"The White Knight? Amy, is there something you want to tell me?"

With a groan, Amy slowly opened her eyes to see her sister looming over her bed, something clutched tightly in her hand. Horror flooded her system when she realized what Emma was holding.

"Hey, that's mine! Give it back!" she cried, reaching out her arm and making a desperate grab for the cell phone. However, her sister easily dodged her swipe and continued to read through Amy's texts.

"My princess? I'll see you in dreamland?! It's rude to keep your date waiting?!?! Amy, who is this 'Zen' and what is going on between you two?!" she exclaimed.

"U-Uh, Zen is...Jumin's middle name! Yeah! He uses it as an alias." Amy quickly lied.

Emma's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Why would he need to use an alias?"

"So people don't know he secretly has a corny romantic side because it'll ruin his reputation?"

"Nice try, Amy. Now I want the truth."

Amethyst sighed in surrender. "Alright, but you aren't to breathe a word of this to dad. Zen is...an accomplice of Jumin's that I met last night."

"An accomplice of Jumin's? Amy, that's wonderful! What business does he run?!"

"He isn't a business owner....he's an actor."

"What?"

The two sisters grew silent as Emma drank in the news.

"Well, you two aren't together. I mean, you're not, right?"

"No, we're not together. He's just a flirt, that's all." Amy stated, and for some reason her heart wrenched painfully when she said it.

"Okay, that's good. As long as you two are just friends, we've got nothing to worry about-"

A loud chime from Amy's phone cut her sister off. Glancing from Emerald to her phone, Amethyst lunged forward and made a wild swipe for the cellphone, but her sister sprinted to the other side of the room before opening the text.

❤️The White Knight❤️: Hey princess, I get out of jousting practice early today. Would you do me the honor of accompanying me to lunch later?

Distracted by the text, Emma didn't hear her sister creeping up behind her. In the blink of an eye, Amy snatched away the cellphone and hastily read the message. A small smile graced her lips as a feeling of warmth filled her chest.

Amy: I would love too. Where do you want to go? I'll meet you there.

❤️The White Knight❤️: Hmm....There's a new cafe called Ulga's that just opened up in town. The food is supposed to be really good. I'll meet you there around eleven thirty, okay?

Amy: Okay. Sounds good.

❤️The White Knight❤️: See you later, my princess.

Amy's heart fluttered, a small smile creeping onto her lips. However, the moment was quickly ruined by Emma as she peered over her sister's shoulder.

"You can't go." she stated flatly.

Amy frowned at her. "Excuse me? Why not?"

"Because Dad will flip, Amy! He's already upset with you for fighting with Jumin! If he finds out you went to lunch with some random actor, he'll completely lose it!"

"Then I won't tell him Zen's an actor. I'll just say he's an associate of Jumin's."

"Yeah, and when he finds out you lied to him, he'll be even angrier."

"I wouldn't be lying. I just wouldn't be telling him the whole truth."

"Potato, potahto. They're the same thing, Amy."

Amy rolled her eyes and headed over to her walk-in closet. "Look Emma, I'm going whether you like it or not. If you're planning on just standing there and continuing to argue with me, please leave and stop wasting my time. I need to get ready."

"Fine. Don't say I didn't warn you though." Emerald stated flatly before exiting her sister's bedroom.

--------------------------

Amethyst bit her lip as she stood staring at the door to her father's office. Swallowing the lump forming in her throat, she timidly knocked on the dark oak and waited patiently for her father to acknowledge her.

"Come in."

Opening the door, Amy hastily hurried over to her father's desk and stood quietly, waiting. Amy's father, Chul Hall, sat watching the news on the flatscreen tv mounted on the wall opposite of his desk, his lips curved into their usual frown as his hand rested on his chin. For a few minutes, not a sound filled the room other than the chatter of the bubbly meteorologist on the screen presenting the forecast for the next for the next few days; then Amy's dad finally turned to her, clearing his throat.

