Beautifully Invisible #Wattys2019

Chapter 10

"Lily?"

What happened? The last thing I remember is feeling excruciating pain in the back of my head. How is the sun already out? It was late in the evening the last time I checked. I feel like my entire body is on a cloud. I'm most certainly not in my room. My mat feels more like a rock, than a fluffy cloud.

One hand is warmer than the other, which means... someone is holding it. I slightly open my eyes, and I'm immediately blinded by the beam of the late afternoon sun. Once my eyes get adjusted, I make out a figure that looks like, a man? Is that... Fredrick? Am I dreaming?

"Prince Fredrick?" I utter just above a whisper.

"Hey, Lily!" His hand grips mine tighter, which makes me oddly relaxed. His eyes become watery, almost like he's been worried.

"Where am I?!" I say a lot louder, being startled by the change of scenery. I've been in this room many times before! The look of pure horror plasters itself on my face. I'm in his bed!

I sit straight up, trying to get myself up. "No no no! Lily, you shouldn't get up!" He says gently, grabbing my shoulders to lay me back down. My breathing picks up speed, then calms at the sound of his voice.

"Why am I here? What happened?" I ask him, trying to search for answers I most desperately need.

"Last night, Vicky came to my door with you in her arms. She said that she found you passed out in front of your door and saw that you were bleeding from your head. She immediately took care of the injury and said that you shouldn't sleep on your bed because it's too hard. I, of course, let you stay in my bed."

"Where did you sleep?" I feel so ashamed! Making the Prince give up his bed for me? I am a complete failure.

"In this chair," He says with a smile. How is he always happy?

"I'm so sorry, Fredrick! I-"

"It's okay, Lily," He says softly, trying to reassure me that it was alright.

"The Queen! My chores!" I exclaim.

"Don't worry about that. Vicky insisted on doing them. She told my mother that you were severely sick." He's been taking care of me this whole time? I really am a failure. First I take the Prince's personal space, I make Vicky do all my house work, AND I took time out of Fredrick's day.

"Who did this to you?" Seriousness takes over his voice, transitioning into his face. My voice gets choked, as though I can't utter a single word. I can't just say his mother had another one of her out bursts. Though, my head feels worse than yesterday. Which is strange, because I didn't feel this kind of pain when it happened.

"When I got to my room, I slipped in a puddle of water and hit my head." I really hope he believes me.

"You couldn't have taken a fall that hard, Lily." I look into his eyes, my expression telling that I told him the truth. But behind it, I was really telling him that I didn't want to talk about it. He gives me a small smile, still holding tight to my hand.

"You know you can always come and talk to me, right?" I repay his smile and nod. Someone who will be there for me... Wow, that's a different feeling.

Despite my complaints, Fredrick told me that I have to stay in bed. At least until tomorrow. After making small conversation and eating dinner, Fredrick insisted for me to take a little 5 minute walk to get myself moving.

"Hey, maid!"

Why does she always have to call me that? "What do you want, Mona?" I say, making sure she hears the annoyance in my voice.

"I was looking all over for you! I wanted to give this dirt rag back to you. It was stinking up my room," She says in her bitter sweet voice.

"Thanks."

"Oh, how's your head?" I thought Vicky told everyone I was sick?

"How did you know about my head?" I whisper to her. She gives me this smirk of pure evil, as if poison can seep into your pores if you look into her eyes for too long. I gasp at her revealing facial expression. It all makes sense now! My head hurting more than yesterday, me passing out! She trespassed into my room and hit the back of my head!

"Why would you do this?!" I ask in pure shock.

"In my defense, I didn't know you would pass out. I just did it as a prank... I thought it was pretty hilarious." She cackles, pulling off my shawl in an attempt to annoy me. I'm pretty sure steam is coming out of my ears as I step closer to her perfect face in a rage. Before I lose my temper, I hear a familiar voice that calms, and startles me. I step back from Mona, keeping a great distance away from her. I instinctively put on the dirty shawl Mona gave me in an attempt to hide myself.

"Hello, ladies. Is everything alright?" He asks sternly. Mona puts on a fake smile that shows off her perfect teeth.

"Prince Fredrick!" With her squeaky voice that could break a glass, she continues. "Sir, my sincerest apologies if we disturbed you," He raises his eyebrow in thought.

"You're Mona Zinger, correct?" She quickly nods, her face brightening at the fact that he knows her name. "Are you two friends?" He interrogates, his eyes glossed with question. Before I can even protest, Mona puffs up and bursts out with,

"Of course we are! We've been working together for years! We're practically sisters. Right, girl?"

She 'jokingly' puts my shawl back on. Fredrick raised an eyebrow at the random gesture, then becomes stern again. I look at Fredrick, then back at the snake before me. "Sure... girl." If I were to expose the beast that is Mona, she would make my life impossible. For the short duration of our conversation, Fredrick gave 'help me' expressions as Mona continuously flirted with him. I don't think he's convinced with my apparent 'friendship' with Mona. He keeps giving me this look that I can't quite place.

"It was lovely to finally meet you, Mona. My mother speaks highly of your performance on the east quarter of the castle."

"Well, of course she would! She better because-" Her eyes become saucers as she corrects herself. "I mean- Of course she would, because I work very hard. Some say, I work the hardest out of all the maids!"

"Well, most of the maids." I whisper to myself with an eye roll. His eyes flicker to my direction. Annoyance fills Mona's eyes, still keeping that fake, white smile perfect. We say the last of our goodbyes and he brings me back to his room.

Leading me to the bed, he sits down right beside me. All that standing hurt my head, so I'm glad I'm in a bed again. This is the first time I have ever slept in a bed. It's the most comfortable thing I've ever sat on.

"Alright, I think it's time for some much needed sleep." He says, walking over to his night stand where our only source of light is.

"Fredrick, where are you going to sleep?... You're not sleeping on the chair again, are you?"

He rubs the back of his neck. "It's not that bad,"

I will not allow the Prince of Scadia to sleep on an uncomfortable chair! Especially after he's been taking care of me practically all day. But, where could he sleep? I move to one side of the bed.

"I can not allow you to sleep on that chair that has paper as a cushion."

His confused look, turns into surprise. "Lily, that is very kind of you but-"

"Fredrick, please! I wouldn't be able to live with myself if you slept on that chair all because of me. You've done so much for me."

"Please, at least let me do this small thing for you."