Final Decision

"Are you sure about this your highness?" Jarish asked after a moment of silence washed over the entire room while Lillian contemplated the best option to disappear. 

"Yes, isn't she just a child? Not to mention, female. How will she know anything about trade?" Gin also spoke up, panic growing in his voice. His eyes tried to look as calm as possible. 

"From what has been spoken just an hour ago we can see that she has knowledge of it. I do believe she is the first one to suggest something like this, so shouldn't she be the one to take care of it?" Sappire asked, feigning innocence with his face. 

"Yes … But-" 

"I do believe she is the Princess's Lady-in-Waiting as well. She wouldn't have the time to take care of this as well as she could. I don't think you would want to risk that, your Majesty." Hakl added, a smug look on his face as he took a sip of the wine.

"Yes. That's right."

Lillian looked at all three of them and instantly felt her resolve grown and stiffen. 

How can they expect me to fail without even seeing me do anything just yet? Ok, my pride is too hurt to let this go.

She turned to the King and said, "I will be honoured to accept the role you have chosen for me, your Majesty."

"What about the princess?!" Gin asked, almost shouting. 

"I will be with Lillian. Assisting her in whatever she needs." Vaille spoke up, taking Lillian's hand in her own and smiling, there is some kind of glint in her eyes. 

"Then, it's settled. I would like the rest of you to assist her in whatever she needs, alright?" Sappire said, the same expression on his face. "I will be there through most of it so don't worry. She won't have to do it alone."

Lillian plastered on the fakest smile she could so as not to show the fear she felt from looking at the King and princess. They are plotting something. Defiantly. 

"Should we take a vote?" Gin said, trying to rectify the situation. 

"Chancellor Gin." Sappire's voice resounded throughout the room as he spoke, a very off smile on his face, "As King, I thought my word is the law." 

"Y-your word is law, your Majesty. I just wish to know what the others think of this predicament." 

"I don't mind." Ray instantly said, looking at Lillian, "I will support you in anything you need, just ask me ok?"

"Really? Well, I need to go into the town today, is it alright if I ask you to accompany me?" She asked, trying to look as innocent as possible. 

"Of course." He said a little too eagerly. "What time should we go?"

Seems I am not the only one eager to find out more about someone else. 

 "Noon? Is that alright with you?"

"Yes. I will make myself free for our excursion." 

Lillian grinned at him, now she will be able to observe him easier. 

"I don't mind either," Arthur spoke up, playing with the glass on the table. "Maybe we can discuss your ideas and see what we can work with? Right, Hakl?"

"Sure," Hakl said, finally looking a little brighter since Lillian and the King came back. 

He looks nervous, is his plan not working as he wanted it to? Hopefully so. 

I don't want to be around him or Arthur but I need to find out more from them and they are the most suspicious out of everyone here. 

"Then it's officially settled. The meeting is over, we shall meet here next time I call for you." Sappire raised his hands, "The meeting is adjourned." 

___________

"I can't believe I did that!!!!!" Lillian screamed as quietly as possible while rolling on the bed. 

"I'm an idiot." She shouted into her pillow. "I don't know anything about anything. The only thing I know is about event planning. That's why I became an event planner. Everything I said is just basic Economics." 

"What have I dug myself into?" Lillian lay slumped on the bed, just staring into the mirror. That was when she noticed something strange. 

"What?" Lillian got off the bed and walked to the mirror. Her reflection looks a little … transparent. Just slightly so, but it's here.

"What's going on?" She touched her face and noticed how it didn't feel as human-like as it did before. "Am I fading away? But why? It seems like I have enough magic still."

Lillian began pacing across the room, arms crossed while the gears in her mind turned.

Should I call Jasmine? 

No. It's too risky right now. After the fiasco in the meeting room, the courtiers will most defiantly be keeping their eyes on me. 

What do I do then? What does this mean? Should I ask the King?

I can't fully trust him just yet. There's no one I can trust here, is there?

Lillian crumpled to the floor with that thought weighing in her mind. She looked into her reflection again, there doesn't seem to be any significant changes anymore. For now. 

"What do I do?" She asked, touching the mirror and then quickly recoiling her hand back in disgust. Sometimes, she will forget how she looks like and almost jumped out of her skin when she sees her reflection. 

