The kingdom of Aguasuave is a rather small kingdom that isn't very wealthy. yet its subjects live in peace and harmony among each other. Moreover, the king and queen of Aguasuave are fair and modest rulers. However, that doesn't mean that they don't sometimes think about having more for their family and subjects.

The royal family of Aguasuave is a bit large, as the king and queen have quite a few children. They wanted at least one of them, preferably one of their sons, to venture out, marry a wealthy and smart princess from another kingdom, and open a door to a strong and lasting alliance and friendship that would benefit everyone. Because their eldest son is always in some kind of trouble, they've decided to set their hopes on their next son, Prince Juan. The only issue was that Prince Juan preferred to stay to himself, and hardly ever left the castle. So, his parents needed to find a way to get him out of his shell.

One day, the king and queen of Aguasuave decided to take advantage of when their eldest daughter, Princess Marina, wanted to invite the princess of Dulcetierra to their castle for tea. Princess Marina would actually do what her parents wanted Prince Juan to do, which was venturing out and making friends with other nobles. And it was thanks to her that her parents received information about the Princess of Dulcetierra that convinced them that she would make a very suitable match for their son. So, they fully supported Princess Marina's desire to invite her to the castle.

A few days before the princess's arrival, as the queen, Princess Marina, and some of her sisters were making preparations, the king had a little talk with Prince Juan, informing him of the princess's arrival.

"Oh...that's good," said Prince Juan, "We don't really get special visitors to the castle. I hope she enjoys herself here."

"Your mother and I want you to meet her. We think the two of you would make a good couple," said the king.

"Wait...you want me to date her?"

"Well, yes, eventually. You see, your mother and I want good things for the future of both, our family, and our kingdom. And we want you to open the door for that to happen. So, if you get engaged to one of the many wealthy and smart princesses from surrounding areas, our kingdom will greatly benefit. Your sisters' futures for marriage would also improve. Your mother and I have great faith in you, son, but you're going to have to go outside your room-no, the castle-more often."

"But...what if she doesn't like me and rejects me?"

"Well, son, you won't know that unless you try her hand. And even if she does reject you, there are still other princesses. Just try to talk to her. That's all your mother and I want you to do. She may not be here for long."

"...Ok. I'll try to talk to her."

"Good, son. Good."

The day finally came when Princess Carolina de Bella of Dulcetierra arrived at Aguasuave castle. And upon her arrival, she was welcomed warmly by Princess Marina and her stunned parents. The princess of Dulcetierra's beauty in person turned out to be greater to them than how their daughter described. Princess Carolina de Bella was soon escorted to the courtyard, where a large table decked with tea and snacks was set up. But before she and Princess Marina could get settled for their tea, the king decided to introduce the rest of his children, especially his son, Prince Juan. However, when it came Prince Juan's turn to be introduced, because he didn't seem to know what to say, there was a long, awkward silence among everyone, resulting in Princess Marina speaking to push things along so she and Princess Carolina de Bella could enjoy their tea together. Upon returning into the castle, embarrassed, Prince Juan apologized to his parents for his awkwardness, which gained an understanding and kind response from them; they only told him that they wanted him to try harder at getting the princess's attention.

When the princesses were finished with tea, Princess Marina gave Princess Carolina de Bella a tour of the entire castle, much to each other's enjoyment. Eventually, Princess Carolina de Bella became tired, and asked to be shown to her guest room. As the princesses made their way there, they ran into the queen, who smiled warmly at both of them, but especially at Princess Carolina de Bella.

"I hope you girls enjoyed your tea," she said.

"Oh, we most certainly have," answered Princess Carolina de Bella, "Everything was so splendid. And I really love how modest but beautiful your castle looks. It's so comforting being here."

"Oh, I'm so glad that you like our humble abode. I look forward to many days of your presence here."

"...Oh, actually, I can only stay here three days. I have some work to attend to back home, so I will need to return as promptly as possible."

"Oh, I understand. Either way, it's a great pleasure having you stay here. I'm assuming you are ready to go to your room?"

"Yes. I'm afraid I'm a bit exhausted now."

"Oh, why of course you are. Well, please make yourself comfortable here. And if you need anything, we have servants here who will always be ready to assist you."

