Hannah's Trauma

Lily sat in the garden closest to the kitchen for hours before it was lunch time. Hopping up from the grass-filled ground as soon as she saw the servants moving the meals to different palaces. She followed the servant who was pushing the trolley in the direction of the King's palace, leaving a safe distance between them. She waited for the servant to go in and out before moving towards the door.

"Inform my father that I am here to see him."

"Yes, Your Highness."

The knight returned shortly after before letting Lily into the King's study room.

"Your Majesty." Lily bowed as soon as the door closed behind her.

"What brings you here, Princess."

Under the watchful eyes of the over-bearing king, Lily stared directly at him without the least batting an eye. She watched him die after all; a person who could die that pathetically shouldn't be feared, he wasn't worth it.

"I was on my way to pay my respects to mother, however, I decided to drop by shortly and pay father my respects too."

King Silas stared at her with an uninterested look, probably not buying the story of suddenly wanting to pay 'repect'.

"Take a seat and join me then." He ordered, pointing at the seat opposite him.

However, Lily knew this man...maybe more than he even knew himself.

She sat as he had commanded, naturally serving herself, "Forgive me, Your Majesty, however, I cannot help but voice out my curiosity."

"Go on." King Silas said, his eyes still focused on the meal he was dishing out for himself.

"Do you and mother happen to have the same preference?"

His movements stopped, puzzled by her question but his eyes still didn't look up at her.

"When it comes to food, I mean. The servant who served you headed towards mother's palace if I am not mistaken." Completely immersed in her act, Lily held up her cutleries with a large smile on her face, "I am glad that father and mother likes the same kind of food."

"What are you saying? The second queen is allergic to onion." His forehead wrinkled.

"Hmm?" Lily feigned ignorance. She cut throw the piece of meat with her silver knife and watched as the edges slightly turned black, "Is she?" She questioned, stuffing the diced piece of meat into her mouth, "I really hope she's not." Adding with a slight grunt, she stuffed the half of the meal into her mouth, resisting the urge to swallow under the watchful gaze of her father.

"Urp." She hiccuped, grazing her lips with her fingers, "The food surely does taste better." She chuckled, swallowing a tiny piece of meat and throwing the rest back up in the plate.

She then raised her head back up to the king, whose eyes still remained on her without a single emotion on his face.

"I think I choked on a bone." Lily smiled beautifully, her eyes blurred as warn liquid rushed up her throat and flowed down her lips.

"Ah." She blinked, feigning surprise as she slowly lost consciousness, keeping her act until she finally fell into the arms of darkness.

                          * ~ *

Lily blinked quickly as her eyes struggled to adjust to the brightness that she faced as soon as she opened her eyes. Her parched throat hurt as she struggled to voice out a word and her lips were so dried that it felt like she was back to that prison.

"Ah! Princess!" Mary who was asleep by her side jerked up and held the princess ina tight hug.

"Ah-ah-ah!" Lily groaned in pain, struggled to make out words out of her parched throat. A single piece of meat that she swallowed caused her such pain. The inner part of her mouth was filled with wounds, probably because of holding the poisoned steak in her mouth for too long.

Whosoever planned this poisoning really wished to take out the king once and for all.

Eating this on behalf of the king could get her a wish coupon from the king, and talking about the second queen was simply to raise suspicion about her, she would be the first suspect as soon as the king starts to investigate.

"W-water."

"Oh, yes." Mary poured water into a glass and handed it to Lily would gulped down everything until the water jug was emptied out.

"Ah." She sighed in satisfaction, "How long have I been out?"

"A week, Your Highness." Mary sobbed.

'What a shame. If only I was there to witness the king's reaction as he stomped his way to the queen's palace.' Lily thought to herself with pouted lips.

"You were sick for a week and unconscious for a week. Is the title of heir taking a toll on you, Your Highness?"

"No." Lily answered almost immediately, knowing fully well that the opposite of what she said was the correct answer.

The maid sobbed even harder, "My poor princess must have been alone in the dark for a whole week." Hugging Lily in her arms, she soothing stroked her hair.

Come to think of it, she had a pretty long dream, and she was sure of it but everything she saw in the dream has been forgotten like it never happene.

"It's fine, Mary, I'm alright know." Except from the jabbing pain her stomach and the little cut-like wounds all over her mouth, then she was perfectly fine.

"But..."

"Yes, Your Highness?"

"I'm famished."

"Haha, I'll get you something unpoisoned to eat right away."

Lily smiled at Mary's attempt to make a joke. She then laid on her side as Mary left the room.

With a slight push and sudden bang, a presense entered the room causing Lily to turn immediately to the direction of the door because Mary couldn't have returned in such short time, and the sight she met left her in distraught.

                           * ~ *

~A week earlier~

Hannah Paige de Florania, the third queen hummed happily in her newly renovated room. She calmly folded the clothes that she had dug up from where she kept them. Lily had fallen ill probably due to a cold, so she packed up warm clothes and shawls, not forgetting to pack up all the fancy and comfortable dresses she had buried in a box. The clothes that the little princess wore were not befitting of royalty, hence Hannah was going to give her late daughter's clothes to Lily, all of it, every single one that she couldn't wear due to her sudden death.