"No," Ami admits. "They went to the nearby houses, to kitchen fires and candle flames. Many of them were hurt very badly trying to accomplish this for the princess."

There is a small note of disapproval there - a girl causing so much fuss over the question of love, demanding so much before she'd give any of herself. But Ami hadn't been easy for Luke to woo, either; it had time and patience to break down her reserve and her instinctive mistrust of people - of any class - approaching her.

"However, one day, the prince from the Northern side of the moat heard about the glittering princess and came in a palanquin of white lotus petals."