More Than You Think You Are

Princess Lily Winterson of Galon. 16 years old.

[danselaesmeralda-blog]

“Look, I don’t mean to be rude, but there are some people here who are on a tight schedule. My whole family is waiting on me to start dinner and I’ll catch hell if I’m late. I just need to buy bread, and that’s a little hard to do when someone’s in your way. So… think you could help a girl out and scoot a few inches?”

[lily-winterson-blog]

Lily’s wide eyes scanned the crowded market, taking in the many stands filled with goods to buy. It had been some time since she had an opportunity to escape the castle and today she had had an urge that she could not ignore, so she slipped away to the village in garments that would allow her to blend in with the rest of the town’s folk. She was now admiring the delicious smelling bread at the baker’s stand, deciding which kind to buy as a snack after she had been roaming the streets for some time, but that was until she heard the voice of a woman behind her. “Oh, forgive me. I didn’t know I was in your way,” Lily said once she turned around to look at the woman, then moved out of the way. “They just look so delicious that I haven’t an idea of which to choose from. Is there one that you recommend more than others?”

[jameseverett-blog]

“Not many, no–I’d be worried if I ever saw a unicorn out in the middle of the ocean, if I’m being frank with you,” James managed to reply. He’d never been very skilled with small talk (he supposed it was one of the downsides of practically growing up as a rejected, unwanted orphan), so all these false niceties with Verden’s youngest princess-in-training was…vile, to say the least. It wasn’t that Princess Winterson herself was despicable (he’d met far worse, no doubt), it was that James had virtually nothing interesting he could speak with the raven-haired girl about. He didn’t know how to fake kindness and sincerity when those traits were absent from nearly every aspect of his life.

“Mermaids and other sea urchins I come across frequently…magical land dwellers? Not so much.” He cocked his head as the princess explained her rare sightings of these pure magical creatures, and by the time Princess Winterson was deigning to inquire as to whether or not he’d come across any favorable sea creatures, it took every ounce of willpower James possessed to keep from snorting and rolling his eyes. Fat chance. “The sea is beautiful…its inhabitants, not nearly as much. I fear the merpeople and other magical creatures irk me, more than anything else. They’re dreadfully curious, annoying creatures; always observing you from a distance.”

[lily-winterson-blog]

From the older man’s forced polite tone, Lily could tell he was trying his hardest not to say what was really on his mind. With her being surrounded by royals all of her life and aware of the constant need to be polite even when one didn’t want to, especially if the person they were addressing was above their station, it was easy to see right through someone when they tried to feign interest or politeness. While she didn’t want to judge the Captain, he was a pirate through and through, and she highly doubted that life at sea ever called for being polite or even involved some kind of small talk. However, ever patient and kind, the young woman did her best to keep the conversation going in hopes of finding something that would truly interest him in order to put him more at ease. “Is that true of all pirates? Forgive me for my frankness, but you speak so much of how the sea is your true home, but how can one not love the creatures that inhabit it as well? Or find them even the slightest bit interesting,” Lily asked, hoping to receive an answer that wasn’t so bleak. “I’m sure there are plenty of creatures to fear in the sea, but there isn’t at least one thing about its inhabitants or a creature that takes your fascination?”

[jameseverett-blog]

James was extraordinarily tired of talking to the various members of royalty who dwelled in Verden, but if he was ever going to guarantee himself immunity from being tied to Maleficent or the rest of her minions, then he knew he had to play nice with some of the royalty scattered throughout the magical realm. Princess Lily, easily the youngest of the nobles, would surely be the easiest to sway. At least, that was his intention.

“…Right, of course,” he grumbled, glancing down at the forest floor as a branch and leaves crunched underfoot. He resisted the impulse to roll his eyes and snort. Unicorns–who cared about unicorns? “I can’t say I’ve ever seen one, your highness, no. Have you?”