"Thank you so much for your generosity, Your Majesty."

"Please, no need to be so humble. After all, a wonderful friend of my daughter's such as you will always be welcome here."

Thereafter, the queen proceeded on her way, whilst the princesses did likewise.

Meanwhile, Prince Juan was outside in the courtyard, getting some fresh air, when his mother approached him.

"Son," she began, "I have some very useful news for you."

"What is it?" asked Prince Juan.

"The princess of Dulcetierra will only be here for three days."

"...Um...ok."

"That means that you won't have a lot of time to get her attention and interest. I suggest that you start thinking of ways to woo her while she's still here, because now she has settled in for the day, which leaves only two days left of her stay."

"...Ok."

"Please, son. Your father and I really want this for you. We think that you two would make a wonderful couple, and she's perfect for everyone's futures. So please do your best and make your parents proud, ok?"

"Y-yes, Ma. I will think of something."

"I know you will, mi hijo."

After ruffling Prince Juan's hair a bit, the queen left him alone in the courtyard.

That night, Prince Juan couldn't sleep. The sudden fear of disappointing his parents was tearing him apart on the inside. He never expected to ever be given such a big and daunting task as impressing a princess, or anything else, as he expected his older brother to have to one day shoulder such responsibilities. Nevertheless, circumstances have changed, and it was now up to him to try to secure a great future for his family and kingdom. But he just didn't know how. He didn't even know the first thing about women and how to impress them. Moreover, Prince Juan thought someone as special and beautiful as Princess Carolina de Bella would be hard to impress. How could he possibly win her over?

Suddenly, an idea came to light. Prince Juan's mother, the queen of Aguasuave, was indeed beautiful, and she was married to his father, the king of Aguasuave. Maybe his father had the answers to how to impress women. In the end, Prince Juan resolved to ask his father for advice on this troubling matter the following morning, and it was only after he made this resolve that he was able to finally go to sleep.

The next morning, the royal family, including Princess Carolina de Bella, was having a merry breakfast with an abundance of smiles all around. Once breakfast was finished, and the dining room was mostly emptied, Prince Juan asked to speak with his father for a few minutes, to which he agreed. Once the two got settled into another room, Prince Juan finally spoke.

"Um, Pa, how did you get Ma to marry you?" he asked.

"Haha. Why do you ask, son?" asked the king.

"...Well...it's just that...the princess of Dulcetierra is very beautiful. She can have any prince she wants. And...I was thinking...that Ma is also beautiful, and she married you. I-I wanted to know what you did to get Ma to marry you so I can know how to impress the princess of Dulcetierra."

Suddenly, the king erupted into a loud, boisterous laughter, which ended with him slapping his son affectionately a few times on his arm.

"Look at my son, trying to be a man," he said, "Frankly, I didn't really have to do anything to get your mother to marry me, because it was HER who was interested in ME."

"...Oh...Really?" asked Prince Juan.

"Oh, yes. But don't worry. I'll give you a bit of advice. You see, women like to feel special. They like things like flowers, gems, and nice clothes. But the best thing any genuine woman could ever appreciate, is your time. So, I suggest you try offering that to the princess. Offer to take her on a walk somewhere or give her a little tour of the nearby town. Ask her about her life in Dulcetierra. Get to know her. Tell her bits and pieces about yourself. Make her laugh. And slowly but surely, she'll fall for you. I know you don't really have a lot of time to do all of the things I've mentioned just now, but some of those things, if done right, might at least whet her appetite. She may even make arrangements to come back here sooner than later, just to see you. But for right now, all your mother and I want you to do is try, so please don't worry yourself over anything, ok son?"

"Yes, Pa. Ok, I won't worry."

"Good. Well, I have some work to attend to today, a lot of it, and it will be best if I get started on it now while it's still early in the day. I will see you later, son."

"Ok, Pa. Bye."

