Princess Donnie watches in awe as the Princess seems to glide across the floor. She stands in the wings and watches prince after prince approach the princess for a dance. She knows that she will not be allowed to go ask the princess for a dance. Not only is it not allowed, but it’s not proper for her to do so. She envies those men because they can dance with her. Donnie doesn’t know why, but she feels like she must know the Princess. She imagines herself walking up to her and bowing, taking her hand, pulling her close and dancing the night away, but she knows she cannot.

Princess Donnie turns from the dance floor and walks to the mezzanine to look out over the garden. It was quiet there so she could think. Think about the princess and what it would be like to dance with her and what she smells like. She stands there in a wonderful daydream about the princess, but know nothing would or could ever come of it. Donnie decides to call it an early night and head for the inn. Mari has been waiting.

***

When Donnie approaches her room and hears scuffling. She stops and listens for a minute. She hears what she thinks is a struggle. Donnie draws her sword and readies to enter and fight. She hears a big thud she kicks in the door with a battle cry ready to fight only to find Mari preoccupied with one of the tavern waitresses. They all scream in embarrassment for a moment until Donnie and Mari begin to laugh. The tavern girl, now very hot with humiliation instead of passion, quickly dress and hurries out the room while Donnie and Mari chuckle a little. "I see you have kept yourself busy," Donnie laughs as she threw Mari her shirt.

"My sincere apology, Your Highness. I was not expecting you until later," Mari says.

"Not expecting me, or hoping I would not come back till later, Mari?"

"I guess I was hoping," she laughs as she admits it. “How was the ball?"

"The same as any other ball, except the princess," Donnie says with a sigh as she sits on the bed.

"Yes," Mari pries, trying to get more details about the night.

"She was absolutely gorgeous. The most beautiful woman I have ever seen. She looked like as if she glided across the floor. There was not a woman there that could match her grace and beauty," Donnie says smiling.

"Did you talk to her?"

“Did I what!? No. She is a princess!" Donnie says.

"Um, have you forgotten that you too are a princess?" Mari laughs.

"No." Donnie snaps at Mari’s laughter, “I have not. But she is different. Everything about her is different.”

“You can tell that she is different without even speak with her?” Mari asks.

“Yes! And this conversation is over!" Donnie says, finally fed up with the line of questioning from her servant.

Mari opens and shut her mouth as if she was going to say something, but the stern looks on Donnie’s face deterred her from speaking. She looks at Donnie surprise at her reaction but says nothing else.

***

Princess Chanel felt though she had been dancing all night. She wants this night to be over with. She is through with the dancing, the smiling, and the small talk; she yearns for a real conversation. She begins to think, maybe the mystery man would have had made a better company. Maybe he could have just ended the whole ball weekend. She comes back to reality when the young man she is dancing with breaks hold to bow, kiss her hand and thank her for the dance. She curtsies in return and smiles. Not because of the young man, but because she knows the ball was coming to the end.

Once the ball is over the princess goes to her chambers, and is instantly greeted by Rosy who is all smiles as she sees the princess.

"So, how was it? I saw you dance with plenty of men. Did anyone seem worthy?" Rosy asks without taking a breath.

"It was alright. They were nice."

"But?" Rosy says.

"But there was a guy who didn't come to dance with me that has me puzzled. He just stood there and watched."

"What do you mean watch? Like, creepy-old-man-watched?" Rosy says, looking worried.

"No, like, he just stood there, like he wanted to come to dance with me but he was holding himself back."

"Maybe he was just nervous and will make his move at tomorrow night’s ball," Rosy says.

“It's possible,” the Princess says, in a daydream.

“Oh my God. You want him to!” Rosy gushes “You actually are interested in someone you met at the ball.”

“I didn't meet him, only saw him from afar,” Chanel corrects.

“But you think you might be interested?” Rosy questions.

“I don't know,” Princess Chanel says in a tone that Rosy recognizes: Chanel is done with the conversation.

“Well, Princess, I will take my leave,” Rosy says.

“OK, I will see you in the morning.”

That night, she dreams of the encounter they might have had. She fantasizes about what it would’ve been like to dance with him and be held in his strong arms. Him walking up to her with a bow, taking her hand and guiding her gracefully to the floor, twirling her around as they laugh and talk. They seem to take flight when they touched. The more fun she had the higher they went. She never wants to wake up from this dream world, knowing that real life might not turn out that well.