[lily-winterson-blog]

“I suppose I can understand why. I doubt there are unicorns at sea,” she chuckled softly as she did her best to avoid rocks and fallen branches. She cast a glance over her shoulder at the older man to give him a smile, looking at him for the first time since they left the palace. “Though I’m quite sure you’ve seen your fair share of mermaids and other sea creatures, am I right, Captain?” Lily had never seen a mermaid before, or any other sea creature, as she wasn’t allowed a certain distance from the palace unless on duty, but she heard from others how beautiful they were. However, she hoped that one day she would greet the sea for the first time and perhaps be gifted with the sight of one. “I have once. When I was much younger,” she nodded her head, the smile growing wider at the memory. “It was the most beautiful and graceful creature I had ever laid eyes on. Luckily I was quiet enough not to scare it away despite how I longed to greet it. I can’t recall ever staring at something for such a long period of time.” Taking notice to how fast she seemed to be walking than the older man, she slowed down her pace in order to walk beside him. “Tell me, Captain. What is the sea like? Is it as beautiful and as wild as they all say? Have you any sea creatures you favor?” Lily questioned curiously.

[lily-winterson-blog]

“Shh,” Lily held up a finger to her lips as she looked back when she heard her companion step on a large stick, the loud crack filling the quiet air of the forest. “Not too loud or we’ll scare off the unicorns.” While she wasn’t sure if there were any in the nearest vicinity, if there was one, she didn’t want it to run away before she had the chance to get a glimpse of it. Lily then lifted her dress to carefully climb over a large tree trunk, being mindful of her bare feet as to not cut them on the rough wood. “Have you ever seen a unicorn before, My Lord?” She asked in a hush voice as she looked around in hopes of spotting one.

[hercules-angelis-blog]

Smiling as the young girl in front of him cradled the large pup like an infant, Hercules tried to think of a name. “I definitely want him to have a strong name, but nothing like killer. He’s obviously a nice dog.” He racked his brain for a name. Suddenly something that he had read in one of the books in the archives jumped out at him. “Well I guess if I were to not have your assistance, I would name him Cerberus, but I’m not sure,” he rubbed the back of his neck, “it doesn’t seem to flow very well.”

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[lily-winterson-blog]

“I most definitely agree with you there, My Lord,” Lily nodded her head when the man had admitted that his choice of name for the dog didn’t seem fitting. “Hellhounds are such vicious and terrifying creatures, including Cerberus.” Just the thought of the stories she heard about the hound was enough to send a shiver down her spine. The young woman hoped that she would never cross paths with one in her life because she was sure she wouldn’t live to tell the story. Lily then searched her mind for another name to call the dog, one that wouldn’t cause strangers to run in fear because of his name. “How about Benji? You could call him Ben for short,” She suggested with brows raised in question. “I think it’s strong yet playful, just like he seems.”

[adamsbeast-blog]

“A woodland elf–now that’s an interesting little costume,” Adam mused, pursing his lips thoughtfully. He’d met just a few elves in his day (there was a great deal of wooded land surrounding his family’s regal estate, after all), and the moment she stated she was meant to represent one, Adam began to pick apart the similarities in her costume for the evening and the little creatures she was referring to. “I understand your connection to nature, and I think you made the right choice veering away from any faerie ensemble.” Adam struggled not to clip his words as the talk shifted towards Maleficent, instead gifting the small young woman with what he hoped was a sincere smile.

“He was declared a monster by society; deformed because of physical hindrances he couldn’t really understand,” Adam attempted to explain, wetting his lips and giving a small shrug. It was difficult to express the complexities of the character without a background understanding of the novel itself. “I’d highly suggest reading the book, should you ever get a free moment…the author can do the character much more justice than I’d be able to, I’m afraid. And you do have a point there, but…I don’t know. Tonight feels different. Like something’s about to happen.”

[lily-winterson-blog]

“That’s horrible! He was declared a monster simply because he was deformed,” Lily questioned in disbelief, horrified at the cruelty of the characters in the story. “How could those people say that about him? The poor man sounds more like a victim than anything else. It is those who labeled him a monster that are the true one. I feel so bad for The Phantom.” The young woman couldn’t imagine what kind of lonely life The Phantom must have lived and thought she would have gladly befriended him had he been real. It was so cruel how society could treat those that were different and the thought of this always weighed heavily on Lily’s heart because she knew those who were shunned were truly good people. “Oh, I’ll most certainly do that the moment I return home, My Lord. I’m much more intrigued by this character now. I have no doubts that it’ll be a fantastic read,” she nodded her head enthusiastically. “Is that so? I’ve never met a man so in tune with his intuition. If it so happens that you’re right, My Lord, then I’ll be sure to thank you for the warning if we ever meet again. Perhaps we’ll even discuss the book too?”

