"You should." The white-haired girl glanced at the position of the sun, its faint, watery light filtering in through the clouds, before sighing. "Well, I have to leave before the others wonder where I am. Talk to you later?" She asked, although it was more of an order than a question.
She knew, though, that Ollie would come and visit her. She would come to the palace and drag him out of his room if she had to. She smiled at him, her thoughts written all over her face.
Ollie nodded, a small smile settled on his face, "Sure. My sister said she's forcing me to come to the city the day after tomorrow to help her pick out an outfit for something, but after that, I can meet you somewhere?" He wasn't sure if Lilli would be free, or if she would even want to spend time with him so soon again, but it was probably the only time he was going to be in the city for a while. Seeing as he would need time to recover from so much socialization.
"Absolutely. As long as I don't have to pick out an outfit either, we're good. Meet you at the hot chocolate stand, then?" She asked. "Same time?"
Lilli gave her best friend a quick side hug. She knew he wasn't as fond of physical contact, and so that's all she did. She grinned at him, black eyes flashing from underneath her hood, before waving. "I'm out. Nice seeing you, Ollie." And with that, she vanished into the crowd with little more than a few steps, and was gone. For a little while, anyway.
"Sure, I'll see you then," He agreed, hesitating when she hugged him but not shying away from the contact. Ollie still wasn't a fan of physical contact, but he could tolerate something as small as a side hug, especially from Lillian, who usually respected his personal bubble. Usually. "It was nice seeing you."
Ollie watched for a brief moment as she slipped into the crowd, though he lost her after a few seconds. Getting moving once more, he threw away his empty hot chocolate cup and tugged his hood further over his head, heading back for the castle. He needed to go back inside where it was warm and out of the wind, and also where there were less people to bother him.
(Time skip?)
(Sure!)
(Coolio! Should we do it to when Ollie visits her house, or at the ball?)
(Hmmmm….maybe when Ollie visits? I want to see what Lilli's mom is like lol)
(Alright! She's awesome. Their entire family is awesome, but she's probably the coolest lol. You want me to start, then?)
(Yes please!)
(Sorry about the length lol, I just needed this in my life.)
Lilliana had invited Oliver over a few days after she arrived back at the capital, and she was excited. She hopped up and down on her toes, dress flapping around her ankles like the wings of a bird. She kept her eyes peeled for his carriage or horse or whatever it was he was taking to their mansion.
"Wow. We haven't seen you in five years, and you're focusing on your friend instead? We're supposed to be a loving family, Lilli." A male voice came from behind her, and she didn't have to turn to see who it was.
"Go away, Kahn."
Her second oldest brother, Kahn, was standing behind her, looking mock offended. "That's no way to talk to the brother you haven't seen in forever." He was Haven's identical twin, although Kahn was softer and kinder, with shorter hair and a warmer smile. He also had a better sense of style, if she did say so herself.
"I'd prefer if Ollie were my brother, not you."
"As would I. I'm sure Prince Oliver would be a much better child than any of you ruffians," came another voice, and Duchess Aerianna Carroway came down the stairs. Unlike her blue-eyed, ivory-haired children, she had violet eyes and long black hair, punctuated by streaks of gray. She was absolutely beautiful, which all her children had inherited, and even at 53, and with five children, her eyes sparkled with childish mischief, much like her daughter's.
"Is everyone attacking me today?" Kahn complained.
"You brought this upon yourself, dumbass," Lilli said with a tone superiority.
"Lilliana Miriam Carroway, watch your words," their mother said in a warning tone that instantly made the girl shrink back in embarrassment. "And Kahn, stop bothering your sister. If you don't get to the dining room, I'm sure Aracia will be happy to leave without you."
The man's eyes widened with panic, and he rushed off to see his fiance, leaving the two women waiting in the hall. They laughed at his reaction, Aerianna's more of a light chuckle while Lilli's was a cackle, before there was an announcement.
The Prince had arrived.
(Don’t apologize it’s lovely!)
Ollie still wasn’t sure how Lilli had managed to get him out of his routine so quickly. In just the few days she had been back, he had already spent more time out of his room than he had in the past month. And she seemed intent on keeping him off routine when she invited him over, even though he had agreed to it.
Avoiding social interaction, he had opted against a carriage ride to the Carroway estate, instead choosing to ride his horse, Callai. It had been a while since the mare had gotten to ride around with anyone but the stable hands, he could tell as much as he rode over, hanging on for dear life as Callai got her energy out.
By the time he reached the estate, his hair -which previously had been brushed - looked like he had forgotten to deal with it. His cheeks and nose were flushed from the chill of the fall weather, and he regretted not bringing an extra coat as he neared the door. Callai pranced off with one of the Carroway stable hands, content with the excitement of the ride. One of the servers of the house opened the door for him, after bowing heartily, even going as far to compliment his outfit. Dressed in a tarnishes orange shirt, a gray overcoat -which was much too thin for the weather- and darker gray slacks, it was hardly an outfit to compliment, but it was far from a casual outfit either. Being back in the Carroway home after so many years, he wanted to look nice.
