Princess Lily

chapter 40

Lily rode her horse down towards the carnival tent. The Showmaster Wodsworth stood inside, aimlessly walking around, sad over the arrest of his carnival employees. Lily expertly stood up on a running Stormcloud to get his attention before jumping onto one of the nearby tethered horses. Stormcloud ran forward and then turned back to come towards Lily who expertly jumped again onto his back before stopping in front of the showmanster.

"Oh I haven't done that in age," said Lily laughing as she got down from her horse. "It felt so good to be able to do those tricks. Almost as if I were back home."

"Princess that was marvelous," said Lord Wodsworth. "I'd ask you to join the carnival if I didn't know who you were."

Lily laughed. "My mother always said I should belonged in a carnival with all the trouble I got into while growing up."

"Indeed princess, you would become quite rich. People would pay a hefty amount to see your horse tricks. But what brings you here Princess? I don't think we've been properly introduced though. I am Lord Wodsworth, the owner of this carnival."

"And I'm Lily," said Lily. She checked the impulse to shake his hand and instead offered her hand for him to place a perfunctory kiss over her fingertips. "Now, I come here on urgent business. I need to know what happened to the carnival members after they were arrested."

"They were all put in jail," said Lord Butterscotch. "The only reason I wasn't chucked in too was because I'm from Leal."

Lily thought for a moment "Tell me, did you see a girl in maid uniform being arrested at all? She always wears a cap over her head but she has fiery red hair and is rather petite."

Lord Butterscotch thought a minute. "No Princess I didn't," he said finally.

Lily sighed a breath of relief at least that meant Anya was safe.

"Oh but there was someone fitting that description being dragged away by a man other than the guards."

Lily turned around. "Can you describe the man?" she asked.

"Well I remember he had greasy hair and a pointed nose. He looked like a rather unpleasant person."

Lily groaned. "Baron Rothberg," she muttered. But what did he want with Anya?

* * *

"Girl!" roared Baron Rothberg to Anya who cowered in a corner. "I told you I'd hand you over to Counselor Vesky! How is he going to feel when he finds out one of his trusted servants have betrayed him? What message were you trying to get to the Princess?!"

Anya shook her head furiously.

"I don't know what you're talking about," said Anya in a small voice. 

Baron Rothberg had locked her in this servants room attached to his own room somewhere deep within the upper floors of the palace. She couldn't escape unless she somehow got a hold of Baron Rothberg's keys.

"Stop lying!" roared Baron Rothberg, nearly frothing at the mouth. 

Anya trembled from fear and suddenly her eyes rolled into the back of her head as she fainted. 

Baron Rothberg punched the wall behind him in frustration. 

He angrily walked away from Anya, leaving her unconscious on the floor as he sprayed sprayed some horrible cologne onto himself before walking out the door, locking it behind him.

Anya opened her eyes. She'd faked fainting to get the Baron to leave her alone. 

But she began coughing violently. "He needs to get a new cologne," Anya said coughing. 

Her eyes suddenly darted to the window in the room. 

* * *

Baron Rothberg walked into Counselor Veskys office through a secret passageway on the right.

"Everything going according to plan?" asked Rothberg.

"Hardly," Said Vesky. "We need to make sure Princess Lily or Prince James don't interfere. Prince James has interfered enough as it is. He has ordered us to-" he made a face. " free the Pacem's." .

"Wait no not yet," said Rothberg. "He didn't say when to free them did he?" asked Rothberg slyly.

Vesky smiled maliciously. "You have a point. Besides we could always use the excuse that they have Bella with them. A sure to be spy."

"Alexei Novikov's sidepiece," said Rothberg making a face. "Well I must be off. I need to go check up on the prisoners."

"Make sure you are seen by no one," warned Vesky.

 As soon as Rothberg left, he went into a coughing fit. "I must not be paying him well enough,'" coughed Vesky. "Especially if he has resorted to buying cheap colognes." Vesky coughed again.

* * *

"There must be some trick!" Sasha exclaimed shrilly. "A spell to make people that acrobat girl didn't like to have bad animals."

"Sasha," said Carl exasperatedly. "Get over it."

"I will not rest until-"

James suddenly walked in. "Carl!" he exclaimed and hugged him. "Good to see you dear brother."

"James!" Carl exclaimed happily. He then added in an undertone. "Sashas been driving me nuts James. Help me."

James had to stop himself from laughing. "Friends to the rescue," he replied with a wink and let out a low whistle.

 As if on cue Georg, Edisson came bounding in.

"Sashaaaaaaaa!" Georg said. "Dahling how are you?" he purposefully hugged her, wrinkling her dress.

"Get off you big buffoon!" Sasha exclaimed.

"Tut tut. Is that any way to greet a friend who has escaped mortal peril?" asked Georg.

