Bright Star

Chapter 2: Your Highness

Note: a Dowager is a widow that holds a title or property. Lily's grandmother holds her deceased husbands title therefore she is known as Dowager Lady Lorena Grimaldi.

Note 2: I don't know how quickly these chapters are going to come. I am not very good at adding a lot of detail to stories just yet, but I will try my best to keep them coming in a timely manner. If a few days go past please don't think I've abandond the story, Im just trying to get it as detailed as I can so it's not just a one page chapter. Stick around, good stuff is sure to come! ;)

Lily sat pensively in the town car her grandmother had sent for her. The gown she had picked out for her was breathtaking. A beautiful champagne colored chiffon dress with a slit up the side. The neckline was modest but dipped low in the back exposing plenty of skin. Lorena definitely wanted to make Harry drool over her granddaughter. Lily would have chosen something from her own closet if she thought her grandmother wouldn't scold her like a five year old when she showed up to the banquet in it. Lily bit the inside of her cheek as her nerves started getting the best of her. The little pep talk she'd given herself in front of her vanity mirror was practically forgotten now and she had to admit she was scared to see Harry. They hadn't ended things on great terms that night five years ago, and she had to contemplate what his reason could be for requesting to see her now after so many years. It was puzzling to say the least. 

Lily grabbed her clutch from the empty seat next to her as the car pulled up along the front of the St. Pancras Renaissance hotel. As was to be expected the arrival of Harry and other important Aristocrats at the Benefit for Children promised a media turnout. There were hundreds of photographers lined up along the edge of the roped off blue carpet. Lily was less than fond of the shutterbugs and their nasty tactics for getting a picture that would sell, but tonight she would play nice since they would surely bring more attention to the charity, and that was a win for everyone. The door to the car opened, and Lily grabbed the drivers hand as he helped her out of the car. Flashes began going off, as Lily walked down the carpet as quickly as she could, her instinct to get away from them momentarily taking hold of her.  

"Wait!" they shouted at her and she slowed down letting them take picture after picture, not wanting them to get irate if they didn't get what they wanted. "You're gorgeous, what's your name?" One of them yelled at her, and she felt her cheeks instantly light up, as she tucked her loosely curled hair behind her ear. So far they were being nice.  

"Come on love, don't be like that, give us your name and we'll make you a star by tomorrow morning!" Another yelled, and Lily blushed harder.  

"Wait a minute, you're Lillian Quartermaine!" A photographer to her left called out. A few moments passed, and Lily wondered if the others had even heard what he'd said. Well, all the better for her if they hadn't. She smiled. 

"Oi! That's right; she's the Dowager Lady Grimaldi's granddaughter, the one that dated the Prince!" Another one of them shouted. Damn. Lily cringed as her life under the radar became over just like that. Suddenly the flashes went off simultaneously, as it began to click in the minds of each photog who she was. Overwhelmed, Lily grabbed the fabric of her dress in her hand and hurried towards the doors as they called after her. She didn't stop as the doors were pulled open by a doorman and she slipped inside.  

"Perfect!" She said running her hands through her hair and straitening her dress as she looked over her shoulder through the doors, as they continued calling her.  

"My thought's exactly." She heard someone say. Tingles ran through her body like a rushing stream at the voice. She didn't know how much she'd missed it until just then. She turned to see Harry standing casually with his protection officers in the middle of the lobby, a smile on his face. She bit her lip as he started walking towards her, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his black suit trousers, his ginger hair as wild as ever, his face as perfect as always, her heart as broken as ever.