It was a bright, sunny afternoon, when Princess Marina and her little sisters decided to relax and play together among the flowers in the courtyard, along with Princess Carolina de Bella. It was also a bit windy, so everyone's hair was blowing in the wind along with many swirling and dancing flower petals. Prince Juan entered the courtyard after his mother told him that that was where Princess Carolina de Bella was. Upon entering, he was very timid. But he perked up a little when he heard the laughter of his little sisters. He then strolled through the courtyard, following the sound of his sisters' laughter until he finally found them, some sitting on the ground, picking flowers and putting them in each other's hair, and others jumping up and down and chasing each other among the bushes. Prince Juan also noticed his older sister, Princess Marina, who was standing near Princess Carolina de Bella, talking. Princess Marina was the first to notice Prince Juan. She smiled at him, Prompting Princess Carolina de Bella to turn around to see what her friend was smiling at.

Prince Juan could hardly believe the sight he beheld. As Princess Carolina de Bella turned to look at him, her long, wavy brown hair encircled her face as it danced in the wind, her eyes kind and her smile genuine, a few stray flower petals dotting her face, accentuating her rosy, pink cheeks. Prince Juan found that his heart nearly melted at such a sight.

"Greetings, Your Highness," said Princess Carolina de Bella, "We meet again?"

It took a few moments for Prince Juan to notice that he was being spoken to, and when he did, he stood up a little straighter and nodded his head.

"Is there anything that you want, Your Highness?" asked Princess Carolina de Bella.

Taking a few minutes to think, Prince Juan realized that this was his chance to put some of his advice to use. But what would he do? He didn't have anything on him at the moment to gift the princess, especially since she was already surrounded by the very thing that most women love. But then Prince Juan recalled what his father said about offering women your time, realizing that he could ask to take the princess on a stroll somewhere, perhaps around town. Prince Juan hardly left the castle anyway, so few would probably recognize him on the streets. Princess Carolina de Bella, on the other hand, was someone who could attract a lot of attention to them, which was something Prince Juan would be a bit uncomfortable with. But Prince Juan knew that if he was to make his parents proud, he was going to need to make some sacrifices, and with that, he finally mustered enough courage to ask if he could give Princess Carolina de Bella a little tour of town. And quite thankfully, she agreed.

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"But first, I would like to change into something more modest. I don't want to draw a lot of attention to us on our stroll. I hope that will be ok," said Princess Carolina de Bella.

"Oh, no...that's fine," replied Prince Juan, for those words were actually, in fact, music to his ears.

After Princess Carolina de Bella excused herself to go change, Prince Juan's older sister, Princess Marina, smiled at him, and wished him a good day on his stroll with the princess of Dulcetierra.

The day was indeed perfect for a stroll, as there were many people out and about that day. When Prince Juan's parents learned of the day he and Princess Carolina de Bella were going to have together, they were nearly overjoyed. And although they understood their desire for anonymity during the day, the king and queen still wanted these two to be safe, so they insisted that some of the royal family's special attendants be allowed to accompany them at a discreet distance. They also took into consideration that their son didn't go outside the castle very much, and therefore probably didn't know the best areas to take the princess to. So, they instructed one of their special attendants to drive their son and the princess directly to the town's public square and drop them there, as it was the most lively and cheerful area in the capital, consisting of parks, many stores, and lots of cheerful music. Moreover, the square was basically one of the few places Prince Juan was familiar with, so he won't get lost or look like a tour guide who is unsure of himself.

As the two were being dropped off, Princess Carolina de Bella gazed about with wonder at the merriment of their surroundings. She loved how happy the people seemed to be, the entire atmosphere reminding her of her home country.

"Wow! This place is so beautiful!" she said.

"Um...is there anywhere you would like to go first, Your Highness?" asked Prince Juan.

The princess could hardly make up her mind on where to start, but when she finally did, the duo's day was an adventure from there. They went from food stand to food stand, admired a few musical performances, and even visited a few stores, just to admire the type of things being sold there. And when the princess was ready to rest, she and Prince Juan went to one of the small parks that were nearby but outside of the square.

As they sat together, Prince Juan realized that he was really enjoying himself. However, he knew he had to stay focused, as he had only one more day before the princess of Dulcetierra would leave for home. He knew that the tour seemed to be working, but he felt like there was something else big that he needed to do. An idea suddenly hit him, so he excused himself, telling the princess that he needed to use the bathroom.

When Prince Juan returned to the park, nearly everything was lit up in gold, luxurious light as the day was coming to an end and a marvelous sunset was approaching.

