Princess, It's Me

Cookies

Lily’s POV

I ate the most delicious thing in the world. There were plenty of these cookies in front of me but I took my time eating the one I had in my hands. Each bite tasted like heaven.

“I can have another one?” I asked when I finished my first one.

“Take as many as you want, sweetheart.” Said the stranger.

“Thank you. But everyone else needs to have one too. I don’t want to eat by myself.” It was comforting to eat with someone, especially if it was this delicious. I always ate alone. Well, technically I would give some of my crumbs to the birds and small furry creatures, but I never ate with another person.

I finished my second cookie and took a sip of my water. I sat there for a moment and examined everyone: Stephan ate his cookie but shifted his eyes between the stranger and myself; the no show noble kept staring at the ceiling as if he was looking for something; the woman who claimed me a thief walked in and out of the kitchen; and the stranger next to me just sat there without moving. He’d glance my way but when I would look at him he would look away.

“You don’t want a cookie?” I asked him. He was the only one who hadn’t had one.

“Oh, no I’m ok.”

“But they’re the best around.” I said with a smile as I pushed the tray in front of him. He laughed a little before taking a cookie and taking a bite.

“Wait. How would you know they’re the best?” Asked the no shoe noble. “That’s the only cookie you have ever had.”

“Well, I was told by a good source that they are the best around and I don’t have anything to compare them to. Sooo to me they’re the best ever.” I responded.

Both Stephan and the stranger laughed at my response. The no shoe noble looked back and forth between them with shock and disbelief across his face.

“Well, I would like a word.” Said the stranger to Stephan.

“Ummm sure.” Stephan smiled at me before getting up and walking out with the stranger.

I sat with the no shoe noble eating my third cookie. Without Stephan there I couldn’t bring myself to look at him. I focused on eating my cookie and just staring at the table in front of me.

“So, it’s better late than never. My name is Rai. I’m Stephan’s best friend.” The no shoe noble said after he stopped staring at the intriguing ceiling.

“I’m Lily. I guess Stephan’s roommate.”

“Yeah, right, so how long have you guess been roomies?”

“Since last night actually.”

“How’d he find you? Better yet where did you hide that the guards didn’t find you.”

“Ummmm.. well I’m not sure exactly how he found me, but he did. It was late at night during the shift change between the guards. I hid in one of the rooms behind some stuff that was in there. I’m kinda small so it’s easy to hide.”

“How do you know about the shift change?”

“Well I was sleeping out in the stables and couldn’t sleep one night and was just watching the night sky when I saw the exchange happen. Then I stayed up more nights and the same thing happened so... yeah.”

We stayed silent for a moment. I wasn’t lying to him, but I was still holding some information. He says he’s Stephan’s friend, but he’s not mine so I can’t assume he’s telling the truth or the whole truth. I’ll have to verify it first with Stephan.

“So I’m just gonna ask.” He said as he stared at the ceiling. “I’m sorry about your parents, but you really don’t have anybody else who could take you in? Uncle or aunts? Friends of the family?”

I looked at him and smiled. “Well, Mom never liked to talk about her side of the family. She’d only tell me that they were cruel to her and treated her so coldly that she couldn’t really call them family. My Dad was an orphan who grew up here in the castle. He was in the King’s Army.”

“What!? How the hell was he in the King’s Army. Only families of high rank can get their kids enlisted.”

“I’m not sure how, but he was.”

“Unbelievable.” He said with awe in his eyes. “How far did he make it?”

“Umm...” I thought back and could hardly remember. It was coming back to me, but it hurt to think about it. Not mental pain from the memory of him but physical. It hurt to think.

Stop.

“Umm... I believe he was actually going to be pronounced knight the day he disappeared.” I said as I rubbed my throbbing head.

Lily, stop.

“Knight! You’ve got to be kidding me. That’s like a dream come true. So wouldn’t that make you a sort of like a noble? But he disappeared before he could be knighted, so what does that make you exactly?”

“Not sure. But all I know is that I got a bed to sleep in and a roof over my head at the moment. That’s all I’m happy about.”

“Ok so if your dad was to be a knight you had to have land and a big house. Where is it? I mean even if you’re parents are gone, you still have that house, right?”

“Ummm....” The harder I try to remember the more pain I feel. I hear Rory. Is she telling me to stop to stop the pain? I don’t understand why I’m feeling like this.

“The house is gone...” I cover my forehead with both hands and lay down on the table. I feel sick. I want to leave. I want to lay down. I don’t wanna feel like this.

I stand up to walk to Stephan when I see it. The dream.

There was a bright light before I realized what was happening. Fire.

Burning the house above me and slowly converting the once breathable air into a black smoke that hurt to inhale.

What do we do? I hear a voice ask. We need to get out.

How? I asked.

The door. Push it open.

I go towards the only door and my hand automatically goes to turn the door handle.

NO!

Startled I stop short of the handle. I feel the radiating heat coming from the handle and let out a small sigh of relief. I move my hand away and look around. There’s no other way out. I’m stuck. Left to wait for the fire to destroy my home and slowly but surely suffocate me.