Beginning After The End

"Your Majesty, please."

Queen Hannah glanced at Lily who nodded in return, "I can't believe you let the queen live in such a place. How different is she from my mother?"

"I'm sorry, Your Highness, I swear, it was not my fault, t-this wenches made me do it."

That is it, blame each other. Lily smiled.

"No! The butler ordered us to keep quiet or else he won't pay us."

"I swear to you, My Princess, I never meant to do so."

Lily blinked at Queen Hannah, sending a stealth signal. Hannah, who had immediately understood the message sighed and stood up, "That's enough, My Princess, execution is a little bit over the top."

"Pardon?" Lily acted along.

"Forgive them, they are after all, just children."

"But, they wronged you, Your Majesty."

"It's fine." Queen Hannah smiled beautifully, holding Lily's little hands in hers.

"Fine, if you say so." Lily sighed and turned to the servants, "Get this place cleaned up and bring her Majesty something to eat, prepare a nice bath for her too."

"Y-yes, Your Highness." The maids bowed and ran away as fast as they could.

"And you, Butler. Servants wearing such extravagant jewelries is not allowed in the palace or are you oblivious to that too?"

"N-no, I'm sorry."

"Then leave."

The butler bowed and quickly scurried out of the room.

"Ha!" Lily slumped on the bed.

Queen Hannah laid by her side, giggling with unprecedented joy, "You've made yourself a bad guy in their eyes."

"I know. This much should place you in a merciful light and show them how close we are." Lily replied.

"Your mother would be furious."

"Indeed, she will."

"You're such a smart child." Queen Hannah praised, slightly clapping her hands.

"I'm quite flattered, Your Majesty, however I must leave you to rest now."

How strange it was that she fully believed the words of a nine years old child; Queen Hannah thought to herself as she watch the child's petite figure disappear behind the door.

-

                             ~*~

Calmly sipping her tea, Lily looked up to see the owner of that familiar red hair and blue eyes, who quietly stirred the tea in his cup. However, she was not as calm as she looked. Wanting to pull her hair out, she gripped the teacup hard but, thankfully, since she was still too weak, it didn't shatter.

The older boy sitting opposite her had dragged her along with him as soon as she left the third queen's palace.

The placid air around him as he contentedly drank the tea from his bright-coloured teacup was in great contrast to the usual bloody atmosphere he used to have in the past. She couldn't believe that she was once scared of such a flowery prince.

"Your highness would be sixteen soon." Lily finally spoke out to dispel the tense atmosphere around them.

"Yes...?" Perez looked away from his teacup, his eyes slowly scanned Lily like he was surprised to see her still sitting there.

Lily smiled awkwardly, pressing her lips into a thin line. Her head hurt from everything that had happened. Suddenly waking up from death and then having to put a powerful queen in her place for a short while, then joining forces with a useful ally, and now...the most tiring of all; having tea with her older brother.

"What gift would your highness like for his birthday?" She beamed, forcing a smile on her lips.

However, Perez remained silent for a while as if contemplating, he then glanced at her and muttered with a playful smile, "The throne, perhaps."

Lily gulped down a mouthful of air, "Unfortunately, Your Highness, that's not possible."

"Then there's nothing I want that you can offer." He waved his hand and poured more tea for himself.

"I'll think about a gift your highness would like." She stood up and pulled her chair back, knowing that she'll never leave here if she decides to simply sit still and wait for Perez to dismiss her, "I'll be leaving now, Your Highness." With a slight bow, she fled to her palace even before Perez could find a reply.

Perez watched her escaping silhouette disappear from his line of sight with a languid smile dancing on his lips.

                           ~*~

"Your highness!" Mary wailed, locking Lily in a tight hug, "You scared me, where have you been? You've been out for too long."

Lily let her tired body slump in Mary's arms. The body was too young to handle all this thinking, and the mental stress of facing death and then facing the cause of her death, it was too much, that it took a toll on her health for the next one week.

~*~

A week and a half had passed before Lily was able to get up from bed again. The adrenaline rush that she had felt when she woke up from death's palm has been long depleted and all that remained was the will to revenge and protect.

"Don't try to stand up, Your Highness." Mary held Lily's little hand in hers. The sight of the young princess fainting in her arms must have caused her great shock.

"Hmm." Lily nodded, "Please get me some writing materials, Mary."

"Yes, but you really shouldn't strain yourself too much." The young nanny pouted, placing her hands on her waist like a nagging mother. Lily giggled at the comparison.

Mary left and returned shortly with a small blank book, two quill pens and ink.

"Thank you. You may leave now." Lily smiled at Mary and only came down from her bed when Mary left. She walked to the table and sat down, picking up the quill, she slowly wrote down all the meaningful events that took place before death, as much as she could remember. She then wrote down the time of deaths of everyone she cared about and every other person whose lives had a connection to the revolt.

After writing and drawing multiple diagrams, she sat still and imagined a thousand scenarios in her head. The first course of action which was to befriend the third queen had been completed successfully, and the next was to grow her knowledge on the matters of the empire.