Now all he had to do was manage not to look awkward as he stood in the entrance to the home, waiting for Lilli to pop in and diffuse the awkwardness.
"Oliveeerrrrrrrrrrrrr!" Lilli shrieked as she ran to the door and pulled it open, not waiting for a servant to help. "You actually came!" She grinned at him, hair already messy from her mad dash to the door, and pulled him inside.
"Lilliana! Calm down!" Snapped her mother, and the girl instantly stopped. It was a miracle what her voice could do. The older woman then walked forward with a smile on her face. "Ollie. Welcome back. You haven't visited for a while." She shot her daughter a mock glare. "I apologize for my daughter." She didn't use the royal etiquette at all, but Lilli knew her best friend wouldn't mind.
"Yeah, yeah. Come on, Ollie, we made tea! Oh, and we also got you some books, but those are boring." She shook her head, dismissing what they had given him.
Oliver smiled when he spotted Lilli, or more accurately, heard Lilli. In a whirl of movement he was dragged inside, and though he wasn't surprised to be pulled around, he wasn't disappointed when Lilli was told to stop. His smile didn't fade from his face, and he looked happy, at home in the Carroway house. "It's alright," He replied, shaking his head at Mrs. Carroway's apology, "I'm glad to be back. How have things been?"
Before he could get an answer to his question, Lillian was speaking again and he turned his attention to her. It was clear to see his eyes light up at the mention of books, and he looked mock offended when she dismissed them so easily. "Let's go then, I want to see these books." He turned back to Mrs. Carroway and smiled again, "Thank you for allowing me to come over. It's always a pleasure to stop by."
Aerianna sent her daughter a look as if to say, why can't you be polite? before motioning to the hall. "We're glad you could finally come. Someone has decided that she needs to be as rowdy as possible, in order to make up for her missing years here."
Lilliana didn't even blink at the words, a sly smile sliding across her lips before vanishing. So what if her mother wanted to diss her? It's wasn't like it was some big secret that she was the problem child of the house. Even four years away hadn't changed that, much to the Duchess' chagrin. And her secret amusement.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," she said instead, pulling Ollie down the hall. "The books are in the tea room; we didn't want to have to injure your perfect feet by making you walk all the way across the hall."
Ollie shot Mrs. Carroway a soft smile before he was yanked down the hall, rolling his eyes at Lilli's words. "Really? I'm sure I wouldn't have hurt myself," He replied, barely keeping up with her, even with his long legs making up more distance than hers could. Still, he didn't object to being pulled along, not if it meant he got books. He was thankful when they finally stopped, and spoke again, turning the topic, "How have your first few days home been? Cause any chaos yet or are you waiting for my help?"
"Of course I've caused chaos. Do you know how much I'm going to have to hold it in when I return new and improved?" The white-haired girl asked, eyes aglow with excitement and annoyance in equal portions. She grinned at her mother, who evidently knew of her plan and was, surprisingly, on board. "I mean, I've been very innocent, right, Mother?"
Aerianna just rolled her eyes, a very unladylike action, before opening the door to the drawing room, where snacks and refreshments were set up. She motioned to a nearby servant. "Bring the books for the prince over, will you, Sade?"
The man nodded and vanished, reappearing a moment later with a stack of books that made Lilliana cringe just looking at it. Although, looking at her best friend's delighted face, something in her softened slightly. Just slightly, though, enough that she didn't insult him.
Olliver couldn't help but chuckle at the look in his best friend's eyes, amused by her reaction. He knew without a doubt that she would be causing about as much trouble as she possibly could. Though it was strange not to be pulled into her shenanigans, he knew it was much easier for her to cause chaos without waiting for him to show up.
He sat down on one of the seats in the room, eyeing up the snacks before one of the Carroway servants brought in the books and his face lit up. The stack was tall, filled with books thick and thin alike. He didn't try to hide his giddy smile, barely waiting until the books were sat down before he grabbed the top one. "These are wonderful! Where did you find them?" He asked, glancing up at the two, scanning the titles, and finding two that he had been searching for.
One was a storybook, one he would read for fun, but the other was a more serious book, filled with knowledge and facts he had been trying to get his hands on. He usually could convince his father to get more books for the royal library, but these were ones he hadn't yet gotten around to asking about. He loved them, and he was going to have to find some way to thank Mrs. Carroway, as well as Lilli.
"I've been looking for these for months now. Thank you!"
"Well, as the Prince, I assume that getting the things you want is a little harder than what you bargained for." Aerianna smiled graciously and gestured to the seats sitting around the table where refreshments were set up. "Do you still like vanilla flavored treats?" She asked, pouring both of the two teens a cup of tea, movements graceful and practiced.
Lilli just flounced onto a chair and slumped down, tapping one foot on the ground, chin propped in her hand. She watched her mother and best friend interact and thought, with just a bit of jealousy, of how much respect the two's relationship had. Lilli and Ollie had always been best friends, but they were polar opposites; would that aggect their relationship sometime in the future? She might be a little demoness, but losing someone because she was too different was something she wanted to avoid at all costs.
