Royalty ~ Ongoing

Gifts

Lillian Potter, daughter of king Potter, sat outside in the grass. She giggled at a squirrel that hopped around just a few yards away. It was a beautiful day. A warm breeze fluttered leaves on trees.

"Lily, come inside!" Her father briskly walked to her and took her hand, scaring the little animal away. "I've told you to not go outside without my permission!" James Potter scolded, dragging the princess back inside.

"Father, it's my birthday! Can't I do anything fun?" The girl stopped and crossed her arms. James's eyes softened as they entered the castle.

"There's a surprise waiting in your room." Lily smiled with the innocence of youth and hugged her father.

"Thank you!" She ran off to her room, mindful of not tripping on her dress.

Lily practically threw the door open and gasped.

"Hadrian!" She cried in delight. A male, about a foot taller than her, sat on her bed.

"Lily? How've you been, darling?" Lily sat down on the bed next to her brother.

"I've been ok. Father is getting more and more worried about me, he fears that someone will just take me." Hadrian's bright emerald eyes grew sad.

"You must follow his instructions. James might be a bit protective, but it's for your safety." Lily frowned at 'James'.

"You're supposed to call him 'Father'." Hadrian shrugged.

"He's not my biological father, I don't see the point. He didn't raise me." Lily swung her feet back and forth, a sign of anxiousness for her.

"Father says that I'll be married soon. He wants someone other than himself to be able to watch over me."

"You turned thirteen just today! Can't we wait a few years? You need to have a childhood!" Lily sighed tiredly.

"I don't want to be married... he still doesn't know who will take over the throne."

"James might need to find a new Queen. He needs an heir."

"I still don't understand why you can't! I mean you're royalty!" Hadrian patted his sister's shoulder.

"I don't have Potter blood in me, only Evans and some other unknown man's blood. I don't want to take over anyway. I'm perfectly happy where I am." Lily scowled.

"You live in a tiny hut in the middle of nowhere taking care of sick people. I highly doubt that you're content with that." Hadrian shook his head.

"Healing is what I do best, mother would have wanted me to do something like it. Have you gotten any gifts today?"

"No, Father won't have a party for me either." Hadrian took a small drawstring bag out of his bag and handed it to his sister.

"Everyone should get a gift on their birthday." Lily bit her lip.

"Do you ever get presents on your birthday?" The young man flushed.

"Not usually. Sometimes patients from the past stop in, that's good enough for me." Lily shot up and rummaged through a drawer. She pulled something out and held it behind her back.

"Close your eyes and we can open them at the same time." Hadrian obeyed and held out his hand. "1, 2, 3!" Lily opened the bag and poured its contents out into her hand. She let out a happy-sounding noise at the small porcelain figurine. "You knew just what to get me!" Lily set the owl statue on her desk, next to all the other figurines.

Hadrian opened his hand and looked at the ring. It wasn't a very intricate ring, but it had quite a bit of sentimental value.

"L-Lily, where did you find this?" His fingers ran over the band and the small onyx.