Elizabeth Lim

From knowing that I was about to lose the boy I loved.

I’d like to remember what it’s like to be loved

She’d pour all her energy toward her position in the palace. Then she’d make new dreams for herself—dreams like seeing more of the world, and helping others

There was something about her . . . the blueness of her eyes had arrested him in his place. A hint of sadness had touched them when he’d

spoken, and he wondered why. Part of him wished he could go back to her and make her smile.

I don’t even know why I’m still thinking about him. Maybe I’m in love with the idea of him, just as he’s in love with the idea of me. So much that he didn’t even recognize the real me

Who was she now? She was still a servant, albeit one for the royal family—and she received wages for her work. It was a respectable job, one many would dream of, one she was proud of, and yet . . .

“I’m not happy,” she whispered. She said it again, louder this time. “I haven’t

been happy, not in a long time

Meeting the prince had made her happy, but that happiness had been fleeting. She needed something real for herself. A purpose

My father and I should be looking to improving this country for our people, not enlarging our territory