It was a special day at the royal palace of Arcadia. They were expecting a royal guest from another kingdom. All the maids were busy preparing for their arrival.
The soft glow of the morning sunlight bathed Princess Lily's chambers.
She stood in front of a mirror with her personal maid, Amelia, helping her get dressed. Amelia had been in charge of her ever since she turned three, making their bond strong. Although Amelia was just nineteen, they bonded like sisters.
Amelia dressed in a modest maid's dress with a frilly white apron strapped around her waist, a small smile plastered on her face as she stared at Lily's reflection in the mirror.
The young princess, who was only eight years old, wore a beautiful dress. It was made of soft, shiny fabric that hugged her small body gently. The top part had pretty lace designs, like swirling vines, and a frilly edge around the neck. The skirt flowed down in layers of purple, making her look like a fairy. The sleeves were short and puffy, with lace at the ends.
Her golden hair fell in loose waves, framing her sweet face. In that lovely dress, Princess Lily looked like a picture of innocence and charm, but she had a frown on her face.
"Do I have to wear this dress?" she asked, her face laced with disappointment and irritation.
"It feels so... princess-y," Amelia couldn't help but let out a light chuckle at Lily's statement.
"But you are a princess," she responded.
Lily stared at her reflection and shook her head. "Why can't I wear my usual simple dress?" she asked with a sad expression.
Lily has always hated dressing in a ball gown since forever. She even preferred the maids' clothing and often wished she could switch lives and just live a normal life. Being a princess wasn't that exciting, and what might seem like a privilege to other girls her age seemed like torture to her.
Amelia stared at Lily's disappointed look. She paused for a second, then knelt down to bring herself to Lily's eye level and gently took her hand.
"I understand, Your Highness," Amelia replied, her voice soothing. "But you must remember, we have a special guest arriving at the palace. A royal visitor from a faraway kingdom. It is customary to wear your finest attire on such occasions to honor their presence. Look at it as a royal responsibility, and today you have the opportunity to welcome a royal guest for the first time." She smiled.
"I guess I have no choice. I have to be a good princess, even if it means wearing uncomfortable clothing," Princess Lily shrugged and sighed deeply.
"That's the spirit, Your Highness," Amelia praised her. "Now let's hurry. Your parents are waiting in the grand hall. And guess what?" She asked Lily, who just stared at her blankly, not very interested in the conversation. "They have a royal prince who is just your age." She spoke excitedly, but Lily still didn't understand what was so special about meeting a prince her age. She spent more time with the maids' children, and they were more fun than hanging out with royals.
Amelia took Lily by the hand and helped her out of her room.
The grand reception hall was adorned with fancy decor, sparkling chandeliers, and provided a beautiful backdrop for the royal encounter.
Princess Lily stood alongside her parents, King Reginald and Queen Beatrice. Her lavender gown flowed elegantly around her petite frame. The doors to the reception hall swung open, and the royal visitors made their grand entrance. King Roland and his son, Prince Julian, stood tall and regal at ten years old. Prince Julian was dressed in a finely tailored suit that matched his noble lineage. He wore a polite smile as they approached the royal family. Behind them were a few of their royal guards and a young maiden standing behind the prince.
"Pleasure to meet you again, King Reginald," King Roland spoke.
"The pleasure is all mine, old friend," they both cheered, laughter filling the air as they exchanged pleasantries. They had been best friends since they were young princes themselves and had maintained that close bond ever since. Especially after the death of his wife, King Reginald remained extremely supportive toward his best friend.
"And here is our future bride," King Roland complimented. "You look as beautiful as your mother," his gaze now fixed on Princess Lily with a wide smile. Although Princess Lily didn't know what he meant by "our bride," she saw it as a compliment and reciprocated his gesture, forcing a smile across her face.
As rehearsed in the royal etiquette class, her hands clutched the folds of her gown tightly, her fingers feeling the delicate fabric beneath her touch. She lowered her head and executed a graceful curtsy.
"Your Majesty, I extend my warmest greetings and welcome you to our kingdom. It is an honor to have you here," she spoke politely and confidently, her voice gentle and soft as that of a child. She gently lifted her head, returning her gaze to his.
"Thank you, Princess Lily, for your warm greetings and kind welcome. Allow me to introduce my son, Prince Julian," he stretched his hand toward his son. Prince Julian stepped forward with a bow, and Lily responded with a curtsy and her usually forced smile. She wanted to be anywhere but here, but still had to respect her duties as a princess.
"Lily, why don't you show our guest around," King Reginald suggested. Lily clenched her fists, facing her father. If there was anything she didn't want, it was to be associated with him.
