Chapter 17: A Primrose's Path to Blossom

It takes two and half weeks for the plan to be known and finalized by the queen and Prince Winston, but when it is no time is wasted on Lillian's and Rosalinda's departure partly due to the amount of time they will spend in the capital which was shortened to only three days.

On the day of departure Lillian feels quite relieved that her plan was working so well. Even now Malinda has become good friends with a number of Lord Argon's servants and her mother nor the lord suspected a thing. She sits in her room as Malinda makes the last touch ups to her hair.

"Are you sure you would not like me to come with?", Malinda asks.

"Yes. I am sure. I need you to stay here and watch over mother as well as see if you can find anything that would connect Lord Argon to the incident.", Lillian answers. Malinda looks thoughtful for a moment.

"How am I supposed to do that exactly? What could I possibly find out from his servants?", Malinda asks. Lillian turns to her only for Malinda to turn her head back.

"Don't be oblivious Malinda. Everyone knows that not all servants who work for a powerful person is loyal without fault. There is always that one person under another's employment that looks for something to use against their employer to have something over their head. A letter, a suspicious conversation, something. All we need is somewhere to start.", Lillian tells Malinda.

"I see... I understand. I'll do my best.", Malinda replies.

"That is all I ask.", Lillian replies.

After Malinda finishes her hair Lillian have her things taken to the carriage and follows after. Rosalinda comes right behind her. This is the first time Lillian has ever seen her and upon first impression she appears to be a nice girl. She is an inch or two shorter than her Lillian notices with a fuller face, blonde hair and brown eyes. Lillian approaches her and greets her as an equal.

"Hello, Rosalinda it's nice to meet you.", Lillian says.

"Nice to meet you. You must be Lillian.", Rosalinda says.

"I am. Are you ready to go to the capital?", Lillian replies.

"Yes, although I must admit I am nervous. I hear Prince Winston will be making his decision after this.", Rosalinda answers. The two continue their talk as they walk to the carriage they will be sharing.

"I heard as well. I really don't want this to be a foul competition between us.", Lillian says.

"As do I. Let's make this a fair and honorable competition with no ill will.", Rosalinda suggests cheerfully. Lillian is taken aback by Rosalinda's kindness and sweet nature. Her demeanor is nothing like her father's which is overwhelming at times.

As they prepare to step into the carriage and begin their journey their parents come out to see them off. Lillian's mother is held up by Malinda by her side.

"We wish you both good luck on your journey and in your efforts to be chosen by the prince. May God watch over you and his grace cover you.", Lord Argon says giving his words of departure. The two give a courtesy respectfully in return and proceed to enter the carriage.

Lillian has the suspicion that Lord Argon's words are mostly meant for his own daughter rather than for both. Lillian sits across from Rosalinda and as she looks at her she remembers that the secondary purpose of this arrangement is to get Rosalinda alone and see if she knows anything.

As they ride along the way to the capital, the two of them enjoy the scenery while Lillian debates when would be a good time to start asking questions. She doesn't want to seem suspicious herself, but also needs Rosalinda to be comfortable to talk about her father. Lillian decides to break up their conversation by day. When they are almost to the capital Lillian finally decides to make a conversation with Rosalinda that will help her.

"You know, I'm sure each of our fathers had something planned to take advantage of their daughter's being married to the prince. Granted I will never know about mine, but what about you?", Lillian says to her. Rosalinda looks thoughtful for a moment.

"Your right. I never thought about that before actually. Honestly, if my father does have any plans he hasn't told me or gave any sign of it. He doesn't say much to me actually.", Rosalinda answers innocently. Lillian can tell that what she says is true. There is no sign that she is lying either nor that she would know anything about her father's wicked plans if they are found to be his. Lillian feels guilty about her suspicions of the girl who is just as innocent as she is.

"I just what to do this for me as well as my family. Even now if I do become future queen it would be just to help my mother.", Lillian says remorseful. A look of pity comes upon Rosalinda's face.

"I am sorry for what happened. No one should ever have to go through that. It is a tragedy.", Rosalinda says sorrowfully.

"Thank you, but I don't want people to pity me nor my mother. I want to get past it.", Lillian replies.

"Hmm...that is very brave of you. I'm not sure I could do it. How can you?", Rosalinda says. Lillian shifts in her seat.

"A lot of people helped me.", Lillian admits. "My main handmaiden, Malinda, teaches me strength, my mother inspires me with the strength she had and…", Lillian trails off in her explanation, but she was going to say Prince Winston and what he had told her. It had put her mind in a place of what she would do if she lost everything that she was so content with.

Now she is in a position where she has to move on past what she had and she admits to herself that she is curious now about where she can go. What could God possibly have for her in the future. Rosalinda looks compassionately at Lillian and places her hand comfortly on Lillian's knee. Lillian gives her a grateful look and the two enjoy the rest of the ride together.

.......

They make one last stop before arriving to the castle. It is here the two girls put on the clothes that they shall meet Prince Winston and the king and queen in. When they get to the castle Lillian and Rosalinda are excoriated to the throne room and are greeted by the king and queen.

Unlike the first time Prince Winston is there as well and stands to the side as his parents tell the girls about their stay and how long they shall be here. When Lillian first sees Prince Winston he appears different to her. He looks the same and acts the same, but something is different about him to her although she can't tell what.

As she listens to his parents Lillian can't help but wonder why Prince Winston seems different to her. It isn't physical, but the air around him seems more confident. When it comes time for Prince Winston to choose who he shall spend the first day with Lillian refocuses her thoughts.

