Maybe someday there will be a way that one might find information pertaining to a specific individual without entrusting one’s findings in gossip. Oh, how Katarina wished it so. She wished she could subsist as innocent and “pure” as her name attested she ought to be. She was a disgrace to the kingdom, observing that she was the princess. No, Princess Katarina Mayana Anastasia Terrowin of the blessed and mighty kingdom of Dalencia was not as innocent as she should be.

She had been asking her acquaintances from neighboring kingdoms about this man for quite some time. As the seasons passed, and her knowledge of him grew, she longed to speak to him more and more. She fell in love with him, only from her friends’ descriptions of the noble knight. She felt as if she knew him better, even, than she knew herself.
The maid said he was voyaging over to arrive in a few days and reside at the palace for the summer season, visiting his royal allies for many fortnights. The chef attested that he was riding gallantly on horseback round the vast kingdom in search of a lovely bride. The cobbler swore he was to arrive in a carriage simply in order to purchase a pair of his fine leather shoes. Katarina decided to believe none of what any of them had to say. How could she do so when she knew that none of them had direct contact with any authority? When she inquired her younger sister,  she found the child had much more of an extensive and, more importantly, accurate knowledge of the actual arrangement. “He is coming to the palace for many fortnights. He is not announced to be in search of a bride, but he wrote me yesternight noting that he would not be opposed to acquiring a significant woman while he visits,” she explained. “Now, elder sister dear, do not raise your hopes above that which cannot be painlessly doused, for love makes for a powerful enemy.”
Unfortunately, Katarina could not abide by her sister’s advice, even if she had wished it so, which she obviously did not. Her sister was correct in stating that love is powerful. Katarina was determined not to allow an opposing force to hold her delicate heart. She knew she must charm her way into a relationship with this young man.
His name was Lucian. He had marched up the entry steps to the palace, banged on the massive doors, grunted acknowledgement of her presence, and demanded to be seen to his chambers. That was not at all how she imagined him being, all indistinct and aggressive. She knew he must have had a long and insufferable journey, and therefore decided to leave him to his unpacking until the ball that was to occur in honor of his arrival that evening.
Determined to win him over for a dance, Katarina dressed in her finest of gowns, a deep blue satin, and her most precious jewelry, sapphires set in white gold chains with diamonds carefully placed throughout the gorgeous pieces. The beauty of the necklace, bracelet, earrings, and tiara, however, did not distract from her own qualities. No, her shining chocolate brown curls, flowing and bouncy, were lucious. Her dark blue eyes, the color of the ocean, never ceased to amaze with their sparkling beauty. Her naturally pink lips were soft and inviting, set in the perfectly light and clear skin of her beautiful face. And when he leaned in, her sweet vanilla perfume would seduce him to her lovely touch, she hoped. Seeing the beautiful woman staring at her from her ornate mirror, she wondered, “Is it enough? Am I enough to fall in love with?” Only time would tell.
As it turned out, the mysterious Sir Lucian was not planning on attending to attend the ball, even as it was in his honor. So Katarina set out to his chambers, determined to persuade him to come out of hiding. At her arrival, Lucian eyed her suspiciously, letting her into the sitting room. The two sat across from each other, regarding each other with silent interest.
“May I ask what brings you to my chambers?” he inquired in a deep, interested tone.
“I would like to invite you to the ball in your honor.”
“I have previously received and declined that offer,” he snapped.
“My invitation is a bit more forceful,” she challenged, “Unless you would prefer to visit with me privately instead.”
“I may chose the latter. I do not wish to socialize with a petty crowd of royal society.”
“As you wish, Sir Lucian,” she drawled as she lurked nearer to him.
They began to discuss their childhoods and their similar dislike of particular fashions. It began as simple conversing, but grew to a deeper understanding. Katarina realized with a shock that the man her friends had described to her did not exist. Instead, before her was an impolite, opinionated man who was not acceptable by society’s standards, although she could feel herself falling for him. And when he leaned in, silently asking her permission for a kiss with those smoldering brown eyes, she knew she didn’t stand a chance.
Five years later, she stood, on the front steps of her new home with a warm bundle in her arms. Her husband joined her, wrapping her with his long, lean arm. Resting her head on his broad chest, she looked out at the village below them in the valley. She was happy with the knight she had married. They loved each other dearly. Looking at him, she remembered when she had thought him mysterious, dark, and rude. Those days were many seasons passed. The wonderful man she knew now was nothing like the lovely, gallant knight she learned of from her friends. He was not the bride-searching commoner her sister had led her to believe he was. He was also not the mysterious, impolite character she had met that first day at the palace. He was a caring, extraordinary, loving man who had given her love, a family, and a pleasant life to live. Gone was the enigmatic knight. Here was the love of her life.