***I reallllyyy like the name Maisie, and I know it’s already used by certain writers and such in settings similar to this story’s. I really like the name, however, and this is not the same character as other Maisie’s.***

I glanced at the pastures, watching the horses wander about.

It seemed as if they were at a calm, in the middle of peace.

I wished with all my heart that I could be too, but the roaring of my heartbeat proved wishing’s worth nothing of mine.

In my pocket rested a little note, the calligraphic words on it making my heart nearly slow enough to a stop.

-

_Dear Dunes family,_

__

__

_I’m proud to acknowledge that your ranch has been selected for the Royal Oak Trail Club’s weekly event center. Our crown prince, Prince Adrian, will be arriving tomorrow afternoon as to see that all requirements are fulfilled. _

__

_Sincerely,_

_The Royal Oak Trail committee_

-

I couldn’t handle it.

Royals? At our small-town ranch?

I didn’t want to believe it, as I’ve never been quite proper enough for royalty.

-

The next afternoon, my beliefs had been proved wrong.

I slumped against a tree in our apple orchard as my father was picking the fruit.

“Mais, the crown prince shall be here soon,” he announced, dropping a handful of apples into his basket, “make yourself of use, darling.”

As my father had expected, I stood up, buckling to the parental pressure.

“As you wish,” I murmured, smoothing out my dirt-stained white skirt that fell to my ankles. “I’ll check on the pie.”

“Okay, Maisie,” my father shouted back as I retreated to the fencing of our orchard.

To my dismay, I seemed to trip as I closed the gate of the broken fence.

But I had yet to fall, because I was captured in the arms of someone quite larger than me.

“A clumsy servant, are you?”

The words sounded in my ears so smoothly, I thought I had imagined them.

Yet I proceeded to process the meaning behind them.

I pushed the muscular wall of a human away from me as I regained my footing.

“Excuse you?”

As I attempted to stare the stranger down, I soon discovered it was a wealthier man, who could be not much older than me. A year, maximum.

I squinted at his black and gold jacket, just to realize who the man was as I came to terms with the crown upon his head.

The Crown Prince.

“I—”

Almost immediately following my final conclusion, I had started to drop into a curtsy.

“No need for the formalities,” the Prince commented, his eyes following me all the way up and down. “I do, however, require an answer.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” I replied, my eyes stuck on his crown.

Royalty.

On our ranch.

He nodded curtly, opening his mouth several times before finally speaking. “Not to be rude, my lady, but why are you not in more… proper wear if you are not a servant?”

My lady?

I had to bite my tongue from the remark.

Civil, Maisie. _Civil_.

“We do not have servants here. My father and I work the whole ranch, Your Highness,” I had answered, my eyes darting to my dirty blouse and skirt. “I usually help with crops, but today I must go check on the pastries.”

I turned to leave, but something caught my eye.

The prince smiled, to which caused me to finally look up.

What beautiful green eyes…

I shook my head. Don’t do that, Maisie. He’s a prince.

He adjusted his crown, which laid nestled upon his neat brown hair.

As he started to speak, he kept his gaze glued to mine.

“Before we do that, my lady, must we know the name of the other?”

“I know who you are, Your Highness. Crown Prince Adrian.”

It was bold to say, so I added a curtsy alongside it.

The prince stifled a laugh at my curtsy.

“Such a bold statement, my lady.”

He stepped closer, to which would have been seen as improper for a man and woman not yet to have said their vows.

“But I want to know who the beautiful maiden in front of me is.”

Shivers rushed down my spine, as a blush fled onto my face.

“Maisie,” I whispered, angling my face away from him as his gaze became so intense the shivers almost became unbearable.

In my peripheral, I saw Prince Adrian mouth the syllables.

I knew I wasn’t going to make it, but I didn’t think it would be as bad as it now will be.