Amarie strolled in the marketplace, trying to smile in response to the patron's own smiles in greeting. But those who truly knew the little princess knew that there was still that sad, tired look in her eyes, even when Amarie did try to smile.

So few understood why the little girl's own world always seemed to be crashing down about her. They say that she should be happy, for there was rumor that she may be getting a new mother soon.

A new mother? What was so wrong with her own? Why hasn't her own tried to at least keep in contact with both her and her twin brother, Andreas? Didn't she want them at all?

"Shouldn't you be returning home m'lady?" one of the older, elderly patrons asked. Amarie merely shook her head.

She didn't have to return home just yet. There was plenty of local security around to quiet things down if there was trouble.

A disturbance rolled through the crowded mass of people in the shopping center. People seemed to be bumping out of the way like a buble bursting, in front of Amarie. Kamon walked through the crowd, ignoring the fact that many people just stared at him. There werent a lot of times where he could just go out in public like this. He was usually too busy. But right now he wanted to see his daughter.

"Hello, angel."

He scooped her up in his arms and gave her a hug. SHe returnedit, then Kamon set her back down on the ground where she could continue to wak through the shopping center. From what the guards said she was down here a lot. He didn't mind at all. In fact he trusted her not to get in trouble, while he didn't know so much about her brother.

"What're you up to?"

"I'm trying not to think. It hurts too much." Amarie replied uneasily, taking a meandering path through the slowly quieting crowd. With her daddy being so busy, they were taken by surprise with his sudden appearance, along with Amarie herself.

"I come down here to watch everybody else, hoping my thoughts go away. This time it didn't work. I still feel bad."

"I understand what you're going through. You miss your mother. I missed my parents the same way after your uncle killed them."

He walked next to her through the crowds. All of these people in this small part of the area were making it kind of stuffy. More and more people kept packing into this corner of the shopping center because of his presence. He smiled and nodded at them, but he couldn't keep that up all day.

"Let's go out into the country and spend the day together. Your brother's off somewhere, with the Monteradon's I assume, so we can be alone for a while and talk."

Amarie smiled at her father's suggestion. She had been to the marketplace so many times, that it's soothing effect had waned down to nothing. Maybe it was time for a change in scenery?

Looking up at her father, Amarie managed to give him a nod. He had been away so often that maybe it was a good idea for him to also have a nice change in scenery as well.

He smiled at her and took her hand in his to lead her out of the marketplace. Passing through the crowded streets of Tholatin's capital, they made their way towards the side opposite the castle. Some of the planet's best scenerey was in that direction.

"I know I've been rather busy lately, and I haven't had a chance to see you much. I'm sorry for that. But what have you been up to?"

"Not too much. Been at the market alot." Amarie shrugged, the conversation feeling awkward.

Not entirely sure what to say next, Amarie's eyes focused on the scenery ahead of her.

"Have you bought anything?"

He raised his eyebrow at her. He'd seen her, maybe not as often as he had liked, but he had seen her. And all those times he had seen her he hadn't noticed her having anything new. If she did she was keeping it hidden very well.

"I haven't seen anything new."

Amarie shook her head, her gaze lowering to her feet.

"Nothing seems to keep my interest." she murmured, shuffling her feet on the ground restlessly.

They stopped at the grassy top of a hill overlooking a beautiful view of some rivers and streams below. He motioned for her to sit and he sat next to her. Putting his arm around her, he gave her a slight hug.

"You still miss your mother don't you?"