The Encounter

The Crown Prince's decision to leave the Palace was a welcome change from his monotonous life, and he relished the thought of getting a sniff of fresh air in his village. Accompanied by his trusted escort, General Alfonso or Master Ken as he was fondly known, the Prince strolled nonchalantly through the lanes of Almario Village. Despite the warmth of the day, Master Ken remained his stoic self, his handsome looks and robust physique betraying his inner calm.

“Where are we going, Your Highness?”

The Prince stopped walking and gave Master Ken a bored look. “In heaven, you like?”

As they walked, a tantalising aroma wafted through the air, drawing the Crown Prince's attention. His eyes widened in anticipation as he spotted a bustling eatery nearby, heaving with customers devouring steaming plates of local delicacies.

Without a second thought, the Prince declared his keenness to dine there. “I want to eat.” He blurted, but Master Ken stopped him.

“There’s a lot of people, your highness.”

“But they don’t know who I am unless you tell them.”

“I won’t.”

“Good.” Then, he immediately walked closer to the eatery only to be stopped by Master Ken once again. “What now?”

Master Ken remained blank, “Do you even have any money?”

The Crown Prince slowly shook his head, “I don’t have.”

“Then, we can’t get in there.”

“No,” He sheepishly admitted his lack of funds, but his face soon lit up as he fished out two small gold coins from his pocket “but I have this.”

General Alfonso couldn't help but be surprised and impressed by the Crown Prince's audacious plan. “Your highness… isn’t that too much? Didn’t you bring any coins?”

“I was in such a hurry earlier so I don’t have time to look for a coin. And if their food is really delicious then I think they’re worth of this gold. But if not, will you kill them for me?”

Though the Prince asked in jest, Master Ken's eyes showed a flash of concern at the thought. "If that's an order."

The Crown Prince laughed, “I’m just kidding. Let’s go now, I’m hungry.”

Master Ken had no other option but to acquiesce, and he hesitantly followed the Crown Prince into the wooden interior of the restaurant. The place emanated an aura of simplicity and elegance. The Crown Prince eagerly sat down at their table, and Master Ken quietly took the seat opposite him.

“What do you want to eat?” asked the Crown Prince proffering the menu at Master Ken, to which he politely declined. He offered to watch the Crown Prince's back as an alternative to sitting there. But the Prince did not appreciate the idea, stating it was uncomfortable. Master Ken offered a new suggestion, to stand behind the Crown Prince, but that seemed to be more awkward.

So, the Prince offered a cunning solution. “Why don't you join me and have a meal?"

“But I can’t eat at the same table as you, your highness,” Master Ken argued, desperately trying to dissuade the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince became anxious about being noticed by other guests. “If you don’t eat, everyone will recognize me," he said.

He frowned. “I guess you find it difficult accepting social invitations. Let's eat together as my command,” he finally declared, putting an end to all further resistance.

As soon as the owner of the restaurant approached their table, the Crown Prince animatedly requested their best menu. Within minutes, the food arrived at their table, served by the middle-aged owner.

The Crown Prince's eyes widened as he beheld the feast laid out before him. "This looks amazing," he exclaimed, inhaling the tantalizing scents. "This is the taste of life."

The restaurant owner smiled in satisfaction, her smile deepening as he noticed the Crown Prince's generous use of gold on the table. "I hope you enjoy our cuisine, young man," she said, her voice full of pride.

The Crown Prince grinned at her, reveling in the surprised expression that swept over her face at the sight of the gold. "It's my pleasure," he said, lifting his spoon to take the first bite.

But as he prepared to eat, the eatery owner unexpectedly took a seat next to him. Master Ken was quick to warn her not to, but she paid him no heed, focusing instead on the Crown Prince with starry eyes.

"I must say, young man, you're quite the dashing and honorable man," she gushed.

The Crown Prince's eyes flicked towards Master Ken, silently appealing to him to intervene. Master Ken didn't disappoint, sternly addressing the woman.

"Madame, could you kindly excuse us? We're here to eat and have a private conversation, not to entertain guests."

The woman's smile faltered and she bristled defensively. "I don't see what the problem is. I just want to thank the young man for his generosity, is that a crime?"

Master Ken's jaw clenched as he tried to keep his temper in check. "No, it's not a crime. But it's improper for a woman to sit at the same table as men who are not her family members or husband."

The restaurant owner huffed irritably. "I don't care about archaic notions of propriety. This is my restaurant, so what's the harm in sitting for a while?"

The Crown Prince shifted uncomfortably and Master Ken shot him a pointed glare. "Maybe we should really-"

But the woman cut him off with a wave of her hand. "Fine, fine, I'll leave. But not before I tell this young man something."