"Have you come to apologize for your behavior towards Jumin yesterday?" he asked sternly, his dark eyes staring at her from amongst the wrinkles lining his face.

Amy hung her head like she felt guilty and nodded slowly. "Yes father. I ask for your and Mr. Han's forgiveness regarding what happened."

"You are very lucky that Jumin's father is a forgiving man. He has already agreed to overlook your actions if you join Jumin for dinner later this week; I've already accepted the invitation on your behalf."

"Of course you did." Amy sighed internally.

"I am deeply sorry, father. Is there some way I can make it up to you?" she continued.

"Yes, you can stop acting like a brat and start being a little more cooperative. A partnership with Mr. Han's company would be good for us and would ensure the survival of our family's business. Jumin's father has already deemed you a worthy suitor for his son, so now all that is left for you to earn Jumin's affection so he asks for your hand and inherits my company as your husband. That is your purpose in life; you know that right, Amethyst?" Mr. Hall lectured his daugher.

Amy bit her lip to keep from spitting a not-so-ladylike comment at her father.

"Yes father." she replied instead, her voice wavering slightly as she struggled to suppress the intense amount of anger she was feeling in that moment.

"Good, then I expect you to win Jumin's heart and become engaged to him before the year is up." Mr. Hall stated. However, as he reached to grab his laptop from the corner of his desk, the purse hanging off of Amy's arm caught his eye.

"You are going out?" he said somewhat suspiciously.

"Oh yes. I'm actually going to meet with an associate of Jumin's that I met at the RFA party last night, that is if you'll me leave. Can I, Daddy?" Amethyst purred, batting her eyelashes. She only ever called her father "Daddy" when she was kissing up to him, and so far, it had yet to fail at winning her father over. To her delight, the older man sighed in surrender and reached into the pocket of his suit jacket.

"I shall call you once every hour to check on you. If you do not answer immediately, I will send my bodyguards to pick you up and escort you home. Be back here no later than 15:00 on the dot." he said as he slid the car keys across his desk.

"Yes father. Thank you." Amy said, bowing humbly before taking the keys and exiting the dark, stuffy office room. As soon as she closed the door, her lips curved into a huge grin. Hurrying out of her house and into her family's large garage, she pulled out her phone as she got into the car.

Amy: I'm on my way. See you in a bit!

---------------

As she stepped into the restaurant, Amy immediately scanned the crowd for that familiar mop of silver hair. Suddenly, however, a pair of hands covered her eyes, causing her to jump.

"Guess who?" A familiar voice cooed.

Amy's shoulders slowly relaxed and she pulled away with a huff. "Zen, don't scare me like that-What are you wearing?"

Zen blushed as he adjusted his sunglasses and ran his fingers through the black wig he was wearing. "A disguise of course. If I looked like myself, we would be drowning in a sea of fangirls. That would hardly make for an ideal first date, now would it?"

Amy frowned. "This isn't a date, Zen."

"Sure it isn't. Let's grab a table before this place gets too crowded."

Before Amy could respond to the cocky actor's statement, she was being dragged over to the hostess station, where a bubbly young ginger stood with two menus in her hand waiting for the couple. The duo was sat in a rather cozy booth at the back of the restaurant, a low, hanging light bathing them in its warm yellow rays. Smiling, Zen wrapped an arm around Amy's shoulders, causing her to raise a suspicious eyebrow.

"What? Am I doing something wrong?" the actor asked, feigning innocence.

Amy rolled her eyes, but a small smile had crept its way onto her face.

"You're such a dork." she mumbled.

"But I'm a hot dork, right?"

"I'm not answering that." Amy mumbled, turning away as Zen laughed. For some reason, her cheeks started to turn pink.

"Why am I blushing? I...I feel weird! I don't like it but I do at the same time! What is this guy doing to me? Am I getting sick?"

Zen's laughter slowly died when he noticed Amy wasn't looking at him, and his lips curved downward into a worried frown.

"Amy, are you okay?" he asked softly.

"Yeah, I'm fine." the woman lied, turning back to him with a smile. "I was just....lost in thought..."