"My goodness! Even the sunsets in my own kingdom aren't as luxurious as this!" exclaimed Princess Carolina de Bella to Prince Juan, "How beautiful!"

With that, the prince and princess spent the rest of this moment together, watching the sunset, bathing in the sun's final rays of golden light. As it began to get darker, Princess Carolina de Bella told Prince Juan that she was ready to settle in for the night, mentioning that the queen told her there was going to be a special feast served for dinner back at the castle, and that she was looking forward to it. And surely, no sooner than this did the prince and princess begin briskly walking to where their hidden carriage was located, making their way home.

When Prince Juan and Princess Carolina de Bella returned to the castle, the princess thanked Prince Juan for the tour, stating that she had a really good time before excusing herself to get washed up for dinner. Soon after she left, the king and queen appeared, with rather expectant smiles on their faces.

"Well, how was everything?" asked the queen.

"Well...everything was good. She said she had a good time," answered Prince Juan.

The king and queen looked at each other, apparently pleased with their son's news.

"That's wonderful," said the queen, "We're really happy that the both of you had a good day. Dinner will be served soon. Why don't you go wash yourself up a bit, ok?"

"Yes, Ma."

The rest of the evening proved to be a merry one, with more delicious food and lots of smiles.

It was the last day of Princess Carolina de Bella's visit, and Prince Juan was even more determined to win her over. He wanted to spend more time with her, but unfortunately, she already had plans for the day with his older sister, those plans apparently involving being absent from the castle for most of the day. And Prince Juan surely knew that after her engagement for the day, the princess of Dulcetierra would only have enough energy for dinner, and then she would retire to her room for the night, likely preparing for her departure back home the following day. Even so, Prince Juan desperately needed at least a few minutes alone with her, an opportunity he kept looking for the entirety of that morning. But every time he saw her, she was occupied with vigorous conversation with his older sister.

Prince Juan began to think that he would never be able to speak to the princess and began to wonder what he would say to his parents after having failed them until he saw his older sister and Princess Carolina de Bella walking together, preparing to leave the castle until he noticed that his older sister appeared to have forgotten something and quickly excused herself, leaving Princess Carolina de Bella alone. Jumping at this opportunity, Prince Juan quickly made his way over to the princess.

"Um...hello, Your Highness," said Prince Juan.

"Oh, greetings. How do you do?" asked Princess Carolina de Bella.

"I'm doing very well. And you?"

"Likewise. Thank you for asking. It's good to see you again. And I just want you to know that I had a really good time yesterday. I loved seeing all those people so happy and having a good time. I nearly became homesick. Haha. And that sunset was the very best I have ever seen. I told your mother that she should be proud to live in such a beautiful kingdom that has days that end with such magnificence. And, of course, she's definitely proud of her kingdom."

"...Um, Your Highness, um, would it be ok with we stepped outside for a few minutes? Maybe the courtyard? I have something to tell you."

"Oh. Sure."

After asking a servant to inform Princess Marina of where she will be, Princess Carolina de Bella followed Prince Juan to the courtyard. When they were alone, Prince Juan spoke.

"Your Highness, I have something for you," he said.

He pulled a small, fancy box from his vest pocket, which he then opened and presented to the princess. It was a bright green, emerald ring, a rather large one even. Nonplussed, Princess Carolina de Bella didn't know how to answer at first, but she eventually asked Prince Juan what the ring was for.

"...Your Highness," began Prince Juan, "You are the most beautiful princess I have ever met. You are also very sweet and kind. I-I want you to know that I admire you a lot. I know it's only been a few days, but I've come to love you, Your Highness. I really want you to know how I feel. I didn't know how else to show you, so I bought this for you. I hope you like it and accept it as a token of my love, Your Highness."

Surprised at Prince Juan's sudden proposal, Princess Carolina de Bella gave him a somewhat quizzical look before giving him a gentle smile. Afterwards, she gave him an answer.

