School Daze

A/N: Lily and Roderick belong to the lovely Miss Lydia. Sweetie, hope you don't mind if I make them slightly older...

"Mummy, why can't I go to school with Lily? I want to go to school!"

Mirana sighed, looking at her two children. Lily had just turned seven, and was about to start her first day of school. It was all she had been talking about for the past three weeks, and her brother, who had just turned three, had listened raptly to her excited babbling. But Underland law said a child could not enter school until the age of seven, no matter how brilliant he or she might be. "Roderick, you are too young, and the law must be obeyed."

"But Mummy, I'm a prince!"

Mirana gave him a glare that made him shrink back. "The fact that you are royalty means the law should apply to you more than to anyone. We are called upon to set an example for our subjects, and if the young princeling behaves like a brat, what is to stop other children from behaving the same way?" She sighed, and held open her arms. Roderick came over, and she hugged him tight. "But this isn't about rules. It's about the fact that you will miss your sister, right?"

Roderick sniffled. "Yes."

Lily spoke up. "Roddy, please don't be sad! I promise to tell you everything that happens to me! If you like, you can come to lunch! He can come to lunch, can't he Mummy?"

Mirana smiled. "I don't see why not. I'll have Chess escort him so he doesn't go wandering off after bread and butterflies." She tuned to Lily. "As for you, young lady, you had best be off. Old Miss Mack doesn't like it when students are late. No exceptions."

Lily gave her mother and brother a quick kiss before dashing down the road to the small school house. When she arrived, she was quite happy to see Fiona Stayne and Helena Hightopp sitting on the steps gossiping. "Hello!"

Fiona grinned, waving. "Lily! Are you starting school too? It's Helena's first day as well!" She turned to her cousin and best friend. "See, I told you you wouldn't be alone!"

Helena smiled. "You did. Lily, I'm really glad to see you. I was so scared I'd be the only new student and nobody would like me."

Lily snorted and plonked herself down on the steps. "Helena, anyone that doesn't like you or Fiona is stupid! You're both my best friends."

Fiona sighed. "My first day here, a bigger student threw mud at me for being a Stayne. He also kept asking me if Granny Alannah was mad. Not the good kind, but the...lacking in brains kind. Miss Mack told him to stop, but he didn't."

Lily winced in sympathy. "What finally happened?"

Fiona giggled. "Grampa Tarrant came and told him if he didn't straighten up, he'd feed him to Bandersnatch! He even used his Scots voice!"

Lily howled in laughter, holding her sides. Before she could formulate a coherent response, the bell rang, and the students, who had been playing on the lawn, swarmed into the building, the boys in one room and the girls in another, both stuffing themselves into seats and placing their hands neatly on their desks.

A stooped old woman dressed entirely in black came shuffling into the girl's classroom, gnarled hands clutching a cane that looked as old as its owner. The woman made her way to the front of the class, her rheumy eyes peering at them from behind pince-nezes. "Any new students?" Her voice was shrill, and made Fiona think of a tea kettle's whistle. Helena and Lily raised their hands, and Miss Mack nodded. "Well, don't sit there gathering snapdragon flies, introduce yourselves! You first!" She pointed to Helena.

Helena gulped, then stood, wishing her knees would stop knocking together. "Umm...I'm Helena Hightopp."

"Any relation to Arianna and Josiah?"

Helena nodded. "Yes ma'am. Arianna is my aunt, and Josiah is my Daddy."

Miss Mack smiled. "You'd be Victoria's little girl, then?"

"Yes Ma'am."

"I taught your aunt and your mother. She had a knack for cooking."

Helena smiled. "She still does, Ma'am. She and Granny Alannah have a restaurant."

Miss Mack nodded. "So I hear. You may sit, Miss Helena. Now you." She pointed to Lily.

Lily stood, taking a deep breath. "I'm Lily of Marmoreal. My mummy is.."

