Following Her Footsteps

FIVE

December 30th, 1997

Outside rages a blizzard so strong that the familiar palace entrance has been almost erased. The snow falls slowly and air is almost still, but it is too thick to see a thing out the stained glass window Is .

Lucy who was seated with the rest of her family sat with her chin rested in her hand trying to at least act like she was engaged in the conversation between her father and eldest brother.

"Lucy, how about you eat your toast so you'll be less full before your lessons." Charles mentioned to Lucy who had been lost in her thoughts trying to imagine how harsh the teacher will be.

"Lucy?" Harry asked letting the "u" roll out a couple times trying to score his sisters attention as she stared at the half eaten toast smeared with marmalade.

Once Harry knew she was daydreaming he snapped his fingers in her face knowing that would awaken her. But as soon as he had done so Lucy snapped out of it and fell onto the wooden floor squinting her eyes from the pain.

"Lu!" Almost immediately Harry jumped out of his seat and helped the princess back into her chair with a maid, standing nearby, helped as well.

"Sorry, didn't get enough sleep last night." Lucy said while all eyes were on her as she picked up her,by now cold, toast taking a huge bite into it.

"I would say." Charles said staring into his glass of orange juice while Harry gave her a questioning look.

"I'd say your just scared of the teacher." Harry teased knowing his younger sister too well. Lucy knowing her father who would try and give her advice disagreed with the matter.

"No, I just couldn't sleep last night." Lucy said as she stared down at the fruit laid across her plate awaiting to be eaten.

"Yeah right." Harry mumbled as he shoved a piece of darkened toast into his mouth seconds before a maid politely interrupted, "Your teacher has arrived miss." Lucy who sat there with a startled look on her face started playing with the ends of her dress.

"You'll be fine, darling. She's just another teacher here to teach you etiquette to please your grandmother." Charles encouraged as he got up from his seat walking over to the princess while bending over the kiss her cold forehead.

"Now let's say we go meet her now?" He asked holding up his hand as he awaited to the princess to get up. Lucy nodded her head while taking her fathers hand as they walked, not too fast, to the door where the teacher waited.

"Hello, Princess Lucy I will be your teacher for this course." The teacher said as she bowed to both her father and herself.

"Pleasure." Charles told her as he looked down at Lucy giving her a warm smile as she stared down at her shoes that she wished were in her wardrobe while she was running barefoot around the castle.

"There's not a thing to be worried about princess this will be such an easy course." The teacher who's named tag read, Sophie, encouraged while nodding Charles and the maid off.

"Well how about we learn our first lesson shall we?" Sophie asked as they made their away to the study with Lucy following slowly behind her.