The Crown Prince's eyebrow arched in curiosity. "What is it?"

A sly smile crept over the woman's face. "I have a daughter, you see. She's smart and beautiful. And I'm looking for a rich and noble husband for her."

Master Ken stood in stunned silence as he watched the awkward exchange between the restaurant owner and the Crown Prince. The woman seemed oblivious to the discomfort she was causing, her bubbly personality clashing with the Crown Prince's stoic demeanor.

The Crown Prince, for his part, was visibly taken aback by the woman's bold request. He let out a heavy sigh, his eyes darting back and forth between the woman and his companion. "Why are you telling this to me? I'm not a matchmaker, you know."

The restaurant owner's face fell for a moment, before she quickly perked up. "That's not what I mean! I'm not asking you to find my daughter someone to marry. I just want to say that I want a son-in-law who is rich, handsome and noble...and that's you."

The Crown Prince blinked in disbelief, his mouth gaping open. "What?!" he spluttered, his cheeks turning red.

Without missing a beat, the woman moved closer to the Crown Prince, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. "Therefore, will you marry her?" she asked eagerly.

The Crown Prince's expression changed from shock to one of disgust, his upper lip curling in distaste. "You mean...me? Seriously? Why would I marry your daughter?" He muttered under his breath, "What a lowly's dream."

The woman seemed unfazed by the Crown Prince's reaction, brushing off his disdain with a flick of her wrist. "Why? You don't want to?" she pressed on. "Don't worry, my daughter is smart and beautiful. I'm sure you'll fall in love with her."

But the Crown Prince was having none of it. "So what?" he replied dismissively. "I'm not the one who decides who to marry. It's my family's decision." Turning to Master Ken, he stood up and snarled, "Let's go now. I don't have an appetite anymore."

The woman's cheerful demeanor dropped once more, her eyes wide with surprise. "Wait, are you leaving already? But you haven't even eaten yet!" she protested. "Young man, are you upset? Why? Are you from a strict noble family? Which family is that?"

The Crown Prince's face turned to one of cold, hard anger. "You'll regret it if I tell you," he growled. And with that, he turned on his heel and marched out of the restaurant.

The woman was undeterred, however, and called after him as he strode away. "Why would I regret it? Are you from a royal family? You're handsome enough, but your skin complexion isn't even like porcelain, like the royal family..."

The Crown Prince's anger boiled over and he strode purposefully towards the woman, fury written all over his face. Master Ken attempted to hold him back, his voice barely above a whisper as he attempted to calm him. "Your highness, you have to calm down."

The Crown Prince brushed him off impatiently, shaking free of his hold and continuing his march towards the restaurant owner. He stopped in front of her, towering over her diminutive figure.

"Hey, old woman," he spat out, his voice dripping with venom.

The restaurant owner's eyes widened in shock and insult. "What?! Old woman?!" she exclaimed.

The Crown Prince merely nodded. "Yes. I just want to tell you that your cooking sucks in taste."

The woman was outraged. "You're the first person who ever told me that my cooking wasn't delicious. How can you lie like that when you didn't even get to taste it? How can you be so disrespectful, young man?" she ranted.

The Crown Prince smirked, his eyes glinting with malice. "You're the one who disrespected me first, old woman. And by the way, it's true that I didn't get to taste your food. But I believe it does suck. You know why? Because it smells like your mouth - stinky!"

The woman's hand flew up to slap the Crown Prince, but Master Ken intervened just in time, holding her back with a firm grip. "What are you doing?!" she exclaimed, her eyes blazing with fury.

"Let go of me, young man," she demanded, struggling against his grasp.

Master Ken held firm, his gaze flickering towards the Crown Prince, who was watching the scene unfold with a mixture of amusement and surprise.

"Now, you want to slap me, don't you?" he asked, a cold smile playing on his lips. "You're making the most dangerous decision of your life."

The woman faltered for a moment, uncertainty flickering in her eyes. "Why? Do I need to be scared of you?" she asked, her voice trembling ever so slightly.

The Crown Prince just smirked, reaching out to snatch the gold coins back from her hand. "It's for you to find out. And..." He paused for a moment, studying her with a sardonic gaze. "this gold is for me to keep."

Both the Crown Prince and Master Ken bolted out of the restaurant, their legs pumping furiously as they tried their hardest to outrun the angry restaurant owner, who was hot on their heels. Finally, they skid to a halt, panting heavily as they tried to catch their breath.

Master Ken looked at his highness, his face apologetic. "If you're really hungry, your highness, I will buy you some delicious food."

The Crown Prince smoothed down his crumpled clothes and shot Master Ken a withering look. "You don't have to. I don't have the appetite anymore."

