Several Years Ago
It was a sunny noon.
Outside the door there were so many anxious people, including the emperor.
Inside the door was the second empress having been pregnant for several months. She was now giving birth to the sixth baby of the emperor.
Waa-waa.
Joyfully, the emperor rushed in.
It was a lovely girl and he loved her so much. She was the fifth but most lovable girl. He carried her in his arms, stroked her tenderly.
“May I have a touch with her, Your Majesty?” asked a pretty girl.
“Get on well with your new sister!” he passed the baby to her, who was the eldest princess.
Waa-waa-waa.
“Oh no! Please stop!” she cried out, “no!”
Waa-waa.
“You seem to frighten her,” came a handsome and thin boy, “let me do it instead.”
The baby smiled as soon as she was delivered to the boy. “Hey! It is unfair!” cried the girl.
“But she seems to like her brother better, ha-ha.” he laughed.
“You should work hard to become her beloved, my daughter.” the

emperor touched the girl on her head.
“Let me see,” came another man, “what a cute girl! What’s her name, Your Majesty?”
“Hmm…” thought for a while, “Frol! How about it?”
“Your wise decision!”
“Frol, my own sister.” said the boy.
Several Years Later
“Your Majesty, the man we require is now standing below the steps.” says the servant.
“Your Majesty, do you really want to break the ancient rules set by our ancestries?” says a handsome and thin young. He is the crown prince.
“Yes, my son,” says the emperor, “it is time for us to make some changes! We won’t obey them any longer!”
“Then what about that young man?”
“He is the new number of the Senior Knights.”
“But the senior knights are always nobles.”
“He is the first ordinary! This is an experiment! If the ordinary can do well like other nobles, it will be time to increase the member of the senior knights!”
“Follow your wisdom.”
“Take him to the training base,” the emperor orders the servant, and says

to the crown prince, “what’s more, I’ve heard that your little sister is a little rebel.”
“Well, Your Majesty,” worriedly, “I think she’s reached her rebellious period. She is actually a bit naughty these days.”
The man is very nervous.
He is now standing below the steps of the palace.
“Come this way, sir,” says the servant.
This is the most important turn in his life, so he must catch the chance.
Arriving at the training base, he meets another man. The man looks gentle. No doubt that he is a noble.
“Welcome here, sir,” the man stretches out his hand. However the ordinary is hesitant. Evidently he is a little shy.
“Don’t be awkward, young man,” the noble smiles, “most of the nobles here are friendly in fact, so never feel ashamed of your ordinary character. Believe in yourself!”
The ordinary finally reaches out, shaking hands.
“I’m the Head of the Senior Knights,” the noble says, “you must obey the orders from now on. But if you have some problems, just ask, me or anyone here else.”
“Thanks a lot for teaching!”

The young knight has to go ahead because of the push, and he finally can’t let himself stop steadily and hits on the princess.
“What are you doing!” she shouts.
“No! I, I’m sor…”
“You do want a fight, right? I’ll erase your arrogant thinking and make you a loser!”
Oh, no! He now can feel the frightening power around her!
Suddenly he finds the Head, who is standing nearby and laughing at him with other knights. Clearly, he is a victim of his trick.
He has got no choice but to draw out his sword and to fight recklessly. Now she is also ready to fight.
Wait, she draws her sword with her left hand? He can now be certain that he will lose, because he doesn’t know how to deal with a left-handed.With no doubt, he lose in minutes.
What a cruel princess, he thinks, he will be killed very soon!
But to his surprise, she stretches her hand instead of killing him. Though it is strange, this time he reaches out his hand without hesitation.
“I know, it the Head who pushed you, right?”
“Er, how do I say…”
“Well, I wanted to test your skills. I can see that you can be an excellent knight if you train hard.”
“Thanks for your high praise, princess!”

