Lovelorn

02

02

Magical

"Are fairies real?" I asked Lyle as we strolled through the path of our secret garden. I always wondered if fairies really do exist. If they really are just hiding on the petals of the flowers, disguised as leaves... if they exist.

"I think not, but in our imagination, they do." He said carefully.

Prince Georges Lyle Dieudonné, but I call him Lyle. I remembered the time I asked him why he was initiating me that I should just call him "Lyle" and not Prince George or Your Royal Highness. I remember what happened then.

"I told you to just call me Lyle. Your name is Lizea, right?" Even when he's asking for a favor, his voice is still full of authority. Like, you should still do what he commands because every word that comes out of his mouth will always be right. And when you don't do it? You're the one who will be wrong. You will be punished if you defy him. Fit for our future King.

"Yes, Your Highness." I looked at him, confused. He clicked his tongue as he looked at me like I'm some sort of puzzle he needs to figure out.

"I told you, call me Lyle." I saw him furrow his eyebrows when he saw my eyebrows raise.

"But that's not what I should–" he cut me off with his chuckle. I felt my cheeks go hot. How could a chuckle be so... attractive?

"Well you should. Just... please? Stop being so stubborn. You're going to be the cause of my death." He grinned as he looked at my flustered face. I shook my head as I sighed.

"You, Your Highness, will be the death of me. That is not what the rules say." I explained to him, but I know it will be pointless when he cocked his head to the side.

"Do your rules also instruct you to talk to me like... I'm a friend?" That made me shut my mouth up as I slowly bowed my head. But before I could sort out my emotions and just make myself shut up, I muttered a curse.

My eyes went wide as I covered my mouth. I heard a hearty laugh coming from the Prince. I saw him clutch his stomach because of his laughter. I looked around and saw two royal guards in the far corner look at us. I just shrugged at them as I looked at the now, done-laughing-prince looking at me with amusement.

"Glad to entertain you, Lyle." I said, trying not to sound sarcastic. But instead, he smiled widely.

"You called me Lyle."

"I know. Yes, I did. But now, tell me why."

"In time, you will know." He smiled as he slightly bowed his head then went in his room, leaving me confused outside.

"Hey, Lyle?" He hummed in response as I saw him crouch in front of a blueberry bush. "You never really told me why you wanted me to call you by your second name."

There was a moment of silence in between us. I watched him pick the berries and put them on a basket. When the basket was halfway full, he puckered his lips as he shifted to look at me.

"You will think this is cheesy." I laughed at his charming little face.

"No! Just, tell me. I want to know why that sixteen year old prince wanted the fourteen year old maid to call him Lyle instead of his royal title."

"Don't judge, yes?" I nodded my head vigorously in response. I was always curious about this. His friends call him Prince Georges, or Georges. Never Lyle. I was the only one he permitted to call him Lyle. I heard one of his royal friends call him "Prince Lyle" before and he got mad. That's why no one ever called him that again. Except for me.

"Your name is Lizea. I'm Georges Lyle. Lizea– starts with an L. And Lyle also starts with an L." I saw his ears turn red as he avoided my gaze.

"Lyle... that is so adorable." I pouted as I imagined the sixteen year old Lyle thinking about that. He scratched his head as we looked at each other. A moment goes by then I smiled sadly. "I wish that would change anything between us." I added softly.

"Hey, hey. Don't say that!" He came closer to hug me but I took a step back. That caused him to be more eager to hold me in his arms, "Just for this moment." He added.

I sighed as I melt in his arms. "The truth's inevitable. You're a prince. I'm not a princess. I'm just a maid. This isn't some fantasy story where I can be accepted and we can be together. This is reality." I smiled sadly at him.

"Hey, listen to me. You asked if fairies are real. Fairies aren't real, but hey. You can be a fairy of your own. With your own wings, you will fly around the wonders of your fantasy. Our fantasy. Go let your pixie dust be the light in your glum mind." He then creased his forehead as he asked, "What are those creatures in the sea called? The half human, half fish creatures?"

I chuckled at his confused face. "Mermaids?"

"Yes, mermaids. They are also... fictional. Mermaids are nowhere in the depths of any ocean nor any sea. But you can be a mermaid on your own. You will swim the deepest depths of the oceans. You will fight the immoral power of the waves. You will guard the shores. You will guard them just like the way you guard our garden from the pests that may ruin anything here." I watch him with full adoration as he speaks.

"But those are magical creatures. They're from fairytales and fantasies. And I'm not magical– I'm far from it. I told you I'm not royalty. I'm no princess, and I know that you know that too." I chuckled humorlessly. I know we cannot run away from reality. And whatever happens, I know I'll be the pathetic one.

"You're not a princess of royalty who lives in a vast castle, yes. In reality, you're just a simple girl. You're a... royal au pair. But you can be a princess– you are a princess of your own, in my head, in our fantasies, you have magical powers.

"You are the ruler of your own fantasies. You're a princess that has dreams and have the magnificence of your thoughts.

"You're a princess, and you are magical too."