"It would be my pleasure, Father," she lied with a bow before exiting the hall together with Prince Julian.
Princess Lily led Prince Julian through the hall, heading toward a magnificent staircase. "This way, Julian. I want to show you the royal library. It's my favorite place in the whole palace!" She said, for once excited.
As they ascended the stairs, Lily couldn't stop talking about her love for books. "I have a collection of fairy tales, adventure stories, and even some books about history," she said, her voice brimming with excitement. "Would you love to read with me?"
Prince Julian's hands slid through the books placed on the shelves. He looked unbothered and uninterested. He paused and turned to Lily.
"I'm not into reading books. I'm more about action and adventure," he said proudly, with a smirk.
"I've read a few books about adventures," Lily said.
Julian made a weird face, his brow furrowed, and he shook his head. "I'm not talking about books, Lily. Have you ever ridden a horse?" he asked.
"No, but I've read a book..."
"See, that's the problem. I've ridden horses, gone hunting, and tonight we are going to visit the village to celebrate the Moonfire Festival."
"What's that... the Moonfire Festival?" she asked curiously.
Prince Julian's mouth fell wide open, his brown eyes staring at Lily as if she had said a forbidden word.
"You don't know about the Moonfire Festival? How can you claim to be a princess of Arcadia if you know nothing about the most celebrated tradition in your kingdom?" he shook his head, feeling disappointed.
"I'm not allowed to leave the castle.
It's not safe out there," Lily said, her hand held tightly onto her dress. She looked up at Julian with her big blue eyes. "What's it like?" she asked.
"Well, if you must know, it's celebrated every year, and it happens in seven days. The first day starts today, as I mentioned earlier, and on the seventh day, the biggest celebration takes place. There will be a grand feast with different kinds of meals, all you can eat. There will be singing and dancing all through the night. The best part is watching a wooden statue that looks like a wolf being burnt down. It's a very intriguing event," Julian stated.
Lily stared at him in fascination. She had never heard of such events before, and the fact that her parents didn't tell her about it meant they wouldn't even think of letting her go. She sighed and took her seat in one of the chairs placed beside her.
"So, are you going?" Julian asked, flipping through a book he had collected from the shelf, glancing at the pages without actually reading the content.
"I told you I'm not allowed to leave the castle," she groaned.
"Oh, Princess Lily, it seems all you have going for you is your pretty face!" he said, a sly grin on his face.
Princess Lily tilted her head to the side, confused and offended. "What do you mean, Prince Julian? There's more to me than just being pretty!"
Prince Julian laughed playfully, enjoying the game of teasing. "Come now, Lily, you're just a silly girl with nothing but looks. You can't do anything besides sitting all day and picking a dress."
His words, although a joke, made Lily extremely upset and overwhelmed by anger. She slammed her soft hands on the table and got up on her feet. "You may think that, Julian, but I'm smart, talented, and capable of much more than you realize. I'll show you!" Saying this, she leaped onto the chair and flew across the library, charging towards an unsuspecting Prince Julian. They both fell to the floor, with Lily sitting on top of him.
Prince Julian winced as Princess Lily unexpectedly grabbed a handful of his hair and pulled. He struggled to free himself, his voice rising in irritation. "Ouch! Let go! You're crazy!" Prince Julian yelled in pain, but Lily wasn't letting him off so easily. She maintained her grip, a mischievous glint in her eyes as she continued to playfully tug on his hair.
"You deserve it, Julian!" she yelled back.
Prince Julian's frustration grew, and he tried to reason with her while still feeling the discomfort. "You're acting crazy! Let me go!" he struggled to push her off him, but she was stronger than he had expected.
Princess Lily, overcome by anger, her hair scattered and covering part of her face, still refused to release her grip.
Prince Julian's voice grew louder as he struggled to break free from her grasp. "She's crazy! Someone, help! Princess Lily has gone mad!" he cried out.
The commotion caught the attention of nearby servants and guards, who hurried to the scene to intervene and separate the young prince and princess.
"What's going on here? Let him go, Princess Lily!" Amelia, who arrived at the scene, tried to separate them.
Princess Lily reluctantly released her hold on Prince Julian's hair, her newly styled hair tangled and all over the place. Prince Julian took a moment to compose himself, his hair disheveled but grateful for the assistance.
"Thank you! She's absolutely crazy!" he said before following the guards out of the library.
"Your Highness, that is not the way a proper princess should act. What do you think your father would say when he finds out what you just did?" Amelia scolded, but Lily's mind had drifted far. She wanted to prove that she was more than just a pretty face, and the only way for her to prove that was by going to the festival, even if it meant sneaking out of the castle.