“You’re still alive, young man!” still laughing, “it’s a miracle!”
“Never do that again, please!” he shouts with his last breath.
“Sincerely sorry!” the Head apologizes, “but you really did a good job!”
“No, thanks,” tiredly, “the only thing I want to do is to take a rest.”
“How about the garden over there? It’s not very far and is very silent.”
“I’ll go there.”
“Remember to come back on time!”
“I see.”
It is a royal garden. There must be servants come to arrange it every day. And the plants grown here must be top varieties.
He stops and takes a deep breath near a bush of white rose and, suddenly, he hears some noise.
What can that be?
Next second, something grabs his ankle. Before screaming he finds it is a little girl.
“What the…”
“Shh…” the girl asks pitifully, “don’t tell her I’m here please, please,” with her voice getting lower and lower gradually.
At the moment a maid comes and says, “sir there, have you seen our little princess somewhere?”

“The little princess?” he remembers the pitiable look of the girl, “sorry, I’ve been here for a while, but I haven’t seen anyone.”
“If so… I’ve to go to somewhere else.”
“Will you be punished if you don’t find her?”
“No, His Majesty will worry about her more,” then she walks away.
“Well, little girl, she’s gone.”
“Thank you so much kind man!” she stands up and slaps at her dress to clean it.
“So you’re a daughter of the emperor?”
“Kneel down! You’re too tall!”
“Sorry.”
“And how can you be so impolite? You should call father ‘His Majesty’!”
“Sorry.”
“I haven’t seen you ever before. What’s your last name?”
“Reounie, princess.”
“I’ve never heard that last name, so you’re a ordinary? Then why are you here?”
“Yes, princess, I’m the first ordinary to be a senior knight…”
“Senior Knights! How interesting! I’ve heard that one of my four sisters joined it days ago!”
“Yes, and I fought her just now.”
“What’s the result?”

“She beat me in a short time. Actually I was almost killed by her!”
“That can be her! She’s always cruel like that, especially to me!”
“Don’t you get on well with her?”
“Not really. In fact I dislike her. She always shouts at me.”
“I see. Then, why did you hide yourself?”
“Well, they want me to take lessons of propriety, however I don’t.”
“But how can you cut lessons!”
“You disagree with me! I start to hate you from now on!” like a spoiled kid.
“No, no. It’s my wrong, right?”
“Yes! You should obey me!”
“Okay, my little princess.”
“Too impolite!”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
The knight kiss the back of her hand gently.
The clock rings.
“Oh, time to gather!”
“What?”
“Knights should get together in the base each time the clock rings. It can be a new task.”
“So you must leave now?”
“I’m afraid I’ve to say yes.”

“I need you here, to protect me.”
“But I’ll be punished!”
“Then let me go with you.”
“With your sister there?”
“Ah…”
The knight runs away quickly during her hesitating.
“Just in time, young man,” says the Head, “what makes you stay there for so long?”
“Er…”
A man in green is sitting elegantly.
“Sorry, teacher,” the little princess appears.
“You finally come,” he stands up and bows to her politely, “Your Highness.”
“Teacher, I met a nice man in the garden.”
“A man? Who?”
“He is a senior knight.”
“So he is a noble too? Is there anything special?”
“No, he’s not a noble. He is the first ordinary to become a senior knight!”
“You seem so happy, Your Highness.”
“Yes! We had a chat!”
“Your Highness, please remember your character!” he says seriously,

“keep at a distance with the ordinary. That guy may use you if he finds you are easy-going.”
“But teacher, Mr. Reounie is not bad!”
“Sorry, but I can’t let him hurt you!”
“I know…”
“Time for a break now,” the Head comes, “you’re still energetic, young man. What actually happened in the garden?”
“I think I’d better not tell you.”
“That means there is something really having happened?”
“You trick me again!”
“Well, let’s forget that. However someone is waiting for you in that lobby.”
“Who?”
“He is the royal magician, who has served our emperor for years.”
“Why? I haven’t known him ever before!”
“How do I know! Go to meet him now.”
Not knowing the reason, he comes to the lobby with fear, and finds a man in green sitting elegantly.
“Are you Mr. Reounie, that ordinary?” that man in green says.
“Yes I am. Are you the royal magician?”
“I’m the royal magician,” seriously, “I’m also the little princess’s teacher.”

