Liliana: The Thorn

II

Liliana got used to her new life, pretty fast for only being in the world for a short while.

"One two three four, and one, two, three four, and-- Your Highness...?!" A woman with her hair in a bun holding a stick signaled to end the music.

"Madame Ophelia, I apologize however dancing isn't my forte." With full honesty and no embarrassment, she admitted to being bad at dancing.

"We must at least unstiffen your body, you will be jeered at by other nobles if you are not up to their standards." She warned, "Okay~"

"Let us continue, Leader steps forward with his left foot. The follower steps back with her right. Leader steps to the right with his right foot ...Leader closes his left foot to his right ... Leader steps back with his right foot. ...Leader steps to the left with his left foot. ...Leader closes his right foot to his left and Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah"

'Oh god, nothing can save me now. Liliana is canonically really bad at dancing'

"Sorry, but I can't save you from this one." across the room was Diana who mouthed. She had just returned from training, wearing a pair of white jeggings, a blue double-breasted suit, and a golden aiguillette that connected her half cape that hung on her right shoulder to her left shoulder.

Lilian only glared at her mother as she was trying not to laugh.

Chapter II : s******c Prince

{ YEAR XX7, FEBRUARY 15th }

Preparations for the new prince made the maids busy. Growing bored, Liliana decided to take up the sword on a whim, which she regrets quickly.

The sounds of wooden swords clashing grew faint as it was replaced by heavy pants.

"I am very impressed, Your Highness!" the older woman laughed, impressed at the young girl.

"Thank you." She gasped, the cold weather of February was yet to go away.

"I have heard that the new prince will be coming very soon. I see you are excited."

"Yes, very! I hope he wouldn't think of me as a bad person." The reader within Liliana was excited to see how the adopted boy looked like.

"Lily dearest, have you finished training?" A horse neighed, the King of Raghnall had come to the training grounds to pick up his daughter. "I applaud Dame Vicilia for not going easy on you, I would be happy to hear if you were to take the throne!"

"Your Majesty." She bowed, "Your Mother has attempted to cook once again. She nearly burnt the kitchen down, but she managed with the help of Elsie." Liliana chuckled, the two rulers of Raghnall weren't the best at cooking.

Helping Liliana get up on the horse, the horse ran away back to the palace hastily.

"Lily dear, welcome home. You too, Damon." She greeted, coming out of the kitchen. "I'll have to endure Elsie's nagging once again." She laughed.

"Mother, I'm excited to taste your cooking again! The first time was...." not wanting to finish her sentence she sat down. The maids carried the dishes into the room and placed them down on the table.

"Dig in!" Diana offered. Hesitant, but not willing to upset Diana, the two took a bite. Liliana's eyes lit up, surprised at how much Diana's cooking had grown more delicious.

"This is very delicious, mother!" She praised, seeing the happy and proud smile Diana gave in response, Liliana was ecstatic.

"We'll have to go on a picnic once matters have been settled!" Damon continued eating until the doors opened. "His Majesty, Former King of Raghnall, Deux Cyril Raghnall has returned." The three looked towards the door and saw a short old man, his back slightly arched, he held a stick to walk properly. Opening his eyes revealed two white pupils, his long gray hair tied into a high ponytail. Lastly, a very intense aura surrounded him.

"Father, you have returned! Come, join us." Damon hurriedly went up to him to guide him. "Do not touch me!" The old man said.

Deux's hate for Damon started for a stupid reason, it was really REALLY stupid.

The old man saw his granddaughter who had been gobbling up the sweets and ran up to her, his magic lifted her and guided her to him. "It has been a long time since I have seen you, my dear."

"Welcome home, Grandfather..." Deux doted on his grandchild, "I would like to eat first. Why don't you join us? Mother has cooked the dishes for this afternoon."

"Oh, in that case, I shall join in."

Deux Cyril Raghnall, the former king of Raghnall. A wise man who had all mages kneeling to him in respect. His father was the cause of the most recent war that had occurred because he lost in a chess game.

