Forget Me Not

    "For never was a story of more woe than this of Juliet and her Romeo." I closed the book and sighed with longing.       "Miss Pyxidis.  We need to get ready for the ball."  My lovely handmaid Miliana called to me from my personal bathroom where she was drawing me a bath.  I walked into the bathroom and let her help me out of my dress and into to warm bubbly bath.  Slowly she stripped and joined me.  I love my bath.  It's big enough for five or more and has jets and the water never turns cold.     "Miliana, have you ever loved anyone with such beautiful reckless abandon?" I ask dreamily as the short pink-haired washed my long auburn locks.     "Miss Pyxidis, you ask this every day and read that book just as often."  Miliana giggled.  "I heard the writer once lived here.  He would have been so embarrassed to see a princess worshipping his feet."     "But it is beautiful Milli."  I pouted as she threw bubbles at me.  Milli has served me since we were both just tiny acorn seedlings.  We are best friends before servant and master always.     "To love someone with all I have would definitely be an experience but you do realize they die in the end don't you?" Milli asked with concern.     "Well yes...." I said looking down into the bubbles.  I had cried my eyes out the first time I read the book and admittedly quite a few times after.  Milli seemed to notice the change in atmosphere and swiftly splashed me.     "Hey, don't look so down.  There's a ball today.  Maybe you'll meet your Romeo." She winked and I rolled my eyes.     "More like I'll have to fight off Leo's advances all night."  I cringed at the thought of my cousin who so desperately wanted to be the Seelie king that he would try to woo his cousin.  It's not uncommon here but I don't feel comfortable marrying my bratty cousin who used to shove me into the pond.  I was terrified of frogs as a child and he thought it was hilarious.  Leo has always been brave and fearless.  Even now he leads our army and trains the new recruits.  Milli just sighed because she didn't know what to say after that.  We got out of the bath and dried off with towels as soft as a baby's blanket.  Then Milli helped me into my favorite dress.  It was a flowing opal white dress with v cut top and sleeves that hung to the floor.  It was soft and silky due to being made from the finest spider silk.  Though my favorite part is how it seems to shift different pastel colors as I move and how the skirt billows out when I twirl.  The perfect ball dress, indeed.  I stared over at Milli as she finished wrapping her vines from her ankles to her knees.  She always dressed so simple but was still as pretty as a pearl.  At parties even the nobles noticed her but she always told them she was a simple servant.  After she told them that most wouldn't spare her a second glance.  I think she secretly hates balls because of it but she always accompanies me.  I hope she finds a beautiful love one day.  She is shorter than me by exactly one foot (she's 4'2) and she has a slender body with just enough assets.  Her short shoulder-length pale pink hair always has two small pigtails in it tied with cherry stems.  Her dress is a simple pale green sleeveless dress that stops at her midthigh and her lavender eyes are almost always glowing with cheer.  Her skin was gently kissed by the sun itself.  Alas, I wish I was that pretty.  I'm a princess but I look more like a twig and I look fragile.  I can use light magic very well so I'm not as helpless as I look.  My auburn hair reaches the floor, fades to pink at the ends and always has forget me nots woven into it.  My skin is pale as snow and my fingers are so slender I could be a skeleton.  I've been told my eyes are green as a cat's and flash just the same.  I almost like a doll made of porcelain with slightly rosy cheeks.     "Pyxidis, you're beautiful." Milli bonks me on the head with my book.  She knows me so well after all these years that it truly seems like she can read my mind.  She puts down my book and stands as tall and proud as she can while offering me her elbow.  "My lady, might I escort you to the ball this evening?"  She says while trying to make her voice sound low and masculine.  I giggled as I took her elbow.     "Why yes, you may."  I announced and we made our way to the garden where the ball would be held.  Fairies love to dance in the moonlight so our balls are always outside.  As we came to the entrance of the garden we were stopped by one of the many male servants who announce the people as they enter.     "Now entering, Crown Princess Pyxidis and Lady Miliana."  As he announced us everyone stopped and turned to bow to me as we entered the party.  Tonight was a mask party but what is the point of the mask if you're going to announce everyone who enters.  As I predicted Leo beelined to us as soon as we entered.       "Princess," He smiled as he kissed my hand and glance at Milli. "Miliana." He said with obvious distaste and a roll of his dark chocolate brown eyes.       "Lord Leonis." We said in unison while curtsying politely.  I was not a fan of the way he treated Milli or the way he insisted on wearing his red dragon scale armor to parties as a means to show but I'm a princess and can not be rude to a guest of my house.  The ladies loved it.  