes she didn't think regal was the description Lumi wanted to fit.

But Lumi still smiled and turned to her, putting her hands on her hips and nodding in approval.

"I think you're right. It reminds me of the guard's uniform. Only with a skirt. And it's not dark blue or silver but...green is still nice."

Lumi suddenly asked Macy, "Did you check on the little boy?"

Macy nodded, "He's doing well."

At first, Macy had been frantic to hear that Lumi had fallen in a pond. She was unsurprised but still worried. Then the heroic tale of how Lumi had not actually fallen in a pond but jumped headfirst to save a little boy had started to circulate around the castle.

Lumi had asked Macy to find the gardener and son, and make sure both were doing okay. Macy wondered if the gardener's tale was maybe exaggerated, but he certainly was grateful to the summer princess.

It made Macy wonder if anyone had bothered to tell the princess that even a grown man found it hard to swim in the icy waters- the sudden cold would often seize into his chest and make his limbs unmovable.

Though Macy suspected this was not the case. She had a feeling the guards had learned better, and if they told her of this more than heroic- actually inhuman deed- she might boast about it until their ears fell off.

So Macy kept quiet, smiling and looking at Princess Lumi with a mixture of awe and respect that the majority of the workers in the palace were now feeling.

* * *

It was very unexpected.

Lumi was sitting on her stool at the bottom of the throne, messing with the golden buttons on her dress.

She hated buttons. But maybe Macy was right and it did add some regality to her appearance. She didn't want to let go of the jewelry she loved to wear, but the disapproving look from Macy, and something about how it clashed too much, made Lumi give a deep sigh at the loss of her earrings.

She wished she could go back outside but for the past few days, the King had only given her a hard stare, raising a single eyebrow in exasperation.

That was obvious now.

Now she would have to fight back whatever freedom she had earned, all because she had done a good deed! It wasn't as if she had been trying to run away.

Court had been boring.

People coming in and out, the dignitaries openly gawking at her.

Lumi actually felt for once that she wanted to go back to her room and just sit there all day.

Until the man at the door made a sudden, unexpected announcement that had Lumi's head turning quickly in the direction.

"Kyst Reuel Crocus, Third Prince of the Spring Kingdom."

Lumi sat straight up in her seat, practically on the edge of it as a wide grin spread across her face.

Why was he here? But her excitement still was obvious for all who saw her.

And in came the prince of spring.

His eyes immediately went to Lumi, lighting up the same way hers had.

Prince Kyst quickly turned his attention back to the King, bowing low before raising his head to let the King address him.

There was a short silence before the King spoke, "Your note arrived only three hours before you did."

Prince Kyst coughed, obviously embarrassed, "Yes...I apologize for that. I left immediately after sending that, so I didn't factor in the time it would take for my arrival to be...received...."

The prince's words trailed off. Lumi turned around quickly and flinched. The King's appearance was like what it had been the first time she had seen him.

His face was hidden in shadows, a darkness seeping out from him.

"I was able to read your note. And the reason for your trip."

At this Prince Kyst smiled, "Good."

Lumi stared at Prince Kyst, as he glanced at her before looking back to the King.

"Maybe in a more private...?"

The King stood and walked down the steps. He motioned for the prince to follow him. Lumi huffed, trying to hide how irritated she felt at not being able to talk to Kyst.

With the King's back to them, Kyst turned to her and put a single finger on his lips.

Lumi tilted her head, unsure of the movement, but still smiling up at him.

He paused, looking at her, a look of deep pity in his eyes that made Lumi turn away from him.

Hopefully, she would have time to talk to him later. When he was less busy.

As they left the room she saw the familiar image of Wilmot, standing by the door, and motioning to her that it was time to leave.

* * *

There was a knock on Lumi's door.

Without much rational thought, Lumi's mind immediately went to Kyst.

She opened the door, her smile wide, about to tell him that he was late, but her words froze as she stood face to face with the King.

He looked down at her, his lips twisting into a scowl before he walked in uninvited.

She looked down the hall, feeling her cheeks heat when she realized the guards that were usually stationed in front of the King's door, had now moved to be by hers.

Quickly Lumi closed the door, turning back to face the King.

He had moved to the balcony.

Lumi sighed and followed him out into the cold.

The night was mild. No snow was falling, but the sky was still covered in clouds.

There was a long silence between them before Lumi could not take it anymore, "Why are you here?"

