Princess Lily

Chapter 3

The next morning, Lily woke up with a pleasant feeling in her stomach.

She swung her legs out of bed and pulled back the curtains of her room. The sun shined brightly and the sky was clear blue.

 She slipped into a pale blue dress which was more suited for working around the house as she knew that’s what she’d be doing today. But she paid a little extra attention when it came to combing her hair back into a braid and she scrubbed her face a little too fiercely, trying to bring out it’s natural glow.  Lily ran downstairs and started to help with the cooking. After making breakfast, Lily came out to place it on the table and saw Prince James, Prince Carl, Georg and Edisson joking around with her younger brother Kyle.

She watched as Kyle said something that made Prince James laugh before Goerg got up to playfully run after Kyle.  The two boys ran around the sitting room before Prince James caught Kyle and threw him onto the couch. Lily couldn't help but laugh. Everyone turned to see her.

"Good morning." Said Lily and caste a glance at Prince James. "If you're looking for Helaine, she won't be up till half past twelve."

"Stinky, Pinky Helaine." Commented Kyle as Lily turned and walked back into the kitchen. "Lily’s much better Prince James. You have bad taste in girls. You should marry Lily instead."

James couldn't help but bite his tongue, lest he disagree a bit too enthusiastically. 

"No! Don't say that! Then we'll be stuck with Helaine!" exclaimed one the servants before she could help herself.

Lily was the nicer of the two sisters, always helping around in the kitchens and never hesitating to give the servants a hand when it came to housework.

Prince James let out an uproarious laugh at the servants outburst. He was confident that his mother would agree. Lily was a much better choice.

"Breakfast is ready!" Lily called. After breakfast, Helaine still wasn't up and her father went to check up on the villagers. When he came back, a family of four was with him. The baker's wife Gertrude, her tiny infant daughter and two sons all looked forlorn yet grateful for the Duke's help. 

"Baron Rothberg burned down their house and they have no place to stay," Said her father. "To top it all off, poor Gertrude's husband, the village baker, has been thrown in jail by the baron for stealing from his lands.”

"That horrible Baron! We must make sure her husband gets a fair trial! A poor villager’s word is worth nothing against a nobles. It’s not fair!” Lily declared angrily.

Prince James admired how Lily was vehemently on the side of the poor villagers. She took them under her wing, making them sit at their grand dining table and eat right along with them. She assured them that she’d gather help so that they could rebuild the house that had been burned down.

“Father?” Lily queried as she took Gertrude’s baby daughter, holding the bedraggled infant close to her bosom. “You have homes built for the servants on the edge of your estate. Most of them are empty. Why not let Gertrude and her family live there? They are old and unkempt but they should do at least until her husband is out of jail?!”

“That’s a wonderful idea Lily!” the Duke exclaimed and talks began on the best way to help the family transition.

.

"She'd make a wonderful empress," said Prince James wistfully as he sat on the gazebo again and watched Lily play with two of Gertrude’s sons. Georg was the only one who heard him.

"Well we can't just sit about like royal pains," said Prince James decidedly. He took off his coat. "We'll help."

Lily smiled approvingly as Prince James and Georg offered to make the trip into town to gather supplies Gertrude’s family might need.

As the sun began to set over the horizon, Prince James, Prince Carl, Georg and Edisson all could be seen walking back to Duke Max’s mansion, dirty and tired from a long day of cutting wood, gathering supplies and helping the few laborers that had been willing to work for free to fix up the servant quarters which had been filthy  and in need of repair due to lack of use. Lily smiled, holding a tray of lemonade for the tired nobles.

"What is the meaning of this?!" called a shrill voice.

The boys turned to see Empress Sophia standing there. She had just arrived and was horrified to see the state her children were in.

"Mother!" Prince James and Carl called. "We were helping them fix-up the servants quarters-"

"Servant quarters?!" screeched Empress Sophia. "You two are princes and you Prince James are the future Emperor of Fortius! I expect better behavior from you both in the future. Is that clear?!"

"Yes mother," both mumbled in deference to her. 

"Your highness," said Lily and curtsied.

"And who are you?" asked the Empress with interest.

"Lily your excellency, the daughter of Duke Max."

"My child." Said the Empress more gently. She lifted Lily up. "My, my you have become a beauty." She murmured. "I have heard of it but never had I imagined you'd become so beautiful. Now where is your sister? I expect she must be as beautiful as you."

Prince James and the others laughed but it soon turned it into a hacking cough as Lily shot them all a stern look.

The Empress did a double take as she seemed to take in the scene before her and realized one thing: Lily was the cause of the filthy state her children were currently in. She had been apparently holding refreshments for them as they came back from doing such menial work. Work no doubt it seemed had been encouraged by the beauty before her. 

The Empress sniffed disdainfully as she followed Lily into the house.