They fawned over his every word at every party while he sits at the table in his armor telling war stories.  They love his wild dirty blonde hair and chocolate brown eyes.  They love how tall (he is 6'0) and muscular he is.  It's all gone to his head yet he acts like I haven't heard the rumors of how much of a player he is.  Do not ask me how many times I've overheard a female servant saying she couldn't say no to his beautiful puppy dog eyes and how much she wishes he'd call upon her again.  Let's add that to the list of reasons to say no: he's cruel, my cousin, and an absolute trashy player.  I heard Miliana turned him down and pulled her rapier on him when he tried to corner her.  Of course, she'd never tell me so herself but she is a legend among the older maids who know he is no good.  I have the best handmaid and the best best friend.  I glanced up noticing Leo had been rambling on and on about something this whole time and narrowed my eyes in disgust.     "Lord Leonis, dear cousin, I simple must greet my other guest.  Please do excuse us." I said with a fake sweet smile and tone.  He nodded kissing my hand once more before turning and walking away.  As soon as he had he was swarmed by women once more. I held my hand out to Milli in disgust as she quickly and discretely pulled out a cleansing orb and cleaned my hand.     "Shall we greet some guest, my lady?" She giggled at my obvious discomfort.  I nodded and took her elbow again as we made our way around the ball greeting everyone regardless of status.  I never liked the idea of greeting only nobles so we made this our routine at every ball.  Finally, we got to a dark corner of the garden where Cheshire normally hides.  Cheshire is from the Fae Wilds and has no ties with either Seelie or Unseelie but always comes to our parties.  He often has a funny joke or new trinket to show me and Milli.  Honestly, I think he and Milli both secretly have crushes on each other so I try to make an excuse to hang around him at every party.  They are so cute and smitten.  If only they would realize it.  As we neared I noticed he had two people with him whom I had never seen before.  The girl was tall and slender maybe 5'4 with long black hair.  She wore a dress that looked to be made of ice and snow.  Its v cut sleeveless top dipped dangerously low and the dress was tight and slit at the right hip.  The oddest part was the crystal high heels she wore.  We don't often wear shoes here.  The male with him was tall, taller then Leo mostlikely 6'4, and his skin was kissed by the sun like Milli's.  He was slender but obviously muscular and wore a white shirt like a fairy tale pirate shirt with black ripped skinny jeans.  He wore a black hood with some strands of white hair slipping out.  What an odd pair he has brought along today.     "Cheshire," I curtsied as we arrived. "It's always a pleasure to see you, and you've brought friends?" I asked him with a sweet smile.     "Pyx, Milli." He grinned so wide that his eyes smiled too. "No need for that formality crap.  We're all friends here." He came over and hugged me and Milli in a big group hug.  "How'd you escape the lion?"     "Ah well duty called and he couldn't argue. You aren't going to throw me back out to him are you?" I teased.     "Never Pyx.  You're safe back here with the weirdos." He winked before turning to Milli and digging in his bag. "Look what I found, Milli, it matches your hair." He said as he pulled out a cherry blossom.  The girl beside him scoffed.     "You need more than a silly flower to court a girl Cheshire." She rolled her amber eyes and he turned red as a cherry and glared at her.  Now that I could see her better, she looked a lot like Cheshire. They had the same long black hair.  Hers hung straight down her back and his was braided down his back with twigs sticking out of it.  They had the same amber eyes.  Hers were sharp and almost looked bored where his were always bright and warm.  They even had the same pale complexion.  She was dressed so stiff I never even considered the similarities before.  Cheshire dresses so casually.  He wears a brown vest and black skinny jeans with a brown satchel.  Simple and casual while showing off his lean but muscular physic.  Her, well she's even wearing high heels.     "Cheshire, are you related to her?" I asked interrupting their glaring match.  Cheshire looked at me, frowned, and glanced to the side.     "She's my twin sister.  Her name is Cori." He sighed.  I glanced at Milli who was staring at the flower in her hands and blushing just as red as Cheshire had.     "Why are you so friendly with the Crown Princess anyway, Cheshire?  She's just a pretty little doll according to the people."  Cori rolled her eyes at me.  "Looks like porcelain doll too."  I glared at her before smiling at looking at my nails.     "At least I dress like a proper lady without having to worry about a boob slipping out?  My word didn't you hear this was a classy party?" I heard Milli giggle and Cheshire just dying of laughter as well as the most musical deep chuckle I had ever heard.  I stole a glance at Cheshire's male companion to see him covering his mouth with his gloved left hand.  Cori noticed too and glared at him in embarrassment.     "Juli, dear, don't let her make fun of me." She said to the man in a fake sweet voice with a pout on her lips.  