“Mae!” Boey shouted, storming through Zofia Castle’s narrow hallway. He deliberately walked up to Mae’s room, his knuckles pounding at the wooden door. He was barefoot, dressed in a tan cotton shirt and cozy sleep pants. “I demand you open your door this instant! Mae! Mae! Mae!”

“WHAT?!” a shrill voice screamed at him from inside the room. The door whisked open, Mae standing in its place. Her hair was disheveled, a far cry from its usual twin-tailed position. She wore a loose-fitting white pajama dress that ran down to her legs, which were bare, as per usual. She also lacked shoes. Yawning, Mae lazily raised her hands above her head and then smacked her lips.

Then she screamed. “BOEY!”

“WHAT!?” he cried. “What in the world is the matter? Why are you yelling?”

“Oh ho ho,” Mae said. “Don’t try and talk to me like that after you yelled at me to wake me up! I was sleeping peacefully, then KA-BLAMMO! You woke me up! So you’d better have a damn good reason, buster.”

“Maybe I would not HAVE to yell,” Boey said, his voice slowly raising, “if you did not lock your door in a heavily-guarded castle at night! No one will enter! And even if an intruder DID manage to enter your abode, they wouldn’t stand a chance against-”

“Oh, will you SHUT UP?” she screamed. “I don’t need to justify anything to YOU! What are you even doing here at this hour? Just tell me, and then you can leave and I can get my beauty rest.”

Boey shifted. “Well, I-”



“You already woke me and half the castle up, so this had better be important. And if it’s a nightmare again, I’m shutting this door.”

Boey frowned. “That was once! And besides, it was hardly an emergency, I just needed-”

“Oh, you bet your hindquarters it wasn’t an emergency!” Mae said. “Do you know how much beauty sleep I lost that night? Two hours! That can make or break a girl’s appearance, especially mine! I had bags that morning, Boey! Bags!”

Boey pursed his lips but remained silent.

“Boey? Did you just glance at my chest?”

Swallowing, Boey chose his response carefully: “I didn’t. I was simply admiring your…” He glanced around her chest area, looking for something to pin the blame on. He noted, with increasing alarm, that not only was there nothing to pin the blame on, but his eyes were, yet again, locked on Mae’s chest.

“BOEY!” Mae thundered.

“YOU SAID BAGS!”

“Not THAT type of bag!” Mae used her right hand to pull down on the flap under her left eye. “My eyes! There were bags under my eyes! How are you THIS dull?”

He crossed his arms, frowning. “I am anything but! If anyone here is dull, it’s the fuming woman in front of me. You’re getting so upset over such a trivial thing.”

“You woke me in the middle of the night, Boey! Anyone would be upset at that!”

Boey frowned. “I wouldn’t.”

“Well, that’s your problem,” Mae said, crossing her arms. “Most people would.”

“Mae… I only woke you to inquire about, well…issues.”

“What kind of issues? Yours? I know you have TONS, but we should start somewhere, and honestly? I don’t want to involve Celica or Alm or anyone else in this. You know, Celica’s going to be queen in a few weeks, Boey. You really need to step your game up.”

Boey leaned forward, his teeth clenched. “Shut up, and let me speak! You have no idea what I’m going to say.”

“I think I have a pretty good idea.”

“Oh? Then why did I come to your room in the dead of the night?”

“I don’t know! That’s what I’ve been trying to ask you!”

“No, you’ve been interrupting me. I haven’t been able to get a word in edgew-”

“Stop trying to play the victim!”

“I am NOT,” Boey snarled.

“You were,” said Mae.

“Shut. UP,” said Boey.

“Make me.”

Boey stared at her, and she inched her face up to his.

He stood silent for the better part of a minute, waiting for her to make a move (and losing himself in her eyes, but she did not need to know that). Both continued to glare at one another, their noses almost touching. Each could feel the other’s breath on their face.

Mae smirked, leaning back. “I knew it. You’re full of it. Don’t try to be brave when you have no bravado. You know, you looked less like you were going to hurt me and more like you were going to kiss me. Just saying.”

Before Boey could think about what he was doing, he gripped her arms and slammed his lips against hers.

Mae’s eyes widened. She didn’t push off, but she didn’t exactly engage him, either. She just…stood there, transfixed by the sensation of his lips against hers.

His lips were…very soft.