{ YEAR XX7, FEBRUARY 17 }

Two days had gone by swiftly, with Deux and Damon having meetings about Olie's welcome ball. Diana became bedridden, her curse had taken a toll on her health once again.

"Your Highness, would you like to wear the pink one or the purple one?" Olivie, her handmaid, was given the task to choose Liliana's dress for Olie's arrival. "Can't I just, not wear a dress? I'd like to wear what mother had worn in her teenage years."

"Your Highness, you are only but ten years old. You can wear them once you turn thirteen." She strictly said, "Is what Her Majesty had told me, she knows you are against wearing dresses, but you must be comfortable wearing dresses too!" silence filled the room before Olivie found a dress she liked.

"How about this one, Your Highness?" She lifted a dark blue dress. Liliana, uninterested, nodded her head.

"Let's get you ready then!"

'This is getting boring, I wanna just time skip to teenager years' she thought to herself.

The halls felt like they had eyes. The nervous young boy gripped the woman's dress tightly. The woman nodded at the two knights who are stationed outside a door, assuming it was the Throne room, Olie's heart began beating rapidly.

"Orphanage Director, Mrs. Delilah and the prince have arrived!" The doors opened slowly, the light from the room shone brightly as it blinded Olie.

His view was becoming clearer, the first he saw, Liliana. Her dark blue dress, the tiara she wore, those red eyes which looked down on him. The intense feeling overwhelmed him, nearly puking before Diana spoke.

Diana stood up, extending her right hand. "Welcome, to the Raghnall Palace, and into our family. Royal Prince, Olie Clyde Raghnall."

"Greetings, the Royal Family of Raghnall." The Director curtsied, Olie following.

"Welcome to the palace, Mrs. Delilah, Olie." Diana spoke out, she looked at the two before glancing towards Damon

"Would you mind staying for a cup of tea with us while Liliana shows Olie around?" Damon offered.

"My, yes, Your Majesty!" She kindly replied, Diana looked at Gabriel to signal him to show her to the gazebo. The three stood upon their thrones and went up to Olie.

Liliana looked at him up and down. Having golden fluffy hair and blue eyes, she was certain "Yup, Grandfather will dote on him as well." putting her fingers on her chin, she nodded. The other two agreeing.

"Olie, welcome to your new home. It may take a while to get used to things, but I hope you don't come to hate us or fear us." Diana happily said. "Of course, Your Majesties!"

"I'll have to show Olie how to have fun around here!" Taking his hand, Liliana exited the room with Olie. Showing him around the palace, they encountered many questionable rooms and paintings and... things.

Such as a room filled with mirrors, a hallway filled with weeping angels, an indoor garden that had a flying book floating around inside!

Eventually, they reached Olie's bedroom, "And this... is your bedroom!" She opened the door, revealing a room with yellow and white as its theme. "My room is just a few doors away, come to me whenever you want!"

His eyes beamed, stepping inside the room, he found his old belongings on top of a desk. "It's brother's necklace!"

"Brother?"

"I had a brother in the orphanage, he gave me this necklace before he was adopted." he held a cross pendant and asked Liliana to put it on him.

"There." Locking it in, Liliana smiled. "Oh and," she pointed towards clothes that were placed on top of a bed, "Change into those later, Mother has prepared a small celebration."

"Celebration?"

"Oh, don't worry. It'll just be us four as well as grandfather."

"That's a relief...." Liliana was about to leave the room before Olie suddenly called out, "S-sister!"

She looked back at him in surprise, "Yes?"

"Nothing... it's um. Yeah, nothing." he shook his head, Liliana was concerned but she didn't want to stick her nose in other's business just yet, closing the door before she left she laughed as soon as she was a good distance away from Olie's bedroom.

"Hahaha.... that stare was very scary. That was-- Wow, a child with an angelic face looks scary when he glares like that" She rambled on.

"Oh god, I can't imagine how the real Liliana found out." Getting a chill she ran back to her room.

To be continued.