Pond Water
On Princess Lilly’s sixteenth birthday the palace was awash with aunts, uncles, cousins, and, unfortunately, a passel of princes.
They were there to vie for her hand, and each wished to be the lucky prince who got to lead her into the ball that evening.
Lilly did not want to be vied for. Nor did she want to be fawned over, flattered, or fondly told not to bother her pretty little head about things every time she brought up an interesting topic of conversation.
It was a relief to escape to her bedroom with an armful of birthday presents, shaking off the princes who’d offered to carry her parcels as if they were so many persistent puppies hanging on to the hem of her petticoat. She momentarily thought of escaping through