[hercules-angelis-blog]

Laughing loudly at her statement about running away with him, he shifted the position of the puppy in his arms. “Of course you can hold him. Just be careful he’s a little heavier than he looks.” The mastiff puppy basically pounced into the girls arms, more excited than anything to make a new friend. “What should I name him?” Herc inquired knowing he would never come up with a good name without a little bit of help. 

[lily-winterson-blog]

A wide smile crossed her face when the man had agreed to allow her to hold the dog. She would have bounced up and down on her toes while clapping her hands, but the last thing she wanted to do was present herself younger than she already looked. “Thank you!” Lily exclaimed happily, the smile still wide on her face when he passed the dog to her. She made sure to support his legs and cradle him in her arms carefully, though it didn’t seem to matter much because he was squirming in them to try to lick her face, which only made Lily giggle again and lean her head down to make it easier for the dog. “O-oh, I haven’t an idea,” she frowned with a shake of her head. However, she wasn’t completely telling the truth, she had a name for the dog, but she knew that the man would most likely think of it as uncreative. “What were you thinking of naming him? Surely you must have had something in mind had I not been here to help.”

[hercules-angelis-blog]

Hercules smiled at the excitement of the girl. “I just found him eating scraps outside my home, no one has claimed him, so it looks like I may have found a new companion!” Hercules laughed as the dog strained to lick the girls hand and wiggled about with excitement. 

[lily-winterson-blog]

“You’re very lucky to have such a cute companion. I’m sure you’ll make a fine owner.” She smiled at the man and then giggled when the dog licked at her hand. “Would you mind if I held him,” Lily inquired with a hopeful look on her face. “I promise not to run away with him.”

[hercules-angelis-blog]

“Does anyone know who owns this dog?” Hercules asked people passing by as he held the large mastiff puppy in his arms. 

[lily-winterson-blog]

Lily gasped when she saw the puppy in the arms of the man. “Aww, what an adorable puppy,” she exclaimed and stopped to pet it. “Who could leave you behind? Where did you find it, My Lord?”

[adamsbeast-blog]

“Interesting choice of dress…what exactly is your costume meant to represent, sorry? I’m not very skilled when it comes to putting names to the different outfits I’ve seen tonight.” Adam cocked his head slightly as the tiny brunette spoke, placing his tongue between his lips thoughtfully. She seemed…fragile, almost; uncertain of herself. Adam wanted to tell her he understood how she felt–ridiculously so–but instead kept his mouth firmly shut. He knew better than to divulge in anything personal with strangers.

“I’m supposed to be the Phantom of the Opera,” Adam answered, glancing down at his own ensemble. “He’s a misunderstood character of darkness that reigns from a classic novel I’m quite fond of. And it’s a bit…difficult to explain, I suppose. I don’t quite feel myself tonight, you know?”

[lily-winterson-blog]

“Not to worry, My Lord. I haven’t come dressed as anyone in particular,” she reassured him with a smile. “I’m a woodland elf. I’ve always felt a connection to nature, especially the forest, so I thought it would be fitting to attend the ball dressed as something that represents that. Initially, I was going to attend as a faerie, but I’m sure you can guess why that wouldn’t have been very wise.” Lily knew that dressing as a faerie when it was one that declared war on Verden would have brought negative attention to her, not to mention it would be inconsiderate to others attending, and this ball was supposed to be merry. “The Phantom of the Opera,” she repeated slowly with furrowed brows. “I’m not sure I’ve ever heard of him. Forgive me. But why is he so misunderstood?” She was sure she’d have to read the novel to find that out and promised herself she’d seek it out to do so. “I don’t think anyone here feels quite like themselves, they’re in costumes,” Lily said playfully with a chuckle. “Is that not the point of dressing up for Halloween? To be someone else for a night?”  