He only looked over the edge of the balcony, examining the side.

"How did you get to my room?"

She pointed impatiently at the edging that circled the castle.

He raised an eyebrow shaking his head and moving his eyes to look heavenward. He was doing that a lot with her lately.

"Why are you here King Theros," she asked again.

"You can call me Theros," he snapped.

She felt surprised at his sudden announcement but moved past it.

He looked calmly out into the open space before them, not turning to face her as he asked, "how do you know the Spring Prince?"

She tilted her head, "Kyst?"

He seemed to be clenching his teeth.

"Yes. Prince Kyst."

Lumi walked closer, leaning with him against the railing as she also looked out.

Their arms brushed against each other, but neither moved away.

"He's a friend."

"Just a friend?"

Lumi turned to put her back to the view, resting her arms on the railing and laughing, "why are you asking me this?"

"He came here to buy you from me."

Lumi felt all the air leave her.

He was watching her carefully as she slowly turned to face him.

"He came...to...." she couldn't finish her sentence.

"He said the summer Kingdom had originally promised you to him."

"No..." Lumi shook her head, "Or...I mean yes- but I rejected him or...I didn't think we were...that it would be..." her head seemed to be swimming.

He came to ...buy her?

It suddenly hit her.

People didn't buy people.

People bought cattle.

They bought slaves, and trinkets and land and food.

But people didn't buy people.

So...So Lumi wasn't a person.

She bent down, not wanting to stand. Not able to stand.

Theros went down with her, grabbing her elbow and staring hard at her face.

"What did you say," she whispered.

Was he here to tell her that he had sold her? She belonged to the Spring Kingdom now? That she was just something that was being passed from court to court.

His blue eyes were unnerving as they stared at her.

"What did you say," she asked again, her voice almost inaudible.

His grip on her arm tightened.

"No. I told him no."

Lumi didn't feel relief. His answer had only confirmed that the decision was not hers to make. They had walked away. They had walked into another room to discuss and bargain about her.

Lumi's legs completely gave out then, and she felt the cold wetness of the snow seep into her as she sat on the ground.

Theros still was looking at her.

"You're upset." Lumi wanted to argue that he was the one who seemed upset. But she only turned her head away from him.

He seemed to growl into the night, his hand roughly grabbing her chin, forcing her to look at him.

"You would rather belong to him than me?" Livid anger flared in his eyes.

Limi felt a wave of sorrow wash over her. Tears were stinging and threatening to surface.

She shook her head, "I would rather belong to neither of you."

His whole face froze.

Lumi watched as Theros' eyes widened just a fraction, before his hand gently pulled back from her chin.

She had been holding back for too long, and finally the sadness became too much for her. Lumi felt a sob rip away from her. She felt a tear fall from her face. And then another. And another.

Theros only stayed there, knees still bent and face level with hers as he watched her cry out into the night.

"Go away," she feebly pushed him, knowing he would not move at the amount of force she was showing. "Please just...just go away."

She put her hands to her face, hiding it away from view.

She had told him she was a warrior. Had boasted about her homeland and the people there. But now she was shaming her county and birthplace by crying in front of this foreigner- this man who looked like the snow and had eyes like a wolf.

She didn't want him here to see her weakness. She didn't want him here to evaluate and judge everything that was wrong with her as so many others here already did.

His arms lifted her from the snow.

She had a fleeting thought that maybe he would toss her over the edge. It just was a split second of irrational thinking before he carried her back inside her room.

He set her gently on the bed, tucking the covers over her.

She felt him hesitate. She had clearly told him to go away, but she could still feel him standing over her lingering.

She opened her eyes, peering up at him.

"I..." He seemed tortured about what he would say next. His hands clenched and unclenched at his side, hanging uselessly there.

Lumi sat up, sighing deeply. She spread her arms out, waiting in anticipation.

He seemed unsure of what to do with her movements.

She gave another deep sigh, "I did it for you- now it's your turn."

A flash of uneasy realization came over him as he slowly moved onto the bed. He lifted her silently into his arms, and without any other thought Lumi wrapped her arms around him, letting her head fall on his shoulder.

He fell back onto the bed, sighing as his own arms hesitantly went to wrap around her waist.

She snuggled deeper next to him, feeling his warmth and realizing that his presence was unexpectedly calming to her.

She had been pushing him away just a second ago, but when she thought back to it, hadn't he done the same thing when she had landed in his room?