The man rolled his eyes.     "Don't call me that."  He growled with a glare that felt like it instantly dropped the temperature.     "Juli turned down Cori weeks ago but she's been acting like they are together and telling people they are." Cheshire whispered in my ear.     "Wow, how pathetic." I muttered.  One of those couples songs came on.  Cheshire and Milli awkwardly blushed at each other and went to dance.      "They are so cute." I sighed while staring at them with adoring eyes.  Cori had stomped off after Juli refused to help her so it was quiet and peaceful.  I would hate for her to bring down this moment anyway.     "Princess Pyxidis, may I be so honored as to have this dance?"  My heart sank as I heard Leo ask me that.  I glanced and saw him on his knee extending his hand towards me.  I glanced around in fear hoping to find an excuse but seeing none in sight.     "I'm sorry but the princess promised this dance to me."  I heard the musical voice of Cheshire's friend Juli say and I glanced behind me smiling and mouthing a thank you to the honestly sexy man.     "Who are you?" Leo glared at him and said in an almost growl.  I glared at him.     "He is my guest and new.  Cheshire brought him and I promised him this dance to extend my friendship.  Who are you to be rude to a guest." I scorned him.     "You're right princess, I overstepped out of protectiveness towards my dearest cousin." He said looking at me with his puppy dog eyes and I tried hard not to roll mine as I took Juli's hand and dragged him out to the open.  That bastard only pulls the cousin card when he's trying not to be in trouble.     "Thank you again, Juli." I smiled at the kind tall man in front of me who had just saved me as we twirled around the dance floor.  He was a wonderful dancer.     "Why did you look so scared to dance with your cousin?" He asked with curiosity evident in his voice.     "He's a creep, to be honest.  He is the lion me and Cheshire were talking about earlier.  He wants to marry me so he can be king but he's cruel, my cousin, and a literal man hoe." I said with a roll of my eyes.  Anyone, who Cheshire calls a friend is one million times better than Leo and it also means I don't have to be so formal.  He chuckled again and I felt mesmerized by the sound.     "What happened to the formal, proper princess?" He said still laughing.  I blushed and looked down at my feet.     "I'm sorry, Cheshire refuses to let me talk like that with him so I assumed you'd be the same as you are his friend.  I apologize if I offended you, sir." I said shyly while still embarrassed.  He lifted his hand tilted my chin so I was looking into his icy blue eyes.     "No, I'm not complaining.  I actually like the way you talk." He smiled and I blushed as I noticed how close we were.  He seemed to notice at the same time and removed his hand from my chin to use it to pull the scarf part of his hood up to his nose while looking away.  Luckily the song had ended so we all gathered back at the corner and pretended any awkwardness hadn't happened.  The rest of the night was probably the best ball of my life.  We hung out together the rest of the night and Leo never disturbed us.  I noticed he tried but Juli would give him that ninth circle of hell glare and he would back down.  I'm surprised to see someone who is able to intimidate the lion with a look but I'm more grateful for it.  All too soon the ball was over.     "This has been the best ball I've ever had.  Please do come again, both of you." I smiled as I curtsied to Cheshire and Juli.  Juli hid his face in his scarf again and I couldn't help but think how cute it is that someone so intimidating and strong would be so shy.      "Of course, Pyx, I love coming to the balls to hang out with you and Milli." He grinned.  I noticed him and Milli giving each other cute little glances and blushing.  Toooo Cuuuute.  I just want to fangirl over them.  With that, we went out separate ways.     "Sooooo, you and Cheshire are awfully blushy..." I teased Milli once we got back to my room.  She blushed bright red.     "I didn't even notice he liked me too until his sister's comment today.  At first, I thought she was teasing then we dance and he said that he guesses the cat is out of the bag now and asked me what I thought of him..." She said with a dreamy look in her eyes.  I was literally on the edge of my bed.     "What did you say?" I ask excitement evident in both my voice as well as the twinkle in my eye.  She just blushed and smiled then we squealed together.  "I'm so happy for you Milli.  I told you someone would like you even though you're just a servant."     "I still can't believe it.  I'm so happy."  She said hugging me in excitement.  After a little bit, she sat back up. "What about you? I saw you dancing with Juli.  Is he your Romeo?" She asked with the same excitement I had shown her.  I blush slightly.     "He saved me from Leo.  I'm not sure if he is my Romeo but he is handsome, sweet, and his voice is heavenly."  I said looking down at my hands.  "But his glare reminds me of the ninth circle of hell." I said with a shiver.     "I know right.  I didn't know someone could drop the temperature like that with just a look." She nodded.  It was getting late so we said our goodbyes and went to bed.  Juli?  Could he really be my Romeo?