Princess Lily

Chapter 2

Lily reached the stables and saw Baron Rothberg. He had his whip out and it  looked like he’d  just got done beating his new horse.

"Vile animal!" Rothberg yelled.

The horse cried out in pain and Lily winced. She hid behind a stack of hay until the baron left. When she was positive that the horrible man and his servants were gone, she got up and looked at the horse.

 It was bleeding profusely with big gashes across its body.

Lily wiped a tear from her eye.

"Oh no," She muttered. "You poor, poor thing."

She tried taking it by the reins she lead it outside. The horse whinnied in defiance and snorted.

Lily began to worry. What if someone heard him?

They quietly stole out or as quietly as they could with the horse snorting and being skittish. Luckily, they didn't have any trouble until they reached the edge of the Baron’s property.

There were guards standing to the right side as if they were waiting for someone. Lily suspected that Baron Rothberg had found out she had taken his horse.

Lily knew she couldn't ride the horse yet. He wasn't even tame and might throw her of. She then felt someone roughly grab her wrist and turn her around.

It was Baron Rothberg.

"What do you think you're doing?" he asked menacingly.

"I'm saving this poor horse from your wrath!" Lily replied defiantly.

Her hair had come out of its bun and trailed down to her waist, she looked at him with fire in her emerald eyes. There was no way she was going to leave this horse to suffer at the Baron’s hands any longer.

"You are no one to tell me how to treat my horse!"

"And you have no right to treat this poor creature the way you do!" Lily exclaimed. "You evil man!!"

The Baron grabbed her hair so that her hair was facing him. He pulled her hair hard and brought her close.

"Take that back!" he spat.

"No!" said Lily defiantly.

The Baron threw her to the ground.

"I'll show you respect, you filthy heathen!" he roared and brought his whip back to hit her.

A hand suddenly grabbed onto the Baron’s wrist. Lily looked at the owner to see a very handsome man with dark hair and deep chocolate brown eyes. Lily looked at him and felt something. He wasn't looking at her though but at the Baron with hate.

"Baron Rothberg, you must know that it is not good manners to strike a lady."

The Baron paled.

"Your highness." He said and bowed. "She was on my land! She tried to steal my horse."

"I did not!" Lily called from the ground. It was the first time Prince James looked at her closely.

She's beautiful, he thought. Even though her hair was messed up and her face dirty. Her clothes had dirt and whatnot but Prince James still thought she was beautiful.

"You treated that poor animal cruelly and beat it! You have no right to do that! I offered to buy him but you refused!"

"Fine! Take the horse!" the Baron spat.

Prince James held out both his hands to Lily, which she accepted and stood up. She looked into his eyes and she was locked in his gaze. Lily stared up at him as the sun started to set and felt a warmness spread all over her, starting right from where their hands remained clasped together.

The horse whinnied and Lily dropped her gaze. She pulled her hands back and went over to pet it and threw the money to the Baron. He caught it disdainfully and left.

"Ms. Lily I presume?" Said Prince James smiling at her.

"Your highness." She bowed.

"Skip the formalities," he said grinning as he enjoyed drinking in her form. She really was quite pretty. "So you like horses?"

"Yes." Said Lily leading it with its reins. "What's it to you?"

She was expecting him to find her as uncouth as the rest of the nobility did due to her rash,  headstrong ways. But she was who she was.

"Nothing, nothing," said Prince James quickly, trying to keep the beauty engaged in conversation for as long as possible. "Have you decided on a name for your new horse?"

“I haven't thought of a name for him yet." She looked thoughtful for a moment. "How about Stormcloud?"

She felt it suited his stormy personality and grey appearance.

"Yes splendid name," said Prince James.

"James!" Prince James and Lily turned around to see three boys riding towards them.

"Who're you?" asked Georg staring at her.

"Lily of house Wittlesbane."

"I'm Georg, Son of Count Meyer, by the way. Oh so you're what all the fuss is about?" said Georg, c*****g his head to one side.

Lily paled. "Everyone isn't worried. Are they?"

Georg snorted. "They've got everyone looking for you. Your father sent the villagers into the forest to look for you. The servants are running around like mad, so I would say yes they are worried about you."

"We have to get home quickly. You kind sir,-" she said pointing to Edisson. "Please go tell the villagers that they can stop the search. Sir Meyer, please go tell the servants who are probably looking for me in the fields that I am safe."

"At once milady," said Georg bowing.

He grinned and rode off, not at all taking offense to being ordered about by a female of lesser rank. Georg had not missed the way his best friend and future Emperor seemed to be hanging off of every word that fell from Ms. Lily’s lips.

"Your highness." Said Lily doing her best to curtsy in her riding clothes to Prince Carl. "My profound apologies that I did not acknowledge you before."

"It's O.K." said Carl, he too was entranced by her beauty and had been momentarily dumbstruck. "Me and my brother, we really aren’t too keen on our titles. Skip the formalities."

 Lily smiled, relieved that none of them were going to judge her, and then became serious again.

"Right now we have to get home as soon as possible," said Lily quickening her pace. "Everyone must be ever so worried."

"Why don't you ride with me? It's much faster." commented Prince James, his heart soaring at the prospect of her sitting behind him on the horse. “Carl can bring your horse.”

Lily hesitated for a minute before agreeing. She tried to ignore the butterflies fluttering inside her stomach as she mounted the horse behind the crown prince. She had to remind herself that this man was her sister’s fiance’.

The Prince spurred his horse forward as soon as Lily was settled behind him and she scrambled for purchase,  hands finally going to grip around his waist.

This feels good, thought Lily as she breathed in his scent. Prince James suddenly went faster, taking a rather daring jump over a fallen tree. Lily clutched onto him harder.

"I'm going to die." Lily muttered, noting the rash way the prince rode his horse.

Prince James laughed as he took another jump, higher this time. Lily’s cheek came to rest against his muscular back as she feared an  impeding fall. After  a few more, well-timed jumps, Lily began to laugh.

"This is fun!" she exclaimed laughing.

She has a nice laugh, thought Prince James.

All too soon they were back home.

Prince James followed her inside.

"Lily!" exclaimed Duke Max. "Sweetheart!" he said and embraced her into a hug.

"Papa!" Lily exclaimed hugging her father. "Oh papa I am ever so sorry I didn't mean to make anyone worry it's just that Baron Rothberg he-"

"Lily!" exclaimed her mother and hugged her.

"Mother!" said Lily and the two hugged. Soon there was a whole lot of hugging and tears. Lily then told her story.

"Oh my." Said Luci. "I think Lily, you should get cleaned up. Go take a nice long bath."

Lily nodded and went to take a long, relaxing bath. The whole ordeal with the baron had wound her up in more ways than one.

"That Lily! I mean whoa! She's-" Georg was cut of.

"Amazing." Said Edisson.

"Beautiful." Said Carl.

"Simply stunning," sighed Prince James.

Georg sniggered. He hadn’t missed the way his best friend had become enchanted by Lily’s beauty. They were all sitting in a gazebo that was located on the Duke’s property, a little distance from the main house.

Prince James’s eyes strayed to the expanse of grounds, finally spotting Lily in her emerald green cloak as she held a tiny kitten in her arms. She didn’t care that the kitten was licking her face or that the tiny feline’s claws might mess up her clothes. For Prince James, who had always been surrounded at court by haughty daughters of nobles who were extremely particular regarding their attire, Lily presented something of a mystery. She was a walking contradiction to his perception of what females were—good in bed but utterly useless outside of it.  

"I can't wait until mum comes tomorrow," said Prince James.

"Why?" snorted Georg.

But Prince James just kept quiet.

Maybe he could do a small sister switch...