I shouldn't have left this to my imagination. I look too much like her. 

Lillian looked at herself again, trying to swallow the fears that are building up in her and be brave. 

I can do this. I can do this. It isn't something prominent right now, my reflection is just a little faded. That's it. Yeah. 

Knock. Knock.

Almost screaming out, Lillian managed to shut her mouth before a sound could escape her startled body. Her hands trembled as she willed herself to relax. 

"Lillian?" Vaille's voice came from the other side of the door, Lillian could hear a hint of concern there. 

"Coming!" Lillian shouted, voice cracking a little. She hurriedly walked to the door after another quick look into the mirror.

"What are you doing here, Princess?" Lillian asked, holding the door open in an awkward posture with her elbow jutting out one way and her body the other. 

Vaille is with two maids, each holding several gowns in their arms. 

Did she bring these for me? I should refuse before she can convince me. 

"Lillian." Vaille gasped as soon as she saw her face making her already racing heart threaten to escape her ribcage.

So much for refusing immediately.

"What's wrong?" She asked, trying to play it off with a bright smile but Vaille was having none of it. 

"You look absolutely pale." She said, touching Lillian's cheek, "Are you this nervous to go out with the Commander? You shouldn't have asked him then. Do you wish to cancel?" 

Vaille entered the room with the maids following. She pointed to the bed and they placed the gowns there before leaving.

"No. No, princess. I was the one that asked him to accompany me. Anyway, I want to talk to the town's people as soon as I can so that that work will be out of the way first." Lillian flimsy tried to come up with an excuse while she stared at the mountain of gowns on her bed.

"After all, I don't want to embarrass you or the King." Lillian continued, looking through the gowns. A shadow cast over Vaille's face as she said that.

"Well, Lillian. I came here for one very important thing." Vaille said, taking a seat on one of the chairs in her room. 

"Of, course, Princess. What is it?" Lillian asked, looking at the mountain on her bed from the corner of her eyes. 

"Please do not feel pressured, aright?" She said, furrowing her brows.

"Huh?" 

"You are my Lady-in-Waiting only in name. So you do not have to worry about having to carry yourself in a particular way." Vaille sighed, her eyes downcast. 

Oh. I forgot!!!! 

"W-what do you mean, Princess?" Lillian stammered, trying to hide her surprise. 

"If I am being truthful, I never wanted you to be my Lady-in-waiting." Vaille continued, "After all, it is unheard of that a commoner gets to be the Lady-in-Waiting of a princess. You also severely lack the etiquette that is needed and I doubt any training will help you." 

Lillian sat very still listening to the Princess but she could feel stabbing pains in her body the more she continued. If the stabs were real, she would have already bled to death by now.

What she said is true but that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt.

"I'm sorry for disappointing you, Princess." Lillian managed to speak out, though with a very pained expression. "I will try to do better in the future so as to not disappoint you again."

"Oh, no. It's nothing like that, Lillian. I never intended for you to be my Lady-in-waiting." Vaille said with a bright smile on her face. 

A smile so bright, Lillian felt like she was about to turn blind just from looking at her. 

"T-then, what are you implying, Princess?" Lillian couldn't control her expression any longer, she just looked at her with the dullest expression she had on. 

"Tell me this truthfully Lillian, would you really like to be my Lady-in-Waiting?" She asked, resting her hand on Lillian's shoulder. 

"If that's what you want me to be." Lillian began but Vaille held her hand up to stop. 

"I am asking what you want. You have never thought of yourself even once, have you?" 

Lillian turned away from her, unable to answer. 

What people want me to do or to be, I become that. If they are happy, that's enough for me. 

"Lillian," Vaille called softly, making her lookup. "Don't worry, you will find it one day."

"Ok." Lillian smiled back at her but a light shone from Vaille already and she is no match for her brilliance. 

"Now." Lillian got chills as Vaille's tone changed and the light behind her disappeared. "What dress is that monstrosity?"

Lillian looked at the dress she wore. She tried to create a dress before and made this, mud brown gown with white frills on the arms and around the bottom of the skirt.

"I made it, do you like it?" Lillian asked, standing up and twirling. 

"Lillian." Vaille called to her with a frightening smile, "Take it off."

"Yes, ma'am."