Princess Lily

Chapter 25

“What’s going on?” Sasha queried snootily as she walked into a huge room that seemed to be the focal point of everyone's attention today, the walls had been newly painted a light cream color.

A huge canopy bed with white gauzy fabric and light gold bed sheets was situated in the room with an ottoman bench in deep gold at the foot of the bed. The windows were 10x10, a wonderful view of the palace gardens visible from the vantage point that Prince James stood at.

Sir Georg was sitting on one of two golden plush, cushioned chairs. James turned to look at Helena, a bouquet of roses in his hands.

“Who are those for?” Sasha queried, eyes lighting up.

“Uh….for you?” James replied blankly.

Georg sniggered behind his hand as Sasha floated over to him gushing over the beautiful roses.

“You got these for me?” Sasha asked happily as she smelled them. 

They had been freshly picked.

Prince James didn’t reply, too engrossed in walking around the room and making sure everything was perfect in the room.

“Your highness,” a servant girl entered the room timidly. “-Lady Molly would like to bring in another sample of flowers for your approval.”

Prince James nodded and his eyes lit up when a basket of freshly cut lilies was presented to him by a butler.

“That’s perfect! Tell Lady Molly I’d like ten of these baskets for Lily’s room and her adjoining sitting area.”

Sasha gasped as she realized exactly what was going.

“This…this is Lily’s room? You’re overseeing the preparations for her room yourself?” Sasha asked incredulously.

“Of course it’s going to be Lily’s room. This room as the best view of the palace grounds! It’s the least I can do, she’s leaving her entire family behind to be with me,” Prince James retorted.

“So these flowers…” Sasha trailed off as she eyed the bouquet of roses in her arms.

“A sample picked by lady Molly and rejected by His Excellency, Prince James,” Sir Georg said in a bored voice.

“Oh!” Sasha exclaimed, half embarrassed and half-angry as she stomped out of the room. 

James turned to notice Sasha storming out and looked at Georg curiously. 

"What's gotten into her?" 

Georg shrugged, pretending to be just as clueless as James. It had always been an ongoing joke that Sasha had always tried to get Prince James attention and had always failed miserably.

James went back to his scrutiny of the room and suddenly looked up sharply from the wooden dresser he’d been looking at.

“Why’s it so….empty?” James asked motioning towards the dresser. “Don’t females usually have an extravagant amount of perfumes and lotions on these things?”

Leave it to him to be completely oblivious to Sasha’s little tantrum and hadn’t even noticed she’d left the room practically breathing fire. But James was acutely aware of every little detail that had to do with Lily's room. Georg couldn’t help but find it funny how much Prince James was worrying over Lily’s arrival.

“I think when she arrives, she’ll fill it herself with whatever feminine products she prefers,” Sir Georg said loftily. He caste James a sly grin. “You can’t exactly ask any of your previous mistresses to help you find products for your fiance'.”

Prince James turned red and scowled at his best friend. He’d only ever had one mistress, a famous ballet dancer. But after he’d met Lily, he’d parted with her on amicable terms. And yes, her dresser had always been overflowing. 

“What if she forgets something and we don’t have it here for her? And she leaves?” James asked in a small voice.

Sir Georg let out a booming laugh.

“Only Lily would make a Crown Prince so insecure.”

James looked at his friend sharply over that comment.

“She’s not going to leave you, don’t worry,” Sir Georg said encouragingly.

There was another knock on the door before Lady Molly, a girl in her late thirties who James had chosen to be Lily’s Lady-in-waiting, entered.

“Prince James, everything as been arranged.”

Lady Molly took out a set of two keys and placed them on a side table.

“The keys to the soon-to-be Empress’s rooms, I will always keep one here in this room. A third set is with the head housekeeper. The final key set is supposed to be given to the Empress to be added into the palace’s master set of keys.” Lady Molly intoned. She held up the set to be given to the Empress.

Prince James took it from her and pocketed it.

“I’ll hand it over to mother myself,” he said hastily as he noticed Lady Molly’s sharp eyes.

Sir Georg smirked. Knowing Prince James, it was more than likely, he’d be keeping this set with him.

Lady Molly then went about informing Prince James that the cooks had been instructed to make the food extra spicy because that's how Lily preferred it. 

"Everything must be perfect," James insisted. 

Lady Molly nodded dutifully, assuring the young prince that they would also have a hot bath prepared for her upon her arrival. 

"And make sure the stable boys treat her horse right, " James instructed. "He is to be taken care of as if he was my own personal horse." 

Lady Molly nodded furiously while Georg couldn't help but roll his eyes. He'd come to show his moral support because James had written to him, begging him to be here as a friendly face for Lily. The truth was that James really was worried that Lily wouldn't want to stay with him. 

He was doing his best to make sure she loved palace life.