A sigh escaped Amy's lips as she slipped on the new dress her father had bought for her. Tonight was the night of her dinner date with Jumin and his father, and she was dreading it to say the least. After zipping up the back of the dress, she turned around to face her full-length mirror only to scowl in disgust at her reflection. The black, silky cocktail dress clung to every little curve in her body, its short skirt and plunging neckline leaving little to the imagination. Turning back to her closet, she grabbed a simple silver shawl and shoved it into her purse just as her bedroom door opened. Turning around, she was relieved to see it was only her sister who had come to pay her a visit.

"You look nice." Emma commented, flashing her a weak, sympathetic smile.

"You know, normally fathers try to dress their daughters in more clothing rather than less. I look like I should be clubbing somewhere, not going to dinner with two businessmen." Amy grumbled as she slid her feet into the sparkly silver stiletto heels that her father had also purchased for her, wavering slightly as she tried to walk on the overglorified stilts. Stumbling over to her vanity, she sat down and began to apply her makeup when she noticed her sister had moved to stand behind her. "Can I help you?"

Emma said nothing as she pulled something out of her pocket and gingerly placed it around her sister's neck, securing it in place with a clasp. The humble yet elegant heart-shaped necklace went perfectly with Amy's other jewelry, and despite being metal, it was surprisingly warm to the touch.

"What is this?" Amy asked in confusion.

"It's a necklace Mom bought for me a few months before she and dad split. She claimed it was lucky. I figured you could use some luck tonight." Emma replied as she played her sister's snowy, silky waves.

"Emma...Thank you." Amy said as she gently ran her finger over the lone charm on the necklace. Immediately, she felt like her mother was beside her, comforting her, giving her strength. Getting up, she wrapped her sister in a tight hug and buried her face into the top of the girl's head. A few tears started to slip down her cheeks, but she hastily blinked away the rest before her perfect cat eyes were ruined.

"I really don't want to do this, Em. Why do I have to do this? Is this really my role in life? Why can't I fall in love with a man of my own choice? Why do I have to seduce and marry someone I don't love?" she whispered, her lip quivering slightly as she spoke.

Emma sighed and rubbed her sister's back comfortingly. "I'm sorry, Amethyst. None of this is fair but there's nothing we can do about it. We just have to do our best to make Dad happy and hope that along the way we can find some small scrap of happiness for ourselves too. Who knows, Jumin could probably help your writing career take off."

Amy felt her heart sink at her sister's words. What had she expected? As much as she hated their situation, Emma was too afraid of their father to stand up for herself and instead submitted to his biased demands. She had been foolish to think she might say anything otherwise.

"I have to finish getting ready." she said softly, stiffly pulling out of her sister's embrace and returning to the seat in front of her vanity. Glancing up at the mirror once more, she immediately noticed her sister's hurt face in the reflection and felt a tad of guilt tug at her heart but she quickly brushed it off.

"Since I'll be gone tonight, Dad will be far more likely to notice any suspicious behavior from you so be careful if you try doing your studies." she continued as she grabbed her flat iron and plugged it into the electricity socket on the wall.

"I will; thanks for the warning." Emerald replied glumly as she headed for the door. Just as her fingers grazed the cool metal of the doorknob, she paused and glanced over her shoulder at her sister.

"Amy, please behave tonight, for your own sake." she said before slipping quietly out of the room.

Amy sighed wearily and placed her head in her hands as the regret began to seep in. Looking at herself in the mirror only worsened her mood; she looked like some tramp looking for her next boy toy, not the daughter of a wealthy Korean businessman. Her flat iron suddenly gave a loud beep, signaling that it had reached the required temperature, but Amy was so lost in thought that when she reached for it, she accidentally grabbed the hot end, burning her hand. Yelping in pain, she dropped the iron back onto her vanity and hurried into her private bathroom, turning on the faucet of her sink and sticking her hand under the cool rushing water. Suddenly, her phone began to go off, causing her to groan as she sprinted to grab it off of the vanity before returning to the bathroom. Hitting the answer button, she held the device to her ear with her free hand whilst returning the other to its place in the sink.

"Hello?" she said, half-expecting to hear her father's voice scolding at her for not being ready yet.

"Good evening, my darling damsel. How fares thee?" Zen's voice purred through the phone.

Amy sighed in relief, a small smile gracing her lips. "Terrible. I grabbed my flat iron by the wrong end and burned my hand."

"Ouch! You poor thing! Are you running cold water over it?"

"Yep. Honestly, just talking to you is making me feel better already."

"Glad I'm able to assist. I wish I was there in person though so I could kiss it better."

"I would slap you if you tried." Amy teased.

"You're so cruel, my lady. Perhaps I could warm your heart with a fancy dinner at a nearby castle later tonight?"

"That's sounds wonderful, but I can't. I have already been called to the C&R royal palace tonight." Amy sighed.

Zen grew unusually silent.

"That's tonight? How...unfortunate. I was looking forward to another evening with you." he finally answered, and Amy immediately noticed he did in fact sound quite sad.

"If it's any comfort, I would much rather dine with you, my knight." she cooed softly, hoping to cheer him up.