After a moment, Boey withdrew. “I’m sorry, you were just so close to me, and your eyes, and…” He inhaled, composing himself. “I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”

“Well...” Mae paused. “It wasn’t exactly bad, Boey. And I do like you like that. It’s just…why in the middle of an argument, you know? I was yelling at you! You were supposed to fire back with your words, not with…not with your lips!” Her voice quieted. “E-even if it may have been nice…”

“Mae, did you say something?”

“Nothing, nothing.”

“Mae, I haven’t been entirely honest with you. The reason I came here, why I couldn’t sleep…” He swallowed. “I am so very desperately, hopelessly, utterly smitten with you. Ever since I confessed and you did not respond, I…I’ve been a mess. I need an answer.”

“Boey…”

“P-please,” he said, “let me finish. Then I’ll accept your answer, whatever it may be.”

She nodded.

“Every time I close my eyes, you’re there, smiling at me, and I’m stunned, losing myself in your eyes. I thought I was exaggerating their appeal in my daydreams, but…” He looked up, staring into her. “I was wrong. Your eyes are even more enchanting in person.” He inhaled. “Mae, I can’t stop thinking about you. Your kindness and beauty have transfixed me, and I am helplessly ensnared in your spell, body and mind. I…I love you, Mae. Truly and dearly. That is why I needed to talk to you tonight - I dreamed about you. Every night and every day, I dream about you.”

“…B-Boey,” Mae said softly, “that’s...” She swallowed and turned away. “I-I’m okay!” she said, raising her hands exasperatedly. “I-I’m okay! Very okay. I’m…okay!”

“Mae?” Boey asked, raising a hand. “Did I say something wrong? I… if this was too much, I can come back another time. I apologize if-”

Mae turned around, her face flushed red and stained with tears. She grabbed him by the waist and crushed him tightly, sobbing, and leaned her head against his chest. He gently wrapped his arms around her back.

“I…” She gulped. “B-Boey…”

“Shh,” he cooed, rubbing circles on her back. “It’s alright.”

“Bo…ey…” She gasped air. “Bo…ey, I w-want to…”

“Be content,” he said softly. “Take as much time as you require.”

“N-no!” she said, shaking her head and pushing herself off. “I-I want to… I w-want to s-speak.” She took a deep breath, trying to calm down. After a moment, she continued: “Boey. That is the kindest, sweetest, most beautiful thing anyone has ever said about me.”

“What?” He frowned. “Then why were you crying as if I had hurt you?”

“These are tears of happiness, you dummy! I love you, too!”

Boey’s face alit. “Truly? You reciprocate my affections?”

Mae answered by leaping at him and wrapping her arms around his neck, and then to the back of his head, plunging herself into another kiss. Boey didn’t object, of course, and happily indulged.

“I love you too,” she said, momentarily breaking lip contact to stare at his flushed red face. “You’re a lucky boy,” she said, beaming brightly.

“I daresay you’re a luckier girl,” Boey said, his grin just as wide as hers.

“Shut up and kiss me again.”

“Of course. I do wish to pass my luck to the less fortunate, after all.”

Their lips met once more, and again, and again. Mae’s hands roamed on his back, crawling up and down rapidly.

“Oh. O-oh. Oh!” said a third voice. “Is…is that what me and Celica look like?”

“Celica and I,” Boey said instinctively. “Wait a min… Alm?! Get away!”

Mae withdrew from Boey and turned her head to the open doorway; surely enough, Alm was standing there, his face flushed. “I…didn’t expect the door to be open,” he said lamely. “Sorry.”

Boey sighed. “It’s fine. It was our own fault – I should have closed the door.”

“I got caught up in the moment,” Mae admitted. “Sorry, Alm.”

“Just, uh…” Alm frowned. “Be safe, okay?”

Boey and Mae nodded, locking eyes with Alm. “Okay then,” he said, and he shut the door.

A tense moment passed in silence.

“Well,” Mae said, breaking the quiet. “I certainly didn’t expect that.”

Boey shook his head. “I didn’t, either. But...let’s not dwell on it. If it’s alright with you, I’d like to resume where we left off. Do you wish to do the same?”

Mae smiled, putting her hands on his hips and leaning forward, her breath hot and heavy on his neck. “I would be honored, Boey.”

Boey kissed her once more, and as his lips met hers again and again, he knew that he was truly in nirvana. Mae was certain she was the luckiest woman in the world.