"I see....My amazingness is so great that it sent you into a daze. How selfish of me to not be careful around you! I will try to reign in my awesomeness for the sake of your mental sanity, Amy." Zen cooed, smirking as she laughed at him.

"You're a real piece of work, Zen."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

Just as Amy was about to respond, a tall waitress with a long, dark ebony ponytail that hung down to her waist strutted up to them with a pencil in her hand.

"Hello, my name is Sora and I'll be your waitress today. Can I get you something to drink to start off your meal?" she asked in a bored, monotone voice.

Zen flashed the girl a smile. "I'll take a Cherry Coke please."

When she heard Zen's voice, the waitress frowned and raised an eyebrow. Immediately, the actor's stomach dropped. She didn't recognize him, did she?

"Is something the matter?" he asked, forcing his voice not to waver.

"No, it's just that your voice sounds rather familiar. Do I know you from somewhere?" Sora replied thoughtfully.

"Uh, no I don't believe so."

"Hmm..."

Although she didn't look convinced by Zen's story, the waitress turned to Amy and continued the order. "And for you, Miss?"

"Just water for me, thank you." Amy replied with a smile.

"You want a lemon wedge with that?"

"Yes please."

"Alright. Can I get an appetizer for you two?"

Before Amy could decline, Zen spoke up. "I've heard about your Snackeez, I believe that's what they are called, are absolutely delicious, so if we could start with a round of those, that would be lovely."

"Alright, I'll be right back with your drink and a basket of Snackeez for you." Sora stated. As she walked away, Amy heard her mumbled aloud to herself. "His voice is really familiar..."

"Zen, should we be worried?" she whispered.

"I don't think so. As long as she can't place my voice, we're fine. I should've thought beforehand to talk in an accent though. I'll have to remember that for next time."

Amy raised an eyebrow. "Next time?"

"Yeah, I was hoping we could do this on a regular basis from now on. Don't worry, I'll pay all expenses for today and every other one." Zen said with a smile.

"Zen, I can't let you do that! You work hard to earn that money; squandering it on a spoiled rich girl like me is a waste of your efforts." Amy protested.

"Spoiled huh? You don't act very spoiled." Zen mused.

"Well, you haven't seen me upset yet." Amy joked, earning a chuckle from the actor.

"Still, can we do this often? It's fun hanging out with you. I'm oddly comfortable around you, a sensation I generally don't feel anywhere other than within the confines of my own home. I want to talk to you more, and not just over the phone. Please, Amy?" Zen purred, his voice as soft and slick as silk.

Amy felt her face heat up again. For some reason, she wanted more than anything to say yes, but as she thought about it, she realized she couldn't.

"I'm sorry, Zen; I can't. My dad would get suspicious and start jumping to conclusions. He would flip his lid if he thought I was seeing someone who isn't a wealthy businessman."

Zen frowned. "Well, he let you come and meet with me today, didn't he?"

"That's only because I told him you were an accomplice of Jumin's. I didn't tell him anything else about you."

"Oh." Zen's face fell, and Amy immediately regretted what she had said as a pool of guilt bubbled in her stomach.

"I really wanted to come see you again, Zen, but I knew if he knew the truth about you, he wouldn't have let me come. Please don't be upset." Amy pleaded, taking his large hand into her small one and squeezing it.

Zen glanced down at his and Amy's intertwined hands, and a smile crept onto his lips once more. "I'm not upset. I just can't help but feel guilty over the fact that you could get in trouble because of me. I don't want to cause problems for my lovely princess."

"Oh Zen, don't worry about it. I know how to spin a good tall tale or two. Don't feel guilty." Amy cooed and flashed the actor a wink.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive."

A few seconds later, the waitress returned with the pair's drinks and appetizer. "Can I take your order now so it'll be done by the time you're appetizer is finished?"

"Sure! Amy darling, why don't you go first?" Zen said.

Amy's face turned bright red at Zen's words. "I-I'm honestly fine with just the appetizer."