[adamsbeast-blog]

“This ball is certainly turning out to be quite…different than I had originally imagined it. I suppose it has a lot to do with the costumes people are wearing; it makes them feel…confident. Brave.”

[lily-winterson-blog]

“While I can’t speak for everyone, I can say that this costume makes me feel anything but brave,” Lily commented with a small laugh as she looked down at her long green and white gown. “Worried would be the word I’d use. I worry that I’m not as graceful as woodland elves usually are. But I’ll admit that I do feel beautiful in my costume, though.” She then looked over at the man and took in his own, a little unsure as to what he was supposed to be. “What have you come dressed as, My Lord? And why is it that the ball has turned out differently than you expected?” She questioned curiously. Lily had arrived later than the other guests and wondered what she had missed.

[prettymissy4u]

[jesuisnobis-blog]

Dangerous Serendipity //Lily Winterson

[jesuisnobis-blog]

The frantic fussing of the girl in front of him reminded him of an injured hummingbird he had seen once. It smacked into the side of the cottage and instead of laying to rest on the ground for a while it spun wildly about the rose bushes. Now that he focused on the girl in front of him he could see she was very cute. Her crouching in from of him accessing for injury, he did not find very charming though.

“i…fine thank you. please, such a formal address is not necessary.” He closed his eye’s inhaling what he hoped was an air of calm. “ Are you alright my lady? i should have..picked a better spot to rest. i’m sorry to have caused you grievance. Let me help you back to your place of stay , it’s the least i can do.” Noah felt like an irredeemable mess , it was almost a blessing his marriage was arranged because if this was an example of his luck he needed all the help he could get. He stood looking around hoping that the scene hadn’t drawn too much attention.

His pants were quite dusty , splotched where the sugars  from the wine clumped with the dirt. The girl in front of him was quiet the mess her hair windswept and frock dotted with grime. If the ground suddenly swallowed him whole that would be perfectly fine as well. Extending his hand to help to girl up he realized again that she was a royal which meant to his horror if he couldn’t charm her his father would hear about this. the end result could be a re-fresher course in etiquette, he shuddered.

[lily-winterson-blog]

When it seemed that the man wasn’t injured, Lily let out a sigh of relief and then put some distance between herself and him. She knew the way she assessed him wasn’t in the most appropriate way, but she was mortified that she had not noticed a human being when she was surrounded by countless of them and did not want to be the cause of the young man’s pain if he was hurt. However, once the man confirmed that he was fine and that she had nothing to worry about, other than being incredibly embarrassed, it managed to calm her down. “Oh, I’m-I’m fine. Thank you for asking. I truly am sorry for tripping over you though, My Lord,” Lily apologized once again, her cheeks now pink. “I should’ve been more aware of my surroundings.” It was quite ironic, actually, considering that was what put her in the predicament she was in right now. When he had offered to accompany her back to the palace to make up for her tripping over him, Lily worried her bottom lip in thought. He seemed to be kind and genuinely interested in her well-being, so she supposed it would be alright. “I would like that very much. Thank you.” She replied with a soft smile and a nod of her head.

Lily then took the man’s hand once he offered it to her and allowed him to help her up from beside him to her feet, thanking him once she was. Now that they were both standing upright, Lily took notice to how much taller he was than her, so much that she literally had to look up at him in order to connect their eyes. His height would have intimidated her a bit had it not been for the fact that his eyes looked just as kind as he seemed, which made Lily feel a little more comfortable around him, and he was quite handsome too. “Oh! How rude of me to not introduce myself after I’ve tripped over you and you’ve offered to accompany me to the palace,” Lily chuckled with a wide smile and then bowed. “I’m Lily Winterson. It’s nice to meet you, My Lord. Though, I do wish it were under better circumstances.”