"But it's not right not to eat," Master Ken persisted, trying to reason with him.

"A man with an empty stomach is better than a man with no dignity," the Crown Prince retorted, his tone haughty and imperious.

"Perhaps we could return to the Palace and have something to eat there?" Master Ken suggested, hoping to placate him.

The Crown Prince glared at him, clearly annoyed. "Why would I go back already when I just came out? I didn't come here just to eat. I came to breathe in the fresh air of Almario. Unfortunately, all I ended up breathing in was the stinky breath of that old woman back there."

His eyes scanned the area until he spotted a lush, verdant forest in the distance. "Master Ken," he called out.

"Yes, your highness?" Master Ken replied dutifully.

"You stay here," the Crown Prince instructed, his tone brooking no argument.

"Why?" Master Ken asked, puzzled.

"I'm going into the forest to breathe some fresh air," the Crown Prince explained. "Don't you know that trees produce oxygen? I need to breathe some of it in."

"But..." Master Ken trailed off, unsure of what to say.

The Crown Prince interrupted him. "Don't worry, it won't take long."

"Your highness..." Master Ken began, but the Crown Prince cut him off.

"It's my order," he said firmly, before proceeding towards the forest, leaving Master Ken behind.

With a heavy sigh, Master Ken scanned the area once more, taking in the beauty of Almario. "I'll fetch you in 30 minutes, your highness," he muttered under his breath, before plonking himself down on a nearby bench to wait.

As the Crown Prince made his way through the lush forest, he listened intently to the chirping of the birds and the rustling of the leaves. He marveled at the sight of the swaying trees, each one a unique masterpiece of nature. Some leaves were yellow and withered, while others were strong and healthy, and the vast array of fruits left him almost unsure of where to start.

The Crown Prince shook his head, admonishing himself for thinking about food when he had just finished running away from the restaurant owner. But then his stomach growled slightly, making him curse inwardly.

"This is really annoying," he muttered, rubbing his tummy.

He set his sights on a large mango tree, but as he approached it, he suddenly felt something whiz past him, grazing his hair. Startled, he looked up and frowned, trying to see what had caused it. Before he could react, a banana peel landed on his head, causing him to stumble slightly.

"What the...?" he began, looking up again, only to be hit by another banana skin.

"It's a monkey, isn't it?" he muttered to himself, unsure of whether to feel irritated or amused. He knew that monkeys loved bananas and that they often caused trouble in this particular forest.

He shook his head, trying to move away, when a rambutan skin hit him square in the face.

"YAAAAAHHHHH!" he screamed in frustration and anger. "WHO DARES TO THROW FRUIT SKINS AT ME?! COME OUT AND FACE ME LIKE A MAN!"

He waited for a response, but none came. The forest remained eerily silent, apart from the rustling of the leaves and the chirping of the birds.

"Dammit," he muttered, feeling foolish for losing his temper.

Suddenly, he felt the tree behind him shake. Whipping around, he was surprised to see a girl with an innocent face standing there.

"Who are you?" he demanded, catching his breath.

The girl made a face, "I thought you wanted me to face you. So here I am. Why are you still asking?"

The Crown Prince was caught off guard. He hadn't expected a girl to be behind him moments after he was hit by fruit. He raised an eyebrow, trying to assess her.

"You're so noisy, you know," she said with a small smile.

The Crown Prince's irritation returned. "I wouldn't be if someone hadn't thrown fruit skins at me."

The girl shrugged. "The fruits of this forest are sweet."

The Crown Prince was about to protest, but before he could speak, she shoved a banana in his mouth. He chewed unconsciously for a moment before realizing what had happened and forcibly spat out the banana, glaring at her.

"Who are you to--" he began to say, but the girl cut him off.

"I'm Lili," she said simply.

The Crown Prince felt his frustration mounting. "I'm not asking for your name," he said, slightly irritated.

Lili smiled. "Oh, sorry. I thought you wanted to know who I was."

The Crown Prince shook his head in disbelief. "Are you kidding me?"

She shook her head. "No. But, if you didn't ask my name, then how about I ask for yours?"

She moved closer to him, staring into his eyes with her own bright brown ones. "What is your name?"

The Crown Prince stood there, staring at the girl in disbelief. It was the first time that someone had asked for his name with such courage, and the first time he had ever seen such fearless eyes looking back at him. Normally, people trembled and bowed before him, but not this girl. She looked at him as if he were a regular person - an equal.

But he couldn't answer her question. His name was a closely guarded secret, not to be mentioned by just anyone. If it were revealed, it could put whoever spoke it in grave danger and brand them as a disrespectful and immoral citizen of the nation.

"My name is...?"