Tears brimmed in Poppy's eyes. 'They hate me. They really hate me!' The knight looked at the princess with sympathy. 'He is not the best match for the princess.' Now that the betrothal was announced in front of all the nobles in the kingdom there was no going back. The Duke had no family to object to this union so he was stuck like chuck.

Poppy wanted to run. To cry in her room until no tears were left anymore. But she had to put her feelings to the side and follow proper etiquette. She bowed as low as her aching feet allowed. 'Thank you for the present father," her voice held no emotion. The King smiled proudly as he saw nothing wrong with the situation.

The Duke's reaction was far different than the depressed Princess. His thought process was simple. 'I'll just kill her before the wedding.' His assistant Steven could read his master's mind by his expression. 'The poor princess,' he sighed.

The Duke was one of the few high ranked eligible bachelors. He was extremely handsome. He was tall, had long silky black hair, and piercing blue eyes that brought the word 'Frost' to life. He had sharp facial features that left a powerful impression. Many younger noble girls had crushes on him but their parents were very adamant in making sure they never went close to Duke Frost. This was all because of one reason. There was one person who was heavily suspected to being the culprit for the late Dukes death. Loki Frost.

The investigation eventually wasn't able to find solid proof to Loki being the murderer but that also meant that nothing came back proving his innocence. Such rumors were all it took for people to avoid him like the plague.

Loki had completely forgotten about his interaction with the Princess at the last ball so when he looked at her he felt no emotions. He just thought she was extremely short for her age. She barely made it up to his mid waist.

The Duke bowed and wordlessly accepted the engagement. Once he straightened back up he noticed that Poppy had disappeared. He turned around and noticed a blur of blonde step out the exit to the garden. He decided to go outside, not because he was curious to see if the princess was outside, but because he needed the fresh air.

•••

The princess was back at her signature fountain. She had grabbed a orange soda on her way out. As tears silently rolled down her face she stuffed cake and soda down her throat. All she wanted to do was hug her pillow and never leave her bedroom.

The sound of someone walking through the maze caught her attention. She assumed it was a maid but when Duke Frost emerged from the darkness her heart sank. 'He is the last person I want to see right now.'

The Duke stared at the mascara stained cheeks of the princess. Her plate of desserts was half empty now. He watched as her puffed up cheeks slowly chewed. 'She looks like a squirrel.' The Duke snickered to himself. The Princess narrowed her eyes at Loki and then turned her gaze back to the moon. She began to day dream about a laboratory she could build on the moon. No one could disturb her sleep there.

The Duke however was contemplating one crucial thing. 'Should I kill her now? No it's her birthday. She will have to receive all her presents so the maids will be looking for her. But then again, do I care?' Poppy looked back at the Duke and saw him thinking intensely about something.

'Food helps me think,' she observed. She looked down at her plate and eyed the lone chocolate cupcake. She had eaten it's friends and wasn't sure if she planned on eating the last. She grabbed the cupcake and offered it to the Duke.

He was snapped out of his thoughts scanned the item in the Princess's hand. He stepped a bit closer. 'A cupcake? Is this some weird trick?' He picked up the cupcake and eyed it wearily. 'Is it poisoned? Is she trying to kill me first? Well, Princess I'll have you know I actually am immune to all poisons so your assassination attempt is in vain.' He bit into the cupcake in spite and cringed at the sweetness. He forced himself to swallow it and coughed.

He stuck his tongue out as the flavor hung on his tastebuds. Poppy watched his aggressive bite and later disgusted response and burst out laughing. She grabbed her stomach as she wheezed from laughter. The Duke looked startled and confused. He watched the princess as she gasped for air in between laughing fits. 'was that really that funny?' He pondered. She beamed at him and apologized, "I guess sweets aren't your thing."

Her smile caught him off guard. It was a completely different expression than the emotionless princess she was forced to be in front of the King and the melancholy face she made as she stared up at the stars. She had a beautiful smile underneath those masks and he couldn't help but feel sympathy for her.