She stood behind a tree, waiting patiently for the carriage to appear. The royal carriage was due to come through the forest and she had the step-sisters' appetite to feed. They don't possess much. A mansion with the basics. And then a few more bits on the side. But they came from Lily's job. Her job that was their only source of income. 311Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFsXPQMen6w
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Just as Clarice predicted, the golden yellow carriage had made its way up the forest trail, towards her hiding position, in the direction of the tree. 311Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe5XMKUWkPT
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"Mother, I do not wish to get married." The prince explained to his mother, who had, once again, proposed the idea of him marrying. He had lost count as to how many times she had done so. However, this time had been different. 311Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtiXim5j0u5
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"We are not getting any younger, my boy. We wish to retire and we need you to do so. If you don't find a bride within the next few days, I shall set you up with Princess Alexia." His mother always brought up the topic of marriage, but not of forcing the prince to marry else they would get one arranged for him. He pulled a face at the thought of marrying Princess Alexia. Just the mention of her name brought chills to his spine. He could just hear the high pitched giggling as he said something, that had not been funny at all. 311Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj4tBSnTY9U
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"Oh mother, have mercy!" He cried and begged as he tried to imagine his life tied down to her. He simply could not. Not the life he wanted anyway. 311Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfgU3YsxHUV
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"Then attend the ball tomorrow night. And dance with every young lady that lives in this kingdom and choose the one you wish to have as a bride." He could tell by his mothers tone that it was not up for discussion, so he complied, bowing his head and sighed, wondering about what a horrid night it would be. 311Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAr3AOzZSKO
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The coach neared her as she got into her stance, her knife in hand, her black tethered outfit sticking to her as she made sure her hair was down, covering as much of her face as she could, accompanying the mask her father had given her before dying a few years before. Her palms were sweaty. This was her first time robbing from the royals. 311Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡboLF5IDys2
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Come on, Lily, you can do this. It is just another coach. She shook her head before smiling, slowing down her heart before climbing up the tree, the blades handle held in her teeth, and sat hidden on the branch, readying herself to fall into routine and landing on the roof of the carriage. 311Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpNeeM6f9vD
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The thud caught the attentions of the Queen and Prince as they finally found silence between them. They both looked at each other. The prince's hand reached to his left, expecting his sword to be sitting, ready for him to use, but it was not. He groaned, annoyed at his weakness of letting his mother have him leave it at home in the castle, rather than have it on his person. 311Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiAO10Zn29X
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Lily balanced herself as the carriage drivers halted the white creatures pulling the metal. She listened for the footsteps that belonged to the man who was to check what happened, but nothing did. This caused curiosity to run through her veins. She went to turn around, but did not fancy wasting time. Instead, she slipped down the rear end of the carriage, straight to the small amount of luggage that was brought from the palace, being taken to the castle. 311Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn8jLSesjCK
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Royals and their fondness for owning more than one home. Lily rolled her eyes before picking up the chest, head snapping in all directions, making sure it was not a trap. 311Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfcTosD2nVy
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"Who is it, son?" The Queen whispered, not an ounce of fear present. 311Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ8Ygur56XW
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"I do not know, Mother. We are both facing forward." His mother slapped his head. 311Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjVqBqO6JAW
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"Do not be smart with me, Son. Not now." He rubbed his head before turning around, slowly, and moving the curtain slightly with one finger, creating enough room for him to look through. His eyes went wide at the scene he caught. There stood a girl with pitch black hair surrounding her face, a black outfit that would be expected to be worn by a huntsman, a black mask and a matching pair of black gloves, with a blade resting calmly between her teeth. 311Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcZbXASfzGQ
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"It's a girl. In black. Complete black. She's robbing us." The words found their own way out of the princes' mouth without him even realising they had. 311Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj9bXdWU5cl
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Lily held the chest, ready to turn away and disappear in the forest, as she had so many times before, but she felt something stopping her. She looked around, inspecting around her at all angles, before noticing the curtain of the carriage had moved. She could clearly make out an eye. And it was staring at her. She looked at the eye with her own, almost frightened as to who owned the eye. She could tell it had been a male who had caught the glimpse of her at work. 311Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbAWl2RjWaW
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The prince looked into the girls eye that stared back at his own, curious as to why she was stealing, from the royal family no less. But once their eyes met, there was an invisible thread holding their gazes, not allowing them to pull away.311Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ65F3paE0Mg
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"I will be right back, Mother." He ignored any words his mother could have possibly formed to stop him, and exited the carriage. 311Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ04vIf7jCwe
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The second his eye left the gap in the curtain, Lily ran straight into the forest, not looking back, feeling that she had been freed from the spell the eye had held over her, and leaving the prince bewildered and alone with his curiosity. He watched as she retreated, not allowing his eyes to peel away until she had no longer been in viewing distance. 311Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsTpmQkxVtj
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"Wilbert, get back in this carriage this second!" His mother called loudly. He cringed as his given name was used loud enough for anybody to hear in the area, even the girl retreating from the spot he stood in. 311Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtvfj0eDGmJ
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Why could she not call me Bart or Will like most other people do? He retreated back to the carriage, but not before stealing one more glance at the direction the girl who had stolen from his family, wondering about her as they returned back to the Castle. 311Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEDZBoBP45c
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Lily hid herself in the dark of the forest, allowing herself time to give her lips permission to open and the laughter to poor out. Wilbert. She cried out in her mind as she doubled over. What sort of name is that for a prince? She allowed all the laughter to spill out as she held the handle of her knife in her hand, before slipping it back into its pouch, picking the chest from off the floor and returning home with the laughter still bubbling in the pit of her stomach.
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