A/N: Now, an adorable moment Reese shares with Lily :) Again, big thanks to Raider for taking these on!
TheRanger'sDaughter: Glad you liked the first collab :) Feel free to PM your ideas to Raider or myself (just know that all I'll do is pass the list to Raider) if you don't want to leave them in a review. As I said, Raider will be the primary author of these. I'm just making sure nothing she writes conflicts with Story 8.
Disclaimer: I'm not John Flanagan. Neither is Raider.
Reese absolutely hated the set of rooms given to him for the trip to Roscrea. Even more, he hated the servants who flocked to him each and every morning. Some were Hibernian, but most were Araluens who traveled with his family. Those directly under him knew better than to invade his space. The Hibernians and extras did not. Each time he sent them away he wondered where Elizabet found the patience to deal with her equally frustrating lady-in-waiting Alicia day in and day out.
After breakfast with his parents, yet another servant's knock came at his door. The messenger bowed to Reese respectfully. Reese rolled his eyes. He hated being bowed to, as though he were above this messenger in some way.
"Good morning," the page greeted him with too much cheer for this particular hour.
Reese noted the colors and seal on the boy's shirt. Hazen. Great.
"Prince Hazen would like to accompany you on an afternoon ride today—if your highness would be so gracious."
Again? When would Hazen take the hint? Surely Jin or Robin had tipped the Hibernian prince off by now about his deal with his family. He had the events he would be expected to attend as part of his title. Horseback riding with Hazen wasn't one of them. Whether Hazen knew of the deal or not, it wasn't this boy's fault he had to deliver the invitation.
"I can't. I'm busy today," Reese told the poor page. The boy bowed and scurried down the hall. Reese sighed with relief and went off to find Lily. He did promise to take her on the loch, after all.
Reese wandered the castle's hallways trying to make his way to Frey and Rosalina's set of rooms. After a few wrong turns, one of which led him into a cleaning closet, he made it to their door, characterized by a small banner with Rosalina's crest. He rapped on the door. He was greeted by Camille, Rosalina's lady-in-waiting.
"Ah, Prince Reese," she said with a short curtsy. "What brings you here this morning?"
No sooner had she finished his name when Reese heard the high-pitched squeal of his young cousin on the other side.
"Reese! Reese!" Lily cheered. "He came for me today!"
"Put down your toast," Frey instructed his youngest with his thick Skandian accent.
Reese chuckled when he heard screech of a chair, followed by the patter of bare feet on stone. Lily's jam covered face stuck out in the gap between Camille's body and the door. Camille stepped out of Lily's sticky path. Reese scooped his cousin up up, jam and all, and walked into the breakfast table.
Iris, ever so proper, stared up at him with a hopeful gleam in her eye. "Will you eat with us, Reese?"
"Oh I wish I could," he said. "But I'm afraid I ate earlier."
Frey gave a relieved nod, all too happy to continue hoarding the bacon none of his girls would touch. Rosalina and Iris were too concious of their figures while Lily preferred sweets. Reese would have forced him to share.
"But I could do with a bit more jam!" Reese teased, sticking out his tongue and leaning in close to Lily's cheek.
"No! Reese, no!" Lily squirmed in a fit of shrill giggles. Reese mercifully released her from his grip. She grabbed onto his hand instead. "Are you going to take me out to the loch today? You promised and we've been here such a long time already."
"It's been four days," Rosalina pointed out with a grin as she sipped coffee.
"Well, it feels like a long time."
"I would like to, but we need permission from your parents first," Reese said.
Frey shrugged. Rosalina nodded her approval.
"Want to come, Iris?" Reese asked, feeling the need to extend the invitation though he knew exactly what her answer would be.
"No. Mara's hosting a tea party. Lily, we both said we'd go," Iris said, giving her sister a pointed glare for the broken engagement.
"I'm sure Mara will understand. It's not every day Lily is asked by a crown prince to go out," Frey said with a wink to Reese.
"Off we go then," Reese said. Rosalina pulled Lily over and mopped her face with a cloth napkin dipped into her water glass before allowing her to leave.
Reese took Lily down to the kitchens first. A scullery maid was all too happy to fix them a picnic lunch. Obviously it wasn't every day someone royal spoke directly to her, which actually surprised Reese. He'd seen sweet Mara stow away to beg the chef for pastries between meals, and Gabe never hesitated to help himself to a simple sandwich if he missed a regularly scheduled meal. They took the basket and walked hand-in-hand to the loch where Reese already had a rowboat waiting. Lily chatted animatedly about whatever it was girls her age chatted about. Reese only half-listened, his mind far from his little cousin's games.
The breeze off the lake felt good as Reese rowed. He enjoyed being able to work his arms after their voyage to Hibernia. He could see Lily was enjoying her time on the lake. She seemed to enjoy her life no matter where she was, both in castles surrounded by people and out in nature with few distractions. She hummed to herself and picked petals off water lilies she'd scooped up from the side of the boat.
Reese paused his rowing for a moment and stared at the clouds passing over the trees. How he wished this moment could never end. He knew that upon arrival back to the castle Hazen would be there, as well as his parents and the servants, all with expectations for him. Reese sighed.
"Lily," he began. She looked up from her decimated flower. "I need some advice."
Lily dropped the remainder of her flower into the water. She sat straight up and put her hands on her lap folded neatly. Reese couldn't help chuckling at her change in posture. This was how Rosalina taught her girls to sit when speaking to adults, what few occasions they were allowed to sit in the presence of an adult.
"Proceed," she said formally. Reese ducked his head to get control of his grin.
"Very well," he answered, trying his best to match her tone. He laughed again at his own weak attempt. His words came out softly. "I don't know how to be a king. What do kings do?"
"What?" Lily asked, forgoing formality and slouching. Like Reese, she couldn't be bothered to hold such an 'official' stance for long. The only difference was she would never be expected to.
"What must I do to become a good king?" Reese asked her, hoping she'd spout some uncanny wisdom spacey children like her were known for.
"Well, you're almost tall enough. That should count for something." She decided.
Reese shook his head at his young cousin. No wonder literally everyone liked having her around. "What do you mean I'm tall enough?"
"Well," she started in a calculated manner. "You're almost as tall as your daddy. He's really great. You're pretty great too. If you're like your daddy then you will be a really good king like he is."
Reese laughed, "I like your standards, Lily."
Lily absently fished another water lily from the loch.
"I feel bad for Hazen though," Lily added after several moments of silence.
"Why?" Reese asked. How could she possibly feel bad for Hazen? He had everything.
"He's shorter than you." Lily said simply.
Reese only smiled. "I suppose he is."
"Can I paddle now?" she asked, completely moving on from their conversation. Reese handed over a paddle. She gave a strong three strokes before it promptly flopped in the water. Reese should have foreseen that, given how small Lily was. Without a second thought Lily flopped in after it.
Something else he should have foreseen.
"Lily!" Reese called out. Her head bounced above the water, hair plastered to her face as she took a few strokes swimming towards it. "Come back!"
"You come in!" she squealed with a grin. Reese studied her in the water. Both of Frey's children had been taught to swim earlier than anyone else in the family. The only grief he'd get over this when he returned her was allowing her in with her shoes on.
Perhaps Hazen would avoid him if he was soaking wet too.
Reese removed his shoes, socks, and shirt before following Lily into the water.