"That does offer me some consolation. You do not plan to fall for that cold, pompous prince, do you?"

"No but my resistance must be extremely subtle to avoid angering the dragon."

"I wish I could help, my princess. I wish I could whisk you away to a far away land where you could be happy."

"That's very kind of you. I need to go though. I have to finish getting ready."

"Very well. I give you my blessing, my fair lady. May no harm come to you this night."

"Thank you, Zen. Goodbye." Amy said and hung up the phone before turning off the water, drying her hand, and returning to her vanity.

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

An uneasy silence hung over the room as Jumin, Mr. Han, and Amy all sat around the large dining room table. As the fire in the fireplace crackled, Amy once again poked at the steak in front of her with her fork, causing Mr. Han to frown.

"Is something wrong with your steak, Amy? Is it not prepared to your liking? Or are you perhaps a vegetarian? How inconsiderate of me not to think of something like that-"

"The steak is fine, Chairman Han. I'm just not very hungry." Amy said, offering the older man a rather fake smile.

"Are you not feeling well, dear? We can always reschedule. The last thing we need is you overexerting yourself when you're ill and making the sickness worse." Mr. Han said.

The offer sounded extremely appealing; in fact, it was better than anything Amy could've hoped for. She could end this awful evening early without getting in trouble for making a scene, but deep down, she knew her father would see right past her little facade and would likely punish her anyways for taking advantage of Mr. Han's concern for her health.

"I'm fine, Chairman Han, I promise. Thank you for your concern." she purred sweetly, nearly gagging on every sickening, artificially flavored, sugary word as it left her mouth.

"Oh, you don't need to call me Chairman, dear. Mr. Han is just fine. There's no need for such formalities; after all, we're practically like family now with your father and I being so close."

Amy and Jumin both visibly tensed up and shot each other uncomfortable glances. Sensing the awkwardness, Mr. Han decided to try and break the mountain of ice standing between the two youths.

"So, Amy, what are some of your interests? Perhaps you and Jumin are into similar things."

"I highly doubt that." Amy thought to herself but she didn't dare say anything aloud. "I can't mention my writing or school though or I risk Dad finding out. Hmm, what's a safe topic..."

"I like music." she replied uncertainly. Mr. Han's eyes lit up.

"Ah, music! How nice. Jumin, you like music, don't you?"

"Only a few types." Jumin said coldly, his eyes fixed on his phone.

"Well, what types of music do you like Amy?" Mr. Han continued after shooting his son a disapproving look.

"Um, I generally like a little bit of everything, but my favorite type of music would has to be musical soundtracks."

"How interesting. Jumin, don't you have a friend who performs in musicals?"

"We're more of acquaintances than friends and I would prefer not to talk about him." Jumin stated flatly as he set aside his phone.

Mr. Han's frown deepened as Amy squirmed awkwardly in her seat.

"Jumin, don't you think Amy looks pretty in that dress?" he said sternly.

Jumin briefly glanced up from his steak to look at the young woman seated across from him and then returned his gaze to his meal. "Her outfit choice is...unique. Where did you find such a dress, Amy?"

As she continued to smile, Amy gripped the sides of her chair as she resisted the urge to strangle the pompous man.

"I'm not sure; it was a gift." she cooed icily, glaring daggers at Jumin. If he noticed, he didn't show it.

"Hmm, I see." he replied. It seemed he was about to say more but then quickly decided against it and resumed looking at his phone.

"Jumin, may I speak with you outside for a moment?" Mr. Han said, a slight growl to his voice.

"Of course. Please excuse us, Amy."

As the two men left the room, Amy released the sigh she had been holding in and allowed herself to slouch back in her chair. Suddenly, her phone started vibrating so she pulled it out and read the newest text from none other than Zen.

❤The White Knight❤: Hey, how's it going? Want me to swoop in and save you yet?

A soft laugh escaped Amy's lips.

Amy: I wish you could but the dragon would catch you for sure.

❤The White Knight❤: I'm not afraid of any dragon.

Amy: Well, I am and I would like to stay off of his bad side for awhile.

❤The White Knight❤: Very well. However, do you need a ride home by chance?

Amy: I don't know yet. Why do you ask?

❤The White Knight❤: Text me if you need one and I'll give you a ride home.

Amy: Zen...that's sweet of you but my dad find it pretty suspicious if I come home with another guy.

❤The White Knight❤: Don't worry. I've got everything covered, I promise. Just let me know, okay?

Amy:....Alright, just don't do anything crazy.

❤The White Knight❤: No promises ;)

Hearing the door open, Amy glanced up to see Mr. Han enter the room once more, looking a little frazzled.

"Is something the matter, Cha - Mr. Han? Where's Jumin?" she asked.

"Ah, he had to leave for a meeting, my dear. He's working on another project regarding that dumb cat of his. I'm afraid he'll have to take a rain check on this little date. I apologize for all this."

"Oh, it's alright. We can always reschedule." Amy cooed while silently celebrating her early release from the torturous evening.

"I shall have to. Next time, I'll make sure you have Jumin's undivided attention. Do you need a ride home?"