She shook her head at her depressing thoughts, hair flying. She didn't need to think about stuff like that; over-analyzing was the emotional and dramatic, not her. Not the perfect little angel Lilliana was.
Oliver nodded and smiled, setting the books down just long enough to take the cup of tea and a vanilla treat. “Thank you, Mrs. Carroway. This is all lovely. I’ll have to arrange for someone to come take the books I can’t carry back to the palace.” He glanced over at Lilli after he took the things offered, shooting her a smile of her own. It would be hard to tell, but if Lilli still remembered how to tell his smiles apart, it was clear he was ready at any time to hang out with her. He truly did like spending time around Lilli’s mother and speaking to her, but there would be time for that later.
Relaxing back in his seat, he settled in and sipped at his tea, scanning the room with a smile. It really had been too long since he had last been over here. This place had been his second home, and though it felt different it still was to him.
Lilli didn't realize that, at his smile, her body had relaxed a little. She didn't understand why she felt so relieved. Nor did she care. All she did was lean forward and pop one of the little cakes on the table into her mouth.
"There's no need, Prince Oliver. Knowing my daughter over here, she'll most likely visit you three hours after you leave. We can just send the books with her." Aerianna had noticed the girl's behavior, and bit back a smile. She drank her own tea, graceful and warm, very different to Lilli's leg bouncing. "Lilliana dear, do we need to send you back to etiquette class?"
The girl immediately sat up, looking alarmed. "No. No thank you." She glanced at Ollie as if to say, can you believe this woman?
Aerianna just sighed.
Ollie didn't hide a small smile at Lilli's lack of etiquette. He had never known her as someone who followed any etiquette, but she had always been good at hiding it. "So, when are you announcing your official return to the public eye of the capitol?" He asked his friend, sipping at the tea easily.
It was no surprise that her announcement back would gain attraction from many nobles, mostly from families with sons who they could present to the Carroway family for marriage. Many families wanted an alliance with one of the most powerful families in the city, especially with their connection to the throne. If he knew the Carroway's at all, there would be pressure for a celebration over her return, which would mean a party.
He took a break from his tea to set the books to his side, knowing that conversation would be a better way to pass the time. At least until Lillian got tired of it and drug him off to go do anything other than talk.
"Absolutely no idea," Lilliana said immediately. She popped another cake into her mouth and spoke around her food. "Mom will probably be the one to arrange that, after all. She likes doing that sort of thing."
"Lilliana here is going to be the one in charge of the return party," Aerianna informed Oliver. Lilli looked horrified, choking on the food in her mouth. "So whenever she says she wants to."
"Never," the girl mumbled.
"When do you think would be a good day?" The Duchess asked the prince, ignoring her daughter's reaction. "There's been a lot of vacationing around with the nobles right now, and I hear that you've been in charge of a lot of dealing with them and the messes they make." She looked at her daughter sharply. "If only my daughter here was as hardworking as you are."
Lilli pouted. Pointed conversations like this were nothing new, but in front of her friend, it felt like too much. "Yeah, yeah. I will be, soon. To protect my image, or something like that." She made a face.
Ollie chuckled and shot a teasing glance at his best friend, taunting her with the praise he had recieved. It was something he had done when they were young too, and though it never seemed to get a rise out of her, it was fun.
"Many are gone for celebrations of the harvest, but within the next week many will return home." He started, speaking both to Lilli and her mother, "Depending on who you'd like to attend, I would say in seven or eight days you could host a return party."
Aerianna had been right to know that he had been put in charge of dealing with the nobles and their messes when it came to their vacations. He had been dealing with it for almost three weeks now, and it took up quite a bit of his time, though he didn't mind it. Mostly it entailed writing letters to different noble houses or setting up meetings between different families, both of which required him to do little more than sit in his room. Which he did anyway. It was just another task his father had assigned to him, ones that his sister had refused to do or didn't have time to do.
"Whatever day you choose, I'll be getting an invitation, right?" He asked rhetorically, looking at Lilli with a tiny grin.
"No. No you won't. Not with that attitude." Lilli leaned back and crossed her arms, sticking her tongue out at him. "You almost made me cry with how hurtful your words were."
There was the sound of crashing and shouting, and, above it all, quiet chuckling that somehow seemed to fill the entire house, making everyone who heard it want to laugh as well. Duchess Carroway gave a quiet, barely audible sigh, and rose gracefully. "I must go deal with my youngest son, who appears to be causing mischief. Lilliana, I want you to be kind to the Prince, okay? Show some of your ladylike grace." She smiled at Ollie. "It was nice seeing you, Your Highness."
As soon as she departed, the Carroway girl bolted to her feet, dragging Oliver up with her. "I got Masin to cover for us. Let's go! Sitting around is so boring!" A wisp of shadow that she had sent off to message her youngest older brother came shooting back into the shadow of her dress, whispering to her. It was Masin's voice that she heard.
Enjoy your date with your boyfriend.
She scowled fiercely, even though he couldn't see her, and glanced at her best friend. "Come on!"