***

Donnie stands in front of Mari in her outfit for the night: a pair of white tuxedo pants and lilac colored shirt with a vest to match the pants. She has Mari twist her hair so it can be fresh for the night.

"So, are you going to talk to her tonight?" Mari asks carefully.

“Um." Donnie ponders for a second.

"You OK? I kind of lost you for a second," Mari asks with concern.

"Yes, just thinking," Donnie answers, still in a daze.

"You're thinking about the princess?" Mari says with a smile.

"Maybe."

"You should just talk to her, you don't have to dance with her."

"That is true," Donnie said, “but just talking could cause a problem.”

“It could. But you’ll never know unless you try,” Mari said with a smile.

Donnie stands in front of Mari as she finishes dressing her thinking of how many ways this night could go. She first smiles at the thought of how she wants it to go very like her dreams. Where she walks up to the princess, ask for her hand and the ballroom doesn’t burn down, but her smile soon faded at the thought of what was more likely to happen: an embarrassment for her family.

***

The ballroom is just as beautiful as the night before. But this night it seems a bit more magical for Princess Chanel as she is eager for the ball to start. It is a change both the king and queen notice. They sit and watch their daughter look out over the crowd as if she is looking for someone. When they ask who she is looking for, she just says no one, and that she was just looking at the room and how lovely it is tonight. She knows she is hoping to see the mystery man tonight and hopes that, if he shows, he will ask her to dance or at least come speak with her. The event is all abuzz with people twirling around on the floor dancing and laughing. The king and queen even got up to dance once or twice. Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves except Chanel. She looks a bit disappointed; not at all excited as she was at the start. She dances with a few princes and after each dance, her smile begins to fade more. Rosy dances a little in the corner of the ballroom, but stops once she sees Princess Chanel’s expression.

The princess walks over to Rosy with a look of disappointment.

"I take it you haven’t seen him yet," Rosy guesses, “the look on your face says it all."

"I don't believe he is coming. The night is almost over.” Chanel says sadly.

“You don't know. Maybe he is here, he's just staying out taking of sight, waiting for the right moment to approach," Rosy reassures Chanel.

Neither one of the woman notices that they are being watched from across the room. Donnie had been standing behind a pillar, admiring the princess from afar. She had been extremely confident walking into the ballroom, head held high. It wasn't until she sees her that a bit of her confidence melts away. Two hours have passed and she has been standing in the same spot she found upon arriving there. She wants to walk right up and introduce herself, but she is not ready, so turns from the dance floor and walks to the mezzanine, again. It is quiet there still even though the ballroom is very active. She stands there in a wonderful daydream about the princess again knowing nothing would or could ever come of it. She is standing there deciding whether she was going to leave when she hears the most beautiful voice ever.

"Hello, I am Princess Chanel. I don't believe we have met." Donnie jumps and turns around to see the princess standing behind her smiling. Donnie noticed how the princess has the most beautiful smile she had ever seen. She had nice delicate full lips that elegantly curved upwards towards her beautiful big bright brown eyes as she smiles.

"Um. Hello, Princess Chanel." Donnie says with a humble bow. “I apologize for staring at you for most of the night. And, uh, last night."

"That is OK," The princess starts, "how is it that you are the only man I haven't had the pleasure of dancing with in two nights?"

"That is probably because I am not a man," Donnie chuckles nervously.

"I'm sorry. What?" The princess was in shock. But she soon started to really look at Donnie for the first time and notices the softness of Donnie's face. Now very noticeable nice size lumps on her chest. Donnie is indeed a woman. What surprises Chanel the most is that she doesn't care. She still feels as though she has to know her.

"I am Princess Donielle Michele of Zamora," Donnie says with a bow, "Princess Donnie is what I am known as around my kingdom."

"Really?" Princess Chanel chuckles a little. "A princess who dresses as a man."

"I find it way more comfortable than what you are wearing. I mean, not that you don't look absolutely stunning," Donnie looks up to see Chanel staring at her in a way she could not describe. "My apologies if I have said something to upset you"

"Um," Chanel has to catch her breath because it seems as soon as Donnie says she is stunning she found it hard to breathe. “No, you have not. Thank you for your kind words."

"They are not just words, my princess," Donnie says, "this is how I felt from the first night I saw you. You are the most beautiful woman in this ballroom."