"Although I greatly appreciate this magnificent gift Your Highness, I'm afraid I can't accept it. You see, I'm a very busy princess, with much to do for my people. I want to be the best person I can be for them, so that's my only focus right now. Moreover, with any extra free time that I manage to get for myself, I want to be able to use it to do what I'm doing now: traveling and exploring other good kingdoms to see how their people live to constantly remind myself of how good a ruler I need to be for my own people. Moreover, I want to be able to meet people and become friends with someone as nice as your older sister. She's a wonderful person, and you should be glad to have someone like her in your family. There's also another princess who's my constant inspiration for being a great ruler, so I'm really not interested in becoming romantically involved with anyone right now. I'm really sorry, Your Highness. But do know that I think that you're a very sweet young man, and I would love to continue being friends with you, if that's ok with you, that is."

Although Prince Juan's heart sunk a little at the princess's answer, he fully understood her, and agreed to continue being friends with her.

Shortly after, Princess Marina appeared, a bit surprised to see her younger brother with Princess Carolina de Bella in the courtyard. Upon approaching them, she asked if everything was ok, to which Princess Carolina de Bella answered positively, and explained that she and the prince were simply just having a little chat.

"Oh, well, that's great then," said Princess Marina. "Well, are you ready to leave then? it's nearly noon."

"Oh, yes, of course," answered Princess Carolina de Bella before turning to Prince Juan. She put her hand on his left shoulder and wished him a very good day, and that she would always value their friendship. After that, she walked away with Princess Marina to carry on with their day, Princess Marina looking back at her brother with a slight but gentle smile on her face.

Later that evening at the castle, everyone was preparing for a special farewell dinner for the princess of Dulcetierra, as it was her final night in Aguasuave. Everyone, especially Princess Marina and her little sisters, hated to see her go, but they were also happy to be able to enjoy one more special night with her, along with once again sharing great food. During the dinner, nearly everyone was in a super cheerful mood as they ate, told stories, and smiled and laughed to their heart's content.

Although Prince Juan was sharing in the merriment, deep down, he couldn't help but feel a type of lingering sensation of failure within himself. He felt like the princess of Dulcetierra's rejection of him was still his fault, that maybe if he would've been a little more manly and confident in himself, the princess would've at least CONSIDERED giving him a chance. No matter how hard he tried, there was nothing Prince Juan could do to suppress what he was feeling inside. He could only keep those feelings from showing on his face.

A little later in the night, everyone began settling into their respective rooms for bedtime besides Prince Juan. He decided to speak to his parents about what eventually happened with the princess of Dulcetierra, as they would want to know as soon as possible anyway. Once they were alone, the king of Aguasuave was the first to pose the question.

"So, son, how did everything go? Did you win her over?"

Prince Juan told his father the truth after hesitating a bit.

"Pa, Ma, I'm really sorry, but the princess rejected me. She said she had other things to work on for a bit, so she's not interested in being with anyone right now."

Prince Juan's parents said that they understood, but he could tell from the way that they looked at each other that they were disappointed. He suddenly found that he couldn't even look either of them in the eye at that moment, so he lowered his head to stare at the floor. When his parents noticed, they hurried to reassure him that they loved him, and that they know he tried his best. They would just find another way to improve relations with some of the surrounding kingdoms. They then suggested that he go and get some rest for the night, to which he agreed and slowly walked to his room. On his way there, he just knew that he wasn't going to be able to sleep very easily that night again.

The morning of the princess of Dulcetierra's departure arrived in no time, and the royal family of Aguasuave hurried to ensure a wonderful send-off for their new favorite princess. After enjoying yet another hearty meal, the princess of Dulcetierra was given plenty of gifts, including food, flowers, and gowns. Everyone was in good cheer until the most painful part arrived: saying good-bye.

Once the princess of Dulcetierra's carriage was all stocked up and ready to go, everyone in the royal family of Aguasuave lined up together to give their farewells. Princess Carolina de Bella gave each family member a warm and heartfelt hug, and promised to return to visit as soon as she could. Eventually, it was Prince Juan's turn to give the princess his farewells, but he suddenly found that he couldn't even look at her directly, in addition to stuttering with whatever he was trying say. But Princess Carolina de Bella gave him the most heartwarming and reassuring hug of all, whilst promising him of her return, and that he was a sweet, young gentleman with whom she will always value her friendship.

