A Princess Named Harry: Book 2

Chapter 11

Lianne stood bewildered. She watched her little siblings stand down and listen to someone for the first time. Someone who was most definitely weaker than she was.

"Will we play tomorrow?" Claire asked.

"Maybe," answered Harry.

"Come on! Won't you play with us tomorrow?" asked Collin.

"Maybe . . . if I'm not too busy," replied Harry.

The twins began to whine. Harry thought it would have bothered her a lot more than it did now, but in her current mood, she could easily turn them down.

"I don't know. First, I'll see if I have any plans tomorrow."

"Aww!"

"For now, I'll escort you back to your rooms." She paused. "Or do you have classes today?"

"We can skip them," answered Collin.

"It won't be anything new," said Claire.

"We do it all the time."

Yet another thing that no one could make the twins do. Lianne was about to scold them, but before she could, Harry gently said, "You know, you shouldn't skip your classes. They're important. Some people don't get the opportunity to learn like you do, so you should use it to your advantage. Be grateful you have a wonderful teacher who is willing to teach you."

The twins, who normally would have begun to protest that their teacher was incompetent and mean, now obediently listened and nodded.

Lianne was once again impressed but also mad. Why did they only listen to Harry? Why couldn't it have been her or their parents who have had their fair share of troubles from their antics?

"You-Harry," she called. She tried her best not to sound annoyed. "I was just about to head on my way for tea. Come join me."

Harry was surprised by Lianne's request. Wasn't she already aware that she had just finished her teatime with the twins?

"Um- "

"No way!" shouted Claire. "She's taking us back to our rooms!"

"Classrooms," corrected Collin.

"Classrooms," Claire repeated.

The twins were determined, but Lianne was not an easy opponent to defeat.

"Have you not kept her to yourself all this time?" she asked. "I said that I need to speak with her. If the problem is that you can't find your classrooms, then shall I send a maid to guide you? I'm sure Harry doesn't know where your classrooms are if even you two don't."

The twins froze and quickly gave in.

"Fine," sighed Claire.

"But she's ours tomorrow!" grumbled Collin.

"If she wants to go with you two," Lianne responded.

The twins didn't say anything more they simply walked away with the angriest expressions on their tiny faces.

"Don't be fooled by their behavior," said Lianne. "Those two will soon be turning ten. They need to learn how to grow up."

"Ten?" Harry asked loudly. "I thought they were seven."

"They act like they are."

Harry gave an awkward smile and decided to agree with the crown princess.

"Now that that's finally settled, let's go."

"Okay."

Harry followed Lianne back to her room. She was nervous because she didn't want to run into Kaitlyn even by accident. As if Lianne had read her mind, she said, "Don't worry, Kaitlyn is out shopping with her maids."

Harry quietly sighed with relief as they arrived at her room. She watched Lianne open the door and wondered what a princess's bedroom looked like. She imagined a gigantic room filled with many luxuries, but when Lianne opened the door, Harry was let down.

The room, much like hers at home, was quite bare. The room was of dark and ordinary colors. She had once thought that an important person should have an important room, but right now, an important person has an ordinary room.

"Are you coming?" Lianne asked. Unlike earlier, she spoke with no emotion.

"I-I am," Harry answered. She spoke with much emotion.

She looked around the room more when she entered. She didn't see any tea or snacks sitting out for them.

"Where- "

"They're on the balcony."

Harry was a little excited to eat outside on a balcony. She was sure that the view would be wonderful.

She quietly followed Lianne out. The warm air hit her face. Sitting by the railing was a table decorated with fancy tablecloths, plates, and more Taram delicacies. Two of the most comfortable-looking chairs that Harry had ever seen in her life were sitting out in front of her. It made Harry wonder if Lianne had planned to make her join her the whole time.

She watched Lianne sit down and then sat down herself. She looked out past the balcony. She could see Taram's palace gates and some little bits of houses and businesses in the far distance.

"Does the view interest you that much?" asked Lianne.

"Yes, it's beautiful," answered Harry.

"You see the beauty in everything, don't you?"

"It's easy because everything I see is beautiful."

Lianne laughed, "Next, you'll say that I'm beautiful."

"Sure," Harry answered. "You are."

Lianne gave a grim smile. "You and my parents are the only ones who'd think that way."

"Do . . . people think you're ugly?"

Lianne silently sipped her tea before answering, "Yes, it's all because of this black hair of mine." She put her cup down and caressed her long dark hair. She glanced up at Harry to see her making a pitiful face.

"That's the reason?" she asked.

Lianne smiled at her innocence. "You'll understand when you meet my mom."

Harry didn't say anything. She only sat looking at Lianne with sad eyes. This coaxed Lianne into asking her something that had been on her mind since she saw Harry with her younger siblings.

"Do you pity me?" she asked. She watched for Harry's reaction closely. "Is that why you wouldn't tell the twins no? Is that why you wanted to speak so freely with me? Me, who's known as a monstrous crown princess, and the twins who are known as difficult troublemakers?" When she saw Harry's still expression, it enraged her. "Do you think we want your pity?"

Harry lowered her head. "I'm sorry."

Lianne shot up and slammed her hands down on the table hard. It shook and rattled everything on it.

"Do you think you're doing us a favor by showing us pity and acting nice to us? You think that'll make us feel better?" She clenched her fists. "The twins have, indeed, made people collapse with their nonstop playing, but they don't understand no because no one has ever tried to tell them that. Do you think you're a savior by doing whatever they want? Saying what they want to hear? Playing with them and following their orders until the next time? Do you paint yourself as some angel?"

Before she knew it, she had taken out her anger on Harry. Her words hadn't been directed at her, but at the people who had scorned them. She wanted to stop but couldn't, she had gone too far. She couldn't accept that someone who seemed weaker than her was easily able to accomplish things that seemed impossible to her.

Lianne stared at the girl in front of her who looked immeasurably hurt. Did she want to be friends with a monstrous crown princess so badly? No matter how kind the girl was, she couldn't accept her kindness or friendship yet. Not until she tests it.

"Harry," she huffed. "Although this may seem informal, I request that the second princess of the Cardiaire Kingdom, Princess Harry Cardiaire, have a duel with me."