Miss Mack held up a hand. "I know who your Mum is, Lily. I'd be a poor Underlander if I didn't recognize the White Princess. Why didn't your mum just hire private tutors?"

"Mummy said she wanted me to make friends. Please don't treat me any different. I'm just here to learn, like everyone else."

Miss Mack smiled. "Well, then welcome, Lily. Please, have a seat and we can begin."

The school bell rang once more, signaling lunch time, and the grateful students poured onto the lawn, opening their lunch pails and digging into their meals. Helena, Lily, and Fiona sat together under a large oak tree. Lily took a bite of her cold meat pie. "I really like Miss Mack. She's a funny old bird."

Fiona nodded. "Yeah, but I think she's getting too old to teach. She can hardly see the classroom."

"And she keeps repeating her lessons," added Helena. "I think we learned about Old Father William twice today." She stood up, waving her arms. "Ciaran! Alexei! Over here!" Her cousins acknowledged her with a wave, and came over. Ciaran bowed to Lily, who blushed a crimson red.

"Hello Lily." Ciaran smiled, and the princess's blush grew even more pronounced.

"H...hello Ciaran." She stammered, feeling like an utter fool. She could talk to his twin easily enough, so why did she blush every time she saw or talked to Ciaran Rogers?

Ciaran gestured to the ground. "May we sit?"

Fiona nodded, and the twins sat down, opening their lunch pails and taking out cold pheasant. "Is Uncle Erik in town?"

Alexei shook his head, talking around a mouthful of pheasant. "No, he went on a buying trip to Tullymore. He'll be back next week, though. Mum's really excited. She sold a painting for a lot of money, and she's going to use it to set up a gallery of her own."

Ciaran picked up the thread. "Mum told Granny and Grampa last night at dinner. They were so proud. Granny cried when Mum said she was going to name it after Great Grandaddy Elias."

Helena sighed. "I miss him. He told funny stories and his mustache tickled." Her eyes went wide at a familiar voice behind her.

"Whose mustache is that?"

Helena jumped up, grinning. "Aunty Alice! What are you doing here?"

Alice laughed, then reached behind her skirts and extracted one Roderick Castling. "This little boy wishes to see his sister, and I decided to come visit all of you."

Lily ran to her brother, kissing him. "Roddy, I thought Chess was coming with you."

Alice snorted. "Stuff and nonsense! The day I can't keep up with the little prince is the day they wind me in my shroud." She sat on the ground, then turned to Helena. "Now, whose mustache tickled?"

"Great Grandaddy Elias.'"

Alice shrugged, grinning. "Well, I wouldn't know, he never tickled me with it. Now, while we eat, I want to hear full details about how your first day has gone so far. What have you learned, and what have you forgotten?"

The children began babbling excitedly.

When Alice and Roderick returned to the palace, they found Gavin waiting for them. "So, did he enjoy his visit with Lily?"

Roderick nodded excitedly. "Yes Daddy! I can't wait to go to school!" He paused, then turned to Alice. "Aunty Alice, why did Lily blush whenever Ciaran talked to her?"

Gavin bit back a smile as he looked at Alice, who nodded, giggling silently. "I'll tell you when you're older, Roderick. Run along now, your mum is waiting to hear all about your lunch." Roderick dashed off, and Gavin laughed. "So my daughter has eyes for a sailor's son. Well, her mother fell for a wine merchant."

Alice laughed. "Let's just hope the crush doesn't interfere with her school work."

"It won't."

The final bell of the day rang, and the boys and girls ran out of the school, grateful to be free. Ciaran caught up with Lily, tapping her on the shoulder. "Will I see you tomorrow?"

"Uh huh." Lily squeaked, and Ciaran grinned.

"Frabjous! Bye Lily!" He started to run after his brother, then stopped and headed back, pecking Lily on the cheek. "Bye!"

Lily watched him run off, her eyes wide as she touched the spot where he had kissed her. After a moment, she sighed dreamily.

She was definitely coming back tomorrow.