Zen frowned again. "Nonsense, you need to eat. Sora, we'll each have a Greek salad with the dressing and cheese on the side as well as chicken on top."

"Alright, two Greek salads with chicken on top and dressing and cheese on the side coming right up."

As soon as Sora walked away, Amy turned to Zen and flashed him a disapproving scowl. "What the heck was that?"

"You need to eat, Amy. Skipping meals is bad for your health." Zen stated firmly.

"I'm not skipping a meal! I just figured the appetizer would be enough calories. I can't afford to put on any weight. My dad will get mad and lecture me on how my girlish figure is an asset to his company and that I need to be careful with it." Amy stated.

"The more I hear about your dad, the less I like him. There's nothing wrong with indulging yourself every once in awhile. And so what if you gain a pound or two? You're so pretty and no one would be able to tell anyways." Zen stated sternly, looking Amy in the eyes. "Also, your body is yours, not his. It is not his property nor a tool for his company."

"He certainly seems to think so."

"Then he is a jerk, along with many other names that I will not say because you are a lady and I do not wish to soil your ears with putrid language. Still, it angers me greatly that he treats you like an object rather than his daughter. He is a cruel dragon indeed; once I have trained further and sharpened my skills enough, I will steal you away from him and take you someplace safe."

The corners of Amy's mouth curved upward into a smile. "Thank you, great knight. You are very kind to take pity on me and offer your assistance."

"It is no problem, milady. I cannot just leave a lady such as yourself at the mercy of such a beast; it would be improper of me."

Amy giggled softly as she nibbled on one of the special crackers the waitress had brought out. "Wow, these are good!"

Zen smiled and before the girl beside him knew what was happening he bent his head down and took a large bite out of the Snackee in her hand, chewing it slowly. "You're right, it's delicious."

"Hey, that was mine. Now you've got your narcissist cooties all over it!" Amy exclaimed.

"Cooties? Are we going back to kindergarten now?" Zen teased, earning a halfhearted smack upside the face.

"Dork."

Before long, Sora returned with the salads and placed them in front of the duo. While they ate, Zen stared thoughtfully into the distance as he chewed.

"Amy," he said suddenly, "what if I pretended to be a wealthy business owner like Jumin? I could use this disguise so your dad wouldn't recognize me; he would never know the difference."

"He would ask questions, as well as do research on you to make sure you would actually benefit his company. It wouldn't work, Zen, and besides, he has pretty much decided who he wants me to marry." Amy sighed sadly.

Zen's eyes narrowed. "And who would that be?"

"He wants me to marry Jumin."

Zen nearly choked on a mouthful of salad. He stared down at the beautiful woman next to him with a mixture of shock, horror, and disgust on his face. "He wants you to marry Jumin?!"

Amy nodded solemnly. "As of late, my dad has become obsessed with the idea of Jumin becoming the heir to his company. He wants me to marry Jumin and secure his future as my dad's successor."

"That hardly seems fair. Why doesn't your dad just give you or one of his other children the company?" Zen asked.

"Well, you see, my dad is quite old fashioned, and as such, he deems it improper for women to do many things, including own a business. Given that his only children are my sister and I, that leaves him no one to give the company to. His older values also are what lead him to believe using me as a bargaining chip and marrying me off to someone for his own benefit as acceptable."

"That's a load of crap. Ugh, your dad really ticks me off!" Zen huffed, rather aggressively stabbing an olive with one of his chopsticks. "You're not actually going to go along with his plan, are you?"

"I don't really have a choice. I can only resist for so long without angering him and making him do something rash."

"Well, you're what, twenty-one or twenty-twoish? That means you're probably almost done with college, right? After college, you can get a job and move out, can't you? Then you can finally be free. I'll even help you if you would like!"

"Oh Zen, you don't have to do that."

"But I want to. I want to see you happy, Amy. I will pay whatever price is necessary for you to smile."

"Zen...thank you. I don't know what to say."

"Say you'll have lunch with me again sometime this week."

