Lily somehow made it through the day without thinking (or seeing) Sirius too much. By the time she got back to bed, she had already forgotten her dream that she had the previous night. Well, she almost had forgotten it. It was still burning in the back of her mind, but Lily was sure as long as she ignored her feelings, they would go away. Lily fell asleep muttering the Cheering Charm to herself, hoping that she would have happier dreams.
Well, she did have a dream. Again, she was Princess Lily, only this time she was not looking at the moon. It was daytime and she was singing to herself. "Oh, I wish, I had a prince. My charming, charming prince!" Lily sang as Prince Sirius rode to her tower. He stopped to listen to her sing. Then he got an idea.
"My lovely princess. Where could she be? Where, oh where?" Sirius sang in his low baritone voice. Lily was startled to hear this new voice singing with her.
She looked down to see a young peasant boy about her age singing on his horse. "Dear, sir!" Lily called out her window. "What is that song you sing?"
"Why, fair lady, you startled me!" Sirius looked up. "I thought I was by myself, otherwise I would not have sung. I'm sorry to bother you." Sirius started to ride away.
"I never said it bothered me!" Lily called down. In fact, she was excited that he sang. So few people who visited her sang, and she was longingly for a singing partner.
"The sound of my singing did not bother you?" Sirius said, turning around on his horse.
"Why, not at all. In fact, I rather enjoyed it." Lily called down. "I would love to hear you sing more."
"I don't usually sing alone. I like to sing duets more." Sirius said. "May I come up and join you in singing a song?"
"Yes, but first you must answer my original question," Lily said. "And I must know your name."
"My name is Sirius," the prince said, "apparently Sirius the Forgetful, because I do not remember your original question."
"I asked you what song you were singing before." Lily said smiling. "Can you tell me, oh Sirius the Forgetful?"
"That was a song I made up that is rather horrid." Sirius said. "You know I am Sirius the Forgetful. Are you Lady the Curious?"
Lily laughed and replied, "I am Lily the Ever Curious."
"Now that we know one another, can you tell me ho to get in?" Sirius asked.
"Just go around the tower. There is a door there with three questions. Answer them correctly, and you will pass." Lily said. "But answer them incorrectly, and you will be burned."
"Really?" Sirius asked.
"No, you don't get burned. You get stabbed." Lily said, as if this was much better.
"I shall answer correctly." Sirius said and his horse trotted to the back. There he saw an ordinary wooden door. He got off his horse and went up to the door. As he got closer, he saw then engraved was three questions.
Friend or foe?
Well, friend, obviously Hopefully more, though.
Good or Evil?
Well, Sirius had his naughty moments, but he thought he was overall good.
Love or Hate?
This one confused Sirius a bit, but decided on love, since he did love Lady Lily. He said, "Friend, Good, Love." And the door opened. Sirius walked up a long staircase and there was another door. He knocked and Lily opened it. There he saw a big circular bed in the middle of the room with armchairs all around it. There was a window, and on the other side there was a fireplace. And then, there was Lily. Lily seemed more beautiful close up then far away, if possible.
"Thank goodness you didn't get stabbed!" Lily said, giggling. "Now, we must sing!"
"Can't we just talk first? I would love to learn more about you." Sirius said, sitting in a big armchair next to a fireplace.
"Well, I suppose we could, yes." Lily said. "Who is your father?"
"My father is a, err, milkman. He delivers the milk my uncle makes." Sirius said, coming up with a family tree quicker than you can say Merlin. "They split the profit, but if it's an odd number, my father gets more because he has a family, and my uncle does not. He is at a good age, still, so finding a wife shouldn't be hard. And your father?"
"Well, I'm sure you won't believe me," Lily said. "But my father is king of the neighboring country."
"Your father is king of Farmelon?" Sirius said in disbelief. He did believe she was princess, but not of the rival country!
"Yes, he is King Oran, the best king ever known to man!" Lily cried in pride.
"I seriously disagree." Sirius said, believing his real father was the best king ever known to man. "King Hapholan is the best king ever known to man!"
"King Hapholan? The king of Deramus?" Lily said laughing. "I can hardly bring myself to say he is a good king out of respect, let alone the best king ever known to man!"
"He is much better than King Oran." Sirius said angrily. "I'm sure you are aware that Farmelon and Deramus are at war. Are you also aware that Deramus has won the last three battles in a row?"
"That just means you have a better army, not a better king." Lily said.
"It takes a good king to lead a good army." Sirius said. "And people are switching to our side every day. They don't like the Farmelon monarchy."
"Well they should." Lily said. "We have better soil for farming than you, we have lower taxes than you and we have better festivals than you!"
"Well, Princess." Sirius said, "At least our queen hath bourn a son. Two sons, in fact. Twins. No identical twins, but at least an heir to the throne."
"Farmelon has an heir!" Lily retorted.
"Who?" Sirius challenged.
"Me." Lily said simply.
"You? A woman lead a country? I think not." Sirius said.
"It's better than your heirs. Silly boys who do nothing but ride and hunt. I hear they can barely speak Latin." Lily said. Lily switched to Latin and said, "Nos pugnabimus!" (We will fight!)
Sirius, being the king's son, had taken Latin and spoke it fluently. "Nos vastabimus!" (We will destroy!)
"See? Even a peasant like you can speak Latin, and the princes cannot?" Lily said in English. "What kind of a country is this?"
"If you hate it so much, why are you here?" Sirius asked.
"I'm here because my father was afraid that your army would invade our castle and take me as hostage. I stay here, hidden and safe." Lily said.
"I've found you now." Sirius said. "Who says I won't tell?"
"I'll make you a duke! A bishop! Anything to keep me safe." Lily begged. "You will be with the top councilmen of Farmelon!"
"I would rather stay and die in Deramus than live richly in Farmelon!" Sirius said, going back down the staircase. He was exhilarated! He has left an impression, and that was all he wanted. The Princess was sure to remember him now. As he rode back to the castle, he hummed that song he sang earlier. He knew he could win the Princess love.