Lilly Lionheart. The Lost Crown

Chapter 18

Waking up Lilly sat up wandering where Leo was. Seeing it was getting dark she got up and walked out of the tent. 

"Lilly you're awake?" Thunder asked. 

"Yeah, but where is Leo?" she asked. 

"He is meeting with his father and brother. They all heard the old one's words and are discussing it," Thunder said. 

"They must not be taking it well. At least I don't think my family will be taking it well. Magica is after all Avalon's neighboring kingdom," Lilly said looking around. 

"The royal family is taking it better than you think. As far as I can tell they are really proud of him. They want him to stay at the palace and prepare for the big journey. Our journey will be long and filled with challenges," Thunder said. 

"Yeah, I get why they would want that but I don't do that good indoors," Lilly said. 

"You and me both, but it looks like we will be staying indoors for a while," Thunder said. 

"Where is Diamond?" Lilly asked. 

"She found herself a cave and has been resting. Something about the camp being too busy," Thunder said. 

"I get why this is too much for her. It's hard to accept but I think I know what will make her happy right now," Lilly said. 

"Are we going hunting?" Thunder asked. 

"Sure, let me get Diamond out of her cave," Lilly shouted. 

Lilly rushed to her dragon and found her sleeping deep within the dark cave. "Come one Diamond time to get up, " Lilly said. 

"Lilly you're awake?" Diamond asked. 

"Yeah, I bet you can not catch me?" Lilly said in an excited manner. 

"You know I am faster than you," she said. 

"Then let's go, Thunder is waiting for you. It's hunting time," Lilly shouted. 

Lilly rushed outside and heard Diamond roar. Her wings could be seen spread over and Lilly mounted her dragon. Taking off into the sky Diamond and Thunder flew close to one another. Heading towards the hunting grounds. 

Lilly had her sword at her side and her bow and arrows on her back. Flying through the mountains and entering the valley hidden within this was the place known to many as the hunting grounds. 

Lilly jumped off Diamond's saddle onto a close by hill. She took out her bow and pointed the bow at a dear in the distance. As she fired the shot the dear fell to the ground. She inspected her kill and started to clean the deer. 

"You know you don't have to hunt when are you going to eat at the palace?" Thunder said. 

"I used a lot of power, and I am hungry," Lilly said. She used her fire element to cook the deer meat and started to eat. Once she finished she gave the leftovers to Thunder to finish up. 

"You're not taking any back to Leo?" he asked. 

"Not unless Leo is willing to eat meat that was carried in your mouth besides you said they will be feeding us at the palace right?" Lilly asked with a smile on her face. Folding her arms looking at Thunder. 

Diamond landed and said, "I've finished my hunt Thunder what about you?" 

"Yeah I am about done," he said and at the meat that was left after Lilly at all she could. Mounting Diamond's saddle they took off heading towards the camp. Diamond flew around the camp and Lilly could see Leo and his father looking at her. 

Diamond landed with Thunder at her side. "Where did you go?" Leo shouted. 

"Someone was hungry, I took them hunting," Lilly told Leo. 

"Hungry?" Leo asked. 

"Yeah Diamond refused to go hunting without me so I took her hunting and Thunder came along for security," Lilly said. 

"Did you eat as well, we have to leave right away?" Leo asked. 

"Yeah, I ate some meat from a deer I killed. I'll be okay for now," Lilly said. 

The group left for the palace Diamond who enjoyed having her rider with her flew above everyone. Lilly looked over the mountains and kept an eye on the forest below. 

Then she saw the big white building in the distance. The closer they got the more she realized it was Aurora's palace. 

She thought about the warning that traitors were everywhere and wondered if it was the case here as well. The last time she was in a castle things didn't end well. Diamond increased speed flying around the castle before landing with the others. 

"Checking out the palace already?" Thunder asked in her mind. 

"Yeah, it's better than the one in Caledonia," Diamond spoke. 

"So you  did check it out?" Thunder asked. 

"So what if I did?" Diamond asked already in a bad mood. 

"Calm down, no harm done," Thunder said. 

"Diamond seems to be in a bad mood?" Leo asked. Once everyone was on the ground. "Yeah, she's not used to all this. Remember she was in a forest alone, and now I am asking her to be happy about the changes we have to make. Both of us have to accept it but we are giving up our freedom and it's not easy," Lilly said. 

"You make it seem like a really big deal, Lilly?" Leo said. 

"No, it's not, I am trying to get you to understand. Unlike Thunder, Diamond's egg was in a cave left behind by possibly the last war. Then I was forest to hide in the forbidden forest until she became an adult. Alone once again, all this is hard because we don't know it or understand it," Lilly said. 

"I get what you are trying to say, I will help where I can," Leo said. 

A few hours later after dinner, Lilly felt herself standing on her bedroom balcony looking up at the night sky stars. She looked at the north star and remembered the old one's words. 

She went inside and looked around the bedroom. Its light pink and gold theme was pretty. The bed was perfect almost two perfect. 

"How many years has it been since I slept in a bed just like this one," she wondered out loud.