Beautifully Invisible #Wattys2019

Chapter 13

"Lily!"

Alice comes rushing to my side, almost causing me to drop the laundry basket with the Queen's dirty clothes.

"Alice! Are you alright? What happened?" I question, startled by her sudden appearance. She catches her breath as she continues,

"I'm fine. I just wanted to inform you that the Prince is leaving today," She says as she huffs and puffs between words.

"Where is he going?"

"I'm not sure. They say that he'll be gone until next week." I stand there as my brain tries to process this new information. I guess a week won't hurt... Wait, why would I mind if he left?

"Why are you telling me this information?" I ask.

"I just thought you'd want to know. Since you like him and all," I gasp at her ridiculous remark.

"I DO NOT like him! Besides, I can't." I contradict.

"Lily, you've had a smile on your face since this morning. A smile I've never seen on you before." It's true, I have been in a rather joyous mood this morning. I cherish this happy moment, for I'll probably never have it again. Happiness doesn't last long.

"If that's not love, then I don't know what is." I do not like the Prince! I shouldn't like him! Sure, he's the most beautiful human being I've ever seen. Inside and out. He might've been one of the only people that volunteers to help me, even when he barely knew me. I might get lost in his eyes every time we talk. I may possibly feel my heart beat faster just by the thought of him. But that, my friend, is not love. They're just feelings that will quickly deteriorate with time.

"Mhm, that's what I thought. No answer," Before I can protest, she happily skips away with accomplishment plastered on her face. This girl.

I run to the front window to find that, indeed, Prince Fredrick was leaving. The large suitcases lay across the brick driveway as the driver shoves them into the wooden carriage with care. The carriage has red velvet on the interior, and a slick wooden exterior. I've never ridden inside, but I've cleaned it a couple times. Fredrick finally walks outside with his mother latched onto his arm. As Queen Madia gives her son a farewell hug, his expression looks anything but happy. It's a much different smile than of the other night. This one feels more fake and forced.

He then looks up to the window I'm at. I begin to sporadically spray the window, as though I've been cleaning this whole time. He looks at me with an expression I can't quite place, almost as though he's thinking about something. He gives me a small smile, as if to say good bye. I respond with smiling back and giving him a small wave. His mother separates herself and gives him a red rectangular box. It has golden designs that go all the way around, with a gold colored bow to top it off. She sternly says something to him, which he responds to by nodding. His eyes flicker to my direction, then he gives his mother one final nod. He waves good bye to everyone and the cream colored horses take him away to the mysterious place. I feel a sense of emptiness as they fade away in the distance. The feeling of wanting to be with him creeps back, but I quickly push it as far into the back of my brain as I possibly can.

I carry on with my day like any other, trying to stop my curious mind from overthinking everything. Where has he gone? I don't believe he said anything about leaving. I start to feel an uneasiness settle in my chest. Why am I feeling this way? What if he's... not okay? It's probably just a hunch, but his face tells a sort of story. I haven't figured out what it is, nor do I think I ever will. His happy eyes seemed gloomy, with a hint of hurt. Seeing that slight pain felt like someone stabbed me in the heart.

I wish I could know what's been troubling him. I wish I could take his pain and put it on myself. He doesn't deserve to feel hurt. He's shown nothing but kindness to me. He deserves all the happiness in the world. Though I may be the scum of the earth, he's never treated me like I am... These thoughts swirl in my mind throughout the whole day, barely allowing me to finish my duties. Even Vicky noticed that I wasn't quite myself today. If only she knew the ride of emotions coursing through me.

After the confusing day I've had, it's nice to be in my room. I start to get ready for bed as I take off my shawl. When I stare into the mirror, I look different. My eyes are a little brighter, and my cheeks actually have a tint of color to them. Even though I only ate some flavorless porridge today, I look like I've had a full meal.

As I stare deep into my reflection, I wonder, "What's happening to me?"