Princess Lily

Chapter 32

"No!" exclaimed Empress Sophia. "Pathetic! It goes like this." 

She then demonstrated and took her fan out and started fanning herself. Lily tried to imitate her. She flipped the fan open and it fell out of her hands.

"Practice this and then come to me. I am the Empress for heavens sake and have more important things to attend to than teach some tomboy how to flip a fan open," 

The Empress stalked out of the room and Lily glared daggers at her.

Molly sighed. "Come on Lily," she said. "One more time."

 "No," said Lily tears pouring down her face. "She's ridiculed me enough today.  For the entire three days that I have been here, it's been the same thing everyday! I can't stand it! She's made fun of my rank, my family, my home and made fun of me! Enough is enough," Lily threw her dark blue fan down and walked over to the window. 

A light drizzle of rain was falling down and made the palace grounds glitter, looking like a fairy tale land. The view seemed to help calm Lily down but she couldn't help it as her eyes blurred with tears. She was so tired of being degraded every day.

"Oh Lily don't cry!" Lady Molly exclaimed. She patted Lily's back comfortingly. Lily then saw something, a white blur that was moving around the palace grounds playing in the rain.

"Jade!" Lily exclaimed. She pulled herself out of Lady Molly's grasp and ran out of the room, down the steps and out of the castle. Lady Molly followed behind throwing a cloak over Lily's shoulders. Lily happily knelt on the ground and petted her cat.

"Jade!" Lily exclaimed. "How’d you get out of my room?" She giggled and hugged the cat. “Looks like you wanted to play outside too.” She then scratched her behind the ears. “I feel the same way,” Lily confessed. Jade licked her hand affectionately.

A tall shadowed figure approached and stood over them. Lily looked up to see Empress Sophia standing there.

"You made such a racket running down the stairs and over here. This is hardly how a princess should act," Sophia stated.

Lily looked up, the tears had gone from her eyes and in their place was her signature happy sparkle. But the sparkle and merriment in her eyes dulled upon seeing Empress Sophia standing over her. 

"I left my home to come here," said Lily calmly. "You can't blame me if I find happiness in small things that remind me of home. I'm leaving everything for your son your Excellency. Everything. My family, my friends, my home, and yet you still deny me the smallest things that bring joy to my heart."

Sophia stood flabbergasted for a minute. Lily tried to read the expression on her face but couldn't. Sophia then composed herself and said in a cold voice one octave higher than usual,

"Lock her cat up. A Princess has no business frolicking in the grass with animals."

"No!" Lily exclaimed as two guards stepped out from the shadows. Lily held tight to Jade but one guard easily pried her hands from the animal, leaving black and blue bruises on her wrists. Empress Sophia retreated back to the castle without a second glance back.

"No," Lily sobbed. "No you can't do this. You just can't. This is just cruel! Jade's been with me since she was a kitten!" 

With a heartbreaking sob, turned into Lady Molly's shoulders. Empress Sophia paid her no heed as she returned to inside the palace. 

Lily's chest heaved up and down with each sob. This wasn't fair. Lady Molly rubbed her back comfortingly and led her back to the castle, promising her that they'd do their best to talk to the Empress and try to make her see reason so they could get Jade back as soon as possible.

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Sir Henry had somehow ended up in the secret passages during his time exploring the castle and flew out into the kitchen when a shadowy figure creeping along the passages opened a passage leading to the kitchen.

The bird flew around the kitchen and followed a servant holding a tray of food. The servant entered Veskys office but the office door blocked Sir Henry’s path. Discreetly, Sir Hentry settled onto an ornamental light holder close to the ceiling. When the servant came back out, the lovebird flew into Vesky’s empty office. 

Sir Henry happily pecked on some food and flew around causing papers to fly everywhere. The lovebird accidentally knocked against a handle near the bookcase which opened a door leading into a secret passageway and out of Vesky's office. Sir Henry entered the secret passage, flying around and trying to figure out how to get back to his room to Lady Victoria.

Counselor Vesky came in to find his office a mess. His face became drained of all color as he panicked,

"A spy!" he exclaimed. "There's been a Pacem spy in my office!" He pulled on a string under his desk and the door to another secret passageway against the far wall opened immediately. A man in a grey cloak stood there, a hat covering his face.

"Find the Pacem spy who's been in here and bring him to me!" Vesky exclaimed, rage filling his being.

There was a spy in their midst; that was the only explanation for his trashed office. No one else would have ever dared to mess with his things!

Counselor Vesky’s own personal spy nodded and left. 

"I must inform the Empress at once!" Counselor Vesky exclaimed, barely sparing a glance towards his food which clearly looked as if a bird had been pecking away at it. If he had looked at his tray of food, it would have become clear that a bird had been in his midst. 

"I'll catch the spy and crush him!" Counselor Vesky vowed, worrying over the state secrets that may have been stolen from his office. 

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