[captlishang-blog]

“I’ve heard flattering will get you everywhere. But, that’s not the reason I say nice things. I say them because they’re true.” Shang gave the young woman a smile at her bow, noting the simple gesture seemed to surprise her a little. Maybe bowing was just a Balia thing. His eyebrows seemed to jump up on their own when he heard her name, his face changing just a little to try and mask the surprise. Who would have thought this would be how he met his best friend’s future wife? “It’s my pleasure to meet you, Lily Winterson. I’ve heard many wonderful things about both you and your father.” Shang suddenly felt like his previous conversation with the princess was rude, brash. And that was not how he wanted to be remembered by anyone - not even his men. As Lily spoke, he nodded to show the young woman he was listening to her, not wanting to miss a single word she spoke. For such a young woman, she was extremely well spoken. “You make an excellent point, Lily. Someone is very wise beyond their years.” The look of surprise he got when he mentioned his homeland made his lips turn up into a slight smile. He must have really caught the young princess off guard to get her to look so shocked about anything. “Yes, miss. I was born and raised in Balia. Known the prince since we were kids. Have you been able to meet Prince Noah yet? I think that’s sort of needed in order to make your wedding a happy one.”

[lily-winterson-blog]

Lily would have told the man that she had hoped that she could live up to all of the good things he heard about her, but she was preoccupied with trying to keep the contents of her stomach from coming up. When Shang had confirmed that she heard him right, the young woman felt her stomach begin to turn and she instantly felt sick. Lily tried her best to keep what she was truly feeling hidden because she didn’t want to alarm the knight, but it seemed impossible to do so. The thought of her future husband being in the same place as her, that he could be any one of the faces in the crowd, had the young woman wanting to run back to her country as fast as her feet would carry her. However, even in her state she didn’t want to offend Shang or the Prince, so she did her best to discreetly take deep breaths to chase away the nausea and anxiety. “T-thank you, Ser. You are too kind. Once again, you flatter me.” Lily said with a tight smile, hoping that it looked convincing enough to not draw any suspicion that she was feeling anything other than happy. “I have not. Everything has been done through letters so far. All I know is his name and the kingdom he comes from, that is all,” she replied honestly and hoped the answers to her next question would calm her down. “Could you…could you tell me about him? Being you’ve known him all of your life. What is he like? Is-is he truly a kind person? And not just because he’s from Balia? What does he like to do for fun? Does he have a good sense of humor? Forgive me if I’m asking too many questions, I’m only curious.” She felt leaving the part about how nervous she felt out of the conversation would be best.

[jesuisnobis-blog]

Dangerous Serendipity //Lily Winterson

      Breaking away from the throng of bodies idling through the lane of booths Noah takes a deep breath. Sweat, burnt sugar and the char of lit fire works fill his nose. Though at times the festival can be overwhelming the scent remind him of nostalgia. of comfort . He’ll admit that he was not pleased at first being ordered to come but he’s glad he did. Meeting the amiable prince Naveen seemed to work out the tense rigidity of his disposition, he had not meet someone that… playful since Shang was a young boy and they need not worry about much. 

      As much as he adored his friend, the weight of responsibility has slowly been killing him ever year he grows older , his father grows older, and threats to the peace of the kingdoms draw closer. It’s so relieving to just not think here in the warmth of the celebration. He draws a long pull of honey wine into his mouth as he sits on the ground , savoring the pleasant blur as the alcohol enters his blood. 

       The air is full of promise and he might be on his way to tipsy. Clumps of civilians and royals wander past, brightly colored women like bouquets of wild flowers and smartly dressed gentle men in neutral tones. A girl walks past him occupied with thought; he barely has time to think before there is a pain in his foot , the girl is falling and the last of his wine rains down in a golden mist over the two of them. The acidic tang of wet dirt and sugar set the mode for despair. Noah groans into the grass “where you even paying attention?” 

@lily-winterson 

[lily-winterson-blog]

Lily smiled as she waved to the small children seated in the horse-drawn carriage once she was helped down, watching as it was pulled away to tour Corona’s beautiful gardens again. After she had watched the buskers perform amazing things on the village streets and then watched the talented archers compete in the archery competition, Lily could ignore her want to see the country’s gardens no longer and finally decided to take a ride on the horse-drawn carriage. While she would have liked to explore the beautiful gardens on her own and learn its secrets like she did at home, Lily reminded herself that she wasn’t in Galon and that returning to the King and Queen’s palace with blackened feet from the garden’s soil wouldn’t be appropriate. Even though she was there to have fun, she was still representing her country and her father so she knew that she needed to be mindful when it came to her behavior. Now that she had finally satisfied her want to see the gardens, the young woman had taken back to the village streets to explore the rest of what the festival had to offer.