She resolves to just enjoy her day with the prince whatever day it maybe and brushes her thoughts about his change away. When Prince Winston brings up her family's misfortune and appears to pity her she makes it known to him and herself that she doesn't want to be pitied for it all her life and wishes for it to not be brought up.

When Prince Winston instead suggest to her that they go horseback riding and that he has a friend he wants her to meet Lillian feels joyful and relaxed again. On the way to the stables she realizes it feels nice to be away from everything that reminded her of what happened. It is almost like nothing ever happened to her with the only reminder coming from Sir Jamonson's condolences about it.

Although this time she doesn't mind since it was brief. However, when Prince Winston introduces her to Vincent she is surprised to see that the prince's best friend is a stable boy and yet interact so freely with each other. Then again she remembers her close friendship with Malinda and realizes she couldn't judge.

Vincent nonetheless to her seems to be as charming as Prince Winston; especially for a stable boy and actually doesn't mind when Prince Winston invents him to come with them. Lillian guesses that having Vincent around must have affected Prince Winston in some way.

She becomes even more interested in the two of them and their friendship when she witnesses them away from the barn and Sir Jamonson and Benjamin. It is obvious to her that something bad is going on with Vincent and that Prince Winston suspects it. However, Vincent for some reason refuses to tell him exactly what. Even attempting to use her to avoid Prince Winston's questions.

Lillian continues to watch as if she is watching a play or show being put on in her family's grand living room. The passion and determination in which Prince Winston questions Vincent astonishes her. Perhaps because their first meeting was brief or was sometime ago, but either way Lillian never would have suspected this manner from him. If anything she would think he would use someone else to find out for him and not really speak himself.

Similar to how he used his father and Sir Jamonson to control the dinner their families had the first time, but now and again Prince Winston seems different to her from that time. He is more direct and outspoken. He appears more like a king and independent. When the two friends finally settle on an agreement another detail catches Lillian's eye.

Vincent doesn't act as a normal person would with someone above his status. Sure he says prince before Prince Winston's name but everything else is as if they are equal. He freely defies him and interacts with him as if Prince Winston is a normal kid.

By the time they return to the barn Lillian's curiosity causes her to ask Prince Winston why he questioned Vincent the way he did at first.

"Because I know him and whether he likes it or not I know when something is wrong with him... I have a feeling. A feeling that something is not right. When someone has a feeling about someone they care about they would be foolish not to act.", Winston answers. Winston's words seem to affect Lillian in some way, for her eyes are thoughtful now and suddenly distant. Winston turns away from her and approaches Vincent.

Once again Prince Winston's words seem to harmonize with something inside her. As he goes to exchange words of farewell with Vincent Lillian thinks of the time before that night when a feeling of dread crept into her heart. Then how she saw the vision of the flowers. It isn't long before a feeling of regret and foolishness hits Lillian like a hammer. Before her spirits can fall though she regains her demeanor, but the feeling those not completely fade.

In an attempt to keep herself from slipping into a depressed state she converses with Prince Winston. Telling him how she enjoyed herself and how his and Vincent's interactions amused her. She even takes care to be involved in the conversations at dinner.

It is only after dinner when she is alone in her room is she unable to avoid her guilt. As she is readied for bed Lillian decides to deal with her feelings by moving past them and to never make those mistakes again just as Malinda advised her. However, not knowing how causes her to only escape her guilt in sleep.

.......

Two days later Lillian looks out from her and Rosalinda's carriage as they ride from the capital. The events of the day before yesterday ring in her mind as clear as it just happened. She had awoke looking forward to enjoying a day of peace and relaxing while Rosalinda spent her day with Prince Winston. Her spirits were high and she had enjoyed her own day with the prince though she still thought of how to move past her guilt.

It is when she had heard that something had happened to Prince Winston and Vincent that she rushes to the throne room. Prince Winston had called to speak to his parents immediately. When she got there the prince stood in front of his parents with a determined look, and dried blood on his person with his shirt ripped. According to the guards and some servants he had refused to clean up himself nor get any care before talking to his parents.

"Vincent is the one that needs medical care. See to him and no one leaves him until his life is nowhere near any danger. He is to receive the utmost care.", the prince said when they were first seen.

He tells a story of how Benjamin had tortured Vincent without anyone knowing for a period of two and a half weeks because Vincent sought to protect him from Benjamin's ambitious plans to gain power by using him. According to Prince Winston Benjamin planned to endanger himself and that Vincent stayed present and took Benjamin's cruelty for him and to protect him. Because of this Benjamin attempted to kill Vincent and him when he had come to Vincent's aid and blame Vincent.

As the prince told his story Sir Jamonson, nor could anyone, hide their astonishment and disbelief in the prince's tale, but here he was covered in blood mostly from caring to Vincent's wounds and Vincent being treated himself. There was also Benjamin's body which was recovered by guards who were sent after Prince Winston's story. There was no denying it. Through the whole thing Sir Jamonson could not hide his shame of his nephew, yet Prince Winston made sure to detach Sir Jamonson and his family from Benjamin. Securing both's honor and respect.

Even now when she thinks back on it Lillian can't help but be in awe of both Prince Winston and Vincent and their loyalty to each other. She thinks of her own experiences and the people who had been in her life. Her brother, her father, Malinda, even her mother at one point have all exhibited the same acts of passion, strength, and care for her.

She feels lower than she did before, for when it came time for her to do something for them she failed them; all of them.

No...not anymore. Never again will I lose someone who I care about. I will be strong and I will act. Forgive me father... Brother... I will make it up to you. I promise, she thinks to herself.