"I....I actually already have a ride. Thank you though."

"Alright, I'll have one of my bodyguards escort you out once your ride arrives. Again, I am deeply sorry about this. Goodnight, Miss Hall." Chairman Han said and hurried from the room.

Glancing back down at her phone, Amy's fingers flew as she typed out another message and sent it.

Amy: Hey, I need that ride.

❤The White Knight❤: I'll be there in five minutes. Sit tight.

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

Amy's jaw dropped as her ride pulled up and Zen got out, waving to her.

"Zen, I thought I told you not to do anything crazy!" she exclaimed as she stared in shock at the sleek, black limousine .

"And I told you no promises." Zen chuckled in reply, shooing Mr. Han's bodyguards and helping Amy into the limo before climbing in beside her. Shutting the door, he signaled for the driver to go and then leaned back in his seat. Glancing at Amy, his face turned red when he noticed her outfit. Amy felt herself blushing as well and wrapped her shawl a little tighter around her body but the sheer fabric didn't do much. Biting his lip, Zen hastily shrugged off his own jacket and held it out for Amy to take, all the while staring out the window and refusing to look at her. Chuckling at his obvious embarrassment, Amy gingerly took the coat and slid it on, zipping it shut and relishing in its warmth.

"You can look now." she giggled, smiling at the flustered actor seated beside her.

After quickly glancing over his shoulder to make sure she wasn't playing with him, Zen turned back around and hung his head bashfully.

"Sorry, it's just, I didn't want to look at you like you were some piece of eye candy or meat, but I'm a guy so I worried if I looked I would-"

"Zen, you can stop babbling. I didn't take it the wrong way, I promise." Amy replied, touched by her friend's attempts to respect her.

"Oh, g-good. You do look very pretty, though I would've like the outfit better if it covered more. Not to say your body isn't pretty; it is. I mean, I'm assuming it is; I don't know because I purposely didn't look but I'm sure you're very-"

"Zen, calm down. I'm not offended or anything. It's okay." Amy laughed, giving the actor's shoulder a gentle squeeze.

Zen's blush darkened. "S-Sorry, I don't know what wrong with me today."

"There's no need to apologize, Zen. I'm actually touched by your desire to treat me like a person and not an object; very few men share that same mindset these days. I honestly needed a little bit of kindness after this trainwreck of an evening." Amy said.

"It was that bad, huh? Jumin didn't do anything inappropriate, did he?"

"Unless you count staring at his phone the entire evening, no he didn't. I honestly talked more with his father than him."

Zen's lips curved into a deep scowl of disgust. "Ugh, that bastard. Even if I didn't want him flirting with you, he should have at least shown you some respect. For the son of a wealthy businessman, his manners suck."

Amy giggled at Zen's remarked. Yawning, she laid her head on the actor's shoulder, causing him to tense up again.

"Thank you so much for coming to get me, Zen. I was honestly afraid that if I stayed a second longer Mr. Han would start hitting on me. The very thought makes my skin crawl." she purred, closing her eyes.

"I-I'm glad I could be of assistance, my lady. However, you shouldn't close your eyes yet. I don't think your father would react well to finding a strange man standing on his porch while carrying his sleeping daughter in his arms."

"No, I suppose he wouldn't. So, why did you get a limo?"

"Well, aside from wanting to treat you like the star you are, I figured that driving you home in a limo would help sell the illusion that I'm some wealthy business friend of Jumin's so you wouldn't get in trouble. I've barely known you for a full week yet I can't stand the thought of you getting in trouble and me being the cause."

"Zen, you're very sweet but oh so corny at the same time."

"Thank you. I'll take that as a compliment."

Smiling and shaking her head, Amy looked up to see the limo pulling up beside the main gate of her home. Sighing she unzipped Zen's jacket and slipped it off before sliding out of the car.

"Thanks again for doing this, Zen. Goodnight."

"Wait! Aren't you forgetting something?"

Amy's eyebrows furrowed in confusion till Zen grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips.

"Goodnight, my fair maiden. I shall see you again soon in the realm of dreams." he whispered then shut the door.

As the limousine drove away, Amy placed her hands against her chest and felt her heartbeat racing so fast it was about to shoot out of her body.

"What is this feeling? I don't know why but I kind of like it. I feel...good, happy even. Why am I feeling this way? What triggered it? Was it Zen? It couldn't have been him...could it? How can he make me feel so much better after such an awful evening? He really must be a wizard as well as a knight."

Smiling to herself, Amy turned and strolled through the front gate to her family's property, holding her head up higher than she had in a long time as the mysterious magic Zen had cast upon her coursed through her beings and gave her this warm, bubbly feeling inside her chest. By now, her date with Jumin seemed like no more than a bad dream.

((Okay, I am going to make something perfectly clear before people start complaining in the comments. I do NOT hate Jumin. In fact, he is my second favorite character in the game. I merely showed him in a bit of a bad light to represent how Amy interpreted the situation. For you Jumin fans out there, I am actually hoping to write a sequel to this with another OC made specially for Jumin. Alright, just had to get that off my chest before people started calling me a bully or something like that. Have a good evening everyone. Toodles!))