-- people watching [bess]

The day had thus far been a bit of a disappointment to Bess as she wandered the grounds of Memoria. Everywhere her dark orbs looked it seemed that there were open spaces void of people. And a lack of people often meant that there were fewer adventures to find when she was on her own. Was it great to go out and find something new? Absolutely! But it was soooo much more fun when you were able to share that experience with someone else. It was a feeling that Bess had come to miss after being parted from her brother.

She ran a hand through her brown curls as she stepped a little further out into the grounds, breathing a soft sigh. This was likely to be one of the last nice days that they got before the autumn weather would give way to winter, and Bess wanted to take advantage of it. There had to be something out there...something that would take her beyond the walls of the school for just a little bit!

As if in answer to her prayers, that was the moment that Bess spotted a familiar blonde on a nearby bench. ”Lily!”

Elizabeth had known Lilian since the two of them were small children. With royals as parents, it was almost impossible for the two of them not to have met and socialized. Playdates and royal gatherings like weddings and christenings had often seen two little girls sitting near one another, and though Lily had always done her best to behave herself while in the presence of the courts, Bess had been the child who squirmed in her seat despite her best efforts. Lily had been the calming influence in public. Bess had been the wild soul when their parent’s backs were turned.

Quick steps took her over toward the bench, allowing the girl to slip quietly onto the end of it as she moved in close to the blonde. ”Why do you look like you’re just sitting here soaking in the sun when you could be out on some great adventure?” she asked her, eyes shining with mischief. If there was anyone who might be persuaded to come and join in the chaos with her, she was fairly certain that it was Lilian. After all, if she was going to be the heir to her kingdom, she needed to have a little bit of fun before she was weighed down by endless duty, right? ”Are you all settled back into school then? I think your brothers are supposed to be starting this year, aren’t they?”

That as going to be chaos incarnate, and Bess simply couldn’t wait until the two young Princeton boys were running around the halls of Memoria. They played off of one another like no tomorrow, always looking for something fun to do. And if one of them could get into trouble, you knew that the second one wasn’t all that far behind.

NOTES ;
I'm ready for them to get into some trouble! Or for Lily to calm her wild side!

The brunette giggled. ”Do you honestly expect anything less of me?”

Bess slid a little closer and easily wrapped her arms around the younger girl, hugging her tightly. Lily had been one of her best friends growing up, so much so that Bess had often written her letters after they had been pulled apart and taken back to their respective kingdoms, just so that she felt like she still had a friend somewhere else in the world. In her own way, she had become a sort of calming influence on Bess over the years. Sitting at formal functions and receptions was often hard to do when your spirit was restless and in need of an adventure. But Lily’s presence had provided some stability for her. And the sparkle in her eyes had almost always promised that the two of them would be able to embark on some kind of journey soon...even if it was only down to a familiar spot by the creek for a few hours before they had to return, knowing that they had been missed.

”Would it pass Queen Aurora’s inspection?” she asked in her teasing tone. She knew quite well that Lily’s mother was a little more...firm, than some would have thought. In that way, she reminded Bess a lot of her father. One minute they were this happy and nurturing parent who wanted their child to be happy and healthy. The next they were a little colder and more closed off than before, insisting that they learn their place in the succession or the family tree or whatever other nonsense they decided to spout. ”I’m afraid my things look a little more like Mother’s library. The books aren’t in their proper place yet.”

Now that was a sight to behold. On her best days, Queen Belle had a beautiful library that was simply overflowing with books. It had been a gift from King Adam, back before the curse had been broken and they were still dancing around one another with unrealized affections. She always took such pride in it, keeping it free of dust and in proper order. But on days when things were a little more...intense, the library could sometimes look like a bomb had gone off.

There would be books on every visible surface of the room, including stacks on the floor. Any time there was strife within the castle, that was where one could find Belle. And often, it became a guessing game as to who would step inside and be able to help pull her from her thoughts. Somedays it was her older brother. Other days it was Lumiere. Every so often it was Bess herself who would move through the heavy wooden doors and go searching for her mother. But more often than not, it was always her father who needed to go in, close the doors behind him and speak softly to his wife until she was able to think clearly again.

But Bess quickly gave her head a shake. ”Did your father have to convince her?” she asked, pushing herself to find that vein of conversation again as her dark eyes began to refocus on Lily. ”He did a pretty good job in convincing her that you needed to come, as I recall. Maybe knowing that you’d done so well up to this point was his argument to let your brothers start too.” King Philip had always been a proud advocate for the education of his children. And he probably understood the idea that they needed to get out of the kingdom for a while before Aurora smothered them with her overprotective love. But Lily was certainly right...once the Princeton twins started, Memoria would never be the same.

The sparkle returned to her eyes. ”I don’t really have any plans,” she confessed. ”But I put everything upstairs in the dorm and I’ve been restless for a while. I needed to go for a walk or something...and then I found you! You lucky thing,” she added with a cheeky grin. ”You’re not planning on sitting here all day are you? You’ll get a horrible sunburn if you do that.”

NOTES ;
I'm ready for them to get into some trouble! Or for Lily to calm her wild side!