After making one final gesture of farewell to Aguasuave's royal family in the form of a curtsy, Princess Carolina de Bella finally entered her carriage and was on her way back home, with the royal family standing behind, watching as the carriage rode away.

Meanwhile, Prince Juan decided to sneak away while his family was still watching the carriage disappear, thinking that no one would notice him. However, someone did notice, and those people were his mother and older sister. When the queen of Aguasuave looked at her daughter, Princess Marina, with concern, the princess volunteered to follow her brother and try to talk to him.

Prince Juan found a hill in a nearby valley to rest on and stare off into the distance while he processed his emotions. He didn't know what to think of himself anymore, except that he was a big failure to his family. He was on the verge of tears when his older sister called his name from behind him. When he turned to look at her, she was standing at the base of the hill, looking up at him, her long hair and gown dancing in the gentle breeze.

"Oh...hi," said Prince Juan, hurrying to blink away any tears that wanted to come out, "How...how did you know I was here?"

"I...I followed you. Ma and I noticed when you snuck away earlier," replied Princess Marina.

"Oh..."

"Are you feeling ok?"

"Yes, I...I just needed some fresh air and some time to think. That's all."

"...Well, actually, there's something that I needed to talk to you about, Juan."

"Yes? What is it?"

Princess Marina slowly made her way up the hill towards her little brother before responding.

"Well, you see, Ma and I found these in your room."

She then produced three folded pieces of paper and handed them to Prince Juan. Just from unfolding one of the pieces is how Prince Juan knew what the other pieces contained. His eyes wide and countenance changing, Prince Juan looked up at his sister with panic. When he didn't say anything, Princess Marina asked if he wanted to explain what she and their mother found, but that very question was enough for Prince Juan to finally burst into tears, toss the papers away, and run off while apologizing.

"Wait!" shouted Princess Marina. She ran after him for as far as he could run. Because Prince Juan was a little on the chubby side, he didn't get very far, and it wasn't too long until he stopped running. When Princess Marina caught up to him, she reassured him that no one was angry with him. They just wanted to know why he hid the fact that the great princess of Morado has been sending invitations to him to attend her New Year's parties for three years.

"...I...I don't know. I wasn't ready," replied Prince Juan between sobs, "I'm still not ready...The thing is, I don't think I'll ever be ready to court a woman...I'm shy, quiet, and I don't know how to be a man...And it's all my fault that the Princess of Dulcetierra rejected me!"

"Huh? What do you mean?" asked Princess Marina, confused, "How did she reject you?"

"Ma and Pa told me that they wanted me to try to court Princess Carolina de Bella so our family could have a better future. But I couldn't even do that right, so she rejected me."

Princess Marina started thinking back on the princess's and her brother's interactions with each other within the last few days. When she recalled them spending a whole day together, as well as their sudden meeting in the courtyard the day prior, she understood everything. Although she did know that her parents were thinking about how to improve their family's as well as their kingdom's future, she didn't think they would give part of that responsibility to her younger brother. After she sighed low enough so her brother couldn't hear, she reassured him that she understood, and that there was no reason for him to sob like a baby.

A few minutes passed until Prince Juan finally managed to straighten himself up a little and speak.

"I need to go find myself. I need to go somewhere away from here and figure out what kind of man I need to be for my family. I-I am going to go to the west."

"The west?!" exclaimed Princess Marina, "Juan, you can go anywhere, but as your older sister, I advise you not to go THERE! The western lands are notorious for being the least safe, and the way most of the people behave is pretty bad. In fact, their behavior is such that the great princess of Morado does not even allow easy entry or citizenship in her land to them unless they can show proof of having an honorable reputation and good behavior. Please, just don't go there."

"I understand and appreciate your concern, Marina. But the west is the farthest area away from here," said Prince Juan, "Since it's the only area to not have a strong relationship with anyone like here, the east, and the south, that means no one will know me over there, and I can meditate in peace. I'm going to pack some things and go there tonight."

Prince Juan then began to make his way back to the castle. Before he got far, he asked his sister not to tell their parents where he was going, to which she reluctantly agreed and told him that she would tell them that he ran off somewhere and didn't know where he went. With that, Prince Juan went on his way, and later on that night, he set sail for the west.