"You escaped?!" Sasha exclaimed horrified. "I wish you were still stuck under the bridge!

Edisson suddenly spilt a whole glass of sherry onto Sashas gloves. "No! You klutz! How could you?" Sasha exclaimed walking over to the side table and grabbing her gloves. "Those were my best gloves!"

Edisson walked over to James and Carl. "I think we'll be able to keep her busy," said Edisson.

"OUT!" Helena shrieked. "EVERYONE OUT!"

"But we want to spend sometime with Carl over here!" exclaimed Georg.

"TAKE CARL WITH YOU!" she exclaimed. "JUST GET OUT OF HERE!"

The five of them ran out laughing.

"Where's Lily?" asked Edisson. "Haven't seen her at all today."

"Oh she's probably in her room," said James off-handedly. He along with the others walked towards Lily's personal quarters, walking through the sitting room and towards her room. James knocked once.

Lady Molly opened the door.

"Is Lily still asleep?" asked James trying to look over her shoulder.

"Asleep?" asked Lady Molly as if James had said something unbelievable. "That girl? Dear no. As soon as you left she got up to go find Anya."

"Anya?" asked James.

Carl nodded. "Yes she's one of the lower servant girls Lily has become quite partial too."

"So where can we find her?" asked James.

"I don't know where the girl went," said Lady Molly. "You freed her horse and it was as much as I could do to get her to change first before running out to find Anya. But you might want to try the carnival tent."

James shook his head with a rueful smile. "Lily," he muttered. "She's always doing stuff like that."

* * *

Lily began to ride back up to the castle when she saw a glimmer of something in the attic window. She stopped her horse and looked up but there was no one there.

"Something up Princess?" asked Lord Wodsworth from a few feet behind. She hadn't even left the carnival area yet.

"I thought I saw something," said Lily. She got of her horse but then the next thing she knew she was being smothered by someone and had fallen onto the ground. "As thrilled as I am to see you-" Lily said in a muffled voice. "I'll have to beg you to get off of me Sir Georg."

"Oh sorry." Said Georg and stood up. He offered Lily a hand which she gladly took and stood up, brushing the dirt off her riding suit.

"So I take it your excursions went well?" asked Lily to Georg. "Oh hello Sir Edisson," Said Lily noticing him and shaking his hand.

"Oh stop being so formal Lily," said Georg putting an arm around her shoulders in a brotherly fashion. "So tell us, was Sophie a big pain in the arse? Or was Sasha worse?"

Lily giggled. Edisson suddenly gasped.

"Lily you got a hair cut," stated Edisson.

"It wasn't of my own free will," said Lily. "Empress Sophia made me."

"It looks nice and it isn't that short," said Edisson staring at it. He was leaning back and looking at her hair that trailed down now to just below her shoulder blades. "Only about five inches shorter than your hair originally was. Besides it'll grow back."

"I hope so," said Lily.

"Um Edisson you know that looks like you're staring at her butt," laughed Georg. "I don't think James will like that."

Edisson went into a coughing fit as Lily laughed hysterically. When she calmed down a thought hit her. "Where is James?" she asked.

"Lily. Lily, Lily." Said Georg. "You must understand. James has his princely affairs to attend to-whatever they are. Sophie put him to work as soon as he arrived. He had a few hours before he did have to start working and he spent those hours freeing your animals and he managed to squeeze in half an hour for Carl."

"He needed it." Said Edisson. "Sasha's been giving him a headache."

Lily giggled. "Yes I know. I barely ever see Carl without Sasha. She's been hanging onto his arm for so long that Carl even considered cutting it off and giving it to her."

The three laughed.

"A-ha!" came a voice. Lily turned to see Baron Rothberg standing there.

"What're you doing here?" asked Lily. Her eyes hardened. "What have you done with Anya?"

"Never you mind that. Come quietly with me I know you've been messages with Pacem spies!" exclaimed the Baron.

Georg and Edisson suddenly came and stood in front of Lily. Lily again saw something glimmer up in one of the palace towers and this time saw a head of fiery red hair. 

"You'll have to get through us first!" Edisson snarled.

Lily whispered something to them that Baron Rothberg couldn't hear. "Find Anya, I think she's up in the north tower. I'll distract Baron Rothberg. Don't worry, I have my horse."

"What is going on here?" Demanded Lord Wodsworth.

"And don't forgot the showmaster," Said Lily. "Now go."

Both looked reluctant to follow her orders. Lily stepped out from behind them and got onto Stormcloud. "You want me?! Come and get me!" Lily called and rode away.

Baron Rothberg mounted a horse belonging to Lord Wodsworth and rode after her.

"That's my horse!" the Showmaster called and mounted another.

 He then ran after Baron Rothberg.

Georg and Edisson left to go find Anya.