Chanel stands there looking into Donnie's light brown eyes in amazement at the feeling this woman's words and presence is making her feel.

"But,” Donnie said interrupting the princess’s train of thought, "looking at you standing here I can tell you’re more than just a beautiful face. There is more going on behind your eyes. And I would like to find out what." Donnie bends over and kisses her hand not knowing where this burst of confidence is coming from. When she looks up from kissing the princess' hand and sees her smiling, she knows she doesn't have to be afraid of rejection.

She and Princess Chanel sit and talk for what seems like hours. Donnie tells Chanel about being caught play-sparring with her father by her mother, and how she told her mother she wanted to be a knight. Donnie talks about the contorted smile that came across her mother’s face trying to laugh away her daughter’s foolish ideas and hide the anger of the thought that a princess would want to be anything other than a princess. She explains the way that Queen Michelle laughed and just told her that she couldn't be a knight. Donnie shares with the princess about how hurt she was after the whole encounter with her mother. How she often asked why could she not be both same times. After some time her father started secretly letting her take combat lesson at the age of a thirteen, and how furious her mother was when she found out a year later.

Chanel watches as Donnie speaks. She watches how Donnie's eyes light up every time she speaks about her father and how he still spars with her on occasions. She also notices how they dim just a little when she speaks of how upset her mother was angry over her very boyish ways. Chanel understood the feeling and shared her own story about wanting to work with the children of the kingdom, teaching them skills.

Chanel describes how good she feels when she helps children learn new things. But her mother would just say it wasn't proper for a princess to roam her kingdom speaking with the poor children. Her mother ignores every plea she makes to go out just every once in a while but her mother would never give in. It wasn't until her father stepped in a told Chanel she could go out once every month for one full day and teach the children. Chanel goes on to describe how irate her mother is at the thought of her doing this.

Donnie watches as Princess Chanel talks about helping children and the look of joy that washes across her face as speak. Not only does she see the happiness that Chanel got from it, she could feel it with such intensity that it surprises her. She smiles at the thought of bringing the princess such joy to make her smile like that.

They share stories of what growing up in a palace was like and how they each dream of living out different lives. It isn't until Chanel's mother comes looking for her that the night air goes from a cool warm breeze to a chilling gust of wind leaving them both freezing from the inside out.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Queen Taylor demanded, "It is not proper for you to be alone with some man."

"But Mother," Chanel tried to speak.

"And you, sir!" The queen continues ignoring her daughter. "How dare you lure my daughter out here!"

"My humble apologies, Your Majesty, I did not lure your daughter out here, she followed me. And I am not a man.” Donnie states, “I am Princess Donielle Michele from Zamora."

"I beg your pardon," the Queen says shocked at the information she had just received. “Did you say, Princess Donielle?"

"Yes, your Majesty."

"You are to stay away from my daughter," the Queen says sternly. “This ball is intended for her to find a suitable male companion. Someone who can protect her as a man should. Not for her to meet a princess pretending to be a man!"

"I do not pretend to be a man," Donnie said through teeth clenched so hard she could break them, trying to hold back the anger at the implication that she wants to be a man. She takes a deep breath and to begin to speak. But is cut off by Chanel.

"I need no help or protection from anyone, man or woman. But if I were in need, I am pretty sure Donnie would be more than capable of providing assistance. More than any of the men you have shown me over the last two nights."

Chanel stands there looking from the furious look on her mother’s face and the extremely proud look on Donnie's face. Chanel notices that even though she can feel her mother’s anger hitting her in violent waves, it fell in comparison to the waves of whatever she is feeling radiating between herself and Donnie. Even though she isn't sure what it was, she knows what she wants it to be.

Her mother stands there, shocked at her daughter’s revelation that she believes this woman is capable of protecting her. She can see the look in her daughter’s eyes. It is the same look that her father had when they met in this exact same way. But the queen does not care how her daughter feels for this woman and decides that the Princess will not be seeing her again and begins to pull her daughter back toward the ballroom.

"It is time to stop playing around now," the queen scoffs as she pulls the princess. "She has proper male suitors waiting to speak with her."

"But, your Majesty, I would love to meet and speak with your daughter again. It seems we have much in common and we could be good friends," Donnie speaks sincerely.

"You and my daughter have nothing in common. Look at you and look at her. No, you may not ever speak with my daughter again." The queen spat the words at Donnie as she pulls the princess away crying.