"I'll think about it." Amy purred playfully, causing Zen to smile.

Once they finished eating and Zen had paid the bill, the two got out of their seats and headed outside into the parking lot. When they reached Amy's car, Zen suddenly grabbed her hand and placed a kiss on her knuckles.

"I bid you ado, my princess. I hope to see you again soon. I shall send you more messages of love with my virtual carrier pigeon tonight. Until then, good day."

Amy's face was the color of a tomato as Zen walked away. Hastily getting into her car, she inserted the key and turned on the engine only to sit in her seat and stare absently into the distance as her mind wandered.

"Why do I feel so weird? My heart feels like it's going to beat out of my chest, and I've blushed more times today than I have in the past year. What is going on with me?"

A loud knocking on the passenger side window suddenly shook her from her thoughts. Looking up, Amy gasped when she saw none of than her sister peering at her through the glass, a disapproving scowl on her face.

"Emerald, what are you doing here?! How did you even get here?!"

"I snuck into the trunk while you were asking for the keys, but that's not what's important right now. We need to talk, Amethyst. Let me in."

In truth, Amy really wanted to drive away and leave her sister in the restaurant's parking lot, but she knew that her father would be furious with her if she did so. With a reluctant sigh, she unlocked the passenger side door and watched numbly as her sister climbed into the seat beside her. Immediately, the blonde pulled out her phone and held it in front of her sister's face. Displayed on the screen was a picture of Amy and Zen in the restaurant, holding hands and looking into each other's eyes.

"You have a lot of explaining to do, sis. Start talking." Emma stated flatly.

"You were spying on me?!" Amethyst exclaimed angrily.

"I was looking out for your best interest, Amy. You know this will end badly. Sooner or later, Dad will figure out the truth and you'll be in big trouble. What if when he goes to ground you and take all your stuff he finds your school books or your notebook? Do you want that, Amy? Do you want him to explode?"

"Of course not! There's nothing going on between me and Zen, Emma. He's just a friend, that's all."

"The pictures I took say differently."

"He's a goofy flirt, Em."

"There's nothing actually going on between you?"

"No!"

Emma didn't look convinced, but she didn't carry the argument on further. Sitting back in her chair, she slid her phone into her pocket and put on her seatbelt.

"I hope you realize I'm only doing this to try and protect you, right? You're my older sister and I don't want to see you get into trouble."

Amy said nothing as she buckled her own seatbelt and grabbed the gear shift. Silently, she pulled out of the parking space and drove home, not even glancing at her sister for a moment. Emma squirmed in her seat, the tension in the car making her uncomfortable. Not a word was said as the two drove home, and before long, they had pulled into the family's garage. After turning off the car, Amy tossed the keys at her sister, making her flinch.

"Give those back to dad. I've got a headache so I'm going to go lay down." she said curtly as she got out of the car. Ignoring her sister as she called her name, Amy stormed into the house, up the mansion's main grand staircase, and into her room, slamming the door shut behind her. Flopping onto the bed, she screamed into her pillow, her nails digging into its plush body. Just as she ran out of breath, her phone vibrated in her pocket. Taking it out, she looked at the screen to see who had texted her, and when she saw a familiar name staring up at her, she managed a weak smile.

❤️The White Knight❤️: Hey princess, I know things are hard right now, but you'll escape the dragon some day soon. You just have to keep holding on until then, okay? If you need help or support, I'm here for you. I can't wait to see you again, my darling. Just stay strong and whatever you do, don't get engaged to that trust fund kid while we're apart, understand? Alright, I have to go. Have a good day, my darling.

--------------------

((Hey guys!!! Sorry this update took so long. My life has been pretty hectic since Thanksgiving. However, I have a few days of my break left before my next drama practice, so I'm gonna try to update my other books too in between practicing my dances and visiting with family over the holiday. I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas! Also, kudos to whoever can figure out which American restaurant I parodied to make the restaurant Zen and Amy went to. Okay, see you guys soon!))