The knight suddenly realizes why he comes.
“I heard that she had a good time with you.”
“Yes, I remember that.”
“Well, I first thank you for making her happy,” he gives the knight a look full of hostility, “but I suggest you keep away from her. She’s our emperor’s favorite daughter. I don’t think you can afford the responsibility if she gets hurt!”
“I…”
“What’s the matter, teacher?”
The eldest princess comes. Her dignified poses of walking and standing, make others feel uncomfortable.
“Nothing special but a greeting, Your Highness,” he says in low momentum, and then straightly walks away.
“Thanks for helping, Your Highness.”
“You should know I don’t mean to help you,” she says coldly, “what I want to do is to drive him away. I dislike him. He always says something bad of me to my little sister. You should never feel terrified of him, since he is only an arrogant running dog of the emperor.”
“But how can such a man be the emperor’s beloved?”
“I don’t know about my father, but the bad man was once favored by my grandfather. In fact brother has told me our father dislikes him either.”
There may be some troublesome contradictions in the royalty, the knight

thinks.
“Man, never listen to him and forget all he said soon. It doesn’t matter to do this.”
It is another day and the Head comes again when it is time to take a rest.
“Hi, young man, you make progress again.”
“How can you visit me so frequently? I think you are harmful to me!”
“Did I bother you? Sorry, but it’s the order of His Majesty for me. He has asked me to take more care of you. After all you’re a special one.”
“So will you stick with me?”
“You bet! Shall I show you around the imperial palace?”
“Can I visit it?”
“Of course! Don’t forget you are a senior knight now, so you have the entry.”
“I can’t wait!”
He has never thought about having a chance to visit the royal palace. He is so excited.
“Hi there,” comes the maid, “you’re the man that day, aren’t you?”
“In the garden?”
“Well, sir, I finally knew that it was you who helped our little princess hide.”

“Sorry.”
“What’s up young man?” says the Head.
“Oh, are you the Head of the Senior Knights?” cries out the maid, “His Majesty wants you to come to meet him at the first palace.”
“What can be that for?”
“Seems to talk about the ‘new one’ with you, though I don’t know what it means.”
“I know it. You let this guy sit somewhere now. And you young man, just wait for a moment,” then he runs away quickly.
“Er?” the knight seems stunned.
“You’re a senior knight by the way? I’m so sorry for my rudeness before.”
“Never mind. After all I’m not a noble.”
“Hah? I don’t really understand.”
“I mean, I’m the ‘new one’ actually.”
“Alright, seat yourself here please. However I still have something to do now.”
“Goodbye then.”
“Wish you a good day, sir.”
As both of the Head and the maid have gone, it is boring to stay alone. He wish someone to talk to him.
“Mr. Reounie, is that you?”

It is a delicate voice.
It is familiar to him, so he looks around and finds her.
“Princess!” he stands up immediately.
“Sit down! You’re too tall!”
“Sorry.”
Then the little princess sits near the knight, with her feet not touching the ground.
“Why are you here, Your Highness?”
“My room is close here! And I’m so bored today!”
“With no companion?”
“Actually I’ve few friend. I dislike the feeling of being surrounded by lots of nobles,” she takes a breath, and continues, “I seldom feel delighted, but the day I met you is different. I was so happy that day! However, teacher doesn’t allow me to see you again.”
“But you’re against him now.”
“I’ve never violated him yet before, since he’s the only one to take care of me sincerely. I like him very much. This is my first time to disobey him!”
“Then why isn’t he with you today?”
“He is the royal magician. He has got something more important to do today.”
For a while they just sit in silence.
“Mr. Reounie, can you, hug me?”