“Daughter, where have you been? Your mother has been worried sick!” The same question every time.

Ever since I met Leon, I started returning to the palace very late. Naturally, my father immediately suspected that the heir to his throne had found herself a young man.

I had to tell him about Leon. Leon is a blacksmith and a shepherd — just an ordinary young man. He lives in a simple but happy family. He courted me in a sweet and humble way: picking wildflowers to make lovely little bouquets, often giving me beautiful pendants he crafted himself, and writing heartfelt letters and poems.

My father, of course, disapproved, but he didn’t try to stop me. But my mother... She threatened to lock me in the palace and not let me out until my “feelings” faded away.

I tried to be understanding with my parents. After all, their reputation could suffer because their daughter had fallen in love with a common blacksmith.

But I didn’t listen to my mother. The result was simple — we had a terrible argument. In the middle of the quarrel, I decided to run away; punishment was inevitable otherwise. With tears in my eyes, I ran to Leon’s home, hoping to find comfort and a little hope for the future.

Leon was tending his sheep in a meadow near his house. He was sitting under a tree reading a book. But his “quiet hour” was interrupted. The sheep scattered in all directions when I came running across the field. Leon put down his book, and when he saw me crying, he immediately tried to calm me down.

“Shh, I’m here. Let’s sit under the tree, and you can tell me everything.”