As she moved through the buzzing crowd of laughing and smiling people, Lily kept her eyes on the many booths that she passed in hopes of finding something that would once again catch her attention. The ride through the gardens had calmed her down, much like nature always did when she was surrounded by it, and she was now ready for the next exciting thing. With her eyes still occupied on the opposite side of her as she twirled the flower that one of the little boys in the carriage gifted her with, Lily wasn’t watching where she was walking and didn’t take notice to the man on the ground until it was too late. Before she could stop herself, she tripped over the man’s foot and fell to the grass with a yelp, bringing something wet and sticky along with her. She groaned in pain as she slowly picked herself up and then tried to clean off her dress that was now covered in dirt and wine. When she finally looked up, that was when she realized she had tripped over a human being. Completely mortified, she quickly began to apologize. “Oh my goodness! Forgive me, My Lord. I-I wasn’t watching where I was walking. Are you alright?” She asked the man and then fell to her knees once she did to assess him, hoping that he wasn’t injured.

[captlishang-blog]

“Thank you for your faith, young lady. You are a very kind soul to have such faith in a serious man you just met. I’ve failed to introduce myself to you after a very nice conversation. I’m Li Shang, miss, and it’s my pleasure to meet someone so kind at such a young age.” Shang gave her a small bow, paying the stranger the same respect he would any nobility. Once he was back to standing up straight, he allowed himself to smile a little more. “I trust the royals, miss. But I think some of more trusting of others. I do come from the kingdom known for friendliness, after all. The alliances are very useful, but some are weaker than others. I’m just hoping each kingdom finds a neighbor to help in times of need. That will be the best way to defend against the dark faeries.” He paused for a moment, allowing the young woman to speak. “Balia. I’ve been Captain for about three years now, though it’s starting to get tougher than before. Where are you from, miss?”

[lily-winterson-blog]

“Thank you, Ser. You flatter me,” Lily replied, her cheeks slightly blushed as she returned the bow. “It’s a pleasure to meet you as well, Captain Li Shang. I’m Lily Winterson.” She was happy now that she had a name to match the face of the stranger she had been talking to all this time. While most royals would discourage an interaction with someone below them in rank unless it was absolutely necessary, Lily enjoyed talking to others regardless of where they stood on the hierarchy. “Then I think all we can do is hope that the alliances will grow stronger with time. What else can we do other than that?” She shrugged lightly. There really wasn’t much anyone could do, not even someone in her position since she wasn’t Queen. All she could do was solidify one with a marriage, but even she wasn’t sure how well that would work. When Shang had told her of the guard he belonged to, Lily almost felt her heart stop and her eyes widened in surprise. “F-forgive me, Ser. But it sounded like you just said Balia?” She must have heard him wrong, because if it so happened to be that she didn’t, that meant that her fiancé was in Corona attending the festival.

[captlishang-blog]

“I know, I know. Worry just overcomes me once in a while, miss. I’ll try my best to enjoy the festival as much as my tense personality allows me.” Shang gave the young woman a slight smile, hoping he wasn’t ruining her day. “I’ll find joy eventually, miss. Once we start to actually take the threats seriously, maybe. And yes, I am. Captain of the Guard, actually, but I’m not insulted, miss. I promise you that.” He gave young maiden a reassuring look, fixing his tunic.

[lily-winterson-blog]

“Fantastic! I’m sure you’ll succeed in doing so.” She smiled widely, though she highly doubted he actually would. Lily could tell this man was usually a serious person, but she was determined to get him to loosen up and maybe laugh a little. In no way did she think herself a jester, but she had been told she was a little funny at times. “You don’t think the royals of Verden are taking the threats seriously? Or that their alliances are useful?” She asked out of curiosity since no one seemed to think it was. “It’s lovely to meet you, Ser. I’m glad I haven’t insulted you, but might I ask which guard you are captain of?” There were so many here in Corona so there was no possible way for her to know which he belonged to.