Princess Lily

Chapter 33

James felt as if he was suffocating. He was probably under a ton of rocks and dirt. He then felt a hand pull him up by the scruff of his neck. It was Jonathon. He had managed to squirm out of the collapsed rubble and was holding onto James. James grabbed onto a beam of wood with his hands and kept a tight hold on it, trying to lift himself out of the narrow opening. James cringed from pain as he felt rocks rub against his cut wounds. Then suddenly, the pain stopped as he successfully forced his way out of the area filled with rocks,wood,metal and dirt. Both collapsed over the mountain of debris, exhausted. James suddenly looked up in alarm.

"The two injured workers!" he exclaimed.

Jonathon looked away. 

"Dead," he whispered sadly. "They hadn't a chance. Would've died anyway from their wounds reopening even if we were able to save them."

James felt a light weight build up on his chest. "It's all my fault," he said sadly. "All my fault."

"No it's not," said Jonathon. "It's mine. I wasn't able to save them. I knew going down this path was risky, but I tried to be the hero..."

"Jonathon thank you for saving my life," said James gently, realizing the younger boy was plagued by his own guilt. "You could've easily gone on without me. You are a hero."

"You’re welcome Prince James," said Jonathon with a sad smile. "But now, we must walk on. There's no way we can go back the other way. We'll have to go out from the way we planned to take the injured."

James nodded and they started on. James then heard Jonathon's excited voice.

"James the exit! Here it is!" Jonathon pointed to bars that stuck out from the walls of the cavern made of collapsed rubble, leading up to a narrow opening. James started to climb, cringing as his injured hands and legs were used. They reached the top and James felt his hands slip. He fell a few feet down suddenly but grabbed on to a wooden beam just in time. He climbed up again and this time made it out. Both walked all the way back to the village where the rest of the men were still moving rocks. Clad in dirt and blood, Jonathon and James stumbled into the infirmary. Sasha sat there fanning herself haughtily.

"James!" she exclaimed getting up and running over to him. "What happened?"

James collapsed on her in response.

"Augghh!" Sasha shrieked as she pushed him away and into a nurse. "This dress is made of China silk!"

The nurse rolled her eyes and dragged James onto a bed. She began to tend to his wounds as Sasha mourned how her dress had been ruined. 

"China silk!" she moaned looking at the dirt and blood on her dress. "Honestly Prince James, couldn't you have found a different person to fall on?"

"You know it wouldn't hurt to help," said the nurse angrily. 

Sasha huffed and began to bandage a mans arm.

"It's his other arm that's broken," said the nurse through gritted teeth.

"Do I look like I care!" Sasha snapped.

James eyes fluttered open hours later to find more injured people being brought into the infirmary. It seemed like Duke Max’s group had also had trouble getting the people out trapped under the collapsed bridge.

"Your highness we need more nurses," said the head nurse urgently.

"I know!" James murmured in agony.

He motioned weakly for a bit of paper and a pen and began to write with a shaky hand. He called for one of his trusted men and instructed that the letter be delivered by hand to the recipient.

* * *

Lily stood extremely still as the Empress looked at her posture. A man from Prince James’s personal guard arrived with a letter for Lily, heaving from being out of breath and saying that he had been instructed to deliver it post-haste. Lily extended her hand for the letter but Sophia beat her to it.

"All letters go through me," said Sophia. "Before the owner reads them."

Lily nodded as Sophia took the letter, afraid if she misbehaved the Empress wouldn't let her see it. Sophia's eyes skimmed through the letter and she paled slightly before regaining color.

"James is fine," said Sophia. "In short, he is asking how you are and if you're well. He's asking about your schooling and says that he'll be home soon." Empress Sophia stopped abruptly before adding. "He also sends his love." And with that, she set the letter down onto the table.

"Let me read my letter!" Lily exclaimed.

"No," said the Empress firmly.

Counselor Vesky’s spy had been peering through a secret passageway peep hole. He wondered what was in that letter and opened the secret passage slightly to try and grab the letter which now lay mere inches from his reach. The spy didn’t count on Sir Henry who flew out of the small c***k, eager to rejoin his mistress.

 Empress Sophia had barely enough time to register what happened next. She saw Sir Henry fly in and then suddenly, the bird was swooping down and trying to sit on her head. She shrieked and attempted to shoo the bird away, giving Lily enough time to take the letter and put it safely inside her pocket. Sir Henry finally flew away from the empress, probably deciding that he was better off sticking with his mistress.

"O.K. fine," said Lily, trying to keep her voice neutral. "I can't have the letter may I go now?"

"Yes!" said the Empress, glowering at Sir Henry. "Please leave my site at once."

Lily gladly consented and ran into her room. Her eyes widened as she read the letter. The Empress was a lying, conniving, wretched person.

Dear Lily, Please this is an emergency. We are all in trouble and most are badly injured. You're good at cleaning wounds? It's urgent come as quickly as you can. I love you.

Love James.

Lily stood up angrily. She looked out at the sky. It was dark. Lily quickly changed into her riding suit and snuck out of the castle. By the time Lady Molly went in to check on Lily and sound an alarm that the princess was missing, Lily was already towards the gate. She saw the guards and leaned towards the left side of her horse. She bent down so that she was completely on the horses left side out of the guards view. Stormcloud then ran through the gate and the guards were too lazy to run after him, thinking he was just a stray horse.

Lily rode nonstop for two hours to reach the village. Little did she know that the palace soldiers had been sent after her. She rode on and could see the village up ahead. Then a horse came in front of her blocking her path. Lily looked at the owner of the horse. It was a guard. A palace guard.

"The Empress has ordered you to come back," he said and gently guided her horse away from the village.

 Lily tried to move her horse's reigns out of his grasp but the palace guard looked at her pleadingly. 

"Princess, if you don't go with me, the Empress will punish me and my men for failure to bring you back, Please, I have no choice in the matter and I need to keep my job to feed my family." 

Lily finally gave in with a sigh and gave one last glance toward the village. Her heart gave a small twang as she began to get further and further away from the village and James.